This trip with certainly combine the best of both worlds as Uganda is blessed with a diverse array of primates and avian life. 7 days Uganda primates combined with birding will certainly get you an unforgettable wildlife and birding experience as you will get a chance to meet the magnificent mountain gorillas as Uganda harbors more than half of the world population, chimpanzees with other primates in their natural habitats and get a chance to see how they thrive with the avian overload of species as Uganda has 50% of the species in Africa and a diverse range of animals. Expect primates like mountain gorillas, gorillas, chimpanzees, blue monkeys, baboons, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, mangabeys, red colobuses, pottos, black and white colobus monkeys, l’hoest’s monkeys and many more; animals like lions, buffaloes, elephants, kobs, hippos, forest hogs, waterbucks, crocodiles, hippos, antelopes, hyenas, duikers, galagos, bush pig and more; birds like black bee-eater, back-billed turaco, regal sunbird, shelley’s crimsonwing, Ruwenzori nightjar, handsome spur fowl, handsome francolin, giant kingfisher, dusky crimsonwing, strange weaver, red-chested sunbird, mountain oriole, mountain masked apalis, pink-backed pelican, papyrus gonolek, African skimmer, African finfoot, western banded snake eagle, shoebill, great blue turaco, green-breasted pitta, Abyssinian ground thrush and many more; and the scenic views of the country side including the forests and everything that makes them forests. The trip will start from Kampala all the way to Bwindi forest, Queen Elizabeth, Kibale forest and back to Kampala.
You will get to an agreed point and will be met by a driver guide from Glory Summit Tours who will also brief you on how your trip will be for the next 7days after which you will set off for Bwindi which will take 8-9 hours. During the journey you will make two stops, at the Equator for picture moments and at the Igongo Cultural Center for lunch and also learn a little bit about the Ankole culture after which you will continue to Bwindi and arrive in time for dinner and check in the lodge for the night.
You will wake up early and have breakfast and head to the briefing spot by 7:30am where you shall be given the guidelines and safety precautions to be followed by a guide to ensure a smooth trek before you head into the forest to experience it. Depending on the targeted Gorilla families given to you to trek, the trekking will take between 30 minutes-6hours, it’s in this time that you shall get to see the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, how they live, care for each other, care for their young, how and when they eat, all this will be done with a guide and armed ranger on route with you. During the trek you will be given water and a snack for when you need it and you will have a chance to see birds like the African green broadbill, Rwenzori turaco, great blue turaco, handsome francolin, black collared apalis, blue-headed sunbird, yellow-eye black flycatcher, black-billed turaco and more. When done with the trekking, you will go back to your lodge and freshen up then have lunch. There after you will visit the Batwa people for a community tour. With the help of a local guide, you will be involved in different community activities like music, dance and drama, crafting and honey harvesting. Story telling will also be key as a way to learn the Batwa people’s history and what makes them an interesting group people. You will the return to the lodge, have dinner and end the day.
After breakfast, you will checkout of your lodging and exit Bwindi forest for Queen Elizabeth which will take about 6hours with a lunch stop in Mbarara. As you travel through the countryside, you’ll pass through rolling hills and verdant farmland. The landscape is dotted with small villages and homesteads, where locals tend to their crops and livestock against the backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountains in the distance and as you approach Queen Elizabeth the scenery transitions to open savannah plains dotted with acacia trees making a habitat for a variety of wildlife. You will arrive in the evening, check into your lodging for the night, have dinner and then retire for the night.
You will enjoy your breakfast then head out to Maramagambo forest for bird watching which will take about 3-4hours with a guide who will help with naming birds and any other information you might need in regards to the avian life. With the biggest number of bird species in Uganda you will see marabou stork, black cuckoo, little grebe, African finfoot, black coucal, Rwenzori turaco, blue-breasted king fisher, yellow bill, red-chested cuckoo, warblers, African green pigeon, papyrus gonolek, ross’s turaco, and many more. During the hike you will also see other chimpanzees, monkeys, elephants and bush pigs; after the hike you will head back to the lodge for lunch and after lunch you will head to Kazinga Channel and launch, the cruise will tale 3-4hours with a guide to avail answers for any questions you might have during the boat cruise and during the cruise you will see water animals like the hippopotamus, buffaloes, water bucks, crocodiles and bird species like African fish eagles, African skimmers, yellow-billed stork, martial eagle, white-tailed lark, little bee-eater, swamp nightjar, grey-capped warbler and many more. You will head back to the hotel in time for dinner and after dinner you can enjoy the evening by the fire as you relax for the night
After a good breakfast, you will check out of your lodging and exit Queen Elizabeth to Kibale forest which will take about 2-3hours. While on route you will see diverse range of landscapes, each with its own unique beauty. You will get to Kibale in time for lunch after which you will check in. With check in done, you will head out to the Bigodi sanctuary for a tour. Bigodi is a community and the sanctuary provides the basics like education, food, housing to the people in this community; with crafting and weaving as one of the many ways people in the community are supported to stay afloat. While at the sanctuary you will see birds like the great blue turaco, crowned eagles, pigeons, black bee-eaters; primates like olive baboons, vervet monkeys, Ugandan mangabeys and rarely chimpanzees while on the hike and this will take about 3hours. You will then return to the hotel in time for dinner after which you will take leave and rest for the night.
You wake up very early for breakfast, get ready with packed lunch and a snack, then you will head to the Kanyachu visitors center at 7:00am for briefing about the rules and how you are to behave while in the forest. With a guide, a research team and ranger you will head deep into the forest on a quest to find the chimpanzees intended for habituation and once found you will be given 4hours with them. During these 4hours, you will observe how they look after their young ones, how they copulate, feed, hunt, patrol and build their nests within their habitat and also you are allowed to take pictures to keep the memory alive of the process. You can also expect to see other primates like monkeys, mangabeys, pottos and baboons with birds like great blue turacos, pigeons, black bee-eater, little greenbul, black-eared ground thrush, black-capped apalis, crowned eagle, blue-headed sunbirds, woodland warbler, yellow-spotted nicator, purple-breasted sunbird and many more. This normally takes almost the whole day, so at the end you will be picked by the driver guide at the Kanyachu center, taken back to the lodge for freshening up before dinner and relaxation as the day comes to an end.
On the last day, you will checkout, have breakfast and then exit Kibale forest for Kampala city which will take about 6-7hours. On your way, you will have very beautiful views and a bit of nature through vegetation, chimps and other primates and birds. The scenic views will give a beautiful end to the touring the region with pictures for memories. You will have lunch in Mityana town then proceed to Kampala where you will be dropped off at the agreed point which will mark the end of the 7days Uganda primates combined with birding experience.
