This 6 Days Chimpanzee & Wildlife Safaris presents a mixed chimpanzee and wildlife encounters. This itinerary focuses on two national parks of Murchison Falls National Park and Kibale National Parks with en-routes to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to track the only rhinos in their natural sanctuary. On this trip expect to encounter some of the big five mammals or even having a full list of big five mammals, and will do a boat cruise to the source of the world’s most powerful waterfalls, visiting the top of the falls, tracking chimpanzee and visiting local community. This trip starts from Kampala goes to Murchison with an en-route to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, continues to Kibale and ends at Kibale National Park.
The means of transportation is road using the land cruiser 4×4 safari vehicle and the accommodation is midrange lodges/hotels. Every day of the trip starts with breakfast, has lunch en-route and ends as planned in the detailed itinerary.
Trip Summary
- Day1: Transfer to Murchison National Park, en-route to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
- Day2: Explore Murchison Falls National Park (game drive & boat cruise)
- Day3: Top of the falls, transfer to Kibale National Park
- Day4: Track chimpanzee, and Bigodi Community
- Day5: Visit the Amabere caves & Primate tracking at Bigodi Swamp
- Day6: Drive back to Kampala
Major activities
- Chimpanzee tracking, game drive, boat cruise, community visits, rhino tracking, Amabere caves, primate tracking and visiting the top of the falls.
Destinations;
- Murchison Falls National Park, Kibale National and Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Accommodation;
- Midrange
Transportation;
- 4×4 Land Cruiser with rooftop pop-up
Trip Details
Day1: Transfer to Murchison National Park, en-route to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
A driver guide from Entale African Safaris will pick you from your lodge or upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport and transfer you to Murchison Falls National Park. Suppose the transfer is done not beyond morning hours, gives an advantage for en-route to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to track the only rhinos in the nature sanctuary in Uganda. Tracking these only rhinos in wild hypes chances of ticking the Big five list of (rhinos, leopards, hippos, buffalos, and elephants). With lunch at Ziwa will drive to Murchison Falls National Park, reaching the park will be evening hours check-in at your lodge and rest for the next day.
Accommodation: Sambya River Lodge (half-board)
Day2: Explore Murchison Falls National Park (game drive & boat cruise)
After breakfast, drive for an early morning game drive on the northern section through different driving tracks searching for varieties of wildlife rewards including lion, elephants, buffalo, leopards, wild dogs, warthogs, several antelope species giraffes, zebras among so many animals plus different bird species among which include shoebills stork, very many land and aquatic bird species all are seen through drives in the savannahs decorated with woods. Among the common drive are the one going through pakuba tracks and those going to the delta. The game drive takes not beyond 3 hours, so you return and take a rest at your lodge with lunch.
Afternoon hours, at 3pm there is a boat launch which goes through the Victoria Nile sailing to the bottom of the falls. This boat launch is gifted with a lot of sightings among which are waterweeds harboring several aquatic lives includes hippos, crocodiles, monitor lizards, also you sight cliffs, watch land mammals drinking water and feeding at the river bank, and other are seen lousily relaxed.
Accommodation: Sambya River Lodge (full-board)
Day3: Top of the falls, transfer to Kibale National Park
This morning check-out of your lodge, will take a brief visit to the top of the falls, this rewards with sights of how huge waters force into a narrow gorge fuming throughout as it pours to form a brownish bubbling at the bottom and enjoy a moment of taking photographs at the top, and also take a short hike. Then embark on the drive to Kibale National Park, with lunch en-route takes about 5 hours reaching the park. Check-in at your lodge and relax.
Accommodation: Chimps Nest Lodge (half-board)
Day4: Track chimpanzee, and Bigodi Community
This morning drive Kanyachu center, the tracking starting point before 7:30am to be briefed on the tracking etiquette. Get grouped 8 trackers to track a single habituated chimpanzee community, at 8am under the lead of an armed ranger guide will roll into the forest to search for the apes. The track can last between 30 minutes to 3 hours to find the tracked community, and on finding the chimpanzees there is an hour in their presence. This moment is like nowhere in the jungle, to find yourself in the midst of these human closest relatives. After an hour in their presence, will walk back to the starting point, find your driver and drive back to your lodge to relax and refresh.
After lunch refreshments, drive to Bigodi community which is 6km from the park. This is less a cultural tour, but a community visit, this is a model community showing how the locals are benefiting from chimpanzee conservation. It’s great idea you support their initiatives one way to support their conservation programs where they make variety of craft souvenirs among which you can also buy. Then, drive and check-in at your lodge, refresh, and rest for the next day.
Accommodation: Chimps Nest Lodge (full-board)
Day5: Visit the Amabere caves & Primate tracking at Bigodi Swamp
This morning, take a relaxed morning drive to Amabere cave which is an historical site for the legendary Bachwezi dynasty. Visiting the caves, it’s an ambiance leading you into waterfalls under caves and walk within the fumes of thundering waterfalls with legendary tales about the culture of the sites. There are interesting tales about the Bachwezi dynasty which as once the dominant kingdom in the land. And will consider a trek hiking one of the amazing crater lakes which leads you for scenic view watching surrounding areas like Mountain of the Moon University, and Fort Portal City.
And will take a nature walk to Bigodi wetland which a breeding area for several primate species. Bigodi is an extension of Kibale Park harboring various wildlife including several bird species, different monkeys, and other land mammals. The nature walk is mainly to watch some of the primate species like black and white calobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, baboons, the watching statunga antelopes and several bird species.
Accommodation: Chimps Nest Lodge (half-board)
Day6: Drive back to Kampala
This morning will take a relaxed morning picnic breakfast, and can consider a short nature walk through the Kibale forest for one hour and embark on a drive back to Kampala. With lunch en-route at Mubende. Will reach Kampala in the late evening hours, and drop of will be at your hotel/lodge in Kampala/ Entebbe or at Entebbe International Airport for your next flight back home.
Trip inclusive;
- 4×4 safari vehicle
- All trip fuel
- All meals and soft drinks
- All Park entrances and activities
- Chimpanzee permits
- Accommodation
- Driver guide
Exclusive;
- Visa and air ticket
- Laundry
- All hard drinks
- Souvenirs
- Tips
- All international flights