Overview
Your safari begins in Entebbe, Uganda with an overnight stay at No.5 Boutique Hotel, nestled in the leafy suburbs of Entebbe.
Next day in a 4×4 safari vehicle, your driver guide takes you through the southwestern part of Uganda with a brief stop at Igongo Cultural Center before proceeding on to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for your primate adventure.
Embark on a morning trek to see the Gorilla Mountains, visit of the Batwa community and return to enjoy the facilities at the Camp The Next Day.
Your tour ends back in Entebbe.
Trip Highlights
- Bwindi National Park.
- Ingogo Cultural Centre.
- Gorilla Trekking.
- Community interaction, including the local Batwa Pygmies.
- Specially customized sedan chairs with support and harness allows less able guests to be carried into the rainforest to track the gorillas in their natural habitat.
- Visit the established philanthropy project at Bwindi Community.
Itinerary
Met on arrival by our Uganda ground representative who will give you a short brief on your upcoming safari and transferred to No.5 Boutique Hotel for check-in and either lunch or dinner depending on your arrival time. Spend the rest of the time in leisure by the pool or treat yourself to the spa (extra charge).
Meals: Breakfast, lunch or dinner. Overnight at No.5 Boutique Hotel.
After breakfast, check-out and your driver guide will drive you from the Hotel to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in south western Uganda, a 9hr 16 min (287mi) drive. On the way, a stop for lunch at Igongo Cultural Center before proceeding through savannah forests, tropical rain forests and the terraced hills of Kigezi, known as the Switzerland of East Africa.
The Kigezi region is home to the Bwindi National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for gorilla trekking. Arrive at Buhoma entrance gate at Bwindi by late afternoon. Check-in at Gorilla Forest Camp, located in an unrivalled seclusion and space in the ancient rainforest in one of Africa’s most remarkable landscapes and freshen=up for dinner.
Meals: lunch, dinner and overnight at Gorilla Forest Camp.
After an early morning breakfast, your driver guide gets the earlier organized pack lunch boxes and drives you to the park offices at the Head Quarters. The park warden or head ranger will brief you with other visitors going on the Gorilla Trekking on the does and don’ts before the trek.
Bwindi currently has ten habituated gorilla families, each family is visited by a maximum of eight tourists per day. It is possible you will join other people on the trek which takes between 1-7 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas.
You will be allowed one hour with the gorillas in utmost silence before returning back to the park HQ, where you will be driven back to the Camp to relax before
the evening community walk to the Batwa community.
Here you will have a chance to interact and spend an hour spent with the Batwa, see them demonstrate their skills in hunting and gathering, music performance, and learn their migration history. It is said the first records of the Batwa date back 4,000 years ago in Egypt and are described as short statured people living near the “mountains of the Moon” extolling their abilities as dancers. Return to the Camp for dinner.
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner. Overnight at Gorilla Forest Camp.
After breakfast at the camp, check-out and begin your journey back to Entebbe with a stop for lunch enroute, at the Equator Line to take photographs, craft, and boutique shopping before proceeding to Entebbe for your outbound flight.
Accommodations
Entebbe:
-
- Protea Hotel by Marriott Entebbe
- Imperial Golf View Hotel
- Best Western Premier Garden Hotel
- Lake Victoria Hotel
- K-Hotels Entebbe.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park:
- Buhoma Lodge
- Bwindi Lodge
- Gorilla Forest Camp
- Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
- Silverback Lodge.
Activities
- Gorilla Tracking
- Batwa Tribe Experience
- Tour of community and Philanthropy
- Bird walks
- Forest Walk.
Trip Inclusions / Exclusions
Trip Includes
- Airport transfers on first and last day,
- Transport in a 4×4 safari vehicle
- Services of an English-speaking driver guide
- Fuel for the whole trip
- Accommodation and meal plan as per the itinerary
- All park entrance fees
- Drinking water while in the vehicle
- Amref Flying Doctors cover whilst on this safari aimed at providing quality and affordable Air and Ground Ambulance evacuation services.
Trip Excludes
- Gorilla permit per person per trek (we book it for you)
- Pre and post tour accommodation in Entebbe or Kampala
- International airfares
- Uganda Visa which can be paid on arrival at the Airport (we can advise on confirmation)
- Items of personal nature such as tips, drinks, and laundry
- Tips and gratuities for staff and driver/guide at our partner properties.
- Any additional items not included on this itinerary.
- Subject to your departure flight time, a day room at an airport hotel is available at an extra charge.
- What you need to carry for this Trek:
- Hiking boots
- Garden gloves
- Rain jacket or poncho
- Long-sleeved shirt/blouse
- Cameras and extra batteries
- Hat/cap and sunglasses
- Pair of binoculars
- Flashlight (torch)
- Mosquito repellent
- Other items to include: zoom lens for wildlife shots and energy bars/bites
Entebbe International Airport, Buku Road, Old Entebbe Subward Airbase, Kigungu Ward, Entebbe City, Central Region, Uganda
Entebbe City, Central Region, Uganda
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mpungu Sub-County, Kanungu, Western Region, Uganda
Entebbe International Airport, Buku Road, Old Entebbe Subward Airbase, Kigungu Ward, Entebbe City, Central Region, Uganda
FAQs
Green season 60 days prior to departure date, peak season 90 days prior to arrival.
Hiking boots
Garden gloves
Rain jacket or poncho
Long-sleeved shirt/blouse
Cameras and extra batteries
Hat/cap and sunglasses
Pair of binoculars
Flashlight (torch)
Mosquito repellent
Other items to include: zoom lens for wildlife shots and energy bars/bites