Upon arrival into Entebbe, you will be met by an Alluring Africa representative who will help you complete immigration and customs formalities, collect your baggage and proceed to the Arrivals Hall. Here you will be met by an Alluring Africa representative for your private road transfer to Hotel No. 5, where you will stay for one night.

*While we do our best to expedite through customs, if the airport requires, you may have to enter into the standard line. However, you will still be assisted throughout.

At a time to be advised: You will be collected by an Alluring Africa representative for your private road transfer to the Entebbe Airport for your scheduled charter flight to Kasese. On arrival, you will be met by an Alluring Africa representative for your private road transfer to Ndali Lodge, where you will stay for three nights.

Time permitting, enjoy lunch and an afternoon activity.

This morning enjoy a chimp trek!

 This morning you will get the opportunity to do a chimp trek in the Kibale Forest National Park. Kibale Forest is home to 13 primate species and a guided forest trek will be taken in search of one of the most popular primate species in the world – the chimpanzee. Although chimp sightings are not guaranteed, the odds are good with the chance of encountering them standing at higher than 90%.  You will go on a forest walk in search of primates. Whilst trekking in the depths of the lush green forest, you will be surrounded by bird song and can expect to see at least 5 or 6 other types of primate, most probably the grey-cheeked mangabey and the red-tailed monkey and of course the chimpanzee. The walking is fairly easy due to the well-maintained trails and reasonably flat terrain.

Enjoy the afternoon at your leisure or enjoy a second Chimp Trek (additional cost).

After a morning at your leisure, in the afternoon you will have an authentic home cooked lunch at Tinka’s, followed by a Swamp Walk in the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community-based conservation project that is home to a variety of monkeys and other mammals and, more importantly some of the more rarely seen birds such as the White-winged Warbler, White-collared Oliveback and Papyrus Gonolek. Other species frequently spotted are the African Marsh Harrier, African Harrier-Hawk, Grey Parrot, Black-billed Turaco, Yellow-billed Barbet and White-breasted Negrofinch. 

At a time to be advised: You will be collected by an Alluring Africa representative for your private road transfer to Kyambura Gorge Lodge, where you will stay for three nights.

Time permitting, enjoy lunch and an afternoon activity.

Community bee-keeping project 

In January 2012 the VSPT, in association with Malaika Honey, organised beekeeping training. The course provided apiary management, care and harvesting information to fifteen members of the Omumashaka Bee Keepers Co-Operative, who have been producing honey in Kyambura since 2006. The local farmers were taught the necessary skills to become commercial beekeepers through practical, on-site training. The hives have been set up to create a fence surrounding farmers’ land, helping to deter elephants from raiding the crops and reducing human-wildlife conflict as elephants detest bees. Sales of honey and fees paid by international visitors help make the project sustainable and increase the livelihood of local people.

Women’s Coffee Co-op 

The Kyambura Women’s Coffee Cooperative is a community-based initiative designed to provide vocational training to women and an alternative, but sustainable, source of income. Eleven local women and their families are actively involved in the cooperative. At least 30% of the group is HIV positive and many are widowed. They tend to over 1,500 Arabica and Robusta coffee plants in 100 acres of rejuvenated VSPT land, and process the coffee by hand at a communal processing plant. Members of the cooperative commit to growing coffee organically, without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

The coffee is sold to Volcanoes Safaris and served in all of our luxury lodges. The coffee tours are also a popular tourism attraction for Volcanoes Safaris guests, who can see how African coffees are harvested and processed before sampling the ‘best cup of coffee in Uganda’. The coffee plantation also acts as a buffer zone between the protected area of the gorge and local farmlands, reducing animal / human conflict.  

Today, take an early  morning game drive through the park.  Varied and wildly beautiful, the park is home to no less than nine species of primates, including the endangered chimpanzee, as well as the exotic black and white colobus monkey. The reserve is also famous for leopards and tree-climbing lions. Game drives in this, the second largest national park in Uganda, traverse a mass of streams, rivers and lakes, including the Kyambura River, which eventually flows into the mighty Nile. 

