Uganda Gorilla Safari

This morning board a 4X4 vehicle and drive into Uganda's lush countryside, a country that Winston Churchill once described as "the pearl of Africa." Pass through gorgeous scenery featuring farmsteads crammed with bananas and tropical trees, scenic wetlands, and patches of bush and forest. Continue on to the hill country below the Rwenzori mountains, through beautiful tea plantations and parts of the tropical Kibale forest, where you may spot some monkeys.

This morning, head to Bigodi village for a wetlands walk in search of primates: keep your eyes out for red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, black-and-white colobuses, L'Hoest's monkey, gray-cheeked mangabeys, and olive baboons, along with some of Uganda's beautiful birds such as the great blue turaco and the elusive Angola pitta. After a traditional Ugandan lunch, head to Bigodi village to meet the locals before returning to our lodge where an optional and leisurely crater lake walk awaits with a backdrop of picturesque landscapes beautifully dotted with serene crater lakes. On clear days it's possible to see the Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon, the tallest African mountain range, in the distance.

After a hearty breakfast, we will spend most of the day in the forest and up to 4 hours observing the chimps! Follow experienced ranger-guides and a tracker, listening out for the chimps' pant-hooting calls on your way to their nesting site. An early start means the opportunity to see them waking up, stretching, and descending from the tree tops. As the day goes on, you'll quietly witness their routines, see them eat, and watch the group's social interactions. Late in the afternoon, you will say farewell (and goodnight) to the chimps and head back to park headquarters.

Drive south along the eastern length of the Rwenzori Mountains, with views of their glaciated peaks, and into the Great African Rift valley. Set out on a 2-hour launch trip on the Kasinga Channel to view some of the largest concentration of hippo in the world - reported to be about 30,000. In the afternoon, drive two hours to today's destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park Ishasha sector. Uganda's most popular and accessible savannah reserve, this spectacular park showcases leafy rainforests, dense papyrus swamps, and natural volcanic crater lakes. It has impressively rich biodiversity, including a total of 95 recorded mammal species and more than 610 species of birds.

Head out to explore the southern Ishasha region of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Keep an eye out for the areas famed tree-climbing lions, with a 75% viewing success rate. The area is also known for herds of elephant, buffalo, and many antelope species, including the graceful kob and colorful topi.

Today drive through the park to search for tree-climbing lions (75% success rate) and other game. Then continue on to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, one of Africa's most ancient habitats comprised of steep, jungle-coated mountains known for their exceptional biodiversity. Protected as a national park and a World Heritage Site, these magnificent landscapes are home to more than 160 species of trees, over 100 kinds of ferns, at least 90 mammal species, and almost half of the world's population of critically endangered mountain gorillas.

After breakfast, report to the ranger station for a talk on the etiquette of gorilla tracking, then hike with a guide and tracker through misty rainforest to encounter these wild creatures. Trekking can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 7 hours, on rough and at times muddy terrain; a reasonable degree of fitness is required. You'll forget the fatigue once you lay your eyes on your first mountain gorilla - the experience of seeing these gentle giants at close range and in the wild is among the most extraordinary nature can provide.

Rise early for another full day of gorilla tracking. Hike through the bush, pushing your way through the undergrowth and parting thick creepers. You will have one hour with these gentle giants of the African forest after first encountering them. Bwindi is renowned for its mountain gorilla population, an estimated 280-320 individuals living in 15 groups. Looking deep into their expressive brown eyes is an unparalleled experience. Look out for other wildlife as you trek through the forest, including yellow-backed duikers and a variety of birds.

This morning after an early breakfast, bid farewell to the bush and transfer to the airport for a flight back to Entebbe, scheduled to depart Kihihi airstrip at 9:45 am, arriving at Entebbe at approximately 11:25 am. Enjoy access to a dayroom at Protea Hotel (available until 6:00 pm) before your transfer to the airport for your flight back home.