TRAVEL ITINERARY - Bellingham Safaris · Guereza Colobus, Central Africa Red Colobus, Blue Monkey,...

BELLINGHAM SAFARIS | 4 Sunbird Circle, Kommetjie, Cape Town, 7975, South Africa | Tel: +27-(0)21-783-4380 | www.bellinghamsafaris.com

TRAVEL ITINERARY Bellingham Safaris Scheduled Tour

Uganda

05 – 14 November 2016

BELLINGHAM SAFARIS SCHEDULED UGANDA 2016


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TOUR AT A GLANCE

Day Date Location Accommodation

01 5 Nov 16 Entebbe Boma Hotel

02 6 Nov 16 Kibale Forest Ndali Lodge

03 7 Nov 16 Kibale Forest Ndali Lodge

04 8 Nov 16 Queen Elizabeth National Park (North) Mweya Safari Lodge

05 9 Nov 16 Queen Elizabeth National Park (North) Mweya Safari Lodge

06 10 Nov 16 Queen Elizabeth National Park (South) Ishasha Wilderness Camp

07 11 Nov 16 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Gorilla Forest Camp



10 14 Nov 16 Depart

COST OVERVIEW

These costs are based on 6 adults travelling

Per adult in double room USD 8 725.00

INCLUDES Accommodation as per the itinerary All Meals from Dinner on Day 1 to Breakfast on Day 10 Bottled drinking water, tea and coffee while in transit 1 x full day chimpanzee habituation permit per person 2 x gorilla trekking permits per person Ground transportation in 4x4 vehicle Activities as specified Reserve entrance fees Boat ride fees Services of a specialist naturalist guide (see feedback below) Flight from Bwindi to Entebbe Local staff gratuities



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EXCLUDES Drinks (unless otherwise stipulated above) Items of personal nature Visa fees (please be sure to check if visas are required) Travel Insurance Excess baggage costs Changes to the itinerary Gratuities for your tour leader Any items not included in the inclusions above

DAILY DETAIL

Day 1, 5 Nov 2016 Entebbe

On arrival in Entebbe you will be met at the airport by your guide and transferred a short distance to your comfortable guest house for an overnight stay.

Overnight: Boma Hotel

Day 2 & 3, 6 & 7 Nov 2016 Kibale Forest

Day 2: Today you transfer by road to Kibale Forest. Travelling on both paved and dirt roads you pass through verdant rolling hills and picturesque traditional Ugandan villages with rural scenes of local people tending to their crops. Approaching the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains or "Mountains of the Moon" you enter Uganda’s famed tea plantation region before continuing onwards to Kibale.

Day 3: The towering Kibale Forest boasts the highest concentration and diversity of primate species of any reserve in East Africa. Today you have the opportunity to trek for our closest living relative – the Chimpanzee! They are noisy and, if you do manage to come across a troop, their thrilling whoops, shrieks and grunts are likely to be heard before they are seen. As much of their diurnal time is spent feeding, an encounter is likely to involve observing them gorging on fruit (especially figs!) all the while engaging in the subtleties of Chimp etiquette. Here too, in the riches of Kibale, you are likely to encounter other rare and colourful primates, including



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Guereza Colobus, Central Africa Red Colobus, Blue Monkey, the highly terrestrial L’Hoest’s Monkey, Gray-cheeked Mangabey and the delightful Red-tailed Monkey. As you explore these forests for mammals you may well encounter some of the avian gems that grace this forest; bird species here are typical of medium-altitude forest and include the globally-threatened White-naped Pigeon, Narina Trogon and Superb and Green-headed Sunbirds. A nocturnal outing will be well worth your while for these forests are home to a range of endearing Galago species and other creatures like Lord Derby's Anomalure, African and Palm Civet and Servaline Genet, most of which you would be extremely fortunate to encounter.

