8 DAY UGANDA WILDLIFE – GORILLA & CULTURE SAFARI

Welcome to the Pearl of Africa! Arrival – Entebbe (10mins drive): Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by Inquisitive Africa representative and transferred to your hotel in Kampala, check in at Humura Resort, your home for this night. Lunch is on own account.

Later depending on the day of the week, visit the Ndere cultural centre (optional)
(Wednesday, Friday or Sunday night) enjoy traditional authentic cultural performances and enjoy dinner served with local food. Humura Resort – BB For upgrade you can stay at Kampala Serena hotel.
Entertainment- Ndere Troupe: Ndere Troupe performs a repertoire of more than 40 authentic Ugandan dances and songs accompanied by various indigenous percussive, stringed and wind instruments. The Troupe engages in various projects aimed keeping African generations educated about traditional entertainment and also uses traditional entertainment to spread knowledge about such current issues as modern farming techniques and HIV/AIDS.

Kampala – Kibale Forest National Park. Approx. 370km/6hrs drive
After breakfast, we drive west to Kibale National Park via the lovely town of Fort Portal, resting in the shadow of the fabled Mountains of the Moon and famous for her many tea plantations. After stopping for lunch at a local restaurant, time permitting you will explore the crater lakes and continue on to the Park and check in at Primate Lodge.
Kibale Forest National Park is an extensive Biodiversity National Park in South Uganda and also known as the “Primate Paradise” has one of the greatest variety and concentration of primates in Africa including our famous cousins the Chimpanzee, Red Colobus Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, L’Hoest’s, Black-and- White Colobus and the Olive Baboons. There is also a wide array of unique birds, forest elephants (smaller and hairier than the more familiar savannah elephant) and much more. Turaco tree tops-Forest Cottage- FB. For upgrade you can stay at Primate Lodge – Luxury

Today the forest opens its doors for a sensational chimpanzee tracking experience. Following the pre-tracking briefing, you will walk or drive to the trailhead for the start of an unforgettable adventure – hiking in the footsteps of the habituated family of chimpanzees. En-route, your guide will enthral you with stories and facts about the forest and her other inhabitants including other species of primates and birds and other big mammals.

Upon sighting the chimpanzees, you will spend an unforgettable one hour with them as they go about their daily life – feeding, playing, grooming, taking care of their young, howling and screeching, in their natural habitat.

Return back to the lodge for lunch then in the afternoon enjoy a guided nature walk through the Bigodi wetland. Bigodi Swamp Walk is an initiative of the local community and is known for its rich diversity of birds and primates. The path and board walk maybe flooded and muddy after heavy rainfall and gumboots are recommended. The walk is about 4km in length taking 3-4 hours at birding pace with local community guides. All proceeds from eco- tourism go back to into the community, a conservation project well worth supporting.

Later return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Turaco tree tops Cottage -FB For upgrade you can stay at Primate Lodge – Luxury.

Queen Elizabeth National Park. Approx.185km/3hrs drive: After an early breakfast, we will check out visiting and enjoy sight-seeing around the scenic crater lakes that surrounds the dense forest of Kibale National Park. Afterwards, you will proceed south alongside the majestic Rwenzori ‘Mountains of the Moon’ to Queen Elizabeth National park. Check in at the lodge for lunch and relaxation, later enjoy an evening game drive. Ihamba Lake Side Lodge – FB For upgrade you can stay at Elephant Plains Lodge

Morning Boat Cruise Drive to Bwindi National Park. (225km/4hrs drive): After breakfast, we take on a scenic boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, a 33km long natural and pre-historic canal that joins Lakes Edward and Lake George. Formed by tectonic activity millions of years ago during the formation of the rift valleys, the canal, 2 to 3kms at its widest, is now the most dominant feature of Queen Elizabeth National Park and one her key tourist attractions. On a scheduled boat ride over a 12km stretch from Mweya to the bird sanctuary (2hrs), guests are almost always guaranteed excellent wildlife sightings including large schools of hippopotamus, Nile crocodiles, wallowing buffaloes on its reedy banks, elephants, multitudes of birds including many endemics as well as numerous other plains game that come to drink at its water’s edge all day long.

