Value+ Mid-Range Lodging Priced Gorilla Trekking – Hiking Safari through Bwindi Forest
7-Day Twice Gorilla Trekking – Hiking Safari through Bwindi Forest – The Batwa Experience – Lake Mutanda Canoeing.
This Moderately Lodging Priced 7-Day Twice Gorilla Trekking – Hiking Safari through Bwindi Forest gives you quality Lodges where you refresh after each day’s activities.
This is primarily a vehicle Safari where you experience Authentic Africa nature-wise and its people and cultures. We have brought together some of the best activities for the outdoor enthusiast.
The added Plus is that your Gorilla Trekking Permits are 700 USD compared to 1500 USD in Rwanda, which is the Uganda Gorilla Trekking Advantage. This saves you $1.600 per person on two gorilla treks.
We suggest you book this Safari in advance due to the gorilla permits involved.
Highlights of the Value+ 7 Day Twice Gorilla Trekking – Hiking Safari
What is a Value+ Safari? A Value+ Safaris is a midrange, moderately priced, full-service safari using quality, moderately priced full board lodges with an ensuite bath. Private vehicle and your driver-guide with all listed activities and permits for gorilla and or chimpanzee trekking. We refer to them as Hakuna Matata – Wo Worries Safaris. Read more here.
- Two Gorilla Treks: Trek Gorillas both in the Buhoma region and Rushaga.
- Hike through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest: Hikefrom the Buhoma area to Nkuringo.
- Hike from Nkuringo to Lake Mutanda: Take the scenic hike from Nkuringo down to Lake Mutanda.
- Dugout Canoe: Paddle in a Dugout Canoe across Lake Mutanda.
- Volcano Climb: Climb one of the tree Volcanoes in Mgahinga Gorilla Park.
- Optional – Batwa Cultural Encounter: See the Forest through its first people’s eyes.
- Golden Monkey Trekking: Visit the endangered Golden Monkeys in Mgahinga Gorilla Park.
- Safari Vehicle: Private Safari Vehicle with your driver-guide.
- Lodges: Stay at quality, better midrange lodges.
The
Value+ 7-Day Twice-Gorilla Trekking -Hiking Safari in Detail:
Arrival Day in Kigali, Rwanda
Arrival Day in Kigali, Rwanda for your Private Value+ 7-Day Twice Gorilla Trekking Plus Hiking Safari: Many European flights arrive during the evening, others at night at Kigali International Airport, the Gateway not only to Rwanda but also to Southwest Uganda.
We will pick you up at the airport and take you to the Value Plus Moderately priced Heaven Boutique Hotel in a residential setting with a lovely garden and a small swimming pool. Their excellent restaurant serves meals that will please you.
Other hotels may be used instead of Heaven Boutique Hotel.
Other luxury hotels include the Radisson, Marriott, Serena, Hotel des Mille Collines, or Hotel Rwanda.
There are many things to do and see while In Kigali, the Singapore of Africa, that you can see on a city tour, including the Genocide Memorial.
Day 1 –Kigali -Rwanda to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – Buhoma Are
Your 7-Day Twice-Gorilla Trekking -Hiking Safari in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest begins. Depart your lodging in Kigali for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest at 6:30 am and take the scenic route through the rolling terraced Rwandan Hills into the Ugandan Gorilla Highlands toward Buhoma Village in northern Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Please Note: You will lose one hour as you cross the border since Uganda is in the East African Time Zone.
Border /crossing: You will need an East African Visa, Yellow Fever Certificate, and COVID Vaccination Certificate. The border crossing usually is about 40 minutes long.
The Drive Time to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – Buhoma area is 5 hours plus and depends in part on the road conditions of that day.
You arrive at Lunchtime in Buhoma and check into the Haven Lodge, where you receive a typical Ugandan welcome.
Haven Lodge
The Haven Lodge, a community project along with Buhoma Community Rest Camp, is the newest in the Buhoma area. It consists of three cottages, one being a family cottage that sleeps four.
