6-Days Double Gorilla Experience

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6-Days Double Gorilla Experience

Mgahinga gorilla national park is home to the Virunga volcanoes shared with Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo and home to the Virunga. It is the smallest of all Uganda national parks but filled with engaging activities for any outdoor enthusiast. On this Uganda Primates Safari, you will be able to explore the beauty of Mgahinga Gorilla & Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Transfer – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Upon arrival at Kigali International Airport, you will be met by our representative for a transfer to your booked lodge in Nkuringo, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Enjoy the winding roads of the ‘thousand hills’ and magnificent views of the Volcanoes. Depending on the time you arrive, you will spend some time at leisure in preparation for all the trekking and hiking in the days to come.

Overnight: Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge

Meal Plan: Lunch & Dinner

Day 2: Gorilla Trekking – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Today is the main day for our safari! You will embark on a full-day adventure to track the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Forest National Park. This national park is the home to roughly half the world’s mountain gorillas population, making it the best destination for tracking. The trek will begin with a short briefing on gorilla trekking rules to ensure guests’ safety and the protection of these animals in their natural habitat. You will then start the trek into the impenetrable forest to encounter the gentle giants of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.​ This is a true adventure, and part of the excitement is finding the gorillas. Follow the ranger guides as they make paths through the thick vegetation until the special moment that you encounter these majestic creatures. It is a truly unique experience and will surely be one of the standout moments of your tour. After the gorilla trek, head back uphill to the lodge for a hot tasy lunch and relaxation.

Overnight: Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3: Nkuringo Community Walk (Approx. 4 to 5 hrs)

After a heavy breakfast, you will take on a community walk across villages to the Suma Waterfall.

The waterfall is in a village called Suma. It’s a 7km walk from the lodge. When going to the waterfalls, you pass through one of the biggest villages in the area, with more than 500 people. The village has a man famous for having 16 wives. The waterfall is surrounded by different species of trees that are home to plenty of endemic bird species, namely; Northern Double Collared Sun Bird, the Violet Backed Starling and the Great Blue Eared Starling.

Alternatively, you can opt for the Buniga Forest Trail Walk (Approx. 3 hrs walk) USAID and the local Batwa community run this project. The Batwa people had to exit the National Park in 1991 when it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site for the gorillas only. As the Batwa lived in the forest as nomads surviving on flora and fauna around them, moving out and suddenly living in communities with a completely different way of life has proven to be a considerable challenge.

However, some manage well and use their rich heritage to promote their previous life in the forest to earn a living.

This walk is truly an experience, not challenging at all but rather informative and exciting, it is an eye-opener to see how the Batwa people managed to survive in the forest.

Overnight: Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4: Gorilla Trekking & Lake Mutanda

After an early breakfast and a briefing by a ranger guide, you will enter the gorilla sanctuary for your adventure. The beauty of this rainforest is spectacular! The area offers a dramatic steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense, but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails allowing access to tourists. The time taken and the terrain vary with the movements of these great primates. Once you locate a gorilla group, you will be allowed an hour in their presence. The thrill of spending time observing these gentle and endangered giants is an awesome, exciting experience to be long-savored. You will return to your lodge for some rest time and lunch. Thereafter, you will embark on a visit to Lake Mutanda. The lake has a perched peninsula in the shadow of the Virunga Mountains and offers spectacular views of the Earth.

Overnight: Lake Chahafi Resort

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 5: Lake Mutanda Exploration – Lake Mutanda

You will have your breakfast and proceed out to discover Lake Mutanda’s many islands in a traditional dug-out canoe (like a local fisherman). The canoe trek on Lake Mutanda is planned for at most 3 hours. Thereafter, you will return to the accommodation for some rest time and lunch. You will spend the afternoon hours relaxing at the Lake Chahafi Resort while enjoying some spectacular views of the scenery in and around Lake Chahafi.

Overnight: Lake Chahafi Resort

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

 

Day 6: Golden Monkey Trekking & Depart – Kigali International Airport

Today, you will wake-up very early and embark on a drive (approx. 2hrs) to Mgahinga gorilla national park for the golden monkeys and transfer to Kigali afterward.

Just like the previous day, you receive a briefing from the ranger guide who will share information on what to expect while in the Virunga volcanoes searching for the golden monkeys. After this short brief, you will start your hike up in search of the golden monkeys.

Porters are available for those interested and an enforcement officer will join you to help in case you meet the wild buffaloes and Elephants which can be dangerous. Golden monkeys are swift in their movements unlike the gorillas and you will follow them as they feed. They love feeding on bamboo shoots among other foods like fruits, vegetation and sometimes ants.

You are only allowed to spend 1 hour with the golden monkeys before you start your descent back to the starting point to proceed to Kigali airport for your outbound flight back home.

Overnight: N/A

Meal Plan: Breakfast & Lunch

Included

  • Park fees(For non-residents)
  • Gorilla permits(One per person, non-resident)
  • Golden Monkey permits(One per person, non-resident)
  • All activities(Unless labeled as optional)
  • All accommodation(Unless listed as upgrade)
  • A professional driver/guide
  • All transportation(Unless labeled as optional)
  • All Taxes/VAT
  • Roundtrip airport transfer
  • Meals(As specified in the day-by-day section)
  • Drinking water(On all days)

Excluded

  • International flights(From/to home)
  • Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
  • Tips(Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
  • Personal items(Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
  • Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees