The 18 Days Gorilla Trekking Safari Rwanda & Uganda, Uganda Rwanda Wildlife Safaris Tour Expedition is long – interesting safari package that will combine Rwanda and Uganda’s most splendid national parks with unique cultural experiences and taste of world class services from some of the finest lodges in Rwand –the land of thousand hills and Uganda- the pearl of Africa.
You will explore Rwanda’s three national parks, visit different genocide Centers, and have adventure in Lake Kivu, plus memorable mountain gorilla trekking in Volcanoes nation Park.
The 18 Days Gorilla Trekking Safari Rwanda & Uganda Expedition will take you through Murchison Falls National Park in the north west of Uganda with its world’s powerful Murchison Falls, Kibale National Park dubbed the primate capital of the world with largest counts of habituated chimpanzees, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which has almost a half of the world’s critically endangered mountain gorillas and the scenic Lake Bunyonyi dubbed the lake of a thousand islands.
The long 18 days Rwanda –Uganda expedition will start in Kigali and end in Kampala with a visit to different Kampala attractions.
On your arrival to Kigali International Airport, you will be picked-up by our experienced driver guide who will transfer you to one of the booked Kigali hotels for relaxation and lunch.
After lunch, you embark on an afternoon convivial city tour. The city tour will take you through Gisozi genocide memorial center where you will have time to listen to the comprehensive history of Rwanda during the 1994 genocide and the events of the massacres, including personal accounts.
You will view the Photographs, video clips, and artifacts of the genocide. After touring the site, you will proceed to other attractive sites within the city. After city tour, retire back to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Accommodations: Kigali Serena Hotel (Luxury/Upmarket), Hotel chez Lando (Mid-Range/Standard), Hotel Okapi (Budget)
After your early morning breakfast, embark on transfer from Kigali to Akagera Nation Park 130kms about 2-3hours drive.
The drive to the eastern part of Rwanda is very fascinating as it will take you through impressive landscape scenery dotted with natural setting and local populations.
On arrival to the park, you will drive to your lodge to check-in, have lunch, relaxation as you wait for an afternoon Boat trips along the shores of Lake Ihema, Rwanda’s second largest lake.
After lunch and relaxation, embark on an afternoon boat trip which will give you the opportunity to get close to the plentiful water birds species including African fish eagles, open-billed stork marabou stork, cormorants, crowned cranes, egrets and herons among others.
The boat trip will also only reward you with the encounters of the wild game like Hippos, Nile Crocodiles, elephants, Buffaloes when they are drinking on the lake side.
After the boat trip, you will drive back to the park head Quarters for Behind the Scenes experience. Here you will get more insights into Akagera, including conservation developments within the park, take a ‘Behind Scenes’ tour of the park headquarters enables you to meet some of the people integral to the management of the park. Retire back to your lodge for dinner and overnight after the activity.
Accommodation: Akagera game Lodge (Luxury), Ruzizi Tented Lodge (Mid-Range), Shakani Campsite (Budget).
After an early morning cup of coffee, embark on an early morning game drive along a well-designed network of tracks.
The early morning game drive will offer you possibilities of encountering early morning wildlife risers when they are starting their normal day activities like looking for food and you also confront the nocturnal wildlife species when they are retiring back to their hiding grounds.
The variety of wildlife that you stand pretty chance to watch include elephants, buffalo, zebra, bush baby, hippos, crocodiles among other mammal species.
On rare occasions, one can see species such as leopard, lion and black rhino. As one of the most scenic savanna parks in East Africa, the game drive in Akagera will provide you pretty opportunity to see gentle hills blending in beautifully lowland swamps and water bodies.
After enjoying the fascinating game drive, you will retire to the lodge for relaxation, lunch and thereafter embark on transfer to Butare town. On arrival to Butare, you will drive to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodations: Mator Boni Consilii (Luxury/Upmarket), Hotel Ibis (Mid-Range/Standard) Guest House Centre Diaconal (Budget).
After breakfast, embark on exploring Butare city in the Southern Province of Rwanda. You will visit interesting places like the National Museum of Rwanda- which shows cultural history of the Rwanda and the region.
From the Museum you will head to the National University of Rwanda (NUR).After exploring the city, you retire back to your lodge for lunch, relaxation as you wait for transfer to Nyungwe.
After lunch, embark on transfer from Butare to Nyungwe national park a drive distance of 155kms about 3-4 hours’ drive.
The drive to Nyungwe is very fascinating because it takes you through impressive landscape scenery dotted with local settings and local populations.
On arrival to the park, you will drive to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodations: Mator Boni Consilii (Luxury/Upmarket), Hotel Ibis (Mid-Range/Standard) Guest House Center Diaconal (Budget).
After your early morning breakfast, you will drive to the park headquarters for memorable primate’s encounter.
Nyungwe National Forest is an ideal destination for lovers of primates, with 13 different species living.
You will have the opportunity to trek the chimpanzees in their natural habitat. In the park you will be briefed by the park ranger guides and divided in groups of 8 people.
At exactly 8:00am, you will be led by the ranger guide through the beautiful forest trail to trek the fascinating chimpanzee creatures.
Along the trails you will enjoy the nice melodies of different bird species housed in the forest and you will also have chance to enjoy the views of other primates like grey-cheeked mangabey, monkeys.
The activity takes between 2-6 hours but experienced guides will also make sure that they take you where you will have to see the primates as fast as possible.
Face to face encounter with the chimpanzees is very amazing because you will observe them play, feed and rest.
After this worthwhile experience, you will head back to the lodge for lunch and later explore canopy walk to see the beautiful twin lakes as well as various bird species.
Accommodation: Nyungwe Forest Lodge, (Luxury) Nyungwe Top View Hotel (Mid-Range),Gisakura Guest House(Budget)
Transfer from Nyungwe Forest Park to Gisenyi in Lake Kivu after your early morning breakfast. The drive journey of 189 kms is very fascinating as it will take you through impressive landscape scenery dotted with natural setting and local populations.
On arrival to Gisenyi town, you will drive direct to your booked lodge within Lake Kivu for lunch, relaxation.
After lunch, embark on an afternoon boat ride around the Virgin Islands like the Napoleon’s Hat Island. After enjoying the adventurous boat ride on the waters of Lake Kivu, retire back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodations: Lake Kivu Serena Hotel (Luxury), Cormoran Lodge (Mid-Range)
After taking your breakfast like at 8:00am, embark on transfer from Lake Kivu to Volcanoes national park.
The drive distance of 62 kilometers about 1and half hours’ drive will lead you to natural home of Mountain gorillas in Volcanoes national Park.
On arrival to the park, you will drive to your lodge to relax and have lunch. After lunch, you will embark on an evening cultural encounter with the local communities around volcanoes national park.
The cultural encounter will give you a rare opportunity to interact with the local people in their natural environment, with a taste of their unique culture and traditions.
On arrival to the village, you will be genuinely welcomed by the community as special Visitors. After cultural refreshment, entertainment, you will retire back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodations: Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge (Upmarket/Luxury), Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Standard/Mid-range), Muhabura Hotel (Budget).
After an early morning hearty breakfast, you will be driven by your driver guide to the park headquarters for a briefing at 70:30am to 8:00am regarding gorilla trekking etiquette in Volcanoes Park.
While at the park headquarters, you will meet other trekkers and you will be divided in groups of eight individuals who are allowed to trek one habituated mountain gorilla group.
After briefing, you will be led by ranger guide to hike through the verdant jungle searching for mountain gorillas.
The activity which will take 2-8 hours needs someone to be physical fit since it involves a lot of hiking the hills and slopping the Valleys.
Gorilla trekking process is tedious but impressive when you finally set your small eyes direct to bit big round eyes of the mountain gorillas.
When you eventually meet the gorillas, you will be allowed one hour with them, seeing them feed, play and look for their young ones.
While staying with the gorillas, you will be required to maintain a distance of 7 meters away, also turn off the flash of your camera as you take pictures.
Right after one hour, you will retire back to the starting point and transfer to your lodge for late lunch and relaxation.
After lunch, embark on Musanze Cave tour through the tourist walkways, trails and stairs that take you to the dark interior of the caves that illustrates a picture of a house with several rooms and corridors.
The tour will offer you an in-depth understanding of the geological, geographical as well as historical development of the globe. After exploring the cave, retreat back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodations: Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge (Upmarket/Luxury), Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Standard/Mid-range), Muhabura Hotel (Budget).
After an early morning breakfast, embark on trek to Dian Fossey Tomb. The trek will offer you golden opportunity to visit the Dian Fossey Tomb and visit the house where this prominent American researcher was killed from and also listen to the experienced guide explain to you the history of the fallen conservationist.
Afterwards, you will retire back to your lodge for lunch and relaxation. After lunch, embark on transfer from Volcanoes national park to Mgahinga Gorilla Park in Uganda.
The drive journey of 68kilometres will take you through impressive landscape scenery of Rwanda before crossing to Uganda side through Cyanika border. On arrival to Mgahinga Park, you will drive to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Mountain Gahinga Lodge (Luxury), Mucha Hotel (Standard/Mid-Range) Amajambere Iwacu Camp (Budget)
After an early morning breakfast, embark on exploring the Batwa trail. The Batwa Trail is such an incredible experience as it takes you through the thick forests of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
During this Batwa trail tour, the Batwa local guide will demonstrate to you their hunting techniques; how they used to gather honey; point out medicinal plants and demonstrate how to make bamboo cups.
