Uganda discovery tour

Planet

On this itinerary you’ll track endangered mountain gorillas in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Well managed tourism practices have helped to save the last of the mountain gorillas from extinction, and your trekking permits and national park fees contribute to the ongoing conservation efforts in Bwindi National Park.

Before you depart for Uganda you will receive a detailed travel pack in which we outline the rules and regulations for gorilla trekking in Uganda. These regulations will be repeated to you by your guide before you embark on your trek and it is essential that you adhere to them. You will not be allowed to track them if you’re suffering from any illness including a cold or flu which can be transmitted to the gorillas. You will be instructed to talk in a low voice whilst you’re with the gorillas and you’re requested to keep a seven metre distance from them. You must not touch the gorillas under any circumstances - although they are used to seeing people on a daily basis, they are wild animals and they can sometimes react unexpectedly so it is essential that you listen to your guide’s and trackers’ instructions. You will also be advised to disable the flash on your camera before you get to your group of gorillas as flash photography is not permitted.

On this itinerary you will also trek deep into the Kibale Forest to track the troops of chimpanzees that live there. As with the gorilla tracking, similar rules and regulations have been set out by the Uganda Wildlife Authority to govern this activity in order to protect the chimpanzees and their environment.

Throughout Uganda we use locally owned and managed hotels, guest houses, lodges and camps, including Kibale Forest Camp, Katara Lodge and Mutanda Lake Resort. We believe that by using locally owned properties, rather than international chains, we ensure that as much revenue as possible remains in Uganda, and it also provides a more authentic travel experience for our clients.

Fresh water is limited in many areas of Uganda, therefore we encourage our clients to take short showers and to use water sparingly. We ask our clients to follow any environmental policies that their hotel, guest house, lodge or camp may have in place - for example, they may give guests the option to not have their towels or bed linen washed everyday and by reducing the quantity of towels/linen they wash, they reduce water consumption, energy and use of detergents.

Recycling facilities are limited in Uganda, however many properties have bins to collect plastic bottles. All glass bottles should be returned to the place you bought them to be re-used. In our detailed pre-departure travel packs we include a note to advise clients that they should take their empty shampoo and shower gel bottles back home and recycle them at home. We also request that people take all batteries home with them as they cannot be safely disposed of in Uganda.

People

We are committed to responsible, sustainable and ethical tourism in Uganda and we’re proud to work with a fantastic supplier who shares our core values with regards to responsible tourism practices. We also use expert local guides who offer our clients a fascinating insight into Uganda’s wildlife and culture.

On this Uganda holiday you’ll have a full day to explore Sipi Falls. We recommend that you hike in the surrounding areas with a local guide - this is a wonderful experience and you’ll have an opportunity to interact with the men and women who work on the coffee plantations in this region.

You will also spend time at Lake Matunda and you’ll have a free day to explore the surrounding area. We highly recommend that you join a Batwa Trail and Garama Cave excursion. This new tourism initiative is a fantastic collaboration between the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the United Organisation for Batwa Development in Uganda. It aims to help the indigenous Batwa pygmy people to keep their culture alive, following their eviction from the forests of southwest Uganda more than two decades ago. The Batwa are Uganda’s forest-dwelling pygmy people and about a century ago, there was a conflict between the Batwa and the Bantu speaking people in the region. The Bantu tried to force the Batwa people out of the area, so they hid in Garama Cave. On this fascinating cultural excursion your local guide will explain how the Batwa lived and fought out of this cave which is 342 meters in length and 14 meters deep, and is now only inhabited by bats. The walk to and from the cave passes through mountain woodland and there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the scenery or watch birds.

Whilst in Uganda we encourage you to support the local economy by buying authentic handmade products such as wood carvings, fabrics, pottery and jewellery at markets, villages and small-scale souvenir shops rather than hotel tourist shops or on organised shopping trips. In Kampala we recommend that you visit a Banana Boat outlet - they sell handmade crafts from around the country and they support local initiatives.

We also encourage you to be adventurous and eat in local restaurants and cafés. Not only does this help to support the local economy, but it will also give you a more authentic holiday experience.