5 Days Uganda Primate Safari – DETAILED SAFARI ITINERARY

Day 1 of the 5 Days Uganda Primate Safari: Transfer from Kampala to Kibale National Park, Visit Amabere Caves & Do a Nocturnal Walk in Kibale Forest.

After an early breakfast at the hotel in Kampala at around 6.30am, we will drive to Fort Portal Area to the west of Uganda. It is a drive of about 5 hours (300km). We will enjoy some wonderful scenery along the way: good views of rural landscapes, enroute towns, inselbergs of Mubende, swamps and forests both natural and plantation.  We will have lunch in Fort Portal town after which you undertake a heritage tour to Amabere cave which is named after the live stalactite formation, Amabeere ga Nyinamwiru (literally, Breast of Nyinamwiru).

These breast-like features in the caves are believed to have belonged to Nyinamwiru, the daughter King Bukuku who is said to have been so beautiful that no man could leave her alone. When Nyinamwiru father King Bukuku became weary of receiving marital requests from unsuitable suitors, he took the extreme measure of cutting off his daughter’s breasts in order to make her less attractive. But even this proved to be insufficient to deter Nyinamwiru many admirers, so the king hid her away in the cave now known as Amabere. Here, she was discovered by the Batembuzi King Isaza, who impregnated her with a son. Because Nyinamwiru lacked breasts, she stayed on in the cave with her baby, feeding him on the cloudy limestone ‘milk’ that drips from its stalactites. The child nurtured by the stalactite formation grew up and became king Ndahura, founder of the Bachwezi dynasty that ruled over the Bunyoro Kitara Empire centuries ago.

We will continue to Kibale National Park for relaxation and dinner. After dinner, we embark on a nocturnal walk through the darkened forest using powerful torches to seek nocturnal creatures such as the potto, bushbaby, nightjar, cricket and tree hyrax, with its chilling shriek, as well as the occasional civet or serval cat. Night walks leave the camp at 7.30pm and last between one and a half and two hours.

Highlight of the day: – The nocturnal walk in Kibale Forest National Park.

 

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Crater Safari Lodge/Kyaninga Lodge/Ndali Lodge

Midrange: – Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse/Kibale Forest Camp/ Turaco Tree Tops

Budget: – Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse/Kibale Forest Camp

 

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive distance & time: – Approx. 350km or 7-8 hours

 

Activities & Services:-

• Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
• Visit Amabeere Caves
• Nocturnal walk

Optional activities you can choose to do on this day:-

• Cycling in Mpanga tea estate

Day 2 of the 5 Days Uganda Primate Safari: Do Chimpanzee trekking/optional Chimpanzee Habituation in Kibale National Park.

After breakfast at around 6.00am, we connect to Kanyanchu Tourism Center to catch up with briefing before embarking on the chimpanzee tracking expedition which starts at 8.00am. Kibale Forest Park is a natural habitat and a popular destination for those looking for a close encounters with our closest non-human relatives. Kibale’s chimps have been tracked since 1993 and the chances of locating them are excellent. They are accustomed to human presence – some have been observed for over 25 years – and the chance of locating them is over 95%. Walks last between 2-5 hours. Contact time with chimpanzees is limited to one hour; group size is limited to 6 visitors; participants must be aged 12 or over.

Note: One can opt for a full day Chimpanzee Habituation Experience (CHEX) at only US$250. The Chimpanzee Habituation enables visitors to accompany researchers and habituators into the forest. The chimpanzee groups involved are less accustomed to human presence than those visited on the chimpanzee tracking expedition and following and viewing them is both exciting and challenging. You will watch chimpanzees leaving their overnight nests between 6:00 – 6:30am before feeding, copulating, hunting, breastfeeding, resting, patrolling and displaying until it is time to build new nests at around 7.00pm.

On your tour, you are likely to see numerous bird species  as Kibale is home to over 375 bird species as well as many of the 12 other primate species in the park including black and white colobus, Uganda red colobus, Grey-cheeked mangabey, Red tailed monkey, vervet monkey, and L’Hoest’s monkey. You retreat from the activity and connect to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Highlight of the day: – Encountering the Chimpanzees in Kibale National Park on foot.

 

Accommodation:-

Luxury: – Crater Safari Lodge/Kyaninga Lodge/Ndali Lodge

Midrange: – Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse/Kibale Forest Camp/ Turaco Tree Tops

Budget: – Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse/Kibale Forest Camp

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Activities & Services:-

• Chimpanzee tracking

Optional activity

• Chimpanzee Habituation Experience (CHEX)

Day 3 of the 5 Days Uganda Primate Safari: Drive to Semliki National Park. Visit the Sempaya hot springs and Batwa of Ntandi.

Drive to Semliki National Park after breakfast at your lodge 78km about 2 – 3 hours’ drive. You drive passed the town of Fort Portal which is one of the organized beautiful towns of Uganda before proceeding to Bundibugyo area welcomed by the views of the Mount Rwenzori block.

