Uganda's great apes

Met on arrival off your international flight, you will be transferred to No. 5 Boutique Hotel for a first night acclimatising after your journey. The hotel is just 10 minutes from Entebbe International Airport, and a delightful way to arrive in Africa. The food is sumptuous, the rooms are elegant and beautifully appointed, and with their amazing pool and spa, a chance to rest up before your journey into the wild really begins!

After breakfast you’ll set off for Kibale National Park to stay at the lakeside retreat that is Ndali Lodge. Set amid rolling green hills, the charming lodge, with wooden thatch cottages will be your home for three nights. There’s a lot to see and do here! Nearby is the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community-based conservation project, home to a variety of monkeys and rarely seen birds including the White-winged Warbler, White-collared Oliveback and Papyrus Gonolek. Kibale NP is home to an enormous population of chimps, who are waiting to try and steal your belongings. The sheer number of primates here is huge! The lodge itself has a relaxing, lakeside atmosphere, with pool, sauna, massages, and yoga. So after a full day in the wild you can come home to a little pampering.

Your next stop on this Ugandan odyssey will take you to Queen Elizabeth National Park, which gives you a more classical safari experience - open plains and big game. Kyambura Gorge Lodge is the finest property in the park, with a bit more luxury in a beautiful setting. The views here across the savannah are stunning, with the Rwenzori mountains providing a magnificent backdrop. Amongst the game you’ll see, the region is famous for its tree climbing lions that can sometimes be spotted in the branches of fig trees! The rooms are spacious and breezy, the guiding is excellent and there’s even more chimp trekking on offer here in a magnificent gorge, as well as gentle river cruises.

The next day you will travel to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest - a truly stunning place - and stay at Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge for three nights. The lodge is superb, with excellent food and service, the rooms are exquisite and the views across the mountains will take your breath away. From Nkuringo you will trek through the Impenetrable Forest to meet some of the last surviving mountain gorillas. The hike can be long or short depending on where the family is on the day, so be prepared for potentially a long day! But when you spend time with these great apes, it’s one of the most rewarding things you can do. The main focus of your trip here will be to gorilla trek, but there’s much more to do, including the rewarding Batwa experience, a wealth of birds and butterflies, hikes through ancient gorges, or take a canoe trip on the beautiful Lake Mutanda.