Gorilla Tracking in Uganda

Mountain gorillas are wild animals and, as such, sightings cannot be guaranteed. However viewing success rates are over 90%. Once sighted, visitors are allowed an hour with the gorillas. Overnighting in Bwindi is required the night before tracking due to your early morning start. As tracking can sometimes take a full day, a second nights accommodation is also highly recommended. Ideally 2 to 3 nights are suggested to enjoy this region.

Gorilla tracking timings and conditions vary tremendously as the gorillas move continuously through the rain forest. It is good to be prepared and remember the weather can change with very little warning. The terrain is often steep and through areas where there are no marked paths. It can be VERY strenuous – it may be just a couple of hours but it can also be for a full day of up to 8 hours or more of hiking in hot, high altitude conditions – please be prepared for this by being as fit as possible!

This walk provides guests with an opportunity to support the local community whilst enjoying visiting various interesting places as you follow a walking trail through the village. Highlights include the traditional healer, banana brewery and Mukono Primary school where you may interact with the children.

This can be undertaken with a Uganda Wildlife Authority guide to allow you to hike along the trails and enjoy the forest flora and fauna. A popular choice is the 3-4 hour hike to the waterfall. Get lost in the ancient forests of Bwindi with an experienced guide on hand. These forests also provide great bird watching opportunities.

The Queen Elizabeth national Park spreads over an area of 1978 square km in the western arm of the Great East African Rift Valley. The park is home to a variety of wildlife including elephant, lion, hippo, leopard, buffalo and Uganda kob. Birds present are all typical of riverine and savannah habitats.

The Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park is the place to search for the tree climbing lions often to be seen in the vicinity of the camp which is situated just off the Northern circuit game viewing track. The lions also favour the large fig trees on the Southern circuit game viewing track and this offers alternative game viewing routes.

On early morning and late afternoon game drives, either in your safari vehicle, or for fly-in guests – in our dedicated camp open safari vehicle, you may explore the area’s game routes in search of the different species. The area is still pristine and untouched with only a handful of game vehicles found around the area at any time. Being the only camp within the park, it offers flexibility of timings for drives allowing guests to maximise their game sightings in this area.

Sundowners can be arranged for the late afternoon at a suitable viewing point either along the ridge area or besides the Ntungwe River to allow guests to savour the vast vistas and atmosphere of this beautiful area of the park.

Bush breakfasts are also available to camp guests when arranged prior to their stay and if the weather allows. Your own personal chef and dining set-up in the wilderness can be combined with an early-morning safari drive.

Agartha’s Taste of Uganda Tour: Situated in a small village on the fringes of the Queen Elizabeth National park, Agartha is a strong member of the local community group and tirelessly works to improve not only her family’s well-being but also her neighbours.

Agartha takes great pride in sharing with you how the women of her tribe, the Bakiga, prepare their favourite food. Not only do you hear how the ingredients are grown and harvested but you can witness how to shift, grind, cook, and most importantly, keep the much-loved food warm for their husbands.

During the tour Agartha weaves in stories of what it’s like to be a Bakiga wife whilst encouraging you to taste what you may have helped prepare together. She then sends you off on your journey with a packed traditional snack and a taste of the local brew if you wish too!

Tracking chimpanzees in their natural habitat, as they swing from the branches in the canopy high above the forest floor is nothing short of exhilarating. The chimps effortlessly cross and scamper through the trees above the gorge, and visitors on the other hand must cross the river using natural bridges in order to keep up with the chimps. So although the walk usually lasts only 2–3 hours, descending the steep gorge and crossing the log bridges over the river requires some agility and fitness.

Chimpanzee tracking is also available in nearby Kalinzu, a forest reserve 30 minutes drive from Kyambura Gorge Lodge where there is a community of about 40 habituated chimpanzees.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is considered to be one of Uganda’s most varied and most beautiful protected areas. Queen, as she is affectionately known, is home to two of Africa’s big cats, the majestic lion and the elusive leopard. Kyambura Gorge Lodge guests can explore the plains of Queen Elizabeth Park in Uganda on a variety of game drives, usually at dawn and dusk. It is when daylight hours are coolest that wildlife is most active.

Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust launched the Kyambura Lion Monitoring Project in August 2023. The Kyambura wildlife monitoring team, led by Dr Alexander Braczkowski, will collect data for African lions, leopards and spotted hyenas in Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area using a network of vehicles, and remote camera traps. This project aims to establish a science-based conservation program which supports the protection of Uganda’s carnivore populations and improves the livelihoods of local people living in and around the wildlife parks.

