Chimpanzee & Gorilla Fly-In Safari

After breakfast, you will be transfered back to Entebbe Airport for your scheduled domestic flight to Kasese Airstrip. There you will be met by your second Great Lakes Guide who will then drive you to Primate Lodge set in the heart of Kibale National Park. On the way, and time permitting, you will explore the crater lakes. Kibale Forest National Park is an extensive Biodiversity National Park in South Uganda and also known as the “Primate Paradise” has one of the greatest variety and concentration of primates in Africa including our famous cousins the Chimpanzee, Red Colobus Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, L’Hoest’s, Black-and- White Colobus and the Olive Baboons. There is also a wide array of unique birds, forest elephants (smaller and hairier than the more familiar savannah elephant) and much more.

Overnight: Primate Lodge (Luxury Cottages)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After an early breakfast, make your way to the nearby Park HQ for the pre-tracking briefing, after which you will walk or drive to the trailhead for the start of an unforgettable adventure – hiking in the footsteps of the habituated family of chimpanzees. En-route, your guide will share stories and facts about the forest and its other inhabitants including other species of primates and birds and other big mammals.

Once contact is made, you will spend an unforgettable one hour with them as they go about their daily life - feeding, playing, grooming, taking care of their young, howling and screeching, in their natural habitat. Return back to the lodge for lunch then in the afternoon enjoy a guided nature walk through the Bigodi wetland.

Bigodi Swamp Walk is an initiative of the local community and is known for its rich diversity of birds and primates. The path and board walk maybe flooded and muddy after heavy rainfall and gumboots are recommended. The walk is about 4km in length taking 3-4 hours at birding pace with local community guides. All proceeds from eco- tourism go back to into the community, a conservation project well worth supporting.

Overnight: Primate Lodge (Luxury Cottages)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Time to change forests! After an early breakfast, transfer back to the airport for the scheduled light aircraft flight from Kasese to Kihihi Airstrip, the entry point for northern Bwindi. Upon arrival at the airstrip, a representative from your lodge will pick you up and drive you to the lodge, about a 1 hour 20 minute drive. Check into your lodge. In the afternoon you will have the opportunity to relax and prepare yourself for the next day. Or go for an optional (guided) forest walk for a first introduction with Uganda’s unique flora and fauna.

Overnight: Mahogany Springs

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The Big Day arrives. Wake early for a noursihing breakfast (you will need the energy) and then a short transfer to the national park offices where you will be allocated a gorilla family and a gorilla tracking guide. After a pre-tracking briefing on the ecology and history of the gorillas, your assigned gorilla family, as well as appropriate safety precautions, you drive to the trailhead for the start of a thrilling adventure.

The trek begins. Expect to walk between 2 and 8 hours in steep and sometimes muddy conditions with rain overhead, which can be tough and require a degree of (average) fitness. However the thrill of coming face to face with a giant Mountain Gorilla silverback completely makes up for the effort! When contact is made with the gorillas you will be able to spend up to one hour with them with very little distance between you. Watch them feed, move, play and wrestle. When the hour is up, return through the forest to your vehicle and the lodge for a second night stay.

Overnight: Mahogany Springs

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A day of local exploration. Choose to visit the Ride 4 a Woman ($30) community, a locally founded women’s empowerment initiative. Learn to weave baskets, cook local dishes and watch the women of the community showcase their culture through traditional dance — or even better, you can learn to dance with them. Another great option is to visit the Batwa Community ($70), enjoy a community walk ($30) to visit a traditional healer, learn how to grow and brew coffee or visit a local gin brewer.

Overnight: Mahogany Springs

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Transfer back to Kihihi for the morning or afternoon flight to Entebbe International Airport. There connect to your international flight for your journey home.

Overnight: Mahogany Springs

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner