5 Days Primates and Batwa Cultural Safari :
Safari Overview: This 5 Days Rhino tracking, Kibale national park and Bwindi impenetrable national park safari. Kibale national park which is Africa’s foremost research site that focuses on the Chimpanzees and other primates in Uganda. Kibale forest national park is located in the western part of Uganda in Kabarole district and is the only park where we find the world endangered Chimpanzees and other primate species. It covers an area size of about 795 square kilometres and with the lowest point of about 1,100 meters on the floor of the Albertine Rift Valley to the south. Kibale national park is also one of the best birding destinations in Uganda with about 375 bird species. Kibale national park is adjacent to Queen Elizabeth national park and it creates a 180 kilometres long corridor between Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth national park and Kibale national park. Kibale national park is the only place in Africa with the best sights of the wild Chimpanzees.
Gorilla trekking is a life fulfilling experience while relaxing in an enchanting forest luxury lodge overlooking the Bwindi forest with dense vegetation and great sounds of primates and birds over the montane forest, terraced hills and rolling volcanic slopes. The mountain gorillas’ presence in this part of the world has transformed the edges of Africa’s oldest rainforest into a luxury getaway spot. Bwindi impenetrable national park forest is located in the southwestern part of Uganda close to Rwanda-Uganda border at the edge of the Rift Valley. Bwindi forest is one of Uganda’s oldest national parks with diverse rainforest of over 25,000 years ago and contains about 400 plant species. Bwindi Impenetrable national park inhabits half of the remaining endangered mountain gorillas in the world with half of the remaining gorilla in the world.
Safari highlights
- Day 1: Transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – Rhino tracking
- Day 2: Transfer to Kibale forest – Chimpanzee trekking
- Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi via Queen Elizabeth national park
- Day 4: Gorilla Trekking and transfer to Mbarara city
- Day 5: Ankole cultural tour – Transfer to Entebbe – Departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 2: Transfer to Kibale forest national park
Depending on your location in Kampala/Entebbe, you will be met by our company representative/driver guide and start your 6 hours’ drive to Kibale forest national park in the western part of Uganda with stopovers to stretch and lunch depending on your location and time. Connect to your lodge with en route visit of the crater lakes near the park. Dinner and overnight stay at Chimpanzee Forest Lodge for mid-range/Kibale forest lodge for budget/Chimpundu Lodge for luxury
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
On the 2nd day of your 5 Days Primates and Cultural Safari, As early as 6 am, meet your driver/guide and connect to Kibale forest national park headquarters for briefing about the endangered chimpanzees and later enter the forest with the guidance of a park ranger along with your tracking gears, packed water, and snacks. This tracking takes about 2-5 hours in search of the chimpanzees. On finding the primates, you will spend 1 hour viewing them while studying their behaviour and taking pictures. After tracking, drive to your lodge. Dinner and Overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi via Queen Elizabeth national park
Have breakfast very early and set off to Bwindi Impenetrable national park, its 8-9 hours’ drive with en-route lunch and drive via the Ishasha area in Queen Elizabeth national park for an opportunity to spot the tree-climbing lions. Proceed to Bwindi arriving late afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay at Buhoma Haven lodge for mid-range /Buhoma Lodge for luxury
Day 4: Gorilla Trekking and Batwa community tour
On the 4th day of your 5 Days Primates and Cultural Safari, You will enjoy early morning breakfast and transfer to the park headquarters with your packed lunch and bottled drinking water for a briefing by the park ranger guides at 7:00 am. After the briefing, you will start your gorilla trekking journey accompanied by the ranger guides in search of the mountain gorillas; this takes 2 to 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas. On finding the creatures, you will be allowed to spend 1 hour with these gentle giants.
Thereafter, connect for Batwa community tour where you will learn about the pigmies, who are also the indigenous people of Uganda, who lived in the Bwindi forest as their home before they were evicted to conserve the mountain gorillas which shared a home with them. Visiting the Batwa gives you an opportunity to experience their cultural practices like hunting, fruit gathering, fire making, dance and songs will also be enjoyed.
Day 5: Transfer to Entebbe – Departure
After breakfast, enjoy a community tour then embark on your journey back to Kampala/Entebbe with lunch en-route and stop at the equator in Masaka. Continue your journey to Entebbe to check-in for your flight back home.
