5 Days –Flying Bwindi Gorilla Safari.
To enquire about rates, availability or to make a booking for this Bwindi Gorilla safari , please email us at tours@tourseastafrica.com or telephone/watsapp +44790.863.9450.
Arrive: Entebbe, Depart: Entebbe.
This is a 5 days Bwindi Uganda gorilla safari holiday. Arrive at Entebbe airport but instead of the 8hrs road transfer, you will be flying instead to an airstrip in Kisoro from where you will be transferred in a safari 4×4 vehicle to your accommodation in Nkuringo Bwindi. You will be staying at Bwindi Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge as the base of your mountain gorilla tracking safari. At the end of the gorilla tour you will depart by domestic flight from Kihihi back to Entebbe airport from where you will catch a connecting international departure flight to your next safari destination in Kenya or Tanzania or your flight back home.
Highlights:
· Mountain gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Uganda
· Fly to into Kisoro and fly out of Kihihi with daily departures and no minimum of participants.
· Nkuringo guided walking safari through local villages
· Bird watching
· Dug out canoe trip on Lake Mutanda.
Specially created for:
· Nature and bird watching enthusiasts
· Safari aficionados & folks for a dream to track the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
· Safari walking geeks.
· Adventure seeking travelers.
· Perfect for visitors who wish to trek the gorillas, but are not keen on 8hrs on the road and those who do not have enough holiday time for an extended safari.
Your abbreviated Safari!
Day 1:Arrival at Entebbe airport EBB and transfer to Boma Guest House . Later in the afternoon visit to Mabamba Swamp.O/N Boma Guest House.
Day 2 AeroLink Flight Entebbe/Kisoro – hike & canoe on Lake Mutanda – O/N Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge – Virunga Terrace Room or Private Cottage B, L, D
Day 3 Gorilla Tracking – Nkuringo or Rushaga gorilla groups O/N Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge – Virunga Terrace Room or Private Cottage B, L, D
Day 4 Nombe Forest (birding), Community tour and Buninga Forest (encounter with the Batwa) O/N Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge – Virunga Terrace Room or Private Cottage B, L, D
Day 5 Hike across Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to Buhoma – Transfer to Kihihi – AeroLink Flight Kihihi/Entebbe B, L B-Br
Detailed Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe & visit to Mabamba Swamp.
Arrival at Entebbe Airport EBB, where you will be met by our expert safari driver guide. He will brief you about your flying gorilla safari and then transfer you to either Boma Guest House or Entebbe airport Guest House. In the afternoon you depart with your safari guide to Mabamba swamp where you will get into a dug-out canoe and head into the swamp in search of the rare shoebill. You will have the opportunity to see other birds species too that call Mabamba home.
Later in the evening you return to the guest house for dinner and overnight.
O/N Boma Guest House or Entebbe Airport Guest House.
Day 2: AeroLink Flight to Kisoro, hike and canoe across Lake Mutanda.
Today we depart from the guest house after breakfast and be transferred a short drive distance to Entebbe airport for the Aerolink flight to Kisoro. You will have beautiful aerial views of the Pearl of Africa including beautiful landscapes, mountains, hills, cultivated sloping terraces, rainforests, bamboo forests, plus the imposing Virunga Volcanoes just before you land at Kisoro airstrip.
You will be met at Kisoro airstrip by our walking safari guide with a 4×4 vehicle. You will be briefed about the walking safari and other adventure activities for your safari in Bwindi over the next few days. You may be transferred direct to your accommodation if a walking safari is no your cup of tea.
For visitors who are undertaking the Nkuringo walking safari, you can choose to walk for anything from 1,5hrs for the 4km walk to Lake Mutanda Sheba’s Camp. Alternatively drive 30 minutes to Lake Mutanda and jump into a dugout canoe for a 3hrs boat ride across the serene Lake Mutanda, soaking in the dramatic views of the majestic Virunga volcanoes, Mgahinga and Bwindi Forests as you sail along on Lake Mutanda.
You will dock on the shores of Lake Mutanda and have lunch at a restaurant lakeside before continuing on foot to Rubuguri which is 9kms away from where you will meet up with the safari vehicle and then continue the drive for the next 10 kms to Bwindi Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge. It is also possible to forfeit the walk from the restaurant but instead be picked up in the safari vehicle for the drive all the way to Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge, saving you some energy require for the gorilla trek the following day.
Accommodation: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Virunga Terrace Room or Private cottage)
Meal Plan: Full Board
AeroLink flight schedule Entebbe – Kisoro (To be reconfirmed at the time of reservation):
January to 14th June & 16th September to December – Dept at 0745 and arrival at 0855
15th June to 15th September – Dept at 0700 and arrival at 0810
Day 3: Gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Park.
