Day 1London
This evening you will fly overnight from London Heathrow to Entebbe direct with British Airways, departing at 21.15, landing at 07.45 the next morning.
Day 2Entebbe - Kibale Forest Reserve
Upon landing you will be met by your driver-guide who will be with you throughout your stay in Uganda. He will drive you to Kibale Forest, a journey of around six hours, although you will have picnic lunches with you to enjoy at midday to break up the journey. This will be a wonderful introduction to the landscapes and people of Uganda, passing tea plantations, rolling hills, open savannahs and colourful villages on the way. You can stop as often as you like to take photos - just ask your guide. Once you arrive at Primate Lodge you can just relax and unwind after your long journey.
Day 3Kibale Forest Reserve
After breakfast today you`ll be driven to the Kibale National Park for your morning of chimpanzee trekking. The trek departs from Kanyanchu at 08.00, and whilst it`s not guaranteed you`ll see the chimps, there`s a 90% success rate of seeing them - far higher than any other location which offers chimpanzee trekking in Uganda or Rwanda. The walk will lead you through the Kibale Forest, and there are good chances of seeing red-tailed monkeys and grey-cheeked mangabeys on the way. If you`re lucky to find yourself in the company of the chimps, you`ll have an hour to enjoy their behaviour and take photos to your heart`s content! This afternoon if you`re not too tired you can visit the nearby Bigodi wetland sanctuary to learn about the birdlife and butterflies that live here.
Day 4Kibale Forest Reserve
Today you can spend the day exploring the Crater Lakes region with your driver-guide. There is a combination of driving to viewpoints, and walking, and if you`re keen there is a lovely three hour walk linking three lakes together which is a wonderful way to get to grips with this beautiful area.
This morning you will set off with your driver-guide for Queen Elizabeth National Park. The journey should take a couple of hours, and you can settle into your room at Katara Lodge before enjoying some lunch here. This afternoon you can either relax or go on a game-drive with your guide in the park.
Today you can choose from several game-viewing options - game drives in the Kazinga Plains region, where you can see elephants, waterbuck, reedbuck, lion, leopard amongst other wildlife. This afternoon we`ve included a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel - you cruise along the channel, and often see buffalo cooling off in the water, hippos and crocodiles in the channel, and elephants at the shore drinking (particularly in the late afternoon), as well as antelopes and some amazing birdlife. This is a really pleasant way to spend a couple of hours and makes a nice change from being in a vehicle!
Today I`ve suggested spending the morning on a guided walk in the Maramagambo Forest, home to a variety of primates including the lovely black and white colobus monkeys. You can return to the lodge for lunch and this afternoon go on a game-drive on the Kasenyi track or the Baboon cliff where you can enjoy lovely views of the Rwenzori Mountains on a clear day.
After breakfast you will set off with picnic lunches for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in the south-western corner of the park. You can game-view on the way, and have a picnic in the lovely Ishasha area, where you can watch pods of hippos in the Ishasha river. You can do a short game-drive here, looking out for the tree-climbing lions, before continuing on to Bwindi, where you`ll be based for your gorilla tracking adventures tomorrow.
Today you will set off early after breakfast for the park headquarters, where you will register for your gorilla trek. Once you`ve been assigned a group, you will be driven to the trailhead for your group and you will follow your guide into Bwindi National Park. You start your trek at the top of the hills, descending to find the gorillas, walking for between 2 and 4 hours before you reach the gorillas. Once you find the first gorilla, you have an hour with them - the time will fly by so make the most of every minute! I find it fascinating watching them interact and seeing how similar their behaviour is to humans! The trek back to the top of the hills can be fairly strenuous, but the exhilaration of seeing the gorillas makes it all worthwhile.
This morning you will be driven eastwards to Lake Mburo National Park - the drive will take between four and five hours depending on road conditions, and the scenery is really beautiful, starting with steep, winding hills, covered in a patchwork quilt of fields, and then opening out into flatter plains. You can settle into your tent at Mantana Camp and this afternoon go out on a boat trip on the lake, or a game-drive with your driver-guide - you can decide how you feel when you`re here.
Today is free for game-drives in Lake Mburo National Park - the park is home to a good range of wildlife including buffalo, warthog, hippos, zebra, impala, bushbuck, eland and waterbuck.
You will set off after breakfast back to Entebbe, a drive of around five hours, passing through the bustling capital of Kampala on the way, where you can stop to buy some souvenirs if you wish. You will have the afternoon at leisure to do whatever you wish at Entebbe, either relaxing at the guesthouse, or exploring. The Botanical Gardens are worth a visit, as they`re home to a good range of endemic plants and are a haven for birdlife too!
An early start this morning, you will be driven to Entebbe Airport for your British Airways flight back to London Heathrow, departing at 09.05, landing at 15.55 the same day.