Uganda wildlife holiday itinerary
Day 1 Entebbe Our rooms are centred around a beautiful garden full of birds - the perfect haven to chill out after your journey - or practice some photography. The tree lined streets of Entebbe shelter plenty of other birds with Hornbills and giant Marabou storks common - even in the town. We'll visit Entebbe's botanical gardens which slope down to the northern shores of lake Victoria; get our first sightings of black and white Colobus monkeys and watch the sun set before our evening meal. And all this - just 15mins drive from the airport ! Day 2 Mabamba Swamp One hour from Entebbe will bring us to the
Mabamba swamp where we'll canoe in search of the prehistoric looking Shoebill. Standing up to 4 feet tall - with a bulbous bill and striking stare - it bears more than a passing resemblance to a Dodo. Other bird life here is outstanding; from Kingfishers darting overhead to Jacanas gingerly stepping on lily pads with their delicate feet. Day 3 Kibale It will take us about 5/6 hours to drive to Kibale - stopping for lunch on the way - until we reach the Kibale forest lodge which is a comfortable tented safari camp nestled amongst mature trees. Days 4 & 5 will be spent exploring the surrounding area. The crater lake district gives us deep, clear lakes surrounded by lush verdant slopes, characteristic of the rich volcanic soil. Here exotic flowers entice brilliantly coloured sunbirds to their nectar. The Bigodi wetland sanctuary is a wonderful project where all the money raised from visitors goes back into local community projects. It also protects the Mgombe forest which is home to numerous birds including the vibrant Blue Turaco and several primate species which we'll see up close. Day 6 Three hour drive to Queen Elizabeth national park where we'll spend the 
next 3 nights staying at the lovely Queen Elizabeth bush lodge. Day 7 Chimpanzee day ! Exclusive to our group we have permits to track chimpanzees in the Revirine forest, Kyambura gorge which is under an hours drive from our safari lodge. It's exciting tracking chimpanzees - this is no static encounter. You'll be brushing through forest, following their squeals, bangs & hoots until you meet our closest relative in their natural habitat. DAY 8 Game drives exploring the savannah plains of Queen Elizabeth national park where we'll see lots of classic African wildlife. From elephants lumbering across the savannah to rivers full of wallowing hippos; we'll drive to huge fig trees where Ishasha's famous tree climbing lions shelter from the heat of the sun ... a truly magical encounter. DAY 9 5 hour drive to stay the night on the shores of lake Bunyonyi. DAY 10 Beautifully scenic drive around lake Bunyonyi until we arrive in Kisoro where 
we'll spend the next 3 nights staying at the lovely Traveller's rest house. Dian Fossey used to stay here regularly and you'll feel a sense of expectation - knowing that tomorrow we'll come face to face with mountain gorillas in the wild. Day 11 Exclusive to our group we have permits to track one of the habituated families of mountain gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable forest. Early morning we'll trek up forest paths - mist hanging in the air - until we find these great apes. It's a humbling experience sitting just metres away from such iconic animals. Watching the Silverback munch on bamboo while babies roll around on the forest floor has to be one of the world's greatest wildlife encounters. Day 12 Tracking golden monkeys. These beautiful primates are naturally shy of humans but after years of patient work they've managed to habituate a group in the bamboo forests near Kisoro. Catch them in a ray of sunlight and you’ll see their luminescent faces, peeking through the foliage, gentle eyes staring back at you. 
DAY 13 Drive to lake Mburo where we'll spend the night in this gem of a national park - a cluster of lakes surrounded by savannah plains. DAY 14 Arrive back in Entebbe. Depending on your international flight timings you can either stay another night or head on home.