Destinations visited: Queen Elizabeth & Bwindi National Parks

Encounter gorillas & other wildlife on this tour through Savannah plains and West African jungles as you navigate Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi National Parks. This bucket-list experience takes you deep into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for an eye-opening encounter with highly endangered mountain gorillas. After landing at the international airport in Entebbe, you will fly to the Kihihi airstrip on the outskirts of Bwindi National Park. Home to roughly 340 mountain gorillas, the park is one of the two remaining protected sites where this subspecies of great ape exist in the wild. Some of the family groups are habituated to human presence and will allow trekkers to track and observe them from a respectful and mandated distance as they go about their daily lives. Back at your accommodation, which is the tranquil Mahogany Springs Lodge; keep an eye open for gorillas strolling right through your backyard!

You will fly into Kasese from kihihi before moving to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day to Day Itinerary:

• Day 1: Welcome to Uganda
• Day 2: Head for the Gorilla jungles
• Day 3: The Gorillas of Bwindi.
• Day 4: Savannah grasslands of Queen Elizabeth N.P.
• Day 5: Explore Queen Elizabeth National park
• Day 6: Back to Entebbe.

On arrival at Uganda’s Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by a representative and transferred to the Boma Guesthouse Entebbe. This charming 1940’s guesthouse is the ideal place to relax and prepare for the coming adventure. Spend the afternoon lazing in the pool garden or rent a bicycle to explore this bustling city.

Day 2: Head for the Gorilla jungles

An early start sees you off to the airport to catch your domestic flight to Kisoro Airstrip, the gateway to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You will be met by a representative and driven through the mountains to Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge.

This stylish and elegant lodge, perched on a hill the cloud forest, overlooks stunning views of a volcano covered in verdant jungle. After enjoying a delicious lunch, you have time to settle into your villa and take in the breathtaking view of jungle peaks swathed in cloud before the afternoon’s explorations.

Your guide will meet you for the walk into the Buniga Forest. This protected area is home to several endemic birds and plants, as well as a variety of primates, including colobus and red-tailed monkeys and elusive bands of chimpanzees. The old-growth rainforest rears up around you, sporting every imaginable shade of green; unseen birds call melodiously above and every once in a while you hear the chattering of a primate in the canopy. Your guide interprets the signs and signals of the forest, secrets learned from a lifetime of close communion with the jungle. Stopping to show you medicinal plants and herbs, edible fruits, and signs of the animals that have passed your way, he weaves a complex tale of the interconnectedness of everything in this forest, and how each species depends on the other for its survival.

Visit the Nkuringo community

Enjoy the facilities at the lodge, before members of the Nkuringo community arrive to take you for a walk. Drawing on their intimate knowledge of the forest, you are shown a world where the jungle is a larder, a pharmacy and a workshop. Arriving at the top of Nkuringo Hill, the view suddenly opens up, and you have a vista of the Virunga Mountains stretching off into the misty-clad distance: a God’s window over the adjacent lands of the Congo. Descending the hill, you pay a visit to the local villagers, and observe the daily life of the people here: how sorghum beer is made, the blacksmith’s craft, sample local food and enjoy a performance by the dance troupe.

Nightfall comes quickly on the equator, and before long you find yourself emerging from the forest and making your way back to the lodge. A fire in the grate creates a cozy and intimate atmosphere in the bar and the dining room, where a delightful dinner awaits you.

Day 3: The Gorillas of Bwindi

Entering the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is like stepping into a lost world, unchanged in millennia. Accessible only on foot, this forest is a biological hotspot that is home to an astonishing variety of species, from mammals and birds to plants and insects. The going is not easy through the seemingly unsurpassable wall of vegetation that closes in on you but the sounds of a gorilla family group noisily breaking branches somewhere ahead gets your pulse racing. Creeping closer in the footsteps of the trackers, the moment comes when you finally set eyes on one of our closest relatives on this planet, and all your fatigue vanishes. The group goes about their everyday activities of feeding, grooming and playing as if you are invisible. Sometimes a curious youngster might approach you for a closer look or to tug at an item that attracts its attention, but on the whole you are ignored; most particularly by the dominant male, whose indifference borders on the disdainful. Looking into their deep brown eyes, you feel recognition, a feeling of kinship in a gaze that spans the eons between you and our common ancestors.

