iExplore Uganda: Gorilla Tracking

Bwindi is situated on Uganda's extreme western border, very close to the geographical heart of Africa where the confluence of the Rift Valley and the Great Lakes have created an eco-system that perhaps defines the very essence of the continent. Fittingly, Bwindi is one of the most biologically diverse areas on Earth, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is an enduring pocket of a huge primeval forest that once stretched from the Virunga Volcanoes in the South to the Rwenzori Mountains in the North. The fertile 331 square kilometres of the park contain 113 species of mammals (including a herd of the rare forest elephant), 200 species of butterfly, over 360 species of birds and a prodigious 324 tree varieties (10 of which are endemic to the park). In addition to this incredible diversity, Bwindi is home to seven species of primates, attracting the attention of international conservation efforts, of which the most endangered is that elusive giant of Africa-- the Mountain Gorilla. Only 600 of these magnificent animals remain worldwide, and Bwindi is home to just over half of them.

Price

From: GBP1949 per person (5 Days)

Price Includes

• Accommodation in standard twin rooms
• Meals as indicated in the daily meal plan
• Soft drinks, bottled water, beers, laundry and house wine at the Gorilla Forest Camp
• All road and internal air transfers as indicated
• All activities described in the itinerary, unless specified as extras
• Medical Evacuation Service

Price Excludes

• ·International Air Fares, entry visa fees, domestic and international departure tax ·Gorilla permits x2 ($500 per day) ·Beverages other than mineral water in the vehicle ·Bottled wine, spirits and champagne at the Gorilla Forest Camp ·All expenses of a personal nature ·Tips and gratuities for your driver/guide hotel/camp staff etc. ·Travel Insurance

Day 01: Arrive Entebbe, Uganda
Arrive Entebbe and transfer to the hotel for check-in. Imperial Resort Beach Hotel (D)

Day 02: Entebbe - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Transfer to the Entebbe airport. Board your chartered bush plane for flight to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world. Upon landing on the Bwindi airstrip, you will met by a Gorilla Forest Camp representative for short road transfer to the camp. The Gorilla Forest Camp is a permanent luxury tented camp nestled in the mist-swathed rainforests of a mountainside in the heart of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The exclusive location – the sole property within the park’s boundaries - afford Gorilla Forest Camp the status of being the ideal base for gorilla tracking, primate viewing and birding excursions in the park. After dinner, retire for the night, lulled to sleep by the sounds of one of Africa’s most incredible natural environments. Gorilla Forest Camp (B,L,D)

Day 03: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Depart early morning on gorilla tracking excursions (through densely forested, steep terrain) that vary in length depending on the location of accessible gorilla families. Chances are excellent that you will spend time each day in the company of these magnificent creatures. Gorilla Forest Camp (B,L,D)

Day 04: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Another full day of guided Gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi are part of a worldwide population of just 600 individuals. The gorillas we are allowed to track belong either one of two habituated family groups. For up to five years each, these groups have undergone an extremely delicate process that has gradually brought them to tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period every day and allowed a few privileged visitors to interact with them in the wild. The gorillas are by no means tame, and are completely wild animals. However, experienced guides will accompany us on our tracking, many of who have been involved in the habituation process themselves. The guides will use their knowledge of the gorillas’ habits and information from the previous day to locate the group’s whereabouts. Because of this, the time taken to track the gorillas varies enormously, from as little as half an hour to as much as 9 hours before one returns to camp. Once the gorillas are located, our group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. This is one of the world’s truly memorable experiences – a look into one of these magnificent creatures eyes brings home the bond that exists between them and us. It also brings home the poignant fact that they are on the edge of extinction, and that our presence here contributes to ensuring their continued survival. The hour is often over all too quickly, and we slowly make our way back to camp to recount the day’s adventures. Gorilla Forest Camp (B,L,D)

Day 05: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park - Entebbe - Depart
After breakfast, you are transferred to the Bwindi airstrip by Gorilla Forest Camp vehicle. Board your private bush plane charter for the return flight to Entebbe. Both the flight to Bwindi and the return flight are quite scenic. The huge vistas that open up on our one-and-a-half-hour journey belie Uganda’s small size. We see in the distance the hills and plains of Rwanda and Tanzania and the Rift Valley dropping away from us towards Lake Edward and the Congo. Below us rolling ranchland soon gives way to dry scrub and gigantic wetlands just before our final approach over Lake Victoria. Arrive at Entebbe Airport in time for your departure flight. (B)