Uganda primate conservation holiday, Gorillas and Chimps
| country: | Uganda |
| departures: | 2010: 18 Jul, 15 Aug, 5 Sep |
| price: | From £2995 (9 days) excluding flights. Plus one gorilla permit at £350. |
| more info: | Price includes accommodation, meals (as per itinerary), transport, activities, services of expert guides and second free gorilla permit worth US $500 (subject to availability). We can arrange flights from the UK |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
introduction to Uganda primate conservation holiday, Gorillas and Chimps
Working closely with the Director of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Karisoke Research Centre, this tour was established in 1999 and designed to allow clients the unique opportunity to gain a real insight into the conservation process in the region, under the watchful eye of one of the regions top primatologists.
Highlights include:
Your participation on this tour not only helps to directly fund local conservation projects through the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund (International) but also offers you the chance to meet some of the colourful communities involved in this vital work.
Highlights include:
- Track and study gorillas and chimpanzees alongside leading primate researchers
- 9 day safari includes game drives, boat trips & forest walks
- Help fund conservation programmes
- Gain exclusive insights into community projects
- Free second permit worth US $500 per person
Your participation on this tour not only helps to directly fund local conservation projects through the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund (International) but also offers you the chance to meet some of the colourful communities involved in this vital work.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | After changing planes in Nairobi you will be welcomed on arrival in Entebbe and after visa formalities, you will be met by our representative and driven to Kampala (35km, 1 hour journey on good tarmac road). Then drive to the town of Fort Portal, a 4 hour journey of which 3 hours is on good tarmac road. After eating your packed-lunch you will drive through Kibale National Park and reach the comfortable Primate Lodge, where you will be met by Julia and she will join you for dinner and have a chance to meet the group and discuss the trip. |
| Day 2: | This morning you will be split into two groups to track the chimpanzees. After a briefing from your guides for the first group, you will head into the forest to pick up the trail of these elusive primates. The second group will enjoy a morning walking through the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary and surrounding forests – an area well known for it’s excellent birdlife and up to 6 other different species of primates. The sanctuary itself is run by the Kibale Association for Rural and Environmental Development (KAFRED) and all money raised from tourism here is used to help fun local community projects, including a small local library and a new secondary school. After lunch you will swap activities. You then return to the camp in the evening. |
| Day 3: | Today you will spend time visiting the local Kiyoima Primary School that borders Kibale Forest, which we have helped support for a number of years. Spending time here will offer you the chance to experience a genuinely warm welcome and gain an insight in this friendly Ugandan community. In the afternoon you will drive to the beautifully located Jacana Lodge in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to Uganda’s highest number of mammal species including large elephant herds, the Uganda Kob (an endemic antelope), buffaloes and the famous tree climbing lions. You can enjoy a game drive in this largely open and scenic park, If there is still time once you have unpacked, you can enjoy a visit to the Lake Edward flats area with a chance to see the iconic shoebill stork. Overnight at Jacana Lodge on a full board basis |
| Day 4: | This morning is a slightly earlier start as you head out on to the plains for a game drive through the area, keeping a look out for the elusive tree climbing lions. In the afternoon you enjoy a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel, where you can get close to many of the larger animals as well as hundreds of wetland birds, local fishing villages and some of the largest crocodiles in Africa! Overnight at Jacana Lodge on a full board basis. |
| Day 5: | This morning you can enjoy another game drive in the area, before heading down to the Bwindi forest region, one of the longer drives through some of Africa’s last remaining tropical rainforests (usually a drive of around 2-3 hours). As well as being home to slightly more than half of the world’s mountain gorilla population, the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is regarded by many as one of the most biologically diverse forests in Africa. Bwindi is an exceptionally rich and varied ecosystem with 350 species of birds, 324 species of trees and 120 species of mammals including 10 species of primates. Overnight in Bwindi Lodge on a full board basis. |
