5 Days Best of Uganda -on this Value+ Gorilla – Chimpanzee – Wildlife Safari
The Best of Uganda on this Value+ Midrange 5-Day Gorilla – Chimpanzee Trekking – Wildlife Safari
This Value+ Midrange 5-Day Gorilla – Chimpanzee Trekking – Wildlife Safari is one of our most popular Safaris since it packs various experiences into just 5-days.
It is a Moderately Value + priced version of our favorite 5-day Gorilla – Chimpanzee – Wildlife Safari. We were staying in quality mid-range lodges with en-suite Baths and better quality food and service.
5-Day Gorilla Chimpanzee Trekking Wildlife Safari – During the five days, track the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
There are the tree-climbing lions, leopards, thriving Elephant, Buffalo, and Antelope Herds in Queen Elizabeth National Park, along with Warthogs, Forest hogs, Hyenas, lots of birds (over 600 bird species), and course the Great scenic views like the Explosion Crater lakes, the Rwenzori Mountains, the endless Savannah and more.
Chimpanzee Trekking in the underground Forest of the Kyambura Gorge or Kalinzu Forest, near Queen Elizabeth Park – we give you a choice. Kalinzu Forest is one of the Top-Rated locations for Chimpanzee Trekking. Arrival Lodging and Airport Pickup, Departure Lodging, or Dayroom can be arranged at your request for this, one of our most popular safaris.
Arrival Lodging and Airport Pickup, Departure Lodging, or Dayroom can be arranged at your request for this, one of our most popular safaris.
Highlights of your Value+ Midrange 5-Day Gorilla – Chimpanzee Trekking – Wildlife Safaris
- Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Chimpanzee Trekking in either the Kyambura Gorge or in Kalinzu Forest.
- The Scenic Explosion Crater Drive was featured in National Geographic.
- Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise – Hippos, Reptiles, Wildlife, and Birds.
- Wildlife Game Drives
- Add-On Options such as Lion Tracking Research or Banded Mongoose Research
Things to do and see In Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Things to do and see in Queen Elizabeth Park
Your Value+ Midrange 5-Day Gorilla – Chimpanzee Trekking – Wildlife Safari:
Arrival at Entebbe International Airport
Welcome to Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, for your African Gorilla Adventure in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, which according to CNN Travel, is one of the best parks in Africa.
You will be met by us no matter your arrival time. We will take you to a hotel such as 2-Friends Beach Hotel, which is located on Lake Victoria.
2-Friends Beach Hotel has very nice self-contained rooms with balconies that overlook Lake Victoria.
Depending on your arrival time, we will arrange for lunch and dinner for you at the hotel
We can also arrange a day room or an overnight stay before your flight out of Uganda. Entebbe International Airport Tourist Information.
Day 1- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest:
Drive to the Buhoma area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest:
From Entebbe:
Your 5-Day Gorilla Chimpanzee Trekking Wildlife Safari begins in Entebbe or Kampala at 6:30 am. We head for the ancient Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for your 5-Day Gorilla – Chimpanzee Trekking – Wildlife Safaris. For your comfort, bottled water is in the vehicle, and we will stop for lunch halfway to the Buhoma area in Bwindi Forest.
From Kigali, Rwanda:
This safari can begin in Kigali, a shorter drive than Entebbe.The drive to the Buhoma area from Kigali is 4-hours less than from Entebbe. Your Hotel pickup would be six am. At the border, change your watch to East African Time by one hour from Central African Time.
The drive time from Kigali to Buhoma is five hours plus in duration. You would arrive at lunchtime and do an afternoon activity such as the Batwa Experience or the Buhoma Village Walk during the afternoon.
Fly to Buhoma from Entebbe:
The quickest way of getting to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is by flying to Kihihi with AeroLink Safari Airline. There your driver-guide meets you and takes you to Buhoma Lodge which is a one-hour drive.
Haven Lodge in Buhoma:
In Buhoma, you check into the moderately priced 
Haven Lodge. The Lodge comprises three cottages, one being a family cottage that sleeps four.
It is a mid-range with extra touches that make it one of the best midrange lodges in Buhoma.
All cottages come with an ensuite bath. Your deck will directly overlook Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, an excellent spot for relaxing after Gorilla Trekking Sundowner.
The courteous staff will ensure that your stay at the lodge is comfortable.
Mealtimes are a delight, and you get a better fare than other similarly priced midrange lodges. They also do a surprisingly good job with packed lunches for Gorilla Trekking.
WiFi is at the lodge for those who want to remain plugged in.
Meal Plan: Lunch – Dinner
Day 2 – 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 of 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: This is to 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 packed 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 actual encounter with a Gorilla Family is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most. Mountain Gorillas can only be seen in the Wild. They 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 3 – Ishasha-Tree-Climbing Lions – Queen Elizabeth Park:
Breakfast, and we leave for Queen Elizabeth Park. 1½ hours later, we reach the Ishasha region. It is the home of the Tree Climbing Lions, the best place in East Africa to see them.
