Rwanda & Uganda Explorer

Day notes

On arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi you will be met airside as you descend the aircraft steps by the dmAFRICArepresentative who will assist you with immigration, baggage collection and customs formalities and escort you to your driver who will drive you to the beautiful Giraffe Manor. You can spend the afternoon with the elegant Rothschild Giraffe - watching and feeding them.

Day notes

You are transferred to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your scheduled service flight to Entebbe, Uganda.

You are met on arrival by the dmAFRICA representative and transferred to the Kampala Serena Hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Day notes

This is a full day for a city tour and sightseeing in Kampala.

Uganda’s capital city has the reputation of being far more orderly and safe than most other African cities. Whereas visits to the latter tend to be as short as possible, a few days in Kampala can add to a holiday experience. Like Rome, it is attractively built on seven hills. There are defined districts and a cafe culture, which has probably spilled over the border with its Francophile neighbours. There are many restaurants offering a variety of cuisine. The diversity and quality of the nightlife is legendary.

Day notes

You are collected after breakfast by the dmAFRICA representative for the 25km transfer to Kajjansi Airstrip for your helicopter flight to Mweya, Queen Elizabeth National Park. The flying time is approximately 45 minutes. On arrival you will be met by your guide who will transfer you to the Kyambura Gorge Lodge for lunch. In the mid afternoon you will have your first game drive.

Situated on the edge of the Kyambura Gorge and Queen Elizabeth National Park, in Uganda, one of Africa’s finest national parks, Volcanoes newest lodge, Kyambura Gorge Lodge, has stunning views over the Gorge and the lush savannah of the park, with the peaks of the Ruwenzori Mountains in the distance.

The main lodge building was originally a coffee store and processing plant, surrounded by coffee plantations. The original structure has been sensitively restored to create a stunning living space, balancing the history of the building with the location and creating a series of six very cosy bandas for the guests. Four beautiful, spacious bandas have been carefully nestled into the hillside, each with their own de luxe bathroom. Each room has a different aspect of the panoramic views across the gorge, savannah and mythical Ruwenzoris. Each banda is uniquely appointed, adopting a different colour theme.

From the Lodge guests can go chimpanzee tracking in the Kyambura Gorge or Kalinzu forest. Chimps are very mobile, tracking them as they crash through the canopy screaming and whooping can take stamina. Guests can also take a game drive on the plains of Queen Elizabeth to spot lions, elephant, antelope, buffalo and some of the 600 birds species that live in this national park such as the spoonbill stork, or take a boat out onto the Kazinga Channel to spot the many birds and animals which come to cool off at the waters’ edge. Guests can also take a guided walk around the Lodge grounds to tour the community coffee processing plant and other projects supported by Volcanoes, or through the wetland to spot bird species. Alternatively simply relax in the beautiful atmosphere of this unique lodge and watch game on the savannah plains below, listening to the sounds of the chimps and birds in the gorge.

Day notes

Two days of wildlife activities according to your wishes and the recommendations of the game rangers.

Day notes

Two days of wildlife activities according to your wishes and the recommendations of the game rangers.

Day notes

Drive via Ishasha, home of the tree climbing lions en route to the Mweya airstrip for your helicopter transfer to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. You are met on landing and transferred to Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge.

At this stunning eco-lodge with eight bandas, clients can spend the day on the terrace, which juts out into the forest, mesmerized by its exotic sounds watching primates and birds in the canopy. There is a rewarding walk to the river through regenerated bush which has been carefully nurtured as a buffer zone. It is a favourite haunt for the gorillas and they often sleep at the lodge!

Depending on the time of arrival there may be the possibility of a guided nature walk after arrival.
The safari lodge overlooks the primeval Bwindi forest home to gorillas, monkeys, chimpanzees and birds. Tracking gorillas in the so-called ‘impenetrable' forest is a magical experience.

The rainforest is said to be 25.000 years old, making it one of Africa’s most bio diverse habitats. The altitude of this mountain park ranges from 1200 - 2600 meters (3,000 feet to 8,000 feet). Five rivers and a high annual rainfall make it rather humid.

It is believed that about 350 gorillas remain in several stable groups in the park. The great protection over the last years has lead to a steady increase of the population, and it is considered that half the world’s population of mountain gorillas live here. Bwindi is the only forest in Africa to have chimpanzees and mountain gorillas co-existing.

The park is on UNESCO’s list of world heritage sites due to its ecological uniqueness and natural beauty. Bwindi is home to a number of other primate species, including black-and-white colobus monkey, L’Hoest’s monkey, red-tailed monkey, blue monkey, vervet monkey and baboon. In addition there are 79 mammal species including duiker, elephant, bushbuck, bush pig, giant forest hog and several small cat species.

