Uganda Tour operators and tourists can now heave a sigh of relief after the introduction of MV-MOSES which is to provide transport to Kalangala ssese islands from nakiwogo Entebbe as the MV Kalangala undergoes a total overhaul in Mwanza.
According to a reliable source, each person boarding is charged Uganda Shillings 15000. The departure time from Entebbe time: 10:00am
Arrival time at ssese islands. 12:00.
Departure time from Ssese Islands: 3:00pm
Arrival time at Entebbe. 5:00pm.
Uganda Wildlife Authority’s newly introduced Visitor card system has reportedly been a huge success making the authority save lots of money. Recently UWA decided to gradually change from issuing paper entry permits and gorilla permits to plastic cards which act like ATM cards. The cards are loaded with a certain amount of money which the visitor can spend on any activity in the parks.
Jossy Muhangi, the acting Public Relations Manager Uganda Wildlife Authority says the Wildlife Card has been a huge success. He says they expect to roll out the wildlife card to cover all parks across the country, after the successful pilot project in Mgahinga Park last year.
The wildlife card system allows UWA to capture the details of the activities a tourist intends to carry out in the park after payment. On arrival, the card is loaded on a computer to check the details, after which the visitor is granted permission to proceed with his intended activities. Muhangi says with the card in place, those who used to dupe tourists into paying extra money cannot now succeed. He says criminals who forge UWA receipts and other documents can now easily be detected.
Muhangi says the system will also protect both tourists and wildlife officials from criminals who have been targeting with hopes of getting cash.
Muhangi says once paid, the card entitles a tourist to all the activities they have paid for. He says a visitor who wants to increase the number of activities within the park pays additional money to park officials who in turn will load all the details onto the card so that the visitor can enjoy his or her preferences.
2014-2016 Uganda Wildlife Authority National Park entrance fees and tariffs to protected areas - Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale National Park, Mgahinga, Semliki, Bwindi, Gorilla tracking, Chimps trek, hiking, mountain climbing, fishing, golden monkeys, etc
See more at: http://trekgorillatours.com
How to plan your gorilla trek in Rwanda and Uganda, what to consider – planning your program, transport, accommodation, and other activities for the gorilla trek.
Gorilla tracking can only either be done in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park or Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park. To track gorillas you must have a pre-booked gorilla tracking permit (US$600 in Uganda and US$750 in Rwanda per person). Gorilla permits in Uganda are on promotion of US$350 per each in April and May 2014. Since the gorilla parks are located far away from the airport you arrive from you will need transport (4x4 advisable) to reach the park.
In Uganda you will need at least 3 days to the gorilla trek: One day travelling to the park, another day tracking the gorilla, and the third day driving back to Kampala/ Entebbe.
In Rwanda you need only about two hours to get from the Airport to the Park and you can even do a 1-day tour.
To book your gorilla permit, you will need to either contact the relevant country agency to book the gorilla permit (Uganda Wildlife Authority for Uganda or ORTPN for Rwanda) or book the permits through a local tour agency like us. Please note that gorilla permits are only confirmed in either cases by paying for them in full. So, you will need to send money for the permits in full to get your confirmation.
If you are hoping to travel in July and August 2014, be aware that some days are actually sold out but there is still plenty of space on most days and for the rest of the year.
If you arrange your own gorilla permit, please ensure that you pick it from the booking office in Kigali/ Kampala before travelling to the gorilla park. You must present your gorilla permit and passport on the gorilla tracking day to be allowed on the gorilla trek. In case your permit is booked through a tour agent and you are taking the tour with them you may not necessarily need to think about getting the permit from them but if you are not taking the full gorilla tour with them, consider getting your permit before travelling to the Park.
Planning your Transport to the Gorilla Trek in Rwanda and Uganda:
In both Rwanda and Uganda, you will require a 4x4 vehicle to go to the gorilla parks. Much as you can travel in just two hour to access Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda on smooth surfaced roads, you will definitely require a raised 4x4 vehicle to move from the Volcanoes Park Headquarters to the gorilla trek trail-head – the roads are rough, full of rocks and not easily navigable for a small car.
