Safari Overview

Mgahinga gorilla national park is the second home to mountain gorillas in Uganda with only one habituated mountain gorilla group called Nyakagezi gorilla group and also at the same time home to the Golden monkeys in Uganda. Golden monkey tracking is another exciting primate activity to do in Mgahinga gorilla national park, golden monkeys are classified as endemic species only found in the Virunga volcano range and two other forests in Central Africa. These beautiful creatures get their name from the color of their fur which is a good feature to marvel about. Mgahinga national park is gifted with both the Gorillas and Golden monkeys hence it is called the place “where Silver meets gold”. This 5 Days gorilla and golden monkeys is designed to offer visitors a combination of experiences such as gorilla trekking in Uganda, and Golden monkey trekking and blended with other experience such as Batwa community tours. This trip includes transportation, accommodation and permits.

With this package, travellers also have an option of starting the trip in Kigali- Rwanda. This is because compared to the long hour drives from Kampala/Entebbe which is 8-9 hours, we can arrnge transportation to start in Kigali city with an airport pick. It takes about 4-5 hours driving from Kigali to Mgahinga national park via either Katuna or Cyanika borders.

Highlights

• Day 1: Pick-up and transfer to hotel in Kampala
• Day 2: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
• Day 3: Gorilla trekking experience
• Day 4: Golden Monkey trekking and Batwa Community tour
• Day 5: Return to Entebbe

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe airport – Hotel

On arriving at Entebbe International airport, you will meet our company representative who will also be your safari guide for the 12 the driver will pick you up and transfer you to Kampala. From the airport, it is about 1-hour drive to Kampala city. On locating your hotel, proceed to check-in for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay

• Luxury option – Kampala Sheraton Hotel
• Mid-range option – Fairway Hotel and Spa
• Budget option – Forest Cottages  

Day 1: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

After breakfast, you will be met by your safari guide of the trip and embark on your journey to Bwindi national park located in Kisoro district in the far south west of Uganda close to the Rwanda and Congo borders. Since it is quite a long drive, you will enjoy en-route stops at the Equator and in Mbarara town which is the largest and urban town in the western part of Uganda for lunch and refreshments. On reaching, Kisoro town in the evening, proceed to your accommodation. Check-in, refresh as you wait for dinner and overnight rest.

Accommodation and meals (Full board)

• Luxury option: Chameleon Hill Lodge
• Mid-range option: Ichumbi Safari lodge
• Budget option: Rushaga Gorilla Camp

Day 3: Gorilla trekking experience

Enjoy early morning breakfast and transfer to the park headquarters with your packed lunch for a briefing by the ranger guides before entering the forest in your trekking gears including trekking sticks, good hiking shoes and stocking for tacking-in, long sleeved shirts and long trousers and a rain coat or jacket to mention but a few. Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga national park is no different from other trekking parks that is trekking takes 2 to 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas as they roam the park freely and there is no way of telling where they will be for a particular day however the rangers will be able to find them as they tracked daily.

On finding them, you will be allowed to spend 1 hour as you view and take photos of these gentle primates before you descend back to meet your driver/guide and transfer back to your new lodge. Relax as you enjoy the views of the Virunga Mountains, dinner and overnight stay at

Accommodation and meals (Full board)

• Luxury option: Lake Mutanda Safari Resort/Gahinga Lodge
• Mid-range option: Lake Mulehe Safari lodge
• Budget option: Travellers’ Rest Hotel/Mucha lodge

Day 4: Golden Monkey trekking and Batwa Community tour

After breakfast, drive back to the park with your packed lunch in your trekking gears. It is the same procedure of trekking as of the previous day. Gather at the park head offices with other tourists for briefing about the Golden monkeys before you enter the forest, hiking through the trial that leads to where the Golden monkeys could be. On a lucky day you may encounter the gorillas again, different birds and forest animals. Trekking may take 2-5 hours depending on their location. On meeting them, you will spend an hour in their presence before you return to meet your guide.

You will later afternoon connect for a Batwa community tour. The Batwa people are the ethic group who occupied forest before it was gazetted as a national park. They are the pygmies of Uganda with a unique lifestyle. Visiting this community will remind you of the olden days of an African siting where food was got through hunting, gathering from fruits and honey, disease treatment using medical plants to mention a few. Later evening return to your accommodation for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 5: Return to Entebbe

After early morning breakfast, check-out of the lodge and embark on your journey back to Kampala/Entebbe with en-route lunch and refreshments. Depending on your flight arrangements, you will be dropped at a location you will advise including airport drop off if you have a flight on this very day. End of Safari

5 Days Bwindi and Mgahinga Primates tour and Lake Bunyonyi Safari

Safari Overview

Mgahinga gorilla national park is the second home to mountain gorillas in Uganda with only one habituated mountain gorilla group called Nyakagezi gorilla group and also at the same time home to the Golden monkeys in Uganda. Golden monkey tracking is another exciting primate activity to do in Mgahinga gorilla national park, golden monkeys are classified as endemic species only found in the Virunga volcano range and two other forests in Central Africa. These beautiful creatures get their name from the colour of their fur which is a good feature to marvel about. Mgahinga national park is gifted with both the Gorillas and Golden monkeys hence it is called the place “where Silver meets gold”.