The tour will lead you to sacred Garama Cave- once home to the Batwa King, where the women of the community perform a sorrowful song which echoes eerily around the depths of the dark cave, and leaves you with a striking and moving sense of the richness of this fading culture.
Thereafter fully exploring the Batwa trail, you will retire back to your lodge for relaxation and lunch. Embark on transfer drive of 80kms from Mgahinga to Lake Bunyonyi.
On arrival to Lake Bunyonyi, you will drive to your lodge for check-in, have diner and overnight.
Accommodation: Birdnest @Lake Bunyonyi Resort (Upmarket/Luxury), Lake Bunyonyi Eco-resort (Midrange/Standard) or Byoona Amagara Island Retreat (Budget/Basic
After an early morning breakfast, embark exploring Lake Bunyonyi- the second deepest lake in Africa with lots of the tasty crayfish, so get set for a culinary delight.
You will have an early morning boat cruise which will give you full account of different bird species with in the islands that are dotted all over the lake.
You may also participate in refreshing activities such as swimming in the bilharzia free waters of Bunyonyi, you can also enjoy an early morning nature walks in the Bunyonyi Islands.
After enjoying different adventurous activities, you will retire back to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. After lunch, embark on transfer from Lake Bunyonyi to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
You will depart Bunyonyi driving through the fascinating Kigezi Island to Bwindi Impenetrable forest. Upon your arrival to the park, you will advance with the drive direct to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Chameleon Hill Lodge (Upmarket/Luxury), Gorilla Mist Camp (Midrange/Standard) or Broadbill Forest Camp (Budget/Basic).
After your early morning hefty breakfast, your driver guide will drive you with your packed lunch, bottled water, to the Park head Quarters in your respective gorilla trekking region for an early morning briefing at about 70:30am to 8:00am about etiquette of gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
While at the park headquarters, you will meet other trekkers and you will be divided into groups of eight individuals who are only allowed to trek one specific habituated Gorilla family.
After briefing, UWA experienced ranger guide will lead you to the trail heads where thrilling gorilla trekking experience starts from.
You will enter in the ancient, thick dark impenetrable forest to begin hiking the hills and slopping the valleys when looking for the unique species of the mountain gorillas inhabited in the famous Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
The trek can take you between 2-8 hours to meet face to face with the mountain gorillas and once up close, you will be allowed to spend one magical hour with these stunning apes.
During this time you can decide to sit down listen to gorilla crumble, study how these apes go about their daily activities and you can take as many photos as possible.
When the one hour is done, you will walk back to the park headquarters and retire back to your lodge for late Lunch, relaxation.
After relaxation, you will be driven to the nearby Batwa community for memorable, refreshing cultural encounter.
Here you will be guided by a local guide who will take you to the different communities to see how people have managed to survive through farming.
You will see how local brew is processed from fresh Bananas and forest remedies to get beer and Waragi and also enjoy the performances done by the local Batwa women groups.
After that interesting cultural encounter, you will drive back to your respective lodge for dinner and overnight. Thereafter the activity, you will retreat back to your lodge for dinner, memory sharing and overnight.
Accommodation: Chameleon Hill Lodge (Upmarket/Luxury), Gorilla Mist Camp (Midrange/Standard) or Broadbill Forest Camp (Budget/Basic).
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park after taking your early morning breakfast. The drive will take you through the impressive country side landscapes with rural setting and local populations.
On arrival to Ishasha sector, you will have your lunch and participate in an afternoon game drive through the tracks of Ishasha sector.
The game drive will give you the possibilities of encountering tree climbing lions that tend to lie on the branches of fig trees while keeping a close eye on herds of Uganda kob.
You may also see other wildlife species like buffaloes, elephants. After game drive in Ishasha, continue with the drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park in Mweya peninsular.
Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge (Upmarket/Luxury), Enganzi Lodge (Midrange/Standard) or Pumba Safari Cottages (Budget/Basic).
Take an early morning cup of coffee before embarking on the wild game viewing in the rolling Savannah plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
The drive will take you through Kasenyi which is a dwelling place for a range of game including the elephants, lions, buffaloes, Antelopes among others.
The racks are well designed to increase you possibilities of encountering wild game.
The sights of an elusive leopard, defassa waterbuck, Uganda kob, Side stripped Jackal; Oribis among others might be encountered.
Return to the lodge after this 3 -4 hour game drive for refreshment and relaxation until the time for lunch.
