Gorilla Habituation Experience, Chimps Habituation, Rhino & Lion Tracking Uganda Safari -10 Days

Gorilla Habituation Experience, Chimps Habituation, Rhino & Lion Tracking Uganda Safari -10 Days

Day 1: Start safari from Entebbe or Kampala, Rhino Tracking at Ziwa Sanctuary, and continue to Murchison Falls National Park

You visit and track white rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch located in Nakasongola district is the proud home of the only wild rhinos in Uganda. The Rhino re-introduction project is a project of Rhino Fund Uganda and Uganda Wildlife Authority.

We are conveniently located 176km (100 miles) north of Kampala on the Gulu highway towards Murchison Falls (branch off at Nakitoma trading center). Ziwa is the only place where you will be able to see rhinos in the wild.

Presently the sanctuary is home to 34 southern white rhinos.

The sanctuary provides trained rangers who will ably guide you through this expedition. You will have the opportunity to observe the rhinos at a very close and safe distance. While at the sanctuary you will also encounter a range of other wildlife species including Uganda kobs, reed bucks, oribis, rich bucks, hippos and crocodiles.

Stop in Masindi for lunch and continue to Murchison Falls National Park. From here we will continue to our accommodation place along the Nile River.

Murchison Falls National Accommodation Options (Full Board)

Top Luxury: Nile Safari Lodge

Luxury: Thatched cottage at Murchison River Lodge or  Paraa Safari Lodge

Moderate: Fort Murchison Lodge | Murchison River Lodge | Pakuba Lodge

Budget: Fort Murchison Lodge (tents) | Murchison River Lodge (tents) | Red Chilli Rest Camp

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 2: Wildlife Game drive safaris in Murchison Falls National Park

After breakfast head to the Delta in search of bird life and enjoy the game drive to look for lions, giraffes, herds of elephants, buffaloes, and many more.

We will then go for an afternoon boat cruise 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 their impressiveness.

Finally, you will be 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.

Accommodation Options (Full Board)

Top Luxury: Nile Safari Lodge

Luxury: Thatched cottage at Murchison River Lodge or   Paraa Safari Lodge

Moderate: Fort Murchison Lodge | Murchison River Lodge | Pakuba Lodge

Budget: Fort Murchison Lodge (tents) | Murchison River Lodge (tents) | Red Chilli Rest Camp

Day 3: Kibale National Park - "East Africa's Primates' Capital", Guided Primate Walk in the afternoon

More primates like black and white colobus monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, bush babies, pottos, and many bird species like the yellow-spotted nicator, rumped tinker bird, little greenbul, green breasted pitta, the crowned eagle, black bee-eater and mammals like elephants can be seen in this walk.

Early morning after breakfast we continue driving through the undulating highlands of southwestern Uganda on our way to the greener and more beautiful Fort Portal area. The lush rolling hills of this region provide good photo opportunities. As you approach Fort Portal in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, you enter Uganda's famous tea plantation region. A carpet of green spreads before you, as far as the eye can see, and seems an unusual contrast to the countryside through which you have just passed.

In the afternoon we visit a nearby forest swamp that is excellent for viewing primates and other forest animals. At the eastern edge of Kibale forest is Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary which is maintained by the local community. You will expect birds like the great blue turaco, blue monkeys, baboons, otters, mongoose, bushbucks, bush pigs, and among others.

Kibale Accommodation Options (Full Board)

Upper Luxury: Kyaninga Lodge | Ndali Lodge

Luxury: Primate Lodge Kibale |  Crater Safari Lodge

Midrange: Isunga Lodge| ensuite tents at Kibale Forest Camp

Low Budget: Tents at Kibale Forest Camp (with bedding and mosquito nets, shared bathroom) | Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 4: Chimpanzee Habituation Experience Plus Other Primates in Kibale

Today we’ll accompany Kibale’s researchers in a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to contribute to a “soft” habituation project with chimpanzees. You’ll learn to safely observe the chimps during their daily activities, so they get comfortable with human presence without changing their natural behaviors. You will be able to experience the chimp families as they wake up, hunt, patrol, play, fight, copulate, and breastfeed.

Guided by biologists and researchers, we will enjoy unprecedented intimate access to these wild chimps for the entire day until they build their nests at bedtime.

Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)

Upper Luxury: Kyaninga Lodge | Ndali Lodge

Luxury: Primate Lodge Kibale | | Crater Safari Lodge

Midrange: Isunga Lodge| ensuite tents at Kibale Forest Camp

Low Budget: Tents at Kibale Forest Camp (with bedding and mosquito nets, shared bathroom) | Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 5: Queen Elizabeth National Park, Viewing Rwenzoris, Crater Lakes & Wild Animals

We then drive to Queen Elizabeth. The game seen will depend on the season; the Kasenyi plains are good for lions and the Mweya peninsula for a variety of animals.

