Kibale Primates Tour
Looking for a primates adventure in Uganda? Kibale Forest in Western Uganda is home to a remarkable 13 primate species. These include chimpanzees, the verry localised red colobus, L'Hoest's monkey etc. .
Chimpanzee Trekking Adventure
Chimpanzee in Kibale Forest National Park
We
begin our tour on the peaceful shores of Lake Victoria, the largest
lake in Africa, then head west to Lake Mburo National Park, an
attractive area of rolling bush and grassland set around the lake and
its substantial papyrus swamp. As well as an abundant birdlife, which
includes the rare and elusive African Finfoot, the park is home to such
mammals as Oribi, Burchell’s Zebra and Impala, also Bohor Reedbuck
which we are unlikely to see elsewhere in Uganda. After a night here we
head west towards the dramatic mountain ranges that lie along Uganda’s
borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda and
overnight in a lovely oldfashioned guesthouse in Kabale, close to Lake
Bunyoni where we will take a short boat trip to look for otters and
enjoy the scenery.
Next we begin the biggest adventure
of the tour as we ascend a bumpy, scenic road that takes us up to
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, an area of densely forested mountains,
ranging from 1,200 to 2,590 metres in altitude, that is home not only
to one of Africa’s richest forest floras and faunas, but also to over
300 ‘Mountain’ Gorillas; half of the world’s population! During our
3-night stay at Bwindi, those that wish may choose to spend a day
tracking one of the three habituated gorilla families, a physically
demanding full day’s trek. The rest of our time at Bwindi will be spent
on less arduous forest exploration in search of the attractive
L’Hoest’s Monkey and an assortment of unusual birds.
Lion by Paul Stanbury
After an exciting stay at Bwindi, we head north to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Situated on the Kazinga Channel between Lake Edward and Lake
George, ‘QE’, as it is affectionately known, is a classic east African
game reserve incorporating rolling grasslands, craters and crater
lakes, tropical forests, papyrus swamps and lake shore, and offers
Uganda’s best gameviewing. Great herds of Uganda Kob roam the
grasslands, Giant Forest Hog — so shy and elusive elsewhere in east
Africa — is bold and uncaring, and Lion and Leopard are fairly common.
Along the broad Kazinga Channel, herds of Elephant, Buffalo and
abundant Hippopotamus are encountered by boat, together with a wealth
of waterbirds that include both White and Pink-backed Pelicans, a
variety of herons, storks and waders, and graceful African Skimmers.
QE’s spectacular Kyambura Gorge — a deep, forested and isolated chasm
in the plains — harbours a small Chimpanzee population, which we will
track with the help of a park ranger.