GORILLA TREKKING SAFARI9 Days/8 Nights

2019

Visiting Entebbe – Lake Victoria, Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.Services of a World Wildlife Journeys Guide with 20 years experience Tracking Mountain Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Red Tailed Monkeys and Black and White Colobus Monkeys. Optional visit to the Batwa Pygmies Tribe.Visiting the “Mountains of the Moon” Ruwenzori Mountains.Explore a mosaic of Afro Montane Forest Ecosystems. Boat Safari on the Kazinga Channel.Presentations by World Wildlife Journeys Guide: “Us and them” – What separates Humans from their closest cousins “Silverback” Exploring the role of dominant males in Gorilla society “Uganda” From Amin to today “Speke and Burton” Source of the Nile

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Tour HighlightsJourney to Uganda

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Flight from Kihihi airstrip (Bwindi) to Entebbe International Airport.Transfers from Entebbe Airport with English speaking driver guide Accommodation in Entebbe with breakfast (2 nights) Accommodation on safari in full board basis (breakfast, lunch & dinner) Dayroom in Entebbe including lunchServices of your professional and knowledgeable Uganda English speaking driver guide. 4x4 stretched Land Cruiser vehicle (maximum 6clients per vehicle)Reference Books and MapsBo�led water on all activities and mealsx1 Chimpanzee tracking permit per person (US$150 per permit)Professional trackers while chimp trackingX2 Gorilla tracking permit per person (US$600 per permit)Expert trackers while gorilla trackingBoat safari (Queen Elizabeth NP)Game drives (Queen Elizabeth NP)All National Park entrance fees & ranger feesComprehensive support from our operational office in Uganda for the duration of the safari Travel information pack.All gratuities while traveling with the group.

Entry visa to Uganda (cost is US$50 – can obtain online)Yellow Fever inoculation certificate or an exemption le�er from your doctor – COMPULSORY!Malaria – Uganda is a malaria areaTravel and MedicalInsurance (Highly recommended)Meals and drinks not specified Laundry servicesAll expenses of personal nature.Optional activities.International Air Tickets

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DAY DESTINATION ACCOMMODATION BASIS

1 Entebbe Lake Victoria Serena Hotel B&B

2 Entebbe Lake Victoria Serena Hotel Full Board

3 Kibale Forest Primate Lodge Full Board

4 Kibale Forest Primate Lodge Full Board

5 Queen Elizabeth Nat Park Mweya Lodge Full Board

6 Queen Elizabeth Nat Park Mweya Lodge Full Board

7 Bwinde Forest Bwinde Lodge Full Board

8 Bwinde Forest Bwinde Lodge Full Board

9 Bwinde Forest Bwinde Lodge Full Board

Itinerary in brief

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UGANDA GORILLA TREKKING SAFARI

10 Entebbe Protea Hotel Day Room

MABAMBA SWAMPSMabamba Bay swamp is a bird-lovers dream destination. It is home to 260 bird species, including the massive shoebill – Uganda’s most sought-after bird! This papyrus swamp is characterised by small channels of marsh-filled water and lagoons and is located about an hour’s drive from Entebbe. Upon arrival in Mabamba Swamp, you’ll meet your local guide. The canoe trip through papyrus swamp will take you to the unscathed a�ractiveness of the wetlands, where you will have the highest chance of seeing Shoebill and other papyrus specialist birds like Saddle-billed Stork, Malachite Kingfisher, African Jacana, and other swamp specialties.

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Day 2

Day 1ENTEBBE – LAKE VICTORIA (APPROXIMATELY ETD 1 HOUR)

At Entebbe, you will be welcomed by your friendly safari team and transferred to your hotel near Entebbe.Overnight stay at Lake Victoria Serena Hotel with breakfast included.

A 1 hour Afternoon Boat Cruise on Lake Victoria is included Overnight stay at Lake Victoria Serena Hotel with breakfast included.

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Day 3Entebbe / Kibale Forest National Park 6 - 7 hours

After a relaxed breakfast, we depart from Entebbe and head west to Fort Portal, with lunch en-route at a local restaurant. Fort Portal rests in the shadow of the fabled “Mountains of the Moon” (Rwenzori mountains) and is famous for its many tea plantations. From this lovely town, we continue to Kibale National Park.Overnight at Primate Lodge Kibale (luxury co�age) with lunch, dinner and breakfast included.

