Value+ Midrange 8-Day Pride of Uganda Gorilla Chimpanzee Wildlife Safari

8-Day Pride of Uganda Gorilla Chimpanzee Wildlife Safari gives you Uganda’s Best

an Affordable Value+ Midrange 8-Day Pride of Uganda Gorilla Chimpanzee Wildlife Safari

Value+ Midrange 8-Day Pride of Uganda Gorilla Chimpanzee Wildlife Safari: This Eight Day Uganda Gorilla Chimpanzee Wildlife Safari in the Pearl of Africa includes Gorilla Trekking (tracking) in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Chimpanzee Trekking in East Africa’s best place for Chimpanzees – Kibale Forest, Wildlife Game Drives in both Queen Elizabeth Park and Lake Mburo Park all in 8 Days on this Moderately Priced Safari.

Combine the Best of Uganda on this primate and wildlife Safari at an affordable Price. This is a private Safari, just for you. Your Tour Guide will ensure that this is a Hakuna Matata – Worry-Free Safari where your focus is on the Primates, Wildlife, and Scenery and not the coordination of it. 

This 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.

Value+ Midrange 8-Day Pride of Uganda Gorilla Chimpanzee Wildlife Safari Highlights

• Gorilla Trekking: Buhoma Area – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

• Chimpanzee Trekking: Kibale Forest.

• Nocturnal Forest Walk: See the creatures of the night.

• Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary: Explore a Jungle Swamp.

• Explosion Crater Drive: The most scenic drive in Uganda.

• Game Drives: Game Drives in Queen Elizabeth Park and Lake Mburo National Park.

• Wildlife Boat Cruises: Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth Park and Lake Mburo.

• Visit the Equator: Experience the Equator.

• Visit Four National Parks: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth Park, and Lake Mburo National Park.

Arrival Day in Uganda:

Arrival at Entebbe International Airport

Welcome to Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, for your Value+ Midrange 8-Day Pride of Uganda Gorilla Chimpanzee Wildlife Safari in Uganda.

You will be met by us no matter your arrival time. We will take you to the 2-Friends Beach Hotel on the shores of Lake Victoria.

Depending on your arrival time, we can arrange lunch and dinner for you.

2-Friends Beach Hotel is an excellent hotel for the first night in Uganda. It has a private sandy beach, a treehouse bar, and a swimming pool. Read more about 2-Friends Beach Hotel.

 Entebbe International Airport Tourist Information.

Day 1 – Kibale Forest – Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary:

Your Value+ Midrange 8-Day Pride of Uganda Gorilla Chimpanzee Wildlife Safari: Depart 2-Friends Beach Hotel in Entebbe at 6 am, and we will head for Kibale Forest Park.

where you will find the West African Jungle meeting East Africa in Uganda. The drive from Kampala to Kibale Forest is five hours, plus a drive from Entebbe, which is shorter if your hotel is in Kampala. This is a four-hour-plus Drive.

Check into Isunga Lodge overlooking Kibale Forest.

Isunga Lodge-Kibale Forest:

This moderately priced lodge gives its guests value plus for their money. We have used this lodge with remarkable success on our safaris, and our Clients have responded more than positively.

There are six cottages with an ensuite bath in a very private setting. The food is prepared thoughtfully, and the service is excellent.

Higher-cost, moderately priced lodges in Uganda do not match what you receive at Isunga Lodge. It is a lodge where we have never received a complaint from our clients after they stayed here.

Isunga Lodge is a lodge our clients love for its friendliness, clean room, and excellent meals.

Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary:

Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary is the perfect place for Birders. You will see many species here, including the Large Blue Turaco, Brown Parrots White-spotted Flufftail, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Western Nicator, Grey-winged Robin-chat, White-tailed Ant-thrush, Brown-backed Scrub-robin, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Superb Sunbird, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Bocage’s Bush-Shrike, Black Bishop, White-breasted Negrofinch and Black-crowned Waxbill among others of the 200 Bird Species found here.

Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary is also home to many primates, including Chimpanzees who come here looking for food from Kibale Forest, the red colobus monkey, baboons, black & white colobus monkey, blue monkey grey-cheeked, mangabey, vervet monkey, red-tailed monkey, and the L’Hoest monkey. You might also spot mammals such as the Sitatunga semi-aquatic Antelopes, mongooses, bush pigs, otters, and bushbucks, all of which can be found in Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary.

Meal Plan: Lunch – Dinner

Day 2 – Chimpanzee Trekking:

This morning it is off to Kibale Forest Headquarters for Chimpanzee Trekking in the best primate park in East Africa, Kibale Forest. There are over 1,500 Chimpanzees in the plus twelve other species of primates.

There are over 70 mammal species found in the park, such as forest elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, bush pigs, duikers, even leopards, and golden cats, to name a  few, some of which you may see during your time here. Additionally, more than 375 species of birds are found in the park, and 250 species of butterflies.