Shift to Queen Elizabeth National Park this morning (about 3 hours driving). Leaving through Fort Portal town, you turn south and early this afternoon enter Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is dominated on its northern border by the snow-capped 16,000-foot Rwenzori Mountains - the famed "Mountains of the Moon".

This 767 square-mile conservation area is bordered on the northeast by Lake George and on the southwest by Lake Edward; its western border adjoins the Congo Parc du Virunga. You will expect to see teeming herds of impala-like Uganda kob, as well as topi, elephant and lion, giant forest hog, and Cape buffalo. There are also several soda lakes filling ancient volcanic calderas where flamingos reside seasonally.

Overnight Lodges/ Camps:

Upper Luxury: Elephant Plains Lodge | Kyambura Gorge Lodge | Kasenyi Safari Camp

Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge | Katara Lodge

Mid-range: Ihamba Safari Lodge| Enganzi Lodge |  Bush Lodge

Budget: Bush Lodge (tents)| Simba Safari Camp (tents) | Pumba Cottages

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park, Jeep Safari, Lion Tracking, Boat Safari

See a different face of the park as we venture off-road with a research team to track lions and contribute to a valuable lion research project in the Ishasha Sector. The researchers' Land-cruiser is fitted with radio-collar-receiving equipment. You get a full briefing on the animals with the opportunity for as much lion photography as you can manage.

After a leisurely lunch on the Mweya Peninsula, we’ll enjoy a two-hour boat safari along the Kazinga Channel. This affords the opportunity to view wildlife up close: hippos huff and spray and 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 storks, and many others.

 

Overnight Lodges/ Camps:

Upper Luxury: Elephant Plains Lodge | Kyambura Gorge Lodge | Kasenyi Safari Camp

Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge | Katara Lodge

Mid-range: Ihamba Safari Lodge| Enganzi Lodge |  Bush Lodge

Budget: Bush Lodge (tents)| Simba Safari Camp (tents) | Pumba Cottages

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 7: Tree-climbing Lions, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After breakfast, we drive further south through stunning savannah grasslands as we head to the southern sector of the park – Ishasha. This is the best area to see the famous tree-climbing lions draped from the low-hanging limbs of fig trees. Next, we visit the Kob Mating Ground—a defined area specifically used by these stunning antelopes for challenging other males, enticing females, and mating. Finally, we’ll pass through beautiful savannah grasslands as we head toward the breathtaking Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

While most of today's forests are no more than 12,000 years old, Bwindi's vegetation has been weaving itself into tangles for over 25,000 years, in the process accumulating a lengthy species list. This includes 310 species of butterflies, 51 reptiles, 200 trees, 88 moth, and an exceptional 120 species of mammals including 10 primates. The latter includes chimpanzees, L'Hoest's, red-tailed and blue monkeys, black and white colobus, baboons, and Bwindi's most famous resident, the mountain gorilla.

Bwindi is a prime destination for birdwatchers. Its 350 species include seven that are IUCN red data listed and 90% of all Albertine Rift endemics – species that are difficult or impossible to see in any other part of East Africa.

Bwindi Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)

Upper Luxury: Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge | Mt.Gahinga Lodge

Luxury: Four Gorillas Lodge |  Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge | Chameleon Hill Lodge 

Moderate: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Low Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Camp or Travellers' Rest Hotel Kisoro

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 8: Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest - Researcher-led gorilla habituation experience - 4-hour permit!

We have an early morning entry into the mountain gorillas’ sanctuary. Our intimate gorilla experience allows you to accompany the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s Bwindi gorilla habituation team for the entire day, allowing you to have a minimum of 4 hours in the presence of a mountain gorilla family – since regular permits only allow 1 hour, this is 4 times the amount of time spent up close with Gorillas – more than any other safari operator! During this time you will be able to experience the gorilla family as they wake up, hunt, patrol, play, fight, copulate and breastfeed until they build their nests at bedtime.

The thrill of spending time with and observing these gentle giants is a rare and moving ad- venture that will leave you with long-lasting memories. Spending more time with them than the norm means you are assured of the best possible experience, with 4 full hours for better photography, researcher access for more questions, and enough time to experience more intimate and unusual behaviors. The gorillas are shy and peaceful animals and it is an unforgettable experience to watch and photograph them as they interact with each other.

The walking can sometimes be tough and long, but when you catch a glimpse of the magnificent silverback, any discomforts will be quickly forgotten. Once the gorillas are sighted, you will be guided to within 6 meters of the gorillas, and be able to sit all around them while gazing into their big round eyes as the researchers note their health, behavior, and other characteristics.

Accommodation Options (Full Board)

Upper Luxury: Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge | Mt.Gahinga Lodge

Luxury: Four Gorillas Lodge | Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge | Chameleon Hill Lodge 

Moderate: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Low Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Camp or Travellers' Rest Hotel Kisoro

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 9: Golden Monkey Habituation Exercise, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

After an early breakfast, set off for the national park for the Golden Monkey habituation experience which allows you up to 4 hours with the monkeys.

The monkeys are primarily to be found in the bamboo forest that skirts the lower slopes of the volcanoes. The monkeys are very active in the canopy of the bamboo where your guides mimic their calls to follow the group.

Accommodation Options (Full Board)

Upper Luxury: Mt.Gahinga Lodge

Luxury:  Chameleon Hill Lodge 

Moderate: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Low Budget:  Travellers' Rest Hotel Kisoro

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 10: Return to Kampala - Entebbe (flights could also be arranged) or end tour in Rwanda

Early breakfast before embarking on our return to Kampala, driving down the grassed and terraced escarpments of southwestern Uganda while taking in the breathtaking sights of the hills of the region dubbed ‘the little Switzerland of Africa’. Not to miss as we traverse Mbarara are the impressing longhorn Ankole cattle. A remarkable highlight of this journey is the Equator line and surely you will cross it as we have a brief stop here. We will be in Kampala in the evening before your flight back home.

2023 Indicative Prices for the 10-Days Gorilla Habituation Experience, Chimps Habituation, Rhino & Lion Tracking Uganda Safari

Note: Prices are in US Dollars and based on each person sharing a double room, twin, or triple bedroom. If you are a solo traveler, you will sleep in your own single room but if you are more but prefer not to share a room, you top-up with a single room supplement. 

	Budget	Midrange Lodges	Luxury Lodges	Top-deluxe
1 person	USD4,989	USD5,914	USD7,942	USD14,644
2 persons	USD3,960	USD4,552	USD6,100	USD13,122
3 persons	USD3,674	USD4,264	USD5,815	USD12,834
4 persons	USD3,531	USD4,120	USD5,670	USD12,690
Single Room Supplement	USD160	USD460	USD758	USD1,110

Included

• Gorilla habituation experience permit that allows you 4 hours with the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (USD1500 per person)
• Chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale National Park (USD250 per person)
• Lion tracking experience in Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Golden monkey habituation experience in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
• Rhinos tracking in Ziwa Sanctuary
• Game drives and boat trips in Murchison Falls National Park
• Kazinga Channel boat safari
• Other game viewing permits
• Game drives in a customized safari Land-cruiser
• Accommodation with meals indicated on the program
• Bottled drinking water on the vehicle
• Services of an excellent and experienced English-speaking tour guide/driver
• Transport on tour as well as hotel transfers

Excluded

• Tips for drivers and other staff
• Flight tickets and departure taxes
• Travel documentation (visas)
• Travel and medical insurance
• Optional excursion
• Beverages other than mineral water in the vehicle

These tour costs are inclusive of your accommodation and all meals during the tour, chimpanzee habituation experience permits, gorilla habituation experience permits, Lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Rhino Tracking in Ziwa Rhinos Sanctuary, Golden monkeys habituation Experience permits, guides walks and game drives in the parks, 2 boat trips in search of wildlife, private transportation using a safari land-cruiser, services of a good English-speaking tour guide/driver, all tour activities, bottled drinking water on the vehicle.

Kyaninga Lodge (Upscale Option)

The Lodge and Cottages

The exceptional design and sheer scale of the main lodge is immediately apparent from the moment one crests the hill and Kyaninga Lodge comes into view. Once inside, the lodge offers comfortable seating areas set around an imposing double-sided open fireplace where one can enjoy a cozy evening over a good book, a board game, or a drink from the bar. The main building also houses the restaurant, where delicious meals compete with stunning views on both sides. Two raised galleries offer intimate spaces for those wishing to absorb the panorama in a more private setting. On the lakeside, the main lodge leads to two decks furnished with comfortable loungers, while steps were hewn from local volcanic rock lead down to the swimming pool and on to two lawned terraces overlooking the deep blue water and primeval forest of Lake Kyaninga itself. For those not quite wishing to really get away from it all, wireless Internet access is provided throughout the main lodge building.