After what seems like only moments, your time is up, and it is time to leave. Walking back down the thickly forested slopes, you feel elation, an inexpressible lightness of spirit from an encounter unlike any other: you are now one of the privileged few who have experienced an intimate view into the lives of these great apes. You return to the lodge in the mist with your heart in the clouds.

Day 4: Savannah grasslands of Queen Elizabeth N.P After breakfast, you depart from clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge and return to the airstrip. Shortly after takeoff, the shimmering expanses of Lake George and Lake Edward come into view, with the mysterious peaks of the ‘Mountains of the Moon’ – the Ruwenzoris, shrouded in mist beyond. Landing at Mweya Airstrip, you are met by your guide who will take you in a 4×4 for a game drive into Queen Elizabeth National Park. At midday, you arrive at Mweya Safari Lodge for lunch, where you enjoy a delicious meal overlooking the Kazinga Channel, which teems with life, from monkeys to birds to hippos honking in the water.

In the mid-afternoon, you climb aboard a boat that will take you up the channel. Linking the two lakes, this waterway is home to a great variety of life, including one of the densest hippo populations in Africa. The cruise along the channel reveals a host of birds, hippos and crocodiles, and all along your guide will keep you informed to the various fauna, flora, landmarks and features you are observing.

Day 5: Explore Queen Elizabeth National Park

You rise at dawn to sip on a freshly brewed hot drink and watch trails of mist lift off the channel below you. Enjoy a quick breakfast in the dining room before heading out into the park with your guide. This region is endowed with a wonderful diversity of habitats that in turn support a plethora of bird and animal species. Grassy plains are dotted with kob, an antelope species found only in central Africa that are an important prey species for the lions. The lions themselves are known for their black manes and habit of climbing trees! Acacia woodlands and forested areas lead to a series of volcanic lakes that are a vital habitat for a number of bird species, including flamingos. The Maragambo Forest sits in a huge area of the Rift Valley floor, and this moist semi-deciduous medium-altitude forest is home to a great number of species, including chimpanzees.

Buffalo roam the grasslands and plains, and these huge bovids are particularly fond of wallowing in mud found in marshy areas. This can give them a comical appearance as they emerge caked in a thick layer of mud, but as your guide will tell you, they are far from comical when faced with danger! Optional activity: Hot Air Balloon Safari: Experience the wildlife of Queen Elizabeth np in a new, unique way. Wake up early to catch the sunrise, as you silently fly over the plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Admire the herds of buffaloes, elephants and enjoy the serene tranquility of the African bush …

You will take off early at dawn for a flight that lasts for approximately 1 hour. Rise as the suns rises and float in whatever direction the winds of the morning take you. Fly higher than the trees and hills and enjoy the best of Uganda, with many great photo opportunities of the scenery and wildlife below.

After a smooth landing you can celebrate this amazing adventure with a glass of sparkling juice before returning to your lodge to continue your safari. Costing: $380 us dollar p.p.

Optional activity: Lion Tracking:

For visitors who yearn to get up close to wild African fauna, a research trip is a rewarding adventure. This new and unique experience allows visitors to actively participate in monitoring some of lions in the park, using locator devices and learn habituation calls, as well as monitoring weather, surroundings and behavior. The results are added to researchers’ databases, contributing valuable information to the overall understanding of wildlife ecology – and helping to conserve this wonderful ecosystem. This will as well gives you a 95% chance to see the lions! The number of people on each outing is limited in order to reduce stress on the animals and to increase the quality of the experience for visitors.

The experiential tourism activities currently available are Mongoose Tracking, Lion Tracking, Hippo Census, and Bird Counts. The number of people on each outing is limited in order to reduce stress on the animals and to increase the quality of the experience for visitors. Experiential tours lasts between one and three hours. They usually take place in the early morning or evening, or occasionally at night. All activities must be booked through the Visitor Information Centre in Mweya at least 24 hours in advance.

Day 6: Back to Entebbe

You enjoy your last morning game drive in the park before heading to the airstrip to catch your flight back to Entebbe. On arrival at the airport, a representative will collect you and take you to the Boma Guesthouse. You have the rest of the day to spend in any manner you wish; whether you would like to visit the colourful markets of Entebbe, take a bike ride, or simply relax in comfort at the hotel while updating your travel diary and photo library.

When the time comes, a driver will take you to the international airport for your onward flight home. Bidding Uganda farewell as your plane climbs above the clouds, you think back over the incredible experiences of the previous days. You are now one of the privileged few, who have gazed into the eyes of a mountain gorilla, felt the connection with this intelligent and peaceful primate, and felt the magic of that moment.

This marks the end of what we hope will be an adventurous trip- Thank you very much!!

Luggage

PLEASE be reminded that the luggage allowance on our inbound schedule flights is strictly 15KGS PER PERSON and that SOFT BAGS are highly recommended, if not essential. In light aircraft the baggage area and weight allowance is limited. Hard Samsonite type suitcases do not fit into the cargo compartment easily, if at all. Due to limited space available for storage in safari vehicles, we strongly recommend use soft duffle bags rather than hard suitcases.

Your contract

A binding contract will come into existence once Sun Africa Expeditions and yourself agree on the itinerary and quote provided for the same. The booking will then be considered confirmed when an invoice is issued. Your contract for the services chosen will be direct with the relevant supplier(s). Your supplier contact will be governed by the laws of the country in which the supplier is located and will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Courts of that country.

Reservations, Payment and Deposits

When Sun Africa Expeditions has accepted your booking, the date of the confirmation invoice activates the terms and conditions of the contract. Confirmation of services is subject to payment of a non-refundable deposit of 15% of the total invoiced amount. The balance is to be paid not later than 30 days prior to commencement of the services. When bookings are made within 30 days prior to the departure date, full payment is required immediately on written confirmation.

All bookings are subject to availability at the time of booking and cannot be guaranteed except for scheduled departures.

Prices

Prices are quoted in US dollars. All prices are subject to change without prior notice. Should prices or costs from suppliers increase due to inflation, currency depreciation and fuel surcharges, then Sun Africa Expeditions will not have any other option than to pass on the same to you. All suppliers reserve the right to increase prices at any time of the year when costs increase outside the control of the supplier. Please note that when the clients’ itinerary overlaps two seasons, the price will be prorated over the two seasons.

Rates include but are not limited to the following services specified in the itinerary. Accommodation with meals, tours, transport, driver/guide, park entrance fees, hotel taxes and service charges.

Rates exclude (Unless otherwise specified), Medical Air Rescue services, Porter-age, domestic Air Charters, Visa fees, beverages, laundry, telephone calls, scheduled flights, gratuities and all expenses of personal nature.

NB: Flying doctor services are Optional at USD 25 per pax (Subject to change and vendor terms & conditions).

Child rate: – is only applicable to one or two children under 12 years sharing a room with 2 adults. In the case of 02 children sharing a room with parents, the two children will share a bed, as most hotels/lodges cannot accommodate a fourth bed. 01 child sharing a room with 01 adult will be charged full adult rate.

Single Room Policy

Single rooms are available at supplementary cost but the suppliers do not guarantee singles. Single rooms are scarce and cannot be guaranteed even if paid for at twin sole use rate. Where this occurs an appropriate refund will be made by the supplier to the client. Suppliers will only allow a maximum of 3 single rooms per group at a single room rate except for high end luxury camps where single rooms are limited to only 02 singles.

Cancellation Policy

Should you wish to cancel your confirmed booking, you must advise the company in writing.

Reservations that are cancelled, reduced in length of stay or reduced in numbers (hereinafter collectively called a CANCELLATION) are subject to Cancellation and No Show fees if cancelled within 30 days of the arrival date:

55 days to 41 days prior to arrival: 25%
40 days to 22 days prior to arrival: 35%
21 days to 15 days prior to arrival: 50%
14 days to 07 days prior to arrival: 65%
06 days to 03 days prior to arrival: 80%

Within 48 hours and after commencement of holiday: 100%. Once the holiday has commenced no refund will be made. The figures expressed are percentage of the total tour price.

Cancellation: Although it rarely happens, and Sun Africa Expeditions will do their utmost to avoid doing so. Sun Africa Expeditions must reserve the right to cancel tours and other arrangements. Where your holiday is cancelled (other than due to your default in payment) due to unavoidable circumstances beyond our control e.g. Natural disaster or over booking, Sun Africa Expeditions will offer you the choice of purchasing an alternative holiday.

Force Majeure

The expression “force majeure” means any event which the supplier(s) in question could not have foreseen or avoided even with all due care. Such events may include war or threat of war, riots, civil strife, industrial dispute, terrorist activity, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, government action and all similar circumstances outside the suppliers’ control. In these circumstances the suppliers shall not be liable to pay any compensation or otherwise be responsible for any expenses or losses you incur where supplier is forced as a result to cancel, delay, curtail or change your holiday arrangements in any way or where the performance or prompt performance of the supplier’s contractual obligations is prevented or affected. Complaints

In the unlikely event that a tour member has a dispute whilst on safari this must immediately be brought to the attention (and put on record) of the local representative, Hotel, Lodge or Camp management. It is likely that the tour member’s complaint will be satisfactorily resolved there and then. If, however, this is not the case and the tour member wishes to pursue the matter on their return from safari, it is essential the complaint be communicated in writing to Sun Africa Expeditions within 21 days of the end of tour quoting tour reference, destination and departure date.

Responsibility of Sun Africa Expeditions

Sun Africa Expeditions acts only as the Agent for the suppliers and shall not in any event be liable for any negligence, breach of contract or acts of omission on the part of suppliers, their employees or any other Agent, it shall be the responsibility of all customers including (without limitations) Tour members, Tour Operators and Travel Agents, to read and familiarize themselves with the terms and conditions of suppliers. Sun Africa Expeditions liability for its own negligence or breach of contract shall be limited to the Tour price.

Transportation

Safari Minibuses, Cars, Land Cruisers and coaches will be provided according to the route and number of participants. Sun Africa Expeditions reserves the right to employ services of sub-contractors. Multi-lingual driver guides are provided on request. For flying packages, clients will share vehicles with other guests booked at the hotel. For exclusive use, please check with Sun Africa Expeditions for supplements, which will be subject to availability.

Insurance

The hazards of travelling in Africa may inevitably rise to some risks and dangers. It is therefore a condition of booking that all tour members must have sufficient and appropriate travel insurance for the duration of their tour. Such insurance (which is not supplied by Sun Africa Expeditions) should fully cover all personal requirements including death, personal injury, medical expenses, and repatriation in the event of accident or illness, cancellation or curtailment of the tour members’ personal property.

Special Requests

Any special requests (e.g. for single rooms or particular diet) must be notified in writing when the booking is made. Whilst the supplier will endeavour to meet such requests they cannot be guaranteed and any failure to comply will not be a breach of contract.

Sun Africa Expeditions services include flight re-confirmation and airport assistance within Africa if clients are provided all services by Sun Africa Expeditions. In cases whereby Sun Africa Expeditions is providing part of the services and the clients have other arrangements of their own, then Sun Africa Expeditions will only reconfirm where forwarding address or contacts are provided.

Itineraries

Demand for safaris can be high and may lead to shortage of lodge/hotel accommodation. All bookings will be confirmed, but no occasions changes may be necessary. Hotels/Lodges/camps, here specifically named are given as an indication of the category and rooms may be reserved at similar lodges/ hotels/camps. We undertake to advise you of any changes known to us prior to departure, but the possibility of change without notice, must be acceptable when booking. Where ever possible we book rooms with private baths showers throughout on the basis of two persons sharing a double room. Single rooms are available at supplementary cost but neither single rooms nor rooms with private bath/shower can be guaranteed.

Safari minibuses cars, four wheel drive vehicles or coaches will be provided according to the route and number of participants. The right is reserved to employ the services of subcontractors. Multi-lingual chauffer/guides are provided. Occasional mechanical problems, changes of lodge or adverse road conditions may in turn lead to a change of routing or game viewing without prior notice being given. We reserve the right to offer substitutes of equal value or to cancel the operation of any tour. In practice, very few itineraries are affected but a little flexibility on your part will ensure the tour is unique and rewarding.

Website and Brochure Description

Descriptions of accommodation facilities and services in our brochures are shown in good faith, it is however possible that certain facilities or services may be unavailable or limited due to maintenance , adverse weather, local conditions, seasonal restrictions etc.

Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this website/e-brochure at the time of printing, regrettably errors do occasionally occur. You must therefore check all details of your holiday booking with your travel agent or supplier at the time of presentation.

The company cannot therefore accept responsibility for any information not contained in this brochure, being confirmed verbally by its staff or representatives unless subsequently reconfirmed in writing by the company.