7-Day Kibale National Park and Gorillas Safari

After an early breakfast, we will travel to some nearby Mabamba wetlands on the shores of Lake Victoria popular for shoebill stork. This is one of the few remaining swamps in the country which is protected by the local communities – it is an extensive papyrus swamp with its labyrinth of channels and lagoons, classified as an Important Bird Area and home to several pairs of Shoebills. This charismatic monotypic species is certainly amongst the most sought-after birds in Africa, and we’ll make special efforts today to find it by paddling through the channels in boats operated by local community members. There will of course be a good selection of classic East African water birds, including Long-tailed Cormorant, Goliath Heron, African Open-bill, Saddle-billed and Marabou Storks, Hamerkop, White-faced Whistling-Duck, Yellow-billed Duck, African Fish-Eagle, African Marsh-Harrier and many other, later you will be transferred to kibale forest national park.

After an early breakfast we will drive to Kibale National Park. Here we will spend up to several hours tracking and observing wild Chimps on foot with our expert local guides who personally know the troop members and who will interpret the behaviour. Kibale forest is home to 13 primates. We will spend the afternoon birding in the bigod community wetland and other forest trails for bird species that are hard to find elsewhere including; the Speckle-breasted Woodpecker, Cabanis’s Greenbul and Joyful Greenbul as well as White-spotted Flufftail, Dusky and Olive Long-tailed Cuckoos, Lesser Honey guide, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, White-chinned Prinia, Grey Apalis, Olive-green Camaroptera and White-collared Oliveback. We will return to our lodge.

After breakfast, we will first bird in the park to look for rare species like green-breated pitta among others before the travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The Park, which is named after the Queen of England who visited it in 1954, is the second largest national park in Uganda. Queen Elizabeth National Park boasts the highest biodiversity of any game reserve in the world and the habitat is comprised of a mix of open savannah, rainforest, dense papyrus swamps, crater lakes and the vast Lake Edward. Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to almost 100 mammal species and a remarkable 612 bird species, making it a superb safari territory, with Bush Elephants, a profusion of Hippopotamus, elusive Giant Forest Hog and handsome Uganda Kob all regularly sighted around the park.

After an early breakfast, we will drive through the Ishasha section of the National Park where, if we are lucky, we may be able to view tree climbing African lions. This vast reserve offers arguably the most productive montane forest birding in Africa and supports 23 of Uganda’s 24 Albertine Rift endemic bird species. Specialties include; Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Banded Prinia, Black-throated Apalis, Mountain Masked Apalis, Red-throated Alethe, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Ashy Flycatcher, Dusky-blue Flycatcher, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Chin-spot Batis, Rwenzori Batis, Toro Olive Greenbul, Ansorge’s Greenbul, Equatorial Akalat, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Olive Thrush, White-tailed Ant Thrush, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Short-tailed Warbler, Neumann’s Warbler, and Red-faced Woodland Warbler to mention but a few. Then we proceed to the famous bwindi impenetrable national park.

After breakfast, we will assemble at the National Park Offices for a detailed briefing before heading out on foot to track Mountain Gorilla with guides from the local community. This exclusive experience is a real privilege, as group sizes are limited and only one group is allowed to view each gorilla group each day. So, viewing permits are almost as scarce as the gorillas! On occasions the Gorillas prove elusive, but often can be found within an hour or more by the expert local tracker guides. It is a very emotionally moving once in a lifetime experience to stare in to the eyes of these gentle giants and watch them play and go about their daily activities. Each encounter with the gorillas is different and has its own rewards, but you are likely to enjoy the close view of adults feeding, grooming and resting as the young frolic and swing from vines in a delightfully playful display. On our return we will be issued with a certificate and then back to the lodge.

Today after an early breakfast, you will be transferred to Entebbe for your connection to the next destination. With enroute lunch at the Equator stop over.