Best of Uganda Gorillas, Chimpanzees

There are so many places to see in the beautiful, lush green Uganda. The people are of friendliest that I have come across in Africa. Always willing to help and so excited for people to see their beautiful country. Uganda is a must for birders with more than a thousand species of birds including the Shoebill Stork. Uganda is the home of the Mountain Gorilla – some and see these primates on our trips into Uganda. Uganda feels as if it is a secret country to be explored with dark forest, surrounded by mountains and beautiful lakes... Let us take you to visit the chimps on Ngamba Island, an Island on Lake Victoria dedicated to orphaned chimpanzees.

Nile Perch is also the largest fresh water game fish in the world! Let us put a package together for you and your friends for a fun fishing trip to the worlds second largest fresh water lake, Lake Victoria.

Our suggested package to Uganda is a 9 day safari from South Africa. This is just a suggestion, please remember we can tailormake any package your heart desires into Uganda.

9 day/8 night

Set Departures

Guaranteed for minimum two persons

Our nine-day safari takes you to the Mountain Gorillas in Uganda or Rwanda, game viewing,  bird watching and chimp tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park, including a boat cruise, a visit to Lake Mburo National Park and Ngamba island chimp sanctuary.  Two gorilla-tracking opportunities are included on this itinerary.

DAY 1 – FRIDAY

Depart Johannesburg International Airport on South African Airways to Entebbe, Uganda.  On arrival you will be met and transferred by a Wild Frontiers representative to the Lake Victoria Hotel in Entebbe.  Overnight here for one night on a bed and breakfast basis.

Windsor Lake Victoria Hotel

This is an old colonial-style hotel with lovely views over Lake Victoria.  It has good facilities including a formal dining area with an outside terrace, 2 bars, breakfast room and pool with it’s own bar and restaurant area. The meals include European style food, plus an Indian menu.  The atmosphere is quiet and relaxing.

The rooms are in a quadrant around a central garden with some facing the lake.  All rooms are en suite, have air conditioning and satellite television.  A complementary shuttle service operates to and from the airport for all flights – about 8 minutes drive away, although our guests receive a meet and greet as part of their safari itinerary by a Wild Frontiers’ representative.

DAY 2

From here we continue on good tarmac roads to Lake Mburo National park (approx. 4-5 hours drive).  This small park offers a great variety of game including zebra, leopard, various antelope and hippo – as well as prolific bird life.  Here you may go on a walk with a local guide, a short boat ride on the lake (local boats), or on game drives exploring this park.  Arrive before lunch.  Overnight here for one night inclusive of lunch, dinner and breakfast at Lake Mburo Tented camp.  Game drives and walks are included.

Lake Mburo Tented camp

Situated high up on a hillside off the main route to the park headquarters is this tented camp with views stretching far and wide.  Each tent caters for two persons and has it’s own bathroom area with hot showers provided, eco friendly toilet systems and a private dressing area.  A central area provides dining and bar facilities.  Meals are generally of a high standard with several courses for most.  Rooms: 9 x en suite double tents

Lake Mburo

Lake Mburo, 260km2 was gazetted in 1982 as Uganda’s fourth national park. It is composed primarily of grassland, wetland, and acacia woodland habitats. At the centre of the park lies Lake Mburo, which together with 14 other lakes in the area forms part of an extensive wetland system. The park has topi, eland, kilpspringer, zebra, buffalo, oribi, sitatunga, leopard, an excellent variety of water and acacia savannah bird species, like crested crane, marabou stork and bronze-tailed starling.

DAY 3

Today we travel along from Mburo towards the Kabale region, and then into the mountainous area of the lush Uganda Highlands - the ‘Switzerland of Africa’ - with great views and vistas of this beautiful green area, from here we continue to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, or to Kisoro and on to Ruhengeri, Parc National des Volcans, for your gorilla tracking base – depending on where pre-purchased permits are held.

Overnight in en suite chalet/lodge accommodation, all meals included.  It will be a fairly long day in the vehicle, passing some interesting scenery, farmland and lush green hillsides.  Lunch en route. 

Buhoma Homestead - or Gorilla Nest, or similar (Bwindi or Rwanda)

Buhoma Homestead is one of the original camps at Bwindi, which has recently been upgraded.  Very conveniently situated inside the park opposite the park entrance with views over the forest canopy.  Currently there are individual cottages with their own private veranda, bedroom and en-suite bathroom. Lighting is by solar in all the rooms.  Meals are taken in a central dining area where a fireplace provides warmth in the cool evenings.
Rooms: 6 x en suite double cottages

Or, if trekking in Rwanda – we normally use:

Mountain Gorilla’s Nest

This quality lodge is located close to the Parc National des Volcans.  It is nestled under a grove of trees, with all the rooms surrounding a large courtyard.   The rooms are quite spacious,  en-suite chalets with modern bathrooms.  The lodge has a spacious restaurant with large bar and reception area and friendly service.  On a clear day the views across to the volcanoes and surrounding hills are spectacular.   There is a newly completed golf course at the lodge, and a limited number of sets of clubs are available for hire.

