Moderately Priced Primate Habituation Experience Safari Plus Abundant Wildlife
Value+ Midrange 10-Day Primate Habituation Experience Safari from Entebbe ending in Kigali
This Value+ 10-Day Moderately Priced Primate Habituation Experience Safari is about more time with the Primates. Using quality mid-range lodges, this Private Safari gives you 4 hours with a Gorilla Family, 4 hours with the Golden Monkeys, and all day with the Chimpanzees. More times with the Primates, fewer participants, and more incredible encounters in Africa’s Premier Primate Destination, Uganda.
This Safari is also about Value, Value for your dollars that stretch further in Uganda. For 900 USD more than a standard permit in Uganda that gives you 1 hour with a Gorilla Family, you now get 4 hours with a Gorilla Family. For 50 USD more than a regular Chimpanzee Permit, you receive all day with a chimpanzee Group adding extra Time with the Primates and Value for Your Money on this safari.
More time with the Primate, fewer fellow trekkers, your private Safari vehicle, and an experienced Driver Guide make this luxury Safari even more enriching experience. Your Driver Guide is the key to a successful safari, which is what we plan for.
What is a Value+ Midrange Safari?
Our Value+ Safaris are private, full-service Safari using quality, midrange lodges with ensuite rooms or cottages. Our Value+ Hakuna Matata Safaris come with a full-board meal plan and a private safari vehicle with your experienced driver guide, who will introduce you to Uganda, its primates, wildlife, and Ugandan culture.
Your Value+ Midrange 10-Day Primate Habituation Experience Safari Highlights
- Fly into Entebbe, Uganda – fly out of Kigali – Rwanda.
- Gorilla Habituation Experience – Rushaga Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Chimpanzee Habituation Experience – Kibale Forest
- Golden Monkey Habituation Experience in Mgahinga Gorilla Park
- Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary – Jungle Swamp Hike next to Kibale Forest.
- Explosion Crater Drive in Queen Elizabeth Park
- Lion Tracking Research with the Uganda Carnivore Institute.
- Wildlife Game Drives in Queen Elizabeth Park.
- Wildlife Boat Cruise on Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth Park.
Your Value+ Midrange 10-Day Primate Habituation Experience Safari in Detail:
Day-1 Arrival in Uganda:
We will meet you at Entebbe International Airport as you arrive. You can obtain a Ugandan Tourist Visa or East African Visa on arrival. A yellow fever certificate is required but not always asked for.
Your driver will meet you at arrivals with Kabiza Wilderness Safari sign in hand. We will take you to the 2-Friends Beach Hotel, where you will spend your first night in Uganda, the Pearl of Africa. Your room is a comfortable Terrace room with views of Lake Victoria, with air conditioning for your comfort. There is a private sandy beach, a treehouse bar on the beach, a swimming pool, and an excellent restaurant where you can have lunch or dinner.
The Hotel is 10 minutes from the airport in a quiet residential area of former colonial-era homes.
You are a short walk from the Entebbe Botanical Gardens. This is the perfect hotel setting to begin your 10-day Primate Wildlife safari in Uganda, and your stay here is on a Bed and Breakfast Basis.
Meal Plan: Bed and Breakfast Basis
Day 2 – Drive to Kibale Forest:
The Value+ Midrange 7-Day Gorilla-Chimpanzee Habituation Experience-Wildlife Safari begins. Depart your Hotel in Entebbe at 6:30 am heading for Kibale Forest. This is a 4-hour plus drive from Entebbe.
We arrive at Kibale Forest, where we check into Isunga Lodge.
Isunga Lodge:
Check into the moderately priced lodge that gives its guests value plus for their money. We have successfully used this Lodge on our safaris, and our clients have responded more than positively.
There are four cottages with an ensuite bath in a very private setting. The food is prepared thoughtfully, and the service is excellent.
There are much higher cost moderately priced lodges in Uganda that do not match what you receive at Isunga Lodge.
Our clients who have stayed here have been more than enthusiastic about Isunga Lodge.
The Lodge is one of the better midrange lodges around the park, it has to be one of the best in terms of service, value, and meals served.
Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary:
During the Afternoon, we take the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary Hike.
This a guided 3-hour hike through a Jungle Swamp; much of it is on planks that act like a boardwalk above it.
Your experienced guide is from the local community that has maintained the Wetlands for many years, with thousands visiting each year.
During the Afternoon, you might spot Chimpanzees, Colobus Monkeys, also baboons. The area is well-known for birds, and the chief attraction is the Blue Turaco, plus many other birds here.