Things to wear and bring for your Chimpanzee Trek: 

A light daypack, one liter of water. You will need long trousers such as jeans, a long-sleeved shirt for protection, a hat is good, hiking boots, wool socks, and a light rain jacket.

Breakfast at your, and we are taking a two-hour-plus drive to Queen Elizabeth Park, where our goal is to check into the lodge you have chosen for you.

Explosion Crater Drive:

Arriving at Queen Elizabeth, we take the 27-kilometer Katwe Explosion Crater drive.

It is the highest point in Queen Elizabeth Park, with splendid views of the Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon, the Western Rift Escarpment with the vast Savanna below, Lake George, and Lake Edwards connected by Kazinga Channel. There are about 12 explosion craters, made famous by a picture in National Geographic.

The explosion craters do not attract elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, and birds. Some holes are lakes, while others are covered by savanna grass or forests.

Afterward, we check into the Enganzi Game Lodge.

Enganzi Game Lodge:

We have used this mid-range lodge for over five years for our clients on a moderately priced Safari. The rooms are permanent tents that are relatively large with full bathrooms, and they are perfect for families needing extra beds and triple rooms.

Enganzi Game Lodge sits on the edge of the Western Rift Escarpment and the endless Savannah below you. The views from your tented cottage are tremendous, and you can sit outside with a cup of coffee, taking in your surroundings on Safari.

Meals are prepared tastefully and reflect a fusion of African and Continental Cuisine.

The service has been consistently friendly to our clients, who have been quite satisfied with their stay at Enganzi Game Lodge.

Afternoon Game Drive:

Late afternoon game drive across the candelabra euphoria tree studded Savanna; the vehicle has a pop-up roof so you can stand and take better pictures. If you use a bean bag, you can steady the camera. The car has a pop-up roof you can stand and take great photos of.

You have a Ugandan Wildlife Authority Ranger plus our experienced tour guide who will point out lions, leopards, warthogs, bush pigs, giant forest hogs, buffaloes, elephant herds, buffaloes, various species of antelopes, savanna birds, hyenas, monitor lizards, and more.

Each game drive is like unwrapping a gift; this is a gift of nature that you will delight in.

We drive back to Enganzi Game Lodge for you to enjoy your evening.

Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch – DinnerGame

Day 4 – Queen Elizabeth Park:

Game Drive:

Breakfast before or after the game drive. You can begin your first game drive at the crack of dawn at about 6:30 am here – that is also the time you can pick up an Uganda Wildlife Authority Ranger to go with us. Mornings are also a time when you see more predators return from their night of prowling, and there is nothing like a Savanna Sunrise.

Options – Not included in Price:  Lion Tracking Research Experience  – Banded Mongoose Research

Kazinga Channel Wildlife Boat Cruise:

3 pm: A Boat Safari on Kazinga Channel with Africa’s highest concentration of hippos. At one time, too many hippos and their grazing denuded the surrounding grasslands. Before independence, they would be culled by the wildlife authorities.

There are also crocodiles (crocodiles had been absent for a few thousand years but started to show up in the 1950s and have increased in numbers), countless birds on the shore and overhead, and in the water of the channel.

This is a pleasant boat ride where you can get great pictures of elephants, antelopes, predators in the late afternoon, and buffaloes on shore.

Return to the lodge after the Boat Cruise on Kazinga Channel.

Meal Plan:  Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

Day 5 – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest:

At 7:00 am we are off for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, and on the way, we stop in the Ishasha region of Queens Elizabeth Park for a game drive.

this is the home of the famous Tree Climbing Lions of Ishasha.  Here at Ishasha, we head straight for the game drive with Uganda Wildlife Authority Ranger on board the vehicle to point out various animals, birds, and of course, the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha.

The drive time to Ishasha is 2 1/2 hours in length through the park,

The game drive is about 2 1/2 to three hours; in this, the unvisited part of Queen Elizabeth Park – Ishasha, there are lots to see, such as lions, leopards, large herds of elephants, buffaloes, and antelopes, which include the beautiful Topi antelopes.

Continue to Buhoma where we arrive in time for a late lunch at the Haven Lodge. 

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.

This is about the best moderate lodge that is in the Buhoma area.

Meal Plan:  Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

Day 6 – Gorilla Tracking in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest-Buhoma Area:

This is one of the monumental days of your life and the day when you will spend time with a mountain gorilla family in the rainforest. This is not a day to sleep in but to rise early, enjoy a hearty breakfast and get dressed for the Gorilla Trek.

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.

Gorilla Trekking Orientation:

The Gorilla Trek begins with an orientation. You are assigned a Gorilla family based on your age, physical shape, and level of fitness by a ranger. A moderate level of fitness. Many trekkers prepare in advance for their gorilla safari by taking walks and hikes at home. If you are disabled and unable to take a trek, you can be carried into and out of the forest by a team of porters in a Sedan Chair. This is something that we can arrange for you.

