day by day itinerary gorilla and chimpanzee safaris and chimp safari 2018.… · mountains of...

gorilla and chimpanzee safaris

Gorilla and Chimp Safari DAY BY DAY ITINERARY

888.658.7102 [email protected] www.deeperafrica.com

Gorilla and Chimpanzee Safaris

Stand within feet of mountain gorillas and be accepted into their community without a sideways glance. Trek with confidence, knowing you’ll have

success watching these gentle creatures. With chim-panzees, you’ll hear the rustle of leaves and break-ing of branches. You may even hear loud hooting calls bouncing through the trees as the chimps call out to family members. It starts with these sounds

and then suddenly – you are among them.

GORILLA AND CHIMP SAFARI 888.658.7102

OVERVIEW: GORILLA AND CHIMP SAFARI

Our Gorilla and Chimpanzee Safari offers viewing opportunities that are not available with other outfitters. Begin in the cloud covered mountains of Bwindi, where mountain gorillas live in the high-elevation mountain forest. Continue to Rwanda’s Parc National des Volcans, covered in bamboo and home to the famed gorillas in the mist. Four days of gorilla viewing allows you the opportunity to observe subtle behavioral differences resulting from the markedly different habitats in which primates live. On one special trekking day, you’ll spend a full eight hours following a single gorilla family, ending at sunset when gorillas build their nests. This opportunity is quite different from the typical one hour time allotment given for viewing a gorilla family.

Beyond gorillas, you will spend a full day in the midst of the chimpanzees of Kibale National Forest whose quick movements and playful behavior mean you’ll never have a dull moment. Queen Elizabeth National Park offers relaxing traditional wildlife viewing.

©Ilona Struhl


INCLUDED

Wifi

Arrive at Entebbe Airport in Uganda. A Deeper Africa driver will be waiting to pick you up after clearing customs. He’ll have a sign with your name on it. Once connected, your driver will transport you to the Protea Mariott Hotel, located near the airport.

Uganda is a nation saturated in diverse, natural beauty. Over the next several days you will explore a wide breadth of its ecosystems, starting with the lush evergreen rain forest of Kibale National Park. From there, you’ll cruise through the savannas and wetlands within Queen Elizabeth National Park, before trekking into the high forests of Bwindi National Park. Get a good night’s rest; the adventure begins tomorrow.

DAY 1 PROTEA HOTEL ENTEBBE | ENTEBBE

© Matthias Mugisha


INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Swimming Pool

Wifi

This morning you’ll begin your journey into the wilderness of Uganda. Your driver will transfer you to the airport for your bush flight from Entebbe to Kasese bush strip. Your Deeper Africa guide will be waiting for you at the airstrip to begin your drive towards Kibale Forest National Park and Kyaninga Lodge.

Set against a stunning backdrop of Lake Kyaninga and the legendary Rwenzoris or “Mountains of the Moon,” Kyaninga Lodge serves as a gateway to the diverse primate and bird life waiting for you in the Kibale Forest. The lodge was developed by primate trekkers who passed through the area and saw the lake as the perfect spot to set up camp for fellow travelers.

For lunch, you will be traveling to the home of John Tinka, a vital leader of the local Bigodi Community Project, an organization dedicated to creating sustainable tourism partnerships that benefit the local community. Enjoy a traditional Ugandan meal before heading out with a community guide to tour the area known as the Bigodi Wetlands. These wetlands are home to a dazzling array of birds, so bring a pair of binoculars and see if you can spot the forest’s striking great blue touraco. The Sanctuary trails are considered some of the finest birding trails in Uganda. Small primates such as vervets, colubus, and blue monkeys can be seen as well.

DAY 2 KYANINGA LODGE | KIBALE NATIONAL PARK

© Kyaninga Lodge


Rise early this morning to prepare for chimp tracking in Kibale Forest. You’ll be accompanying Kibale’s researchers in their habituation activities. While its typical to only spend an hour with the chimp families, Deeper Africa provides the unique opportunity to spend the full day amongst them. 1,500 chimpanzees call Kibale Forest home – the highest concentration in any forest in Uganda.

You’ll start be tracking chimps in the area that they were last seen the night before. Chimps tend to move around frequently, so be ready to move through the underbrush of the forest in order to stay with them. Your ranger will take you in pursuit deep into the forest, listening for the telltale hoots and screeches that give away the noisy gang’s location. Take in the beautiful scenery and sounds of birds, insects, and forest monkeys hiding amongst the branches. It can take up to an hour to get close to these mobile primates, but once you stop and watch, your heart beats furiously, as a face not unlike your own stares back at you. You’ll be able to observe and follow the chimpanzees as they go about their daily activities: feeding, playing, and grooming. The thrill of the connection between human and primate is simply amazing.

INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Swimming Pool

Wifi

DAY 3 KYANINGA LODGE | KIBALE NATIONAL PARK

African Bush Camps Foundation

©Tom Dietrich

Chimps of Uganda

Uganda is home to over 5,000 chimpanzees, making it one of the most important countries in Africa for conservation of these captivating creatures.

The majority of chimps live within Uganda’s National Parks. Kibale Forest is considered the premiere destination to view chimps in East Africa due to the accessibility and habituation by researchers. Bundongo Forest in Murchison Falls National Park is the largest Mahogany forest in all of East Africa as well as the home of the largest number of chimps in Uganda. In Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kyambura Gorge is a remote, hidden gem for chimpanzee trekking.


INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Swimming Pool

Laundry

DAY 4 KYAMBURA GORGE LODGE | QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK

Depart Kibale for Queen Elizabeth National Park. Queen Elizabeth is the best location in Uganda for traditional wildlife viewing. It is home to not only primates, but also big cats, elephants, buffalo, hippo, warthog, and Uganda’s national animal, the kob. With diverse ecosystems, a drive across the park will have you moving from sprawling savannas to crater lakes, winding water channels, and dense forest.

Your destination is Kyambura Gorge Lodge. Named for the gorge which it neighbors, Kyambura offers spectacular views across Queen Elizabeth National Park and beyond to the snowcapped “Mountains of the Moon.”

This afternoon, you’ll head to the Kazinga Channel, a 20 mile (32 kilometer) waterway that links Lakes Edward and George. You’ll board a boat which will take you cruising along the channel, providing the perfect vantage point to spot all of the wild residents who stop by the channel for a drink. Look for herds of elephant, water fowl wading into the shallows, as well as substantial hippo and crocodile populations lurking beneath the surface. Lions and leopards can sometimes be spotted on the banks.

©Simon Jones©Uganda Tourism


INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Swimming Pool

Laundry

Continue with a drive across the countryside to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Shrouded in mist, Bwindi is an otherworldly forest that appears suspended in the clouds. This ancient rain forest – one of the few in Africa to have flourished throughout the last Ice Age – is one of the most biologically diverse in Africa and is an official World Heritage site. Close to half of the world’s mountain gorilla populations call this place home, and you will spend the next two days in their midst.

Arrive at Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge sometime in the afternoon. At over 6,000 feet (approx. 2,000 meters) above sea level, it is Uganda’s highest lodge. From the lodge you will have beautiful views of the Virunga Volcanoes to the south and the swathes of Bwindi forest to the north.

DAY 5 CLOUDS MOUNTAIN GORILLA LODGE | BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST


INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

This morning you’ll attend an introductory session at the park headquarters to learn about forest and gorilla trekking etiquette. Depart with Ugandan park guides who will be leading you into the forest. Your first stop will be the place the gorillas were seen the previous day. From there, the ranger will track them to their new location. Trekking can take anywhere from one to five hours depending how far the family of gorillas has moved. As you make your way towards their location, don’t forget to take in the sites and sounds of the forest. There are over 350 bird species in Bwindi as well as a cast of other primates.

Nothing can quite prepare you for the rush of excitement when you catch sight of your first mountain gorilla. Distinguishable by their larger size and thicker fur, mountain gorillas are beautiful creatures to behold in their natural habitat.

These great apes have been habituated by researchers and are used to having humans in their midst, but that doesn’t stop them from casting curious glances your way. You will be able to get within several feet of the gorillas as you watch them eat, groom, and interact with one another.


©Origins Safaris


INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Today you’ll visit a different gorilla family with a different territory in the montane rain forest of Bwindi.

In order to create the best possible experience for both you and the gorillas, here are some of the rules you follow while trekking:

• No more than eight guests are allowed to view each of the habituated gorilla families at any one time. • You should maintain a distance of about 22 feet (7 meters) from the gorillas. Do not touch the gorillas or try to make contact. The gorillas will break the rules occasionally. In such cases, don’t increase the distance between you and them, but drop back as soon as you can without disturbing them. • Do not use flash cameras or eat in front of gorillas. • Leave nothing behind but footprints.

At the end of the day, put your feet up to relax, read a good book, or sink into a warm bath.


©Rwanda Tourism Authority


INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Swimming Pool

Set out after breakfast for the Rwandan border crossing via the Cyankia border post. After clearing Rwandan customs, continue on to Kinigi and Five Volcanoes Hotel. On your way, you will stop for lunch in the Virungas, the range of volcanoes that extends across the borders of Rwanda, Uganda, and the DRC.

Your day traveling through this vast forest territory will provide an unparalleled look at the area that has been described as the Switzerland of East Africa. You’ll have stunning views of the Kisoro Valley on clear days. Descend from the high country around Bwindi into the Kanaba Gap and then gain elevation again as you move into the Virunga Range.

Parc’ National des Volcans, where you will be embarking on your Rwanda gorilla trekking, is part of the first national park in Africa, created in 1925.

DAY 8 SABINYO SILVERBACK LODGE | PARC NATIONAL DES VOLCANS

©Rwanda Tourism Board


INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Swimming Pool

Meet up with your Rwandan park rangers from the Office Rwandaise du Tourisme et des Parcs Nationaux (ORTPN) in Kinigi. The park service employs about 80 people as guides, trackers, and anti-poaching officers and they speak both English and French. You’ll trek and climb through the shady bamboo forests on the lush forested slopes of Parc National des Volcans that are home to eight habituated gorilla groups. The park boundaries and this “Land of a Thousand Hills” include six of the Virunga Volcanoes.

After you have completed trekking, you can choose from several afternoon activities available near Parc National.

• Kinigi Community Walk - shows Rwandan ways of life, dance, and drumming. Visit traditional healers, a banana brewery and a local school.

• Cycle with Team Rwanda - both mountain bikes and road bikes available.

• Drive to the beautiful twin lakes of Burera and Ruhondoin in the Virunga high hills.


Gorilla Doctors

Gorilla Doctors is a real conservation success story. The organization proves that our presence and your visits can change the future of an endangered species.

Gorilla Doctors provides veterinary treatment to gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (Uganda), Parc’ Nationales des Volcans (Rwanda), and Virunga National Park (DR Congo). Vets, rangers, guides, and other wildlife conservationists monitor the health of each gorilla. They intervene in emergency situations, observe daily interactions, and note health problems as they develop.

©Robert Johnson


INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

Swimming Pool

Meet up with your Rwandan ranger and trackers in the morning for your last day of gorilla viewing. Today you will track a different gorilla family, enjoying views of them munching on bamboo shoots somewhere deep in the forest.

Recent DNA research has shown that there are sufficient genetic differences between the Virunga and Bwindi gorillas. This suggests that the populations breed in isolation, even though forests linked the two mountain ranges as recently as 500 years ago.

Gorilla numbers are on the rise in both Uganda and Rwanda. This population increase is attributed to both population growth and improved census techniques. In the last census, teams covered the parks in Rwanda and Uganda not once, but twice, looking for and documenting mountain gorilla night nests and collecting fecal samples for genetic analysis. The growth of gorilla populations is one of the greatest accomplishments in modern conservation initiatives.


©Robert Johnson

©Rwandan Tourism


DAY 11 INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT | INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

INCLUDED

Breakfast

Lunch

After breakfast, drive to Kigali – Rwanda’s capital city. Stop at the Gisozi Genocide Museum which commemorates the 1994 Rwandan genocide. This museum is an international effort – built with funds from Belgium, Sweden, and the US based Clinton Foundation. From there, your guide will give you a packed lunch and transport you to Kigali International Airport for your flights home.

International Flight #1

• Departs: Kigali, Rwanda

• Arrives: TBD

DAY 12 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL | INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT

International Flight #2

• Departs: TBD

• Arrives: TBD

©C. Cuthbert

INCLUDED IN YOUR SAFARI

• Full board accommodations in all lodges and tented camps

• All meals

• All park and entrance fees

• Experienced and professional safari naturalist guides

• All in-country transportation

• Laundry available at some lodges and camps

• Bottled water available at all times

• Extensive pre-departure briefing and materials including health information, reading list, and map

EXCLUDED IN YOUR SAFARI

• Gratuities • Alcohol and certain beverages in some camps and lodges

We plan your wildlife adventures in areas where wildlife habitats are known to exist for the season and time you are traveling. Still, animals in the areas you are viewing are not in a zoo. They run freely, and we cannot always anticipate their movements.

Also, Deeper Africa uses best efforts to provide the lodging set out in this itinerary, but occasionally there are circumstances that occur in Africa that require lodging substitutions. We reserve the right to make comparable lodging substitutions whenever necessary.

All pricing is in US dollars. All arrivals are into Entebbe, Uganda and departures through Kigali, Rwanda. Prices do not include international airfare. All itineraries and prices are subject to change. Gorilla permit prices fluctuate; pricing subject to park fees.

2018 CUSTOM PRICING & DEPARTURE DATES

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge March & November • 6 guests: $12,099 USD per person • 4 guests: $12,599 USD per person • 2 guests: $13,999 USD per person • Single supplement: $2,099 USD January - February, December 1-15 • 6 guests: $13,099 USD per person • 4 guests: $13,599 USD per person • 2 guests: $14,999 USD per person • Single supplement: $2,399 USD April & May • 6 guests: $10,999 USD per person • 4 guests: $11,499 USD per person • 2 guests: $12,999 USD per person • Single supplement: $1,299 USD

October • 6 guests: $15,599 USD per person • 4 guests: $16,099 USD per person • 2 guests: $17,699 USD per person • Single supplement: $2,249 USD

June - September, December 16-31 • 6 guests: $16,599 USD per person • 4 guests: $17,099 USD per person • 2 guests: $18,599 USD per person • Single supplement: $2,599 USD

Five Volcanoes Lodge available, please call for pricing.

5353 Manhattan Circle, Suite 202 Boulder, Colorado 80303

888.658.7102 303.415.2574 720.565.0512 fx

www.deeperafrica.com

gorilla and chimpanzee safaris

ADDITIONAL SAFARI INFORMATION


2018 pricing $10,999 - $18,599

Best Value

day by day itinerary gorilla and chimpanzee safaris and chimp safari 2018.… · mountains of...

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