Date: October 2012
- Photograph the Gorilla’s of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Tree climbing lions of Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Murchison Falls offers a unique opportunity for some Landscape photography
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The Great Lakes region is undoubtedly one of the most diverse areas in Africa. Uganda has a wealth of primates, over 1000 bird species with 27 endemics. Good game viewing includes Uganda Kob, Giant Forest Hog, Forest & Cape Buffalo, as well as a healthy population of lion, leopard, elephant, and antelope – it also boasts some of the largest Nile crocodiles you will ever see!
Uganda is made up of dramatic mountains – the Ruwenzori’s are permanently ice-capped – lush green hillsides, dark forests, enormous lakes and rivers and dormant volcanoes… Most safaris going into this region target the Mountain Gorillas of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest; this is indeed one of our photographic objectives, but Uganda has so much more to offer. Our trip will also venture to include a range of other destinations/attractions that should satisfy your heart’s desire, e.g. chimpanzee trekking, game viewing areas and Murchison Falls National Park.
Suggested Equipment:
Note: That flash photographic is not allowed with the Gorilla’s. This creates technically challenging photography, as the Gorilla’s prefer the dappled undergrowth of the forest floor. So a fast lens (f2.8 is ideal) and camera with great ISO control is necessary to photograph this remarkable creates in their natural habitat. We will be able to get fairly close so a large telephoto is not required for the Gorilla’s.
- A Digital SLR with Great ISO control
- Telephoto lens of minimum 300mm F4, ideally a f2.8
- 1.4 and 2x Tele-converters
- Mid range zoom lens, between 70 – 200mm f2.8 (this will be your primary lens on this safari)
- Wide angle zoom lens, between 10 – 70mm
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive Entebbe
Arrive Entebbe airport (own International flight arrangements) – you will be met by a Wild Frontiers representative and transferred to the Boma Guest House. Overnight with breakfast included. You will meet your PHOTOGRAPHIC GUIDE this evening to discuss the safari.
The Boma
A small, family run guesthouse located in the suburbs of Entebbe. A converted residential house, it offers quiet, relaxed accommodation with a homely atmosphere. Each room is uniquely decorated and has en suite facilities. They offer meals as well as a small bar area for guests. There is a large garden, swimming pool and a patio with views of Lake Victoria.
Entebbe is a small town, located on the edge of Lake Victoria. Depending on your time of arrival, you may like to spend some time exploring the town on foot, or you can take a taxi in to Kampala and visit the craft and curio markets there, the Kasogi Tombs and Museum. In Entebbe there is the Wildlife Education Centre, and you can see the large slow-moving Shoebill Stork close up.
Day 2
From Entebbe we head towards Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. It will be an early start as it is a long journey. We will stop en-route for lunch and to stretch legs.
The journey takes you through villages and bustling towns, and then into the pretty highlands of the Bwindi Forest.
Overnight Bwindi, at the Buhoma Lodge, all meals included.
Buhoma Lodge
The lodge has a total of eight beautifully appointed, large cottages, spaciously set out along the mountainside. Each cottage has large windows, fully netted, and its own private verandah to take advantage of the spectacular views of the National Park. Large, comfortable beds ensure a good night’s rest after a tiring day of gorilla tracking! The en-suite bathrooms are spacious with flushing toilets and piping hot showers, and the honeymoon cottage even has its own ‘cuddle-tub’. Lighting throughout the lodge is solar. The spacious upper-level lounge, bar and dining area has fireplaces to provide warmth in the cool evenings, where guests may dine and relax, discussing the day’s events
As part of commitment to the local infrastructure, staff are recruited from the local communities of the area and they provide a welcoming environment and excellent service levels for guests. Whenever possible, supplies including local fresh produce are purchased through local residents and businesses in the area.
Meals are wholesome, freshly prepared and generous quantities are served. A variety of international dishes are served as well as local specialities such as matoke and g-nut sauce.
Unlimited hot beverages are available all day on a self-serve basis and are delivered to your cottage with early morning wake up calls as required
Sitting on your private verandah watching the sunrise over the forest in the early morning as you sip your tea, offers a very relaxing way to embark on the day.
