Active Uganda

After an early breakfast, you will be transferred back to Entebbe Airport for your scheduled flight to Kasese Airstrip. Flight departs at 07h00, arriving at 10h05. Upon arrival, you will be met on arrival by your driver guide and your private 4x4 safari vehicle.

With a picnic lunch, you'll enjoy a scenic drive north (about 5 hrs) to the Fort Portal/Kibale Forest area and onto Ndali Lodge. After leaving Kasese in the Rift Valley, you’ll gain elevation and enter beautiful countryside where tea is grown in the lower foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, the Mountains of the Moon. Upon reaching Kyenjojo, drive through beautiful tea farms and arrive at the lodge located on a working vanilla estate and at the edge of Nyinambuga crater lake. Once settled into your room there will be time for exploring the lodge’s property in the afternoon, a swim in the pool or maybe a sauna soak. The SUPs are available to take out on the lake, weather permitting.

You're up early for the very scenic drive (about 1 hr) to the Kibale Forest to search for the resident chimpanzees. The forest is home to 13 primate species and a guided forest trek takes you in search of one of the most well-known primate species in the world – the chimpanzee. Although chimp sightings are not guaranteed, the odds are good with the chance of encountering them standing at higher than 95%.

Kibale Forest National Park is the most accessible of Uganda’s rainforests and home to 13 primate species, including the common chimpanzee, Ugandan mangabey, red colobus, black and white colobus, L'Hoest's and blue monkeys. The lush and shady rainforest is interspersed with patches of grassland and swamps and giant forest hogs, bushbucks and mongoose are present.

While trekking in the depths of the lush green forest, bird song abounds and gray-cheeked mangabey, red- tailed monkey and black and white colobus are often spotted. The walking is relatively easy due to the well-maintained trails and reasonably flat terrain. After locating the chimps, spend an hour observing them, taking photographs and quietly learning about their habits from the Uganda Wildlife ranger.

After returning to the park headquarters, continue to the nearby home of Mr. John Tinka. At his homestead, he and his family carefully prepares lunch for visitors featuring a variety of Ugandan specialties. Tinka is a prominent community leader in the Bigodi district near Kibale Forest NP. His efforts to bring sustainable tourism to his community are visible in the community-run Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, Bigodi Community Walk and lunch at his home. Tinka shares a well-prepared traditional Ugandan meal in an open-air banda on his property. Not only will you be able to experience the typical Ugandan diet, Tinka will also describe each dish and give you background information on the farming techniques, harvesting and cooking methods involved in preparing the meal. Travelers always comment on the delicious food and warm welcome. It is truly a Ugandan experience that cannot be missed!

After lunch, return to the forest for an afternoon chimp trek. In the afternoon you’ll see different chimpanzee behavior than on your morning hike. As the chimps begin to bed down for the night, they start to select a nest site and build their nests high in the treetops. After the trek, you’ll receive your certificates and return to the Ndali Lodge for dinner and overnight (approx 50 min transfer).

Get out early this morning and enjoy a guided hike along the rim of the Nyinambuga crater lake. As you hike, keep your eye out for plethora of bird life around the lake with stunning views of the lake below. This walk takes about an hour and half depending on your pace and in addition to the stunning views, there are also good chances of seeing vervet monkeys, blue monkeys and a wide array of birds. The hike concludes with a walk through the community and back to the lodge – a perfect glimpse of daily life in the area.

After a fresh, healthy lunch overlooking the lake, enjoy a guided farm walk on the adjacent Ndali Estate which grows cardamom, vanilla, coffee and more. Or, if you prefer, take the stand up paddle boards out on the lake. Just ask the staff or your guide for assistance, the trail down to the lake is a workout in itself!

