Value+ Midrange 5-Day Gorilla-Chimpanzee Trekking Safari in Uganda

Moderately Priced Combined Gorilla – Chimpanzee Primate Safari in Uganda

Value+ Midrange 5-Day Gorilla-Chimpanzee Trekking Safari in Kibale Forest and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

This Value+ Midrange 5-Day Gorilla-Chimpanzee Trekking Safari combines the Best Primate Treks in East Africa. In Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Gorilla Trekking was picked by CNN in 2019 as the most beautiful place in the World.

Add to that. Chimpanzee Trekking in the best primate park in East Africa, Kibale Forest, with 13 species of Primates.

The Safari begins in Entebbe or Kampala and ends there. However, you can choose to complete the Safari in Kigali, Rwanda, and save yourself from a long road trip back to Entebbe. Drive Time to Kigali is five hours from the Buhoma area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

Drive time to Entebbe from the exact location is 9 to 10 hours. You can break that long drive by adding a day in Lake Mburo National Park, halfway to Entebbe or Kampala.

Instead of Gorilla Trekking, you can choose the Gorilla Habituation Experience, which is four hours with a Gorilla Family on an all-day Trek in the Rushaga area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

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 primate, wildlife, and Ugandan culture.

Your Value+ Midrange 5-Day Gorilla-Chimpanzee Trekking Safari Highlights:

Gorilla Trekking: Trek gorillas in the Buhoma area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

Chimpanzee Trekking: Trek Chimpanzees in Kibale Forest.

Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary: Explore a jungle swamp next to Kibale Forest.

Nocturnal Forest Walk: See the creatures of the night in Kibale Forest.

Top of the World Hike: Hike along crater lakes, through tea plantations, hamlets, and stunning scenic views.

Village Walk or Batwa Experience: Take a guided Village Walk in the Buhoma area or spend time with the Batwa doing the Batwa experience.

Wildlife Game Drive: See the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha.

Please Note: Any portion of this safari can be changed to your liking.

Your Value+ Midrange 5-Day Gorilla-Chimpanzee Trekking Safari in Detail:

Arrival Day in Uganda:

We will meet and greet you as you arrive at Entebbe International Airport. You need to obtain an Uganda Tourist Visa before arrival. Additionally, you will need to show your Yellow Fever Certificate and that you have received the COVID vaccine.

Arrival Processing and luggage pickup take about 45-minutes. Immigration ad Customs officials are reasonably helpful, and there should be no hassles.

We will take you to the 2-Friends Beach Hotel for your first night’s stay in Uganda. The hotel overlooks Lake Victoria and has a private, sandy beach with a treehouse bar and a swimming pool for you to enjoy.

The rooms we use come with AC and views of the Lake. Depending on your arrival time, we can include lunch, dinner, and the next day’s breakfast.

Meal Plan: Depends on your arrival time.

Day 1 – Drive to Kibale Forest:

Your Value+ Midrange 5-Day Gorilla-Chimpanzee Trekking Safari begins as the morning drive to Kibale Forest to Isunga Lodge overlooking Kibale Forest. The drive time is four hours, so we leave at 7:00 am.

m 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 ensuite baths 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 2 – Kibale Forest – Chimpanzee Trekking:

What to wear and bring for Chimpanzee Trekking:

The clothing and gear are a daypack, hiking boots, wool socks, long trousers like jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, a wide-brimmed hat, a shawl or light rain jacket, sunglasses, binoculars, camera equipment, one liter of bottled water. Additionally, apply sunblock and insect repellent.

Chimpanzee Trekking Orientation:

The chimpanzee trek begins with an orientation where a ranger goes over the guidelines for the Trek.

The Encounter with a Chimpanzee Troop:

Normal Chimpanzee Trekking begins with an orientation at 8 am afterward, and you are led into the forest where the chimpanzee group is to be found. This is determined by pre-trackers who go out at dawn looking for the group. There are almost 1,500 chimpanzees in Kibale Forest, and they primarily seek out fruit for their diet. Also, ants eat with a stick and are responsible for significantly reducing the forest’s red-tailed monkey population, hunting them down in packs.

A chimp community can have over 100 members. Chimpanzees live in a relational social structure. The alpha males defend against other chimpanzees trying to move into the territory. Females are part of smaller family groups and nurture the young. Before you see the chimpanzees, you will hear their hooting calls in the distance. Soon you come upon them and spend one hour with them, observing their ways and habits.

Usually, you might see 4 to 6 primates here, many of the birds, butterflies, and mammals found here, and of course, the forest with its unique vegetation. The Chimpanzee Trek is about 3 1/2 hours long.

Top of the World Hike:

After Lunch, we take the Top of the World Hike, where you pass by three crater lakes and go through villages, tea plantations, and vanilla plantations.

At the top of the Hill, you have splendid views of Crater Lakes, the Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon, Queen Elizabeth Park, and beyond.

The Hike is about three hours long and requires a moderate fitness level.

The views of the scenic Crater Lakes, Kibale Forest, the Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon, and even Queen Elizabeth Park make it well worth the effort.