After the boat ride, you will depart the northern part of QENP and drive to Bwindi through the Ishasha sector famously known for the tree climbing lions.
Continue further south to Bwindi National Park, home of the gorillas.
Upon arrival check in and enjoy lunch. After some time to rest you will then embark on an evening village walk meeting the locals and engaging in the community Later return to the lodge for dinner and overnight. Haven Lodge Buhoma – FB For upgrade you can stay at Mahogany Springs Lodge

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home of the rare but critically endangered Mountain Gorillas (gorilla beringei beringei), lies on the edge of the albertine Rift Valley in south-western Uganda, with a wide altitude range between 1,160m and 2,600m.
The forest itself, dating back to the ice ages, is one of Uganda’s oldest and ecologically most diverse with almost 400 species of plants, 350 species of birds including 23 Albertine Rift endemics as well as 120 mammals species including lots of smaller ones like rodents and bats but also the Gorillas, Baboons, Chimpanzees, Elephants and Antelopes.

Gorilla Tracking (3 to 8hrs): Arise early today and prepare for an amazing adventure; an unforgettable encounter with the gentle giants of Bwindi! Following breakfast, transfer to the park offices where participants are divided into groups of 8 and allocated a gorilla family as well as a tracking guide.
Please remember to bring your passport for registration, appropriate, water proof hiking boots and a light rain coat. To protect from stinging nettles, we recommend long pants and long sleeved tops. A pair of old gardening gloves can help grabbing onto the vegetation while most hotels/lodges provide a walking stick that come in very handy especially when hiking downhill. A small waterproof backpack is an excellent idea to carry a light snack, bottled water as well as protection for your camera.
After a pre-tracking briefing by your guide (touches on the gorillas generally, your assigned gorilla family as well as appropriate safety precautions), you drive to the trailhead for the start of your thrilling adventure – participants can expect to walk long distances in steep and sometimes muddy conditions with rain overhead, which can be tough and require a degree of fitness. Granted, the time taken can be quite unpredictable taking anything from 2 to 8hrs or longer however the thrill of coming face to face with a giant Mountain Gorilla silverback will more than compensate for the effort in their quest.
Upon sighting the gorillas, you spend the allowed one hour with them as they go about their daily life; feeding, moving, playing, raising their young and sometimes wrestling by the juveniles – it is a totally unique and unforgettable experience!
NB: Coming face to face with a giant Mountain Gorilla must truly be the most genuinely breathtaking wildlife experience on earth!
Afterwards, you hike back to base where your Driver will be waiting to transfer you to the lodge for a deserved shower and lunch or dinner depending on the time taken on the trek. Haven Lodge Buhoma – FB. For upgrade you can stay at Mahogany Springs Lodge.

Bwindi National Park – Lake Mburo National Park (5 hrs / 250 km): After breakfast we depart the impenetrable forest of Bwindi and head to Lake Mburo National Park. Enjoy lunch at a restaurant before we enter the national park, and with a game drive en-route we will calmly proceed to our accommodation, with beautiful views of the park.

We drive to Lake Mburo National Park and as we enter the park it is likely that you will spot some wildlife, like impalas, topis, warthogs, zebras and buffaloes. In the afternoon you can go on a boat ride on the lake and enjoy the rich bird life and the hippos that are cooling off. Optional Night Game drive (pre-book it). Dinner and overnight at Rwaboko Rock. (FB) For upgrade you can stay at Mihingo Lodge
Optional: Night game drive in Lake Mburo National Park Lake Mburo NP is one of the few parks in Uganda where you can watch wildlife after the sun has set.

