15 Day Uganda Primate and Hiking Safari

Drive westwards toward Fort Portal to the Kibale Forest National Park (about 5 hours). Traveling on both asphalt and unpaved roads. You arrive at Fort Portal for lunch, then continue toward Kibale Forest, one of the great African rainforest research reserves. This forest is famed for the variety of primates found here and it is a terrific area for birds.

Options: Depending on time you can do a Kampala city tour or visit Ewaffe cultural village before setting off.

Accommodation: Turaco Treetops lodge

Meal Plan:  Full Board.

Assemble at the park headquarters for a briefing and then go for the most popular activity in this park - chimpanzee tracking. Chimpanzees are man’s closest cousins, though they are one of the most threatened primate species. More primates like the black and white colobus monkey, L’Hoest's monkey, grey-cheecked mangabey, red-tailed monkey, bushbaby, and potto. Many bird species like the yellow-spotted nicator, rumped tinker bird, little greenbul, green-breasted pitta, crowned eagle, black bee-eater and mammals like elephants can be seen on this walk. After you will have lunch and drive to Kasese.

Accommodation: Standon Hotel (FB)

Start at Trekkers at 1,450 meters and sleep at Sine Hut at 2,596 meters being a height gain of 1,146 meters, or those who are fit and want to proceed to Kalalama Camp at 3,134 meters may do so and apart from the fantastic views gives you more time at Mutinda Camp where you may climb up to Mutinda Lookout at 3,975 meters

The trail to Bugata Camp is boggy particularly in the wet season but with a little skill you can step from tussock to tussock to make the going easier.  First, you cross the Mutinda valley through the tussock grass and everlasting flowers interspersed with many Giant Lobelias before climbing a steep section up to the Namusangi Valley (3,840 meters), with sheer waterfalls and looking back you get fantastic views of Mutinda Peaks. The Namusangi Valley is wide, with many ups and downs as the trail climbs steadily to Bugata Camp at 4,100 meters.

Accommodation:  Bugata camp (FB)

As you leave Bugata Camp you pass up a ridge then drop down slightly before ascending to Bamwanjarra Pass at 4,450 meters where we have a hut should the weather turn bad. From the pass on a clear day, you get excellent views of the three main peaks. The trail passes down the valley and around the edge of some bogs and thick ever green vegetation, moss. giant groundsel and lobelia. Here is possibly the best place in all the Rwenzori to observe the Malachite Sunbird as it feeds on the many lobelia flowers and a known breeding site. Farther on there is some steep sections before a steady climb up and over a ridge to Hunwick’s Camp which is situated on the top of a deep valley and has good views of Mt Stanley, Mt Baker, Weismanns Peak and McConnell’s Prong.

: Wake up at 2am and catch an early breakfast before heading off to climb Mt Stanley at 2.30am. This is necessary as the weather has changed a lot and often even during the dryer season the mountain is closed in with heavy clouds and snow falls from 1 pm to 4pm and this happens within a short period of 10 to 15 minutes as the clouds rise up from the extensive Congo rainforests. During January and February 2017 clients were closed in and unable to walk during heavy snow storms which previously were not heard of during the dryer season and arrived back at Margherita camp well after dark with one group arriving back at 11pm totally exhausted. Due to this change in weather, we have set a strict turnaround time of 10am so if you do not reach the peak before then you must turn around regardless of the disappointment in the interests of safety. Margherita glacier has also suffered with global warming and as the outer edges of the glacier recede the ice is becoming steeper with one section of about 200 meters more than 60% grade. Combined with this much of the blacker has melted underneath causing caves under the ice and as it gets thinner eventually caves in. So is necessary that clients understand and take advice of where the guides suggest to pass.

 You'll wake up to an early breakfast, check out of the accommodation, and travel to the southern area of the park called Ishasha. This area is popular for the tree-climbing lions, and if you are lucky, you may see them. Other big game in this area includes elephants, topis, and buffalo, among others. You'll have lunch in Ishasha, thereafter travel southwards to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You'll check in at your accommodation for dinner and an overnight stay at Gorilla Mist Camp (FB)

You'll wake up for an early morning nature walk into the park for a chance to catch some nocturnal wildlife at close encounter. You are led by an armed ranger; after the walk, return to the lodge, check out and travel back to Entebbe.  Lunch is en route. You also get to make a stopover at the Equator point for some picture moments.