When it comes to Mammals, you can see otters, bush pigs, mongoose, and the rare Sitatunga Antelope, to name a few.
This is a UNESCO self-sustaining eco-Tourism project offered by the local community.
Meal Plan: Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner
Day 3 – Kibale Forest – Chimpanzee Habituation Experience:
What to wear and bring for the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience:
Wear the same clothes you would wear for the Gorilla Habituation Experience Safari, except gardening gloves. You will need a packed lunch from the lodge and two liters of Water, and we will supply you with Water.
The Six-Hour Chimpanzee Habituation Experience:
Early Breakfast, and you are off to meet with your Ranger-Guide, who will take you into Kibale Forest, where a Chimpanzee Troop is being habituated, a process that takes up to two years. The method teaches Chimpanzees to be in the presence of humans. In this activity, you actively participate in the habituation experience process.
Before you see the chimpanzees, you will hear their hooting calls in the Distance. So you come upon them and spend one hour with them, observing their ways and habits.
Usually, you might see 4 to 6 other primate species here, many of the birds, butterflies, and mammals found here, and of course, the forest with its unique vegetation. You will see a lot more on all-day habituation than on a trek.
You must wear the proper clothing and shoes and have at least 2 liters of Water, plus a packed lunch.
Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 4 – Queen Elizabeth Park:
Today we move to Queen Elizabeth Park. This is a two-hour-plus drive where you will see the rolling landscape, crater lakes, and the Rwenzori Mountains, the smallest mountain range in Africa.
Before we check in at the Enganzi Game Drive, we take the 27 Kilometer Explosion Crater Drive.
The Katwe Explosion Crater Drive is one of the most scenic drives in Uganda. Even National Geographic has featured craters that you will see on the drive.
With 12 Explosion Craters at the highest point in the park with views of the Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon, the Western Rift Escarpment, and the Savannah below.
Check into Enganzi Game Lodge:
Enganzi Game Lodge – with that affordable extra added touch Enganzi Game Lodge offers quality yet is reasonable in price.
Enganzi Game Lodge is the perfect base while exploring the scenic Queen Elizabeth Park with its wildlife, explosion craters, the vast Kyambura Gorge, the endless Maramagambo Forest, and more.
The tented cottages have a full bath and extensive views down the Albertine Escarpment to Queen Elizabeth Park.
Enganzi Game Lodge is also a family-friendly lodge open to children of all ages.
Enganzi is moderately priced but offers more value than lodges at a similar price with its views, location, large, tented cottages, full bathrooms, good service, and sumptuous meals served here.
Afternoon Boat Cruise on the Kazinga Channel:
You take the Kazinga Channel Wildlife Boat Cruise in the afternoon from the Mweya landing point toward Lake Edwards. The boat cruise is one of the highlights of your time in Queen Elizabeth Park.
The Kazinga Channel has one of the highest concentrations of Hippos in East Africa. You can also see crocodiles, monitor lizards, and water birds such as pelicans.
There are also elephants, buffaloes, and antelopes that you will see. Additionally, you will see fishing villages and people living on the channel’s banks.
There are lots of opportunities for you to take pictures of the boat. Private boat cruises can be arranged. Read more here about Kazinga Channel.
Meal Plan: Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner
Day 5 – Queen Elizabeth Park:
Lion Tracking Research:
Lion Tracking Research, where you track collared lions and other collared predators for research.
You are with researchers from the Uganda Carnivore Project, who will give you a lot of insights into the habits of lions and leopards in the area.
The Carnivore Project organization protects lions and sensitizes villagers to live harmoniously with nearby predators.
You will see other wildlife besides lions, such as elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, bushpigs, and various antelopes.
The Lion Tracking Research experience is about three hours long.
Drive to the Ishasha area of Queen Elizabeth Park:
After the Lion Tracking Research, we drive to the Ishasha area through the park. Here we arrive around lunchtime and check into Ishasha Jungle Lodge.
Ishasha Jungle Lodge:
We arrive at lunchtime at the Ishasha Jungle lodge, where you check in for the night. The lodge is near the entrance of the Ishasha sector of the park.
Ishasha Jungle Lodge is a moderately priced lodge that offers you all the comforts you need. Your room is a tented cottage with an ensuite bath and a verandah, and you have a large room with mosquito netting for your bed.
You will enjoy the Lodge’s friendly, welcoming, and hospitable atmosphere. The main lodge is where Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served, and there is a lunge and bar at the main lodge.
