5-Days Golden Monkeys & Gorillas Safari
From
Duration
Overview
The five-day golden monkeys and gorilla trips are designed to provide a blend of experiences, such as Ugandan gorilla trekking and golden monkey trekking, and blended with other activities, such as Batwa community tours.
Included/Exclude
- Airport transfers
- Park fees/charges
- Pick and drop services
- Drinking water during the safari/tour
- Outdoor activities (as per the itenerary)
- Accommodation (as per the itenerary)
- A professional driver/guide
- Transportation; 4*4 Jeep, Van, or by air (as per the itenerary)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Meals; full board or half-board (as per the itenerary)
- ** Any other inclusion as indicated in the itenerary
- Insurance (where applicable)
- International flights charges and fares
- Tips and gifts to service providers
- Any personal item that you may need during the tour
- Additional government imposed taxes and/or park fees
- Drinks and meals outside the tour package
- Visa charges
- Additional accommodation (as you may choose)
- Any other charges that may arise in due time
Tour Amenities
Tour Plan
You will meet company guides when you arrive at Entebbe International Airport, who will serve as your tour guides for the next 12 hours before the driver picks you up and takes you to Kampala. From the airport, it takes a little over an hour to go to Kampala. Locate your hotel, then check in to relax, have supper, and spend the night.
Accommodation: Kampala Sheraton Hotel for the luxury option, Fairway Hotel and Spa for the mid-range option, and Forest cottages for a budget option.
You will meet your safari guide as you embark on your adventure to Bwindi National Park, located in the Kisoro district in the far southwest of Uganda and near the borders with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since it is a lengthy trip, you will appreciate the en-route lunch and refreshment stops at the equator and in the town of Mbarara. Check into your accommodation for dinner and a night's relaxation after arriving in Kisoro town in the evening.
Accommodation: Chameleon Hill Lodge for luxury, Rushaga Gorilla Camp for a budget option, or Ichumbi Safari lodge for mid-range.
After a pleasant breakfast, depart for the park headquarters with a packed lunch for a briefing by the guides before entering the forest in your trekking attire, which should include trekking sticks, stockings for tacking in, good hiking shoes, long-sleeved shirts, and long pants, and a raincoat or jacket, to name a few. The gorilla trek in the Mgahinga National Park is similar to that in other trekking parks. Since gorillas roam the park freely and it is impossible to predict where they will be on any given day, trekking can take between 2 and 8 hours, depending on the gorillas' movements. However, because they were tracked daily, the rangers can locate them.
Once you've located them, you'll have an hour to spend watching, getting up close, and snapping pictures of the kind primates. When you return, you will meet your guide and take a transfer back to your lodge. Enjoy your dinner and sleep while gazing at the Virunga mountains.
Accommodation: Travelers Rest Hotel for a Budget option, Lake Mulehe Lodge for a Mid-Range option, and Lake Mutanda Safari Lodge for a Luxury option.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Travel back to the park, after breakfast with your lunch in tow while wearing your hiking gear. Walking follows the same route as the day before. Before you hike through the trail that could lead to where the Golden monkeys are, gather with other tourists at the park headquarters for a briefing on the Golden Monkeys. On a lucky day, you might run into the gorillas once again. Trekking could take 2 to 5 hours, depending on where they are. After meeting them, you will spend an hour with them before going back to meet your guide.
You will connect for a visit to the Batwa Community later in the day. The Batwa ethnic group lived in the forest before it was made into a national park. They are the Ugandan pygmies who lead a distinctive way of life. In the early days of African life, when food was obtained by hunting, gathering fruits and honey, and using medicinal herbs to treat illnesses, to name a few. A visit to this community will bring back memories of those times. Returning to your lodging later in the evening for dinner and an overnight stay.
After an early breakfast, depart the resort and start driving back to Kampala and Entebbe, stopping for lunch. You will be dropped off at a location you choose, including the airport, if you have a flight on this particular day, depending on your flight arrangements.
