6 Days Herpetological Expedition in Uganda.

During our expeditions, we often cooperate with local research teams and once the Reptile is spotted, we give you a chance to take photographs, Maximum 45 mins in order to avoid overstressing the animal. The animal is then released back into the same spot where it was found, moving out of the forest with the animal is prohibited.

ITINERARY
Day 1
Our driver will pick you up from the airport to your hotel.
We can do a night Cruise looking for some active reptiles, small animals within via via
Accomodation: via via hotel
Journey time: 30minutes
Meal plan: Exclusive

Day 2
Today very early after your breakfast, we shall leave the hotel by 7am and head to mityana forests, we target the most iconic snake species during the Herpetological expedition like Gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica), Rhinoceros viper (Bitis narsicornis), Jameson’s mamba(Dendroaspis jamesoni kaimosae), Forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca), and the Atheris species.

Our local team will join us for the expedition. The best time is early in the morning, there are many chances of finding snakes basking under sunshine. When it is during day hot sunshine, they tend to hibernate or hide under leaves.
We shall leave the forest by 3pm back to your hotel for another night.
Via via offers a variety of activities that include bar and restaurant,steam and sauna,massage and among others including the nice spots of reptiles and amphibians
Accomodation: via via hotel
Journey time: 1hr 45minutes each journey.

Day 3: We shall still go back to mityana forest. And come back to via via do a night herping
Accomodation: via via hotel
Journey time: 1 hr 45minutes each

Day 4:
Today very early in the morning after your break fast, we shall drive to Kasese and spend a night at Rubooni community camp. This is where we can find chameleons and A. nitschei(great lakes bush viper)
In Rwenzori mountains, there are seven chameleon species, two of which are not found anywhere else on Earth.
Tolley’s Forest chameleon was discovered in 2017 and is very rare because it lives high in the forest canopy. Another species, the moutane side-striped chameleon, is only found at high elevations in the Rwenzori, up to 3500 meters.
In the Rubooni community area, 5 species can be found, three of which are quite common. The most common is Johnston’s three – horned chameleon.
The males are adorned with large horns projecting from their forehead that they use for combat with other males. Elliot’s Groove – throated chameleon is a small species and can be found on bushes or reeds near the river. Males of the strange – horned chameleon, a species that’s endemic to Rwenzori, have a larger”nose”, which its function is presumed for fighting,but is otherwise unknown up to now.
While some chameleons can can seem to thriving in the Rubooni community, this is not the case for most chameleons worldwide. Climatic change, loss of habitat and poaching are serious threats to chameleons. National parks,and mindful communities and people can help to protect chameleons for future generation to enjoy.
Accomodation: Rubooni community camp
Meal planner: exclusive
Journey time: 8 hrs

Day 5: Chameleon trekking, visit communities.

Day 6: Today is the end of your six days Herpetological expedition in Uganda with us. We shall drop you off to the airport from Kasese depending on the time of your flight.
We shall pass through the equator.

Extension Tours:
Combine this tour with the following;
✓5 days gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safari
✓1 day shoebill stork watching at mabamba swamp
✓3 days Queen Elizabeth national park game tour

Package includes:
•Transport
•All fuel for the tour
•English speaking guide
•Accomdation as listed in the program
•All breakfasts
•Permission to forests
•Airport pick up and drop offs
•Local guides

Package excludes:
1.Internal airfares and entry visas
2.Meals are not part of your accomodation
3.Personal (medical/travel) insurance
Tips and gratuities to driver,guide or hotel staff etc
4.All expenses of personal nature (e.g drinks, laundry, optional activities, souvenirs etc

10 DAYS GREAT APES OF UGANDA:
Uganda offers some of the best eco-tourism wildlife experiences because of its landscape and endangered primate namely mountain gorillas and chimpanzee, even with all these; it’s not a mass tourism destination giving tourists an intimate experience with nature and people. This country is home to the rare and endangered mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, savannah national parks for the big five and other big mammals, countries bird species and amazing boat trips

Start in Entebbe, Uganda

Arrival Notice:
You will need a Tourist Visa.