More than 350 species of birds have been recorded, of which many are regional endemics. The forest birding ranks best in Uganda with 23 highly localized Albertine Rift endemic present. There are also 202 species of butterflies and over 200 species of trees.

Day notes

Explore the local area and some of the fascinating community projects in operation there including the Bwindi Community Hospital, and the AMAGARA market garden project.

But, of course, the main attraction here is the gorilla tracking. There are four gorilla families in the vicinity. Twelve permits are allowed each day and the average tracking time is 3-8 hours and you are permitted to spend one hour with the gorillas. Permits, which normally cost US$ 750 each, are subject to availability.

Day notes

Take the helicopter from Kayonza, enjoy the view of the dramatic Virunga volcanoes and the beautiful terraced hills from the air. You will be met on landing and transferred to the Volcanoes Mount Gahinga Lodge.

Mount Gahinga Lodge nestles at 2,300m in the foothills of the Virunga volcanoes on the border of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

It comprises eight stone and tile banda cottages, each with an en suite bush shower and a chemical toilet. The safari lodge has a beautiful outlook, enhanced by a recently added sun room facing the volcanoes .

The habituated family of gorillas moves between Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC and it is often difficult to locate them. The Nkuringo group in Southern Bwindi can be visited instead. You can also climb a volcano, go birding, take a guided nature walk or just take in one of the most beautiful landscapes of Africa.

Day notes

Transfer to Rwanda by helicopter via customs in Kisoro, taking time to view the stunning volcanic landscape from the air. On arrival stroll around the lodge, or simply take in the panoramic sunset over the volcanoes.

The impressive Volcanoes Virunga Lodge, set on a stunning hillside, has eight stone and tile banda cottages with a panoramic view of the Virunga volcanoes and the lakes Ruhondo and Bulera. Each banda has an en suite shower and an eco toilet. The terraced gardens on this high ridge are now well established, with a magical sunken paradise garden as their focal point. Aside from gorilla tracking, clients can climb a volcano, track the golden monkey, visit Dian Fossey's grave or go for gentle strolls around the picturesque villages near the lakes.

There are six habituated gorilla families and the average tracking time is 3-7 hours, with an hour spent with the gorillas. Gorilla permits cost US$750 and are subject to availability and should be booked in advance.

Day notes

Today is a day of wildlife activities or relaxation according to your requirements or as recommended by the lodge rangers.

Day notes

Visit Mgahinga Veterinary Project for a tour of the facility and a talk about the orphaned gorillas and how they are cared for.
Drive to Gisenyi, stopping to visit Ros Carr's orphanage on the way.

Relax at Lake Kivu, one of the African Great Lakes. It lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and is in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift Valley.

The lake is 88 kms or 55 miles long and 48 kms or 30 miles wide. At its deepest it is 480m or 1,575 feet. Lake Kivu empties into the Ruzizi River, which flows southwards into Lake Tanganyika. It is about an hour’s drive from the mountain gorillas in the Parc National des Volcans and it can be combined with a Kenya safari utilising the regular scheduled air service from Nairobi to Kigali.

The sleepy beach resort of Gisenyi has always been popular and many of the lakeside mansions date back to the Belgian colonial period. At night time the sky glows red at the top of the Mount Nyiragongo volcano.

The world's tenth-largest inland island, Idjwi, lies in Lake Kivu, as does the tiny island of Tshegera, which also lies within the boundaries of Virunga National Park; while settlements on its shore include Bukavu, Kabare, Kalehe, Sake and Goma in Congo and Gisenyi, Kibuye and Cyangugu in Rwanda.

Day notes

Leave after breakfast for Kigali, capital city of Rwanda and have a short sightseeing tour of the city including a visit to the market, a pottery project, handicraft shops and the genocide memorial.

The city has a population of almost one million people. Spanning wide ridges and valleys, Kigali is an attractive city of lush hillsides and flowering trees, winding boulevards and bustling streets.

Kigali Serena Hotel is ideally located on one of Kigali's most charming boulevards, the five-star hotel is built around a polished granite atrium, which showcases the very best of Rwandese cultural art.

Relaxed yet elegant, the hotel has a wide sundeck overlooking the newly refurbished swimming pool, which is the centrepiece of the hotel.

Day notes

At the appropriate time the dmAFRICA representative will collect you from the hotel and transfer you to Kigali airport for your homeward flight or onward arrangements with dmAFRICA.