5 DAYS CHIMPANZEES HABITUATION AND QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK SAFARI
5 Days Chimpanzees Habituation and Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari : This 5 Days primates and animal viewing experience will offer you a great experience of chimpanzee habituation and game viewing of Queen Elizabeth national park. Chimpanzee habituation is the process of allowing wild Chimpanzee get used or accustomed to human presence around them through, prolonged/continuous and sustained visits led by experienced researchers and park guides/wardens. According to information from the Wildlife Conservation Society, the habituation process can take up to two years before the chimpanzees completely get used to people around them.
Wild chimpanzee will flee away or treat humans suspiciously. Chimpanzee habituation is more demanding and visitors are involved in all habituation related activities unlike the 4 hour trekking where visitors remain distant. Visitors must wake before the break of dawn to meet the guides and go looking for the chimpanzees before they leave nests. In this way, you will be able to watch them wake up and prepare for the day’s activities like feeding, resting, taking care of their young, protecting their territories and finally building their nests on top of trees.
Queen Elizabeth national park is located in the western part of Uganda offering the great experience of different Antelope species. Queen Elizabeth national park is home to the tree climbing lions in Uganda. The park is occupied by 2 great lakes – Lake Edward and Lake George which meet at a channel commonly known as the Kazinga channel. Queen Elizabeth national park has plenty of animals and other experiences to be enjoyed while on your stay in Uganda ranging from wildlife, culture, boat cruise to nature walks for bird watching and chimpanzee trekking. Other excursions to be enjoyed on the trip include; nature walk in Bigodi wetland and boat cruise along the Kazinga channel.
Highlights
- Day 1: Pick up and Transfer to Kibale forest – Bigodi nature walk
- Day 2: Chimpanzee habituation experience
- Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park – evening game drive in Ishasha sector
- Day 4: Lion tracking/Game drive and Boat cruise
- Day 5; Transfer Back to Kampala
Detailed safari
Day 1: Pick up and Transfer to Kibale forest – Bigodi nature walk
Depending on your location in Kampala, you will meet your guide/driver for a transfer to Kibale forest. This is 5 hours’ drive with and route lunch. Arrive in Fort portal early afternoon and proceed to Bigodi swamp for a nature walk and primates experience where you will get to enjoy walking through a wetland with a variety of bird species. Later in the evening drive to the lodge for relaxation. Dinner and Overnight stay at Isunga Lodge – Budget/Chimpanzee Guest house for mid-range/Crater Safari lodge for luxury
Day 2: Chimpanzee habituation experience
Have breakfast very early and later transfer to the park head office for a briefing about the endangered chimpanzees and later enter the forest with the guidance of a park ranger along with your tracking gears, packed water and snacks. This trekking is a whole day experience. On finding the primates, you will spend 4 hour viewing them while studying their behaviour and taking pictures. After tracking, return to the lodge for relaxation. Dinner and overnight at as above
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park – evening game drive in Ishasha sector
After breakfast, transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park. This is a 3 hours’ drive from Fort portal with en-route at the Equator, drive to Ishasha sector for chances of spotting the tree climbing lions then drive back to Kasenyi and connect to your booked lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight at Pumba Safari Cottages for budget/Parkview Safari lodge for mid-range/Elephant Plains Lodge for luxury
Day 4: Lion tracking/Game drive and Boat cruise
After breakfast early morning, meet your guide for the lion tracking experience where you are guaranteed seeing the lions, you will also spot a good number of wildlife including Elephants, Giraffes, Buffaloes and all species of antelopes.
After enjoying your lunch at the lodge, go for your boat trip along the Kazinga channel for yet another wildlife/bird watching experience as you cruise on lake Edward/George. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 5; Transfer Back to Kampala
Enjoy an early morning breakfast and transfer back to Kampala with a stopover in Mbarara for lunch, arriving in Kampala in the evening. Drop off to your hotel in Kampala or the Airport for your onward flight marking the end of your Kibale and Queen Elizabeth Safari
