4 days Uganda gorilla tour from Kigali is an affordable and short 3 nights/4 days Uganda gorilla trekking safari & wildlife safari to Uganda from Kigali Rwanda, offering a once-in-a-lifetime experience Uganda gorilla trekking from Kigali in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, game walking safari in Lake Mburo National Park, boat cruise on Lake Mburo and a canoe ride on Lake Bunyonyi within the shortest time possible.
It is highly recommended to those who are interested in trekking mountain gorillas of Uganda at a lower rate of 700 $ compared to the 1500$ in Rwanda.
Your tour begins in the beautiful Rwanda capital of Kigali. From there, drive to Uganda via the Katuna border with a stop at Igongo Cultural Centre for traditional lunch before reaching Lake Mburo NP for a game drive in search of Zebras, Giraffes, Elands, Impalas, Buffalos, Oribi, Waterbucks, Topis, and reedbuck. There are also other options of a boat cruise on Lake Mburo and a night game drive in search of nocturnal creatures such as Bushbabies, Pottos, Hyenas, and perhaps even a leopard.
From Mburo, drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which is home to several family groups of mountain gorillas, the largest of the great apes but also perhaps the gentlest. 20 of these groups have been habituated so that people can spend an hour in their humbling presence. Trek through the dense jungle to find a family of gorillas going about their day each with its personalities, from cocky adolescents and wise mothers to young ones rolling through the bamboo under the ever-watchful eye of a dominant male, called Silverback.
After your ultimate gorilla trek in Bwindi, proceed to Lake Bunyonyi, “the place of many little birds” – a wondrous marvel for relaxation, sightseeing, and canoe ride to some of its 29 islands. Depart Bunyonyi and transfer back to Rwanda to Kigali International Airport for your flight out. A visit to Kigali Genocide Memorial can also be arranged to explore the account of what transpired in the Rwanda genocide horror of 1994 in which almost 1 million people lost their lives in just 100 days.
Trek gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site
Game drive in Lake Mburo NP in search of Zebras, Giraffes, Impalas, Buffalos, and more
Take a walk amongst the wild mammals of Lake Mburo National Park
Traditional lunch at Igongo Cultural Centre
Relaxation and sightseeing on the Lake Bunyonyi
Canoe ride to some of the 29 islands of Lake Bunyonyi, Africa’s second deepest lake
Prolific birding opportunities in Bwindi and Lake Mburo National Parks
Scenic views of the rolling hills as you drive from Kigali to Uganda
Visit Kigali Genocide Memoria (Optional)
Day 1: Lake Mburo National Park & Uganda Igongo Cultural Centre
Day 2: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 3: Lake Bunyonyi
Day 4: Kigali Rwanda
Day 1: Transfer from Kigali to Lake Mburo National Park. Make a stop at Uganda Igongo Cultural Centre & do an afternoon game drive on arrival. Optional afternoon boat cruise & night game drive.
Day 2: Enjoy a game-walking safari & drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with an en-route stop at Igongo Cultural Center for lunch (traditional dishes).
Day 3: Do Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi & transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation.
Day 4: Relaxed breakfast, a canoe ride on Lake Bunyonyi & transfer to Kigali Rwanda
After an early breakfast from your place of stay in Kigali at around 6.00 am, embark on a 309km drive (7 hours) drive to Uganda’s Lake Mburo National Park via Katuna-Kabale-Mbarara road with a lunch stop at Uganda’s Igongo Cultural Centre, a huge commercial enterprise with conference facilities, a five-star hotel, a top restaurant, craft centers and shops, and luckily also one of the best museums in all of Uganda.
After lunch, proceed on your way and then enter Lake Mburo Park. The 370km2 is the smallest savannah park in Uganda. It is a superb wetland and Acacia savanna sanctuary that is a famous spot for birders. Together with 13 other lakes in the area, Lake Mburo forms part of a 50km-long wetland system linked by a swamp. Five of these lakes lie within the park’s borders.
You then do an afternoon game drive in the park exploring the impressive savannah landscapes with chances of spotting Impalas, Burchell’s Zebra, Cape buffaloes, Common Elands, Defassa waterbucks, Bohor reedbuck, and Rothschild’s giraffes plus much more as the checklist of mammals reaches 68 species. Lake Mburo Park is also home to 350 bird species. Look out for the localized Red-faced Barbet, Rufous-bellied Heron, African Marsh Harrier, White-backed, Lappet-faced and White-headed Vulture, Brown Snake Eagle, African Hawk-eagle, Bateleur, Coqui Francolin, Black-bellied Bustard, Red-headed Lovebird, Ross’s Turaco, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Green Wood Hoopoe, Common Scimitarbill, White-headed Barbet and Nubian Woodpecker. The sunset views of the savannah are also rewarding.
Alternatively, the afternoon can be allocated to a thrilling boat ride on Lake Mburo. The possible sights of Nile crocodile, Hippos, wild game drinking on the shores, birds such as African fish eagle, African Finfoot among may be realized. You also opt for a night game drive that starts at 7 pm, with chances of spotting nocturnal animals including Bushbabies, Pottos, Bush pigs, spotted hyena, Porcupine, White-tailed mongoose, side-striped jackal, and perhaps even a leopard. Retire for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
The highlights of the day: – The scenic drive through the rolling hills of Rwanda to Uganda and the evening game walk in Lake Mburo National Park.
