Mountain Gorillas of Uganda 3rd - 14th February 2011		For a printable pdf version of the itinerary click here. Download Adobe Reader (pdf)
The Itinerary
Day 1 - Thursday 3rd February Assemble at London Heathrow for the flight departing at 1045h  for Entebbe. On arrival at Entebbe 2210h transfer to the Emin Pasha Hotel to check in. Dinner not included Overnight.    Emin Pasha Hotel Day 2 Friday 4th February  After breakfast depart for the drive to Lake Mburo National Park.  Arrive in time for lunch, check in and after time to relax take an afternoon game drive. Lake Mburo National Park Lake Mburo Park, covered in extensive acacia woodland is the best place in the country to see eland, as well as zebra, buffalo, topi, waterbuck and impala. The predators include leopard, hyena and jackal.    Within the park there are five lakes populated by hippos, crocodiles and a variety of waterbirds. The surrounding papyrus swamps is inhabited by the elusive sitatunga and birds such as the papyrus gonalek, fish eagle, pied kingfisher, african finfoot, great white egret and night heron. During your stay at Mihingo, enjoy watching wildlife at the waterhole from your own private balcony, relaxing by the infinity pool, taking a boat ride, game drive or even a horseback safari through the park. Mihingo Lodge is a peaceful and exclusive retreat. It features luxurious tented rooms which are built on wooden platforms with stilts, covered by a thatched roof and equipped with en-suite bathrooms Each luxury tented room is on a private piece of the lodge's property, enabling guests to enjoy the tranquil environment in complete seclusion. Placed in varied settings, some rooms are situated in a forest, some with a lake view, and some on rocky outcrops. The main dining area is a large thatched structure built of rocks, the wood of dead weathered olive trees found on the land, and native grasses and enjoying the view of  the westward facing valley with its stunning evening sunsets over Lake Mburo National Park. www.mihingolodge.com  Overnight Mihingo Lodge Day 3  Saturday Feb 05 Activities today include a morning guided walk and an afternoon game drive or boat ride. There will also be an option for taking a horseback safari. Overnight Mihingo Lodge Day 4 -  Sunday 6th February After breakfast depart for the drive to Bwindi Inpenetrable Forest.  (6 hours approx)   Arrive in the early afternoon to check in and rest after the journey and enjoy afternoon tea served by your own personal butler. and join one of the activities available at the Lodge. A Lodge in the Clouds Situated on the Nteko Ridge, high above the forest on the south side of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge enjoys a remote location. The first of its kind in Uganda, it is part of the International Gorilla Conservation Program’s (IGCP) , a tri-national program to protect the highly endangered mountain gorilla which is the result of a working partnership between the Nkuringo community, AWF and a leading private operator. The Lodge will directly benefit the Nkuringo community, which has a significant ownership stake in the venture through the Nkuringo Community Development Foundation (NCDF). With strategic support from IGCP. NCDF planned and secured financing for the lodge, which was built with funds from USAID. Beyond the luxury of the Lodge you enter the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, which is home to approximately 330 Mountain Gorillas, almost half of the world's total population. Bwindi is the only forest in Africa which has Chimpanzees and Mountain Gorillas co-existing. As well as hosting five other species of primate, the forest contains 113 species of mammal, over 200 species of butterfly, 360 bird species, 324 tree species and even a herd of forest elephant. http://www.wildplacesafrica.com/gorilla-lodge/ Overnight: Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge Day 5 -  Monday 7th February Full day to track the 'Nkuringo' Mountain Gorillas. It is only a couple of hundred metres walk to the Ugandan Wildlife Service hut which is the start of the gorilla track. From there you start walking downhill through a track towards the Bwindi Forest, again with beautiful views. If you are lucky, you may only have to walk about an hour or two to see the gorillas. One particular group of gorillas apparently tend to prefer to eat the softer vegetation in the buffer zone, and community land outside the forest. It is still quite hard work, the walk is a few kilometres and a couple of hundred metres down hill, but that means a couple of hundred metres back up hill, at altitude. Alternatively the gorillas may be on a precipitously steep slope in very thick vegetation which the guides have to hack through. You have to hold on to the plants, and it is advisable to wear gardening gloves, as some of the plants you grab, or fall or slide onto, sting or spike. It is strongly advised that you hire a porter to help you up or down the slope as well as carry your pack and food. The lodge supplies a delicious picnic lunch and water in a large and heavy bag. You should hire one porter per person and if you each have a backpack, then you need to hire an extra one for the food. The porters are recruited from the local villages, and hiring them helps the main object of the exercise, which is to give the local community an economic interest in preserving the gorillas and their habitat. Return to the Lodge. Overnight: Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge Day 6 - Tuesday 8th February Today you can either to make a second trek to see the gorillas or have a more leisurely day and take a shorter hike, a cultural or community tour, go birdwatching, hire a mountain bike or take a photographic tour. Overnight: Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge Day 7 - Wednesday 9th February Depart after breakfast for the flight to Murchison Falls Park. On arrival transfer to the Paraa Safari Lodge in time for lunch. In the afternoon take a 3-hour boat ride to the bottom of the falls, enjoying views of hippo, crocodiles, elephant, water buffalo and a host of birds along the scenic banks of the River Nile on the way to the breath-taking spectacle of the Falls. Paraa Lodge Situated high above the Falls on the north side of the river the Lodge enjoys astounding views. Furnished to a high standard of luxury and comfort and designed in the style of a traditional hunting lodge there is much to enjoy and interesting memorabilia to see. Former visitors include Ernest Hemingway and the Queen Mother. It is sited in an area of dry woodland, which is an excellent area to look for birds such as Shikra, Grey Headed Kingfisher, Red throated Bee-Eater and Bar-breasted Firefinch and possibly the Shoebill if the water is low. www.paraalodge.com MurchIson Falls Park.   The park is dominated by savanna, woodland, river/wetland and tropical forest habitats which provide homes for 76 mammal species and 450 bird species. Large mammals include lion, leopard, elephant, hippopotamus, Rothschild's giraffe, Cape buffalo, hartebeest, oribi, warthog, and Uganda kobo The Nile corridor provides year-round water for these animals as well as many waterbirds (including the rare shoebill stork) and Uganda's largest population of Nile crocodile. Overnight: Paraa Safari Lodge Day 8  -  Thursday 10th February In the morning there will be a private boat ride into the Delta. The boat heads downstream from Paraa to the papyrus delta at the river's entrance into Lake Albert. This 4-5 hour return voyage offers a good chance of sighting the shoebill stork and many other species of birds in addition to the great variety of animals to be seen on the river banks. In the afternoon there will be a guided walk in the Park Overnight: Paraa Safari Lodge Day 9  - Friday 11th February In the morning there will be an early start to take the Chimpanzee walk at Pabidi  The Kaniyo Pabidi forest provides refuges for chimpanzee and other primates as well as an impressive 360 species of birds.  In the afternoon there will be a drive to the top of the Falls to see the amazing spectacle where the Nile forces its way through a gap in the rocks, only 7 metres wide, and tumbles 43 metres to flow westward into Lake Albert. Return afterwards to the Lodge. Overnight Paraa Safari Lodge Day 10 - Saturday 12th  February Drive  to Kampala and transfer to Entebbe Airport for the return flight to London. Those taking the extension to Bulago Island will fly there direct from Murchison Falls airport. Day 11 - Sunday 13th February Depart at 00.40 for London. Arrive London Heathrow at 06.45 End of tour Tour Cost Price per person Twin/Double £5,245.00 Single Supplement £715.00 Cost Includes Return international flights from London Heathrow to Entebbe return Domestic charter flight  Nkuringo to Muchison Falls 9 nights’ luxury lodge and hotel accommodation Meals full board except at Entebbe which is bed and breakfast Private transportation on travel days Safari drives and excusions with qualified guides 1 gorilla permit (1 additional may be available at a supplement of $500.00   Not included: Airport departure taxes (if applicable) Travel Insurance Items of personal expenditure Laundry and drinks except at Clouds Mountain gorilla Lodge Tips to drivers and guides Visa charges Gratuities to accompanying staff and local guides   How to Book To make a booking, please call us on 01242 515 712 or click on our Booking Details.