Primate Lodge is tucked deep into the forest and right next door to the starting point for Chimpanzee tracking area. Primate Lodge Kibale welcomes you to experience the amazing wonders of the African jungle, the greatest variety and concentration of primate species found anywhere in Africa as well as excellent food and great hospitality.

Day 4Kibale Forest National Park CHIMPANZEE TRACKING

Today the forest opens its doors for an exhilarating chimpanzee tracking experience. Kibale Forest is reputable for having the greatest variety and highest concentration of primates in East Africa. Enjoy a guided nature walk in the tropical rainforest in search of the chimpanzee, red-tailed monkey, black and white colobus monkey and many others. Upon sighting the chimpanzees, you will spend an unforge�able 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 to the lodge for lunch. Afternoon visit to the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary for a nature walk – it is one of the many amazing wetlands to visit in Uganda. The Sanctuary features 8 primate species, numerous other interesting mammals, over 200 bird species, many reptiles, and uncounted varieties of trees, shrubs and vines.Overnight at Primate Lodge Kibale (luxury co�age) with lunch, dinner and breakfast included.

Day 5Kibale Forest / Queen Elizabeth National ParkEstimated driving time: 3 hours

Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park (following the mystical Rwenzori Mountain range for most of the journey) and enjoy an en-route game drive to the lodge where you will enjoy lunch. Enjoy an afternoon game drive around the Mweya Peninsular and the Kasenyi mating ground of the Uganda Kobs, search for lions, elephants, buffaloes and other wild animals in their natural habitat or relax around the pool.Overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge (deluxe room) with lunch, dinner and breakfast included.

Mweya Safari Lodge offers visitors an unforge�able experience. Located on a peninsula in the heart of the Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Lodge is surrounded by the magical Rwenzori Mountains aptly described as the ʹMountains of the Moonʹ

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Kibale Forest National ParkKibale Forest is a large protected block of a rain forest, which has the highest number of primates (13 species) in Africa such as Chimpanzees, LʹHoestʹs monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkey and red colobus. Kibaleʹs main a�raction is 500 chimpanzees - these delightful apes are tremendous fun to watch as they squabble and play in fruiting trees. A network of shady forest trails provides much to delight botanists and bu�erfly lovers, while birders are in for a treat with 335 species recorded including the endemic Prirogrineʹs ground thrush. The elusive forest elephant, smaller and hairier than its savannah counterpart, moves seasonally into the developed part of the park, other terrestrial mammals include buffalo, giant forest hog and a half dozen antelope species. Compared to montane forests, the trees here grow much higher and reach incredible circumferences with broad roots supporting these giants. Small streams find their way through the dense undergrowth, and once in a while, the forest opens into swampy clearings, where buffalos and antelopes graze. The park is a paradise with its varied flora providing an abundant habitat to many species of bu�erflies and birds, including hornbills and turacos. There are 144 species of bu�erfly in the park and a diverse population of moths.

Day 6Queen Elizabeth National Park

The day begins early as we start with a morning game drive or you can book an additional activity for the morning (the lion tracking experience (cost will be for your account and is not included in your package). The parkʹs diverse ecosystem of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife. Look out for buffaloes, lions, elephants and other wildlife in their natural habitat. In the afternoon (from 15h00 to 17h00) enjoy a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, a natural waterway between Lake Edward and Lake George. This cruise will definitely be one of the highlights of your safari as you sight abundant birdlife and view elephants, buffaloes and hundreds of hippos cooling off at the shores. Continue after the boat cruise with game drives in the Kasenyi plains area where you can find the Uganda Kobs, lions, elephants, buffaloes and more.

Overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge (deluxe room) with lunch, dinner and breakfast included.

Queen Elizabeth National Park encompasses a wide range of habitats ranging from savanna and wetlands to riverine and lowland forest. The area is dominantly covered with water and 250 sq. km of lake shores. Lake George, Lake Edward, the Kazinga Channels, Ishasha River and a series of crater lakes provide a rich habitat for both mammal and birds offering a brilliant wildlife viewing opportunities to visitors. Added to all this is the scenic, spectacular landscape Sir Andrew Cohen wrote about it as follows; “the grandest view I have ever seen, looking north from Ankole escarpment, with lakes Edward and George and the Kazinga Channel in the foreground and the whole snow-capped range of the Ruwenzori as a backdrop.” The park has 10 primate species, including chimpanzee, black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys. The park also has predators like lion, leopard, spo�ed hyena, side-stripped jackal and also numerous antelope like bush back, waterbuck, oribi, topi, the shy and semi-aquatic sitatunga and four species of duiker. Mammals in this park include; buffalo, elephant, hippo, mongoose. Queen Elizabeth National Park boasts 606 bird species. The park offers excellent opportunities for spo�ing Uganda’s most sought after, prehistoric looking Shoe-billed Stork! Other key species include; the African fish eagle, martial eagle, papyrus ganolek, African skimmer and much more.

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Day 7Queen Elizabeth NP / Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National ParkEstimated driving time: 4 – 5 hours

The day begins early as we start with a game drives. We head towards Bwindi, driving through the Ishasha sector, which is famous for its tree-climbing lions. While driving through a verdant countryside, you will pass traditional homesteads and enjoy panoramic views of the Rwenzori Mountains. In the afternoon arrival in Bwindi National Park, home of the endangered mountain gorillas. Overnight at Bwindi Lodge (co�age) with lunch, dinner and breakfast included.

Overlooking the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge is one of the finest luxury lodges at Bwindi. With dramatic, intense views of the forest canopy across a serene stream, it is one of Africaʹs unique properties. The gorillas frequently come to relax in the verdant bush around the lodge! The lodge is ideally located for a jungle gorilla tracking experience.

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Day 8Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park GORILLA TRACKING

Early morning departure from the lodge to the trailhead at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for your mountain gorilla tracking experience. After the briefing (touches on aspects of gorilla behaviour, details on the gorilla family you’ll track as well as safety precautions) your adventure will start! Gorilla tracking can be strenuous, and a certain level of fitness is required. Tracking can take from 30 minutes to three-quarters of the day, so one needs to prepare for both. Coming face-to-face with a mountain gorilla is one of the most memorable wildlife encounters in Africa, if not the world. Mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) are a critically endangered species. At least 400 mountain gorillas inhabit the Bwindi Mountains and live at altitudes from 1,160m - 2,607m above sea level. There is a feeling of mutual understanding as you watch them in their home, going about their daily business. Youngsters will often show off, jumping to demonstrate their motor skills. Silverbacks may beat their chests as a sign of dominance, an exhilarating experience! Or they may just sit peacefully as a family, chomping on bamboo and grooming each other, watching you with the same intrigue you are showing them. Gorilla tracking is for sure a life- changing and once-in-a-lifetime experience. Daily visits have an impact on gorilla activity pa�erns, and are a source of animal stress – therefore the firm justification for the ʺonly spend one hour” rule. This is adequate time for photography and observing these great primates in their natural habitat. Afterwards, return to base where your driver will be waiting to transfer you to the lodge.

Overnight at Bwindi Lodge (co�age) with lunch, dinner and breakfast included.

Bwindi Impenetrable National ParkBwindi Impenetrable National Park lies in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley. Its mist-covered hillsides are blanketed by one of Ugandaʹs oldest and most biologically diverse rainforests, which dates back over 25,000 years and contains almost 400 species of plants. More famously, this “impenetrable forest” also protects an estimated 400 mountain gorillas – roughly half of the world’s population, including several habituated groups, which can be tracked. This biologically diverse region also provides shelter to a further 120 mammals, including several primate species such as baboons and chimpanzees, as well as elephants and antelopes. There are around 350 species of birds hosted in this forest, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics.