Kyaninga Lodge’s eight cottages are built on platforms and set apart to offer privacy and tranquility. Access to the cottages from the main lodge is via a raised wooden walkway. Each spacious cottage is beautifully appointed with a choice of twin or double beds made up with the softest bedlinens and feather pillows. An indoor sitting area leads out to a private deck where one can enjoy morning tea or coffee and views over the lake and the Mountains of the Moon beyond. The en suite bathrooms boast marble countertop basins set atop beautifully crafted Elgon Olive pedestals, claw-footed freestanding baths, glass-walled showers, and plenty of hot water from solar water heaters. Lighting in the cottages is also solar-powered, and each cottage features an electrical socket for the charging of laptops and other appliances, providing the comforts of home in an extraordinary setting. Extra beds, hypoallergenic pillows, and bedding are available on request.

Primate Lodge (Mid-Level Option)

Primate Lodge in Kibale is an exclusive eco-lodge situated in the heart of Kibale Forest National Park. It is surrounded by a lush tropical forest that is home to 13 different species of primates, including chimpanzees.

Privately secluded in the rainforest, this safari lodge offers you a truly authentic jungle experience and is the perfect gateway for tracking the primates in Uganda.

Discover a place where the serene silence is only interrupted by the melodious sounds of the numerous forest birds. A place that combines comfort with adventure and perfectly blends with the natural environment...

Primate Lodge Kibale features an exclusive camp with eight superior safari tents, seven comfortable forest cottages and an adventurous Tree House. All rooms are privately situated within the forest, making it an ideal place to unwind and enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds you.

Free WIFI is available in the public areas.

Mweya Lodge (Upscale Deluxe Rooms, Mid-Level Standard Rooms)

Mweya Safari Lodge offers visitors an unforgettable experience. Located on a peninsula within the heart of the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Mweya Safari Lodge is surrounded by the magical Rwenzori Mountains aptly described as the 'Mountains of the Moon'.

To the east, lie the guardians of the birthplace of mankind, the Great Rift Valley hills, separated from the Mountains of the Moon by the meandering Kazinga Channel. Here the water flows endlessly into two giant lakes – Lake George and Lake Edward.

Each room at Mweya Safari Lodge has a breathtaking view of the Kazinga channel. You can watch the forest hogs grazing the grass outside, as well as the odd curious hippo! The cuisine is of the highest quality, presenting a range of exquisite Continental, Indian and International cuisine.

The Mweya Health Club and spa offers treatments to revitalize you after a long day out in the game park.


Chameleon Hill Lodge

Chameleon Hill Lodge no other lodge like it in all of Africa – a unique – one of a kind luxury lodge sitting on Chameleon Hill.

We live in a sea of sameness, of similarities, where even lodges follow certain styles and patterns, and then there is the one-of-a-kind Chameleon Hill Lodge, unlike any other lodge in Uganda.

Just driving up the ridge and seeing the Lodge for the first time with of its varied hues of colors that seem to twinkle in the sun like Joseph’s multi-colored coat is an experience in itself.

Chameleon Hill Lodge is the creation of someone who walks to their own drumbeat, someone who is uniquely themselves and brought to fruition an inner dream of a castle on a hill overlooking Lake Mutanda and like the bright array of colors you will find in the chameleons of this area so Chameleon Hill with its array of brilliant colors lives up to is the name “Chameleon Hill Lodge.”

Step through the castle doors into the main lodge and you are entering a world of utmost comfort – a dining area where you can enjoy a superb breakfast, great lunch, and a most memorable three-course dinner – if you have special dietary needs of one kind or another the capable chef can accommodate you to your satisfaction.

There is the most comfortable sitting area here and in the evening a crackling fire will warm you – it does get a bit cold in this part of Uganda but you will be delighted by the fine selection of wines the lodge has to offer – simply all-around class and style.

Enjoy the sunset from here – take in the majestic – almost mystical Lake Mutanda below you and the majestic Mufumbiro Mountains – Mountains that cook – the Virunga Volcanoes. It all is an amazing array of sights, colors – one of Uganda’s most amazing, comfortable, and luxurious locations along Lake Mutanda.

Your room is an individual cottage and of course, it is en suite with bath and the water is heated with propane which means a superb hot shower, something that on safari at times can be lacking.

The room of your cottage is colorful in and out, very functional and practical with quality furniture throughout as in the main lodge. There is also excellent bedding with another out of the normal things and needed in this colder part of Uganda...a duvet on your bed and if that is not enough, extra blankets are there for your comfort. There is also a safe for each cottage to keep your things safe and secure during your stay here. It seems almost everything seems to be thought of.

Activities – there are many – some such as canoeing in a dugout canoe on Lake Mutanda, hikes through villages and forest, birding, and of course activities that we have you scheduled for such as volcano climbing, golden monkey tracking, an interactive walk with the first people of the forest, the Batwa people all in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, There are also the activities in the southern end of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. That is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to things to do and see while staying at Chameleon Hill Lodge - no other lodge like it and the added plus is the view.