Nocturnal Forest Walk:

You have seen Kibale Rainforest during the daytime, and now you are off to see what the forest is like during the night. You will find that it is a whole other world. This evening you will see and hear what the forest is like at night.

You are led by Uganda Wildlife Authority Rangers equipped with powerful spotlights. As you enter the forest, you will hear the shriek of a hyrax and the hoots of an owl fluttering by you.

The nocturnal forest is a different adventure that will surprise and delight you.

You will encounter Pottos, Bushbabies, \nightjars, and even tree-climbing Pangolins.

This is a 90-minute nature walk you do not want to miss, even though it means changing the time you have dinner.

Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

Day 3 – Drive to the Buhoma Area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest:

We depart Kibale Forest for the Buhoma area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, which is a five-hour plus Drive. The Drive will take us through much of Queen Elizabeth Park.

We arrive for lunch at Haven Lodge in the Buhoma area, where you check in.

Option: You can take a game drive to see the tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha area of Queen Elizabeth Park. Have lunch at Savannah Resort and arrensuiteHaven Lodge in the late afternoon.

Check into the Haven Lodge in Buhoma:

The Haven Lodge is a small community-owned and managed mid-range Lodge with private cottages, including one family cottage overlooking Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. It is one of the best mid-range lodges in the Buhoma Area of the Park. In our opinion, to get the most value for your money when it comes to a midrange Lodge.

The Lodge is owned and managed by the Buhoma Community Organization and is just outside the Village of Buhoma.

If you are planning to come during Uganda’s peak seasons – June to October and December through March – book with us early.

Meal Plan: Lunch – Dinner

Day 4 – Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – Buhoma Area:

What Should I wear tracking Gorillas?

Here is practical advice about what to wear while Gorilla Trekking 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.

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 Trekking Orientation:

Here you receive instructions about the Gorilla Trek. You are assigned your Gorilla Family based on your input, and your age and fitness level are also considered.

You often track the Gorilla Groups you like, and we will help you with the Park Staff. Trekking times vary between three and six hours depending on the gorilla group you will be trekking on your day. We strongly suggest you read the Rules and Guidelines before going on a Trek.

If you have physical limitations, you can still visit a gorilla family. Let us know, and we will make the necessary arrangements, such as a sedan chair carried by a team of porters.

The Gorilla Trek

The Trek begins with an orientation. This is where you are assigned your Gorilla Family that you will be trekking. The Uganda Wildlife Ranger appoints the group. The decision is based on your age, fitness level, and the preferences you give.

If you have a cold, cough, flu, or other infectious ailments, you will not be allowed to trek the gorillas.

The Trek in the Buhoma area is at a lower elevation, and there are no problems with the altitude here. The Trek is three to five hours long. Pre-Trackers are out in the forest locating the gorilla family you will visit.

The encounter with a Gorilla Family is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most. Mountain Gorillas can only be seen in the Wild and do not survive captivity.

After the Gorilla Trek Options:

Relax at the Lodge

Take the Buhoma Village Walk

Do the Batwa Experience with the First People of the Forest

Bike around or into Bwindi Forest

Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

Day 5 – Return Drive to Entebbe:

After Breakfast, the return drive to Entebbe begins. This is a nine-hour drive, and the trip is broken by taking lunch halfway to Entebbe or Kampala.

There is a Must-See & Do Stop at the Equator. There you can take the traditional at the Equator Picture. Here you can have lunch, a snack, a drink and buy souvenirs.

Arrive in Entebbe in the late afternoon. There we can arrange a hotel for you. Many find a dayroom just right to freshen up for the flight out. This also allows you to have a leisurely dinner before boarding.

Your Safari ends in Entebbe, and we are thankful that you chose Kabiza Wilderness Safaris for your time in the Pearl of Africa-Uganda.

Option: Fly back by AeroLink to Entebbe instead of driving.

Meal Plan: Breakfast Lunch

What is included in your Value+ Midrange 3-Day Gorilla Trekking Safari?

Full-Board stays at safe, secure quality Lodges: We choose welcoming, friendly, and hospitable quality lodges for your Safari, including the incoming hotel in Entebbe or Kigali, Rwanda.

Vegetarian and Vegan Meals: We can accommodate vegetarians and vegans on a safari. Additionally, there are kid-friendly meals for families with children. Kosher Friendly meals can also be provided. Other dietary needs, such as gluten- and sugar-free, can be met if we are notified.

Gorilla – Chimpanzee Permits: Permits are included in the Safari.

Porter Services for Gorilla Treks: Porter Services are automatically included in your Safari. You are walking sticks; we supply bottled water for your treks, volcano climbs, and hikes.

Private 4×4 Safari Vehicle equipped with Pop-Up Roof: You have an experienced driver-guide that will guide you on a Safari through the Pearl of Africa. The vehicle has a refrigerated unit, and bottled water and fruit snacks are available on longer drives. WiFi is available. We can make arrangements for a MiFi Router for you, which would give you access to the internet even in your cottage since, at most lodges, WiFi is available only in the leading club. You would incur a small charge for the use and data of a MiFi Router.

AMREF-Flying Doctors Medivac Insurance: Your Well-being is foremost on our mind, and we automatically include emergency air-evac insurance yo your Safari.

I have 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, and you 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.