For Uganda, you also need a 4x4 vehicle to navigate the rough pot-holed roads which frequently get clients stuck for hours during rainy seasons. In both cases, you may be able to hire a vehicle for US$100 per day excluding the fuel but including the driver costs. In Uganda’s case, Gorillas and Wildlife Safaris offers transfers for US$520 for the 3 days (including vehicle, fuel, driver allowances for 3 days tour).
Alternatively you may take public buses to a nearby town but you will definitely have to find a cab (preferably 4x4 and usually costs $100 a day without gas fuel) to ferry you to the gorilla trek trail start an back to your hotel.
In Rwanda your gorilla permit requires that you be at the park headquarters at 7:00 AM or before for the gorilla tracking activity. In Uganda, you need to report to the park registration office at 7:30AM. So whatever method you choose, make sure that is is reliable - if you don’t turn up at the appointed time you risk invalidating your gorilla tracking permit and having to pay again.
The gorilla tracking time is very unpredictable and you may as well take the entire day. So have your accommodation booked for the night after your trek as well. For this same reason also have with you a packed lunch for the day, plenty of drinking water, rainproof clothing (you are trekking through a rainforest and any day it can rain).
Hiring Porters and Walking Sticks for the Gorilla Trek
Usually there are porters for hire (at $15 each) at the park offices and walking sticks (at $5). Do not overestimate your strength; you may certainly need either or both of these. So put it in high consideration to hire one. Besides, it’s another way of giving back to the communities.
Planning Your Accommodation during your Gorilla Trek tour
In Rwanda, you can stay in at any hotel in Ruhengeri town, Kinigi town, or at the park boundary. Some travellers attempt driving from Kigali on the gorilla tracking day by departing at 5AM. It is highly advisable that you spend the night before the trek as near the park as possible. In Ruhengeri (now also referred to as Musanze) which is about 12 kms from the Volcanoes National Park and 20 minutes driving town recommended hotels include La Palme Hotel, Volcanoes Gorillas Hotel, Hotel Muhavura, Virunga Hotel, Ishema Hotel, Fatuma Hotel and Urumuli Hotel. In Kinigi and near the park you can stay at Kinigi Guesthouse,Village Touristique de Kinigi, Gorillas Nest Lodge, Le Bambou Gorilla Lodge, Mountain Gorilla View Lodge, Virunga Lodge and Sabinyo Silverback Lodge.
In Uganda, the accommodation you choose will depend on the gorilla permit you book being that the available 11 gorilla families that tourists visit in Bwindi are range over a wide area. Please have a look at the page for more details about which accommodation you will need to book for each different gorilla family in Bwindi.
Joining your gorilla trek with other tours/ excursions
Both Rwanda and Uganda offer a variety of tours you can join onto your gorilla trek. Please have a look at our website to see which other places you can visit in addition to your gorilla trek.
UGANDA/ RWANDA GORILLA TOUR PACKAGES
3 days Uganda Gorilla tour 3 day Gorilla tracking Rwanda with tour price 4 days Rwanda Gorilla Tour - Uganda 4 days Gorilla tracking tour with Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda 5 days Gorilla tracking tour with Wildlife Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Park 5 days Uganda Gorillas, Chimps Tour 5 days Gorillas trek Rwanda and Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda 5 days Rwanda, Uganda Gorillas 6 Days Gorilla Trek tour, Kibale Chimps tracking, Wildlife BIG 5 Safaris in Queen Elizabeth National 6 days gorilla tracking, wildlife safari 7 days Uganda tour and holiday to Murchison Falls, mountain gorillas, Chimpanzees in Kibale Forest and Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable 7 days Gorillas, chimpanzee, wildlife 7 days Uganda Gorilla Safaris 8 days Uganda Gorilla Game safari 9 days Gorillas, primates wildlife All Inclusive 12 days Uganda Safari 14 days Uganda Rwanda Safari
RWANDA GORILLA TOURS
2 days Gorilla tracking Rwanda with tour price
3 day Gorilla tracking Rwanda with tour price
4 Gorillas trekking Rwanda - 4 days tour
4 Days Rwanda and Uganda Gorilla tracking tour (double trek)
5 days Rwanda UgandaGorillas with double tracking
5 days Gorillas trek Rwanda and Safari in Queen Elizabeth national Park Uganda
5 days Uganda Rwanda Gorillas with double tracking
14 days Uganda Rwanda Safari 
4 days Rwanda chimpanzees tour
5 days Lake Kivu and gorilla trek
6 days Nyungwe and gorilla trek
9 days Gorillas and cultural tour -
Plots and counter plots have been taking place following the demise of Mika, who was the king of the 48 chimps living on Ngamba Island on Lake Victoria. Mika died early October out of unknown causes that are still being investigated.
