This 5 Days Primates tour takes you to two national parks where you will be able to track gorillas and chimpanzees. Kibale National Park is located in western Uganda and it’s one of the greatest rain forests in Africa and Bwindi impenetrable park home to the rare mountain gorillas.
Detailed Tour package
Day 1: Transfer to Kibale National Park.
In the morning after breakfast, you will be transferred from Kampala to Kibale National park passing through the traditional villages as you enjoy the vegetation covers and the Tea Gardens that are evergreen.
Have a good time and also take some photos, approach the fort portal and enjoy the foothills of the famous ‘Mountains of the Moon’, Rwenzori mountains, and then continue to Kibale National Park.
This forest is 1100 -1600 m above sea level and it contains both montane and lowland forests with 13 primate species including the chimpanzees and monkeys including the red colobus monkeys as well as the rare L’Hoest’s monkeys.
The park was gazetted in 1932 and established in 1993 to protect the then increasing number of animals and vegetation. The other species of animal species found in the park include; 250 tree species, 325 bird species, 13 primate species, 60 mammal species, and 14 wild fields.
On your arrival at the park, you will visit the scenic crater lakes region and get a chance to check out the terraced tea estates. Later on, proceed back to the lodge to relax for the evening and enjoy your dinner and Overnight at the Hotel / Lodge of your choice.
Meal Plan: Lunch, Dinner.
Day 2: Trekking chimpanzees and Bigodi wetland swamp
After having your breakfast, you will be guided to the park headquarters where you will be briefed about chimpanzee trekking.
The briefing will start at 8:00 am about chimpanzees within the park. These primates are the closest relatives to human beings and they share 98% of their DNA with that of human beings.
There are also many other primate species that will be seen along with the chimpanzees and these include; the L’Hoest monkeys, golden monkeys, Black and white colobus monkeys, grey checked Mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, the bush babies, and many bird species which include; green breasted pitta, rumped tinker bird, yellow spotted nicator, and the green breasted pitta, this park is one of the great rain forests in Africa and it has the largest community of chimpanzees whereby each community has 1 -100 individuals and each community has a complicated social structure.
In the group, the adult males dominate the group and provide protection to the territory against the rest of the males from other territories.
The chimps are located by simply listening for their pant hooting calls, and then head to the place from which they replied. Here you can observe them as they feed, play as well as socializing with each other.
Later in the afternoon, you will visit the Bigodi swamp which is also good for watching primates and birds. It’s mainly maintained by the local people and they earn a living from there. You will enjoy many bird species here including; the great blue turaco, and many more, the other primate species to view here include; the baboons, mongoose, otters, bush pigs as well as bushbucks. Later return to the Lodge for Dinner and Overnight.
Meal plan: FB
Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park.
Have an early breakfast and then be transferred by your guide to Bwindi via the Ishasha sector where you will view many tree-climbing lions.
This is the only place in Africa where you will view tree-climbing lions. You will also view many animals including; monkeys, birds, kobs, antelopes, etc. Arrive at your Lodge in the afternoon to relax as you await your dinner and overnight.
Meal Plan: FB
Day 4: Tracking the mountain gorillas.
Have an early morning breakfast and then proceed to the park headquarters to have a briefing about the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest.
The rangers will then accompany you to the rain forest to start your search for the gentle giants. This walk can sometimes be tough and it needs someone so strong. Trekkers are always advised to carry their raincoats and boots because of the unpredictable weather.
There are also some potters who always help with the carrying of the luggage on behalf of the visitors but at a small cost. On sighting the gorillas, the rangers request you to have a 6-meter distance as you enjoy seeing them play around.
It’s always not easy to predict how long gorilla tracking will take and this also depends on the location of some families since some of them are far from the park headquarters.
However, it takes between 2 to 8 hours to come into contact with them and the rangers will always be there to guide you.
Trackers are also advisable to be physically fit before going for tracking. After your trek, return to the lodge for your lunch and in the afternoon, you may opt to visit the Batwa community to enjoy some cultural performances before retiring at your lodge for Dinner and Overnight.
Meal Plan: FB
Day 5: Drive back to Kampala After breakfast at the lodge you will be transferred back to Kampala, have lunch at Mbarara town and have another stopover at the equator to have some photos and experiments. Later proceed back to Kampala arriving in the late afternoon.