Gorilla Eco Tours in Uganda

Currently Uganda is gifted by nature and supports all activities geared towards conservation of nature given the great wealth of attractions that range from nature based to cultural based wonders. An Eco-tour safari ranks among one of the top holiday adventure activities in the world. Uganda is also best tourist destination for mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga National Parks, game viewing, chimpanzee tracking in Kibale forest and bird watching in Africa. The source of the Nile in Jinja offers adventurous activities, a chance to get their adrenaline flowing with white water rafting or Bungee Jump into the river. Budget Gorilla Trekking provides  Eco tour safaris in Uganda that will bring out the best of Uganda and its efforts to preserve nature.

The Eco- tourism destinations in Uganda include all the ten national parks, wildlife and game reserves, forest reserves, cultural centers, community wetlands, Theme parks, resorts and Important Birding Areas.

This Eco tour and gorilla safari takes you through the unique beauty of the Kigezi highlands in the south western Uganda. The tour gives the visitor an opportunity to learn about the rich culture of the local communities and finally the highlight of the trip to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas and then to Lake Mutanda.

You will leave your Lodge for gorilla trekking very early in the morning. Upon reaching Bwindi forest the gorilla trekking adventure will begin with a short briefing about the gorilla rules and on how to handle yourself once you enter the forest. The trip can take 3 to 8 hours depending on where the gorillas sleep the previous night. You get hold of you camera as you will be able to take lots of photos and videos as you enjoy memories of a lifetime. After gorilla experience we transfer to Lake Mutanda relaxation, canoe trekking, trying water sports or take a swim because it is bilharzia free, retire for dinner and overnight stay.

Transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for the Batwa Cultural Trail, a unique cultural experience where you’re guided by a group called the Batwa. They will walk you through how they used to hunt and gather fruits in the forest before they were evicted from the forest which was their ancestral land. After the gorilla the Batwa experience, transfer to Lake Bunyonyi a place of little birds. The lake lies close to the border with Rwanda and is thought of as one of the most beautiful place in western Uganda and the second deepest lake in Africa and also one of the few places in the country where it is considered safe to swim as it is bilharzia free. The islands on the Lake are wonderful for relaxing, canoeing, swimming among others. The nearby hills and papyrus swamps offer many opportunities for bird watching.

The next day via Ishasha famous for its tree climbing lions, we transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda’s famous visited located at the base of the Rwenzori mountain range adjacent to Edward and Lake George. The park has variety of wildlife including the Uganda Kob, warthog, elephant, buffaloes, lions, water buck, hippos, leopard, and birds.  Ishasha is a remote and beautiful extension of Queen Elizabeth National Park. If you are lucky you will see sleepy lions relaxing on the branches. After continue to Mweya peninsular for an evening game drive.

Before sunrise you will go for a morning game drive in the Kasenyi plains to search for predator and nocturnal dwellers as they return to their hide outs. Expect to view animals like elephants, buffaloes, spotted hyena, leopards, lions, warthogs, Uganda Kob, giant forest hogs, among others. Lunch break, in the afternoon take a boat cruise along Kazinga channel to see schools of hippos, crocodiles, elephants and buffaloes which come to the water hole to drink or bathe and a range of beautiful birds on the shallows of the water.

You will start your journey to Kibale Forest National Park located in western Uganda having the greatest variety and highest concentration of primates in East Africa. The park is home to 13 species of primates including chimpanzees, man’s closest relative. The activity starts with a briefing by the park warden about the dos and don’ts that have been put before tracking the chimps. Enjoy a guided nature walk in the tropical rain forest in search for chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, black-and- white colobus monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, bush babies, pottos and many others.

In the afternoon you can visit the Bigodi wetland Sanctuary that straddles the Kibale Forest National Park offering access to Magombe Camp, a very interesting area of papyrus and swamp forest. This is an excellent to see some of the special; birds endemic to this habitat such as the white-winged warbler and papyrus canary along with other species like yellow-billed barbet, white spotted fluff tail, Blue-headed coucal, blue breasted kingfisher, and scaly-throated honey guide.

What to Know Before you Rent a Car in Uganda

Once you have made the decision to travel to Uganda either on business or on holiday and you need to decide whether or not to rent a car. Decide what type of car you want to rent. Four Wheel SUV or sedan? Manual or Automatic? How many people are travelling in the car? Study the car rental in Uganda websites for various vehicles on offer and the features for guidance.

Once you select the type of vehicle you would like to rent, request a quotation from the rental company concerned and it is recommended that you settle all your rental deal with flexible company and more a local company and none other than 4×4 Car Hire Uganda that is managed by a team of tourism graduates who have knowledge about the country road connections.

