15 Day Wildlife, Apes, Chimpanzees, and Nature Safari Tour in Uganda

Uganda, often called the Pearl of Africa, offers everything a traveler dreams of—spectacular wildlife, friendly people, and breathtaking scenery. This 15-day safari takes you deep into Uganda’s top national parks, including Murchison Falls, Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, and Lake Mburo. Each destination reveals a different side of Uganda’s natural beauty and rich biodiversity.

Bwindi Forest National Park

Bwindi Forest National Park is located in the southwest of Uganda, on the border of Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo. This rainforest was gazetted as a reserve in 1932. Today, it is a world heritage site recognized by UNESCO for mountain gorilla tracking excursions. Bwindi Forest National Park ranges at an altitude of 1,200 meters and 2,700 meters above sea level. The Bwindi Forest covers a series of steep ridges and valleys that form the eastern starting point of the Albertine Rift Valley, with annual rainfall on average at 1600 millimeters supplying five rivers that flow into Lake Albert as a source since it is a catchment area.

More than half the world’s wild mountain gorilla population is resident in Bwindi. Estimated at 440 individual gorillas in Bwindi Forest, living in separate 23 families. Though the focus is mountain gorillas in Bwindi, there is a staggering 93 mammal species living in this forest, more than any other national park in Uganda, except Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Although the list of mammals consists of mainly small ones such as rodents and bats, you will find chimpanzees, varieties of monkeys with common viewings of the blue monkey and black-and-white colobus. Occasionally, forest elephants can be spotted or heard, there are six species of antelopes, the bushbuck, and five types of forest duiker.

For bird lovers, Bwindi has 23 particular species characteristic to the Albertine Rift with 14 species found nowhere else but within Bwindi forest. Among them are the African green broadbill, the white-tailed blue flycatcher, the brown-necked parrot, the white-bellied robin chat, and the Fraser’s eagle owl. Bwindi Forest is best known for mountain gorilla tracking safaris.

Kibale Forest National Park

Kibale Forest National Park is part of the extensive Kibale Forest which lies in the Toro Kingdom. Kibale Forest is a tantalizing combination of adventure with a decidedly off-the-beaten-track atmosphere, wonderful scenery with a remarkable variety of activities. Kibale Forest National Park offers chimpanzee tracking everyday in the morning and in the afternoon until 6:30 p.m. You will enjoy some serious bird watching as well as the greatest variety and numbering of primates found in this single forest compared to any other East African country.

With a mushroom of crater lakes, some 30 crater lakes to the west of the Kibale Forest National Park, it is one of Uganda’s prime destinations. The vegetation type of the park is rainforest with patches of grassland and swamp. Kibale Forest is classified as a transitional evergreen forest showing elements of both afro-montane and lowland forest.

At least 60 mammal species are present in Kibale Forest. It is particularly known for primates, with 13 species recorded, the highest total in other park in Uganda. Primates found in Kibale Forest are vervets, red-tailed, L’Hoests, blue monkeys, grey cheeked mangabeys, red colobuses, black-and-white colobuses, olive baboons, and chimpanzees.

Other mammals in Kibale forest include buffalos, duikers, civet cats, and the third largest population of elephants in Uganda. These are forest elephants, smaller and hairier than their savannah counterparts. Birds are abundant with at least 325 species, as are clouds of fluttering butterflies.

Kibale National Park is an enchanting park full of lakes, grasslands, marshes, and forests. It is 30 kilometers south of Fort Portal at the northeastern end of the Rwenzori Mountains in western Uganda. Fort Portal itself is nothing more than an overgrown village, but is a pleasant enough place surrounded by tea plantations.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is outstanding amongst all Uganda national parks because of its popularity and number of visitors it receives for safaris in Uganda. Queen Elizabeth runs from the base of the Rwenzori Mountains all the way down to Ishasha in the south. The park protects the entire Ugandan shore of Lake Edward and the western shore of Lake George.

Close to 600 species of birds live in the Queen Elizabeth National Park area with these being common: great white and pink-backed pelicans, white-winged terns, papyrus canary, malachite, woodland kingfisher and pied kingfisher, black-rumped buttonquail, gabon and slender-tailed nightjars, beautiful black-headed gonolek, and African fish eagle.