From the Buhoma Area, it is a 90-minute drive to the Ishasha area of Queen Elizabeth Park. Here you take a Game Drive, and an Uganda Wildlife Authority Ranger will join us in the Vehicle.
The Safari Vehicle has a pop-up roof for better game viewing. You will see Tree Climbing Lions and leopards, herds of elephants, buffaloes, and Uganda Kob and Topi Antelopes.
After the game drive, we through the park to the Mweya area in the north of Queen Elizabeth Park. You will see lots of wildlife on this drive to Mweya.
Check into the Enganzi Game Lodge:
Enganzi Game Lodge – with that affordable extra added touch, Enganzi Game Lodge offers quality and reasonable prices.
Enganzi Game Lodge is the perfect base while exploring Queen Elizabeth Park with its wildlife, explosion craters, the vast Kyambura Gorge, the endless Maramagambo Forest, and more.
The tented cottages come with a full bath and have extensive views down the Albertine Western Rift Escarpment of Queen Elizabeth Park.
The lodge has consistently provided quality and service to our clients at a fair price. One could say it is a midrange lodge where you get more than you would at similarly priced lodges.
This includes a large room, full bath, great views, and private cottages away from one another. It is one of the few mid-range lodges with a swimming pool.
Kazinga Channel Wildlife Cruise
Afternoon a wildlife boat safari on Kazinga Channel at 3 pm. The boat will be moving along the channel’s banks toward Lake Edward. You will see the largest concentration of hippos in Africa.
There are hundreds of birds, and usually, a bird watcher will see over 40 species of birds on the two-hour boat safari. There are herds of elephants coming down to the water. Even more massive herds during the dry season. Buffalo herds and late in the afternoon. You find an occasional predator coming to water before going out on a night’s hunt.
The boat safari is a slow-moving affair. You get the best opportunities for taking pictures – the boat safari is one of the highlights of your visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park, a tapestry of natural wonders that you will find most surprising. Read more here.
Katwe Explosion Crater Drive:
After the Kazinga Channel Wildlife, Birding, and Boat Cruise, we take the 27-kilometer explosion crater drive. It is the most scenic drive in Uganda and takes you to the highest point in Queen Elizabeth Park.
The timing and lighting are just right for you to get some great pictures during the late afternoon.
You will see the Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon. The Explosion craters shaped much of the park. Some are lakes filled with water, others containing sulfur, and others are covered by savannah grass or forest.
The drive is so scenic that National Geographic featured a picture of one of the explosion craters. Beyond the craters, you have views of the Western Rift escarpment. Below are the Savannah, Lake George, and Lake Edward connected by the Kazinga Channel. Read more here.
Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 4 – Queen Elizabeth Park:
Chimpanzee Trekking in Kalinzu Forest:
This morning it is Chimpanzee Trekking in Kalinzu Forest. We will depart the lodge at 7:00 to reach Kalinzu Forest before 8:00 am.
You will need the same gear clothing and gear as you used for the gorilla trek.
Chimpanzees have been habituated here for over 25 years by Japanese researchers. Kalinzu Forest is one of the best places for chimpanzee trekking, and it is at a fraction of the price that it is in Kibale Forest.
After an orientation, you go out with guides and trackers to track our closest cousins, the chimpanzees.
Like the gorillas, they are habituated, which means they are used to human beings and do not scamper when we appear in their area.
Game Drive:
This afternoon is your last game drive on this Safari. We hope that you will see lots of lions, leopards, elephants and buffaloes,
Lion Tracking Research Option:
Instead of the game drive, you can choose Lion Tracking Research. It involves following collared lions and leopards in a research vehicle with the Uganda Carnivore Project. ($50 per person, after July 1, 2020 -$100)
Banded Mongoose Research Option:
The other choice is the Banded Mongoose Research on the Mweya Peninsula. ($30 per person)
After the morning activity, we drive to Entebbe. Depending on your morning activity’s timing, lunch is either at the Lodge or on the Road.
Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 5 – Queen Elizabeth Park – Return to Entebbe:
Your Value+ Midrange 5-Day Gorilla – Chimpanzee Trekking – Wildlife Safari ends.
Return to Entebbe by Air:
Fly from nearby Kasese to Entebbe International Airport, reaching there before noon in time for your flight out of Uganda. Meals, a day room, or overnight lodging in Entebbe can be arranged. With this option, there is only breakfast for this day since your flight leaves for Entebbe midmorning.
Drive to Entebbe:
We depart Queen Elizabeth Park at 8:00 am for Entebbe. In order to break the six-hour drive, we stop at the equator for lunch and picture-taking.
We reach Entebbe in the afternoons where, depending on your flight departure, we can arrange for a day room and dinner. We can also arrange for overnight lodging and activities in the Entebbe area.
What is included in this Value+ Midrange 5-Day Gorilla – Chimpanzee Trekking – Wildlife 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 Chimpanzee 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 met 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. 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.
If you are interested in this Value+ Midrange 5-Day Gorilla – Chimpanzee Trekking – Wildlife Safari, and we will send you the current price.
