Our 8 days primate photo tour offers a once in a lifetime photographic experience with the iconic endangered mountain gorillas, chimpanzees “the humans closest living relatives’’, Golden monkeys among other 13 primate species in Kibale including an opportunity to capture stunning landscapes, interaction with the local communities, walks in dense forest of Bwindi impenetrable and Kibale tropical rain forests as we champion the conservation of this primates through education and community sensitization.
Highlights of this primate photo tour
- Explore the pearl on scenic road trips
- Bird photography (Shoebill Tour)
- Unforgettable Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
- Trek Chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National Park.
- Community encounters in Bwindi and Kibale rain forests
- Golden Monkey in Mgahinga national park
- The ultimate jungle treks.
Detailed Itinerary
DAY 1: Arrival Entebbe international airport
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will go through the emigration process which takes about an hour or two depending on your arrival time, you meet the team leader or safari guide who will transfer you the guest house in Entebbe for overnight.
Accommodation: Boma Hotel
Meal Plan: Bed and Breakfast
Day 2: Full day Mabamba Wetlands Photographing the prehistoric Shoebill
We will pick you up from your hotel in Entebbe at 06:30hrs and drive to Nakiwogo landing site where we will take a motorized boat to the wetlands. The boat transfer to the wetlands takes about 35 minutes on the lake. When we get into the wetlands, we change onto the small boat which is convenient for maneuvering into the wetlands. (each small boat not more than 3 photographers)
Mabamba Wetlands is a unique and vital ecosystem situated within the Lake Victoria Basin that has diverse range of flora and fauna that hosts the rare and endangered Shoebill, African Fish Eagle, the Papyrus Gonolek, and various species of herons, kingfishers, and among others.
After the shoebill has been sighted, we will approach the location with caution, maintain minimum silence as we observe the shoebill hunt. shoebill primarily feeds on fish and other aquatic animals. One of the most impressive traits of the shoebill is it hunting technique where it can stay motionless for hours, when it looked onto prey, it uses its massive shoe like bill to stealthily strike at prey and with its sharp curved bill, help it to grip and hold onto its prey before its swallowed as whole in just a matter of seconds.
After your encounter with the prehistoric shoebill, you can go on looking for other birds and later get onto the big boat and then drive back to Nakiwogo where you will connect with the vehicle to transfer back to your guest house.
Accommodation: Boma Hotel
Meal Plan: Bed and Breakfast
Day 3: Pick up and transfer to Kibale National Park
We will pick you up from your guest house/hotel in Entebbe and transfer to Kibale national park. We recommend you have breakfast 6:30am – 7:00am so that we set off at 7:30am for the primate capital. The transfer is about 6 hours meaning that you will be arriving at your lodge in the afternoon. Un pack and we take a walk in the famous Bigodi wetlands, a community project managed by the community aimed at changing and improving the lives of the host communities.
On this walk, you might be able see some primates such as olive baboons, red-tailed/White nosed monkeys, black and while colobus monkey, several bird species and cultural encounter with the local communities will brighten your day. Later drive back to lodge for dinner and overnight at the forest edge.
Accommodations: Kibale Forest Camp
Meal Plan: Full Board
DAY 4: AM and PM chimpanzee tracking.(Second Trek is optional )
After an early breakfast, you will drive to kanyanchu to join others for briefing before you head to forest with Uganda wildlife authority rangers. This is a half day activity and as your trying to locate the chimps following their calls with the help of rangers and trackers, you might also be able to find other primates such as l’hoests monkey, Red Colobus monkey, Black and white colobus monkeys and other mammal that maybe be found in this tropical rainforest.
Once chimps have been located, you will spend one hour with them which is thrilling and memorable at the same time. These primates have been said to use tools to get food, survive in the wild and your ranger guide will explain more on other behaviors. Later return to the lodge for a hot lunch as you prepare for your second trek in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight in Kibale
Accommodations: Kibale Forest Camp
Meal Plan: Full Board
DAY 5: Transfer from Kibale Forest to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
After you breakfast, we will depart from Kibale national park and drive towards the southern most parts of Uganda. The road trip is both scenic and wild as you traverse through the remort villages of Kigezi region. Depending on where you gorilla permits have been booked, you will have lunch en route and proceed to overnight at the edge of the forest.
Accommodation: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge/ Ride for a Woman (local charitable organization)
Meal plan: Full board
DAY 6/7: THE ULTIMATE GORILLA TRACKING EXPERIENCE
Gorilla trekking is among acme fascinating, heart stopping, hair raising and spine-tingling wild encounters that alters the course of your soul and electrifies your sense of travel like never before leaving you with great memories in your heart. About 1000 mountain gorillas are still remaining on this planet with Uganda hosting about 51% of the total population, offering the best opportunity to watch these gentle giants in both Bwindi and Mgahinga.
Today we will offer you that golden chance to trek these mountain gorillas, after your early breakfast, you will have short drive to the UWA briefing Centre where you will be taken through the dos and don’ts while tracking gorillas. The trekking can or may take 2 hours or even a whole day since the nature of the trek is unpredictable. We recommend you to carry enough drinking water, picnic lunch, rain gear since there is a possibility of rain pouring anytime, hiking shoes and gloves. After briefing, you will be assigned to family which will trek in a group of eight pax.
You will be led by the armed ranger guides off the forest to search for the gorillas. After gorillas have been located, you will have one full hour viewing them as they go on with their daily lives at a distance of 7-10 meters. You will be allowed to use your camera and phones but in silence and to remove the flash so that you can photograph and capture this moment of lifetime. After the one hour your will trek back the vehicle and return to lodge with a lot of memories and stories to take back home. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Accommodation: Ichumbi Lodge/Ride for a Woman
Meal Plan Full board
Note: Optional second gorilla tracking same sector, different gorilla group/family or transfer to Mgahinga and stay in Kisoro for golden monkey tracking. (second trek and golden monkey trekking not included on the cost)
Day 8: Transfer from Bwindi to Entebbe (optional domestic flight about 2 hours get to Entebbe)
After Breakfast transfer back to Entebbe through the rolling hills of Kigezi, endless plains of Ankole region. Several scenic stops along the way including lunch en route at local restaurant for the local dishes or famous rolex of Uganda in Mbarara town.
Accommodation: None
Meal: lunch
Mabamba swamp is 12 km from Entebbe town and can be reached by road and boat.