Overnight: Primate Lodge

Day 4 & 5, 8 & 9 Nov 2016 Queen Elizabeth National Park (North)

Day 4: After enjoying a final morning at Kibale you head south to by road to northern part of Queen Elizabeth National park. Queen Elizabeth National park offers the best chances in Uganda for big game and savannah species and is thus deservedly Uganda’s most popular game reserve. The reserve is dominated on its northern border by the spectacular snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains.

Day 5: A highlight here is a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel which allows a close approach to African Buffalo, Elephant and scores of Hippopotamus in addition to scores of delightful water birds. Within the Acacia and Euphorbia dominated woodland, resides one of the area’s most bizarre mammals, the Giant Forest Hog, and you should be sure to make a concerted effort to track down this unusual and rather brutish creature. There are few places on earth where this creature is easy to see and while a sighting is by no means guaranteed you do have an excellent chance of seeing this creature here! This park is very rich in habitats and this is reflected by the huge bird list of over 550 species, making it one of the largest lists for any protected area in Africa. Searching for birds is also rewarding, with resident and spectacular species including Grey-headed Kingfisher, Black-headed Gonolek and Red-chested Sunbird.

Overnight: Mweya Safari Lodge



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Day 6, 10 Nov 2016 Queen Elizabeth National Park (South)

Today you transfer by road to southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Species you have a good chance of finding in the remote southern section of Queen Elizabeth National Park include Lion, Leopard, Spotted Hyena, African Elephant, African Buffalo, Uganda Kob, Bushbuck, Hippopotamus, Topi, impressive Defassa Waterbuck, Olive Baboon and comical Warthog. One of the star attractions of the Southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park are its “tree climbing lions” while these animals are still very much part of the African Lion population (Panthera Leo) they spend a large portion of the day resting in trees, a behavior trait seen more commonly in Leopards (Panthera Pardus). You will search trees and thickets for this region’s famous Lions and the marvelous photographic opportunities they present.

Overnight: Ishasha Wilderness Camp

Day 7 - 9, 11 to 13 Nov 2016 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park



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Day 7: Leaving the riches of Queen Elizabeth behind you make your way once again to the forests of western Uganda, this time to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, at the northern end of the fabled Virunga range. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lies at the northern end of the fabled Virunga range in Western Uganda. This is a region of volcanoes, jagged valleys, waterfalls, lakes and dramatic mountain ranges. The Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to approximately half of the world population of 650 Mountain Gorillas. Once part of a much larger forest that included the Virunga Volcanoes in neighbouring Rwanda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is now an ecological island within a sea of human cultivation and therefore of immense conservation importance. Around 350 bird species, 200 butterfly species and at least 120 mammal species have been recorded in this biodiversity hotspot.

Day 8 & 9: Approximately 330 gorillas live at Bwindi and these are divided into 12 or so groups. Here you have the opportunity to embark on two unforgettable Gorilla tracking excursions, visiting one of three groups of remarkably peaceable and tolerant habituated Mountain Gorillas. These are the largest of all primates with “silverbacks” (mature males) sometimes weighing up to 200 kg! Spending an hour with these gentle giants is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting and emotional wildlife experiences on Earth. In order not to disturb these magnificent beasts and not to expose them to infection (a common cold could be fatal) you will stick to the parameters designed by conservationists.

Other mammals that can be encountered with some luck in this regal forest are Chimpanzee, L’Hoest’s Monkey, Blue and Red-tailed Monkeys, Yellow-backed Duiker, huge Guereza Colobus, and several species of squirrels including Fire-footed Rope, Carruthers’ Mountain, Ruwenzori Sun and Red-legged Sun Squirrels. To boot this vast reserve also offers arguably the most productive montane forest birding in Africa and supports 23 of Uganda’s 24 Albertine Rift endemic bird species.

Overnight: Gorilla Forest Camp

Day 10, 14 Nov 2016 Day of Departure

After a final morning in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park you bid your guide farewell and catch your flight to Entebbe International Airport where your tour with us concludes. Post tour accommodation in Entebbe can be booked on request at an extra cost.

