Ishasha tree climbing lions Safari, Uganda gorillas by air

Description

Ishasha Tree Climbing Lions Safari, Gorilla trek with flights, 5 Days.

Day one: Start the Ishasha tree climbing lions safari with an arrival at the airport in Entebbe. The guide meets at the arrivals with a placard with your names then will transfer to the Lake Victoria Hotel. If time allows, as an option, take a Lake Victoria Safari to Ngamba Island at an extra cost. You eventually take a speedboat to the Ngamba Island where you may be able to have a swim in Lake Victoria. Visit the equator or visit one of the Islands of the local fishing community. See the chimpanzees on Ngamba Island at supplementary food time.

They emerge out of the forests to have a fruit diet provided by the Ngamba support staff. View the 48 orphaned chimpanzees and photograph them from a raised wooden platform separated by an electric fence. Otherwise, have the evening enjoying this refurbished colonial Hotel set in private manicured gardens of royal palms and lush gardens. Spend time either at the health club/spa for facials or massages. Maybe,spend the evening at the swimming pool bar enjoying the evening live band over the weekends. Overnight at the standard air-conditioned executive room. Meal plan: Bed and breakfast basis.

Day two: Breakfast as early as possible and later board the Hotel Transfer vehicle to the airport. Check in, together with other travelers for a one hour flight over the Lake Victoria and the beautiful Ssese Islands. Sights of the Rwenzori Mountains, Great Lakes of Albert, Edward and George or Volcanoes in Rwanda standout on clear days. Your flight finally touches down at the airfield in Kihiihi where you will board the comfortable 4×4 safari vehicles. Travel through the banana farmland and the oxbow lakes of the river Munyaga and Ishasha.

Bwindi Village walk and Batwa experience

Thereafter, arrive at your camp for a welcome juice and lunch at the edge of the Bwindi Impenetrable forests. In the afternoon, have a Batwa experience visiting these resettled forest people on a 3 hour village walk. The tour introduces bee keeping, a village traditional healer, local banana brewing. Also, the making the potent waragi a distilled banana beer gin. In the evening, depending on the lodge of choice, enjoy traditional dances by the local women’s groups in camp. Thereafter, a five course dinner and overnight at the Bwindi Gorilla Camp or safari lodge of choice. Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner.

Day three: The little forest birds start chirping in the morning around 05:30am. You may also hear the African Barn owl before your wake up call. Breakfast and later, to the tracking point by vehicle or walk to the Uganda wildlife Authority park offices. Following registration and gorilla permit validation, you will then start the morning gorilla safari tour orientation. Conducted by the head guide,in regard to forest etiquette and the gorilla rules while trekking.

Start of Gorilla trekking

Those not in good shape or disabled may take a porter for the gorilla trek . On request, clients have a stretcher service to hoist them through the impenetrable jungle and higher altitudes. Start the trek with a walking stick and your lodge provides a picnic lunch and enough bottled water. Later, embark on an easy or arduous hike into the forest to find the gorillas. The visitors divide in groups of 8 per Mountain gorilla family and a ranger guide, plus two porters start the walk through the forest. Linking up by two way radio with the advance party of trackers to cut down on the length of the walk. Several stops on the trail enable the more elderly visitors and the slow walkers keep together with the main party.

Mountain gorilla viewing

The gorilla family would then burst out in the glades of the green forests to reveal the Silver back and the other members of the endangered species of Apes feeding on the ferns, celery and nettles. The gorilla viewing lasts about an hour, supervised by your wildlife authority guide. Tucking away the vegetation gently to enhance good picture opportunities. Observe the gorillas groom and foraging on the forest floor from the time they rise from their night nests. See young gorillas chest drum, play and climb trees for their favorite fruits .

How to behave with the Mountain gorilla family

The silver back may at some point mock charge when he feels tourists are getting close, but the guide will always be on hand to shield you from this aggression. By being submissive and play acting to keep the family calm all should be fine. After the Uganda gorilla flying safari visit, move to a safer distance away from the gorillas to enjoy the bush lunch. Later, the trackers and guides will lead the team back to the waiting vehicles for the trip back to the Safari Lodges or Luxury Tented Camp arriving for refreshments a bon fire over a chilled drink. Later, dinner and overnight at your Bwindi accommodations. Meal plan: Breakfast, Picnic Lunch and Dinner.

Day Four: Full day at Ishasha, tree climbing lions of Uganda

After breakfast, the lodge will organize a packed lunch and a cooler box of drinks for your full day safari to the Queen Elizabeth National park which is about 1 hour from the Bwindi Impenetrable national park. Then drive through the countryside gets to the Ishasha plains close to the Congo Blue mountains and the mid morning safari commences. In the Savannah grasslands, you get sightings of the Uganda Kob and Topi. See the Topi grazing on the plains with their shiny coats, spiral horns and black markings on the face and flanks.

One snort from these shy animals and all flee to different directions as the safari vehicle approaches. Look out on the massive sycamore fig trees from which the famous tree climbing Ishasha Lions laze away in the mid afternoon, blazing hot conditions. This pride of lions frequently hunts on the marshes of near Lake Edward. Uganda Kobs stand still on the plains facing one direction, indicating lurking danger from the hunting cats. Eventually, sprinting away following the stalk of the King of the Jungle. Warthogs emerge out of their holes in the ground and others browse on the short Savannah grasses on the plains.

Other monkeys on safari

Vervet monkeys take to the trees to feed on the berries during the season while the occasional leopard spotted at dusk with a baboon kill. Elephants tend to cross over from the Virunga national park in the Democratic republic of Congo. Refuse from the nearby tourist camps attract the occasional hyenas at mealtimes in the evenings. Later on, have lunch at a lovely view point on the River Ntungwe where the Hippos and crocodiles amass in huge concentrations.

Bird life on the river is also prolific with sightings of the Pied Kingfishers, Black Crake, Malachite Kingfisher, Hammerkop, Occasional shoe billed stork, African fish eagle from the treetops scanning the river surface for fish. Have the evening safari along the forest margins for sighting of the rare Giant forest hogs. Crocodile and the Deffasa water bucks in shrubs, by the river banks. As the sun goes down, exit the Ishasha plains and return to the overnight accommodations. Later, at the gorilla sanctuary, arriving for a candlelit dinner before overnight at the Bwindi accommodations. Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner.

Day Five: Last day of the Ishasha tree climbing lions safari

Morning breakfast at the Lodge thereafter, out of your safari lodge or Bwindi Tented camp and depart to the Kihiihi airfield. The return scheduled flight out of the gorilla sanctuary departs in the early morning and arrives at Entebbe airport around noon. You will be assisted from the tarmac to the main airport building then will transfer to the departures lounge to catch your outbound departure flight.

Luxury Safari option for the Ishasha tree climbing lions safari

Price per person sharing in a custom built safari vehicle USD4019 + USD600 Gorilla Permit.

Semi Luxury Safari option

Price per person sharing in a custom built safari vehicle USD2549 + USD600 Gorilla Permit.

Non Luxury Safari option

Price per person sharing in a custom built safari vehicle USD1995 + USD600 Gorilla Permit.

Price per person on the Uganda gorilla flying safari includes:

Airport transfers and assistance on arrival,
Top Lodges or Up market tented camps,
non luxury accommodations and meals where applicable,
scheduled flights,
Uganda wildlife authority guide service and trackers,
Batwa experience cultural tour,
unlimited beverages, wines, laundry and massages at selected gorilla lodge accommodations,
gorilla trekking permits listed separately,
game viewing safari at Ishasha,
private transfers to the starting gorilla trek points and
an English speaking driver guide for the entire stay on tour.

Uganda gorilla flying safari etiquette:

Mountain gorillas are an endangered species of wildlife. Therefore, a set of rules and regulations to conserve them is in place to avert their extinction. It is on this point that the gorilla guides and conservation personnel offer an orientation to gorilla trackers prior to the start of every gorilla trek in order to conserve the wildlife, as well as staying safe during the gorilla safari.

At the beginning of the uganda gorilla flying safari,

you will be in a group of 8 people visiting a gorilla group in a day. The reason for a limited number of visitors is to minimize stress caused by the large numbers of the gorilla group.

You will be required to keep litter on you and avoid leaving the same in the forest. Curious infant and juvenile gorillas are so fascinated by strange things they come across in the forest and may be tempted to eat the same which may harm their health,

On the gorilla tour, you are required to keep noises as low as possible. This is to enable you, the visitor listen for other sounds of the forest that may include other species of animals like duikers or identifying a couple of bird calls on the trail. Secondly, you wouldn’t want to startle the mountain gorillas as you approach the family.

The head guide will be leading from the front and will be giving informative information in the forest as you trek through the Mountains. In most cases, the slowest member of the gorilla trackers determines the pace and would be at the front.

When the gorilla family is encountered, the trekking party will maintain a distance of about 21 feet away from the gorillas. This is a way of minimizing spread of airborne diseases from humans to the Mountain gorillas or the other way round.

While in the company of the Mountain gorilla family,

one should desist from smoking, eating or drinking. The fact that gorillas are close to humans in behavior and traits, it may be possible that their way of life and health may be compromised.

Should for any reason the gorillas charge, you are advised to take a submissive position on the ground. Avoid eye contact with the dominant male gorilla or the silver back. The guide will soothe the gorillas by making gentle grunts as he moves the guests a short distance away.

Flash photography is not permitted during the gorilla viewing and one is advised to change settings of their camera to compensate for light during the shoots. The other alternative would be to bring a photographic reflector to provide more light to illuminate the dark areas where the gorillas may be feeding or resting.

Should the urge of taking a toilet break arise while in the vicinity of the gorillas? Let the ranger guide take you a distance away to make you a makeshift toilet in the ground where after the activity, you are advised on how to cover the same with soil.

Other optional add on or similar trips: