The Pearl of Africa, Uganda: Chimps & Gorri’s
Wednesday 18 september – Friday 27 september 2024
Uganda is situated in the heart of Africa and on the equator. Magical landscapes, naughty chimpanzees, tree-climbing lions, gorillas in the mist and warm-hearted lovely people. A blissful Soul Safari Retreat! A bucket list destination! Gorgeous green Uganda!
Day 1 – Wednesday 18 september 2024: Mukwano, Tugende! Hello friend, let’s go!
Welcome to Uganda my friend! Safari Sophie welcomes you warmly at the airport in Entebbe. We’ll drive to 2 Friends Beach Hotel, a beautiful spot on Lake Victoria where you’ll feel right at home. Enjoy the cosy atmosphere and comfy rooms with a touch of luxury. Meet the Soul Safari Ladies, enjoy African vibes, a gentle breeze and beautiful views of Lake Victoria. Ready for your Soul Safari Retreat! Tugendo! Let’s go!
Day 2 – Thursday 19 September 2024: Evergreen landscapes
We will meet our driver-guide after breakfast who takes us with passion, enthusiasm, pride, humour and unlimited knowledge through the splendour of Uganda. Today we drive to Kibale Forest National Park along breathtaking rolling hills and landscapes that make up the Albertine Western Rift Valley. We pass traditional homesteads and farms with warm locals whose warm smiles are not to be missed, past green tea – coffee and banana plantations and million-year-old crater lakes. We make several (photo) stops to stretch our legs. Kibale Forest is the ultimate chimpanzee chill-out and has a bewildering variety of other primates (no less than 13 different species!) hiding in the lush rainforest, but is also home to multicoloured birds and butterflies. We arrive at Turaco Treetops and settle in for a delicious lunch. An oasis of pure tranquillity in the middle of the jungle, Turaco Treetops is our base for the next two days. We stay in luxurious cottages with an outdoor feeling. Relax on your terrace with panoramic views and see the great blue turaco (a brilliant turquoise-coloured bird that steals the show with its crest on its head) and black-and-white colobus monkeys also enjoying the forest. Apero time by the crackling fireplace and a nice dinner at the restaurant. Keep your eyes and ears peeled, because the monkeys love to visit the lodge! It’s just monkey business!
Day 3 – Friday 20 september 2024: welcome to monkeyland
Wake up and sip your nice hot coffee in your cottage. Get ready for breakfast and for the highlight of Kibale Forest. Long trousers, hiking boots, raincoat and camera ready? Today we are going on a ‘family visit’. Did you know that 94% to 98% of our genes are identical to those of chimps? Almost a quarter of Africa’s chimpanzee population lives in three large troops in Kibale Forest, making it one of the best places to admire them up close. We start our trek with a briefing. A ranger will look for broken branches, food scraps and droppings. With healthy nerves, we set off for an exciting and sensational encounter with the chimps. The jungle sounds create excitement and a certain energy that hangs in the air. The thrill of the unknown, of pure adventure. The chimps are also awake, we can hear this from their loud cries and crazy screams. Look high up in the trees and see the chimps jumping after each other, see them swinging through lianas, searching for nuts and fruit and grooming each other. During the trek, large colourful butterflies dart around you. The wild chimps keep us spellbound for an hour and then it’s time to say goodbye. Besides chimpanzees, black-and-white colobus or fringe monkeys and red-tailed monkeys, baboons and large mammals can also be spotted in this park; such as forest elephants, sitatungas (antelope species) and buffaloes. We return to Turaco Treetops for lunch after an absolutely amazing experience! In the afternoon we explore Bigodi Swamp, a swamp area in Kibale Forest and also a great example of community-based tourism. Locals will show us around, they use the nature around them to improve their lives. Bigodi Swamp is brimming with birds and mighty monkeys. An afternoon of local flavour and warm encounters are also on the program. We visit a traditional healer who tells us stories about spirits, plants, herbs and local medicines. We learn about traditional rural life, clans and ceremonies. We meet the faces behind every shining smile and listen to their walk of life. Along the way, you get the chance to visit the village and school. After a day of adventure and sweaty hikes through the jungle, why not relax by the pool? Find a spot and relax on one of the sun beds with the Rwenzori Mountains (the mythical mountains of the moon) stretching along the horizon in the distance, with patches of snow visible on their peaks. Enjoy the silence and tranquillity that surrounds you. We enjoy dinner after a well-deserved hot shower. The end of a magical day approaches in Uganda’s rainforest.
Day 4 – Saturday 21 September 2024: Soul safaris on the road & in the wild
Our next stop is Uganda’s most famous park, Queen Elizabeth National Park. After breakfast, we load our luggage into the jeep. Let’s hit the road! Along the side of the road, we see beautiful colourful women walking with babies on their backs and bags of grain on their heads. The bumpy dirt roads lead along hundreds of banana trees and stalls painted with the same colourful advertisements each time. “Bye, Bye mzungu, how are you doing?” shouting kids follow our jeep, all the while laughing. We wave like real queens. We stop for a fruit snack and buy sweet bananas or pineapples. Many honking matatu (vans) and boda-bodas (motorbikes) want to overtake us. Every inch of the vehicles seems to be used. A feast for the eyes! Around lunchtime, we arrive at Ishasha Jungle Lodge, a small eco-friendly lodge made with local materials and African art. We sleep in cosy chalets finished with canvas. A tasty lunch is waiting for us beside the river. ‘Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.’ As the afternoon cools down we set off on safari through the beautiful game-rich Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park is super diverse in terms of landscapes. Vast savannahs and acacia forests and sparkling lakes through fertile wetlands. The habitat for graceful giraffes, jolly elephant families, funky zebras, beasty buffalos and the unique Uganda kob (antelope species). Enjoy magnificent birds such as Uganda’s national bird, the grey crowned crane and the prehistoric shoebill. A bird’s paradise with even more than 600 bird species! The smells, the sounds, the calls of the birds; the bush is getting ready for night. We leave the park and find a warm cosy spot around the campfire at Ishasha Jungle Lodge. Savour a fresh UG&T, Uganda Waragi gin and tasty bites. We watch the sun disappear on the horizon, making space for the moon and stars. A delicious dinner awaits us. We discuss tomorrow’s safari plans. Time to go to bed! Sweet safari dreams!
Day 5 – Sunday 22 September 2024: Spectacular safari in Queen
The locals call Queen Elizabeth National Park just ‘Queen’. We dive into Queen again today. Ishasha, the south of the park is known for its tree-climbing lions. The lions climb into large fig trees in the day for a nap in the shade. And we are going to spot these kings of the jungle. Or are the kings of the jungle the gorillas? Decide yourself! The young cubs learn to climb the trees at an early age. They imitate their parents and soon become excellent climbers. In the rest of Africa lions can also climb, it just looks very awkward. They do this only in an emergency situations. The only two places to observe tree climbing lions are Lake Manyara in Tanzania and here in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Why? You’ll find out on this spectacular safari. Spot the big kitty cats in the trees, sometimes dangling clumsily between the branches! Luck must be on our side, because it’s not obvious to admire lions in the trees. They like to camouflage themselves and blend in with nature. Don’t worry, we have plenty of time to track them. The lion population in Ishasha numbers no more than 35 lions and, like so many other unique rare things, is under threat. We learn more about the ranger teams that protect the lions and patrol the park. Afterwards, it’s lunch time in the bush! Our guide finds a nice picnic spot for us and we let all the safari adventures sink in for a while. In the afternoon, we continue our game drive and see what the bush has in store for us. What kind of wondrous wildlife is on your safari bucket list? Perhaps lazy hippos, elusive leopards, sunbathing crocodiles or a bunch of happy pumbas with their wagging tails in the air? We are heading back to Ishasha Jungle Lodge in the late afternoon. We are treated to dramatic skies and a magnificent sunset. After a day of exciting wildlife encounters, we dine under a magnificent starry sky. Nighty night!