| Day 6: | Today you will track the gorillas in Bwindi, (cost of permit not included) home to a rich variety of wildlife, and a true rainforest; over 25,000 years old! Naturally the gorillas move around, so to track them you will have to do the same - be prepared for a tough, arduous day in the sweaty jungle, along muddy paths and with rain possible at any time. However the effort is well worth it - the excitement of being on the trail of the gorillas is electric and coming face to face with the great primates is truly an amazing experience. Return to the lodge for a well deserved shower and the chance to toast your first gorilla sighting! Overnight at Bwindi Lodge on a full board basis. |
| Day 7: | This morning you have an earlier start as you head to the park headquarters for your briefing on your second encounter with the gorillas. You will visit a different gorilla group, allowing for a totally different wildlife experience as no two groups are the same. Time permitting, you will also have the chance to explore the area and meet the people who live in and around Bwindi. You will be shown how the community has adapted to living and working in the region and will meet elders of the village as well as the chance to visit a local community enterprise making honeybeer. You can also enjoy a nature walk in Bwindi itself, looking for the smaller flora and fauna including the hundreds of butterfly species as well as the huge abundance of colourful birds, particularly the Rwenzori Turaco. Overnight at Bwindi Lodge on a full board basis. |
| Day 8: | Today you drive to Lake Mburo, one of Uganda's smaller national parks, roughly halfway between Bwindi and Entebbe. There is an excellent chance of seeing a wide range of large mammals and it is an excellent destination for birding, given the wetland areas and papyrus and is home to a number of endemics. It is also possible to enjoy thrilling walking safaris in the park as well as the chance to explore the lakes by boat. You will be staying at the Mantana Tented Camp, situated in Lake Mburo National Park itself on a small hill overlooking Lake Mburo and one of the game corridors leading to the lake. This is a genuine bush experience in style with fully furnished self contained tents, eco friendly toilets, solar lighting and private verandas. |
| Day 9: | This morning you enjoy a final game drive before heading back to Entebbe after lunch in time to catch your flight home. |
traveller reviews for Uganda primate conservation holiday, Gorillas and Chimps
This was the trip of a lifetime and more than fulfilled all of my hopes for it...the first moment that I saw the gorillas. This moment will stand out in my memory as one of the great moments of my life. I was moved to tears. (more)
wildlife specialist
Typically trips are expertly guided by a leading specialist with a good knowledge of the area to be visited. Inevitably, wildlife is the main focus of attention however, the aim will be to incorporate all other aspects of the natural world in an attempt to be as broad-minded as possible. A local guide may often accompany trips. how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
This gorilla tour is an in depth experience, that allows us to go way beyond just tracking the gorillas, but directly helping and funding the work being done in the region working closely with the local community. Firstly, our local guides are the best available and their knowledge and enthusiasm for their country is a huge part of the success of the tour, combined with an experienced primatologist, studying the great apes allows an insight in the wildlife not possible elsewhere. This tour is designed to support the wildlife and people of the region allowing you to get to know them in small groups (a maximum of 8 people on our tours allows for a much more personal and intimate experience) and through the authentic, locally owned eco-lodges and their wonderful staff. Community We use a locally owned company which operates to the highest standards and is one of the longest established and most experienced in country. This personal knowledge allows our clients to meet the people and communities in a way not possible on a conventional tour. This includes visits to the Kiyoima Primary School, which we have supported through these trips over the years, even having a library built, named and painted in our honour, as well as the chance to bring much needed equipment to the Bwindi Health Clinic and a chance to meet the people who work tirelessly here. Aside from the wonderful people you will meet, the gorilla permits themselves help to continually fund and improve the welfare not only of the great apes themselves, but on the communities and people nearby, including guides, hoteliers, porters etc who rely on them for their livelihood. Any preconceptions some people have about these funds being misapropriated by officials are clearly misguided and misinformed and simply do not know the country or the people. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |