During this trip, you will visit two of the famous Gorilla trekking national parks of Rwanda and Uganda, which is Volcanoes National park and Bwindi Impenetrable forest respectively. This is the package you require to have all your question about these primates answered. The best thing is that the experience in both these parks is a different paranormal experience that all tourists will love. These two parks have different terrains which means you need to be more physically fit to enjoy the gorilla tracking in Bwindi National park because the terrain is steeper.
DAY 1: DRIVE TO BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST NATIONAL PARK
A guide from AA safaris and tours will come pick you from your hotel in Kampala, he will brief you and then drive you westwards where Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located. You will have a stopover at the Equator, you will take some photos. Then continue to Mbarara town and there you will stop at any hotel to have lunch, and then continue to Bwindi going through the rolling hills of Kabale. Depending on the which you have got, say the southern part of Bwindi where Nkuringo and Nshongi Families of gorillas are located, the accommodation will be on the same side as your permits. Along the road you will enjoy the beauty of the wonderful long horned cattle as they graze along side the road just before you drive through the highlands of Kigezi, also referred to as the ‘Switzerland of Africa!’ You will be at the lodge of your budget in the evening and that is where you will have your dinner.
Luxury Accommodation: Gorilla Forest Camp / Clouds lodge / Bwindi safari Lodge / Gahinga
Mid-range Accommodation: Lake Kitandara camp / Nkuringo campsite / Nshongi
Budget Accommodation: Buhoma community Bandas / Bwindi view / travelers rest camp /Nkuringo campsite
DAY 2: GORILLA TREKKING | BWINDI FOREST
On the second day, you will have breakfast early so that you can head to the park head quarter for a briefing just before you start your gorilla tracking adventure. You will be allocated a ranger guide will guide you through the impenetrable forest as you tracking the Gorillas through the thick forest. This is one of the most exciting wildlife experiences. You will definitely see the gorillas after a while of tracking which is between 2-6 hours, you will have an hour to stay in the jungle with the gorillas, watch them play, feed their young ones and you can also take as many pictures as you wish to have. You will have packed lunch as usually you will not have time to return to the lodge for your lunch. After that adventure, you will walk back to the lodge to rest and have your dinner there too. It’s also important to wear good hiking boots of an ankle level and long trousers for protection against stinging nettles. Some times the slope may be steep so you also be physically fit.
DAY 3: DRIVE TO RWANDA
You will have breakfast and then drive across the boarder into Rwanda .Rwanda is just an hour behind Uganda. You will head straight to Parc des Volcanoes which is located in the far northwest of Rwanda, it composed of mainly has steep slopes thus a wonderful mountain range and it is a home to those rare mountain gorillas. The park is richly composed of montane ecosystems, evergreen grass, bamboo forest, open grassland, somewhere is swampy and heath. Your lunch will be somewhere along the way but then dinner will be at the hotel where you will be spending the night and this will depend on your budget.
Budget Accommodation: Muhabura Lodge / Kinigi guest house / Virunga hotel
Mid-range Accommodation: Gorilla Nest lodge / Le bamboo gorilla safari lodge / Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
Luxury Accommodation: Virunga Volcanoes Lodge / Sabinyo Silver back lodge
DAY 4: GORILLA SAFARI RWANDA | VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK
Just like in Uganda, your breakfast will be served very early and then go to ORTPN offices for briefing after, you and your ranger will escort you to the forest for Gorilla trekking. This is very exciting exercise and you will have to walk through the refined foothills of the Virunga which has inspiring views in from all directions. The forest is full colorful birds and chattering golden monkey, there are buffaloes and elephants, a wonderful forest canopy. Gorilla trekking is a very tiresome adventure but also so worthwhile once you encounter these giant gorillas. Spend an hour watching gorillas in the forest, watch the adults feeding their young ones, brushing and resting as the young ones play. Later on you will return back to the lodge for dinner and overnight. Or after tracking, you drive back to Uganda and the night at any hotel in Kabale, have dinner there too. Hotel may be;
Luxury Accommodation: Heritage camp/
Mid-range Accommodation: Bird nest lodge/ Arcadia Cottages / Bunyonyi Over land camp.
Budget Accommodation: Byoona Amagara island retreat/ Bushara Island camp/Bunyonyi safari resort.
DAY 5: DEPARTURE
This is the last day of your trip so if you crossed back to Uganda, you will just drive back to Kampala – Entebbe if you have a flight to catch that day but if you are flying out from Kigali, then you will drive from the hotel in PNV to Kigali, go for a city tour if your flight is later in the day.
End of Gorilla Safari.
