Best of Uganda wildlife tour

Planet

On this Ugandan adventure you’ll track endangered mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Well managed tourism practices have helped to save the last of the mountain gorillas from extinction, and your trekking permits and national park fees contribute to the ongoing conservation efforts in Bwindi National Park.

Before you depart for Uganda you will receive a detailed travel pack in which we outline the rules and regulations for gorilla trekking in Uganda. These regulations will be repeated by your guide before you embark on your trek and it is essential that you adhere to them. You will not be allowed to track them if you’re suffering from any illness including a cold or flu which can be transmitted to the gorillas. You will be instructed to talk in a low voice whilst you’re with the gorillas and you’re requested to keep a seven metre distance from them. You must not touch the gorillas under any circumstances - although they are used to seeing people on a daily basis, they are wild animals and they can sometimes react unexpectedly so it is essential that you listen to your guide’s and trackers’ instructions. You will also be advised to disable the flash on your camera before you get to your group of gorillas as flash photography is not permitted.

On this itinerary you will also trek deep into the Kibale Forest to track the troops of chimpanzees that live there. As with the gorilla tracking, similar rules and regulations have been set out by the Uganda Wildlife Authority to govern this activity in order to protect the chimpanzees and their environment and we expect our clients to adhere to them.

Throughout Uganda we use locally owned and managed hotels, guest houses, lodges and camps, including Kibale Forest Camp, Katara Lodge and Mutanda Lake Resort. We believe that by using locally owned properties, rather than international chains, we ensure that as much revenue as possible remains in Uganda, and it also provides a more authentic travel experience for our clients.

Fresh water is limited in many areas of Uganda, therefore we encourage our clients to take short showers and to use water sparingly. We ask our clients to follow any environmental policies that their hotel, guest house, lodge or camp may have in place - for example, they may give guests the option to not have their towels or bed linen washed everyday and by reducing the quantity of towels/linen they wash, they reduce water consumption, energy and use of detergents.

Recycling facilities are limited in Uganda, however many properties have bins to collect plastic bottles. All glass bottles should be returned to the place you bought them to be re-used. In our detailed pre-departure travel packs we include a note to advise clients that they should take their empty shampoo and shower gel bottles back home and recycle them at home. We also request that people take all batteries home with them as they cannot be safely disposed of in Uganda.

People

We are committed to responsible, sustainable and ethical tourism in Uganda and we’re proud to work with a fantastic supplier who shares our core values with regards to responsible tourism practices. We also use expert local guides who offer our clients a fascinating insight into Uganda’s wildlife and culture.

During your time in Uganda we encourage you to interact and engage with the Ugandan people as this will offer a much more meaningful and enriching travel experience. We recommend that you talk to your local guides and drivers and make an effort to get to know them!

This itinerary is flexible and if you’re interested we can include cultural experiences such as spending the night in a Karamojong kraal in the northeast region of Uganda. This is a wonderful opportunity to interact with Karamojong people and get an insight into their way of life - you’ll be able to help herd the cattle, collect vegetables, prepare dairy products, play local games and listen to the Karamojong warriors tell stories as you sit around a campfire.

Whilst in Uganda we encourage you to support the local economy by buying authentic handmade products such as wood carvings, fabrics, pottery and jewellery at markets, villages and small-scale souvenir shops rather than hotel tourist shops or on organised shopping trips. In Kampala we recommend that you visit a Banana Boat outlet - they sell handmade crafts from around the country and they support local initiatives.

We also encourage you to be adventurous and eat in local restaurants and cafés. Not only does this help to support the local economy, but it will also give you a more authentic vacation experience.