6 Days Gorilla Trekking Adventure
This amazing adventure takes us to Bwindi ‘The Impenetrable Forest’ in Uganda’s mountainous far southwestern tip where you will have the opportunity to track Mountain Gorillas. This action filled excursion will take you also to Mgahinga National Park where you will trek up Mount Sabinyo 3,645m one of the region’s inactive volcanoes. You will have the opportunity to get up close to another endangered species, the Golden Monkey in its natural habitat of bamboo forest. Local tribesmen will pilot dug-out canoes as we traverse Lake Mutanda.
Bwindi ‘the impenetrable forest’ home to one of the richest ecosystems in Africa. Mountain Gorillas are one of the world’s most endangered apes. It is estimated that there are only about 880 left throughout the world. Almost half of them can be found in Uganda, and populations can also be found in neighbouring Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo.
On your arrival we will meet you at Entebbe International Airport and will transfer you to Papyrus Guesthouse; your accommodation for tonight.
Overnight at Papyrus Guest House (B&B)
After an early breakfast and briefing we will fly you to Kisoro in southern Uganda. During the short flight you will be able to see Uganda´s diversity from high up. We will pick you up from the airstrip and drive you up to Nkuringo. A short distance that can take up to 2 hours.
Nkuringo Gorilla Camp is set 2160 metres above sea level and offers stunning views looking north over the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, south to the volcanoes of the Virunga and west into the rift valley and the DR Congo.
After lunch we will take you for a community walk with one of our guides from the camp; he will basically introduce you to his family.
Overnight at Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (FB)
At 8 am the gorilla trekking will start with a detailed briefing about gorilla etiquette. Depending on which family you are trekking, the briefing point is either 300 meters or 23 kms away. After the briefing we will either start walking from there or will be driven to the closest starting point. We will then start searching for the gorillas. Once we find them, we will be allowed to spend 1 hour with them.
Overnight at Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (FB)
You have the opportunity to undertake a full day trekking, accompanied by our local guides through the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest one of the most diverse habitats on earth and home to 120 species of mammals, 200 varieties of tree and more than 50 reptiles.
08.00am with your guide commence the Nkuringo Walking Safari activity into the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park as part of the Kashasha River and Ivy River trails. This is a full day walk where there would be opportunity to visit the Munyaga River falls in the forest. The emphasis of this activity is for your walking guide to share his knowledge of the forest that you come into contact with and not simply an A to B. The walking distance would be about 15km
You will rendezvous with your vehicle in the village of Nteko on the DR Congo border to be transported 10km back to Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
Overnight at Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (FB)
Depart Nkuringo after breakfast with your Nkuringo Walking Safari guide to commence walk to Lake Mutanda having been dropped by your safari vehicle at Rubuguri Junction. Here a 9km walk to the north shore of the lake is conducted where the dugout canoe team will rendezvous at the Rwajenje landing site with you to complete a traverse of the lake over 2 and 1/2 hours to the southern shore. From the southern shore it is a 90 minute walk into Kisoro town.
Then we will drive past Kisoro to Mount Gahinga National Park. Overnight: twin room at Volcanoes Mgahinga Lodge
Overnight at Volcanoes Mgahinga Lodge
Mount Gahinga National Park is with 33 km² the smallest national park but its flora and fauna and the three volcanoes offer a wide range of activities. You will report Ntebeko gate to conduct the Golden Monkey tracking activity. Golden Monkeys a unique species which can only be found on the volcanoes of the Virunga and in Nungwe forest in Rwanda. The tracking and viewing activity is generally conducted over a 4 to 5 hour window.
Optional activity – Mt Sabinyo Volcano Climb
Tracking Approx 8 hours
After breakfast proceed to Mgahinga National Park head quarters for briefing to the start a Volcano climb of Mount Sabinyo. Mt. Sabinyo, at 3,669m, takes about eight hours to cover the 14km round trip, following a steep ridge up to the peak this trek will be conducted in the company of your Nkuringo Walking Safari guide.
Mount Sabinyo, known locally as ‘Old Man’s Teeth’ because of its serrated rim, an extinct volcano and at 3645 meters it is one of the region’s highest peaks.
Overnight at Volcanoes Mgahinga Lodge
We will drive back to Kisoro for your flight back to Entebbe. Approximate arrival time 10.30hrs.