Day 3, 4 & 5
You will have the opportunity to enjoy up to THREE gorilla tracking experiences, allowing plenty of time to get the perfect shot, as well as to enjoy simply watching and experiencing these amazing creatures in their natural habitat.
Gorilla Tracking is strictly controlled by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and once you reach the family of gorillas, you will be able to enjoy an hour watching them interact and go about their daily lives.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
The park is located in South-western Uganda, covering parts of Rukungiri, Kisoro, and Kabale Districts. It is situated in a hilly countryside, which, together with some remnant lowland forest outside the boundary, constitutes an important water catchment area for many rivers, supplying the agricultural land of the surrounding region. This is the richest forest in Uganda, in terms of the number of plant species, as the area is one of the few large expanses of forest in East Africa where lowland and montane communities merge. The valley bottoms contain a dense ground cover of herbs, vines, and shrubs, with only a few trees – hence its name, the impenetrable forest. This is one of the richest faunal communities in East Africa. There exists about one half of the world’s population of the endangered mountain gorillas. There are also several endangered species of birds with limited ranges. Gorilla tracking began on the 1st of April 1993. It is advisable to make reservations at least 3-6 months before your intended date of visit.
Permits need to be pre-purchased, so it is critical to advise how many treks you would like to do at the time of booking. There is also a host of other things to do in the area including forest walks (guided or un-guided shorter ones), curio shopping, visit the local orphanage, the pygmies, and local hospitals – as well as freely wander around the village.
Gorilla tracking
After breakfast, you will be escorted to the National Parks headquarters to meet your guides for your gorilla trekking experience. An early morning trek into the forest on the slopes of the volcanoes, led by experienced trackers will bring you amongst a family of Mountain Gorillas. These massive primates are extremely rare, only approximately 650-700 remaining.
You will get within metres of the family, and be privileged to spend time amongst them. The trekking may be fairly strenuous; up to six hours or longer is not uncommon – at relatively high altitude.
Please refer to our full information sheet. Mountain Gorillas are wild animals, and as such, sightings cannot be guaranteed, however the success rate is well over 90%.
Day 6 & 7
From Bwindi, we head off to southern Queen Elizabeth National Park, in the Ishasha Sector.
We will be spending two nights in QENP area allowing time to explore the park. Your nights will be spent at Ishasha Wilderness tented camp, and/or at Mweya Lodge in the north of the park, with all meals included. Highlights here include a boat cruise and great game viewing, including the possibility of seeing tree-climbing lions.
Game drives in our vehicle, as well as a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel and time permitting an opportunity to trek chimps at Chamburu Gorge (USD50 extra), will be part of the activities during your stay here – the chimpanzee tracking must be pre-booked.
Queen Elizabeth National park
The park spreads over an area of 1 978 km2 in the western arm of the Great East Rift Valley. It is a home to a variety of wildlife including elephant, lion, hippo, buffalo, and Uganda kob, baboon, and birds, all typical of riverine and savannah habitats. In the southern part of the park is the Ishasha area, with tree-climbing lions and the Maramagambo, one of the largest surviving natural forests in Uganda. The northern part of the park is traversed by the equator and is dominated by the scenery of crater lakes with lots of flamingos on some of them. A launch trip from Mweya along the Kazinga channel, which joins Lake Edward and Lake George, provides one of the most memorable experiences of the park.
Ishasha Wilderness Tented Camp
This exclusive, tented camp offers quality accommodation in this unspoilt, remote, southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Ishasha, famous for its tree-climbing lions, also offers excellent game viewing, including large herds of buffalo, elephant, kob, topi and other species of antelope. Its location, midway between the Mweya area of QENP and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, makes it a natural place to spend a night or two on a long itinerary. Catering for up to 20 guests in spacious, twin-bedded tented rooms on small decks, situated in the wooded area besides the Ntungwe River.
Each tent has its own private, en suite bathroom and dressing area with hot water “bush” showers and eco-friendly toilets. A central dining and lounge area, under thatch, provides a comfortable environment to relax in, particularly during the heat of the day. Our outdoor ‘lounge’ beside the river is great for bird watching too, and in the evening we relax around a cosy fire and discuss the day’s events before dinner – all this combined offers a truly African bush experience…… in total comfort.
