8-DAYS UGANDA – CHIMPS, GORILLAS & LIONS

Uganda is known for its friendly people and incredible diversity of landscapes and activities. On this 8-day journey, let us show you the best that Uganda has to offer from wildlife safaris on the savannah plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park to intimate meetings with the chimpanzees in Kibale Forest and mountain gorilla encounters along the canopy covered trails of Bwindi Forest.

Itinerary:
Day 1: Welcome to Uganda
Day 2: Travel to Kibale Forest National Park
Day 3: Chimpanzee Tracking & Visit to Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary
Day 4: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 5: Game drive and Boat Safari on Kazinga Channel
Day 6: Lake Mutanda
Day 7: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Forest
Day 8: Travel to Kigali
Day 1: Welcome to Uganda!
Arriving to a new and foreign place can be overwhelming. All your senses are operating in overdrive as you take in the unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells of your new surroundings. This is certainly the case for a first visit to Uganda. Your driver from the guesthouse will be at the airport to welcome you and expertly navigate you through the lively traffic, while you can lean back and watch your new world go by. If this is your first time traveling to Africa, you will never forget your first acquaintance with her.
The drive to your accommodation is no longer than 20 minutes. Along the way you will catch a glimpse of the shimmering waters of Lake Victoria on your right, see several matatus and boda bodas (local 4-wheel and 2-wheel taxis) weave daringly through traffic, smartly dressed residents in colorful fabrics negotiating the pot-holed streets, food stalls serving delicious Rolex and wooden carts heavily laden with our favorite staple food, the Matoke.
If time allows, you are free to explore the town today. There are many activities in Entebbe that are easily organized through the reception of your guesthouse, for example a visit to the Botanical gardens or the Ugandan Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC). Please note, all activities and extra transportation today are at your own cost.
Journey Time 20 minutes
Accommodation Papyrus Guesthouse

Meal Plan No meals inclusive
Day 2: Kibale Forest
Your journey to Kibale Forest is incredibly scenic, taking you through tea plantations, lively village markets and over rolling hills of lush green countryside that is so characteristic of western Uganda.

Kibale Forest National Park itself is an extensive tract of dense tropical rainforest located just south of the town Fort Portal. The various ecosystems in this space are reputed to harbor the highest density of primates in all of Africa. The rare red colobus monkey as well as the black-and-white colobus are just some of the primates you may encounter on your forest walks here. The highlight of a trip to Kibale Forest is of course to spend some time observing the wonderfully entertaining chimpanzees.

Your lodge for the next two nights offers a unique jungle experience near the boundaries of the park. Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of nature in one of the property’s beautifully decorated cottages, each set in a private nook in the forest. The rooms are spacious and have large terraces from where you can watch the activities of the forest inhabitants. The main lodge building offers stunning views of the forest canopy below and on a clear day you can see all the way to the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains.
Journey Time 5 hours
Accommodation Turaco Treetops

Meal Plan Breakfast and dinner

Day 3: Chimpanzee Trekking
No other animal reminds us so much of ourselves as the chimpanzee. Besides many common features and mannerisms, chimpanzees also share 98% of our human DNA, making them our closest living relatives. It is not so surprising then that we find the habits and biology of these primates so fascinating to study.
While chimpanzees can be found in 21 countries throughout Africa, they are most easily sighted in Uganda due to the high concentration of the species here. On a Chimpanzee Tracking experience in Kibale Forest you will have the opportunity to follow an experienced guide into the forest to observe these fascinating creatures at a close range. Watching them interact with each other and go about their daily routine of grooming, playing and foraging is an incredible experience.
While your chances of encountering chimpanzees are high during your tracking excursion, it is never 100% guaranteed. These are, after all, wild animals with wills and minds of their own!
After socializing with the chimps you will be invited to engage in the human custom of a hot lunch. Served by local residents you will learn about the traditional cuisine of the region and its preparation. This meal will offer a nice insight into the local culture, as well as giving a real taste of Uganda!

In the afternoon you can choose whether you would like to spend more time with the local communities and learn more about their day-to-day lives on a Community Walk or go deeper into the forest on a Swamp Walk in the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. The Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is home to 8 primate species, over 200 bird species, butterflies and various reptiles. For bird lovers the highlight of the afternoon is spotting the beautiful great blue turaco.
Both the Community Walk and Swamp Walk are operated by KAFRED, a registered community-based organization. The income from the walk is used for community development projects such as schools and hospitals.
Please let your Matoke Tours Travel Consultant know which walk you prefer at the time of booking.
Journey Time 15 minutes each way
Accommodation Turaco Treetops

Meal Plan Breakfast and dinner
Day 4: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most visited game reserve and arguably the most scenic. The national park protects the vast savannah plains, bushland, wetlands and forests that lie at the base of the Rwenzori mountain range. Kazinga Channel, which flows through the park and connects Lake George in the east to Lake Edward in the west, attracts a rich array of birds and animals, including the infamous Nile crocodile and one of the world’s largest concentration of hippos. On your first game drive you will explore the park along a 200 kilometre network of well-maintained game viewing tracks.
Journey Time 3½ hours
Accommodation Marafiki Safari Lodge

Meal Plan Breakfast and dinner

Day 5: Park Game Drive & Boat Safari
Safari breakfasts are traditionally served before the day breaks so that you can start your morning game drive as the sun comes up. Sunrise is the best time for wildlife spotting as animals tend to be the most active during the “golden hours”, when the first rays of sunshine come to rest on the savannah. Elephants, buffalo and several species of antelope are some of the characters you may come across today, and if you’re lucky, you may even spot a lion or leopard.

Later in the day when the sun is high in the sky and the animals make their way to the river for a drink, we will head to Kazinga Channel for an exciting boat safari. You will spot more hippos today than you can possibly imagine. Herds of elephants and buffalo will also wander down to the shoreline to bathe in the cooling waters. A boat safari is a fantastic way to get close to wildlife and for many visitors the boat safari is the highlight of their visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Accommodation Marafiki Safari lodge

Meal Plan Breakfast and dinner

Join a research team and track the majestic lions of QENP
For visitors who yearn to get a closer look at African wildlife, while contributing to an important conservation initiative at the same time, a Lion Tracking research trip can be a rewarding adventure. This unique experience allows visitors to join a research team who track and monitor some of lions in the park though locator devices. The data collected will further the conservation program, while you get a unique and intimate insight into the lives and habits of these fascinating predators.
The additional cost for this optional activity is USD 100 per person

Do you want to explore the Valley of the Apes?
If you find safaris to be a bit too sedentary for your taste, then a hike in the Kyambura Gorge is what you need to get your heart rate up. This stunning geological feature is known as “the Valley of Apes” and is another world unto itself. The view from the top is incredibly impressive with a deep sunken gorge covered in lush tropical vegetation. As its nick-name reveals, the gorge is home to several primate species including chimpanzees, the red-tailed monkey, black-and-white colobus, baboons and vervet monkeys. You will also see your fair share of colorful bird species. While the chances of spotting chimpanzees are not as high here as in Kibale Forest or Budongo Forest, this landscape is among the most impressive in Uganda and absolutely worth visiting.
The additional cost for this optional activity is USD 50 per person

Day 6: To Lake Mutanda
Your journey today will continue south-west toward Kisoro, a bustling town to the south of Bwindi Forest, near the borders to Rwanda and Congo. This is one of our favorite drives in Uganda. The serpentine roads wind through lush rainforests, skirting hill tops (keep your eyes open for the volcanos!) and dipping into lively villages in the valley before arriving to the serene waters of Lake Mutanda.
Offering some of the best views in Uganda, Mutanda Lake Resort is perched on a peninsula overlooking a series of small islands scattered across the water and the volcanoes from the Virunga Range rising out of the mist in the distance.

Gorilla Tracking is the main highlight of a visit to the southern parts of Bwindi Forest, but you are also in the perfect place for volcano hikes, birding, nature and culture walks and canoe and paddle board excursions. The sunset scenes are unforgettable so make sure to find your way to the veranda in time for sundowners.
Journey Time 8 hours
Accommodation Mutanda Lake Resort

Meal Plan Breakfast and dinner

Optional upgrade: Luxury Cottage
The spacious Luxury Cottages at Mutanda Lake Resort boast the best views of the lake and the volcanoes. From the comfort of your private veranda you can enjoy the seclusion and tranquility of this beautiful spot on the lake.
Optional on day 6 and 7 at an additional cost of USD 40 per person per night.

Day 7: Gorilla Tracking
Encountering the rare and endangered Mountain Gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is an experience of a lifetime.
Half of the world’s population of gorillas live under the mist-covered canopies of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforest. In the company of an experienced park ranger you will be tracking the whereabouts of one of the nine habituated family groups who reside here.
Your tracking experience will be an exciting, yet challenging, journey along forested (often muddy and slippery) slopes, tangled vines, thick vegetation and bamboo forests before you reach the territory of these gentle giants. En-route, your ranger will point out telltale signs of previous gorilla activity like dung, nests and chewed bamboo shoots. Depending on the location of the gorillas on any given day the walk can take anything from 2 to 7 hours. Once the family of gorillas has been located, settle in to your surroundings and enjoy the hour you have to quietly observe these fascinating primates whose habits and mannerisms remind us so much of our own.

Encountering the mountain gorillas in the wild is a truly humbling and emotional experience, one that you are sure to remember for the rest of your life.
Journey Time 1 – 1,5 h each way
Accommodation Mutanda Lake Resort

Meal Plan Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 8: Travel to Kigali OR BACK TO ENTEBBE
Enjoy your last sunrise in this beautiful corner of Uganda and take a rejuvenating swim in the lake before tucking in to a hearty Mutanda breakfast.
Your guide will drive you across the border to Rwanda, and drop you off at Kigali International Airport 3 hours before your departure time. Please make sure your flight departure is after 4 pm at the very earliest. For flights departing before 4 pm you will need an extra night in Kigali, which we can help arrange for you at an additional cost.
Not ready to leave this beautiful spot? No problem. Extra nights at Mutanda Lake Resort can be booked upon request, at an additional cost of USD 95 per person per night on full board (shared room basis).
Journey Time: 4-5 hrs
Accommodation: Not Included
Meal Plan: Late Breakfast

Optional departure routes:

There is more than one way to get home! Discuss your preferred option and the additional costs involved with your personal Travel Consultant.
• Fly to Entebbe
Domestic flights from Kisoro to Entebbe operate on a daily basis and take about 2-3 hours, depending on the routing and number of stops. Contact your Travel Consultant for details and prices.
• Drive to Entebbe via Lake Mburo
If you add a day to the program you can stop over in the beautiful Lake Mburo National Park, which is located about half-way between Bwindi Forest and Entebbe. With activities like bush walks, mountain biking and night game drives this is the perfect extension for those who don’t want their safari to end.