7 Days Primate Habituation Expedition

Journey time: 5 – 6 Hours

After an early breakfast, at about 06:00 AM start your journey to Kibale National Park.
Make a stopover in Fort Portal to visit Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru caves with its crater lakes.
After your tour continue to Kibale, arriving at Tinka’s Homestead for a traditional lunch.
After lunch go for Bigodi Community Tour – cultural visits only.

Planned activities include;
• Bigodi coffee experience
• Taste banana beer & local vodka
• Admire local arts & crafts + souvenir shopping
• Cultural songs and dances
• Learn about herbal medicines & uses
Head to the lodge after the cultural visit and stay at leisure with dinner included.

Overnight: Isunga Lodge | Turaco Treetops | Papaya Lake Lodge – Or similar
Meal Plan: Half Board

Kibale National Park has the highest population of primates in Africa, with the highlight being the habituated chimpanzees, as well as a variety of monkeys: red-tailed monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, grey-cheeked Mangabey, red colobus with colobus monkeys sighted here. During your trek, over 300 bird species and an incredible 250 species of butterfly will entice your experience.

An early breakfast is recommended for this morning, you will be handed a lunchbox and mineral water to put in your backpack. In the due course, have a picnic at a handpicked location.
Be at the park’s Kanyanchu Gate by 7am for briefing prior to Chimpanzee habituation, you shortly will join a team of researchers, armed rangers and trackers who will help you tame a new chimpanzee group for tracking. This experience includes sightings of other primates such as Ugandan Mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, de brazza’s monkey, red colobus monkey, black & white colobus monkey, blue monkeys, baboons and a variety of birds.
On approaching the Chimpanzees, spend about 4 to 5 hours interacting and photographing these loud creatures, learning more about their unique and interesting behaviour.

What to pack: snacks and mineral water, hiking boots, hat/cap, light rain jacket, long-sleeved shirt, trousers, binocular and a good camera with a long-range zoom lens.

Returning to the a late lunch and an afternoon at leisure.

Overnight: Isunga Lodge | Turaco Tree tops | Papaya Lake Lodge – Or similar
Meal Plan: Full Board

Journey time: 6 – 7 Hours

Another long day on the road will require an early start. Have breakfast and set off for your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
On this day you will drive through Kamwenge –Mbarara road briefly stopping in Kabale for lunch.
After lunch, continue through Kisoro to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, with a night at Lake Mutanda, close to Rushaga Sector.
Check-in and recuperate from the journey in preparation for gorilla habituation.

Overnight: Mutanda Lake Resort (Standard) | Mutanda Lake Resort (Luxury Cottage)
Meal Plan: Half Board

After an early breakfast, you will be handed a lunchbox to put in your backpack. Thereafter head to the park headquarters by 8:00AM and tracking will commence shortly after registration and briefing by ranger guides.
You will join an expert team of rangers and researchers in the process of creating a new family of mountain gorillas, making them ready for tracking. It is a great opportunity to learn about the secret life of these giant primates. Get to know how they are tamed to become man friendly, and by the end of the Gorilla habituation process, you will be recognized for taking part in efforts to create a relationship between man and the giant primates.
Optional Activity.
In the late afternoon after a successful Gorilla Trek, go for Batwa cultural and community tour; learn about their way of life including hunting skills, herbal medicines, child upbringing, preparing of traditional food and drinks which will be crowned with an energetic music and dance performance.

Overnight: Mutanda Lake Resort | Mutanda Lake Resort (Luxury Cottage)
Meal Plan: Full Board - Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch

Another early breakfast today and, proceed to explore the rarely seen Golden Monkeys.

Head to the Park headquarters by 7:30AM for briefing and the actual trek will commence shortly after. Hiking through the forests to reach the golden monkeys is less tedious as golden monkeys live in the lower bamboo areas. Spend an hour with the golden primates for a superb photography and a clear observation of their unique behaviour.
Come along with waterproof hiking boots, wear long sleeved shirt, long trousers, and carry a backpack for your lunch and documents and do not forget to carry an insect repellent.

Return to the lodge and have lunch after visiting the golden monkeys.
In the afternoon, go Kayaking on the scenic Lake Mutanda. This picturesque lake is nestled in the foothills of the Virunga Mountain Ranges: Three volcanoes partly located in Uganda that is Mount Muhabura, Mount Sabyinyo and Mount Gahinga can be seen from Lake Mutanda.
After Kayaking, you will be at leisure for the rest of this evening plus dinner here.

Overnight: Mutanda Lake Resort | Mutanda Lake Resort (Luxury Cottage)
Meal Plan: Full Board - Dinner, Bed, Breakfast and Lunch

Journey time: 3 – 4 Hours

Depending on your onward flight schedule, spend the morning at leisure enjoying the sunrise at the lodge. Later at 10:00AM-flexible, transfer to Kigali City via Cyanika Border with lunch En-route at a local restaurant.
On arrival, have a brief City Tour sightseeing the landmarks of Kigali with a stopover at the Genocide Memorial Site and a craft market. After the tour proceed to the Airport and check-in for your outbound flight.

Meal Plan: Breakfast + En-route lunch
END OF SAFARI

DISCLAIMER:
1) The journey time(s) stated in the itinerary is an estimation and it is subject to variation depending on traffic and road conditions.
2) Listed accommodation options are subject to availability at the time of booking. If not available, similar properties will be considered.