Chimps & Gorillas of Uganda

Discover the emblematic wildlife of Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi

Uganda is renowned for its abundant wildlife. With landscapes ranging from savannah to lush forests, the animal count is high: more than 300 mammal species and more than 1,000 bird types. This trip is a true adventure into the heart of Africa. Kibale Forest is possibly the best place in the world to track chimpanzees while Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to hippos, elephants, buffalo, leopards and elusive tree-climbing lions, plus a huge variety of birds. Continuing on our journey, we reach Bwindi where we have the option of tracking the gentle giants of the forests, mountain gorillas.

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that have a positive impact on the people and places we visit and look after the planet we explore. Learn more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• Local guides keep you well informed about local traditions and cultural-social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned hotels, restaurants, and other enterprises, and by championing locally produced food wherever possible.
• Around Kibale, there is a guided Bigodi swamp walk conducted by a community-based organisation. The main purpose of the walk is to raise awareness of protecting the local environment while advancing health, education and economic growth in the community around Kibale – 90 percent of the money paid for the walk goes back to supporting the local community. The project supports a women’s group by providing space to sell their handicrafts and peanut butter at the wetlands visitor centre.
• Read more about our other initiatives here

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• By travelling in a small group, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively reduce waste; this includes eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles by providing refills for reusable bottles.
• The payment of entrance fees to natural reserves and archaeological sites generates income used to upkeep and develop these important sites.
• All the national parks visited on this tour are under Uganda Wildlife Authority, which aims to conserve, manage and regulate the wildlife in Uganda. The UWA mandate is to ensure sustainable management of wildlife resources, this trip helps to protect and conserve local landscapes and nature by paying park entrance fees and by doing activities in different national parks. For example, by buying a gorilla permit, travellers help UWA to conserve and protect these endangered species.
• Our trips adhere to ABTA’s industry-leading animal welfare guidelines to ensure the best possible practices regarding working animals and wildlife viewing. Our animal welfare policy can be found here.
• With our partners, Rewilding Apennines, we rewild 100 square meters (1,075 sqft) of land per passenger who travels with us.
• Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here, including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels with us.

Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
• Three lodges we stay in use solar power: Turaco Treetops in Kibale Forest National Park, Haven Lodge in Bwindi National Park and Rwakobo Rock lodge.
• Our local partner has its own foundation, which is involved in a wide variety of community and conservation initiatives.
• Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring a reusable water bottle on this trip, also consider avoiding single-use hotel toiletries, which generate a large amount of plastic waste.

Is this trip for you?

This trip is graded Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate) with a Wildlife Rating of Four. For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page or our Wildlife Holidays page for more on our Wildlife Ratings. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us.

The Moderate grade applies specifically to the gorilla and chimp treks, the rest of the itinerary is graded Easy.

Gorilla trek: Owing to the terrain and the need to explore to find gorillas, the trek doesn’t follow a path in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest; instead, the guides cut a route through the undergrowth. Expect a minimum of three hours of walking on rough terrain, with the possibility of climbing up to 8,553ft (2,607m); steep ascents and descents over muddy slopes are the norm. Strong footwear is essential and we recommend hiring a local porter to help you carry your bag/camera equipment and provide a steady, supportive hand (porters are arranged and paid for locally on the day).

This is a busy and active trip with some early starts as we explore as much as we can of this wonderful country. There are some long drives, sometimes on bad roads, but we use comfortable safari vehicles and the fantastic scenery does make time on the drives go by.

Booking conditions
At the time of booking, a £732 (or equivalent in booking currency) non-refundable deposit is required to cover the cost of the gorilla permit and a £209 (or equivalent in booking currency) non-refundable deposit is required to cover the cost of the chimp permit. If for any reason we are unable to secure the permits and must cancel the trip, you receive a full refund.

If you would like a second gorilla or chimp trek, please request this at time of booking, an extra deposit is required. However, we only request the extra permits once the trip has been guaranteed as, otherwise, they must be paid in full even if the trip doesn’t run. Once the extra gorilla or chimp permits have been requested, the deposits are non-refundable.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Vaccinations and Health

Uganda

Vaccination against yellow fever is necessary and you must bring a valid certificate of vaccination. You may also want to consider vaccinations for hepatitis A, polio, tetanus, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, meningococcal disease, rabies and tuberculosis. Malaria prophylaxis is essential. Please seek advice from your doctor or travel clinic on the best course of action for all the above.

Additionally, bilharzia is known to occur in some of the lakes or rivers visited on this itinerary, we therefore advise all to take advice from your guide or leader locally before venturing for a swim. Zika fever, a mosquito‐borne viral disease, is also a known risk in places visited on this trip. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available, we therefore strongly recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Visa

Uganda

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally need a visa to enter Uganda. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/africa/uganda
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/uganda
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/uganda/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Uganda.html

You can apply for your visa (or find out more information) at www.visas.immigration.go.ug. The decision taken on the application will be sent electronically through the email provided by the applicant. If approved, an approval letter will be sent as an attachment to the email provided. Print it out and present it together with a valid passport/travel document at the port of entry. The cost of a standard single-entry visit visa is US$50 and can be paid online.

Please note: Currently, the single-entry visa is only valid for three months from the issue data. Please ensure your visa is valid for your travel dates.

If after visiting Uganda, you will also travel to Rwanda and Kenya, you may apply for an East African Visa, which covers all three countries. Please contact the Ugandan High Commission to obtain more information about the combined visa from Uganda.

Food & Drink

All breakfasts, 10 lunches and nine dinners included.

The service can be either à la carte or buffet, depending on the lodge. For early game drives, and to maximise the time spent in the parks, a packed breakfast or lunch may be provided in some instances. The food provided is a mix of good local and international food throughout.

It is possible to cater for vegetarians or those with special requirements; however, please make sure you advise your sales representative at time of booking.

Please note: The availability of certain specialised products for restricted diets (eg gluten-free or dairy-free) is minimal or non-existent in Uganda and we strongly recommend you bring these specialised dietary items from home.

Weather

The wettest areas are concentrated along the shores of Lake Victoria and the western mountain districts. Although rains are normally more frequent during the two rainy seasons (April-May and October-November), wet spells can occur during the dry season, so please come prepared. Uganda can be visited at any time, the weather is pleasant for much of the year over most of the country and temperatures are never excessively high.

The temperatures are usually cooler at night and this depends more on the altitude than on the actual area of the country.