Gorilla Trekking Rules and Regulations: 

There are three main rules for the protection of the gorillas and you. If you are sick, cancel your gorilla trek. That is to protect the gorillas. There is the ten-meter distance rule. Again to protect the gorillas and you from the transmission of infections. Read more about Gorilla Rules.

Porter Services:

If you are on Safari with us, we will arrange for the services of a porter. They will carry your daypack and assist you on the often tricky trek. Being a porter is quite profitable since most have an income exceeding mid-level government officials. The importance of having a porter cannot be minimized since they allow you to focus on the trek and not on your load and discomfort.

We also provide our gorilla trekking clients with a walking stick, protective masks, and bottled water. Do not forget to pick up your lunch at the lodge. Read more here about Porter Services.

The Encounter with a Gorilla Family:

The Gorilla Family Encounter is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most trekkers. Mountain Gorillas are not found in any zoo, only in the wild of Uganda, Rwanda, and DR Congo. 

In the presence of gorillas, it is vital to wear a mask and keep the ten-meter distance rule.

You will enjoy your one hour with a gorilla family, and you will have the opportunity to get some incredible up-close photos.

After your time with a gorilla family, you return to the Buhoma trailhead, where your driver-guide will meet you and return to your lodge around lunchtime.

Optional Activities that you can choose to do:

• Batwa Experience: See the forest through the eyes of its first people, the indigenous Batwa People, who are today Conservation refugees living outside the Forest. Read more here.

• Buhoma Village Walk: This is a guided walk through the Buhoma village and includes a school and home visit. Additionally, you have time with the Batwa people. Read more here.

• Mountain Biking: You can rent a bike with a guide and bike ride inside and outside of the park. This helps the Ride for a Woman community self-help group. Read more here.
  

• Hitting the trails: You can hike inside and outside the park, including the famous waterfall trail. Read more here.

• Relax and Chill out: Relax and chill out at the Haven Lodge and read a book.

Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

Day 7 – Lake Mburo National Park:

Depart at 6:30 am for Lake Mburo National Park. Arrive at Rwakobo Rock Lodge which is your lodge in the park.

Rwakobo Rock Lodge:

This mid-ranged priced Safari comes with a view of the park that is beyond stunning. You can even enjoy that view while swimming in the pool that is at the lodge.  The rooms are comfortable with ensuite baths. 

The main Lodge has a comfortable bar-lounge area and the main dining area where you take in the tasty meals provided here.

The lodge offers biking, hiking, and cultural visits to nearby homesteads and villages.

Rwakobo Rock Lodge is the best mid-range lodge at Lake Mburo National Park, and it comes with more than other clubs, including food.

It is the lodge we use for our midrange Safari Clients, and they have loved their stay here.

Afternoon Activities:

Boat Safari on Lake Mburo:

Afternoon Wildlife Boat Cruise on Lake Mburo. This is a 90-minute Wildlife Boat Cruise where you see hippos, crocodiles, otters, water birds and animals coming to water at the lake. 

Game Drive:

After the Boat Cruise we continue the afternoon’s activities on a game drive. Here you will see an abundance of zebras, Giraffes, and the large Eland antelopes. 

The park has a number of leopards, you can also hear the roar of lions but rarely see them.

One of the unique things about the park is that you will see Ankole cattle graze here. This is under a special arrangement with local ranchers here. Ankole cattle, the famous cattle of Western Uganda are an endangered species. Read more here about Ankole cattle.

Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch – Dinner

Day 8- Entebbe:

Game Drive:

Breakfast and a morning game drive across the rolling Savanna with Giraffes, Zebras, large Eland Antelopes and Topi Antelopes, Buffalo Herds, Leopards, and other large cats.

Options instead of Game Drive:

Instead of a Game Drive you can take a Guided Bike Safari through the park or go on the hike to the Saltlick.

After the game drive, we prepare for departure to Entebbe.

Visit the Equator:

We incorporate a visit to the equator that runs through Uganda. Have a traditional equator picture taken of you and hve lunch here.

Entebbe:

We arrive in Entebbe durin the late afternoon. We can arrange for a day room and dinner at @-Friends Beach Hotel before your flight out this evening.

Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch

What is included in this Value+ Midrange 8-Day Pride of Uganda Gorilla Chimpanzee 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. Some luxury Lodges have non-premium alcoholic beverages and sodas.

• Private 4×4 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 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.

• AMREF-Flying Doctors Air-Medivac Insurance coverage: Our clients have covered a rare need for medical evacuation to a hospital that meets international standards.

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 that is 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.

Contact us if you are interested in this Value+ Midrange 8-Day Pride of Uganda Gorilla Chimpanzee Wildlife Safari

Be aware of our Flexible Booking Policy and our Price Guarantee.