This 5 Days gorilla and golden monkeys is designed to offer visitors a combination of experiences such as gorilla trekking in Uganda, and Golden monkey trekking and blended with other experience such as Batwa community tours however with the opportunity to explore Bwindi Impenetrable national park mountain gorillas. Bwindi impenetrable national park is home to half of the remaining mountain gorillas in the world offering gorilla trekking experiences in the deep forested sector of the park while the other half are found in Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga National park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bwindi national park has the highest population of mountain gorillas that can be found in the 4 sectors of the park, we also find both habituated and non-habituated mountain gorillas and visitors can get the visit both habituated and semi-habituated gorillas.

Lake Bunyonyi is Uganda and East Africa’s deepest lake with estimated depth of about 44meters to 900 meters deep and a width of about 7 kilometres to 25 kilometres wide. Visiting Lake Bunyonyi is the best way to end your gorilla trekking safari as a way of relaxing before you return to your final destination.

With this package, travellers also have an option of starting the trip in Kigali- Rwanda. This is because compared to the long hour drives from Kampala/Entebbe which is 8-9 hours, we can arrange transportation to start in Kigali city with an airport pick. It takes about 4-5 hours driving from Kigali to Mgahinga national park via either Katuna or Cyanika borders.

Highlights

• Day 1: Pick-up and transfer to hotel in Kampala
• Day 2: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
• Day 3: Gorilla trekking experience
• Day 4: Golden Monkey trekking and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
• Day 5: Return to Entebbe – Departure

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Pick-up in Entebbe (8-9 hours’ drive) /Kigali (4-5 hours’ drive) and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

Depending on your location in Kigali or Entebbe, you will meet Elephant Whispers Safari representative and safari guide for a briefing and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park with en-route lunch, check-in your accommodation and spend the afternoon at leisure.  Dinner will be served at your convenience and overnight stay in your room.

• Luxury options: Chameleon Hill Lodge/ Nkuringo Safari lodge/Clouds Safari lodge/Four Gorillas lodge
• Mid-range option; Rushaga Gorilla Camp/Icumbi Gorilla lodge
• Budget option: Rushaga Haven Lodge

Day 2: Gorilla trekking experience – Nkuringo/Rushaga sector

Enjoy early morning breakfast and transfer to the park headquarters with your packed lunch for briefing by the ranger guides and later head into the forest for your trek. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi takes 2 to 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas. These primates roam the park freely and there is no way of telling where they will be for a particular day. On finding them, you will be allowed 1 hour to view and take photos of these gentle primates, enjoy your lunch packs and meet your driver / guide and transfer back to your lodge. The time after trekking can be spent on a village tour or lazing off at the lodge as you savoir the memories of your gorilla trek in Bwindi and prepare for the next day. Dinner and overnight at Lodge as above

Day 3: Golden Monkey trekking and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

Wake up early to transfer to Mgahinga national park, after breakfast, you will drive to the park headquarters in Mgahinga National Park for briefing about the Golden monkeys with your trekking gears. After briefing, your ranger guides will lead you into the forest to search for the Golden monkeys. On finding them, spend an hour viewing them while taking pictures and videos.

After trekking, have lunch in Kisoro town then proceed to Kabale district where you will connect to Lake Bunyonyi. This is the deepest lake in East Africa and its Bilharzia from for human to use the water for different activities. Upon reaching the lake, connect to your accommodation for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at

• Luxury option – Bunyonyi BirdNest lodge/Bunyonyi Safari Resort  
• Mid-range option – Bunyonyi Eco-Resort/Bunyonyi Arcadia Cottages
• Budget option – Bunyonyi Overland Resort

Day 4: Full day excursion at Lake Bunyonyi

Wake up for breakfast, meet your guide and connect for a boat experience on Lake Bunyonyi and visit some of the interesting islands on the lake. Return for lunch at the lodge and spend your afternoon in company of the community while on your nature walk around the area or stay relaxing at your lodge with great memories of your safari. Before nightfall, return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay as above

Day 5: Transfer back to Entebbe/Kigali – Departure

After breakfast, check-out form the lodge to embark on your return to Kigali or Entebbe with en-route stops to refresh and lunch breaks. Depending on which direction you take, upon arrival at either Entebbe or Kigali, you will proceed to Entebbe/Kigali airport for drop off.