Ultimate Gorilla Safari

Arrive in Entebbe and transfer to our hotel. If time permits, you may wish to visit the famous Entebbe Botanical Gardens nearby. Established in 1902, the gardens contain a diverse plant collection from tropical, subtropical and temperate zones. Also home to a wide variety of birds, the gardens offer an excellent introduction to Uganda’s avian species. Vervet and black-and-white colobus monkeys are commonly spotted here as well. Meet your Expedition Leader at a welcome dinner this evening, where we'll have a full orientation to our gorilla tour.

This morning we make a scenic drive to Murchison Falls National Park, stopping en route at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to track this endangered species. The only location in Uganda where we have an opportunity to see endangered rhinoceros, Ziwa gives us the chance to spot the full Big Five on our trip! Six southern white rhinos were introduced to Ziwa back in 2006, and since then, 26 successful births have brought the number to 32.

Continue to our destination of Murchison Falls National Park, covering almost 1,500 square miles of wild and varied terrain at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley. Diverse habitats—including savanna, acacia forest, Borassus palm forest, riverine woodlands and papyrus swamp—support a wide variety of wildlife. The park is bisected by the Victoria Nile, a turbulent stretch of whitewater forced through a narrow gap to plunge 140 feet over a sheer wall, creating a thunderous roar. While Murchison Falls is the most powerful waterfall in the world, the calm stretch of river below offers superb wildlife viewing, with elephant, giraffe, buffalo, hippo and Nile crocodile frequently in view. Launch trips to the base of the falls and Lake Albert Delta offer fine birdwatching, with a chance to see rare shoebill storks—a coveted sighting that draws birders to Uganda for this reason alone. The 1951 film The African Queen, starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, was filmed on Lake Albert and the Nile within the park. Other notable figures who have visited here include Theodore Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Ernest Hemingway.

We spend the next three nights in peaceful seclusion at Nat Hab’s private Murchison Bush Camp in the heart of this wildlife mecca. With just eight tents, the low-impact camp is set seasonally in a remote area with unsurpassed proximity for wildlife viewing—our location permits us to be first into the park each morning, far sooner than guests staying at outlying lodges. Enjoy total solitude and the safari ambience of a bygone era, with canvas tents and lantern-lit dining.

Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s richest wildlife enclave, with 144 mammal species including chimpanzees and Rothschild’s giraffe, Uganda’s largest population of Nile crocodiles among its 51 reptile species, and 550 bird species including shoebills, dwarf kingfisher, Goliath heron, great blue turaco and winged gray warbler. We scout for a wide variety of animals today, first on a private cruise in the Lake Albert Delta, where the Victoria Nile enters this swampy wetland as a sluggish stream, threading its way among small islands in a series of tributaries. The alluvial marsh is a designated Important Bird Area and one of the best birding locations in Africa, especially for aquatic birds—keep an eye out for African fish eagles among the 75+ species of waterbirds found here. In the distance, the Congo mountain ranges rise in undulating forested ridges on the horizon. After our cruise, we’re met by our safari vehicles for an afternoon game drive. We look for a great plethora of animals that could include buffalo, elephant, giraffe, Uganda kob, Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi, lion, leopard and side-striped jackal.

This morning we set off to go chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest Reserve. Located on the escarpment east of Lake Albert, this semi-deciduous tropical rainforest is noted for its large chimp population of approximately 600 individuals, and its native mahogany trees, with some old-growth specimens as tall as 200 feet still standing. The forest is also home to 360 bird species, some of which are endemic to this localized region, including the yellow-footed flycatcher. Research on Budongo’s chimpanzees began in the early 1960s, with the establishment of a forest reserve that later became the Budongo Conservation Field Station. Among a trio of pioneer researchers in the 1960s was Jane Goodall. This afternoon, we take another private boat cruise in search of wildlife along the river channels. In addition to the excitement of seeing scores of hippos and crocodiles, we also have good chances to spot elephants, giraffe, baboons, warthogs, and of course, countless beautiful birds. Our journey includes a voyage to the base of Murchison Falls, with a view into the Devil’s Cauldron, the foaming chaos created by the turbulent Nile River as it plummets over the cliff. We also pass the spot where Hemingway’s plane crashed when the celebrated author visited Uganda in 1954.

