You fly into Entebbe, the endearing old capital that has not changed much in more than 50 years. It is a little dustier, and the buildings are lightly coated in the flakes of rugged ochre that you will recognize all over the country. Bustling Kampala, the new capital nearby, is where you go for the colorful chaos of markets and city streets. In comparison, Entebbe provides a tranquil space to recuperate from the flight and gaze over the shores of Lake Victoria. You are greeted at the airport, and it is a short transfer to your hotel on the lakeshore. The afternoon is flexible, and the guide will tailor a tour depending on your interests. Perhaps you will tour the old-world buildings of Entebbe, or you can experience the hustle and bustle of central Kampala. Later in the afternoon, you cruise along the waters of Lake Victoria, the iconic starting point to most luxury safaris in Uganda.
Flying across Uganda will give you a strong impression of its remoteness and wildness. Swathes of savannah extend for hundreds of miles, divided by the red clay roads and clumps of forest. Volcanoes appear on the horizon, with a string of peaks that are comfortably Africa’s highest mountain chain. The River Nile twists onwards, and Lake Victoria is imposing in size. Your first private flight travels west, skirting the edge of the lake and mountains en route to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, a thick jungle that clings to steep valleys and rolling hills.
From the air, you are likely to see the iconic mist, swirling insatiably, moving like a phantom. One glance from the plane and you know that this is the habitat for gorillas, a mysterious world unconnected from everything else. Touch down and check into Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, the only luxury property within the national park. Widely regarded as one of the world’s finest jungle getaways, it boasts both views over the canopy and a sense of being deep within the trees. Take lunch on your private deck, soak in the bathtub overlooking the jungle, and explore the surrounding walking trails throughout the afternoon. You will be searching for golden monkeys on this private afternoon walk, another of Bwindi’s endangered species, and another primate that hides from the world.
From a distance, you see shocks of black fur, moving slowly on all fours, and disappearing into the canopy. The troop might be moving, so you must keep walking, following them until they halt and feed. Approach the gorillas slowly, showing respect to their space. One or two will provide a greeting, perhaps a wave of the arms or an imposing stare, an action that’s both a welcome and a warning about respecting their territory. Walk a little farther, and you see the whole troop, over a dozen gorillas bounding in and around the trees. Inquisitive infants, boisterous blackback males, a sublime silverback with thickset arms and an almost impossibly wide chest. Spend an hour from seven meters away, analyzing their many behaviors and expressions. It is widely recommended that you take your photos at the start, and then put the camera down and fully absorb what is probably the world’s most intimate wild animal encounter.
With each gorilla trek, you get to spend an hour with a troop, in a maximum group size of eight trekkers. You don’t watch them from a distance. There are no fences or ropes. On some occasions, you are fully surrounded by the troop, gorillas on each side of you. Officially you are allowed within seven meters, and it is the gorillas that are most effective in maintaining this distance. If you come too close, they’ll be quick to remind you how powerful they can be. After the hour, you will trek back towards the trailhead, enjoying a packed lunch en route. Then it’s back to Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, where the outdoor bathtub is perfect for reenergizing your muscles.
Over today and tomorrow, you game drive north, traveling through Uganda’s most popular national park. First the Ishasha Sector, home of the rare tree-climbing lions, and a vast and surprisingly under-visited part of the park. While the wildlife densities are not particularly high, there is a real tension as animals cluster around waterholes. Something moves, and your eyes follow. You sense the lion is there, but you cannot see it. Then the tail flickers, and you see the eyes of the lion, watching you intensely, far closer than you imagined. Ishasha Wilderness Camp surrounded by the drama will host you, predators and their prey the focus of this day on the savannah.
Wildlife is more profuse around the Kazinga Channel, permanent water and lush vegetation creating a haven for so many. The timeless way to explore is on a boat safari, spending a relaxed afternoon cruising up and down the channel past the hippos. Elephants go swimming with only their trunks above the water, antelope sip tentatively and fearfully, and buffalos fill a sandy bank with their grunts. After a couple of days of adventure, the Kazinga boat safari provides a very soothing experience, Just sit back, and it feels like the wildlife is coming to you.
Whitened volcanic peaks provide the backdrop to the sparse forests of Semuliki which sprawl along the border of the DRC. Congolese lions live here, their flowing manes waving in the soft breeze. They prey on Ugandan kob and reedbuck, but also the more typical inhabitants of the forest, like vervet monkeys and baboons. Black and white colobus monkeys occupy the canopy, while elephants leave their gigantic prints in the sand. Birdlife is staggering along the lakeshore, shoebill storks and red-throated bee-eaters among those that flutter above bushbuck and waterbuck. This is a park of diversity, where primates and predators are seen together. Today’s safari takes you from acacia woodland to grassland to gallery forest, and you can combine a game drive with a game walk or focus on just one of the activities.
Deep in the gallery forest, you find Semuliki’s most iconic residents, troops of wild chimpanzees that swing and walk along the mountain slopes. They are less numerous than in the more famous Kibale, but the chimpanzees showcase stranger behavior in Uganda’s oldest wildlife reserve. The forest is sparser, and the primates must come down from the trees regularly, spending a large proportion of their time in the clearings. And when they walk on two feet, the comparisons with humans are almost complete. This rare behavior is the highlight of chimpanzee trekking in Semuliki, complemented by the classic behaviors so unmissable on any chimpanzee trek, Peculiar expressions, curled fingers and toes, emotive eyes, and evocative gestures and communication highlight the thrill of the chimpanzees starting straight back at you.
A lion snaps, blood smearing around his mane as the black and white skin of a zebra is opened. An elephant hoots, huge horns protruding as he continues his long walk to the water. Across the savannah, there is an echo, the haunting crack of two buffalo males clashing heads in a battle for survival, the harem watching on intently from 20 meters away. At the water, you can smell the change in atmosphere, the joyous slurping replaced by fear and tension when a cackle of hyenas approaches. Bumping across the savannah, you follow the sounds until the sights take over, such intensity to every encounter in Kidepo Valley National Park.
Raw and redolent, Kidepo Valley is one of Africa’s most untouched savannahs. It is vast, bordering South Sudan, with the ecosystem continuing into a reserve on the northern side of the international border. Only around 5,000 annual visitors make it out here, so it is rare that you see another person or vehicle on the game drives. Drama is heightened, and the ferocity of the wildlife makes Kidepo Valley a very different experience than East Africa’s most celebrated parks and reserves. You are surrounded by the battle for survival, and the animals often react aggressively, ears flapping and feet stamping as they assert their authority in a harsh land that only supports the fittest.
Fly back to Entebbe from Kidepo Valley, where you are assisted at the airport and transferred onto your international homebound flight..
