Wilderness Travel 2017 Catalog of Adventures

Mountain Gorilla Safari GORILLAS, CHIMPS, AND A BIG GAME SAFARI

With its mystical forests sheltering half the world’s population of magnificent mountain gorillas, sun-dappled

Days 1-3 Kibale Forest National Park / Wild Chimpanzees Head through Uganda’s lush countryside to Kibale Forest National Park, where you’ll track bands of chimpanzees as they play, feed, and scamper across the treetops. Other denizens of the park include grey-cheeked mangabeys, and vervet, colobus, and red-tailed monkeys. Days 4-6 Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari In the Great Rift Valley, Queen Elizabeth National Park, designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, features stunning ecosystems teeming with diverse wildlife and some 500 avian species. Safari by 4WD vehicle on lake-dotted savannas, walk shady trails and go birding in the Maramagambo Forest, and boat on the Kazinga Channel, with its huge population of hippos—up to 30,000! Days 7-11 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park / Gorilla Tracking / Entebbe Bwindi, the remnant of a once-vast primeval forest, is home to 11 primate species including some 400 magnificent mountain gorillas, half the world’s population of this highly endangered mammal. From our lovely tented lodge, hike at altitudes of 3,800 to 7,500 feet for the spine-tingling experience of coming face to face with them in the wild. With two full tracking days with our expert guides, you’ll have the best opportunities to encounter them. Depart on Day 11 via Entebbe.

savannas brimming with wildlife, and the enchanting snow-capped Ruwenzori Mountains, Uganda truly has it all! On this epic adventure, we’ve paired two amazing experiences—a classic big game safari and tracking chimpanzees and mountain gorillas on foot. To observe these endangered creatures in the wild is one of the world’s most unforgettable experiences. Our guides know the gorilla families well, and with two days of tracking, you’ll have the extraordinary chance to observe them at close hand.

“An experience I will never forget—the beauty of Uganda and its people, and the extraordinary viewing of primates and other wildlife—it couldn’t have been better. Many, many thanks.”

JAN FRITZ

Joseph B., Portsmouth RI

HIGHLIGHTS • Enjoy thrilling encounters with mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest • Track chimpanzees on foot in Kibale Forest National Park • Phenomenal game viewing safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park in the Great Rift Valley • Comfortable forest lodges with superb access to the wildlife DETAILS • 11-day trip begins and ends in Entebbe • 7 nights hotels and lodges, 3 nights tented lodge at Bwindi • All meals included TRIP COST $6495 (6-7 members) $6895 (4-5 members) Single supplement: $1050 Internal airfare: $400 (subject to change) Chimp permits (2 treks): $300 Gorilla permits (2 treks): $1200 Masai Mara extension: from $3495 TRIP LEVEL 1 2 3 + 4 5 6 7 2 days of gorilla tracking (3-7 hours on steep and sometimes muddy trails), 2 days chimpanzee tracking on forested trails (3-4 hours each day), 4WD game viewing DATES Jan 9-19, 2017 Feb 20-Mar 2 Jul 5-15 Aug 2-12

And our safari? It offers incredible sightings of elephant, lion, and leopard, not to mention the largest concentration of hippos in the world!

Of the 36 known gorilla families in Bwindi, just 9 are habituated to visitors.

TODD GUSTAFSON

68

WWW.WILDERNESSTRAVEL.COM/TRIPS/AFRICA