Just outside the lodge are a number of curio stands and you may like to take a walk through the nearby village to see what they have for sale!

Alternatively, the lodge/your guide can organise a taxi to go down into Ruhengeri or even to Lake Kivu to take a look around.  This would be an additional cost for your own expense.

DAY 4

An early morning trek into the forest on the slopes of the volcanoes, led by experienced trackers will bring you amongst a family of Mountain Gorillas. These massive primates are extremely rare, only approximately 650 remaining. 

You will get within metres of the family, and be privileged to spend time amongst them.  Returning to the camp for a late lunch, we have an opportunity for forest walks with the guides, or just to relax.   Overnight lodge or tented camp.

The trekking may be fairly strenuous; generally two to six hours or longer is not uncommon – at relatively high altitude.  Please refer to our information sheet.

Mountain Gorillas are wild animals, as such sightings cannot be guaranteed, however the success rate is well over 90%.

DAY 5

A second opportunity for gorilla tracking, with pre-purchased permits subject to availability.

For those not trekking, you will have the opportunity to go on a forest walk with a local guide, or on a community walk at the local village which has been included in your tour cost, or perhaps visit the local orphanage.

After lunch at your lodge, we will head in a northerly direction to the Ishasha area of Queen Elizabeth National park, from Bwindi approx 3 hours drive (or from Rwanda almost a full day), to be welcomed to our newly established luxury tented camp nestled under trees alongside a river.

Ishasha Wilderness Camp, Queen Elizabeth National Park

With the backdrop of the Ruwenzori Mountains to the north, and the Virunga volcanoes to the south, there are few places on earth to rival the scenery in this park.  Large herds of elephant, buffalo, Uganda kob and topi are often seen, as well as ‘tree-climbing’ lions, who favour the big Fig trees.  The camp is conveniently situated midway between Bwindi & the Mweya section of QENP and is the only camp in 70 km, giving a feeling of exclusivity.

Style of camp:  East African ‘Meru’ Tents, en-suite shower, toilet and basin.  Tents are spaced under shady trees, overlooking the river.

The camp currently accommodates up to twelve persons, with facility for four more in the near future.  The dining area is under canvas, on the banks of the river.

Activities:  Game drives, walking with ranger/guide (on request), bird watching.

DAY 6

Game drives this morning in the Ishasha area of the park, looking for tree-climbing lion as well as some of the large herds of buffalo and topi in the region.
Lunch at the camp, before transferring to Mweya Lodge or Jacana Lodge.

Two nights will be spent here game viewing, with an opportunity to go on a chimp walk at Chamburu Gorge.

Mweya Lodge

Located on a peninsula overlooking the Kazinga Channel on one side and with spectacular views towards the Ruwenzori Mountians on the other.  Amenities include a swimming pool, the Tembo bar and an elegant air-conditioned restaurant with global cuisine.  Breakfast is taken on the alfresco terrace adjacent to the Kazinga Channel.

Or,

Jacana Lodge

Set on the edge of a crater lake the lodge blends in perfectly with the wooded surroundings of the Maramagambo forest.  Built with sensitive use of rock, wood, rope and other natural materials it combines to form a unique style.  Each log cabin is beautifully and uniquely furnished to high standards and all rooms are en suite.  A floating dining area on the crater lake provides a tranquil and different option for sundowners and dinner in the evenings.
Rooms: 8 x en suite double log cabins.

Within these two days we will go on a boat cruise on the Kasinga Channel, famous for hippos and bird life, and trek chimps in the Chamburu gorge (subject to permits being available and group size, this is an optional extra).  Early morning and late afternoon game viewing / drives will also be conducted in search of Uganda's unique wildlife such as the Giant Forest Hog, Red Forest Buffalo and Ugandan Kob, and lion, elephant and leopard are often seen.

DAY 7

Queen Elizabeth National park, as above.

DAY 8
Morning game drive out of the park with a pic-nic lunch, returning to Entebbe.  Overnight Lake Victoria Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.

A half-day trip to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Reserve on Lake Victoria can be arranged for this afternoon or on day 1 subject to flight times.  Ngamba is where orphaned chimpanzees have been relocated under the management of a group of dedicated conservationists including the Jane Goodall Institute. 

Ngamba Island is part of the Koome group of islands located on Lake Victoria 23km south of Entebbe, Uganda. It consists of approximately 100 acres, 98 of which are forested and separated from the visitors’ area by an electric fence.  Ngamba Island was officially opened to visitors in October 1999 and is currently home to 35-orphaned chimpanzees, 15 of which have been confiscated and brought to the island since it’s opening.

Ngamba Island is a project of the Chimpanzees Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT), established in 1997 by the Born Free Foundation (UK), International Fund for Animal Welfare (USA), the Jane Goodall Institute (Germany and Uganda), The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre Trust (UWECT) and the Zoological Board of New South Wales (Australia) and it provides these orphaned chimpanzees with a secure home to live out their lives, since a return to their natural habitat is not possible, while educating visitors and local communities about their remarkable species and the importance of conserving their fragile forest habitat.