As soon as possible for contrary to perceptions there are times when cars are simply unavailable at the airport owing to seasonal highs, large conferences, sporting events etc.  What you do not want is to arrive at the airport and have to trawl rental desk after rental desk at high demand pricing trying to secure a car. Booking a rental car is a simple process and guarantees that a car will be ready and waiting for you.

Most of the companies recommend to pay an advance payment of a certain amount for securing your rental car. This enables the car rental company to arrange all the necessary requirements and equipment for the rental car. We recommend that you pay your rental fares in advance to secure your car especially in high seasons. But with proper arrangement with us we can also keep for you the car and you pay at the arrival full amount in cash. What we do when you confirm we send you a confirmation order as a proof of your booking for the car.

If you are travelling long distances, it is important to rent a car with car rental company that offers country-wide assistance such that in case of any unforeseen occur such as a breakdown or at worst accident, then you need to have the peace of mind that help is never too far away. One must realize that a very high percentage of motorists in Uganda do not have insurance cover for it is not compulsory and when renting a car it is important to understand that you remain liable for the damages to the car irrespective of where the fault lies.

Contact your designated car rental company and ensure that you possess the following; your driver’s license which must have a photo and description in English, or must have an accompanying English translation if in another language. An international driver’s license is another option, your passport; your credit card must not be credit card. Any additional drivers must accompany you with their respective license and passports.

When having the car handed over, check and ensure that every mark, scratch or imperfection is noted on the hand over sheet and this includes chips on the windscreen. Take pictures if necessary.  Check the tread on the tyres and also check that the spare tyre and the tools are there.

Where to go with rented car in Uganda

The best parks and places to visit in Uganda includes the 10 national parks within the Pearl of Africa, none of them are same, Savannah Parks with Wildlife in abundance, Ancient Forest with half of the mountain gorillas in the world in it. Jungle Swamps and Rain forests filled with screeching Chimpanzees and other primates. The tallest Mountain Range in Africa, Dormant Volcanoes to Climb.

Kidepo Valley National Park is a fabulous wildlife park in North eastern Uganda – when on a game drive you have the feeling that you are all alone here and alone you are in the most remote park in Uganda and for that matter East Africa. Kidepo Valley Park is a rugged, beautiful park that is like the Africa that you imagined it to be, but only better.  A park not to be missed.  It is on many people’s bucket list and yet it receives less than 10 visitors per day.

Murchison Falls National Park is the best all-around park in Uganda (due to travel time) with the most powerful waterfall in the world and the historic River Nile Running through it.  Murchison Falls National Park is also the most popular and most visited park in Uganda

Queen Elizabeth Park – one of Uganda’s favourite National Parks Queen Elizabeth National Park. You can easily spend a week here or longer Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda is simply a tapestry of natural wonders and one of its advantages is that it is conveniently located, close to Bwindi Impenetrable Park, Kibale Forest and the Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon. A park fit for a queen, and yes Queen Elizabeth has visited here.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Southwest Uganda, home to over half of the Mountain Gorillas in the world, best spot for Birding in Africa.  Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is much more than Mountain Gorillas for you to partake in. (Gorilla Habituation Experience is now offered) There are the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Hiking Trails, the Batwa Experience , Biking through the Forest and more. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is not only home to Mountain Gorillas but a UNESCO World heritage, a prime birder site and anyone that would enjoy hiking through this ancient forest.

Kibale Forest – Discover Nature in the Rain forest Jungle of Kibale Forest where the West African Jungle Meets East Africa Kibale Forest National Park is the best place in East Africa for Chimpanzee Tracking and is mostly known for just that. There is however much more to Kibale Forest than the chimpanzees – there are 13 species of primates, 350 species of birds, over 200 species of butterflies, forest elephants, buffaloes, leopards and much more to be seen in this great park.

What to Know About Kibale Forest National Park

Kibale Forest is a national park located in southern Uganda protecting moist evergreen rain forest containing a diverse array of landscapes. Kibale Forest National Park has one of the highest diversity and concentration of primates in Africa. Kibale is not only the best place to track chimpanzees in Uganda, but also harbours its greatest primate diversity and a thrilling variety of forest birds.

Situated ideally in the heart of the Toro kingdom in western Uganda, near fort portal, the park lies close to the tranquil Ndali- Kasenda crater area and is within a half days’ drive of Queen Elizabeth, Rwenzori Mountains and Semliki National Parks. The 180km long migration corridor for wildlife also habits mammals like the elusive forest elephants, buffaloes, giant forest hogs and half a dozen antelope species, thereby making it one of the most stunning parks in Uganda.

The most famous destination for tracking chimps is Kibale Forest National Park, but you can do chimp tracking at Semliki wildlife reserve which is also a rain forest Jungle down the fabulous Albertine Rift Escarpment, Budongo Mahogany Forest at Murchison Falls, and Kyambura Gorge in Maramagambo forest located in Queen Elizabeth Park and Budongo forest which is located just near Murchison falls national park. The other place is Ngamba Island chimpanzee sanctuary where these orphaned primates are kept as well as the zoo at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre.

Primates are very common in Kibale National Forest. The forest has some of the highest abundances of species of primates in the area. There are many species of primates and these species persist in the less disturbed areas of the forest in their natural habitats. There are disturbances that are hindering some of these species.

Getting there:    

The 795 sq. km can be accessed from Uganda’s capital Kampala, along a newly surfaced road via Kasese near Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park can also be reached from Kampala via Mubende and fort portal or through Mbarara and Kamwenge. There is daily public transport between Kampala and fort portal by bus.

Kibale National Park has access to two airstrips; Nyakisharara airstrip in Mbarara about 98km through Kamwenge from Kanyanchu and Kasese air strip, 75km from fort portal town. It can also be reached from the airstrip in Toro / Semuliki wildlife reserve, only 86 km from Kanyanchu.

What to see
Kanyanchu, in the central part of Kibale, is the main trail head for the park’s famous forest walks, the most popular of which is the daily Primate Walk. There are 13 species of primate to search for, including habituated chimpanzees. Bird watching, nature walks for both kids and adults and guided night treks are also available here.

Sebitoli Forest Camp, a secondary tourism center, is even easier to reach. This stands directly on the Kampala road, 12km before Fort Portal. Public transport runs throughout the day between Kampala and Fort Portal (passing Sebitoli) and Fort Portal and Kamwenge (passing Kanyanchu).

Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary

Rich in biodiversity and beautiful scenery, the wetland is a birder’s paradise with about 138 species. Located outside the park in Magombe Swamp it also hosts eight species of primates including the black-and-white colobus, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed, L’Hoest’s and blue monkeys, and olive baboons. Bush bucks and mongooses can also be found here. The sanctuary was set up to preserve the exclusive environmental features along with the wetland and is managed by the local community.

Activities to do

Chimpanzee tracking

Tourists who visit Kibale forest enjoy the one hour with chimpanzee the most favorite of Kibale’s walks. The tracking starts from Kanyanchu Visitor center at 08.00 & 15.00 and lasts 2 to 3 hours. Chimpanzee are the most sought after primate by visitors, you will hear them hooting before you see them. You should look out for the black & white colobus, red tailed monkey or the grey cheeked mangabey. Your guides will be able to show you pittas & different bird species and will give details of the types of the plant species within the forest. This walk is for 6 people in a group. Advance booking is all-important especially during Peak Sea.

Chimpanzee Habituation Experience

The full-day Chimpanzee Habituation Experience (CHEX) works with a chimp community which is undergoing habituation. Early visitors can watch chimps leaving their overnight nests between 6:00 – 6:30am with an armed guide before feeding, copulating, hunting, breastfeeding, resting, patrolling and displaying until it is time to build new nests around 7pm.

Nature walks

This is an experience of the parks’ diverse habitats providing very close contact with nature. The walks begin at 08:00 am, 10:00 am, and 02:00 pm from Kanyanchu tourist centre and take about 2-3 hours. Remind your guide to show you the naked Adam and Eve tree, one of Kibale’s unique wonders.

Birding  

Kibale national park boasts of 372 bird species of which 60 percent are recorded Uganda’s forest birds. Bird watchers can spot various activities in the park. Also there is a night nature walk which allows visitors to track the unique species of birds, animals and insects such as Bat, Owl, Pottos, bush babies, civets, genet cats and Eastern needle nailed; that are most active at night.

Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary

This small sanctuary protects the Magombe swamp, adjacent to Bigodi trading centre and immediately outside the national park boundary. Located just outside the park, is home to 138 bird species which may be seen during guided walks along the boardwalk trail and viewing platforms. These could include the White-spotted Fluff tail, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Western Nicator, Grey-winged Robin-chat, White-tailed Ant-thrush, Brown-backed Scrub-robin, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, Superb Sunbird, Brown-crowned Tchegera, Boscage’s Bush-shrike, Black Bishop, White-breasted Negrofinch and Black-crowned Waxbill among others.

Where to stay

The park has excellent accommodation with Kibale primate lodge that is located in Kanyanchu. Others include up-market accommodation, tree houses and undemanding cottages are discovered at Sebitoli. Every accommodation has a campsite with a restaurant serving both local and international cuisine. Budget accommodation is also found at Bigodi, Nkingo and Ndali crater area. Ndali is well known for its up-market accommodation and other budget alternative such as Chimpanzee guesthouse along with Lake Nkuruba Fort Portal town also has high standard accommodation. Some of the places where to stay include;

  • Kluges Guest Farm
  • Kyaninga Lodge
  • National park Bandas and campsite
  • Ndali Lodge
  • Ntoroko UWA campsite
  • Rainbow Inn
  • Semuliki Safari Lodge

For more information visit http://www.budgetgorillatrekking.com/