WiFi and charging stations are available at the main lodge.
Afternoon Game Drive:
We take an afternoon game drive with an Uganda Wildlife Authority Ranger. We aim to see the tree-climbing lions that sleep the day away in the fig trees and the acacia trees in this area. Ishasha is the place to see tree-climbing lions in East Africa.
The lions sleep in the trees for up to 15 hours a day for reasons not fully understood by researchers. It is suspected that it might be to escape bothersome insects, and others suspect cultural reasons that have become ingrained in lions found in the area.
Additionally, you will see herds of elephants and buffalo herds, antelopes, including the colorful Topi antelopes. The Ishasha region of Queen Elizabeth Park is part of a wildlife corridor that stretches from DR Congo to the Kibale Forest. There will be both savannah and forest elephants and buffaloes. You would not be able to tell the difference; however, the Ranger and your Driver-Guide will be able to point out the difference. Read more about Tree-Climbing Lions here.
Meal Plan: Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner
Day 6- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – Rushaga Area:
We depart for the southern area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest at 7:00 am. The drive will take five hours plus, and we will reach Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge at lunchtime.
Check into Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge:
Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge is an excellent, moderately priced lodge with splendid views of the Virunga Volcanoes above the scenic Lake Mulehe. The food is one of the European-Ugandan Fusion’s fantastic services.
The stone cottages are perfect for your stay while doing Gorilla Trekking or the Gorilla Habituation Experience in the Rushaga Area Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
This Lodge gives you Value+ for your Dollar and value in terms of its setting, quality of rooms, and service on the Lake. We have used the Lodge for our Clients and have had no complaints during that time.
The Lodge is owned by a woman which years of experience in providing quality accommodations to International and Domestic Tourists alike.
Afternoon Activities that you can choose from:
- Bunia Forest Walk: This is a forest walk with Batwa Elders. The Batwa were the first people of the forest. Today you can see the rainforest through the eyes of its first people, the Indigenous Batwa.
- Village Walk: Take a guided village walk and meet the local community.
- Dugout Canoeing: You can go dugout canoeing with a guide.
- Hiking: Hiking through the hills of the gorilla Highlands.
- Relax and Chill Out: Read a book and relax on your verandah.
Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 8 – Gorilla Habituation Experience Encounter:
Early Breakfast and pick up your packed lunch from the lodge. We have provided you with what to wear and the gear to bring.
What Should I wear tracking for the Gorilla Habituation Experience?
Here is practical advice about what to wear while the Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda. Often Trekkers are not dressed
right for the occasion, which can spoil your day, and your focus might not be on the Gorillas but on personal discomfort and misery. Wearing suitable clothing and footwear is about protection.
Gorilla Wear and Gear you will need:
- Daypack: Preferably a waterproof daypack, you can use it as a carry-on flying to Uganda. Pack all essentials inside the daypack.
- Hiking Boots: Make sure that they have good treads on them. You will need ankle support, something boots give you and give you reactions on muddy trails. Have a good pair of merino wool socks.
- Long Trouser: They will protect you from nettles and thorns. Tuck the trousers into your socks for added protection from ants.
- Long-Sleeved Shirt: Neutral in color. Again, this is for your comfort and protection.
- Rain Jacket or Poncho: Pack into your daypack. You never know when it will train. You are in an Afro-montane Rainforest.
- Tough Gardening Gloves protect your hands from thorns, nettles, and sharp branches.
- Wide Brimmed Hat: It gives you protection from the Sun.
- Camera Equipment – Binoculars: Ensure extra batteries and storage devices. Put them into Ziploc bags. Binoculars are not needed if you are not a birder.
- Packed Lunch and Bottled Water: You will need your lunch from the Lodge and two liters of bottled water we provide.
- Insect Repellent – Sun Lotion – Sunglasses: We recommend the effective Australian RID Insect Repellent. Good Sun blocker cream and sunglasses.
- You will need a Porter and Walking Stick: The services of a porter free you on the often-difficult trail, and a local walking stick helps you and steadies you on the often-challenging path. We supply our clients with both.
Read more about Gorilla Gear and Wear here.
Early Breakfast and take your packed lunch from the Lodge. For Gorilla Trekking Gear. Having the right gear and wearing the right clothes and boots make a difference in the quality of a Trek that you will have.
The Gorilla Habituation Experience Orientation:
Here you receive instructions about the Gorilla Habituation Experience. You are given specific instructions for the Habituation Experience, which is different since there are only four participants.
The Rangers will go over the Rules and Guidelines before going on you embark on the Habituation trek. The Distance and Face Mask Rules are there for the protection of Mountain Gorillas from diseases, including respiratory illnesses.
If you are ill on the day of your Gorilla Habituation Experience, it is required that you cancel the Habituation Experience Trek. This requirement protects the Mountain Gorillas and all human participants, including rangers, researchers, and porters.
Your Time with the Gorilla Family being Habituated:
The length of your trek is determined by the location of the Gorilla family being habituated. The gentle giants make new nests daily and move up to
three kilometers up and down ridges and valleys. One reason you need the assistance of a porter and a walking stick.
The Gorilla Habituation Experience turns into an all-day trek with a return to the trailhead in the late afternoon.
You are one of the fortunate few that can take the Gorilla Habituation Experience. Many attempts, but since there are only four permits per day, the number of trekkers that have experienced more time with the Gorillas is few.
The actual encounter with the Gentle Giants is like entering someone’s living room. You experience with your eyes and ears how they live out their days, how they relate to one another, what they eat and how they communicate.
It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You will never forget an event, a most moving experience that can only be done in Uganda.
Trek in and trek out, the 4 hours with a gorilla family, is an all-day activity. There are only four participants and not eight like regular gorilla trekking.
Tips – Advice that you may find helpful.
Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 9 – Golden Monkey Habituation Experience:
Today is the Golden Monkey Habituation Experience, the final Primate Habituation Experience. We drive to Mgahinga Gorilla Park, where you once again have an orientation, and we arrange for your porter and walking stick. You will need the same gear as for the gorilla habituation experience.
There are over three thousand Golden Monkeys on the Ugandan side of the Virunga Volcanoes, and this morning you will trek them in the Bamboo Forests at the bottom of the Volcanoes in the Park. The group you are with is being habituated, which will take about two years.
You will encounter a group of about 100 monkeys that will make the forest come alive with activity as they flit all around you, over you, and are ever active.
Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 10 – Kigali Rwanda:
Drive to Kigali, Rwanda:
Your Value+ Midrange 7-Day Gorilla-Chimpanzee Habituation Experience-Wildlife Safari comes to an end.
We depart for Kigali at 7:00 am. The drive to Kigali, Rwanda, will take us four hours. Yomustto, turn your watch to Central African Time at the bor, which means we lose one hour.
To enter Rwanda, you will need an East African Visa which you apply for before entering Uganda. The visa is good for Uganda, Rwanda, and even Kenya.
We can arrange a dayroom with meals until your flight out this evening.
What is included in this Value+ Midrange 10-Day Primate Habituation Experience Safari?
- Experienced Ugandan Driver-Guide: A Safari becomes more enjoyable with a knowledgeable and professional Local Driver-Guide.
- Greet and Meet at Airport upon arrival: We provide meet and greet services, including a welcome gift and Safari Informational Packet.
- Full-Board Lodging: All meals are included except alcoholic drinks, sodas, and snacks that you might order apart from meals.
- Private Safari Vehicle with pop-Up Roof: The vehicle has a car fridge, WiFi, and bottled Water.
- Gorilla Trekking: Gorilla Habituation Experience Permits are included in your Safari. Additionally, we provide porter services, a walking stick for support, and bottled Water. Read our Practical Gorilla Trekking Advice:
- WiFi Internet Access: Most Lodges only provide a WiFi Internet Connection in the main lodge. We offer you a MiFi Router that gives you and your party access to the internet in your cottage or room, depending on nearby transmission towers. Read Staying in touch with home.
- Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Mandarin, Arabic Speaking Driver-Guides: At an extra cost.
- Your Dietary Needs can be met: Notify us if you are a vegan, vegetarian, or need a gluten-free diet. Halala dietary requirements can be completed in most instances. Strictly kosher nutritional requirements cannot be met on safari. a.
- ; Automatic AMREF-Flying Doctors Air-Medivac Insurance coverage: Our clients have covered a rare need for medical evacuation to a hospital that meets international standards.
Not included: Visas, Travel Insurance, Laundry, Tips, drinks at lodges such as Alcoholic drinks and sodas, and optional listed activities.
For over a Decade since 2008, we have offered Hakuna Matata – No-Worries Safaris:
Our private Hakuna Matata – No Worries Safaris are full-service Value+ Midrange and Luxury Safaris that come with all needed for a successful Safari in Uganda. You have your own Safari Vehicle with an experienced driver, stay at a quality midrange or luxury Lodge, and all the activities listed are included. The outcome of your safari is more important to us than income.
