Day 1: Pickup and transfer to Kibale National Park – Nature walk at the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary.

 A driver from Marbanji Safaris Uganda will pick you from the airport to start your 4-hour journey to Kibale National Park. You will continue to Fort Portal town via Mubende where your will have lunch. Fort Portal is one of the most beautiful towns in Uganda. If time allows, the Guide will take you to spot the ‘Amabere ga nyina mwiru’ caves, the King (Omukama) palace and the royal tombs in Karambi. During your journey, you will be impressed by the beautiful sites of cater lakes and the Rwenzori Mountains. Once you arrive at the park, you will be taken to your place of accommodation for a guided nature walk in Bigodi swamp. Bigodi wetlands sanctuary is one of the best places for bird watching in Uganda. It is also host to several primates and creatures like the swamp antelope (Sitatunga), Bush bucks, Mongooses, Bush pigs and Otters. The Bigodi Swamp is home to the Papyrus Gonolek, Hornbills, and Weaver birds, Waxbills, Kingfishers, Cuckoos, Flycatchers and the Great Blue Turaco.

Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking (or chimpanzee habituation experience), primates walk in Kanyanchu and birding excursion;

 Wake up early and ensure that you take heavy breakfast in preparation for a long day of activities. The key activity will be chimpanzee tracking during the Kanyanchu primates walk. The walk will expose you to the thirteen primates found in Kibale National park and beautiful rain-forest, trees and butterflies. Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale starts with a briefing at the park office. The Rangers will locate the group by following their hoots and calls. Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale is more predictable compared to the ones in Nyungwe in Rwanda or Budongo forest in Murchison Falls National Park. They are easier to find than anywhere else in Uganda. 3 large communities of chimps have been habituated in Kibale forest. An advance team is sent to locate them before letting the lead ranger know using radio call. Chimpanzee trekking takes between two to four hours depending on the location of the particular group you are assigned.

Chimpanzee communities have complex social structures with the large males acting as protectors of the group. Unlike Mountain gorilla, the reign of a dominant chimp alpha male is short-lived because he has to deal with far more challenges especially when you consider the size of chimp communities. Moreover, chimp communities tend to split into smaller groups to feed during times of scarcity.  During your one-hour encounter with the Chimps, you will notice that they are very mobile primates. They tend to move a lot and do not stay on the ground most of the time like mountain gorillas. You have to prepare to follow them for a while as they swing from tree to tree. Chimps are also very noisy and vocal compared to mountain gorillas. Apart from the chimps, the primates walk in Kanyanchu will expose you to all of the primates in the park including pottos, Grey Vervet Monkeys, baboons, Colobus monkeys, L’Hoests monkeys, grey checked mangabey, blue monkeys and Red Tailed Monkeys.

After being with one chimp family for an hour, you will continue to see the other primates in the park before returning back to your hotel for lunch. In the afternoon, you will go to the boardwalk trail for birding. The Guide will share with your information about the forest, its history and the creatures that call it home. The afternoon boardwalk is only for those who would be doing chimpanzee trekking. If you are booked for the chimpanzee habituation experience, then you will have no time for birding.

Day 3: Transfer to Semuliki National Park for nature walk and Sempaya Hot Springs Visit, transfer back to Entebbe or Kampala;

 After an early morning breakfast, you will depart for Semuliki National Park for a nature. The National Park is located in Bwamba County, Bundibugyo district. It is one of Uganda’s newest National parks at 219Km Sq. and the only lowland tropical rain forest in East Africa and one of the richest areas of Flora and Fauna diversity in Africa. While there, you will see animals like buffalos, warthogs, chimpanzees, monkeys and many bird and butterfly species. After the game drive, Take a long hour trail hike through the Monkey filled Forest where red-tailed, grey checked Mangabeys and black and white colobus monkeys are common, to the outer “Male”. A 30-minute hike through palm forest from the main road leads to the inner, “female” spring, dominated by a boiling geyser Spring boiling, gushing springs the Sempaya hot springs in a hot mineral encrusted swamp, while here cook your eggs and green plantain in the bubbling Waters and enjoy them. 

Later in the afternoon drive back to Fort Portal town for lunch and later transfer back to Kampala or at the Airport.

End of Safari

Tour includes:

• Chimpanzee permits or Chimpanzee habituation permits
• Visiting the Bigodi Wetlands sanctuary
• Park entrance fees
• Driver/ Guide fees
• Transportation in a tour van
• Accommodation for 2 nights
• Meals and water throughout the trip
• Airport transfers

The tour Excludes;

• Private Expenses like laundry, alcoholic drinks and tips
• Airplane Tickets and Visa Fees
• Hotels expenses for the night before and after the trip

What to Pack:

• Sturdy and water proof hiking boots to help you navigate through thick forest and slippery terrain. It is also important to have good hand gloves to help when grabbing thorny leaves and tree branches.
• Long sleeved shirts, trousers and socks to help protect against insects and sharp trees. The socks should be tucked in the trousers.
• Go prepared with a rain jacket and sweater especially during the wet season.
• An Insect repellent to keep off mosquitoes and many of the other tropical insects
• A hat to protect against the sun.
• If you are not used to the different jungle sounds, carry with you ear plugs
• It is important to carry enough drinking water and packed lunch when heading out to track chimpanzees. The activity can take longer than expected and leave you exhausted and hungry. Light snacks and water will give you energy
• Never forget to move with a good Camera and binoculars. Chimps love to swing on top of trees and without a good binocular; you may not see the primates well.