This lower-priced upmarket lodge in Buhoma was built with the assistance of the US Government, which often helps Tourism in various ways in Uganda.
All cottages come with baths, the trained staff knows about customer service, and the food is a harmonious blend of Western – Asian and African dishes that will delight you.
All cottages and the main lodge have an excellent view of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
The Lodge was built with funding from the US Government and on-the-ground input from Peace Corps volunteers.
Afternoon Optional Activities: Choose one to include in your Safari
Afternoon Activity Choices – Relax and Chill out at your Lodge. Take a walk down the main street to the Bwindi Bar, the best place for a Chocolate Fudge Brownie, Cassava Chips with Salsa or Guacamole Sauce, some freshly squeezed juice, or a cappuccino.
Visit the award-winning Bwindi Community Hospital, one of the best rural hospitals in the country. Take a guided village walk (it is a created for the Tourist activity – a learning experience – the quality of the training depends on the knowledge and delivery of the local guide).
Explore the Forest with the Batwa, the first people of the Forest, on the Batwa Experience. The Batwa Experience’s last starting time is 2 pm. This is an authentic, interactive cultural encounter where you see how the first people of the Forest lived in harmony with nature and the Mountain Gorillas. We recommend anticipating this activity today or tomorrow after the first Gorilla Trek.
Take a bike ride from Ride-4-a-Woman with a guide and a Nature walk on the Waterfall Trail inside Bwindi Forest. None of the activities are included in the price of the safari, but they can be.
Meal Plan: Lunch – Dinner
Day 2 – Gorilla Trekking:
Breakfast and pick up your packed lunch and two liters of water. You will need we provide a light backpack, 2 liters of water, waterproof hiking boots, jeans or long trousers, a long-sleeved shirt to avoid scratches from branches, a hat, and garden gloves made of cotton come in handy in pulling yourself up on components, which walking sticks – buy a carved one. You can take it back home in memory of this day. We provide Porter services and bottled water that you will need on your Trek.
After some instructions, you venture out with your group with guides and military escorts into the Forest, and a gorilla trek can take two to five hours. The difficulty level depends on the group you track and the terrain you cover.
The hour you spend with the gorillas is the experience of a lifetime – you are just within a few meters of the gorilla family, watching them go about with their daily business – it is like taking a glimpse into someone’s house as you watch these gentle giants of the Forest.
Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 3 – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Hike from Buhoma to Nkuringo:
Breakfast and a packed lunch from the Lodge and you are off on a 7 to 8-hour walking safari; and You have a porter to help you with your backpack, there are guides and, escorts, porters to lighten your load and enhance your time during this walking safari and nature hike. It is best to have two liters of water with you and some juice from a few individual containers bought in Uganda. A few energy bars or granola bars also just might come in handy.
Wear long trousers, long-sleeved shirts that will help prevent you from getting scratched by branches, a hat – wide-brimmed is best, light hiking boots, a day pa, CK, and a walking stick for support.
What will you see on your walking Safari through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest?
Bwindi Rainforest is home to over 350 species of birds, many endemic to the region. Your hike through the Forest will allow you to spot many a bird; there are over 300 kinds of butterflies, and you will surely see some of them up close, and you will have the opportunity for some great photos. Ten species of primates are in the park, including chimpanzees, L Hosts Monkey, Red Tailed and Blue Monkey, Black & White Colobus Monkeys, and Baboons.
You will encounter primates on your Trek through the ancient Rainforest. You will see some primates along the way since Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is not only home to Gorillas, Primates, Birds, and butterflies but to 120 mammal species, including Forest Elephants, Duikers, Bush Pigs, the Giant Forest Hog, cat species, and much more. You might also see some colorful lizards along the way – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is one of the critical pearls in the Pearl of Africa, and a walking safari through it unfolds like a tapestry of sounds, sights, and smells as you have never experienced before including scenic wonders that are simply a delight to the eyes.
Your lodge for Southern Bwindi Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla Park:
Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge -Close Access to Bwindi Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla Park:
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.
Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 4 – 2nd Gorilla Trek:
It is time for your second Mountain Gorilla Trek, and four mountain gorilla families can be tracked from here. Twice gorilla tracking and a hike through the ancient Forest is the adventure of a lifetime.
Be sure to have your two liters of water, your packed lunch, and the other items you used and wore on the first gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Enjoy your visit with the mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable Forestall, a part of your Mountain Gorilla Experience in the Pearl of Africa – Uganda.
Option- Gorilla Habituation Experience:
Here you are on an all-day trek; you can spend 4 hours with a Gorilla Family in the southern park area. Permit prices are 1,500 USD, and there are only 4 participants in the group instead of 8. Read more here.
Mgahinga Gorilla Park Option: Do the second gorilla Trek in Mgahinga Gorilla Park instead of Bwindi Forest. Read more here and compare gorilla trekking in both parks.
Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 5 – Hike to Lake Mutanda – Paddle across it in Dugout Canoe:
Breakfast and the very scenic hike to Lake Mutanda start – you will need to wear hiking clothes, and we recommend protective clothing such as Hiking Boots, long trousers, and a long-sleeved shirt.
Today the hike is downhill through villages and hamlets. The Virunga Volcanoes are always before you as well as the glimmering lake.
At Mutanda Lake Resort, you cross the lake in a dugout, carved as they have been for centuries; the only new addition is life-jackets.
Your Driver-Guide will pick you up at the end of the hike and Canoe Boat ride and take you to your upmarket Lodge. There are two choices from – Chameleon Hill Lodge, the funkiest Lodge in all of Africa overlooking Lake Mutanda, and the Virunga Volcanoes. The other lodging choice is Mount Gahinga Lodge outside of Mgahinga Gorilla Park.
Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 6 – Mgahinga Gorilla Park
Today is the choice day – you can choose from several activities such as Volcano Climbing, Golden Monkey Habituation or Trekking, the Batwa Trail with the First People of the Forest, or the Sabinyo Gorge Hiking Trail.
Volcano Climbing: The climbs take from 5 to 8 hours. It would be best if you are pretty fit to do this activity. It involves steep hiking and climbing up ladders in sections as porters; rangers assist you. This is an off-the-beaten-path activity, and there are few others on this Trek. Read more about Volcano Climb. Read about Volcano Climbing here.
Batwa Trail: The Batwa Pygmies lived here for thousands of years, and on this interactive walk, you can learn their ways as practiced for thousands of years in the Forest. They hunted and gathered in the woods, not taking more than needed. Today, this Forest Walk is one of the only remaining links to their beloved Forest. Read more about Batwa Trail.
Golden Monkey Trekking or Habituation Experience: The Golden Monkey Trek is 3 hours long, while the Habituation Experience is an all-day Trek. Read more about Golden Monkey Trekking here.
Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner
Day 7 – Kigali Rwanda – Departure:
Breakfast, and we depart for Kigali, where you can visit the Genocide Memorial before flying out.
Meal Plan: Breakfast
This is a private safari, and you can adjust the itinerary; it includes all listed activities except when it says optional, lodging and food, covered, 4 x 4 Safari Vehicle modified for Safaris. It does not he beer, wine, alcohol, or sodas at lodges, does not add bottled water to the vehicle or does not include laundry, tips, or travelers’ insurance.
What is included in your Value+ 7-Day Twice-Gorilla Trekking -Hiking Safari?
Experienced Ugandan Driver-Guide: A Safari becomes more enjoyable when you go 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. Some luxury Lodges have non-premium alcoholic beverages and sodas.
- Private 4 Safari Vehicle with pop-Up Roof: The vehicle has a car fridge, WiFi, and bottled Water.
- Gorilla Trekking: Gorilla Trekking 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
- 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 in the case of a rare need for medical evacuation to a hospital that meets international standards.
I have not included: Visas, Travel Insurance, Tips, laundry, drinks at lodges such as Alcoholic drinks and sodas, and optional activities.