Who will be the next king of Ngamba? Will the king step on the pedestal of power at Ngamba in a bloodless take over?
Innocent Ampeire, a caregiver at Ngamba, said influential individuals in the group have been holding ‘political meetings’ to choose the next leader. “The ranking males like Tumbo, Umutama, Eddie and Robbie do not seem interested in the position, but often meet and seem to discuss whom to back,” says Ampeire.
Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary
He also pointed out that Kalema, Indi, Kisembo and Maisko are contesting for the position of alpha male who is entitled to have sex with the females and also eat first. In return the king is supposed to be a unifier who settles disputes and protects the weak from aggression.
The Island is a chimpanzee sanctuary managed by the Jane Goodall Institute. Ngamba Island consists of approximately 100 acres, 98 of which are forested and separated from the visitors area by an electric fence. Ngamba Island was officially opened to visitors in October 1999 and is currently home to 48 orphaned chimpanzees.
It is interesting to watch the chimps interact with each other and with their keepers. In the relatively short amount of time you are there you will be able to see such different personalities amongst the group, with some whistling for food and others clapping. Obviously the ideal option would be to re-introduce these orphaned chimpanzees to the wild however this is not possible for a number of different reasons and the sanctuary is not bad for second best.
Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has launched night drives in a bid to boost tourism in the country. The drive launched last week is aimed at attracting more tourists to boost the economy. This comes after the authority embarked on massive promotion of tourism in the country.
Dr. Andrew Seguya, the executive director of Uganda Wildlife Authority, says the launch of the night drives at the parks is a big achievement for Uganda. He says many animals; particularly the carnivorous ones are active at night hunting for prey. He says this launch will give tourists better opportunities to view the animals hunting. He says the authority has already purchased open roof vehicles for the night drives.
Dr. Seguya says Uganda is expected to reap millions in foreign exchange after the launch.
He has appealed to the Ugandans to take this opportunity to view the wildlife of the country. Seguya says it is a rich experience to drive through the park at night while viewing the beautiful animals in the country.
Simplicious Gessa, the Public Relations Officer at Uganda Wildlife Authority, says the authority is set to introduce more packages for Ugandans.
Gesa says with time if the facilities are in place and the situation stabilizes, the authority may offer one day free visits for the locals to the parks. He says the authority is looking forward to the day when the locals will embrace wildlife as part of them and are ready to protect the animals.
He has appealed to the Ugandans to appreciate what nature has given them and be ready to protect it. Gessa says the authority will do everything to protect the wildlife and ensure that Uganda takes the lead in promoting tourism in the world.
Safaris where you can do night game drives
Uganda’s smallest savannah national parks and it is home to 350 bird species as well as zebra, impala, eland, buffalo, Oribi, Defassa waterbuck, leopard, hippo, hyena, topi and reedbuck.
3 Days Murchison Falls Safari:
Murchison Falls National Park lies at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley. The park is bisected by the Victoria Nile, which plunges 45m over the remnant rift valley wall ....
We take you for a magical wildlife experience to Uganda’s most popular tourist destination. Set against the backdrop of the jagged Rwenzori Mountains
5 Days Gorilla Trekking And Queen Elizabeth:
In just 5 days, we are good enough to combine your interests of visiting the Gorillas in Bwindi with the best of Wildlife in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Uganda’s most recommended wildlife safari, for wild animal lovers, it is the biggest chance ever to see all the Big Five starting with Rhino down to the Lions.
10 Days Incredible Tour:
Discover Uganda’s most beautiful parks, from the visitors that have booked our 10 days incredible, they testify as the best Uganda tourist circuit enabling them encounter the rarest of the rare in the Africa
