The 12 Day Primate photo tours in Uganda, Rwanda & DRC Congo will take you to the Ngamba Islands Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Kibale Forest National Park where you will experience the chimpanzee habituation experience, game drive looking for African tree climbing lions in the Ishasha southern sector, gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi forest. Encounter gorilla trekking tours in Uganda, Rwanda & Congo in Volcanoes & Virunga National Park and then hike Nyiragongo volcano trekking tours!!
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport meet with the company representative and transfer you to your hotel in Entebbe. Overnight stay at Bomah Guest House Entebbe/Karibu Guest House Entebbe. Meal plan: B/B
Day1: Entebbe – Murchison Falls National Park
Have breakfast and then embark our safari jeep and transfer to north-western Uganda via Gulu highway with an amazing stop over at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Foot Rhino Tracking and lunch. After transfer into the park with en-route visit to the top of the falls and game drive to spot some wildlife and bird species. Thereafter drive to the Paraa Safari Lodge/Murchison River Lodge/Fort Murchison Camp for dinner and overnight, Meal plan: F/B
Day2: Game Drive & Boat Ride
Dawn game drive looking for the early riser and nocturnal wildlife species and other which includes the lions, elephants, leopards, buffaloes, giraffes, warthogs, antelopes among others. The experience takes 3-4 hours and after return to lodge for lunch, after transfer to the shores of River Nile waiting for boat cruise towards the bottom of the falls and on this boat expect to take amazing photos for the wildlife, bird life and cliffs alongside the shores of the River. The boat cruise experience takes 3 hours and much can be experienced and there is a lot of fun. Dinner and overnight as above, Meal plan: F/B
Day3: Murchison Falls National Park – Kibale Forest National Park
Have your early breakfast, after embark the safari jeep and take ferry crossing from the northern side of the park towards the southern side and transfer to Kibale Forest National Park with lunch en-route, after with your drive to the Kibale forest take unforgettable view of the fabled mountain of the moon. Dinner and overnight at Kyaninga Lodge/Kibale Primate Cottages/Kibale Forest Camp. Meal plan: F/B
Day4: Chimpanzee Trekking – Transfer Queen Elizabeth National Park
Have breakfast and after transfer to the park headquarters for briefing about the chimpanzees and the rain forest. Enter into the jungle searching for the chimpanzees and you stay with them half day understanding their life style, eat, live, and on this experience you will spot more other primates, birds and plants. Return to the lodge for lunch and after transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park for dinner and overnight stay at Mweya Safari Lodge/Katara Lodge/Bush Lodge. Meal plan: F/B
Day5: Queen Elizabeth National Park (Volunteer with Uganda Carnivore Program & Boat Cruise)
Breakfast and go volunteer with the Uganda Carnivore Program experiencing with the Lions examination experiential work and en-route game viewing like elephants, buffaloes, water and bush bucks, warthogs among others. Lunch, and thereafter take launch cruise along the Kazinga channel that connects Lake George to Lake Edward and spotting more wildlife along the shores of the channel. Evening photographic game drives looking for wildlife species. Dinner and overnight stay at Mweya Safari Lodge/Katara Lodge/Bush Lodge. Meal plan: F/B
Day6: Mweya Peninsula – Ishasha Southern Sector – Bwindi Forest National Park
After breakfast go for the early morning game drive looking for more game wildlife species like elephants, buffaloes, topi, oribi, warthogs, water and bush bucks among others. Afternoon search for the African tree climbing lions in the branches of the fig trees. Lunch, after transfer to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park where you will experience the gorilla trekking tours experience on the next day. Dinner and overnight at Rushaga Gorilla Camp/Gorilla Valley Lodge. Meal plan: F/B
Day7: Gorilla Trekking Experience – Volcanoes National Park