After lunch, you will drive down to the Kazinga Channel and take a private boat ride along the river. The launch trip along the Kazinga Channel is one of the most popular activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park. It provides an amazing chance to sit back, relax and enjoy the fresh river breeze whilst observing a large selection of animals. Those species commonly seen along the riverbank are elephants, buffalo, waterbuck and Ugandan Kob. Large breeding pods of hippos are also seen on a daily basis. On occasion visitors will also see giant forest hog, leopard and lion. The waterbirds in the area are plentiful; in particular, water thick knee, yellow‐billed stork, various plovers, white pink‐backed Pelicans and white‐bellied cormorants.

Today, enjoy the optional Gorge Hike or Lion Tracking with Uganda Carnivore Project. 

Join the Uganda Carnivore Project (UCP) for a morning tracking lions in the northern Kasenyi plains of Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP). The Uganda Carnivore Program is devoted to the research and conservation of Uganda’s large carnivores, including lions, leopards, and hyenas. Previously active in many of Uganda’s national parks, today it is focused on the northern sector of QENP. They collaborate closely with the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and Makerere University.

UCP has two primary focuses, first, scientific research and monitoring of resident carnivores and, second, community-based wildlife conservation with the goal to develop a collaborative, holistic plan to reduce deadly instances of human wildlife-conflict with communities around the park. 

During the early-morning activity on the Kasenyi plains, a UCP researcher will join you in your safari vehicle and use radio-telemetry to track and locate the collared lions being researched. Within QENP, vehicles must stay on the designated tracks. But one of the distinct advantages of the lion tracking activity is the ability to drive off-road in search of the lion and affords the privilege of essentially a private lion observation experience. 

At a time to be advised: You will be collected by an Alluring Africa representative for your private road transfer through the savannah’s of Queen Elizabeth National Park to the Ishasha region.  Game drive in search of tree climbing lion (75% success rate). After, leave behind the lush Savannah grass plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park and drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park to Bwindi Lodge, where you will stay for four nights.

Overlooking the primeval Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Bwindi Lodge offers dramatic intense views of the forest canopy across a serene stream. The gorillas frequently come to relax in the verdant bush around the lodge!  The eight standard bandas, each having their own view of the forest, have been totally restyled with warm luxurious interiors and inviting four-poster beds and locally-inspired furniture​. 

Today, you will enjoy a full day of Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. 

After breakfast, take a short drive to Park Headquarters and meet with excellent local guides and trackers who will give a talk on the etiquette of gorilla trekking. Hike into the forest to the location where the gorillas were seen the night before, and track from that point. The trekking can take from 1 to 6 hours and climb to altitudes in excess of 7,500 feet. The terrain is rough and at times muddy. Although the hike is physically demanding the beauty of the forest and surrounding scenery make the trekking worthwhile. Once the gorillas are located all fatigue is forgotten, as the experience is often described as being the most profound natural history experience in the world. Bwindi Gorilla Trek: Picnic lunches are provided and it is important to take plenty of water. Cameras and plenty of fast speed film are recommended. It can rain at a few minutes notice; hence waterproof clothing is a good essential including zip lock bags for cameras and film.

After the trek, you will be escorted back to the lodge for dinner.

Today, enjoy a morning at leisure or arrange a visit to the Bwindi Bar and Tea Processing Co-op. After lunch, embark on a Batwa Experience. 

The Batwa Experience

Bwindi Forest is home to a fantastic diversity of flora and fauna, including some exotic plants and rare and endangered animals. The forest was also home to an the Batwa (formerly called pygmies). These indigenous people were the original dwellers of the ancient forest and were known as the ‘keepers of the forest.’ The Batwa lived in harmony with the forest and survived by hunting small game using a bow and arrow and gathering plants for both food and medicinal purposes.

