Bwindi, Kibale and Lake Mburo

Karibu Guesthouse
Karibu Guesthouse is a boutique hotel set within private gardens in a quiet suburb of Entebbe, from where it enjoys views of Lake Victoria and easy access to Entebbe International Airport (approx. 10 minutes’ drive time). It offers eight spacious and air-conditioned en-suite rooms, and facilities including a spa and swimming pool.

Ndali Lodge
Ndali is a small and luxurious lodge set on the shores of Lake Nyinambuga, in a private 1,000-acre estate adjoining Kibale Forest. It’s a fantastic base from which to track the chimps of Kibale and explore the nearby crater lakes.

Small and intimate, Ndali Lodge offers just 8 cottages, all facing west for spectacular sunsets over the Rwenzori Mountains. The rooms are large and furnished using local materials. Each has an en-suite bathroom with shower and bath and a private veranda. Ndali is an ecolodge – the power is solar-generated, and dinner is served by candlelight.

Activities available at Ndali include walks to the Mahoma waterfall, swimming in the lake (or swimming pool), trips to a tea plantation, chimp tracking in Kibale, and guided tours of the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary.

The tracking experience can last anywhere from 2-3 hours, depending on the location of the chimps. You’ll have the chance to watch the chimps at close range, accompanied by experienced rangers, who will explain their unique behaviours and social formations.

Kibale has the highest density of primates in Africa and is home to approximately 1,500 chimps, as well as other primates including red colobus monkeys, the blue monkey, olive baboon, red tailed monkey, grey cheeked mangabey, potto, and bush baby. There are a number of other mammals found within Kibale, including leopard, bush pig, forest elephant, buffalo and duiker, but the wildlife is shy and elusive, and as such very rarely sighted during the course of chimpanzee tracking. The birding, however, is excellent, with over 300 species found within Kibale, including several endemics. Your guides will be able to tell you much about the birdlife of Kibale Forest.

Following the chimpanzee tracking, you’ll be returned to Ndali Lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon, travel to the Bigodi Wetlands, a protected zone adjoining Kibale National Park. Here you’ll enjoy a guided walk in the company of your guide, exploring the Wetlands via a network of wooden boardwalks and easy trails.

The Bigodi Swamp provides a habitat for a great variety of birds, including great blue turaco, papyrus gonolek, many varieties of barbet, woodpecker, roller and weaver bird. Many primates are also present in the region, including the ubiquitous black-and-white colobus monkey, red-tailed monkey and, less often sighted, the grey-cheeked mangabey. Present but rarely sighted is the sitatunga antelope, or marsh buck.

Late afternoon, arrive Buhoma Lodge, where you check-in for three nights (full-board basis).

Buhoma Lodge
Buhoma Lodge is a rustic retreat with a fantastic location on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. It offers just ten cottage rooms, all of which open onto private verandas overlooking the Munyaga River Valley and Bwindi Forest. Each cottage is en-suite, with hot and cold running water, flush loo, and separate bath & shower.

Buhoma enjoys a high elevation, allowing for superb views of the rainforest from both the rooms and communal areas. The main building at Buhoma is built on two levels, and incorporates a cosy lounge with fireplace, a bar and restaurant area.

Once in the park, you will be given a short briefing by the rangers in which they will explain how to behave once you encounter the gorillas, including guidance on how close you can get and on taking photographs. Following the briefing – between 8 and 9am – you’ll set off on foot into the hills of Bwindi.

The gorilla tracking will last anywhere from one to eight hours, depending on the location of the gorillas. The hills of Bwindi are extensive, and the gorillas, as wild animals, roam freely. Gane and Marshall staff have all had hugely different experiences of tracking the gorillas—in some instances trekking for most the day before reaching the gorillas, in other cases having them stroll past the entrance gate of the park before the pre-trip briefing had even finished! Do be prepared for the possibility of a long trek, and pack good walking boots with this in mind.

After the gorilla tracking experience, you’ll be returned to Buhoma Lodge with the rest of the day at leisure.

Mihingo Lodge
Mihingo Lodge occupies a fantastic setting just outside Lake Mburo National Park, where it perches on a high rocky kopje with views down to the savannah plains below.

Mihingo Lodge offers twelve East African-style tented rooms, each with its own unique design and character. The rooms are spaced apart to ensure a good level of privacy and positioned on raised wooden decking to make the most of the views. All of the rooms are en-suite, with flush loos and hot and cold running water.

Amongst the smallest of Uganda’s national parks, Lake Mburo is a compact gem. Part-savannah and part-wetland, the park protects a diversity of wildlife, including over 350 bird species, as well as leopard, topi, zebra, hyena and plentiful plains game.

Start your exploration of Lake Mburo with a morning game drive, exploring the savannah plains, acacia woodland and lakeside, before returning to your lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy a boat safari on Lake Mburo, returning to Mihingo Lodge as the sun begins to set.

Dinner and overnight at Mihingo Lodge.

Lake Mburo is the only national park in Uganda where you can explore on foot (accompanied, of course, by an experienced ranger). Big game encounters are a real possibility, though the walking safari is primarily a chance to explore those aspects of the African bush that are often overlooked on a 4x4 driven safari – the smaller creatures and plant life that are otherwise easy to miss. After the early morning walking safari, return to the lodge for breakfast.

The rest of the day is at leisure to enjoy the lodge or arrange an additional game-viewing activity. In addition to game drives and walks, activities that can be arranged at Mihingo Lodge include horse riding safaris (to be booked in advance and at additional cost), and mountain biking within the perimeter of the park.

On arrival in Entebbe this afternoon, check-in at the Karibu Guesthouse for one night.

Evening at leisure.