This 4 Days Gorilla Habituation & Lake Bunyonyi safari takes you to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park (BIFNP) for an unforgettable gorilla- habituation experience. BIFNP is a UNESCO World heritage site and is home to half of the world’s remaining Mountain Gorillas. While gorilla trekking involves a group of 8 tourists hiking the forest in search of the already habituated gorilla families to spend one hour with them, gorilla habituation involves small groups of 4 tourists interacting with wild gorillas for a more extended period of time (4 hours) in order to habituate them to human interaction and presence. During your time with the gorillas, researchers and guides will explain what is known about mountain gorillas and this tribe in particular. You can participate in making calls, collection and testing of stool samples and even naming individual gorillas. You will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla Habituation and thus contributing to the conservation of Mountain Gorillas. After your exciting and rigorous gorilla adventure, you will go to beautiful Lake Bunyonyi (“a place of little birds”) to relax before your flight home. Lake Bunyonyi is a magical place; its contorted shore encircles 29 islands surrounded by steep terraced hillsides reminiscent of parts of Nepal. This beautiful lake is crocodile /hippo and bilharzia free, making it suitable and safe for swimming.
Day 1: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
On this day, you will be picked up by our professional driver guide from Kampala or Entebbe International Airport in the morning, and start on your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park located in south western Uganda. You will go through some major towns like Masaka and Mbarara as you get to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. On arrival, you will check in at the lodge and relax as you enjoy the beautiful views of the forest and environment depending on your location. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.
Destination: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Accommodation:
- Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
- Buhoma Gorilla Camp
- Gorilla Closeup lodge
Meal arrangement: Lunch and dinner.
Day 2: Gorilla Habituation in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Batwa cultural experience
After an early morning breakfast, you will drive to the park headquarters for registration
and joining others for a gorilla Habituation. Here you will have a briefing about the dos and the don’ts during your Gorilla Habituation experience. Once this is done, you will dive through thick creepers and undergrowth with your guides to find the Gorillas. The Habituation process take 8 hours of the day as you learn more about these endangered species.
The steeply forested landscape is incredibly dense but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails allowing access to tourists. After finding the gorillas, you will be allowed to spend 4 hours with them as you learn more about their way of life. Unlike gorilla trekking, gorilla Habituation gives you more time to see the gorilla and see how they live their life under observation of researchers and guides. This is indeed an extraordinary feeling being with these beautiful yet endangered Creatures. You will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla Habituation and thus contributing to the conservation of Mountain gorillas.
Later after your lunch, you will have the Batwa cultural experience before returning to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Destination: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Accommodation:
- Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
- Buhoma Gorilla Camp
- Gorilla Closeup lodge
Meal arrangement: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner.
Day 3: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation
After an early breakfast, you will transfer to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale District in south western Uganda. Lake Bunyonyi is the deepest lake in Uganda and second largest in Africa. It is also crocodile /hippo and bilharzia free making it suitable and safe for swimming.
On arrival, you may engage in different activities like nature walk, swimming, quad biking, cycling, boat cruising, canoeing etc. Later return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Main destination: Lake Bunyonyi
Accommodation:
- Acadia lodge Lake Bunyonyi (luxury)
- Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort (mid-range)
- Hawk’s Eye Lodge Bunyonyi (budget)
Meal arrangement: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner.
Day 4. Transfer back to Kampala or Entebbe.
On this beautiful day, you will have a relaxed breakfast at your lodge and drive through the hills of Kabale as you live this beautiful part of the world heading to Kampala/ Entebbe International Airport. You will have a stopover in Mbarara for lunch and also stop over at the Equator line that separates the earth into two different parts i.e., the North and Southern hemisphere. You will take some pictures and buy some souvenirs, then finally drive straight to Kampala/ Entebbe International Airport for your flight back home.
Meal arrangement: Breakfast and Lunch.
End of your 4 Days Gorilla Habituation & Lake Bunyonyi