Safaris

Travellers aiming to achieve certain sightings and capture shots of their desired destinations, monuments, mountains, rivers, animals and capture the moments or live an experience that will last a lifetime, we ought to enable you achieve the best of your safari under our care. Here are a number of safaris you can opt for in singular or in unison/hybrid

Primate Safaris

Primates are animals with a developed intellectuality close to a human, Uganda is endowed with some of the world’s most spectacular and unique positioned here geographically such as Mountain Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Golden monkeys, L’Hoeste’s monkey Grey-checked mangabey, blue monkeys, bushbabies, red colobus monkey, De Brazza’s monkey and a lot more, Gorillas, chimpanzees and golden monkey are the only primates in Uganda wit habituated families available for tracking.

The   Guests that come to Uganda with a special interest in primate are popularly for Gorilla tracking or Chimpanzee tracking. Gorilla trekking in Uganda is an adventurous adventure that enables you to explore the misty-lush jungles of the Pearl of Africa and encounter the majestic gentle giants of Bwindi (mountain gorillas) in their natural habitat.

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is done in:

1. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Most famously about her, Bwindi protects approximately 459 mountain gorillas almost half of the world’s remnant population. This “impenetrable forest”is one of the best places on earth to experience gorilla trekking, offering visitors the chance to come face-to-face with these majestic primates in their natural habitat. Mubare gorilla family was the first to be habituated for tourism in Uganda in April 1993, opening the door to sustainable gorilla trekking experiences. Today, Bwindi boasts 25 habituated gorilla families, with nine available for tourism and one dedicated to research
2. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park: Located in the Virunga Mountains, Mgahinga is another habitat for mountain gorillas,. Shared by 3 countries Uganda, Rwanda and D.R Congo

Gorilla tracking permit in both parks costs $800 per person, per trek for foreign non-residents, $700 per person, per trek for foreign residents, $500 per person, per trek for guests from Rest Of Africa and Shs 300,000.00 per person, per trek for East African Residents

Gorilla Habituation permit in Uganda costs $1,500 per person, per trek for foreign non-residents, $1,000 per person, per trek for foreign residents as well as rest of Africa guests and Shs 750,000 per person, per trek for East African Residents in Kibale forest National Park. This package affords you a luxury of spending 4 hours with the chimpanzees.

Chimpanzee Tracking

Chimpanzee Tracking is another interesting safari you ought not miss while you are in Uganda. Kibale forest national park (aka The Primate Capital of the World) is the most popular destination for the activity. Kibale National Park is renowned for its extraordinary primate diversity, at Kanyanchu (Park office) Primate Walk stands as the park’s flagship experience. This immersive trek offers visitors a rare chance to encounter 13 different primate species, with diurnal monkeys such as red colobus, black-and-white colobus, L’Hoeste’s monkey, and grey-cheeked mangabey frequently spotted in the forest canopy. However, the undisputed highlight of this walk is the Kibale chimpanzees—one of Uganda’s greatest wildlife spectacular encounters.

Beyond its renowned primates, Kibale National Park boasts an astonishing biodiversity. The park is home to over 120 other mammal species, including olive baboons, forest elephants, bush pigs, duikers, and rare antelope species. Bird enthusiasts will be equally delighted, as Kibale shelters approximately 370 bird species, with 23 Albertine Rift endemics.

Chimpanzee tracking permit in Uganda costs $250 per person, per trek for foreign non-residents, $200 per person, per trek for foreign residents and Shs 180,000 per person, per trek for East African Residents in Kibale forest National Park.  In Kyambura (Queen Elizabeth National Park) $100 per person, per trek for foreign non-residents, $80 per person for foreign residents and Shs 50,000 per person, per trek for East African Residents. This cost includes the park entry fee, the guide fee and the one hour you spend with the chimpanzees.

Chimpanzee Habituation permit in Uganda costs $300 per person, per trek for foreign non-residents, $250 per person, per trek for foreign residents and Shs 250,000 per person, per trek for East African Residents in Kibale forest National Park. This package affords you a luxury of spending 4 hours with the chimpanzees.

 

Kibale’s Thriving Chimpanzee Population

Kibale is supports one of the largest populations of wild chimpanzees in Uganda, estimated at over 1,500 individuals, distributed across at least 12 distinct communities. Four of these communities have been habituated for tourism and research, with the Kanyantale chimpanzee community being the most prominent for visitor tracking. This group has been open to tourists daily since 1993, making it one of the longest-running chimpanzee tracking programs in the world.

Chimpanzee tracking is also done in Budongo forest in Murchison Fall National Park, Kalinzu forest reserve, Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

While in the Capital Kampala or on arrival in Entebbe you can explore the captive rescued population of Chimpanzees at Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary on a half day excursion, a prior booking is required book through your agent, you will have to sail from the shores for 23 km into the lake crossing the Equator to reach the sanctuary in the middle of Africa’s number largest fresh water body Lake Victoria.

For hydrophobic individuals, the UWEC Conservation Area got you covered, a drive of about 15-20 min from the airport brings to fulfilling sightings of animals, birds but most important the chimpanzees, they have different package such as Behind the scene, Keeper for a day, Vip chimps experience, worthy to note that these excursions are booked in advance and specific inoculations must be taken before one comes in, Consult your agent.

 

Golden Monkey Tracking Safari

Golden monkeys are a distinctive race of the more widespread blue monkey endemic to the Albertine Rift region Mgahinga National Park, a little-known bamboo-associated primate listed as ‘endangered’ by the World Conservation Union. Endemic to the Albertine Rift ranges, the golden monkey is characterized as a bright orange-gold body, cheeks and tail, differing from its black limbs, crown and tail end.

A golden monkey permit in Uganda costs $60 per person for foreign non-residents, $50 per person for foreign residents and Shs 40,000 for East African Residents. This cost includes the park entry fee, the guide fee and the one hour you spend with the golden monkeys. These permits could be booked on ground from the Park headquarters in Ntebeko Visitor Center in past but now prior booking is required. Tourists who wish to spend more quality time and understand the detailed information regarding the golden monkeys can visit this Park for the engaging golden monkey habituation experience that costs only $100 per person.

Golden Monkey Experiential tourism is a new product for visitors to the park that allows them to have an insight and a better understanding of what it means to research, conserve, and protect an endangered species in the 21^st century and the many challenges faced everyday by the team out in the field.

Experiential tourism will give visitors an understanding of why research is of importance and how conservation is a result of what we witness when out in the field, learn about primate life in the canopy and their habitat, and other forest dwelling animals that share their home with the monkeys.

 

Whereas golden monkey tracking starts at 8:00 Am,  tourists arriving are expected at the Park headquarters by 7:30am for pre-tracking briefing (on the dos and don’ts of tracking the golden monkeys). The actual trek begins at 8:00am. Hiking through the forests to sight the golden monkeys is not so strenuous like gorilla trekking because golden monkeys live in lower areas, so tourists do not track for more than 3 hours. When tourists encounter the golden monkey family, they are given one hour to spend with them (to take photographs and observe their behavior). With this activity, there is no minimum number of tourists who track each group and age limit is 12 years.

Best Time to Go

Best during the dry seasons, from June to September and from December to February. These periods offer easier hiking conditions and better visibility., However in the Months of march to May as well as October and November.  On the other hand, Uganda Wildlife Authority welcomes visitors to the park all year round.

The lower season months can be the best time to visit Uganda for some reasons

• The parks are not congested and might afford you a chance to not only see Gorillas in a calmer environment but also set glance at birds and other animals that are easily scared away by presence of people such as duikers,
• Accommodation facilities tend to loosen their costs during the months of less travel ins. For budget and midrange travellers this could make you reside in a top-notch Safari Lodge at a much lesser cost
• A feel of exclusivity at accommodations, in the park is guaranteed