Luxury: – Mihingo Safari Lodge
Mid-range:- Rwakobo Rock/Arcadia Cottages Mburo/Mpogo Safari Lodge
Budget: – Eagles Nest Mburo
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive distance & time: – Approx. 309km or 7 hours
Enjoy an early breakfast at 6.00 am and at 7 am, embark on 2 hours walking safari through Lake Mburo National Park’s moist savannah landscapes in search of a wild game like Zebras, Impalas, warthogs, elands, and waterbucks among others. The sights of birds and the ancient Precambrian rocks believed to be over 500 years old would also make the encounter worthwhile.
From the walking safari, head southwest with a stop at Igongo Cultural Centre for lunch (traditional dishes) before reaching Bwindi. The wonderful 321 km² Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a swath of steep mountains covered in the thick, steamy jungle within which dwell nearly half of the world’s population of Mountain gorillas, 120 species of other mammals, 350 species of birds, and 220 butterfly species. Declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1994, Bwindi is one of Africa’s most ancient habitats that survived the last Ice Age as most of the continent’s other forests disappeared.
The highlight of the day: – Walking amongst the wild mammals of Lake Mburo National Park
Luxury/Upmarket: – Gorilla Forest Camp/Buhoma Lodge/Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
Mid-range/Moderate: – Gorilla Valley Lodge/Bakiga Lodge/Silverback Lodge
Budget/Basic: – Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge/Buhoma Community Rest Camp
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive Distance & time: – Approx.
This is a special day dedicated to mountain gorilla trekking, a bucket list experience that naturalists from all over the world dream of doing! Have your breakfast at the lodge at 6.00 am and transfer to the respective park headquarters to get briefed by the expert local guides. At 8 am, embark on an exhilarating trek within the impenetrable forest in search of these great mountain creatures.
Gorilla trekking takes 2-8 hours including the 1 hour of direct encounter with the gorillas. The trek is tiresome as the forest can be quite wet and the going fairly steep. But trust me, the bit of exercise is very well rewarded by meeting these incredible creatures. This is one of the most moving wildlife experiences in Africa – arguably in the world. Put down your camera and sit awhile, just observing their social rituals, the keenness of their relationships, and the depth and range of their emotions. There are only a few hundred of these gentle giants left the planet, and watching them at the brink of potential extinction is, for many, a life-changing experience.
Although the gorillas are the highlight, other mammals that you be can find on your trek include Black-and-white colobus, L’Hoest’s monkeys, Red-tailed monkeys, and Blue monkeys plus numerous bird species. Following the trek, have a picnic lunch and return to the starting point for your gorilla trekking certificate. The transfer to Lake Bunyonyi enjoying the amazing sceneries of Kigezi Highlands. You spend the evening at leisure on the beautiful shores of Lake Bunyonyi, a picturesque, irregularly-shaped lake dotted with 29 islands of various shapes and sizes and surrounded by a ring of intensively terraced farms. The lake attracts a variety of birdlife – over 200 species, and the name Bunyonyi aptly means ‘place of many little birds.
The highlight of the day: – The face-to-face encounter with the endangered mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Luxury/Upmarket: – Birdnest @Bunyonyi Resort
Mid-range/Moderate: – Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort/Lake Bunyonyi Eco Resort
Budget/Basic: – Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive distance & time: – Approx. 82km or 2-3 hours
Activities & Services of the day:-
Optional activities you can choose to do on this day include:-
Enjoy a relaxed breakfast at around 8.30 am and then embark on a thrilling canoe ride on Lake Bunyonyi Uganda gaining sights of some of its 29 Islands; interact with local fishermen or the Islanders as they connect to and from the mainland.
You can visit the Akampane (Punishment Island), a tiny island where unmarried girls who became pregnant would be exiled. Here, they faced one of two possible fates. Any man who did not own sufficient cows to pay for an untainted bride was permitted to fetch the disgraced girl from the island and make her his wife. Failing that, the girl would usually starve to death.
You can also visit the Bucuranuka (Upside down) Island which is believed to have buried a group of male revelers who refused to share their abundant stock of beer with an old lady who had embarked on a canoe to join them. Unfortunately for the drinking party, the woman was a sorceress. She returned to her canoe, paddled a safe distance away, and then used her magical powers to overturn the island-drowning everybody in the party and then flip it back the right way up as if nothing had happened.
From the activity, embark on the transfer to Kigali Rwanda 196km about 4hours drive via Katuna border post. An evening flight back home can be arranged or a visit to the Kigali genocide memorial at Gisozi to explore the account of what transpired in the 1994 tragic genocide that hit Rwanda.
The highlight of the day: – Exploring the magical lake Bunyonyi on the traditional dugout canoe.
Meal Plan: – Breakfast & Lunch
Drive distance & time: – Approx. 196km or 4hours
Activities & Services of the day:-
· Visit Kigali Genocide Memorial
End of the 4 Days Uganda Gorilla Tour from Kigali.
Cate
Samuel
Robert
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