This stunning tour takes you through two beautiful neighbouring countries, Uganda and Rwanda. The tour incorporates a range of interesting activities, to include game viewing, rhino tracking, chimpanzee tracking and tracking the incredible mountain gorilla of Rwanda.

 

Day One:  Arrival at Entebbe airport, meet and greet and transfer to the hotel in Kampala. Briefing. Time allowing we will visit the Kasubi (Royal) Tombs. No meals included. Overnight at Hotel Emin Pasha (garden room) or Grand Imperial Hotel.

 

Day Two:   Early breakfast, then we depart to Nakitoma to the recently opened Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary (170 Kms northwest from Kampala and half way to Murchison Falls National Park). Game drive and walk to track the white rhinos that are spending the hot hours mostly in the swampy areas . Then we proceed to Masindi, where we will have lunch at Court View Hotel. After lunch we continue our journey to Murchison Falls National Park. We drive in a beautiful landscape, land gets flat towards the north as you head to the bottom of the Victoria Nile. As we enter the national park, we will do a game drive on the way to our lodge. Check in and relax for the rest of the evening. Dinner and overnight at Paraa Safari Lodge or Red Chilli Camp (bandas or fix tents).

 

Day Three: Morning game drive in the northern bank of river Nile as we look out for the elephant, lion, Cape buffalo, Rhod’schild giraffe, hartebeest, Oribi, bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, spotted hyena and if lucky you could even spot the leopard. We will be back in time to have lunch at the lodge. In the afternoon we take a boat cruise upstream to the “bottom of the falls”. The Nile here gets calm at the base of the falls, we stop a few metres from the “Devil’s Cauldron” . where it compresses 47 meters to squeeze through a 6-meter canyon dropping 40 metres with a thunderous roar. En-route, marvel at the, hippos, crocodiles and over this 17 km stretch you may see elephants as well as a lot of bird species like Goliath heron, pelican bee– eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant and the rare shoebill stork. At this point we will get off the boat and, hike to the “top of the falls” to catch a close view of the beauty that forms the Murchison Falls. This is a pleasant guided walk that takes about one hour. Our driver will pick us from the top and then drive back to the lodge. Dinner and overnight at Paraa Safari Lodge or Red Chilli Camp (bandas or fix tents).

 

Day Four: This day we drive to Fort Portal via Hoima, in a breathtaking landscape that forms the Albertine western Rift Valley. It is a quite long drive ( 8 to 9 hours) but we will have several stop overs to relax, and sightseeing as we pass verdant countryside, traditional homesteads and farms. We will have our packed/picnic lunch on the way. Check in and relax for the rest of the evening. Dinner and overnight at Ndali Lodge or Rwenzori View Guest House.

 

Day Five: Early transfer to Kibale Forest NP, where all morning is dedicated to search for chimpanzees and other primate including: I’hoestes, red colobus, blues, red tailed and gray– cheeked mangabey . After we will stop in Fort Portal to have lunch, before proceeding to Queen Elisabeth NP / Peninsula sector where we will do a game drive in the crater lakes (Katwe) area, a stunning landscape where we will look for elephants, buffaloes, antelopes and if lucky even the leopard. Dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge or Kingfisher Kichwamba Lodge.

 

Day Six: In the early morning we do a game drive in the Kasenyi area, within QENP, on a look out for the lions, buffalos, elephants, and large numbers of Uganda Kobs and other antelopes. After lunch at our lodge we will go for a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, to look out for the hippos, great herds of bufallos, and lots of water birds. Dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge or Kingfisher Kichwamba Lodge.

 

Day Seven: In the early morning we do another game drive in the Kasenyi area, within QENP. After we will go back to the lodge bor breakfast, and then we drive to Ishasha, which is in the southern sector of Queen Elisabeth National Park. We will arrive in time for lunch at Wilderness Camp, before going for a game drive looking for the tree climbing lions and other game. Dinner and overnight at Ishasha Wilderness Camp

 

Day Eight: After early breakfast we will depart to Volcanoes NP (Rwanda), home of the endangered mountain gorilla. We will cross Kabale and Kisoro where we will stop for lunch at Traveller´s Rest (where Dian Fossey used to stay, resting from the long periods spent observing the mountain gorillas in the Virunga Volcanoes). Then we proceed to Cyanika´s border post, and after clearing we will continue to Ruhengeri and Kinigi, at the base of Sabinyo mountain (one of the Virunga Volcanoes). Dinner and overnight at Gorillas Nest Hotel or Asoferwa Kinigi Guest House.