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These are unique animals - rare, gentle, and similar to humans yet different. Tracking gorillas is a unique experience; it leads you into a strange land to meet unusual creatures on their terms. This can be humbling and thrilling at the same time. Gorilla tracking is an intense experience that can take all day. The guide leads you through the gorillaʹs world, explaining aspects of their ecology and behavior along the way and will be able to give you current details and basic facts about gorillas including the composition of Gorilla group changes as individuals are born, die, or transfer. The groups are named after the area in which they range. They are wild creatures with no fixed routine, and finding them requires the skill and experience of your trackers and guides as well as luck! The guides and trackers have helped to habituate the gorilla groups and knew them intimately. They will take you to the area where they left the gorillas the day before and will, therefore, be able to suggest how long the hike might take. Feel free to stop and view the surrounding birds and flowers the guide will ensure that you donʹt get left behind. Watch out for safari ants on the trail - they bite and hold on, and if you get in their way and they cover you, the only solution is to strip! The actual trail that you will follow will depend on where the trackers left the group and what signs they find to indicate where the group has moved too. Signs trackers look for include crushed vegetation, broken plants that the gorillas might eat and fresh dung. If you find the place where the group slept, you would see the gorilla’s nests, which they make fresh each night. They often range in broken forest where vegetation is dense. Be patient and eventually they will come into view.

Day 9Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park GORILLA TRACKING

The biggest thrill of any Uganda safari must be to trek deep into the Bwindi jungle and discover endangered mountain gorilla in their natural habitat – today you enjoying this experience for the second time!. Coming face-to-face with a mountain gorilla is one of the most memorable wildlife encounters in Africa, if not the world.Overnight at Bwindi Lodge (co�age) with lunch, dinner and breakfast included.

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Day 10Bwindi / Entebbe International Airport Flight

Today you will be transferred to the Kihihi Airstrip (about 1 hour from the lodge) for your departure flight out of the Impenetrable forest of Bwindi and head back to Entebbe with the morning flight. At Entebbe International Airport you will be met by a driver from Protea Hotel and transferred to the hotel where you can use a day room, lunch included. Transfer to Entebbe Airport for your flight to your next destination. End of service

InformationUganda has a tropical climate. The best times to visit are between December and March or June and September when it is predominantly dry. The rainy seasons span from April to May and October to November and are somewhat less appealing times to travel.

PASSPORT AND VISA’SMost passport holders require a visa for Uganda. Visas are obtainable from the High Commissions. Remember that visa requirements can change with li�le or no notice. Please double-check foreign entry requirements according to your nationality by contacting the Uganda High Commission. Please note it’s your own responsibility to obtain a visa ,we accept no liability for your failure to do so.

TRAVEL INSURANCEWe highly recommend that you take out adequate Travel & Medical Insurance for the duration of your holiday for peace of mind and to avoid the high costs related to medical emergencies!

YELLOW FEVER & MALARIAA Yellow Fever inoculation IS compulsory for Uganda. Uganda is malaria risk area - speak to your doctor/travel clinic for advice. Useful links h�ps://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/uganda

We have a luggage restriction of 15kg per person including hand luggage in soft, hold-all-type bags (no hard suitcases or frames) for all light aircraft transfers.

INTER-CAMP FLIGHTS

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Booking terms & ConditionsMETHOD OF PAYMENT

We only accept payment via Telegraphic Transfer, we will send you our bank details and you will need to go to your bank and fill in a form instructing them to wire us the money. Regre�ably, we do not accept credit card payments due to the non-scaleable commisions that make it prohibitively expensive to use this method of payment.

NON REFUNDABLE BOOKING DEPOSIT

On booking, we require a non-refundable booking deposit which is used to secure your permits and airfares on any internal flights. We must pay upfront for these and so we strongly recommend taking out trip insurance to cover yourself against such eventuality.

PAYMENT

120 or more days before the date of departure- WWJ will retain 30% of the list price and refund you the balance90-60 days before the date of departure- WWJ will retain 50% of the list price and refund you the balance60-0 days before the date of departure- WWJ will retain 100% of the list price Please ensure you have adequate trip insurance.

LIABILITY:

World Wildlife Journeys, while undertaking tours, transportation, hotel accommodations and other services only acts as an agent on the clear understanding that it shall not be, in any way responsible or liable for any accident, damage loss, delay or inconvenience caused in connection with travel facilities (Hotels, Resorts, Airlines, Transporters, Railways) arranged by the company, its employees or agents. Rates quoted are subject to change without notice due to change in foreign exchange rate, or transport or hotel tariff. All bookings are accepted and executed with utmost care, yet noresponsibility is undertaken for any change or deviation on account of factors beyond our control.

CANCELLATION POLICY

30% non-refundable deposit- due upon booking30% of the list price- due 90 days before the date of departureFinal payment of the outstanding balance is due 60 days before the date of departure