Uganda & Rwanda: African Primate Safari
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Overview
Highlights
- Track mountain gorillas over moderate terrain in Rwanda's Parc des Volcans—one of nature’s most powerful experiences—against the stunning background of the neighboring volcanoes
- Visit both Rwanda and Uganda, including the Ishasha region, home to remarkable, tree-climbing lions (experiences you won’t get with most other operators)
- Gaze up at fig tree forests filled with dozens of highly social chimpanzees
- Spend an extra day observing lions, leopards, elephants, hippos and other classic big game in Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Enjoy the benefits of MTS’ expert planning—permits are guaranteed for our departure dates, even in peak season
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Trip includes
- Expert leadership
- Accommodations as noted in itinerary (or similar)
- If applicable, tent or safari accommodations and all arrangements in the field, including camp and cook staffs, comfortable and roomy two-person tents, kitchen and dining tents, and other community equipment
- Meals as noted in the itinerary
- Airport transfers
- Sightseeing as noted in the itinerary
- Ground transportation
- Additional guides and porters where necessary
- Tips for lodge, hotel, or camp staff
- Entrance fees and permits, unless noted separately in costs
- Basic medical and evacuation insurance
Itinerary
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...
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 whe...
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 3,30...
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 op...
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 ch...
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 ar...
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 ...
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 ...
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.
Want a tailor-made trip instead?
Your trip, your way, planned by an expert:
- You choose budget, destinations, activities, transport & lodging type
- Expert designs the itinerary for you, and once approved, takes care of logistics
Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with MT Sobek (Mountain Travel Sobek).
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
MT Sobek (Mountain Travel Sobek) Reviews & Ratings
Other MT Sobek (Mountain Travel Sobek) Reviews
Recommend Japan hikes but not with Mt Sobek
First, let me say our tour guide Tomomi S. is hands down THE best tour guide I’ve ever had - knowledgeable, fun and made great efforts to ensure that we were comfor...
Spectacular scenery
Spectacular scenery, great hiking, and fascinating conversations with...
Truly enjoyable
Thanks to MT Sobek this trip was seamless and truly enjoyable. The accommodations, logistics, and guides were all excellent. I always felt safe, cared for, and well ...
Tour Operator
Mountain Travel began with the belief that there is a little bit of adventure in everyone. The early days were fueled by the passions of outdoor enthusiasts who loved exploring wild places. 40 years later, we offer almost 200 adventures to destinations worldwide.
Expert Guides: When you venture into foreign lands, tackle snowy peaks or raging whitewater, you want the best guides at your side. With decades of experience in the field, MTS guides offer inspirational enthusiasm, exceptional leadership, and sheer volume of knowledge (better than any guidebook!).
What makes us great!
At Mountain Travel Sobek, we are driven by two philosophies.
One is the credo by which we have guided our company for over 30 years. Mountain Travel Sobek is a continuing experiment in discovery: of new lands, of exotic cultures, and of wondrous wildlife far from fences and highways. We believe the best way to bring to light the marvels of nature, the people of the world and ourselves, is by traveling in small groups—treading lightly with responsibility and sensitivity—while enjoying firsthand the boundless beauty and variety of our miracle planet.
The other is our philosophy for you, our client. Plan nothing, enjoy everything. We take care of all of the logistics so that you can have more time to do what's most important: relax, enjoy the experience, and have fun!
Active Unique Itineraries
Our adventures are planned with reasonably paced itineraries, incredible attention to detail, and the right mix of fun, learning, and challenge that ensure a memorable vacation. You will find our adventures physically active and culturally rewarding. Whether you ride a camel in Rajasthan or climb to the top of Kilimanjaro, you'll experience firsthand the cultures and environments of the region you are visiting. And after a long day of adventuring, we ensure you a comfortable night's rest in deluxe accommodations from regional inns to our own private camps.
In keeping with our founders' adventurous spirit, Mountain Travel Sobek is constantly seeking innovative new trips throughout the world. You will always find an array of new trips to exotic locales in our trip list in addition to the classic adventures for which we are renowned. So whatever your level of adventure, there is a Mountain Travel Sobek adventure just right for you.
Small Groups
You're probably wondering about the people with whom you'll share your adventure. Chances are, they're a lot like you. Our guests come from all walks of life and are spirited travelers who share a passion for our wonderful world. They range in age from their late 20s to mid-80s, reminding us all that you can never be too young or too old to have fun!
Our groups are intentionally kept small—usually less than 15 people—to allow you a more intimate experience with the people and wildlife you encounter on your Mountain Travel Sobek adventure. With such a small number of people, we can take advantage of many unexpected invitations and opportunities that would be impossible with larger groups.
Our guides often have very close ties to the local community and we are readily welcomed into the lives of the local folk. We may be invited to share lunch with a Turkish family or visit an artist's studio in Tuscany. Don't forget to ask us about the time we spent Thanksgiving at a Fulani "festival of the cows" in the Dogon lowlands of Mali—now there's something we won't soon forget!
Private Adventures
Our Private Adventures are an incredible series of itineraries designed especially for small groups, whether it be families, couples, or treasured friends. These selected trips are ideal for reunions with family or old friends, a great way to celebrate a milestone birthday or anniversary - and can you imagine a more exotic honeymoon?
Like all Mountain Travel Sobek trips, you can count on an adventure that reflects Mountain Travel Sobek's time-tested commitment to authentic, personalized experiences and world-class service.
Customized Adventures
You can either book your group on one of our scheduled departures, choose your own dates for one of our regular trips, or let us create a special trip hand-tailored to your specific needs and wishes. If you can imagine it, we just might be able to make it happen!
Safety
Our safety record is unparalleled (good to know if you're stepping into a river raft for the first time or planning to trek in the high mountains of Nepal). The guides are fully trained, our equipment is state-of-the-art, and we continually monitor conditions with our worldwide team of outfitters to make certain every trip is run safely and with the highest standards of quality.
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Logistics
What's excluded
- International airfare
- Meals not noted on itinerary
- Insurance other than basic medical and evacuation insurance
- Optional tipping to leader, guides and local staff
- Excess baggage charges
- Airport taxes (international—varies by location)
- Cost of medical immunizations
- Items of a personal nature (sodas, alcoholic beverages, laundry, etc.).
Accommodation
Transportation & flights
- If written cancellation is received 96 days prior to departure, Cancellation fee will be $400
- If written cancellation is received 95 – 0 days prior to departure, Cancellation fee will be 100% of Land/Cruise Cost
10 Breakfasts, 10 Lunches and 10 Dinners
Activity Level & Travel Conditions
Mountain Travel Sobek trips are designed for flexible, energetic people who like to be active and intellectually involved, have a spirit of adventure, and keep a positive attitude. Gorilla tracking (and chimp tracking) generally requires moderate to strenuous hiking. The trip is therefore most suitable for people who are prepared for walking, and have the physical stamina to accommodate the general rigors of travel and long days in the field. A good attitude and an adventurous spirit are important requisites for participation on this safari. There are some long days of driving (up to 10 hours) and some of the roads are in very poor repair or unpaved. These drives may be uncomfortable, especially for tall people or those with bad backs (it’s just plain hard to be in a car that long!).
Gorilla tracking takes place on trails that can be steep, muddy, and covered with thick vegetation. Stinging nettles and biting safari ants can be nuisances. Bring raingear, wear long pants and gaiters, layer your clothes to adjust for varying conditions (and wear muted colors—bright or white clothing should not be worn), carry a water bottle, and take a pair of light gloves to protect your hands from nettles and thorns. In some cases, our guides will be cutting our path through the steep, jungle hillsides. You should note that gorilla tracking sessions vary from easy one hour strolls through the forest to arduous daylong treks. You must be in good physical condition and mentally prepared for a full day of strenuous exercise.
Children 15 years of age or older are allowed to visit gorillas
Anyone who shows signs of a cold or other infectious disease will not be allowed to visit the gorillas. In such cases, the permit holder will be rescheduled or refunded for the cost of the permit by the national park authorities. Mountain Travel Sobek cannot be held responsible for any extra costs incurred by delays or for refunds caused by such circumstances. Chimp tracking is quite different from gorilla tracking. We usually listen for the hooting calls of bands of chimpanzees, then move as quickly as we can toward the sounds in order to find the chimps. Chimps are more often seen in the forest canopy than on the ground. Viewing is usually therefore at a distance (using our binoculars and our guide’s telescope) rather than up close like gorillas.
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