On arriving in Semliki National Park, you undertake the famous Sempaya Nature walk to explore the hot springs both the female and the male hot springs. The male hot spring also known as Bitente has a wider pool while the female hot spring Nyansimbi features hot boiling geyser that sprouts up to 2m high and boiling to more than 100 degrees Celsius.

You can boil some plantain or eggs to have picnic bites. The walk to the hot springs also exposes to the lush flora of Semliki Forest which is an extension of Congo forest biome. The Primate species like red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and black-and-white colobus monkeys can also be viewed. Among the more interesting birds regularly seen here are various forest hornbills, blue-breasted kingfisher, red-rumped and yellow-throated tinkerbirds, Frasier’s ant thrush, and honeyguide greenbul.

Retreat from the activity and connect to Ntandi to visit the Batwa people who are initially forest dwellers that were evicted to pave way for conservation. They dance for you and tell you stories of their ancient hunter gatherer culture. Retire for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Highlight of the day: – Exploring the Sempaya hotspring and a visit to the Batwa people.

 

Accommodation:-

Up market/Luxury: – Semuliki Safari Lodge

Moderate/Mid-range:- Nyati Game Lodge

Basic/Budget: – UWA Bandas Ntoroko/UWA Bandas Bumaga

 

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Drive distance & time: – Approx. 78km or 2-3 hours

 

Activities & Services:-

• Visit Sempaya hot springs
• Visit Batwa pygmies

Day 4 of 5 Days Uganda Primate Safari: Do Primate Walk in Semliki National Park.

After breakfast at around 7.00am, embark on  a full day primate walk in Semliki National Park to explore a range of primates including Grey cheeked mangabey, Olive Baboons, Black and white colobus Monkeys, Blue and red tailed monkey, Central African red colobus, De Brazza monkey, Dent’s Mona Monkey, Red-tailed monkeys, Grey-cheeked mangabeys, Blue monkeys, Vervet monkeys, and may be Chimpanzees.

As you search for the primates, you will also encounter several bird species. Of the 1073 birds recorded in Uganda, 441 bird species (41%) are found in Semuliki National Park including 35 Congo-Guinea biome species found nowhere else in East Africa such as Nkulengu rail, Congo serpent eagle, Gabon woodpecker, Spotted-breasted ibis, Hartlaub’s duck, Chestnut-flanked goshawk, Red-thighed sparrowhawk, Long-tailed hawk, Black-throated coucal, Chestnut owlet, Black-wattled hornbill, White-crested hornbill, Black dwarf hornbill, Red-bill hornbill, Red-rumped tinkerbird, Spotted honeyguide, Lyre-tailed honeyguide, Zenker’s honeyguide, African Piculet, Palm swamp greenbul, Simple greenbul, Sassi’s olive greenbul, Lowland akalat, Black-winged oriole, Maxwell’s black weaver, and Blue-bellied malimbe. Retire for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Highlight of the day: – The whole day primate walk in Semuliki National Park

 

Accommodation:-

Up market/Luxury: – Semuliki Safari Lodge

Moderate/Mid-range:- Nyati Game Lodge

Basic/Budget: – UWA Bandas Ntoroko/UWA Bandas Bumaga

 

Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Activities & Services:-

Primate walk

Optional activities you can choose to do on this day:-

Birding

Day 5 of 5 Days Uganda Primate Safari: Transfer back from Semliki to Kampala.

On this last day of our 5 Days Uganda primate safari, you will be served breakfast at around 7.30 am and then check out of the lodge. We will transfer back to Kampala with a stopover for lunch and another stopover at the Equator. Once you arrive in Kampala, you will tour around the city briefly and then be driven to Entebbe International Airport for departure.

Highlight of the day: –

Meal Plan: – Breakfast & Lunch.

Activities & Services:-

• Transfer to Kampala
• Photo shoots at the equator

End of the 5 Days Uganda Primate Safari

5 Days Uganda Primate Safari: − SAFARI INCLUSIONS

   Full time English professional safari driver guide

   4×4 safari van/ 4×4 Safari land cruiser with poop up roof for game viewing with functional A/C

   Full board accommodation

   Chimpanzee tracking/habituation experience permit fee

   Boat cruise fees

   Wi-Fi Internet on board the safari vehicle

   Bottled water

5 Days Uganda Primate Safari:− SAFARI EXCLUSIONS

   International &domestic flight fees

   Visa fees

   Laundry services

   Items of personal nature

   Gratuities and tips

   Other beverages/ drinks

   Other extras not mentioned in the itinerary above

Getting There for your 5 Days Uganda Flying Tour, Uganda Luxury Primate Safari flying to Kibale & Semuliki National Parks

Transport Means to Your Safari Destinations

Accommodations/ Safari Lodges/ Safari Hotels to Your Safari Destinations