Yellow Fever Immunization Certificate is now required in East Africa – you should have it 30 days before arriving in East Africa, 10 days the latest. If you do not have it, you will be required to take it here

PACKAGE INCLUDES

• Transport
• All fuel for the tour;
• English speaking Ugandan driver/guide;
• Accommodation as listed in the program;
• All breakfasts and dinners included;
• Packed lunch for the gorilla tracking;
• Park-entrance fees according to the program;
• All activities described in the itinerary;
• 1 chimpanzee and 1 gorilla permit per person

PACKAGE EXCLUDES
• International air fares and entry visa Uganda
• Meals that are not part of your accommodation;
• A porter for during the gorilla tracking (someone who carries your daypack);
• Personal (medical/travel) insurance;
• Tips and gratuities to rangers, driver/guide, porter, hotel staff, etc;
• All expenses of personal nature (e.g. drinks, laundry, optional activities, souvenirs etc.)

ITINERARY
Day 1: Airport pick up
Your guide will be at Entebbe Airport to pick you up from your flight and take you directly to your hotel at Viavia . Depending on the time of your arrival, you may be able to herp around.

Journey Time: 30minutes

Accommodation: Viavia hotel

Meal Plan: No meals inclusive.

Day 2: Transfer to Kibale National Park.
After early breakfast, you will be transferred to Kibale National Park. Kibale National Park is the world’s primate capital and is home to 13 species of monkeys and man’s closest cousins; the Chimpanzees. Other animals like the rare African Golden cat, pottos, and bush babies call this Park home, and a very dense population of butterflies. Keep an eye out for black-and-white colobus monkeys you continue the scenic drive to the lodge, which is set on a crater lake against a backdrop of high peaks.
Journey Time: 8 hours
Accommodation: Kibale Forest Camp
Meal Plan: All meals

Kibale Forest Camp offers a unique classic canvas experience in the form of African-style safari tents set in a lush forested surrounding. Complemented by excellent food and service it forms your perfect base to explore the area.

The safari tents are comfortably furnished with twin or double beds. Each tent has its own private and suite bathroom with an eco friendly toilet, a dressing room and a bush shower.

Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking- Bigodi wetland swamp walk.
Today you will wake up early to go to the park head offices to be briefed about your chimp tracking experience. Kibale Forest National park boasts the highest number of primate species in the world, including the chimpanzees. Approximately 5,000 chimpanzees live in the wild in Uganda, which makes it a perfect place to see them

An experienced ranger will take you chimp tracking chimp in the morning or afternoon; you might also see other monkey species that live here. Once you locate the chimpanzees you will have a full hour of eye-to-eye contact with them. Since they are wild animals, we can never guarantee you to see them and might have to settle with hearing their hoots and hollers.

In the afternoon after lunch, you will go for the guided swamp walk. The walk (2-3 hours) will take you through grassland, small communities and some beautiful scenery, where the locals are likely to greet you with enthusiastic waves. It is usual to spot three to four different primate species during this walk, though the highlight is catching a glimpse of the great blue turaco!
Optional: Chimpanzee habituation tracking

At an additional fee of only $70 US Dollar per person, you can do the chimpanzee habituation tracking instead of the regular chimpanzee tracking. This will take all day and you will be 100% sure to have a very close encounter with our cousins. Book this in time because only 6 persons per day are allowed to go. Your swamp walk can be postponed to the next morning before heading to Queen Elizabeth National park
Journey Time: 15 minutes each way
Accommodation: Kibale Forest Camp
Meal Plane: All meals

Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, your guide will drive you to Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to a high concentration of Uganda’s mammals that include tree climbing and savanna lions, elephants, wart hogs, Uganda kob, water buck, cape buffalo, hippos, leopards, as well as more than 600 species of birds that include the African spoon bill, pied kingfishers, fish eagles, pelicans, vultures

Queen Elizabeth National park is Uganda’s second largest park, located at the base of the majestic Rwenzori Mountain range, adjacent to Lake Edward and Lake George. The park has game including Uganda kob, warthog and waterbuck. Lions are often sighted both in and at the entrance to the park. Be ready to see huge numbers of hippos and elephants, and keep your eyes on the look out for a leopard lazing in the sunshine.
In the late afternoon you will relax at the lodge. You will stay in a nice lodge, overlooking the Lake George.
Journey Time: 3 ½
Accommodation: Marafiki Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: All meals

Marafiki Safari Lodge is in a unique location and has been designed and handcrafted using local materials, fitted by artisans from the local community. Overlooking Lake George in the Queen Elizabeth National Park it offers private luxury safari tents on raised wooden floors and canvas walls that can be rolled up to allow you to sit comfortably watching the Savannah Plains with breath taking views across the park and the Rwenzori and Virunga mountains.

Day 5: Game drive & Kazinga channel boat safari
Today you wake up early. A little before sunrise coffee, tea and donuts will be served in the lounge before we head out for a long game drive in time to see the first rays of light. You will search for all the wildlife in the park and are likely to come across Elephant, Buffalo, Lion, Waterbuck, Leopard, Uganda Kob, and many Warthogs.

A well-deserved brunch will be served back at the lodge in the late morning. In the afternoon you will take a boat safari along the Kazinga Channel which joins Lake George and Lake Edward.

Here, you will see a lot of hippos (more than you can possibly imagine!), as well as a variety of other animals which come to the waterhole to drink or bathe. You can expect to see buffalo, crocodile, bathing elephant, and a range of beautiful birds. This will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of your tour.

After the boat-safari you game drive back to the lodge.
Accommodation: Marafiki Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: All meals

Optional activity: Hot Air Balloon Safari:
Experience the wildlife of Queen Elizabeth national park in a new, unique way. Wake up early to catch the sunrise, as you silently fly over the plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Admire the herds of buffaloes, elephants and enjoy the serene tranquillity of the African bush…

You will take off early at dawn for a flight that lasts for approximately 1 hour. Rise as the sun rises and floats in whatever direction the winds of the morning takes you. Fly higher than the trees and hills and enjoy the best of Uganda, with many great photo opportunities of the scenery and wildlife below.

After a smooth landing you can celebrate this amazing adventure with a glass of sparkling juice before returning to your lodge to continue your safari.
Costing: $380 us dollar p.p.
Optional activity: Lion Tracking:

For visitors who yearn to get up close to wild African fauna, a research trip is a rewarding adventure. This new and unique experience allows visitors to actively participate in monitoring some of lions in the park, using locator devices and learn habituation calls, as well as monitoring weather, surroundings and behaviour. The results are added to researchers’ databases, contributing valuable information to the overall understanding of wildlife ecology – and helping to conserve this wonderful ecosystem. This will as well gives you a 95% chance to see the lions!

The number of people on each outing is limited in order to reduce stress on the animals and to increase the quality of the experience for visitors.

The experiential tourism activities currently available are Mongoose Tracking, Lion Tracking, Hippo Census, and Bird Counts.

Experiential tours lasts between one and three hours. They usually take place in the early morning or evening, or occasionally at night. All activities must be booked through the Visitor Information Centre in Mweya at least 24 hours in advance.
Cost: $85 us dollar p.p.
Optional activity: Kyambura Gorge

Another optional activity in Queen Elisabeth N.P. is to visit the Kyambura Gorge. A hike through the gorge gives you the opportunity to see habituated chimpanzees and other types of primates including red-tailed monkey, black-and-white colobus, baboons and velvet monkeys. Although the chance of spotting chimpanzees is only 50%, the landscape is among the most impressive in Uganda and is absolutely worth it!
Cost: $50 US Dollar p.p.

Day 6: Transfer to Ishasha sector
After breakfast you will proceed to the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, the famous Ishasha area, for a game drive searching for the tree climbing lions.

Ishasha is home to the famous tree-climbing lions. While lion cubs around the world frequently climb trees for fun, adults rarely do. The (adult) lions in Ishasha are an exception to this. It is thought that they sit in the branches to get away from the tsetse flies and to enjoy a cool breeze. If you are lucky you might spot a few during your game drive.

You will overnight at Enjojo Lodge, which is surrounded with acacia forest, lush vegetation with palm trees and scattered grasslands. Find birds, monkeys, and other wildlife around your cottage.
Journey Time: 2 hours
Accommodation: Enjojo Lodge
Meal plan: All meals

Enjojo lodge is bordering the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth NP. The lodge is situated on 40 hectares amidst acacia forest, lust vegetation with palm trees and scattered grass line. There is a lot of birdlife around and herds of elephants, buffaloes and antelopes, but also vervet monkeys and the black and white Colobus monkey are regularly spotted around the lodge.

The thatched cottages at Enjojo Lodge have an en-suite bathroom and an outdoor shower. On the wide verandas you can relax and overlook the surrounding bush and savanna, it is the perfect place for a quiet and intimate retreat. The cottages are interlinked with an elevated wooden walkway.

Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi
Today after breakfast, you will be transferred bwindi impenetrable forest.
We reach our destination later afternoon for a rest and relaxation and dinner at the Bwindi forest accomodation of your choice not far away from the gorilla family you’re using next morning.
The Buhoma community camp for budget and silverback lodge for mid range. The location of lodging depends on where your permits are in for the park. A well deserved rest preparing for the gorilla trekking experience the next day,but tonight you are sleeping in an African Rainforest that is in home to half of the world’s mountain Gorrila.

