STSU 06 Gorilla Treking Safaris

DAY 1 MURCHISON FALL NATIONAL PARK
Leave Kampala at 0700hrs. Drive through the famous Luwero triangle. Take a stop over at Masindi hotel for lunch. We will continue through the park stopping at the top of the falls which is a fantastic sight. Here the Nile, the longest river in the world, is forced through a narrow gap in the rock (only 7 meters wide), before ferociously plunging down 43 meters. You will then be dropped for dinner and overnight at a Luxurious Nile Safari Lodge

DAY 2 THE LAUNCH CRUISE ALONG THE NILE
After a cup of tea, embark on an early morning game drive on the northern bank where your guide will help you spot elephants, lions, Cape buffalo, rothchild's giraffes, hartebeasts, waterbucks, oribi, bushbucks, bohor reed bucks, hyenas, and on rare cases leopards. Return to the lodge for mid morning breakfast. Relax at the lodge. After lunch, you will take an afternoon trip to the foot of Murchison Falls. This boat trip along the Nile is often cited as being the highlight of a trip to Murchison since it allows you to get up-close and personal with the animals. Along this stretch of the river, there are reported to be around 4,000 hippos in addition to some enormous Nile crocodiles. The bird life is stunning with brightly colored kingfishers and bee-eaters darting along the riverbanks. If lucky, you may see the rare and prehistoric looking shoebill, which is a cross between the dodo and a dinosaur. The boat takes you to the base of the falls which only adds to splendor. Overnight at a Luxurious Nile Safari Lodge


Day 3 FORT PORTAL
After break fast, we will depart with our packed lunch to Kibale National park. Driving through the verdant country side. Kibale is home to a remarkable 13 primate species, including the very localized red colobus and L'Hoest's monkey.Kibale's major attraction, however, is the opportunity to track habituated chimps - these delightful apes, more closely related to humans than to any other living creature, are tremendous fun to watch as they squabble and play in fruiting trees. A network of shady forest trails provides much to delight botanists and butterfly lovers, while birders are in for a treat with 335 species recorded including the endemic Prirogrine's ground thrush.The elusive forest elephant, smaller and hairier than its savannah counterpart, moves seasonally into the developed part of the park, while other terrestrial mammals include buffalo, giant forest hog and a half dozen antelope species. We will arrive Fort portal town in the late afternoon. Tonight you will overnight at primates lodge.

DAY 4 CHIMPANZEE TRACKING
A relatively early morning start, to report to the ranger station in Kibale National Park at 08.00am to track habituated chimps ! These delightful apes, more closely related to humans than to any other living creature, are tremendous fun to watch as they squabble and play in fruiting trees. The incredibly diverse forest is home to over 13 species of primates including red Colobus monkey, the rare L?Hoest, blue monkey, grey mangabey, pottos, black faced vervet monkeys, baboons and also bushbabies. A network of shady forest trails provides much to delight botanists and butterfly lovers, while birders are in for a treat with 335 species recorded including the endemic Prirogrines ground thrush. The elusive forest elephant, smaller and hairier that its savannah counterpart, moves seasonally into the developed part of the park, while other terrestrial mammals include buffalo, giant forest hog and a half dozen antelope species. After this wonderful experience, we will depart to Queen Elizabeth National park. Overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge



Day 5 GAME DRIVES AND LAUNCH
This morning you will leave for an early morning game drive. Expect to see various mammals like buffalo, hippo, lions antelopes, hyenas among other species. We will return to the lodge for lunch and a chance to relax before taking an afternoon boat trip along the Kazinga channel. This will give you the opportunity to view wildlife up close: hippos huff and spray mere feet away from the boat, buffalo linger in the shallows. The shores
of the channel are also home to an array of birds including pink backed pelicans, pied and malachite kingfishers, saddle billed stork and many others. After this wonderful afternoon, a slow drive back to the lodge. Overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge


Day 6 BWINDI NATIONAL PARK
This morning, you will leave for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. You will drive through the seasonal southern sector of Queen Elizabeth called Ishasha. Here we will take lunch by the Ishasha River and try to find the famed Ishasha tree-climbing lions before continuing to Bwindi, home to the few remaining mountain gorillas. Bird life and primate life in Bwindi is quite superb, and there is an incredible variety of flora. Bwindi is the Bird watchers haven! It holds 348 species of birds and supports 24 of 26 Albertine Rift Endemics that occur in Uganda; and seven red data book species. Once continuous with the forests of the Virunga Volcanoes (Dian Fosseys stomping ground), Bwindi is now an ecological island, surrounded by cultivation on the rich volcanic soils. Overnight at Gorilla Resort camp


Day 7 GORILLA TRACKING
Up relatively early for a hearty breakfast to give you the energy needed for gorilla tracking for 5 pax and the rest will trek the following day. Before 8:00 am report to the ranger station for registration and a talk by one of the rangers; the guides will then take you through the bush pushing your way through the undergrowth, parting thick creepers, to track the gorillas. (This trek can take from half an hour to 5 hours ? a reasonable degree of fitness is required as well as a sturdy pair of walking shoes) Sit in the forest among the gorillas, listening to them grumble to each other, and marvel at
the sheer size of the dominant male; the silverback. It is an extraordinary feeling sitting in the dense rainforest knowing you are with a few of the last remaining mountain gorillas. It s amazing to think there are only about 650 of these beautiful creatures left. Overnight at Gorilla Resort camp

Day 8: More Gorilla tracking
You will have a second day Gorilla trek @ USD 500 per person (subject to booking on confirmation of the safari). The time taken to track gorillas is unpredictable but an encounter of these silent and gentle giants is rewarding! Dinner and over night at your lodge

Day 9 Bwindi - Kabale
Morning Breakfast, then transfer to Kabale .As you travel through out, watch out the rolling hills of Uganda, termed as the little Switzerland of Uganda, expect to see a beautiful climate with nice vegetation and farms on hills! Lunch en
route, arrive at the overland camp of Lake Bunyonyi termed as the lake of Birds and
also known as one of the deepest lakes in Africa! Bird around, or you can watch
traditional dances by the local people or have evening walks. Overnight and Dinner at the Arcadia Cottage.

Day 10 Transfer back to kampala. Stop over at the equator , Lunch en route.



• Park entry fees,
• Full board accommodation at the national parks,
• launch cruises in Murchison falls national park and Queen Elizabeth national parks,L.Mburo, wherever mentioned
• gamedrives,
• 1 gorilla permit per person
• nature walks
• chimpanzee tracking
• a full time driver and guide plus all his associated expenses,
• ground transportation in a 4x4 vehicle with a pop up roof each client with a window seat and all fuel costs


The price excludes; tips, laundry, drinks , optional activities and any other personal expenses.