Flight: Bwindi to Entebbe

FEEDBACK ON TOUR LEADER

Livingstone was truly amazing. He provided us with not only knowledge about the animals, birds and

places which we saw, but he was able to give us the feeling that we were participating in the moment,

not just viewing it from a tourist’s view. He is truly an amazing man and we feel like we have made a

lifetime friend with him. Livingstone was able to provide us with the experience of seeing all the

animals which we had anticipated, but also introduced us to many of Uganda’s birds. We were by no

means very interested in birds prior to this tour, yet we have now been converted and we look at not

only birds, but all wildlife with a different view to that which we previously had.



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IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Payment In the event of a go ahead we will require a 30% deposit on confirmation and the balance to be settled 2 months prior to arrival.

We may have to impose more stringent payment and cancellation terms, should that be demanded of us by any of our individual suppliers that have been included in your itinerary.

The tour price is always fixed in the currency quoted, and the actual cost in the other currencies will be adjusted according to prevailing exchange rates at the time of final invoicing (payments can be made either in USD or ZAR). We use the exchange rate of the day minus 3% (the typical exchange rate applied by credit card companies), using this source: http://www.oanda.com. Guests are given 7 days to process with wire, after which we may need to update the exchange rate.

Please note Upon confirmation of this tour, the cancellation policy for Bellingham Safaris will be effective

immediately and the parties agree to be bound by the Terms and Conditions as stated in our booking form. In the event of the Booking Form not being signed, the placement of any booking/s, by any means including e-mail, shall be deemed to be confirmation that the Terms and Conditions have been read and that the parties agree to be bound by these.

Rates quoted are subject to change if there are any increases in park fees, fuel, sales tax or VAT, third-party services, currency fluctuations or any other circumstances beyond our control.

Prices are subject to unforeseen increases in tour related costs. Should an amendment in a routing or itinerary be necessary, we will re-quote accordingly.

If the number of nights or dates of travel or number of participants should change, this may have an effect on the cost.

Please be sure to carefully check your visa requirements before your intended date of travel, as Bellingham Safaris cannot be held responsible should the necessary visa requirements not be fulfilled. Please remember that in some cases you may need to apply for a multiple entry visa.

Please be sure to carefully check your passport requirements before your intended date of travel, as Bellingham Safaris cannot be held responsible should the necessary number of blank pages and passport validity dates not be fulfilled.

Please consult your physician before you travel for advice on vaccinations and prophylaxis. Bellingham Safaris strongly advises that you take out comprehensive travel insurance covering

yourself for personal effects, cancellation and curtailment. Personal accident, medical and emergency travel expense insurance is mandatory on any of our tours.

Some activities and services may have weight and/or height restrictions per guest. For the sake of your own comfort, please advise us at time of booking if you are particularly bulky or tall and we will do our best to accommodate you. Please note additional costs may apply.

Luggage restrictions are applicable including the use of hard suitcases. Details of luggage restrictions per region are available on our pre-departure documentation.

Some flights may involve stops before reaching the final destination. Although we will try to stick as closely to the itinerary as possible and include all the activities

mentioned there may be changes due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Flights, times and routes are subject to change without notice. Please make sure that you are

aware of the check-in times for flights and give yourself ample time in this regard. Please advise us prior to booking should you have any health concerns. Also please

notify us if your age is above 80 as you may require a doctor’s certificate.

http://www.oanda.com/



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There may be some age restrictions with certain activities, most notably canoe rides and walking. All accommodations, activities and other services are subject to availability at the time of booking

Uganda This tour does require a good level of fitness and participants should be in good general health as

much of the mammal viewing will be done on foot and may require walking for several hours at a time. Should you have any physical limitations or medical conditions, please notify us well in advance of departure. Notably the gorilla treks may involve several hours of strenuous walking on steep slopes, often off-trail and you need to be fit and in good health to do these activities.

The chance of finding the gorillas is excellent, but on some occasions in the past the trackers have not been able to locate the mobile family groups.

TRAVEL ITINERARY - Bellingham Safaris · Guereza Colobus, Central Africa Red Colobus, Blue Monkey,...

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