A night game drive (usually 2-3 hours) is an exciting experience and unusual twist on your regular game drives, allowing you to search for a variety of animals that you would not easily see during the day, such as bush pigs, genet cats and white tailed
mongoose. But also the elusive leopards and spotted hyenas are best to be seen at night. And with some luck you will be able to spot the one male lion in the park who resides down by Lake Mburo!
NB. Booking in advance is required to avoid disappointment

Lake Mburo National Park – Entebbe (6 hrs / 270 km)
Early start of the day as we go for a nature walk guided by a ranger. After breakfast we transfer to Entebbe with a stop at the equator for photos or shopping. Arrival in the afternoon in Entebbe and continue to Entebbe Airport and connect to your international flight. (B)

** END OF YOUR SAFARI WITH INQUISITIVE AFRICA & ADVENTURES **

Inquisitive Africa reserves the right to review published rates in the event of currency exchange rate fluctuations or increases in costs or taxes, which are beyond our control.
EXTENDING YOUR STAY WITH US: Inquisitive Africa has a variety of authentic experiences in Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar, Kenya and Dian or Mombasa, Uganda, Rwanda, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and South Africa. We would be happy to facilitate and plan any extended stay you might require in East and Southern Africa.

• High Season January, February, June, July August, September, December.
• Low Season March, April, May, October, November

INCLUSIONS:
• Airport transfers
• Ground Transportation in a safari customized 4WD Toyota Land cruiser, with fuel
• Accommodation as shown
• Meals where mentioned as included in the itinerary.
• All park entrance fees
• English speaking Guide / driver
• Mineral water in the vehicle; 2 liters per person daily on safari
• Medical emergency evacuation cover

EXCLUSIONS:
• International Airfares
• Optional activities unless specified as included
• Gorilla permits and Chimpanzee Permits
• Excessive baggage charges
• Entry Visa Fees; fees for International Travel Vaccinations and Inoculations
• Items of personal nature such us Room service, Beverage, Communication charges (telephone, fax, and internet). Laundry
• Postage fees
• Porterage fees
• Tips and gratuities for Guide/driver. and hotel staff
• Shopping Charges for Curios and Crafts

TERMS & CONDITIONS: Prices are subject to change. Availability of accommodations and activities is not guaranteed; reservations will be made after receiving confirmation of the final itinerary and the requested deposit. Should any of the included accommodations not be available, we reserve the right to substitute it with an alternative suitable accommodation, which might affect the final quoted price. For more clarity please consult our website www.inquisitivesafari.com for the more detailed Terms & Conditions.

VISA FEES AND APPLICATIONS FOR EAST AFRICA
Uganda Visa: Single entry visa costs US $50 per person. Visas have to be applied and paid for online via the Uganda Immigration website,( https://visas.immigration.go.ug) A copy of the approved application has to be presented at the entry point where the visa will then be issued.

Rwanda Visa: Single entry visa costs US $50 per person. Visas have to be applied for online via the Rwanda Immigration website. ( https://www.migration.gov.rw/index.php?id=203) A copy of the approved application has to be presented at the entry point where the visa will then be issued and paid for. Kindly note that citizens from the following countries are required to pay visa fees but are allowed to obtain their visa upon arrival without prior online application: Australia, Germany, Israel, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, UK and USA.

Kenya Visa: Single entry visa costs US $50 per person. Visas have to be applied and paid for online via the eCitizen portal, ( https://www.ecitizen.go.ke) and present a copy of their E-Visa upon immigration. However, effective 1st September 2015 all visitors to Kenya will be required to apply and pay for the visa online. Please remember that the visa process may take one full week.

Tanzania visa: Single entry visa costs US $50 per person. Visas have to be applied and paid for online via the https://eservices.immigration.go.tz/visa/ A copy of the approved application has to be presented at the entry point where the visa will then be issued.

East African Tourist Visa:
If you are planning to combine Uganda with a visit to Rwanda and/or Kenya it is recommendable to request for the East African Tourist Visa. This special tourist visa costs US $100 per person and allows 90 days multiple entry to Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. Unfortunately, Tanzania has not yet joined the East African community tourist visa, and therefore not part of this arrangement and to visit Tanzania you’ll need separate visa

How to obtain the East African Tourist Visa:
– Uganda: online via the Uganda Immigration website, (https://visas.immigration.go.ug)
– Rwanda: online via the Rwanda Immigration website. ( https://www.migration.gov.rw/index.php?id=203)
– Kenya: online via the eCitizen portal ( https://www.ecitizen.go.ke).

Similar to the application for the single entry visa but make sure to select the East African Tourist Visa.