The checklist includes virtually every water bird species resident in Uganda, with a variety of woodland and forest birds with Mweya outstanding for the myriad water birds on the Kazinga Channel and the forest at Ishasha is a good place to see more unusual species.

North of Queen Elizabeth National Park - Kazinga Channel

This is where you find the main tourist circuit. Some more than 95 mammal species have been recorded in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Ten primate species including chimpanzees, vervet, L’Hoest, black-and-white colobus, and olive baboon can be spotted there. 20 predators are residents in Queen Elizabeth National Park, including leopards, lions, spotted hyena, side-striped Jackal, and tsavo cat.

The most common antelope species is the Ugandan kob, bushbuck, topi, and Deffassa waterbuck with the elusive papyrus swamp antelope the sitatunga antelope found around Lake George, while four Duiker species are defined to the Maramagambo forest.

Cape buffaloes are common and they are often reddish in color leading to interbreeding with forest buffaloes which are a redder race of buffalo living across the border in Congolese rainforest. The elephants in the park also show strong affinities with the smaller much hairier forest-dwelling race of elephants found in the Congo.

Southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park - Ishasha

Ishasha is the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park and one of the most alluring game viewing areas in East Africa. The park is dominated by light acacia woodland and savannah. The most common large mammal species in this habitat are Uganda Kobs, topi, and buffalo. Elephants are found in the sector. Most famous are the tree-climbing lions. The northern circuit is rated famous and best known for tree-climbing lions. It also passes a swamp where shoebills are frequently seen, while the southern circuit is better for general game viewing with large herds of Cape buffalo.

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You will be served 14 breakfasts, 15 lunches, and 15 dinners during the safari, as stated in the itinerary.

Bird watching

The east African rain forests stretching into the west-African tropical forest together with the safarilands boasts a health superb bird life, enough to convert those who really did not know that they cared about birds. Steady Safaris have a number of excellent, specialist guides both freelance and company guides, who are simply fantastic and can advise on special interest trips. Whether you are interested in rare species or just that one special bird you have been waiting to see in years, this is surely something you shouldn't miss.

Fishing safari

There are various options for fishermen of all interests, with testing fly-fishing on the river Nile and from the islands of Ssese, and lots of deep water action for pulling in some serious kilograms on Lake Victoria. Dedicated fishermen should look to Uganda and rest assured that all of these provide great safari possibilities for non-fishing traveling partners.

Local culture

The world is one according to God. But mankind decided they have to create a separation in form of territory using borders. Much of the joy of travel is the experience of other cultures and traditions and taking time to know and understand the local heritage of your chosen country. Cultural tourism is a tricky thing to accomplish well, but if it is done well it is incredibly worthwhile. The opportunity to interact on a personal level with the people whose country you are visiting will enhance your experience no end.

Rafting adventure

The early colonialists and the earlier Egyptians never knew what sort of adventure could be taken advantage of in the powerful flowing of the river Nile.

Walking

Uganda is “the pearl of Africa”, a land best explored on foot. Stunning landscapes, great guides, and getting out and about on foot awakens the senses and brings you closer to the action in a way that is empowering and enlightening. There are numerous myriad choices for walking in all of the best safari destinations operated by Steady Safaris, briefly or over a period of days; different destinations provide a variety of landscapes and wildlife.

• 1 chimpanzee permit per person
• 1 gorilla permit per person
• 14 nights accommodation as listed in the program
• 14 breakfast
• Full day rafting
• 15 dinners
• 15 lunches
• All activities described in the itinerary
• All fuel for the tour
• English-speaking Ugandan driver and guide
• Transport to and from Entebbe International Airport (EBB)
• Park entrance fees according to the program
• Transport in a 4WD mini bus with pop-up roof for excellent safari view viewing

• Airfares
• All expenses of personal nature
• Drinks
• Entry visa to Uganda
• International airfares
• Laundry
• Meals that are not part of your accommodation
• Optional activities
• Personal medical and travel insurance
• Tips and gratuities

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• A reservation requires a deposit of 60% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid 15 days before arrival.