Guests at Kyambura Gorge Lodge can participate in this project during their stay at the lodge by collecting survey data during game drives in the Queen Elizabeth National Park and then submitting this to the lodge wildlife team. Data is collected by recording GPS of the safari car, taking specific identification photos of lions spotted during the drive, and checking and retrieving photos from camera traps.

The Kazinga Channel is a 32-kilometer long channel, rich in wildlife, that links Lakes Edward and George. Boat trips down the channel depart from Mweya Safari Lodge (about an hour’s drive through the park from Kyambura Gorge Lodge) and last 3-4 hours. The boat cruise provides a wonderful opportunity to photograph the many animals that come to cool off at the waters’ edge, including lion, buffalo, hippo, elephant, and leopard.

See the transformation of coffee beans into delicious Ugandan coffee – all done by hand, by local community members – and even get to sample the finished product for yourself. At the end of the tour guests are given the opportunity to purchase some of the cooperative’s coffee, which makes a great souvenir and supports the local community.

Set up by Damien Hirst, the Rwenzori Sculpture Foundry & Gallery are a short drive from Kyambura Gorge Lodge. Sculptures by rising Ugandan artists sit alongside works by leading European sculptors, the result of collaborations and artist residencies. All works are inspired by the people, culture, wildlife and landscape of Uganda, and make the perfect memento to mark an unforgettable journey.

In June 2014, in partnership with the Kyambura Women’s Coffee Cooperative and the local community, the VSPT opened a non-profit training café. The café will provide a practical training institution for local youths, both male and female, who are disadvantaged as a result of the loss of parents, HIV/AIDS, or physical or mental disabilities.

The training not only aims to provide practical experience to create more job opportunities in the region, but also to improve access to services, medication and healthcare thereby reducing the risk of transmitting HIV through education and providing training for a sustainable livelihood.

The VSPT plans to take ten interns on a quarterly basis for both theoretical and practical training. Volcanoes Safaris guests staying at Kyambura Gorge Lodge can enjoy a coffee tour followed by a hearty homemade brunch with freshly brewed coffee served at the café, or a delicious pizza from the wood-burning oven for tours in the afternoon.

The VSPT secured 45-acres of wetland south of the Volcanoes Safaris Kyambura Gorge Lodge. The wetland, which previously had been used as an illegal brick works, is now regenerating rapidly back to its natural state. The rejuvenated wetlands now attract over 200 species of birds and the sight is used to train members of the community in birding and guiding. This project has been a key success for the VSPT, particularly regarding its ecosystem conservation efforts given the amount of species that have now repopulated the area: new entries are added to the spotters’ lists almost daily!
Over 500 indigenous trees have also been replanted along the banks of the Kyambura River. Due to human encroachment and habitat destruction over the past twenty years, hundreds of trees along the riverbank were cut down leading to soil erosion and water pollution.

Community outreach and guide training take place throughout the year with the objective of establishing a pool of qualified local guides who can lead tours of the wetland. A trail system is maintained throughout the wetland and guided walks are available to Volcanoes Safaris clients.

Both Uganda and Rwanda offer some of the world’s best bird watching, with a vast diversity of bird species. Uganda has over 1,000 bird species with 150 found only in Uganda. Rwanda has over 700 bird species and is home to the second highest number of Albertine endemics in the Albertine region. Each of our lodges offers the chance to see a number of different birds, with the vast majority endemic to the Region.

VSPT has worked on purchasing the 3km long buffer along the northern part of the Gorge since 2009. With the purchase completed at the end of 2018, a 3-hour guided walk has been developed and is offered to guests to showcase the buffer created by the project, the scenic views over the Gorge, the Park and Kyambura reserve, and the chance to experience the local homesteads. Approximately 3000 trees have been planted in the buffer area, with the help of the local community and VS guests.

This short walk (45 mins) offer guests the opportunity to experience the unique landscape around the Lodge, between the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kyambura Gorge and the community.

VSPT has created a community playground to encourage and allow local school children to play games and sports, especially soccer.

New walking safaris have been created around the lodge to experience the dramatic landscapes of Kyambura gorge and the Queen Elizabeth savannah, and visit a reclaimed wetland. Guests can walk along the Kyambura gorge buffer zone we have created to protect the fragile ecosystem from encroachment and contribute to its long-term conservation project by planting a seedling.

