Safari Overview
Southern Bwindi is composed of Rushaga and Nkuringo sectors. The area is not only popular for having the highest Gorilla population, but also and has got most habituated gorilla families.
While looking for Gorillas in Nkuringo and Rushaga sectors, you get to see more than just Gorillas. The amazing Uganda’s volcanoes of Mgahinga, Sabyinyo, Muhavura, and Congo’s Nyiragongo and Nyimuragira can be seen on any clear day or night. The nearby lake Mutanda and the meandering road network gives the place a very impressive scenery.
Let’s go walk with the Gorillas!
Brief Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe international airport – Uganda.
Day 2: Fly Entebbe to Kisoro (about one hour and ten minutes) – Afternoon community walk.
Day 3: Gorilla tracking in southern Bwindi & Afternoon Lake walk.
Day 4: Optional Second Gorilla trek or go for Batwa trail experience.
Day 4: Kisoro to Entebbe Flight, connect to your international flight.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe international airport – Uganda.
Adventure Consults’ airport staff will meet you on arrival, assist through customs, get your luggage, and transfer to the hotel. Depending on arrival time, you may have a briefing on your safari today or the following day before setting off for the trip.
Overnight accommodation on Bed & Breakfast basis.
Most of the hotels are 10 minutes’ drive from Entebbe airport.
Inclusions: Bed & Breakfasts basis.
Excludes: All meals and Drinks.
Day 2: Flight to Kisoro/Southern Bwindi – Afternoon Village walk.
Early morning transfer Entebbe airport, proceed through to the domestic check-in point for your bush flight to Kisoro (flight departs Entebbe @ 0700 hours, Check in time – one hour in advance). Note that flight schedules are subject to change and sometimes at last minute.
Baggage restrictions on domestic flights: Maximum luggage weight is 15 kgs /33lbs in soft-sided bags. Standard luggage should have the three dimensions of 24 inches (60cm) height, 18 inches (45cm) length, and 13 inches (33cm) width. Any excess luggage can be paid for at 3$ per Kg depending on space availability or can make advance reservation. Alternatively, any extra baggage can be kept in Entebbe at the hotel, to be returned to you at the end of the trip.
Upon arrival at Kisoro airstrip, meet your guide, go through registration procedures at the airstrip offices. Adventure Consults guide will give you a briefing for the day’s program and drive to the lodge.
Upon arrival at Kisoro airstrip, meet your guide and have a welcome cup of Ugandan Coffee or tea, go through registration procedures at the airstrip offices, and drive to the lodge.
You will take the meandering village roads, overlooking Lake Mutanda, the Virunga volcanoes in a distance and terraced farmlands. You will have numerous stops along the way for photography and interaction with the local communities (optional).
Lunch at the lodge. Afternoon, you have an option to relax at the lodge or go for a community walk. The walk opens an opportunity for authentic history, cultural and normal lifestyles of the people in the region. Get to buy a mango or sugarcane and enjoy it while on a village walk, buy a drink at the local market or shop and have a one on one with the people.
Return to the lodge late afternoon and enjoy a drink by the fireplace as you prepare for the following day’s adventure.
Meals and Overnight at the Lodge.
Standard inclusions: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).
Some lodges include drinks with exclusion of premium/imported wines and spirits.
Standard exclusions: All drinks.
Day 3: Gorilla tracking (Rushaga or Nkuringo) – Afternoon Lake-walk or Kayaking.
Depending on the lodge location, you may have breakfast at the lodge or take a parked breakfast. Some properties are about an hour away from the Gorilla tracking point, so departure time varies. Breakfast is always ready by 0500 hours.
You will meet your personal guide at the lounge and drive or walk to the Park Headquarters for a detailed briefing about Gorillas – see more information here – Gorilla information. Gorilla tracking starts at 0800 hours and is done once a day.
Experienced Wildlife guides along with trackers and porters will accompany you through the bamboo forest and hilly National Park. The journey, through dense foliage and up steep climbs, leads you to lifetime experience of viewing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. After finding the Gorillas, you will have an opportunity to be within restricted distance. Watch them, follow them as you they share their daily lifestyles of feeding, grooming the young ones, taking care of each other and sometimes play up and down in the tree branches.
With an estimated 1,063 Gorilla population in the world, spending one hour with a Gorilla family is a once in a lifetime experience! You will later follow your footsteps and return to the forest edge, meet your guide, head back to the lodge.
Depending on trek duration, you have an option for a picnic lunch or have a warm meal at the lodge.
After an amazing Gorilla encounter, you may opt to simply relax at the lodge or go for a Lake walk or go Kayaking on Lake Mutanda.
The adventurous ride on the lake is by a flexible kayak and provides great opportunities for Birding and get to see the highest 3 Volcanoes in the region at a water level.
The lake walk is equally a thrilling option as you slope down in the valley while listening to the whistling sounds of the colorful birds. If you are lucky, the resident grey cranes will give you a treat. Meet the people, work with the lodge staff and pick vegetables.
Meals and Overnight at the Lodge.
Standard inclusions: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).
Some lodges include drinks with exclusion of premium/imported wines and spirits.
Standard exclusions: All drinks.
Day 4: Optional Second Gorilla trek or Cultural Batwa walk.
Today you have an option to go for a second Gorilla trek. Every Gorilla visit is different and special. You get to see different Gorilla families, different guides, different trails and totally new a new experience.
Alternatively, visit the Pygmy/Batwa community. This is cultural tourism activity at its best! It’s a hands-on, mind-opening adventure you will never forget as you go for an incredible walk with the elderly Batwa (pygmy) guides.
The Batwa are known to be one of the oldest surviving indigenous people on earth. A very special and unique group of people, lived in the bush and entire lifestyle depended on the forests. Just like the well-known ‘hunters and gatherers’, the Batwa gathered plants and fruits for food, hunted any animals within their reach, caves were their homes with the main big caves reserved for Kings.
A hike to the Batwa community, will enrich you with the history of these historical people. You will enjoy demonstrations and storytelling sessions of how the Batwa lived before they left the forest in favor of conservation programs. They will make fire using very simple tools (sticks and stones) and take you back to the old stone age period. You may participate in the mock hunting exercise, learn how to use a bow and arrow, and can taste the local meals and drinks, and participate in traditional dances.
Meals and Overnight at the Lodge.
Standard inclusions: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).
Some lodges include drinks with exclusion of premium/imported wines and spirits.
Standard exclusions: All drinks.
Day 5: Fly from Kisoro airstrip to Entebbe – connect to your international flight.
After breakfast, transfer to Kisoro airstrip in time for your morning flight to Entebbe Airport.
The drive from the lodge to Kisoro airstrip is between one to two hours depending on lodge location, nature of the road and weather at the time of travel. Check in time for the flight is 45 minutes to one hour in advance.
The flight departs Kisoro Airstrip at 0825 hours, but schedules can change and sometimes at short notice or no notice due to unforeseen circumstances.
Baggage restrictions on domestic flights: Maximum luggage weight is 15 kgs /33lbs in soft-sided bags. Standard luggage should have the three dimensions of 24 inches (60cm) height, 18 inches (45cm) length, and 13 inches (33cm) width. Any excess luggage can be paid for at 3$ per Kg depending on space availability or can make advance reservation.
You will arrive Entebbe airport by 1125hrs (sometimes earlier). If you have a connecting international/regional flight today, ensure it’s scheduled to depart Entebbe not earlier than 1345hrs.
On arrival at Entebbe airport, you will be assisted through customs and connect to your international/regional flight.
If you have more than 4 hours layover from 11am, Adventure consults offers various options.
- Complementary transfer to the nearby restaurant (outside the airport) where you will have an early lunch (on own account), then later transfer back to the airport in time for your flight.
- Day room at a hotel near Entebbe airport (on payment of supplement).
- Optional day activities to keep you busy and get to see more of Entebbe. Please ask for detailed info and related costs to ensure reservations are in place.
Accommodation options.
There is a wide range of accommodation facilities in Uganda that meet our clients’ standards. It’s quite difficult to list all of them but have done our best to mention the few we can. Get in touch and we discuss all your safari specifications.
Accommodation in Entebbe
The gateway to Uganda has got several accommodation options that cater for the needs of all visitor categories ranging from large groups to small boutique hotels with 10 to 20 rooms that take care of honeymooners and family travelers. while in Entebbe or Kampala, our safari packages include Bed & Breakfast.
- Hotel Number 5.
- Protea Hotel by Marriott Entebbe.
- The Boma hotel.
- Lake Victoria Serena Golf resort and spa.
- 2 Friends Beach Hotel.
- Papyrus Guesthouse.
- Best Western Premier Garden Hotel.
- K Hotels.
- Admas Grand Hotel.
Accommodation in Rushaga/Nkuringo sector.
The Southern sector of Bwindi has got a wide variety of accommodation options. The available facilities cater for all visitor categories, ranging from high-end luxury, midrange to budget. The choice entirely depends on planned budget and personal preference. Not all the accommodation facilities can be listed but here are some of the best options.
- Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge.
- Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge.
- Gorilla Heights Lodge.
- Chameleon Hill Forest Lodge.
- Four Gorillas Lodge.
- Gorilla Safari Lodge.
- Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge.
- Mutanda Lake Resort.
- Gorilla Valley Lodge.