Compare Uganda & Rwanda: African Primate Safari by MT Sobek (Mountain Travel Sobek) vs 10 Days Primate Experience And Queen Elizabeth Safari by Kent Safaris

Day 1: Arrive in Entebbe, Uganda.

Meals: Dinner

Accommodation: Protea Hotel Entebbe

You may arrive anytime today into Entebbe, Uganda.  A Mountain Travel Sobek representative will meet you outside the customs and immigration area at the airport. He or she will answer questions, brief you on the immediate arrangements, and escort you to our group hotel located on the shores of Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest freshwater lake.

Day 2: Entebbe to Kibale Forest National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Primate Lodge

We board our Land Rovers in the morning and drive into the lush green countryside of Uganda, a country described by Winston Churchill as “the Pearl of Africa.” We pass through landscapes where African farmsteads crammed with bananas and tropical trees mingle with wetlands and patches of forest or bush, and give way to tea plantations as we gain elevation. After a picnic lunch en route, we enter Kibale Forest National Park, where we may catch our first glimpse of chimps, baboons, or other primates. While in Kibale, we’ll stay at Primate Lodge, a luxury tented camp consisting of eight deluxe safari tents. They are raised on wooden platforms and feature verandas, comfortable beds, and en-suite bathrooms. We gather for meals in the open-air restaurant and can relax in the cozy bar, lounge, or around the fireplace. (6-7 hours driving)

Day 3: Kibale Forest National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Primate Lodge

Kibale is home to more than 500 chimpanzees and twelve other primate species, including black-and-white and red colobus, galagos, and L’Hoest’s monkeys. The forest, which averages about 3,300 feet in elevation, is inhabited by three large communities of chimps, each numbering more than 100 individuals. Over time, scientists have cut a grid of walking trails through the forest, which facilitates tracking these well-studied and protected chimps.

After a hearty breakfast, we’ll spend the morning in the forest tracking chimps! Chimp tracking sessions are carefully regulated by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Morning and afternoon tracking sessions take place at Kibale.* Each is limited to a maximum number of 16 visitors, who are divided into groups of four. Each group is accompanied by an experienced ranger-guide and a tracker. Typically, we locate the chimps by listening for their pant-hooting calls, then rush to the area where they are calling. They spend the majority of their day high in the fig trees, eating fruit and socializing, though it is not uncommon for one to swing down from the canopy to watch as we pass by. Getting this near to one of mankind’s closest relatives is an awesome experience that you won’t soon forget!

After a traditional Ugandan lunch, we’ll take a swamp walk (along the edge of the swamp—not through it!), looking for other primates which may include red-tailed monkey, red colobus monkey, black-and-white colobus, gray-cheeked mangabey, olive baboon, and vervet monkey. The forest is also the habitat of a wide array of birds, including the spectacular great blue turaco and the African gray parrot, and is alive with the tantalizing sounds of elusive birds such as the Angola pitta. On our walk, we’ll have the opportunity to learn more about the wetland flora, and how these natural resources are used in daily life and protected by the people of Uganda.

In the evening, we walk in search of nocturnal primates, including pottos and bushbabies. On all walks at Kibale, expert national park guides accompany us. They will use their tracking skills and share their knowledge of primates and birds, as well as reveal some of the botanical secrets of the forest. Twenty percent of your park entrance fees help support the local Batooro and Bakiga tribes.

*NOTE—we may be assigned either morning or afternoon tracking sessions, in which case we will adjust the rest of the day’s activities accordingly.

Days 4-5: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Jacana Lodge

Today we drive 3-4 hours to Queen Elizabeth National Park, located in the western branch of Africa’s Great Rift Valley. With 2,000 square miles of deep jungle, volcanoes, crater lakes, and open savannahs, this diverse landscape is home to a similarly broad array of wildlife, including nearly 100 mammal species and 606 species of birds spotted (so far). We will delve into the varied landscape and waterways of the park in search of elephants, leopards, waterbucks, topis, and horned kobs, to name a few of the regularly sighted species. In addition to game drives, we’ll take an exciting launch trip on the Kazinga Channel that connects Lake Edward with smaller Lake George to get a different perspective on the wildlife. This is an absolutely spectacular experience: we are certain to see tremendous numbers of hippos and water birds of every type and hue, plus elephant and leopard are often encountered along the shore. From the thick tree canopies and chattering chimps of Kyambura Gorge to the world’s largest congregation of hippos (30,000!) in the Kazinga Channel, Queen Elizabeth National Park offers a truly world-class safari experience.

And, you’ll have incredible wildlife experiences even when you’re not out on a game drive—you can enjoy some of the best birdwatching in East Africa right from your deck at Jacana Lodge! Set on the edge of Uganda’s largest crater lake, the tree house lodge is naturally built of rock, wood, and rope. Seven luxury chalets have en-suite bathrooms with hot water and enclosed verandas with large windows offering panoramic views of the forest and Lake Nyamusingire. Enjoy evening sundowners or morning tea in the lounge area, beautifully accented with a large stone fireplace and handmade Persian carpets.

Twenty percent of your park entrance fees help support the local community surrounding the park, including funding schools and medical clinics.

Days 6-7: Maramagambo Forest – Ishasha

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Ishasha Wilderness Camp

We'll explore the remote southern Ishasha region of Queen Elizabeth National Park, known for herds of elephant, buffalo, and many species of antelope. Game drives provide a good chance of seeing buffalo, elephants, kob, topi, and the park’s renowned tree-climbing lions. It’s not known how the lions learned to climb fig and acacia trees here, but they seem to do it to escape the heat.

At night, we'll relax around the fire at Ishasha Wilderness Camp. Each of the ten spacious East African Meru tents is comfortably furnished and has an en-suite bathroom and dressing area with a hot water shower. Because the camp is within the park boundaries, they maintain a low energy profile by using solar power and eco-friendly toilets.  This is often our guest's favorite lodging on the trip!

Day 8: Kisoro – Kinigi

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Gorilla Mountain View Lodge

Drive through the region known as “the Switzerland of East Africa” for its awe-inspiring mountains. We travel through the famous Kanaba Gap, one of East Africa’s most scenic areas, before arriving in the lovely town of Kisoro, which is dominated by volcanoes—Sabinyo (11,923'), Mgahinga (11,397'), and Muhabura (13,540'). We cross over into Rwanda, then continue through volcanic uplands to Kinigi, headquarters of Parc National des Volcans (Volcanoes National Park). We settle into the simple comforts of Gorilla Mountain View Lodge, our base for gorilla trekking in the Parc National des Volcans.  This is our longest driving day--about 9-10 hours with stops for lunch, photography, and the border crossing--but it's incredibly scenic.

Day 9: Parc National des Volcans

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Gorilla Mountain View Lodge

Local trackers lead us through misty rainforest for our first adrenaline-filled encounter with the mountain gorillas. Although park rangers try to keep tabs on the whereabouts of the gorillas, they are free-ranging wild creatures and can be difficult to locate depending on the animals’ movements. Sometimes finding them is very easy, as they may remain close to the area where they had been feeding the previous day. On other occasions, they require lengthy tracking, which can be arduous. Once found, we will stay with the gorillas and observe them closely for up to one hour (the park service requires we maintain a distance from them of 22 feet).

Six to eight people per day are allowed to visit each gorilla group; each day, we will try to assign group members to track the gorilla family most appropriate to their strength and hiking abilities. The difficulties we may encounter include steep muddy slopes, stinging nettles, safari ants, hanging and low-lying vines, and rain. The reward is an extraordinary opportunity to observe the gorillas at close range.

NOTE—These gorillas are NOT tame, but they have been scientifically habituated to accept the presence of quiet and non-threatening human observers.

Day 10: Virunga Volcanoes – Kigali

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation: Kigali Serena

Today we trek up the forested slopes of the Virunga Volcanoes for our second gorilla encounter. There are currently 10 family groups of gorillas in the park which are available for tracking by the public. Each family group lives in a very different part of the park. The Sabinyo Group lives on the hills below the jagged peak of Sabinyo Volcano. These hills are mostly covered with forests of giant bamboo. Umubano and the Amahoro Groups live on the forested slopes between Visoke Volcano and Sabinyo. Visoke is a lovely volcano that reaches up to 12,175 feet on its rim, and its interior is filled with a crater lake. Fortunately, the gorillas tend to range in the moss-draped hagenia forests of its lower slopes. Group Susa lives on the middle-level slopes of the largest volcano, the giant Karisimbi (14,787'). Although the Susa Group tends to inhabit the forest at altitudes of 9,000-10,000 feet, they do range widely and sometimes venture higher up on the mountain, into the zone of bizarre and wonderful Afro-alpine vegetation. Susa is therefore considered the most strenuous group to track. Other family groups we may track include the Kwitonda, Ugenda, Bwende, Karisimbi, Agashya, and Hirwa Groups. The number of gorillas in each family group varies from 11 to 33.

After returning from our second memorable visit with the gorillas, we drive through the scenic countryside and quickly understand why Rwanda has been nicknamed “the land of a thousand hills.” These hills are intensively cultivated by rural people who live on tiny farmsteads, so they form a terraced patchwork of banana plantations, sorghum fields, and vegetable gardens. Rwanda is densely populated so we may see many people walking along the roads and working their fields while en route to the nation’s capital, Kigali. Here we stay at the Kigali Serena Hotel, a full-service, western-style hotel with a gym, swimming pool, lounge, terrace, and a taste of the “real” world—Internet access!

Day 11: Kigali

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

We’ll tour bustling Kigali, including a tour of the genocide museum, the Kigali Memorial Centre, commemorating the one million Rwandans killed in 1994. Transfer to the airport for departure on homeward-bound flights via Entebbe or Nairobi.  It's best not to schedule departure flights before 2pm.

Day  1:  Arrive  Entebbe.   

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

On arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be transferred to the Boma Guest Lodge. Depending on your arrival time, a half day trip to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary may be arranged. This evening, you will receive a short pre-trip briefing at the hotel. 

Day 2:  Entebbe  to  Bwindi   

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Bwindi. Upon arrival you will be met and transferred by vehicle to your lodge. The Park is in South-western Uganda, covering parts of Rukungiri, Kisoro, and Kabale Districts. It is situated in a hilly countryside, which, together with some remnant lowland forest outside the boundary, constitutes an important water catchment area for many rivers, supplying the agricultural land of the surrounding region. This is the  richest forest in Uganda, in terms of the number of plant species, as the  area is one of the few large expanses of forest in East Africa where  lowland and montane community's merge. The valley bottoms contain a  dense ground cover of herbs, vines, and shrubs with only a few trees  hence its name, the impenetrable forest. This is one of the richest  faunal communities in East Africa. There exists about one half of the  world's population of the endangered mountain gorillas. There are also  several endangered species of birds with limited ranges. Gorilla tracking  began on 1st April 1993. It is advisable to make reservations at least 3-6  months before your intended date of visit. 

Day 3: Gorilla  Tracking   

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

You will be escorted to the National Parks headquarters to meet your guides for your gorilla tracking experience. An early morning trek into the forest on the slopes of the volcanoes, led by experienced trackers will bring you amongst a family of Mountain Gorillas. These massive primates are extremely rare, only approximately 650 remaining. You will get within meters of the family and be privileged to spend time amongst them. The trekking may be strenuous; up to six hours or  longer is common - at relatively high altitude. Mountain Gorillas are  wild animals, as such sightings cannot be guaranteed; however, the  success rate is well over 95%. The trekking may be strenuous; up to six hours or longer is not  uncommon-at relatively high altitude. Mountain Gorillas are wild  animals and as such, sightings cannot be guaranteed 100%. 

PLEASE  NOTE: on certain departures, due to Gorilla Permit availability, this leg of your safari may be undertaken in Rwanda. A similar standard of accommodation will be utilized in Rwanda, but there may be a  surcharge depending on availability. Please check at time of booking. 

Day 4:  Bwindi   

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today you will have the option of a second Gorilla Trek or Forest  Walk in Bwindi. Please inform at the time of booking. In the afternoon  relax or explore the local area on foot.  

PLEASE  NOTE: on certain departures, due to Gorilla Permit availability, this leg of your safari may be undertaken in Rwanda. A similar standard  of accommodation will be utilized in Rwanda, but there may be a  surcharge depending on availability. Please check at time of booking.  

Day  5:  Bwindi  and  Queen  Elizabeth  National Park.   

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today you will head in a northerly direction to the Ishasha area of  Queen Elizabeth National Park, from Bwindi 3 hours' drive, to be  welcomed to your established tented camp nestled under trees  alongside a river. On a sunny day views from the area stretch to the  ice-capped Rwenzori Mountains to the north, and the Virunga  volcanoes to the south, there are few places on earth to rival the  scenery in this park. 'Birders' will not be disappointed with the  enormous range of species in the area. The Park spreads over an area  of 1978 km2 in the western arm of the Great East Rift Valley. It is a  home to a variety of wildlife including elephant, lion, hippo, buffalo, and  Uganda Kob, baboon, and birds, all typical of riverine and savannah habitats. In the southern part of the park is the Ishasha are with tree  climbing lions and the Maramagambo, one of the largest surviving  natural forests in Uganda. The northern part of the park is traversed by  the equator and is dominated by the scenery of crater lakes with lots of  flamingos on some of them. 

Day 6: Queen  Elizabeth  National  Park   

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

A second day in Queen Elizabeth National Park with more game  viewing opportunities available to you. The northern part of the park is  traversed by the equator and is dominated by the scenery of crater  lakes with lots of flamingos on some of them. A launch trip from  Mweya along the Kazinga channel, which joins Lake Edward and Lake  George, provides one of the most memorable experiences of the park.

Day  7:  Queen  Elizabeth  National  Park   

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

From Ishasha, you drive 2 hours to the Mweya region of Queen  Elizabeth National Park. During your visit here you will have time to  enjoy game drives, a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel and an  opportunity to trek chimps in Chamburu Gorge (subject to permits  being available and group size). Located on a peninsula overlooking the  Kazinga Channel on one side and with spectacular views towards the  Ruwenzori Mountains on the other, this upgraded and renovated lodge  provides some of the best accommodation and service facilities in  Uganda. 

Day 8:  Kibale  Forest   

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner 

Today you will travel on a 2-3-hour drive from Queen Elizabeth  National Park (north) on good roads. On a sunny day you may get  views of the Rwenzori's in the distance. Two nights spent in the area to  allow time for chimpanzee tracking in the forest, (permits must be pre  purchased). You can also do a forest walk (guided) during your stay, or  simply enjoy the area and visit the Bigodi Swamps, or the Vanilla Farm  close to Ndali. Kibale, 766 km2 is one of Uganda's enchanting, forested  parks. Here, you can hike in the park for hours observing the drama of  life in a rain forest. The Park contains pristine lowland tropical rain  forest, montane forest, and mixed tropical deciduous forest. In addition  to forest, you will also notice areas of grassland and of swamp. The  forest is rich in wildlife. It is most noted for its primate population.  Some of these are red-tailed monkey, diademed monkey, olive baboon,  chimpanzee and black and white colobus. Some of the other mammals  you might see are bushbuck, Harvey's red duiker, blue duiker, bush pig,  and African civet. More difficult to spot are buffalo, waterbuck, hippo,  warthog, and giant forest hog. Herds of elephant once travelled back  and forth through the area. These elephants have become increasingly rare, and now are seldom seen. The birdlike in the forest and  grasslands of the forest is abundant. There are 300 species, which have  been identified here. One particularly worth noting is the endemic to  Kibale forest. There are 144 species of butterfly in the park and a  diverse population of moths and other insects. A system of trails has  been developed within the park, and tour guides are available to guide  visitors. 

 Day 9:  Kibale  Forest   

Meal: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

This activity will take place in the morning. You will either be driven or  walk down to the Kibale Forest National Parks' headquarters to meet your guides for your morning's chimp tracking experience (depending which lodge you are staying at). The forest is alive with noise, and you should be lucky enough to see the habituated chimps during your trek. 

Day 10:  Return  Entebbe.   

Meal: Breakfast and Lunch 

After an early breakfast for the drive back to Entebbe, stopping for  curio shopping on the roadside and a quick photo stop at the Equator.  Arriving back in Entebbe, late afternoon. The remainder of the day is at  leisure. (Departing flights to be booked to depart for after 8pm)