Uganda Gorilla Adventure

View the Greatest Concentration of Primates in East Africa

Track and interact with endangered mountain gorillas. Play with baby chimps, track monkeys and wild chimps through the jungle and explore amazing game parks filled with elephants, buffalo and hippos.

Days 1-2 Kampala-Lake Victoria-Ngamba Island. Upon arrival we're transferred to our hotel in Kampala for visits to the Uganda Museum, Kasubi Tombs, and Namirembe Cathedral. The next day we're off to Lake Victoria for a boat trip to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, home to 40 orphaned chimpanzees.

Days 3-4 Kibale National Park. It's off to Kibale, which protects evergreen and semi-deciduous forest that harbors the greatest concentration of primates anywhere in East Africa. A network of trails allows us to follow chimps and other primates on their travels and delights birders as well with 335 recorded species. We may see forest elephants and buffalo, giant hogs and a half dozen species of antelope.

Days 5-7 Queen Elizabeth National Park. A birding walk in the Bigodi Swamp allows for spottings of kingfishers, rollers and hornbills. We depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to some of the most productive and scenic wildlife habitat in Africa and famous for volcanic cones, deep craters and sparkling crater lakes. Inhabitants consist of nearly 100 mammal and 600 bird species. Primates include chimps, colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys and olive baboons. On a game drive we're likely to meet grazing hippos and elephants, lions resting from the night's hunt, spotted hyenas, bushbucks, impala, jackal, leopard and warthogs. We hike through Maramagambo Forest to explore bat caves and pretty Blue Lake. A boat trip along the Kazinga Channel, linking Lakes Edward and George, offers wonderful chances for close-up wildlife encounters: hippo's huff and spray feet away from the boat while buffalo and elephant linger in the shallows.

Days 8-11 Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park-Entebbe. We drive through the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth, searching for tree-climbing lions before continuing on to Bwindi. Designated a World Heritage Site dedicated to their preservation, Bwindi is home to half the world's population of endangered mountain gorillas. For two days, we're up early for our trip's climax--tracking wild mountain gorillas in Bwindi's primeval forests. Experienced guides lead us through the rugged, often slippery terrain watching carefully for signs of activity. Once found, we sit among them listening and watching. We return to Entebee to connect with flights home.