Uganda - 11 nights / 12 days

This twelve day safari is designed to give you a chance to experience Western Uganda’s spectacularly mountain region between the Rwenzoris in the north and the Virungu Mountains in the south. This small and relatively unvisited country hosts an incredible array of animal and plant life – over 80 species of large mammals, 1000 bird species, 1,000 butterfly species and numerous other insect, small mammal, plant and tree species many of them endangered and endemic to Uganda. Most impressive however are Uganda’s primates – more than 15 species inhabit it’s forests. This includes the endangered Chimpanzee and Mountain Gorilla which find quiet refuge here and which you will have the opportunity of seeing.

DAYS ONE – THREE
Kibale Forest

The dense tropical Kibale Forest hosts one of the highest concentrations of primates in the world. Situated in Uganda’s crater lake region this is an ancient volcanic landscape set against the backdrop of the Mountains of the Moon (Rwenzori Mountains).

Here you will spend days exploring the area as well as tracking the noisy chimps and other primates crashing through the high canopy of the forest always accompanied to the sound of colourful squawking birds.

Accommodation will be in a family run inn on a working farm on the boundary of the park.

DAYS FOUR – EIGHT
Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park had its origins early in the century, when many people fled the area because of a wave of sleeping sickness.. Between 1925 and 1947 these abandoned areas became two game reserves, Lake George and Lake Edward. In 1952, the reserves were merged into Kazinga National Park. Two years later, when Queen Elizabeth of England visited the park, it was renamed in her honour.

Queen Elizabeth was once one of the richest and best managed parks in Africa, supporting an outstanding density of wildlife. During Uganda’s wars, animal populations here and around the country were decimated. Now, the park is steadily regaining its past grandeur. The 2000 square km Queen Elizabeth Park contains wonderfully varied habitat from grass savannah, open bush country, riverine forest, lowland forests, wetlands, to rivers and beautiful lakes.

Some of your time in the park will be spent in the southern Ishasha sector. This wild and rugged area offers viewing circuits that are less accessible and more isolated than those of the northern sector. This part of the park has open grassland with scattered acacia trees, and a remarkable floating fig forest, which runs along the bank of Lake Albert. Apart from its plains game, this area is also famous for its tree-climbing lions. The surprising tendency of these particular lions to lounge in the upper branches of old fig trees is a habit not commonly found in other lion populations.

Accommodation will be a combination of permanent lodge and mobile camping.

DAYS NINE – ELEVEN
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

The beautiful and unique 331 square km Bwindi National Park is situated in the south west of Uganda and is one of the most biologically diverse areas on Earth. The park is a remnant of a huge primeval forest that thousands of years ago stretched from the Virunga Volcanoes in the south to the Rwenzori Mountains in the north.

Bwindi has survived human encroachment and shelters many rare and endangered species including 860 rarely seen chimpanzee, the unusual L’Hoest’s Monkey and 330 Mountain Gorillas. You will spend two days tracking the gorillas. You will be one of the select few that get to experience these magnificent animals in their natural habitat. This may mean an investment in time, money and physical effort, but once done, you will find it was an investment well worth making, possibly even life changing.

Accommodation will be in a permanent lodge not far from park headquarters where all gorilla tracking begins.

DAY TWELVE
Charter flight to Entebbe, depart Uganda