Early morning breakfast and after head to the park headquarters for the briefing about the gorilla trek experience and the park. After visit one of the families habituated for this experience and this activity takes like 1 hours with gorillas taking the photos, videos and understanding the life style of mountain gorillas in the mist. Return to the park headquarters for your gorilla trekking certificate. After breakfast embark the safari jeep and transfer to Volcanoes National Park via the Cyanika border. Dinner and overnight stay at 5 Volcanoes Hotel Boutique/Lebambou Gorilla Lodge/Lapalme Hotel. Meal plan: F/B
Day8: Golden Monkey Tracking – Or Optional Rwanda Gorilla Trek – Transfer Gisenyi
Breakfast, after go for golden monkey tracking safaris in the Volcanoes National Park and you can have this experience after briefing at the park headquarters and then allocated to your gorilla family. Once you meet the primates take the unforgettable gorilla photos and videos. Return to the lodge for lunch and after transfer to Gisenyi. Dinner and overnight stay at Lake Kivu Serena Hotel/Gorilla Hotels Gisenyi/Paradise Malahide Guest House. Meal plan: F/B
Day9: Goma – Mikeno Lodge, Virunga National Park
Have breakfast and after transfer to Goma border clearing with the Rwanda side and cross to the DRC Congo and clear again and then head to Virunga offices and after transfer you to Rumangabo staying at Mikeno Lodge and then in the evening visit the Senkwekwe Gorilla Orphanage Centre and experience the gorilla conservation programs. Overnight stay at Mikeno Lodge, Meal plan: F/B
Day10: Congo Gorilla Trekking
Breakfast and after go for the briefing and about the mountain gorillas and after enter into the jungle and look for the primates and once you meet them take photos and videos and then return to the lodge and relax and then dinner and overnight stay as above, Meal plan: F/B
Day11: Rumangabo – Mount Nyiragongo Hike
Breakfast and after transfer to the Kibati patrol starting point where you will start your hiking experience. This exercise starts at 10 am and the trek takes 8 – 9 hours depending on the hiking speed of participants and you will have overnight stay at the summit in the Nyiragongo Volcano Shelters. Meal plan: F/B
Day12: Descend Nyiragongo – Kigali
Breakfast and after descend down and then transfer to Goma – Lake Kivu and then transfer back to Kigali. Lunch, after transfer to the Kigali airport for your return flight back home. End of services
Optional Extensions
4 Day Maasai Mara Wildlife Safari Kenya
7 Day Wildlife Safari in Tanzania (Serengeti & Ngorongoro Conservation Area)
The package include
Airport Transfers
Ground Transportation
Accommodation and meals as per itinerary
En-route luncheons
Visit Ngamba Islands Chimpanzee Sanctuary
Chimpanzee Permit $ 150 USD
Park Entrance
Car Entry
Game Drives
Uganda Gorilla Permit $ 600 USD
Optional Rwanda Gorilla Permit $ 1500 USD
Congo Gorilla Permit $ 400 USD
DRC Congo Tourist Visa $ 100 USD per person
Visit Senkekwe Gorilla Orphanage Center
Nyiragongo Hike Permit $ 300 USD
Mikeno Package $ 80 USD
Full day driver allowances
Excludes
Visa fees, tips, gratitude’s, drinks and all other personal expenses not mentioned in the itinerary.
What to wear/bring
Dress codes are informal. Daytime temperatures are generally warm, so bring lots of light clothing, supplemented by light sweaters for the cool evenings and heavier clothing for the higher altitudes especially Volcanoes and Bwindi. When tracking gorillas layering your clothing is the best idea and we suggest: long sleeved shirts, cotton or gore tex trousers, strong walking shoes with ankle support, socks that you can tuck your trousers into, light gloves to protect your hands from thorns and nettles, a hat and sunglasses to provide protection against the sun and a waterproof jacket in neutral colours may come in handy in the moist mountains. Travel light and remember that soft-sided luggage is required.
One medium sized duffel bag and one small day pack (carry-on) per person should be adequate. Laundry services are available at most accommodations. You should also pack some zip lock bags for spare clothing, cameras, binoculars and film. Please note that you are not allowed to use a flash when photographing Gorillas. It is a good idea to take along several different speeds of film (64 to 1000) as gorillas can be found in open sun or in the dark underbrush of the forest.
Travel Dates: November 2018
Price List: $$ USD Per Person
Space Available: 08 Spaces
This Conservation package is lead by our professional Photography Tour Leader “Sam Clark Photography”!!