After breakfast you depart the lodge with packed lunch and transfer to the park headquarters for the 07:00am pre-gorilla tracking briefing. You will track either the Nkuringo gorilla family or the Rushaga gorilla group. You will be divided into groups of 8 persons each and later transferred to the gorilla trekking trailheads from where you will continue into the dense bamboo forest in search of the gorillas. You will be led by experienced gorilla tracking rangers whose jobs it is to locate the gorillas by establishing where the gorillas spent the night. The gorilla tracking rangers will be looking for overnight gorilla nests, fresh gorilla dung and freshly eaten bamboo shoots.
The time taken to find the gorillas will depend on a number of factors but majorly on how far up in the mountain rainforest the gorillas are ranging. The Nkuringo gorilla family tends to range higher up in the mountains and will usually take 8-9hrs to find. You require a certain level of fitness to track the Nkuringo gorilla group. Upon finding the gorillas, you will spend 1hr with them, observing them filming them, photographing them as they go about their daily lives, feeding, playing and the silverbacks protecting their babies. You will later descend to the base of the mountain and be transferred to the lodge and either be driven back or walk through the local village back to the safari lodge.
Accommodation: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Virunga Terrace Room or Private Cottage)
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 4: Community tour, Nombe and Buniga Forests (encounter with the Batwa).
Today morning you get a chance to bird watch in Nombe Pocket Forest which used to be part of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest but was carved off for the locals so that they get land to stay and cultivate for their livelihood. You may walk to Nombe or jump into a safari vehicle.
Lunch is planned back at Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge before an afternoon departure to Buniga for a forest trail walk where you also get to meet the Batwa community for a Batwa experience walk plus a chance to meet with a traditional herbalist and blacksmiths.
Accommodation: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Virunga Terrace Room or Private Cottage)
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 5: Hike across Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and then take an AeroLink flight Kihihi to Entebbe.
This is being an adventure focused safari, today after breakfast you drive 7kms along Nteko Ridget to the junction of Bwindi forest and the Ivy River Trail. It is here that you will commence the 13km hike. The walk will last about 5hours maximum. The highlight of the walking tour is the enriching knowledge that your safari walking guide will share with you regarding Bwindi Impenetrable forest. The walking trail is also used by the locals especially on market days as they walk from Nkuringo and Nteko to Buhoma. There is no driveable road between Nkuringo and Buhoma, vehicles have to detour through a road that is 170kms and drive lasting 7 to 8hrs.
Upon arrival at the Bwindi park headquarters in Buhoma you will meet up with your safari vehicle and continue to Kihihi Airstrip (60km – 1 hour) for your afternoon AeroLink flight to Entebbe.
End of safari.
AeroLink flight schedule Kihihi-Entebbe (To be reconfirmed at the time of reservation):
January to May & November to December – Dept at 1405 and arrival at 1555
01st June to 31st October – Dept at 1515 and arrival at 1625
If you wish to spend an extra night in Buhoma, you will be booked into either Mahogany Springs Lodge or Buhoma Haven Lodge to catch the morning flight from Kihihi Airstrip to Entebbe on the following day.
Included in the safari quote will be:
1 Gorilla tracking permit per person, Park/Forest Fees and Batwa Fees)
Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge for 3 nights in full board (Virunga Terrace Room)
Boma or Entebbe airport Guest House for 1 night on Bed & Breakfast basis
Lunch on Lake Mutanda on day 2
Snacks for the sundowner on day 3
Drinking water on safari (1 litre per person per day)
All the excursions and activities indicated in the itinerary (canoe ride, walks etc) under the guidance of a professional English-speaking Walking Guide.
One porter per person for the hike across Bwindi Forest (max 1 main bag of 15 kg)
Support of a private 4×4 vehicle with experienced English-speaking driver-guide, from the morning of day 2 to the afternoon of day 5 (6 seater)
Transfers in Entebbe, Kisoro-Nkuringo and Buhoma-Kihihi
Wi-Fi (in main areas of the Guest House and Lodge)
Government taxes
Excluded from the above quote:
AeroLink Flights Entebbe – Kisoro and Kihihi – Entebbe
All drinks, including the drinks for the sundowner on Day 3
Extra porters for the hike across Bwindi due to excess of baggage
Uganda Entry Visa fee
International air flights
Any optional activity not indicated in above program
Laundry Services
Gratuities and Tips
Baggage: there is a maximum allowance of 15kg per person – for the domestic flights excess baggage is subject to space availability and is charged USD3 per each extra kg; for the Bwindi Forest hike, excess weight will mean a second porter (extra charge)