Itinerary Details
MT Sobek: Uganda Gorilla Safari
Day 1 Arrive in Entebbe, Uganda
5-minute private van transfer
Welcome to Uganda! Upon arrival in Entebbe, meet a MT Sobek representative outside the customs and immigration area at the airport, for your transfer to the hotel. Enjoy a welcome dinner this evening.
Accommodation: Protea Hotel Entebbe
(D)
Day 2 Explore Kibale Forest
7-hour private 4x4 vehicle transfer
This morning board a 4X4 vehicle and drive into Uganda's lush countryside, a country that Winston Churchill once described as "the pearl of Africa." Pass through gorgeous scenery featuring farmsteads loaded with bananas and other tropical trees, scenic wetlands, and patches of bush and forest. Continue on to the hill country below the Rwenzori mountains, through beautiful tea plantations and parts of the tropical Kibale forest, where you may spot some monkeys.
Accommodation: Ndali Lodge
(B, L, D)
Day 3 Organic Farm Walk & Crater Lake Explorations
AM 2-3 hour farm walk; PM 2-3 hour choice of activity
Start the day with a stroll around beautiful Ndali Estate, a mixed tropical farm located on the fertile volcanic fields of Western Uganda. Learn how the farm processes and exports coffee, chocolate, and vanilla along with several other crops. This afternoon, choose from a leisurely crater rim walk, swimming, kayaking, or try stand-up paddle boarding. On clear days it's possible to see the Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon, the tallest African mountain range, from the crater rim. After your serene afternoon, tuck in to a sumptuous dinner in your cozy lodge.
Accommodation: Ndali Lodge
(B, L, D)
Day 4 Track Chimps in Kibale National Park
8-hours chimp habituation
You will depart early this morning with a packed breakfast and spend most of the day in the forest and up to 4 hours observing the chimps! Follow experienced ranger-guides and a tracker, listening out for the chimps' pant-hooting calls on your way to their nesting site. An early start means the opportunity to see them waking up, stretching, and descending from the tree tops. As the day goes on, you'll quietly witness their routines, see them eat, and watch the group's social interactions. Late in the afternoon, you will say farewell (and goodnight) to the chimps and head back to park headquarters.
(B, L, D)
Day 5 Bigodi Community Walk & Wildlife River Cruise
3-hour private 4x4 vehicle transfer, 2-hour boat safari
AM 3 hour village walk; PM 2 hour river cruise
This morning, meander through Bigodi village and enjoy a chance to meet some residents. See how baskets are woven from local materials, learn how coffee is grown, or get the inside scoop on the banana beer brewing process! This is an opportunity to empower this community and support improvements like access to medical care and educational resources. End your village experience with a traditional Ugandan lunch before driving to Queen Elizabeth National Park along the eastern length of the Rwenzori Mountains, with views of their glaciated peaks, and into the Great African Rift valley. Set out on a 2-hour launch trip on the Kazinga Channel to view the prolific bird life and wildlife as well as small fishing villages. The channel is home to one of the largest concentration of hippo in the world - reported to be about 30,000. Around sundown arrive at your lodge, perched on the Great Rift escarpment, for dinner and relaxation.
Accommodation: Twin Lakes Lodge
(B, L, D)
Day 6 Track Lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park
AM lion tracking drive; PM safari game drive
Rise early and join a researcher to learn about the important work of the Uganda Carnivore Program (UCP) and their dedication to the research and conservation of Uganda's large carnivores including lions, leopards, and hyenas. They will educate you about the carnivores and how they use radio telemetry to track collared wildlife. Tracking with the UCP gives you access to off-road locations throughout Queen Elizabeth National Park, otherwise off limits to travelers. This afternoon you will be back on the roads, exploring the park in hopes of additional wildlife sightings.
Accommodation: Twin Lakes Lodge
(B, L, D)
Day 7 Safari in Ishasha & Empower Ugandan Women
4-5 hour transfer including game drive, PM community connection
Head out to explore the Ishasha region of Queen Elizabeth National Park, enroute to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Keep an eye out for the many antelope species, including the graceful kob and colorful topi, as well as other game in the area such as elephant, and buffalo. If lucky, you may even spot the elusive tree-climbing lions. After settling into your mountain lodge, visit Ride 4 a Woman, a community center which supports local women from 11 nearby villages to empower them to better their lives and those of their families. While onsite, take part in one of the sessions where you can learn to pedal sew; weave baskets; dance, sing, and drum; or cook a local dish. Activities vary and will be determined at the day and time of your visit.
Accommodation: Mahogany Springs
(B, L, D)
Day 8 Forest Gorilla Trek in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
AM-PM 1-7 hours gorilla trekking: PM community connection
After breakfast, report to the ranger station for a talk on the etiquette of gorilla tracking, then hike with a guide and tracker through misty rainforest to encounter these wild creatures. Trekking can take anywhere from 2 to 7 hours, on rough and at times muddy terrain. You'll forget any fatigue once you lay your eyes on your first mountain gorilla - the experience of seeing these gentle giants at close range and in the wild is among the most extraordinary nature can provide. Following your gorilla trek, rest at the lodge or time permitting choose to return to Ride 4 a Woman to spend time with the women and try your hand at another skill.
Accommodation: Mahogany Springs
(B, L, D)
Day 9 Encounter Mountain Gorillas
1-7 hours gorilla trekking & wildlife watching
Rise early for another full day of gorilla tracking. Hike through the bush, pushing your way through the undergrowth and parting thick creepers. You will have one hour with these gentle giants of the African forest after first encountering them. Bwindi is renowned for its mountain gorilla population, an estimated 280-320 individuals living in 15 groups. Looking deep into their expressive brown eyes is an unparalleled experience. Look out for other wildlife as you trek through the forest, including yellow-backed duikers and a variety of birds.
(B, L, D)
Day 10 Fly to Entebbe and Bid Farewell to Uganda
1.5-hour private transfer, 1.5 hour flight
This morning after an early breakfast, bid farewell to the bush and transfer to the airport for a flight back to Entebbe, scheduled to depart Kihihi airstrip at 9:45 am, arriving at Entebbe at approximately 11:25 am. Enjoy access to a dayroom at Protea Hotel (available until 6:00 pm) before your transfer to the airport for your flight back home.
(B, L)
