view map ITINERARY Day 1 Entebbe / Victoria Hotel Arrive Entebbe, meet and greet and transfer to Lake Victoria Hotel. If time permits visit the famous Entebbe Botanical Gardens. The Lake Victoria Hotel is a completely renovated colonial hotel with beautiful gardens and a swimming pool. It is a four star hotel with 99 rooms. Overnight at Lake Victoria Hotel on an accommodation and breakfast basis. Day 2 Kibale Tropical Raing Forest / Ndali Lodge Drive to Kibale Forest area, the drive is a full day of approximately 7 hours. After leaving the Lake Victoria Basin pass through beautiful agricultural countryside where every type of fruit and vegetable imaginable is grown. Upon reaching Kyanjojo, in the lower foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains {Mountains of the Moon}, we drive through beautiful tea plantations and into Kibale tropical rain forest. Beautiful Ndali Lodge is situated on a high saddle between two crater lakes. The breathtaking views and cooler climate at Ndali are just some of its best features. The lodge was built by the late Captain Mark Price, a British tea farmer, and is managed as a working farm by his family today. The rooms are decorated in local crafts and materials, and feature high ceilings and four-poster beds with mosquito netting. The en suite baths have hot and cold running water and flush toilets. There is no electricity at this lodge, but ample candle and oil lamps are provided in the evening, creating a romantic feel of "old Africa". Overnight at Ndali Lodge. BLD Day 3 Kibale Tropical Raing Forest / Ndali Lodge Today we take forest and swamp walks to see the rain forest and view birds and primates, including chimpanzees. Walking is not difficult, paths have been made in the forest and all walks are with excellent local guides. Overnight at Ndali Lodge. BLD Day 4 Queen Elizabeth National Park / Mweya Lodge Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The drive passes through Fort Portal and then south along the eastern length of The Rwenzori Mountains, with the hope of viewing the glaciated peaks. We gently descend into The Great African Rift Valley and Queen Elizabeth National Park and Mweya Lodge, situated on a peninsula overlooking Lake Edward and Kasinga Channel, offering beautiful views of the park with the Rwenzori Mountains in the background. The lodge has been completely renovated to a high standard with excellent rooms, en suite facilities, restaurant, bar area, outside dining and a swimming pool. The drive today takes about 3 1/2 hours. Overnight at Mweya Lodge. BLD Day 5 Queen Elizabeth National Park / Mweya Lodge Game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park including a lunch trip of about two hours on the Kasinga Channel to view some of the largest concentration of hippo in the world {reported to be about 30,000} and other game with excellent birding. Queen Elizabeth National Parl is one of best birding parks in Africa, with 560 + recorded species and a record of 296 bird species seen in one 24 hour period. Overnight at Mweya Lodge. BLD Day 6 Gorilla Forest Camp / Bwindi Impenetrable Today we do a Maramagambo Forest walk, visiting bat caves where one can see thousands of bats and possibly pythons and Monitor Lizards catching bats. Alternately we can do game drives in the park too. After lunch drive to Bwindi Impenetrable {a World Heritage Sight} passing through the scenic area known as The Switzerland of East Africa. The driving today is about 4 1/2 hours. Overnight at Gorilla Forest Camp. BLD Day 7 Gorilla Forest Camp / Bwindi Impenetrable Gorilla tracking day. After breakfast take a short drive to Park Headquarters and meet with excellent local guides and trackers who will give a talk on the etiquette of gorilla trekking. We then hike into the forest where the gorillas were seen the night before and track from that point. The trekking can take from 1 to 6 hours and climb to altitudes in excess of 7,500 feet. The terrain is rough and at times muddy. Although the hike is physically demanding the beauty of the forest and surrounding scenery make the trekking worthwhile. Once the gorillas are located all fatigue is forgotten, as the experience is often described as being the most profound natural history experience in the world. Picnic lunches are provided and it is important to take plenty of water. Cameras and plenty of fast speed film is recommended. It can rain at a few minutes notice; hence waterproof clothing is a good essential including zip lock bags for cameras and film. Overnight at Gorilla Forest Camp. BLD N.B. We cannot guarantee seeing Gorillas. Day 8 Gorilla Forest Camp / Bwindi Impenetrable Second gorilla tracking day. Overnight at Gorilla Forest Camp. BLD Day 9 Mbarara / Lake View Hotel Drive to Mbarara passing through the Switzerland of East Africa area and eventually into Ankole Cattle country around Mbarara. These cattle are incredible with horns larger than one can imagine. The driving today is about 6 - 7 hours. If time permits we can walk through the interesting local market, where everything from a bolt of cloth to meat to fruits and vegetables are on display for sale. Overnight at the Lake View Hotel on outskirts of Mbarara. BLD Day 10 Entebbe Drive to Entebbe, which takes about 5 hours. If time permits it's possible to stop in Kampala for shopping and lunch and the Mpigi Royal Drum Makers. Drop off at airport to connect with departure flight. Departure flight must be late afternoon or evening or we can arrange another overnight. BL