Uganda - Gorilla Conservation Adventure

Arrive in Entebbe International Airport, about 45 minutes outside the capital Kampala, and transfer to our accommodation. Once a colonial estate and now a luxury B&B, the Boma Hotel boasts a swimming pool, restaurant and bar. After a delicious welcome dinner, you can spend your first evening relaxing before the adventure begins tomorrow.

After breakfast, we’ll travel to Kibale National Park and check into Ndali Lodge, the stunning hilltop boutique hotel we will call home for the next three nights. The rest of the afternoon is yours to enjoy as you wish – relax on your mountain-view veranda, take a walk around the lake or cool off in the swimming pool - before we gather for a homecooked, candlelit dinner.

It’s an early start as we head into the park for a day of chimp tracking. There are more than 1,200 chimpanzees in the park, and an expert guide will lead you to a chimp family, whom you can observe up close. See them forage on the ground for food, swing across the trees and call out across the canopy. Afterwards, it’s back to the hotel for lunch and a free afternoon.

Today’s all about getting to know the locals. In the morning, we will visit a local community school to see how Ndali Lodge is supporting local children’s education, and in the afternoon, we’ll explore the surrounding coffee plantations and meet the farmers who grow the crop.

We say goodbye to Ndali Lodge this morning and take a drive south alongside the stunning Rwenzori Mountains . We’ll arrive at the Mazike Valley Lodge just in time for lunch, then head into Queen Elizabeth National Park for a game drive. It is Uganda’s largest safari park, home to lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo and hyena, so there is sure to be plenty to see.

You won’t believe your eyes this morning as we track tree-climbing lions and cubs. See them lounging lazily on tree branches high above the ground. With sophisticated tracking devices, you’re all-but-guaranteed to see a pride of these majestic animals in the wild. Later, we take an openair boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel to spot crocodiles, hippos and birds along the shoreline.

After breakfast at Mazike Valley Lodge, we’re back on the road. In the afternoon, we arrive at Mahogany Springs Lodge, a luxury hillside complex of thatched bungalows that sits just inside Bwindi National Park. After dinner, it’s early to bed in preparation for the big day tomorrow.

It’s the big one: gorilla day! We’ll start early and set off on a (moderate) hiking trail to track down some of the gorillas living in these forests - home to nearly half of the world's mountain gorillas. Along with a guide, we will be joined by a vet, who will collect stool samples as we’re getting up close and personal with the gorillas. That evening, we’ll help analyze these in the lab to check on the troop’s health. See next page for more details!

This morning, we visit a community-run charity project that supports women struggling with poverty, HIV and domestic violence. You’ll learn to weave baskets and pedal sew your own souvenirs – anything from a purse to a bandana – as well as enjoy a traditional dance (don’t worry, participation is optional!) We end today with a farewell dinner at Mahogany Springs.

After breakfast, hop on a flight back to Entebbe. For those with longer waits for their connecting flights home, we will head back to Boma Hotel to relax and enjoy a final dinner.