After a last morning game drive in Murchison Falls National Park, transfer to the airstrip for a scenic flight over Uganda’s verdant highlands to reach Kibale National Park. This equatorial rainforest reserve is home to one of the world's most important primate populations, including 1,300 chimpanzees. We go in search of them on a trek with local trackers who help us spot chimps and monkeys, with plenty of unhurried time to observe their entertaining antics. We may also see up to a hundred different bird species on a wetland sanctuary walk. An optional hike to one of the crater lakes near our lodge offers magnificent views from the rim. After a full and exhilarating day, settle into our thatched cottages at Ndali Lodge overlooking the ancient crater.

Depart for the local airstrip this morning for our flight to Kihihi, gateway to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and our gorilla-trekking base in the rainforest. The park, whose name references the dense, tangled forests it encompasses, is home to roughly half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Though best known for its outstanding gorilla viewing, it also provides refuge to chimpanzees, monkeys, elephants and various small antelope. Bwindi is also a top Uganda birding destination, with 23 of Uganda’s 24 Albertine Rift endemics, including threatened species such as African green broadbill and Shelley's crimson wing.

Within the World Heritage Site that is Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, discover one of nature travel’s peak experiences: a visit with wild gorillas in their natural habitat. Just over a thousand mountain gorillas remain in the world, and Bwindi is home to about 460—a population that is growing but still threatened by increasing human population and habitat loss in the surrounding area. Our safari includes two treks to spend time among the gorillas, often at very close range. Early in the morning, we head into the dense rainforest on a quest to locate one of the habituated family groups. Our local guides are expert trackers, reading signs of the gorillas’ recent presence in the undergrowth. We can’t predict how long it will take to locate them, but finally, we hear and see a gorilla family, watching enrapt as they sit among the trees, chewing leaves, babies clinging to mothers’ backs, juveniles swinging from branches, and a big male silverback surveying it all. It’s hard to tell who is more intrigued with the other, the gorillas or us! If time permits, we’ll visit Conservation Coffee, a local co-op of farmers who grow, process and roast beans to sell at a premium to benefit gorilla conservation. We may have a chance to walk through the coffee fields, pick some beans, and see firsthand how this sustainable community enterprise unfolds.

Leaving Bwindi, we descend to the Rift Valley floor, watching scenes of local life unfold along the way as we drive past villages and coffee plantations. Entering Rwanda, continue to Parc National des Volcans—Volcanoes National Park—named for the string of jungle-draped volcanoes inside its borders. The park is rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, with thick forests and steep-sided mountains rising to nearly 15,000 feet above sea level. Within the Virunga Range, the park is one of three areas where mountain gorillas reside. Our destination, Five Volcanoes, is a deluxe boutique lodge that provides an ideal gorilla trekking base for the next three nights. Set seamlessly into its lush surroundings with panoramic vistas of the mountains beyond, the lodge is just a short drive from the national park headquarters, where all gorilla trekking expeditions depart.

After breakfast, we drive to park headquarters for a briefing from our guides. This area is where Dian Fossey made her groundbreaking studies on mountain gorillas before she was killed in 1985, and her grave is nearby. Several habituated gorilla families live in the park, and we learn how important our ecotourism presence is to their survival before trekking in search of them. We set out early each morning along paths into the forest, eventually leaving trails behind as our trackers follow signs that lead them to the gorillas' current location. The altitude is above 8,200 feet, so while our pace is unhurried, the hike is tiring, lasting from 30 minutes to several hours. But what a reward: our goal is a chance to sit with a specific gorilla family that has become accustomed to visitors and is nonchalant about human contact—and we enjoy a full hour in their presence.

While gorillas are the highlight, even without them Volcanoes National Park would be fascinating. Its varied ecosystems shelter elephant, buffalo, giant forest hog, bush pig, bushbuck, duiker and spotted hyena, as well as a habituated group of endemic and highly endangered golden monkeys, which are our focus today. We spend the morning on a quest for these agile entertainers that swing through the forest canopy and delight us with their antics. Our environs are also home to 178 bird species, including at least 29 endemics found only in the Rwenzori and Virunga mountains. This afternoon, depart for Rwanda’s capital of Kigali. Visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial, a deeply moving tribute to the 800,000 people killed in Rwanda's 1994 genocide. Following a farewell lunch, our gorilla safari comes to a close as we transfer to the airport for departing flights.