After having a thrilling lunch, embark on the rewarding boat cruise on the 45km long Kazinga Channel that connects Lakes Edward and George.
The 2 hour boat cruise opens your possibilities of enjoying the calm channel waters filled with counts of Hippos no wonder the channel is called the Paradise of Hippos.
The other sights of water birds and the Nile crocodiles may not be missed. Retire in the evening at 5pm to connect to Mountain Rwenzori Park.
The transfer distance of 72 kilometers about 2-3hours on rough road will see you arrive in Mountain Rewnzori late in the evening like at 8-9pm. Upon your arrival to the park, you drive to the lodge to check-in, have dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Hotel Margherita (Upmarket/Luxury) Rwenzori International Hotel (Mid-Range/Stamdard), Ruboni Community Camp (Budget),
After cup of coffee, embark on an early morning hiking to Rwenzori Mountains .You will hike through Kilembe Trail.
The trail will take you through the lovely Nyamwamba Valley passing through glacial lakes and some stunning viewpoints before joining the Central Circuit at Lake Kitandara.
Along the way, you will keep an eye out for chameleons, squirrels, vervet monkeys and many birds .After having memorable hiking experience, retire back to the starting point and head to the park for late lunch.
After lunch, embark on 135 kms distance transfer to Kibale forest Park. Arrive in Kibale national park late in the evening like at 8-9pm and advance with the drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Ndali Lodge (Upmarket), Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse (Mid-range/Standard) or Rwenzori View Guesthouse (Budget/Basic).
Have an early morning breakfast and embark on the Chimpanzee trekking encounter in the primate Capital of the world – the Kibale National Park.
The Park boasts of 13 primate species including the common Chimpanzees which have been fully habituated making your chances of encountering them to be at 90%.
These apes are the most intellectual in the animal kingdom, perhaps brighter human beings.
Chimpanzee trekking encounter starts at Kanyanchu tourism center at 8am in the morning and the Uganda Wildlife Authority Park rangers are dedicated to take you throughout the whole exercise.
The Chimpanzees will lure you in a state of amazement as they swing through the branches, make pant hooting calls, play with each other, and imitate your body language along with other features that will make your one full hour with them a memorable experience of its own.
In a bid to search for chimps, you will come across other primates including olive baboon, red-tailed monkey, black and white colobus monkey and the blue monkey.
Retreat from the activity which tends to take 2 – 5 hours to your lodge for lunch, relaxation .Afterwards, embark on the transfer to Bigodi wetland.
The Bigodi wetland, lies in close distance to the park thus connecting there is less hectic. The Bigodi wetland walk exposes you to typical eco –tourism encounter in Uganda.
The impressive flora and fauna existing along with the local community is indeed rewarding to encounter. The sights of great blue turaco and the Sitatnga may not be missed. Retreat from the activity back to lodge for relaxation dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Ndali Lodge (Upmarket), Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse (Mid-range/Standard) or Rwenzori View Guesthouse (Budget/Basic).
After an early morning breakfast, embark on an early morning Hiking and Nature Walks in Kibale forest. The nature walk offers you an opportunity to explore the naturally diversified Kibale forest and you many also watch various primate species as well as some mammal species elephants, leopards, duikers, bush pigs, among others.
After the activity, you will drive to Fort portal for lunch, relaxation. After lunch, embark on Fort Portal Crater Lake Hike to gain magnificent views and sights of the remarkable Fort Portal explosion craters.
You will also tour the stunning Amabere g’ Nnyinamwiru caves with a magical Nyakasura River falling over them forming splendid water fall.
The caves have breast like features which the locals attach a great cultural connotation and are thought to date back to the Chwezi era. Thereafter, Retreat from the activity and drive back to your Fort Portal lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodations: Kyaninga lodge (Luxury) Mountains of the Moon Hotel (Mid-Range/standard), Hotel cornerstone (Budget)
After breakfast in your Fort Portal lodge/hotel, you will depart Fort Portal driving to Kampala 332km about 4-5 hours’ drive.
The drive will take you through the impressive country side landscapes with rural setting and local populations.
On arrival to Kampala City, you will have lunch and after lunch embark on an afternoon City tour. The City tour will take you through famous Kampala cultural sites like Kasubi tombs, Rubbaga Cathedral, Uganda Museum, Namugongo Martyrs Shrine -place where a number of Christians were burnt, Bahai Temple -the only one Bahai Temple in Africa. After exploring the City tour, the driver guide will drive you to Entebbe international airport for your scheduled flight back home.
End of The 18 Days Gorilla Trekking Safari Rwanda & Uganda.
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Samuel
Robert
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