A comfortable stroll around the lake with stunning views of Lake Kyaninga, the Rwenzori Mountains and the beautiful rolling hills of Fort Portal. This walk takes about an hour and half and in addition to the stunning views, there are also good chances of seeing Vervet monkeys, Black and White Colobus monkeys and of course a wide array of birds. A guide is not necessary but available free of charge.

The terrain inside the crater is a little tougher than on the ridge, but this is soon forgotten amongst the sights and sounds of the forest. With almost guaranteed chances of monkey sightings, even more birds than on the ridge and the added bonus of bat caves, this is

a must for nature lovers. The walk can be tailored to your needs and can be as long as you require, focusing on whatever you choose, whether it be bird, monkey or some of our shyer inhabitants. There are even rare sightings of civet cats and porcupines and if you achieve the impossible and photograph one of the two then a free bottle of wine awaits!

This 3 hour walk through the surrounding villages provides an insight into daily life in rural Uganda. The outing offers the chance

to meet and spend some time with the village elders at one of the farms, and to

see how local crops are grown, harvested and prepared. While wildlife and nature will always remain the key focus of any trip to Uganda, this walk provides a rare perspective into village life that few tourists ever get to experience

The longest of the o ered walks, these trips take you down to the very edge of the escarpment where you will be able to see the vast expanse which is the convergence of the Congo Basin and the Great Rift Valley, and on a clear day, the distant shimmer of Lake Albert. These are some of the most impressive viewing points in the country, with the lowest point in Uganda, the Semuliki Valley, right next to the highest, the Rwenzori Mountains. The Rift Valley is approximately 3 hours from Kyaninga Lodge on foot, and there are a number of possible walks varying in duration and di culty.

HALF DAY OPTION

The easisest of the walks is a simple one way hike to the Rift Valley, taking in the magni cent views. Many of our guests elect to walk to the Rift Valley and get their drivers to meet them there and bring them back to the lodge. It is of course possible to do it the other way around, i. e. to drive to the Rift Valley and walk back to the lodge. (APPROX. 4 HOURS)

FULL DAY OPTION

Some of our guests prefer to go for the option of walking in both directions. For added interest, it is also possible to combine this option with the Village and Cultural Walk (see previous page) on the way back from the Rift Valley for a full day’s experience. (APPROX. 6 - 8 HOURS)

STEEP OPTION

The most challenging of the Rift Valley walks includes a sharp climb of the escarpment itself. After a 40 min drive down to the starting point at the base of the Rift Valley, you will follow a winding path all the way to the top of the escarpment. During the 500 metre ascent (~1100m to ~1600m) you will take in unrivalled views of the Rwenzori Mountains and the Great Rift Valley. Once at the top you can choose to have your driver meet you and return you to the lodge or, if you still have the energy, you can complete the nal stretch on foot.

Kibale National park covers an area of about 795 sq km and is acknowledged to have the highest density of chimpanzees worldwide. With at least 60 species of mammal, including 13 species of primate, Kibale really can’t be missed and if you weren’t a keen bird watcher before, the 335 recorded species found here will do all they can to change your mind. A true gem of a National Park!

(APPROX. 1 HOUR)

The true king, or better said ‘’queen’’, of Uganda’s national parks, stretching over an area of nearly 2000 sq km. With one of the highest biodiversity ratings worldwide Queen Elizabeth is home to an incredible 95 species of mammal and over 500 species of bird!! To get that true Africa feeling, Queen Elizabeth National Park is the place to visit and the boat trip up the Kazinga Channel a must!

(APPROX.2 HOURS)

Featuring 9 holes and 18 tees, this pleasant and well maintained golf course is situated on the site of the original fort from which the town derives its name. Over the last few years, Kyaninga Lodge has been sponsoring some of the promising young golfers at the club and since then they have gone on to win numerous tournaments and trophies both nationally and regionally. For golf enthusiasts visiting the lodge, we are happy to organise an exciting and memorable round with any of the talented golfers we sponsor.

(APPROX. 20 MINS)

This wonderful public garden is a unique environment where a variety

of owers, medicinal plants vegetables and fruits are grown. It is a magical place to wander around, taste locally grown fruits and vegetables and get to know the rich biodiversity of the region.

(APPROX. 20 MINS)