5 Days Kibale chimpanzee and Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari
5 Days Kibale chimpanzee and Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari
This 5 Days Kibale chimpanzee and Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari is an amazing adventure that starts and ends in Kampala. The safari will take you to the most interesting destinations in Uganda, including Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you will be able to see abundant wildlife species such as elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, hippos, Nile crocodiles, and warthogs, among others, and Kibale Forest National Park, where you will be able to spend time with the endangered chimpanzees in their natural habitat.
Highlights
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Kibale Forest National Park.
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 4: Morning game drive/lion tracking and afternoon boat cruise
Day 5: Departure to Kampala
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Kibale Forest National Park.
Depending on your location on the first day of the 5-day Kibale chimpanzee and Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide, who will brief you about the safari and then start the journey to Kibale National Park.
The journey takes about a 5- to 6-hour drive, and on the way you will enjoy spectacular views of the local people, farmlands, traditional homesteads, the Rwenzori Mountains, tea plantations, among others. You will have en route lunch in Fort Portal and then continue the journey to Kibale National Park, and upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale national park and Bigodi swamp walk
Chimpanzee trekking,
After an early breakfast on the second day of the 5-day Kibale chimpanzee and Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kanyachu Visitors Centre for a chimpanzee trekking briefing about the rules, regulations, and expectations of chimpanzee trekking.
After the briefing you will be allocated a chimpanzee family to trek and a park guide who is well conversant with trails in the forest. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on their location because they like to move from one place to another in search of food, and once the chimpanzees have been located, you will spend one hour with them in their natural habitat, which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their lifestyle and behaviors, watch them feed, enjoy the juveniles playing up in the trees, and take photos and record videos with a flashless camera.
After the one-hour encounter with the chimpanzees, you will trek back to the park headquarters, where you will meet up with your driver guide and return to the lodge for lunch.
Bigodi swamp walk
After lunch you will go for an interesting nature walk in Bigodi Sanctuary, where you will be able to view mammal species like sitatungas and duikers; view primates like grey-cheeked monkeys, L’hoest monkeys, black-and-white colobus monkeys, and blue monkeys; and view different bird species like the great blue turaco, among others. After the swamp walk you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Enjoy a relaxed breakfast, check out of the lodge, and start the journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is the second largest national park in Uganda. On the way you will enjoy spectacular views of the Rwenzori Mountains, Lake George, tea plantations, and others, and upon arrival you will have lunch.
After lunch you will go for an afternoon game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you will view animals like elephants, buffalos, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, and warthogs, among others. After the game drive you will drive to the lodge, check in, have dinner, and stay overnight.
Day 4: Morning game drive/lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive,
After an early breakfast, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive/lion tracking experience in the Kasenyi plains.
During the game drive you will have great views of the sunrise, the big four mammals, which are lions, leopards, elephants, and buffaloes; other animals like waterbucks, bushbucks, and Uganda kobs; and views of different bird species, among others. After the game drive you will return to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise,
After lunch you will drive to the landing site near Mweya Safari Lodge for an incredible boat cruise in Kazinga Channel, which is a 40 km long channel that connects Lake George and Lake Edward. During the boat trip, which lasts for about 2 hours, you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water; view buffaloes, elephants, and warthogs drinking water along the banks; and view water birds like yellow-billed storks, cormorants, hornbills, African skimmers, kingfishers, and fish eagles, among others.
You will also be able to see the fishermen along the shores preparing their fishing gear for night fishing, taking beautiful pictures, among others.
After the boat cruise, you will go for an evening game drive to see animals you missed in the morning, then return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Departure to Kampala
After a relaxed breakfast on the last day of a Uganda safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your guide to transfer back to Kampala.
On the way you will have a stopover in Mbarara town for lunch. After lunch you will continue the journey with another stopover at the Equator to take photos and buy souvenirs.
From the Equator you will proceed to Kampala, arriving early evening, and upon arrival your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe International Airport for your departure flight or drop you off at any place of advice.
End of 5 days Kibale chimpanzee and Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari
Includes
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Bigodi swamp walk
- Park entrance fees/game drives
- Boat cruise fees
- Professional English-speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Ground transfers (in a 4WD vehicle)
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water
Excludes
- International air flight tickets
- Visas
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Life insurance
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, and tips, among others.