In 1992, the lives of the Batwa changed forever when the forest became a national park and UNESCO world heritage site to protect the endangered mountain gorillas. The Batwa were evicted from the park and became conservation refugees in a world that was very unfamiliar to them. Their skills and means of subsistence were not useful in this modern environment and they began to suffer.

In 2001, when the Batwa tribe was on the edge of extinction American medical missionaries, Dr. Scott and Carol Kellermann came to their rescue. They purchased land and established programs to improve the conditions and lives of the Batwa. This included the building of a school, hospital, and housing. The Kellermanns also developed water and sanitation projects and found ways that the Batwa could generate income and sustain themselves.

These projects are now managed and operated by the Batwa Development Program (BDP). BDP works closely with the Batwa community to try to ensure that their indigenous rights are respected and they also benefit from the forest being a national park and tourist attraction. The Batwa Cultural Experience was created by the displaced Batwa to educate their children and to share their amazing heritage and traditions with the world. A day spent with the Batwa gives you the opportunity to enjoy the following:

• Hike in the forest with the people of the forest. You will have a Batwa guide and he will provide you with the chance to see the forest and its inhabitants through their eyes.
• See how they lived and hunted in the traditional manner. Enjoy trying out your hunting techniques as the Batwa teaches you how to shoot with a bow and arrow.
• Visit a traditional Batwa homestead and learn from the women how to prepare, cook, and serve a meal. You will also have the opportunity to sample the dishes.
• Talk to a medicine man and learn about the medicinal properties of the forest flora.
• Hear ancient legends and traditional songs.

Bwindi Bar

The Bwindi Bar opened in Buhoma town in 2015 near the Bwindi Lodge on the edge of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The bar provides a practical training institution for local disadvantaged youths living near the Bwindi National Park in Buhoma.

The Bwindi Bar aims to provide practical experience in the tourism industry, to create more job opportunities in the region. Thanks to this programme, trainees are armed with the appropriate skills set to go on to gain successful employment in hospitality in the Bwindi area. The trainees gain practical skills in food and service before they intern at the cafe for two months. They are then sent for further internships at nearby lodges. Bwindi Bar will serve a variety of coffees and teas as well as delicious breakfast options that blend international and local tastes.

Tea Processing Co-op 

In 2013, Bwindi Lodge started a simple tea processing in partnership with the local communities, at the Volcanoes Safaris Bwindi Lodge, which is located at the edge of the primordial Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, World Heritage Site and home to the famous Mountain Gorilla, in South West Uganda.

Tea has proven to be a very useful buffer crop when planted between forest areas with protected wildlife, and local human communities. Animals do not eat tea so feel no need to come out of the forest to “crop raid” which is the source of much human-wildlife conflict in areas around National Parks.

A tea tour is available to interested Volcanoes Safaris guests, demonstrating how tea is grown, picked and traditionally processed in Uganda. The tour also shows how ‘black’, ‘green’ and ‘white’ teas are produced and differentiated. Guests are invited to sample the fine teas at the end of the tour whilst looking out over the impressive forest.

Bwindi has more to offer than just gorilla trekking. After breakfast, embark on a Forest Walk along the Waterfall Trail.

This trail is best for primate species and lush green scenery. Relish the tranquility of the forest and view several different monkey species. For birders, roughly 190 bird species have been recorded in this area, ten of which are endemic to the Albertine Rift.

It takes about 3 hours and goes for 2km along an abandoned road before crossing the Muyaga River several times on the ascent to the 33m-high waterfall. Bathing is permitted at the bottom of the waterfall and often required after the relatively challenging hike.

At a time to be advised: You will be collected by an Alluring Africa representative for your private road transfer to Kihihi Airstrip for your scheduled flight to Entebbe, where you will connect with your departure flight.

Return home, taking with you the sights, sounds, and memories of an incredible African adventure!