Day 6 – Monday 23 september 2024: be prepared to fall in love
Sit back & relax and enjoy the beauty of Uganda during the transfer towards Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Lots of liveliness on the road! We brave bumpy dirt roads, pass small villages and see many cyclists carrying towering matokes (green bananas) on their way to points of sale. Crazy to see, as those bananas can weigh over 100 kg per bike. Picture perfect moments: the combination of the couleur locale, the landscapes and the light. In the early afternoon, we arrive at Chameleon Hill Forest Lodge. Our home-away-from-home for the next 3 nights. This exclusive colourful lodge has breathtaking views over Lake Mutanda with the Virunga volcanoes as a stunning backdrop. Small green islands are like dots in the deep blue water of the lake. The chalets we stay in flaunt each with its own identity and colour scheme, along with handmade furniture that boast a unique Euro-African style. Enjoy a glass of fine wine, fresh UG&T or a delicious smoothie from the most beautiful landscape you will ever see. Heaven on earth! Enjoy your solo time! In the evening, we meet at the cosy fireplace. We enjoy a farm to fork dinner, with fresh and local ingredients from the organic garden. Tantalise your taste buds and enjoy a good night’s sleep because tomorrow… it’s gorilla time!
Day 7 – Tuesday 24 September 2024: Feel one with the gorillas
Waking up early today for a nice hearty breakfast. Packed with water bottles, a lunch and wearing the right clothes and hiking boots, we are ready for the encounter with the mountain gorillas! The emotional mighty majestic highlight of this Soul Safari Retreat! High in the mountains, on the mist-covered slopes of Bwindi’s ‘impenetrable’ tropical rainforest live the wild mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas are one of the world’s most endangered apes. There are about 880 gorillas alive, almost half of which live in Bwindi. When we got ready in the early hours, preparations were already being made in Bwindi. The trackers were already exploring the forest in search of the gorillas. We meet the trackers and rangers at one of the starting points of the Ugandan Wildlife Authority offices. We are assigned a gorilla group and receive a clear briefing with all the do’s & don’ts. A warm recommendation is to ask for a porter to accompany you during the gorilla tracking. The porters are young locals from the surrounding villages who like to earn an income. A steep climb, a slippery descent, clambering over branches or slogging through mud; the porters got your back and your backpack! With a walking stick in your hand and accompanied by professional and experienced rangers and trackers, we set off in search of one of the 19 families. One family is between 8 and 18 gorillas. Plants and bushes are cut down with machetes. After several hours of trekking through the rainforest, we receive the good and redeeming news that we have reached the gorilla family. Catching the first glimpse of a gorilla is indescribable. All your belongings stay with the guides. Bring your phone and camera, just enjoy! The gorillas are ‘habituated’, meaning they are used to seeing humans in their habitat. Stand face to face with a silverback and his family. The gorillas are super relaxed with us, adrenaline is pumping through our bodies. Admire little babies on mummy’s back or watch them play while swinging through the trees. Goosebumps x 1000 and very filled warm hearts. The silverback is macho. He drums his chest to impress us females. Gorillas have an image of being aggressive, but actually they are the hippies of the animal kingdom. They like nothing better than to eat and relax all day. The visit is therefore very relaxed. A dream come true! We are family! We are one of them! Gorillas have 99% the same DNA as humans, along with chimps. We get to spend an hour admiring these crazy creatures and are learning about their daily activities. The gorillas leave an incredible indelible impression. Their gentle nature, the playfulness of the little ones, how close we can observe them, … each Soul Safari Lady will experience the gorilla encounter in her own unique and individual way. We have lunch in the 25000-year-old mysterious rainforest with singing birds and chirping insects all around us. We are purely happy with this bucket list experience. We say goodbye to our trackers, rangers and porters. Like a graduation ceremony, we receive a Gorilla Trekking Certificate with loud applause. Tired but very fulfilled after the intense gorilla tracking, we drive back to the lodge. Time for YOU! Rest & relax, enjoy YOUR time! Book a wonderfully relaxing African spa and get pampered. Enjoy a siesta in your colourful room, read your book on your terrace with a grandiose view or find a cosy spot on the inviting sofas in the lounge. Meet- up for an aperitif by the fireplace where we reminisce about this fantastic day. The world is just perfect!
