Gorilla Tracking
Gorilla trekking is amazing wildlife adventure that gives adventure travelers a fortune of seeing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Mountain gorilla is the largest great ape in the world. The silverback, a mature male gorilla and the head of a gorilla group weighing 400 pounds is what most visitors find intriguing to see and photograph.
Trekking to see habituated gorilla family is one of the best eco-tourism experiences in the world. A maximum of 8 people are allowed to visit gorillas each day hence visitors truly enjoy the authentic off the beaten gorilla trekking experience to hike through thick rainforests of Bwindi national park which gives a real sense of a jungle adventure. In addition, visitors are allowed to spend 1 hours taking photos and observing how gorillas feed, play and groom each other.
With a population of less than 900 gorillas in the world, Uganda is home to 400 individuals which are found in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. The rest of the gorillas live in Virunga conservation area and part of its section called Mgahinga gorilla national park is also in southwestern Uganda. Uganda is the best place to go for gorilla trekking because visitors can visit both Bwindi and Mgahinga have habituated gorilla families. But Bwindi has 11 gorilla families that are habituated for tourists to track every day at four centers of Buhoma, Nkuringo, Ruhija and Rushaga while Mgahinga has 1 habituated gorilla family. To see gorillas, you need a gorilla tracking permit which can be booked through a tour operator or directly with Uganda wildlife authority.
Chimpanzee Tracking
Regarded as man’s closest relative, Chimpanzees share approximately 98.7% of their DNA with humans. To go chimpanzee tracking is the best way to understand how chimpanzee exhibit human behavior in many ways. Uganda has approximately 5000 population of chimpanzee. And chimpanzee tracking can be done at four different places which are Kibale forest national park also home to 13 primates, Budongo forest, Kalinzu forest and Kyambura forest gorge.
Rwenzori Climbing
Mt. Rwenzori hosts Africa’s 3rd tallest mountain peak, Magherita at 5,109 meters above sea level. Lying only 20 miles away from the equator, Rwenzori is prominent for presence of permanent snow on peaks of Mt. Stanley, Mt. Speke and Mt. Baker. The landscape is rugged which make Rwenzori East Africa’s technical mountain. Trekking to the summit is quite challenging however, it combines rare wildlife encounters like three horned chameleon and spectacular scenery including the valley of nine lakes, glaciers, rivers, boulders and rock cliffs covered with green moss and lichen that occur in Iceland, everlasting flowers, giant lobelias and groundsels.
Rwenzori Mountains National Park is a UNESCO world heritage site, protecting a diversity of plants and animals due to presence of five different types of vegetation and climatic zones.
The central circuit and kilembe route lead climbers to the summit taking up to 8-12 days. Wel serviced huts guarantee peaceful and relaxing overnights. For those who cannot make it to the summit, there are a variety of short hiking excursions which range from 1 to 5 days best to have wildlife encounters especially in the lower forested slopes of Rwenzori including chimpanzee and other primates, the rare three horned chameleon and several species of birds.
Zip Lining at Mabira Forest
Hanging between Mabira rainforest canopies on a zip line is one of the adventures that make you feel great on Uganda safari. Mabira forest reserve located on the Kampala-Jinja high way about 1 hour drive East of Kampala offers 5 zip lines that visitors can ride over. The zip lines of about 250 meters long stretch across river musamya and griffin waterfalls. Mabira is an ancient tropical rainforest and habitat for about 300 species of birds, several primates, butterflies and trees. On a zip line, you get good view of canopy layers or may spot species of primates such as black and white Colobus monkey, red tailed monkey. Mabira forest is also near Jinja town, where you can see source of river Nile and enjoy adrenaline white water rafting, bungee jumps and so much more.
Behind the scenes tour at Uganda wildlife education center
One of the best zoos in East and central Africa, Uganda wildlife education center also known as Entebbe zoo offers behind the scenes tour for visitors who want to get close with lions, elephants, chimpanzee, giraffe, shoebill stork, python. The tour is led by UWEC guide and lasts for 2 hours starting at 09am to 12 and 02 to 04pm.
A group of visitors are allowed to exhibit and learn animal behaviors and work of Entebbe zoo which all creates special safari memories while supporting the zoo’s conservation.
