5 Days Wildlife Trip Adventure And Gorilla Trekking

Itinerary:

Day 1: Welcome To Uganda | Travel To Murchison Falls National Park

On your arrival in the morning hours, Kubwa Five Safaris representative with your name printed on an A4 paper will welcome you to Uganda at Entebbe airport and then driven across several districts to Murchison Falls National Park. You will have a stopover to have lunch then proceed to Murchison Falls National Park.

Dinner and overnight at Fort Murchison Lodge | Parkside Lodge

Continental dishes are served with a variety of local and international dishes available for guests.

Your lodge is a comfortable lodge featuring a private veranda, spacious dorm rooms, a visitor’s center, and a restaurant. The lodge has modern and comfortable facilities. The room has a double bed, mosquito net, and an ensuite bathroom.

Day 2: Game drive | Boat cruise | Hiking | Travel To Fort portal

Expect To See: Lions, elephants, giraffes, leopards, buffalos, waterbucks, giraffe, baboons, hippos, crocodiles, antelopes, aquatic birds.

After an early breakfast at 5am, set off for a morning game drive on the Northern Delta Nile. Lions, elephants, leopards, buffalos, waterbucks, Jackson’s hartebeest, Rothschild’s giraffe, oribi, and baboons are some of the animals to expect.

Other activities in this game drive include bird watching, and sightseeing across the open savannah dotted woodland and riverine vegetation along the Nile and Albert delta.

After your morning game drive, at 9 am you will embark on a two hour boat cruise on the Nile. This boat ride offers an amazing view of the falls from the bottom angle. Hippos, crocodiles, antelopes, and aquatic birds can be seen along the shores of the river.

You will hike from the bottom of the falls to the top of Murchison falls where the Nile forces its way through a gorge in the rocks and tumbles 43m below flowing westwards into Lake Albert.

You will have lunch at Paraa safari lodge. After lunch, you will be driven to the Fort portal through various districts.

Dinner and Overnight: Rwengoma Courts and Apartments.

Day 3: Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest | Batwa Trail

After breakfast, we transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home of the mountain gorilla. Enjoy the drive as you will spot Lake Albert, the Rwenzori ranges, Kibale forest and the beautiful lakes Edward and George.

You will go be driven via the Ishasha sector as you will have a chance to observe tree-climbing lions in the wild.

You will have lunch at Gorilla Friends lodge.

After lunch, you will head out for a community walk where you will visit the Batwa, which is an indigenous group of people that have lived in the forest for 500,000 years, enjoy traditional dances and drama from them.

Dinner and overnight at Gorilla Friends lodge.

Day 4: Gorilla Trekking | Lake Bunyonyi with 29 Islands

After breakfast, prepare for the gorilla trekking adventure which begins at 8:00am with a briefing at the information center by the Uganda Wildlife Authority staff. We will then be guided into the jungle to track the shy primates. Gorilla tracking may take 3 to 7 hours but it is well worth the effort. It’s advisable to bring along a rain jacket, and hiking boots. At the end of this long and exciting adventure, return to our lodge for a well-deserved shower, and then have lunch.

After lunch, you will be transferred to Lake Bunyonyi via Kabale, a region popularly known by many as the ‘Switzerland of Africa’. This twisting water body dotted with 29 islands will amaze you.

The name of the lake translates as the ‘place of little birds’ and it is indeed blessed with some 200 bird species including several varieties of weavers that nest by the lakeshore and on the many islands. It is also probably the best place in Uganda to spot otters.

The lake Bunyonyi’s altitude is 1,950 m, and it is surrounded by hills that are 2,200 to 2,478 m high and intensely cultivated. The data on the lake’s maximum depth varies, from 44 m to 900 m in some parts; Lake Bunyonyi probably is the second deepest lake in Africa. It is one of the few African lakes completely safe for swimming – there is no bilharzia. The temperature on the surface rises to 25 degrees Celsius.

Dinner and overnight at Arcadia lodge. As the highest lodge on the hill, we overlook the beautiful Lake Bunyonyi and all its many islands from all our cottages and main dining area and bar.

Arcadia Lake Bunyonyi has 25 cottages and each cottage overlooks the islands on Lake Bunyonyi. Each cottage is self-contained with a private deck for guests to enjoy the view in the comfort of their cottage.

Day 5: Final Day | Equator | Transfer To The Airport

The day begins with a delightful breakfast after which we return to the mainland and prepare to drive back to Entebbe. We make a lunch stop at Mbarara and proceed to Kampala making another stop at the Equator in Masaka, see where this imaginary line divides our planet into two equal hemispheres. Snacks, souvenirs, and photographs may be taken here.     

Arrive in Kampala later that evening and transferred to Entebbe for your departure flight.

Price Category:

Starting from: USD $2800 (Budget Accommodation) | USD $3400 (Mid-range Accommodation) | USD $4000 (Luxury Accommodation) per person based on two travelers sharing.

Cost per person:

Cost Per Child (Discount)

Terms And Conditions

What Is Included:

What Is Not Excluded:

Optional Activities – Costing: Extra USD $500 Per Person

After your safari, you have an overnight in Kampala, this can be done on day 5.

Accommodation Options in Kampala: Sky hotel | Bushpig Hotel | Fairway Hotel | Golden Tulip Hotel | Speke Hotel

Travel To The Source of Nile | Zip lining| Jinja city tour, this can be done on day 6.

Depart for Jinja after your breakfast. You will be driven to Jinja. You will go through Mabira forest. The Mabira Forest is a rainforest area covering about 300 square kilometers in Uganda, located in Buikwe District, between Lugazi and Jinja. It has been protected as Mabira Forest Reserve since 1932. It is home for many endangered species like the primate Lophocebus Uganda.

Activities: Zip lining in Mabira Forest

Accommodation Options: Explorers River Camp | Jinja Nile Resort

Meal Plan: Full Board

Explorers River Camp: Situated 8km from Jinja town overlooking the new Lake Bujagali, Explorers River Camp is often referred to as one of Uganda’s, and even Africa’s most memorable places to stay.

Fantastic views of the Nile, a well-stocked bar and excellent meals have made this site one of East Africa’s most popular places to stay. Whether you are camping, staying in dorms or rooms, our bar deck overlooking the river is the perfect place to enjoy a cold beer and amazing sunsets. The trees above boast a multitude of tropical birdlife and monkeys, and the ‘riverside showers’ alone have become famous for the incredible scenery they overlook.

Lush terraces offer secluded safari tents with stunning views of the Nile. Our safari tents have become extremely popular and numbers are limited so it is strongly advised you book well in advance. In addition to our terraced safari tents, we also offer standard safari tents and en-suite rooms.

Jinja Nile Resort rests on the banks of this magnificent River and offers magnificent views of the Nile and the rich fauna that it attracts. It offers services for both business travelers and holidaymakers.

The cottages and hotel services are spread over 30 acres of gardens allowing one to appreciate the beauty of Uganda…the pearl of Africa.

Activities available from the resort include white water rafting and bungee jumping.

It was voted best weekend getaway and best country hotel in Uganda by Travel News magazine in the year 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

 Whitewater rafting & discovering the River Nile, this can be done on day 6.

Have an early breakfast and head out for today’s activities. The Nile River finds its source in Jinja where it starts the 4000 km through different African countries. So your driver will take you to where the beginning point is as you go for discovering the Source of the Nile; you will go for a guided boat cruise on the Nile.

After the boat ride, go for half day rafting on the rapids which is an adventure and an unforgettable experience.

Have lunch and after you could choose to rest at the lodge on the swimming pool or go for optional activities like bungee jumping or kayaking or quad biking or Horse riding.

Accommodation Options: Explorers River Camp / Jinja Nile Resort

Meal Plan: Full Board

Return to Kampala the Entebbe International Airport, this can be done on day 7.

Take breakfast leave Jinja for Kampala buy some souvenirs to take home with you. If you have a flight on the same day your guide will transfer you to Entebbe International Airport for a departure flight home.

Before Departing On Your Gorilla Trekking:

• A maximum number of eight visitors may visit a group of habituated mountain gorillas in a day. This minimizes behavioral disturbance to the gorillas and the risk of their exposure to human-borne diseases.
• Always wash your hands before you head out to the gorillas.

On The Way To The Gorillas:

• Please always keep your voices low. You will also be able to observe the great birdlife and other wildlife in the forest.
• DO NOT leave rubbish in the park. Whatever you bring into the forest should be carried back out with you.
• You will be taken to where the guides observed the gorillas the day before. From there you will follow the gorilla’s trail to find them. Look out for the gorilla’s nesting sites along the way!
• When you approach the mountain gorillas, the guides will inform you to get ready.

When You Are With The Gorillas:

• A seven-meter (21 feet) distance should be tried to be observed at all times from the gorillas. The further back you are, the more relaxed the group will be.
• You must stay in a tight group whey you are near the gorillas.
• Keep your voices down at all times. However, it is okay to ask the guide questions.
• Do not smoke, drink, or eat when you are near the gorillas. Eating or drinking inevitably will increase the risk of food/drink morsels/droplets falling, which could increase the risk of transmission of diseases.
• Sometimes the gorillas charge. Follow the guides example (crouch down slowly, do not look the gorillas directly in the eyes, and wait for the animals to pass). Do not attempt to run away because that will increase the risk.
• Flash photography is not permitted! When taking pictures move slowly and carefully.
• Do not touch the gorillas. They are wild animals.
• The maximum time you can spend with the gorillas is one hour. However, if the gorillas become agitated or nervous, the guide will finish the visit early.
• After the visit keep your voices down until you are 200 meters away from the gorillas.

General Health Rules:

• Remember that mountain gorillas are very susceptible to human diseases. The following rules are ways to minimize the risk your visit might pose to them.
• Respect the limits imposed on the number of visitors allowed with the gorillas each day. This minimizes the risk of disease transmission and stress to the group.
• If you are feeling ill, or you are carrying a contagious disease, volunteer to stay behind. An alternate visit will be arranged for you, or you will be refunded your money.
• If you feel the urge to cough or sneeze when you are near the gorillas, please turn your head away and cover your nose and mouth in order to minimize the spread of bacteria or viruses.
• Always stay seven meters (21 feet) away from the gorillas. This is to protect them from catching human diseases.
• Do not leave any rubbish (eg. food wrappers) in the park; foreign items can harbor diseases or other contaminants.
• If you need to go to the toilet while in the forest, please ask the guide to dig you a hole with his panga. Make sure the hole is 30 centimeters deep and fill it in when you are finished.

What To Bring On Your Gorilla Safari:

• Wear comfortable hiking shoes suitable for steep muddy slopes.
• Put on earplugs for those who feel uncomfortable with the jungle sounds.
• Carry a packed lunch and enough drinking water.
• Carry rain gear, sunscreen lotion, a hat (as the weather is unpredictable), and insect repellent.
• Bring a photo of a film camera. Using a flashlight is not permitted so we recommend using films of 400-800 ASA.

Cleaning