This morning you'll embark on a picturesque drive as you descend into The Great African Rift Valley and continue on to the Queen Elizabeth National Park (approx. 3 hrs). The park lies in a fertile, equatorial valley and is Uganda’s most popular and accessible savannah reserve, with a total area of 760 sq miles. Within its boundaries there are grassy savannas, leafy rain forests, dense papyrus swamps and natural volcanic crater lakes. As a result, it has one of the highest biodiversity ratings of any game reserve in the world, including a total of 95 recorded mammal species and more than 610 species of birds.

Enjoy a hot lunch at the historic Mweya Safari Lodge before continuing down the hill to the Kazinga Channel jetty for a private boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel (2hrs). The channel links Lake George to the much larger Lake Edward. The launch trip is a highlight on any safari in Uganda and provides a chance to sit back, relax and enjoy the fresh river breeze while observing a wide variety of bird life and animals. Those species commonly seen along the riverbank are elephants, buffalo, crocodiles, hippo, waterbuck and Ugandan kob. On occasion, visitors will also see giant forest hog, leopard and lion.

The waterbirds in the area are plentiful; in particular, water thick-knee, yellow-billed stork, various plovers, white pink-backed Pelicans and white-bellied cormorants, with 560+ recorded species and a record of 296 bird species seen in one 24-hour period. You will also view some of the largest concentrations of hippos in the world.

After the private boat launch, travel by road to the Elephant Plains Lodge overlooking Lake George for the next two nights.

This morning, rise early for another active adventure...the Kyambura Gorge hike. The Gorge is situated on the eastern side of Queen Elizabeth National Park, it spans a distance of about 10 miles and at its deepest it is over 300 feet deep. The Kyambura River is responsible for creating the magnificent steep Kyambura Gorge. The gorge emerges from between savannah grassland and has a riverine virgin forest that transitions to papyrus swamps near the Kazinga Channel.

Kyambura Gorge is home to the community of the “Lost Chimps of Kyambura,” many other primates, hippos, antelope and a huge variety of both forest and plains bird species. The best time to trek the chimpanzees is in the morning, however trekking is also available in the afternoon for those who want to dive deeper into the Gorge experience (those trekking in the afternoon should be prepared for higher temperatures). Trekking chimpanzees at Kyambura Gorge is considered to be more difficult than at Kibale Forest National Park. The trails are maintained and once inside the Gorge the inclinations are relatively easy going, however, the climb back out of the Gorge can be difficult if you are not prepared.

After the gorge hike, return to the lodge for a shower and refresh, hot lunch and siesta. This afternoon enjoy a game drive (or, if you prefer, a second Gorge trek – this must be confirmed in advance).

Early this morning, we join the Uganda Carnivore Project (UCP) for a morning of tracking lions in the northern Kasenyi plains of Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP).

The Uganda Carnivore Program is devoted to the research and conservation of Uganda’s large carnivores, including lions, leopards, and hyenas. Previously active in many of Uganda’s national parks, today it is focused on the northern sector of QENP. They collaborate closely with the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and Makerere University. UCP has two primary focuses, first, scientific research and monitoring of resident carnivores and, second, community-based wildlife conservation with the goal to develop a collaborative, holistic plan to reduce deadly instances of human wildlife-conflict with communities around the park.

During the early-morning activity on the Kasenyi plains, a UCP researcher will join you in your safari vehicle (this is not a private excursion and we cannot guarantee the researcher in your vehicle) and use radio-telemetry to track and locate the collared lions being researched. Within QENP, vehicles must stay on the designated tracks. But one of the distinct advantages of the lion tracking activity is the ability to drive off-road in search of the lion and affords the privilege of essentially a private lion observation experience.

After lion tracking, continue South through the Ishasha Sector where we will keep our eyes out for tree climbing lions. Enjoy a packed lunch en route before continuing to Kihihi town and onward to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Mahogany Springs, our comfortable lodge for the night, is set overlooking the river and the forest in the distance.

Bwindi forest is a magnificent luxuriant swathe across the steep ridges of the Albertine Rift Valley.
This ancient rainforest – one of the few in Africa to have flourished throughout the last Ice Age – is regarded to be one of the most biologically diverse forests in Africa. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park has at least 90 mammal species, including 11 primates and is ranked as one of the best in Uganda for forest birding, with 23 highly localized Albertine Rift endemics. Bwindi is renowned for its mountain gorilla population, slightly more than half the world’s mountain gorilla population is resident in Bwindi: an estimated 480 individuals living in over 15 groups. Looking deep into the expressive brown eyes of these gentle giants is an extremely special privilege and an encounter unparalleled in most likely the whole of Africa.

Today you'll hike the Ivy Trail across the Bwindi Park, through verdant rain forests, to your next lodge on the southern edge of the park. You’ll meet your hiking team – including park rangers and a specialist hiking guide who will share the secrets of the forest with us – at the Uganda Wildlife Authority Headquarters in Buhoma for your briefing. Be prepared with rain gear, gaiters, lots of water and your packed lunch. Hiking sticks are available at the headquarters, but if you prefer to use your own adjustable trekking pole, we recommend bringing a pair from home. Be sure to carry a fresh change of clothes with you, as our safari vehicle takes your luggage around Bwindi, by road, and may arrive after we do.

Departing from either Nkuringo or Buhoma, you will quickly enter the dense Bwindi Impenetrable forest. A wide diversity of wildlife can be spotted during the walk, including monkeys, duikers, birds and many colorful butterflies. The Ivy River trail takes about 4-5 hours in total (approx 9 kms), depending on your pace. The trail offers visitors a close up experience of the natural wonders within a rainforest environment, including a number of monkey species.

Birds are prolific in Bwindi forest and your expert hiking guide will point these out to you during your walk. A Batwa guide is available, upon request, to show you the medicinal plants of the forest and share the previously traditional way the Batwa lived in the forest. Upon arriving at Nteko community, a lodge vehicle will meet us and drive us to our home for the next three nights, Chameleon Hill Lodge.

After breakfast drive approximately 45 mins to the Park Headquarters at Rushaga and meet with excellent local UWA guides and trackers who will give a talk on the etiquette of gorilla trekking. We then hike into the forest where the gorillas were seen the night before and track from that point.

The trekking can take from 1 to 6 hours and climb to altitudes not in excess of 7,500 feet. The terrain is rough and at times muddy. Although the hike is physically demanding the beauty of the forest and surrounding scenery make the trekking worthwhile. Once the gorillas are located all fatigue is forgotten, as the experience is often described as being the most profound natural history experience in the world. Picnic lunches are provided and it is important to take plenty of water. Cameras/lenses with good low light capabilities and lots of memory cards and back-up batteries are highly recommended. It can rain at a few minutes notice; hence waterproof clothing is a good essential including zip lock/dry bags for cameras and gear.

This morning, after a relaxed breakfast overlooking the lake, hike to the edge of the lake below the lodge where we will be briefed for our canoe trip on Lake Mutanda. Enjoy an easy paddle on this picturesque lake with its serpentine islands and volcano views. Be sure to bring your waterproof binoculars and a dry bag for your camera.

After lunch back at the lodge, the afternoon is flexible: learn to weave a basket or carve a wooden gorilla (we only use invasive eucalyptus wood for this!) with local artisans, enjoy a massage to sooth your sore muscles or return to the lake on kayaks (afternoon activities upon request, at additional cost to be settled directly). Savor your last afternoon in this special place!

This morning, depart the lodge at 7:30 am for the drive to Kisoro airstrip (approx. 1 hr) for your scheduled flight back to the Entebbe airport. Enjoy a hot lunch in town or packed lunch depending flight times.

Please note: Day rooms can be arranged at additional cost for late evening departures. If time permits, there are a number of interesting excursions to enjoy while in Entebbe. Day tours of Mabamba Wetlands to search for the Shoebill stork, the Botanical Gardens, boat cruises on Lake Victoria and much more are available .