7 Day Chimps ,Queen, Gorillas, Bunyonyi
This 7 Day Chimps takes you to Kibale Forest National Park to see chimps and various species of monkeys and to Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kazinga channel renowned for their diversity of wildlife, birdlife, and picturesque geographical features. This 7-day safari also takes you to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to see the Mountain Gorillas and to Lake Bunyonyi for boat rides with opportunities for spotting many water birds and wildlife and to enjoy cultural exposures. The 7-day safari crowns with a visit to Lake Mburo National Park for game drives and wild nature walks. An experience at the Equator will be a plus.
7 Day Chimps Safari Highlights
- Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park
- Game drives in QENP and Lake Mburo National parks
- Boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National park
- A nature walk in the Bigodi swamp
- Gorilla tracking in Bwindi Foresr
- Boat ride on Lake Mburo
- Equator experience
7 Day Chimps Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Uganda
You will be met at the airport by our safari guide who will transfer you to the hotel reserved for you in Kampala. Dinner and overnight will be at this hotel during day one of the 7-day safaris.
- Accommodation: Anderita Beach Hotel, Papyrus Guesthouse Entebbe, Gately Inn Entebbe
Day 2: Travel to Kibale Forest National Park
You will depart Kampala after breakfast and head westwards to Fort Portal town. The drive will take about 4 -5 hours. You will have lunch in Fort Portal and continue to Kibale where you will go for either a community walk or visit the beautiful Crater lakes region for a spectacular view. Dinner and overnight will be at your reserved lodge.
- Luxury: Ndali lodge/Primate lodge/Kibale forest/Kyaninga lodge
- Moderate: Mountains of the moon/Kibale forest camp
- Budget: Rwenzori travelers/Kibale forest camp/Chimpanzee forest guest house
- Meal plan: Dinner
Day 3: Chimp tracking and nature walk in Kibale Forest
After breakfast, you will report at the Kanyanchu Tourist Centre at 08.00 am for a briefing on the rules before tracking the chimpanzees. Kibale Forest National Park has the greatest variety and highest concentration of primates in East Africa. The most famous of its 13 species is the Chimpanzee known to be a delightful ape.
The trek takes 2-3 hours and it will provide you with the opportunity to also see a variety of other primates and animals as well as birds, and a variety of butterflies, and other insects. You will return to the lodge for lunch and in the afternoon go for a nature walk in the Bigodi Wetland to see a variety of birds and monkey species. You will have dinner and overnight at your lodge. Later you will travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park following the mystical Rwenzori Mountain Range.
- Luxury: Ndali lodge/Primate lodge/Kibale forest/Kyaninga lodge
- Moderate: Mountains of the moon/Kibale forest camp
- Budget: Rwenzori travelers/Kibale forest camp/Chimpanzee forest guest house
- Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch
Day 4: Game drive and boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park
After your morning breakfast, you will have an early morning Game drive where you will see the lion, leopard, giant forest hog, Cape buffalo, elephant, defassa waterbuck, Uganda Kob, topi, and bushbuck among others. You will return to your lodge for lunch and in the afternoon go for a 2-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel.
It is a 42kms channel that joins Lake Edward and Lake George. This trip passes through possibly the highest concentration of hippos and offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching, and game viewing. The prolific bird life is colorful, with well over 550 resident species. Dinner and overnight will be spent at your reserved lodge.
- Luxury Lodge: Mweya Safari Lodge: Katara Lodge/ Jacana Lodge
- Mid-range moderate: Bush Lodge (in rooms) / Simba Safari Camp in rooms/ Buffalo Safari Resort/ Enganzi Lodge/ Ihamba Safari Lodge
- Budget facility: Kazinga Channel View Lodge/ Simba Safari Camp in tents/ Bush Lodge in tents
- Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 5: Game drive and transfer to Bwindi
You will set off early (about 6.30 am) for a morning game drive, an awesome experience to spot the animals in natural habitats. Expect to see the famous Big Five; elephants, Buffalos, Lions, Bushbucks, Kobs, Giant forest hog, Hyenas leopards, antelopes, and Waterbucks as well as birds. You will return for breakfast and relax till lunch. In the afternoon you will transfer to Bwindi Forest National Park.
- Lower Budget: Buhoma community Rest camp / Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp / Travellers Rest Hotel Kisolo / Gorilla Valley Lodge
- Moderate: Gorilla Resort Bwindi /Gorilla Safari Lodge / Silver Back Lodge / Lake Kitandara Camp / Chameleon Hill Lodge / Lake Mutanda Resort.
- Upmarket: Mahogany Springs Lodge / Buhoma Lodge / Rushanga Gorilla Safari Lodge.
- Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.
Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
You will have an early morning breakfast and move to the Park headquarters to join other trackers in a briefing about the gorilla trekking rules at 7:45 am. You will trek through thick creepers and undergrowth with your guides to find the Gorillas, which can take you 1-8 hours. The steeply forested landscape is incredibly dense but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails allowing access by tourists. You will have one hour to stay with the Gorillas once sited and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi.
The drive will be through a beautiful part of the country often referred to as ‘the Switzerland of Africa’ because of its unique cool weather despite being near the Equator. This lake is said to be one of the most beautiful places in western Uganda. It is the second deepest lake in Africa [900 meters deep] and also one of the few places in the country where it is considered safe to swim as it is bilharzia-free. Dinner and overnight will be at your lodge of booking.
- Lower budget: Bushara Island Camp
- Moderate: Bird’s Nest
- Up-market: Bird’s Nest/ Archadia Cottage
- Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7: Canoe ride/swimming/hike to the viewpoint and transfer to Kampala
Bunyonyi means “place of little birds” and as the name suggests, there is plenty of birdlife around the lake. The landscape around the lake is made up of terraced hills protruding from the water’s edge. You will choose either to go for a canoe ride, swim on the lake, or hike to the viewpoint on the hills to see the exceedingly beautiful scenery of this part of the country.
In the mid-morning hours, you will start the return journey to Kampala arriving in the late afternoon. Depending on your flight schedule you will either be transferred to the airport for your departure flight or to the hotel of your booking for dinner and overnight.
NB: Price on request; please send an email to: richarasafaris@gmail.com
This 7 Day Chimps safari package includes;
- Transportation in a land cruiser/super custom with pop up roof
- Gorilla permit (a US $700 value)
- All fuel for the trip.
- Driver/guide.
- Game drive
- Guide ranger fees.
- Accommodation and meals as per itinerary.
- All activities are described in the itinerary.
- Park fee is according to the program.
- Meals are according to the program.
However, this 7 Day Chimps package excludes: Personal Expenses like: tobacco, telephone, drinks, laundry, porter fee, personal insurance, Visa, and tips to guides