Day 8: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Forest
Today after early breakfast, you will be transferred to the park head quarters for briefing about gorilla tracking. You will encounter one of Bwindi’s endangered mountain gorillas. For most people this is the absolute highlight of their tour in Uganda.

Bwindi Impenetrable national park boasts both mountain gorillas and chimpanzees – the only forest in Africa that can make this claim. It also hosts five other species of primates, 113 species of mammals, over 200 species of butterflies and 360 species of birds. The gorillas you track are habituated and can tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period of time, every day.

The time taken to track the gorillas can be as few as 2 hours to as many as 7 hours. Once the gorillas have been located, your group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. Coming face-to-face with a mountain gorilla is a truly humbling and emotional experience. This is a fantastic and privileged opportunity to get up close and personal with Uganda’s very own ‘Gorillas in the Mist’.
Journey Time: 1 hour each way
Accommodation: Mutanda Lake Resort
Meal plan: All meals

Optional Activities:
Batwa Trail: During this moving tour, the Batwa demonstrate hunting techniques; gather honey; point out medicinal plants and demonstrate how to make bamboo cups.

Guests are then invited to the sacred Ngarama Cave, once home to the Batwa King to be entertained by traditional music and dance.

Village Walk: Overlooking the imposing hillsides of Bwindi Impenetrable forest, with the mist swirling over the summits, this is one of the most dramatic settings for your cultural tour! Among others, meet a traditional healer, who not only treats the sick, but uses his knowledge to conserve and educate about the various medicinal plants.
Accommodation: Mutanda Lake resort
Meal plan: All meals.

After the gorilla trekking, your guide will transfer you to Mgahinga gorilla national park in South- Western Uganda for Golden monkey trekking.

Golden monkeys are beautiful unique primates found on the slopes of the virungu volcanoes which are shared between Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo.
In Uganda, golden monkey trekking is done in Mgahinga gorilla national park.

Day 9: Golden monkey trekking:
Today very early after your breakfast, we shall go to the office headquarters to be briefed about the golden monkey trekking.

Golden monkey trekking is an active tour compared to chimpanzee trekking and or gorilla trekking in certain instances because it is done in the mountainous area and they’re continuously moving which requires you to follow them.
Golden monkeys are small and fast which makes tracking them an active and rewarding experience. Golden monkeys mainly prefer to rummage through the bamboo sections of the forest because they enjoy eating the young bamboo shoots.
They live in groups of about 30 individuals or more roaming over a large territory in the virunga volcanoes. You will obtain a golden monkey trekking permit in advance from us, specify the date for which you would like to trek the golden monkeys.

The golden monkey trekking starts early morning with briefing at 7am at the park headquarters before trekkers are placed in different groups. You spend an hour with the golden monkeys after spotting them. The trekking can take anywhere from 2 hours to several hours depending on where they nested the previous night from and how far it is from the starting point.

After the trekking, your guide will drive you up to Mpigi Town for a night.
Accommodation: Nchima lodge mabamba

WHAT TO CARRY DURING DURING THE CHIMPANZEE, GORILLA AND GOLDEN MONKEY TREKKING:

• Insect repellent

• Day pack for your lunch in case the trek takes longer than expected

• Water for drinking

• Wear long sleeved shirts, trousers,

• Waterproof hiking boots and a good mood.

• Remember to pick a walking stick at the briefing point or your hotel, you will appreciate the support on the sometimes slippery paths.

• We also highly recommend you go along with a Porter to provide an extra support with the day pack and slippery places.

Day 10: Shoebill stork watching.
Today is the end of your 10 days tour with us.
Early in the morning after your breakfast, we shall take you to mabamba swamp.

Mabamba swamp is a wetland and a bay on one of the fingers of lake Victoria located near village called Kasanje. Mabamba swamp is the natural habitat for the rare shoebill storks in Uganda. It also has a variety of other birds such as crested crane, swamp flycatcher and among others.
At Mabamba, you will meet your birding guide who will advise and take you in a motorized traditional canoe passing through the channels as you search for the shoebill wading through papyrus. On your trip, you have opportunities for many other bird species at the swamp.

The exercise starts at 8am and takes about 2 hours.

After shoebill, depending on your flight schedule, we shall board a ferry