 

Day Nine: After an early morning breakfast, we will be transferred to the national park headquarters for being briefed by the park rangers before departing for the hike in search for the Great Mountain Gorillas. The excursion in a thick rainforest and the interaction with the mountain ape, gives a wonderful experience in life. We will have lunch after returning to the hotel. In the afternoon we will depart to Kigali. Dinner at the hotel or restaurant. Overnight at Hotel des Mille Collines (pool side room) or Hotel Chez Lando.

Day Ten: Breakfast before being transferred to the airport for your departure flight.

 

End of services

 

 

Gorilla tracking permits are limited to 8 permits per gorilla family per day. In Rwanda, 56 permits are available per day and in Uganda, 32. Mgahinga has 8 per day. Gorilla permits currently cost $500 per permit. Permits cannot be reserved and as such, have to be bought and paid in full on date of booking. As such, there may be 24 permits available for a specific date when you make an enquiry and the next day, all permits may be sold. As such, once you have decided on your date of tracking, if permits are available we will request full payment for the permit. If by the time the funds are cleared the permits have been sold out, we will give a full refund. Once the permit is bought and secured, there is a 100% cancellation penalty. 

 

 

 

Prices are quoted FULL BOARD per person sharing and are based on the United States Dollar. Prices are subject to change until payment in full.

 

BASIC ACCOMMODATION

1 person                                           $            5,722.20

2 people per person sharing               $            3,852.80

3  people per person sharing              $            3,260.32

4  people per person sharing              $            2,940.26

5  people per person sharing              $            2,822.64

6 people per person sharing               $            2,694.45

Single Supplement                             $               247.52

                                                           

Accommodation Used

Cassia Lodge

Red Chilli Camp

Rwenzori View GH

Kingfisher Kichwamba Lodge

Wilderness Camp

La Palme Hotel

Hotel Chez Lando

                                                       

LUXURY ACCOMMODATION    

                                                    

From 1 March to 31 August 2009

1 person                                           $      6,792.50

2 people per person sharing               $      4,854.30

3  people per person sharing              $      4,272.40

4  people per person sharing              $      3,932.50

5  people per person sharing              $         596.20

6 people per person sharing               $         677.60

Single Supplement                              $      1,071.40

 

From 1 September to 31 December 2009

1 person                                   $      6,686.90

2 people per person sharing       $      4,748.70

3  people per person sharing      $      4,166.80

4  people per person sharing      $      3,826.90

5  people per person sharing      $         490.60

6 people per person sharing       $         572.00

Single Supplement                    $         852.50

 

Accommodation Used

Hotel Emin Pasha

Paraa Safari Lodge

Ndali Lodge

Kyambura Game Lodge or Katara Lodge

Wilderness Camp

Gorilla Mountain Lodge

Novotel Umubano or  Hotel des Mille Collines

 

Our prices include:-

Pick up at Entebbe airport and drop off at Kigali airport.

Accommodation (as indicated in the itinerary).

All Meals (as indicated in the itinerary).

Bottled mineral water while travelling

Transport in 4x4 safari vehicle with pop up roof (Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Hiace van, Land Rover or similar)

Activities as indicated in the itinerary and in the chart below.

English speaking guide/driver.

National Parks´ entrance fees as indicated below.

• Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary entrance fee – 1 day

• 1 game drive Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

• Murchison Falls entrance fee - 2 nights

• 1 game drive Murchison Falls NP - Northern bank

• Boat safari to Murchison Falls (bottom of the falls)

• Murchison Falls NP - Guided walk to the top of the falls

• Kibale NP entrance fee - 1 day

• Chimpanzee tracking permit for one day for Kibale Forest NP

• Queen Elisabeth NP entrance fee - 3 nights

• Boat Kazinga Channel in Queen Elisabeth NP

• 1 game drive Queen Elisabeth NP/Mweya sector – Katwe/crater lakes area

• 2 game drives Queen Elisabeth NP/Mweya sector - Kasenyi area

• 1 game drive Queen Elisabeth NP/Ishasha sector - Tree climbing lions

• Gorilla permit for one day for Volcanoes NP (Rwanda)

 

Our prices do not include

International flights and associated taxes

Drinks other than bottled water (sodas, beer, wine, spirits...)

Ugandan and Rwandan visas:

Uganda: single entry visa costs US$30 and it is required for all countries that require visas for Ugandans (principle of reciprocity). When returning to Uganda from Rwanda a transit visa valid for 7 days is needed, it costs US$15 (principle of reciprocity applies again).

The two people trekking the Rwenzoris will need a standard visa at $30.

Rwanda: Americans and Germans do not require visas. British and South Africans do require visas but they are acquired free of charge. Others must get a visa to entry Rwanda.

Mandatory Medical and travel insurance.

Tips for baggage and porterage

Items of a person nature

Any other concept not indicated as included.