Entebbe is a small town, located on the edge of Lake Victoria.  You may like to spend some time exploring the town on foot, or you can take a taxi in to Kampala and visit the craft and curio markets there, the Kasubi Tombs and Museum.  In Entebbe there is the Wildlife Education Centre, and you can see close up the large slow-moving Shoebill Stork, or you can try your hand at golf on the local 9-hole course (bring your own clubs!).

If you have a couple of spare days (either before or after your safari), we would recommend you consider one of the following activities or short safaris.

• For those who are really energetic, by prior arrangement it is possible to go to Jinja for a day or two and do some whitewater rafting or even a bungi jump, quad biking or just relaxing next to the lake and river 
• Overnight on Ngamba island and consider a forest walk with the chimps
• Fishing / overnight trip to Ssese Islands
• A 3 or 4 day trip to Murchison Falls (you may fly up or drive depending on time        available)

Overnight Lake Victoria Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.
Optional extension Kibale.

DAY 9

After breakfast you will be transferred to Entebbe Airport for your return flight on South African Airways to Johannesburg.

Cost per person: Please contact:

Yolandi Wiese: 0725467750

email: yolandi@stylelavie.com

Plus Gorilla trekking permit (USD375 Uganda / USD375 Rwanda)
*From 01 June 2007 USD500 Uganda / From 01 July 2007 USD500 in Rwanda
(Excludes X-mass supplements)

Price includes:
Return airfare on South African Airways Johannesburg/Entebbe/Johannesburg
Return airport transfers
Meet & greet service
Accommodation as stated in good quality hotels / lodges
Meals as above (bed and breakfast basis in Entebbe, on safari all meals are included).  Refer to the notation below
Services of driver/guide
All park entry fees
Excursion to Ngamba Chimpanzee Island by boat & entrance fees (day excursion, the overnight is an optional extra)
Comprehensive passenger and public liability insurance
Game drives in QENP & Boat cruise on Kazinga Channel in QENP
Game drives in Lake Mburo National park
Forest walk at Bwindi x 1 or community walk (Rwanda or Bwindi)

Price excludes:
Visas if required, personal travel insurance, drinks & tips, Gorilla trekking permits - USD375 Bwindi or USD375 Rwanda PER PERSON PER TREK, Chimp tracking permits in QENP (9 day option only) USD30 per person, laundry, flight from Entebbe – Bwindi one way (option on request basis), walk in Lake Mburo National park.
Walk to Dian Fossey Grave, or Golden Monkeys (Rwanda only) USD75 & USD100 respectively.

The minimum age limit on these two safaris is 16 years.  For families or private groups with children, please enquire for a tailor made quote.

The following dates have been set for the convenience of individual travellers who do not want to pay for a private safari.   All departures are from Entebbe.  Please note that trekking may take place in either Rwanda or Uganda, and this may only be advised once the permits have been confirmed.  We reserve the right to amend the itinerary without notice accordingly.

Guaranteed departure with minimum two persons (subject to permit availability)

IMPORTANT INFORMATION – GORILLA PERMITS

Uganda - Permits to view gorillas in Uganda are in high demand, with only 18 people per day being allowed to view at Bwindi, and 6 at Mgahinga, plus a further 6 at Nkuringo. A percentage of the permits at Bwindi are sold up to 48 months in advance, and only members of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators are allowed pre-purchase permits. The balance is sold three months prior to trekking.  At Mgahinga & Nkuringo, the permits are on sale three months prior to trekking date – this is due to the fact that the gorilla family at Mgahinga sometimes crosses the border to Rwanda, and so cannot be viewed. 

For those guests on private or tailor made tours outside the scheduled dates for which we have limited permits, we will purchase permits after the agent has secured payment for these from the guests.  Should we be unable to secure permits, we will refund guests immediately.

Rwanda – there are four family groups for trekking in Rwanda, with a total of 32*
permits per day being available.   These may be pre-booked, as with Bwindi permits, gorilla viewing is excellent.  (*At time of writing, May 05, there is a breakaway group offering another gorilla family for trekking – however, this situation is not guaranteed as the family may end up re-joining).

Please note that due to the popularity of Gorilla Tracking, it is important to secure your dates as soon as possible to avoid disappointment, particularly during the peak seasons of June-October, and December-February.

Visas:   Most nationalities require a visa to enter Uganda.  These can normally be obtained on arrival at the border – please check with your travel agent, or our office.

Health requirements:  Yellow Fever (this must be done no later than 10 days prior to departure - if you have had any previous liver disorders you must consult your physician first).  Anti-malaria tablets.

Travel Insurance:  We strongly recommend you take out sufficient medical cover for the duration of your holiday.   Please ask for our assistance in this regard.

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E. & O.E.

lw/oct06/7
2006-07 wfr 9 day Uganda gorillas ex jnb (set 8 day)
Tp: uganda/8 day (9 day ex jnb) zar