Primates and Wildlife Safaris of Uganda & Rwanda

ENTEBBE, UGANDA Your international flight arrives in the charming city of Entebbe, where you will be met by a private transfer to your overnight hotel. Entebbe's Karibu Guesthouse is a beautiful boutique hotel located on a lush green hillside. Karibu is a great place to rest after a long journey and prepare for your safari experience, thanks to its individualised service, friendly personnel, and wide choice of comforts and amenities.

UGANDA After breakfast, your private transfer car will bring you to your next destination along a lovely route. Pass through undulating slopes, tea farms, and the famous Ruwenzori Mountain Chain. You'll arrive at the rustic and small Ndali Lodge about mid-afternoon, where you can cool down in the pool and enjoy the breathtaking views from the rim of an extinct volcano. The day is completed with a guided stroll around the rim of the volcanic crater lake in front of the resort. On day three, you'll visit two of Uganda's most different landscapes. The Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary will be visited first by a community-led guided tour. During this tour, you'll learn more about this community-led programme aimed at preserving the wetlands' unique biodiversity and environmental qualities. Stop for a bite to eat after your stroll is finished. By the time you finish your lunch, the Kibale Forest National Park should be ready for your next activity: chimp tracking. Kibale Forest has one of the largest primate populations in East Africa, with a habituated group of chimps found 90% of the time during treks. Spend an hour learning about these magnificent monkeys' habits and lifestyle. Your day concludes with a delicious meal at Ndali Lodge. Please keep in mind that children under the age of 15 are not permitted on the chimp tracking adventure.

QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK, UGANDA A pleasant journey through Kibale Forest and Kasese Town leads you to your next destination across the equator. Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda's finest wildlife attraction, home to 95 animal species and over 600 bird species. Morning and afternoon game drives across the park are the most rewarding, with regular sightings of elephants, buffalo, leopards, spotted hyenas, and lions. Exciting game drives aren't the only way to experience this well-known national park. The Kazinga Channel is the lifeblood of Queen Elizabeth National Park, attracting a wide variety of wildlife, including one of the world's greatest concentrations of hippos year round. A Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise is included in your schedule, giving an excellent option for game watching. A visit to the Omwani Women's Coffee Cooperative, a community-based programme that provides vocational training and an alternative, yet sustainable, source of income to local women and their families, adds a cultural touch to your trip. The greatest cup of coffee in Uganda, cultivated, collected, and prepared by these lovely women, will undoubtedly be a highlight of this cultural experience. For your three nights in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you'll stay at the luxury, eco-friendly Kyambura Gorge Lodge. Kyambura is a former coffee plantation and estate in the Rwenzori Mountains.

MGAHINGA GORILLA NATIONAL PARK, UGANDA From Kasese to Kisoro, you may take a small aircraft flight. A smooth transfer will get you to Mount Gahinga Lodge by late morning. This luxurious exclusive-use resort is situated in one of Western Uganda's most beautiful places. You'll experience the most magnificent views of the three gigantic extinct volcanoes from the backdrop of a lovely panorama of gardens, nestled in the slopes of the famed Virunga Volcanoes. During your stay at Mount Gahinga, you'll learn about the Batwa's fascinating past at the lodge's historical site. The Batwa Cultural Heritage Site has a demonstration herbal garden, a modest collection of traditional cottages, and a short walk that depicts the Batwa way of life. The true lure of your stay, however, is the chance to visit Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in pursuit of the spectacular mountain gorillas and the unique golden monkeys. Trekking with gorillas is an enthralling and life-changing event. Spending time with these gentle giants and watching them interact in their natural surroundings is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Golden Monkeys are a little more difficult to see, but there's no finer sensation than suddenly spotting these vivacious endangered species leaping from tree to tree. Please keep in mind that children under the age of 15 are not permitted on the gorilla tracking adventure. From Kasese to Kisoro, you may take a small aircraft flight. A smooth transfer will get you to Mount Gahinga Lodge by late morning. This luxurious exclusive-use resort is situated in one of Western Uganda's most beautiful places. You'll experience the most magnificent views of the three gigantic extinct volcanoes from the backdrop of a lovely panorama of gardens, nestled in the slopes of the famed Virunga Volcanoes. During your stay at Mount Gahinga, you'll learn about the Batwa's fascinating past at the lodge's historical site. The Batwa Cultural Heritage Site has a demonstration herbal garden, a modest collection of traditional cottages, and a short walk that depicts the Batwa way of life. The true lure of your stay, however, is the chance to visit Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in pursuit of the spectacular mountain gorillas and the unique golden monkeys. Trekking with gorillas is an enthralling and life-changing event. Spending time with these gentle giants and watching them interact in their natural surroundings is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Golden Monkeys are a little more difficult to see, but there's no finer sensation than suddenly spotting these vivacious endangered species leaping from tree to tree. Please keep in mind that children under the age of 15 are not permitted on the gorilla tracking adventure.

VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, RWANDA As you cross the border into Rwanda, you bid farewell to your Uganda trip. For the next three nights, you'll be staying in the cosy yet wonderfully opulent Virunga Lodge. This beautiful resort is perched on the crest of a high hill, offering breathtaking 360-degree views of the surrounding nature and the five extinct Virunga Volcanoes. There are just a few spots in the world where you may see gorillas up close. Uganda and Rwanda are the two best places to do so. And because you got to go gorilla tracking in Uganda, it's only fair that you get to do it again in Rwanda. Volcanoes National Park gorilla trekking adventures are among the top outdoor adventure activities on the African continent. Hiking through the park to visit the Diane Fossey Grave and her old Karisoke Research Centre will appeal to history enthusiasts, animal lovers, and conservationists alike. You will not only obtain a better appreciation of Diane Fossey's extraordinary life and her unshakable devotion for gorillas, but you will also be rewarded with stunning views of Volcanoes National Park. Before returning to the lodge, you'll stop at the Diane Fossey Gorilla Fund's Ellen DeGeneres Campus. Please keep in mind that children under the age of 15 are not permitted on the gorilla tracking adventure.

KIGALI, RWANDA After breakfast at Virunga Lodge, head for the final stop on our incredible journey: Kigali. You'll arrive in time for lunch at the Milles Collines establishment, which film fans and history lovers will remember as the famous establishment in Hotel Rwanda. It was in this hotel that 1,268 Rwandans were spared from the genocide that was raging across the country. Keeping with the theme of the day, your journey will continue with a visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial & Museum, where you will learn more about this awful episode in Rwanda's history and pay tribute to those who perished. Your day will come to a finish with an overnight stay at The Retreat, Kigali's leading boutique hotel that mixes Italian architecture with outstanding Rwandan workmanship and artisanship.

Your journey through Uganda and Rwanda ends here in Kigali. Savour your final breakfast in Africa before being transferred to Kigali International Airport to catch your departure flight home.