Pearl of Africa

Upon arrival at Entebbe Airport and after customs procedures, a representative from the agency will be waiting to direct us to the hotel transfer (approximately 15 minutes). In case of morning arrivals, the room may not be available until the afternoon. The rest of the day is free to relax and/or engage in optional activities (at an additional cost), including visiting the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary or taking a cruise on Lake Victoria. Entebbe is a small and peaceful city located on the shores of Lake Victoria and is easy to explore. You can visit the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, where you can see and learn about the country's native wildlife; local markets to buy clothes and crafts; curiosity shops for souvenirs, and the botanical gardens of Lake Victoria, where you can stroll among beautiful trees, watch monkeys moving through the treetops, and spot many native bird species. Dinner is on your own and accommodation is provided.

After breakfast, we will depart for Entebbe Airport to catch a local flight to Kihihi. The flight duration is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. From Kihihi, we will reach the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with a transfer of about 2 hours, which will allow us to admire beautiful mountain landscapes and local villages. Bwindi National Park is the most diverse forest in Uganda. The area, one of the few large expanses of forest in East Africa, is home to over 120 mammals, 345 bird species, 200 butterfly species, and 160 tree species. The park contains nearly half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas, an endangered species, making Bwindi a place of great conservation value. After lunch, in the afternoon, we will make a cultural visit to a Buhoma community. Dinner and accommodation at the lodge.

Today is dedicated to the most thrilling experience of the trip: tracking mountain gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Few words can describe the excitement of today's experience. Coming face-to-face with mountain gorillas is a rare wildlife encounter that is fascinating, exhilarating, and thrilling. Experienced guides and trackers will accompany the group on a morning hike through the dense rainforest on the steep mountain slopes. Dinner and accommodation at the lodge.

After breakfast, we depart from Bwindi heading to Ishasha, in the southern region of Queen Elizabeth National Park (approximately 2.5h / 3h), stopping along the way, time permitting, to visit a local community where we will learn about their customs and culture. In the afternoon, we embark on a safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park, in search of wildlife. Surrounded by other marvelous parks in the western region of Uganda, Queen Elizabeth National Park is renowned for its rich biodiversity, wildlife, and history. In the southern part of the park, the remote Ishasha sector is home to tree-climbing lions who spend long, lazy days resting in the trees. Hippos, elephants, buffalo, monkeys, and various bird species are some of the other animals that can be seen in the park. We will end the day with a snack in the savannah, enjoying the wonderful views under the light of the sunset. Dinner and accommodation at the camp.

Departure in the morning for a full day of safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park. We will continue exploring different areas of the park, in search of wildlife. Dinner and accommodation at the camp.

After breakfast, we depart for the northern sector of the park, rich in fauna and flora, where we will find the characteristic Ugandan Euphorbia, or "candelabra" tree. The numerous craters and mountains in this region provide a beautiful backdrop for the journey. We will enjoy a peaceful boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, a natural 32-kilometer-long channel that links Lake Edward and Lake George. The shores of Kazinga are dotted with herds of lazy buffaloes, elephants, wallowing hippos, and countless bird species. The cruise also offers a spectacular view of the Mwenya Peninsula and the life in the fishing villages along the shores of the channel. After the cruise, we will continue our journey towards Kibale Forest National Park (approximately 3 hours by road). Dinner and accommodation at the lodge.

After an early breakfast, we will head to Kibale Forest National Park for a chimpanzee tracking excursion in the forest. Chimpanzees can be very active and move quickly from tree to tree, or, if we are lucky, we may find them resting or feeding near the ground. This impressive national park comprises an interesting mix of lowland tropical rainforest, montane forest, and mixed deciduous tropical forest. Apart from the forest, there are also grassland and swamp areas. The forest is rich in fauna and flora, and is particularly noted for its primate population. Among them are chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, diademed monkeys, olive baboons, and black-and-white colobus monkeys. The avifauna is also abundant, with about 300 species identified. The forest also hosts 144 species of butterflies and a diverse population of moths and other insects. In the afternoon, we will continue our adventure in nature with a walk in Bigodi Swamp, where we can observe other animal species. Dinner and accommodation at the lodge.

After breakfast, we will depart for the nearby Kasese airstrip to catch our return flight to Entebbe.