Mweya Lodge
Located on a peninsula overlooking the Kazinga Channel on one side and with spectacular views towards the Ruwenzori Mountains on the other, this upgraded and renovated lodge provides some of the best accommodation and service facilities in Uganda. Amenities include a swimming pool, the Tembo bar and an elegant air-conditioned restaurant with a global cuisine. Breakfast is taken on the alfresco terrace adjacent to the Kazinga Channel.
Rooms: 22 x en suite double / twin, 6 single en suite, 12 deluxe en suite rooms, 2 suites, 1 Royal cottage, 1 Presidential Suite, 2 disabled rooms
Day 8 & 9
From the central area of Serengeti, we start to head north – toward the Masai Mara boundary, and rivers… in search of the migration.
Four nights will be spent here, in a private tented camp – set up with good access to the area we expect some of the river crossings to take place.
On our “Explorer Mobile Safaris’ we offer a style of travel which is comfortable, whilst still mobile camping, allowing our guests to get off the beaten track and away from the main safari thoroughfares. On this style of safari we book a private wilderness campsite to keep you away from the crowds and as close as possible to the wildlife action.
Our support vehicle and camp crew travel ahead of the group and set up the camp. We provide 3.5m x 6.5m en-suite dome tents, which are extremely spacious and we provide camp beds, mattresses, warm bedding (linens, duvets and pillow). Sumptuous meals are prepared by our friendly safari chef(s), and are either served in the mess tent, or directly under the stars if you prefer. Outside your tent and at the meal table you will have the use of large, comfortable, foldaway chairs and we provide washstands and a large towel for each client. A bush shower and porta-loo toilet are provided and are accessed from within the rear of the tent (en-suite).
Recharging facilities will be available for camera batteries etc, via inverters from batteries charged by solar panels.
Day 10
This morning we head to Kibale Forest – a 2-3 hour drive from QENP (north) on good roads. On a clear day you may get views of the Ruwenzori’s in the distance.
Two nights spent in the area to allow time for chimpanzee tracking in the forest, (permits must be pre-purchased). You can also do a forest walk (guided) during your stay, or simply enjoy the area and perhaps visit the Bigodi Swamps, or the Vanilla Farm close by. All meals included.
Primate Tented Camp
This morning we head to Kibale Forest – a 2-3 hour drive from QENP (north) on good roads. On a clear day you may get views of the Ruwenzori’s in the distance.
Two nights spent in the area to allow time for chimpanzee tracking in the forest, (permits must be pre-purchased). You can also do a forest walk (guided) during your stay, or simply enjoy the area and perhaps visit the Bigodi Swamps, or the Vanilla Farm close by. All meals included.
Primate Tented Camp
Located in the forested area, close to park headquarters, this simple but comfortable tented camp offers easy access to the forest – even with primates sometimes coming close to the camp, and being heard in the surrounding forests.
Each tent has a verandah, en-suite bathroom, and large airy bedroom.
Kibale Forest
Kibale, at 766 km2 is one of Uganda’s enchanting forested parks. Here, you can hike in the park for hours observing the drama of life in a rain forest. The park contains pristine lowland tropical rain forest, montane forest, and mixed tropical deciduous forest. In addition to forest, you will also notice areas of grassland and of swamp. The forest is rich in wildlife. It is most noted for its primate population. Some of these are red-tailed monkey, diademed monkey, olive baboon, chimpanzee, and black and white colobus. Some of the other mammals you might see are bushbuck, Harvey’s red duiker, blue duiker, bush pig, and African civet. More difficult to spot are buffalo, waterbuck, hippo, warthog, and giant forest hog. Herds of elephant once travelled back and forth through the area. These elephants have become more and more rare, and now are seldom seen. The birdlife in both the forest and grasslands is abundant. There are almost 300 species which have been identified here. There are 144 species of butterfly in the park and a diverse population of moths and other insects. A system of trails has been developed within the park, and tour guides are available to guide visitors
Chimpanzee Tracking
This activity will generally take place in the morning. You will either be driven or walk down to the Kibale Forest National Parks’ headquarters to meet your guides for your morning’s chimp tracking experience (depending which lodge you are staying at!). The forest is alive with noise and you should be lucky enough to see the habituated chimps during your trek.
