Arrival at Entebbe airport, where we’ll meet you and drive you to our first accommodation, Two Friends Beach Hotel, a hotel situated on the banks of Lake Victoria. With stunning views, a relaxing pool, and lovely rooms, this hotel is the perfect stopover.
After breakfast, we’ll make our way to Kibale Forest, which is a 6 to 7-hour drive. Kibale Forest is a spectacular jungle that is home to chimps, baboons, colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, L’Hoest monkeys, and a wealth of stunning birds. We’ll have two days to explore the park and photograph its inhabitants.
We’ll have the pleasure of staying at Turaco Treetops, a gorgeous and relaxing lodge that effortlessly blends into the forest.
We’ll head out into the forest on both days for chimpanzee trekking. While it’s not guaranteed that we’ll see chimpanzees, the chances are good, and the experience is thrilling.
We’ll also visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a wetland swamp with a hugely rich biodiversity. Bigodi was established by a local development organisation to protect the swamp area, which is home to around 200 species of birds. It’s also good for spotting and photographing butterflies and small primates.
We’ll head to Queen Elizabeth National Park for an exciting African safari experience, where we’ll settle into Enganzi Lodge, an authentic and comfortable lodge in the heart of the national park that offers us en-suite rooms, communal spaces with wildlife viewing opportunities, and a pool.
Late afternoon, we’ll head out for our first game drive late afternoon, in that perfect warm light. Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the best places in Uganda to see lions. You can also expect to photograph elephants, buffaloes, hippos, and crocodiles – as well as smaller mammals and birds.
Early in the morning, we’ll head out for a game drive in search of lions, elephants, and much more wildlife. We’ll make the most of the warm glow of the African light during and just after sunrise.
In the afternoon, we’ll enjoy a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, which is an opportunity to photograph hippos and crocodiles – as well as a range of animals that come to drink.
After breakfast, we’ll take a 2- to 3-hour drive to Ishasha, the southern part of the National Park, where we’ll settle into Enjojo Lodge. This authentic safari lodge offers relaxed accommodation in this unspoilt remote sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, famous for its tree climbing lions that can sometimes be spotted resting in the branches of the large fig trees in the area.
We’ll enjoy late afternoon sundowners beside the Ntungwe River or from a scenic viewing point along the ridge overlooking Ishasha.
We’ll start the day with an early-morning game drive; the best time of day for wildlife photography.
In the afternoon, we’ll head out for a community visit in one of the local villages surrounding Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
In the morning, we’ll drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which will take 2 to 3 hours. On our way, we’ll also pass through interesting villages and have some breath taking views of the mountains. We’ll arrive at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge by lunch time; a comfortable lodge overlooking the forest.
We’ll settle in and prepare for our upcoming gorilla adventures. In the afternoon, a community visit is an optional activity.
Two days of gorilla trekking! We’ll have an early morning departure to search for the highly endangered Mountain Gorillas. The hike, guided by knowledgable local rangers, will be worth it once we find these magnificent animals. We’ll be able to spend about an hour observing and photographing the gorillas.
You may wish to only do one day of gorilla trekking; this is up to you. If you decide to just join the first day, you’ll have the opportunity to do village tours, shorter forest walks, or to just rest.
In the morning, we will head to Kihihi Airstrip, where we’ll fly to Entebbe. This is where we’ll say our goodbyes, and where you can catch a flight home.