Day 11 - safari ends
Depart after an early breakfast for the drive back to Entebbe, stopping for curio shopping on the roadside and a quick photo stop at the Equator. Arriving back in Entebbe we will take you to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary by boat.
Home to over 40 orphaned chimpanzees. This worthy cause also supports the endangered wild chimpanzees throughout Uganda. You will be able to take time to learn about the plight of wild chimpanzees in the Visitors Centre on the island, as well as watching the orphaned chimps as they come in from the forest for their food.
Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, tented camp
Located on the private island of Ngamba is a Chimpanzee orphanage. Accommodation is offered here in four comfortable large, East African style tents on platforms overlooking the lake. Each tent accommodates two persons (twin beds) in comfort, with duvets and all linen supplied, en suite bathroom facilities and solar lighting. All meals are prepared and served to you by friendly camp staff in either our relaxed covered dining area or open dining area beside the lake. Meals are substantial with several tasty courses for dinner and local specialties such as fresh daily catches from the lake, when possible. Hot beverages including tea and coffee are available at all times on a self-serve basis. Cold drinks are available on a cash sale basis including water, sodas and beers and anyone requiring anything else is welcome to bring it along with them.
Return boat transfer to Entebbe mainland, and onward transfer included to the airport for your outward flight. Lunch is NOT included today. Do not book a flight prior to 15h00 please.
Cost's
Inclusions/exclusions
Additional overnights or an excursion to MURCHISON FALLS National Park may be booked on request.
Please note that accommodations shown are typical of those booked, but the itinerary may vary depending on availability – we will confirm at the time of booking exactly where guests will be staying.
Includes
- All transfers / transport as show above
- Accommodation & meals as specified above
- Park Fees / services of local professional driver-guide
- Services of a PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC GUIDE based on four guests per vehicle
- Excursion to Ngamba Island overnight and island fees
- Boat cruise on Kazinga Channel
Excludes
- Flights and airport taxes
- Chimpanzee & Gorilla trekking permits MUST be pre-booked / pre-paid in full
- Health requirements, travel insurance & visas
- Drinks, tips, items of a personal nature.
- Any other meals not indicated or activities not mentioned above.
- Primate Trekking Fees (correct at Sept 2011)
- Gorillas : USD 500 per person per trek
- Chimpanzees Kibale Forest: USD 150 per person per trek
- Chimpanzees Chamburu Gorge: USD 50 per person per trek
- Chimpanzees Ngamba Island (optional) USD 200 caregiver programme / or
- USD 400 Integration/Forest walk.
NB: You may NOT take cameras on a forest walk
Travel Insurance – Please ensure you have sufficient medical cover for the duration of your trip
Health – Yellow fever & malaria prophylactics.
For chimpanzee & gorilla tracking it is imperative that you are healthy and free of any disease or virus – officials do have the right to refuse entry if you are sick.
Visas – Most nationalities require a visa to enter Uganda, which you can obtain on arrival for USD50 depending on passport, per person, single entry.
Flights – It is imperative that you reconfirm your onward/return flights, our office can assist with this.
Travel insurance – Travel insurance is compulsory for the duration of your trip
Contact Details:
Wild Frontiers
Email photographic@wildfrontiers.com
Tel: +27 (0) 87 941 3892 or Tel: +27 (0) 72 927 7529
Fax: +27 (0) 86 689 6759
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- Prices are subject to change without prior notification due to circumstances beyond our control, namely fuel surcharges, supplier increases, government taxes, exchange rate fluctuations, etc. Please refer to our full booking terms and conditions.
- Any airfares quoted will be done on the lowest fare class and are subject to availability at time of booking. We are not holding flights.
- Airport taxes can only be confirmed at time of booking due to exchange rate fluctuations and may change the costs accordingly.
- All costs are valid for the itinerary travel dates.
- Should any details change, we reserve the right to recalculate the tour price accordingly.