Day 8 – Wednesday 25 September 2024: Nature bliss & women empowerment
Slow down & appreciate the wonder of life! Today you have the chance to sleep a little bit longer. We take a slow start to the day. After breakfast we put on our hiking boots for a 3-hour guided hike. We are treated to the most impressive views and scenery the Mutanda region has to offer. Enjoy a wholesome picknick lunch with the incredible vistas of the island dotted lake before exploring its safe, cool waters by a traditional wooden canoe. This is the only way to explore the narrow secluded waterways in the wetland areas. Feel like a queen! A local paddles us and we cruise along the shores of the lake in search of beautiful birds. Listen to all the sounds of nature while floating. Then we visit some local women empowerment projects working with widows, orphans and young girls. Do Good Feel Good in Africa! One of the Safari Sophie x Soul Safari Retreats travel essentials. We visit a local community full of tradition and culture. We visit social enterprises and women’s cooperatives. This is real Ugandan life inviting you to take part.
Day 9 – Thursday 26 September 2024: Let’s go wild again
The next day, we continue the Soul Safari Retreat to Lake Mburo National Park. After a final breakfast, we say farewell to Lake Mutanda. With countless memories that we will always cherish in our hearts. We drive past the Kigezi Mountains with its velvet-green mountain ranges and terrace farms. Along the way, we stop regularly to take pictures. In the early afternoon, we arrive at Rwakobo Rock lodge for lunch. Rwakobo sits on a huge granite outcrop, just next to Lake Mburo National Park. We settle into rustic cottages scattered in the wilderness. Lake Mburo is Uganda’s smallest game park and consists of a mosaic of rolling hills, dense forests, open savannah plains, lakes and swamps and offers a surprising diversity of wildlife. Game on! We are wild about safaris! After our late afternoon safari, it’s time for a sundowner on the rock(s). Zebras, warthogs, impalas and bushbucks join in and sip cold water of the waterhole. The sounds of the bush come alive. Sleep well, sleep tight!
Day 10 – Friday 27 September 2024: A safari with a twist & posing at the exact centre of the world
After breakfast we jump on our bikes for a bike safari. How special is this? A unique way to explore further Lake Mburo National Park! Stretch your legs and feel the wind through your hair. We bike for an hour among zebras, giraffes, buffalo, elands, antelopes & many more! This Soul Safari Retreat comes almost to an end! We pack our luggage and hit the road towards Kampala/Entebbe. Did you know that we travelled several times from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere during the Soul Safari Retreat? The special thing about Uganda is that the equator runs right through the country. On our route, we stop at a white concrete ring that mentions ‘Equator’ on it. The perfect spot for a nice tourist snapshot and some souvenir shopping. The locals like to show that the water gurgles in a sink and turns the other way in the different hemispheres. We have lunch at a roadside restaurant. Taste a ‘Rolex’, a Ugandan street food delicacy (comes from ‘roll’ and ‘eggs’) and is a chapati (a pancake) rolled up with fried egg, tomato, cabbage and peppers inside. The Rolex is served in an old newspaper. Feed your eyes and enjoy the chaos and bustle of the streets. We arrive in Kampala in the late afternoon for a farewell lunch at Italian restaurant Mediterraneo, a very cosy Soul Safari Spot. We look back over dinner with warm feelings on the Soul Safari Retreat. Each experience has given us a deeper insight into this wonderful country. Chimpanzees, tree-climbing lions and gorillas, check! What stays with us forever are the lovely, friendly and proud people who understand the essence of life, for whom family and community come first, living day-to-day even if there are setbacks. Uganda, you are a pearl!
trip details
INCLUSIVE
9 nights in a shared double room with twin beds.
Safari Sophie believes that sharing a room works out perfectly and creates extra friendship. Nice guidelines can be read in the Info Pack Uganda which you will receive 1.5 month before departure.
1 night in 2 Friends Beach Hotel in Entebbe
2 nights in Tucaro Treetops near Kibale Forest National Park
2 nights in Ishasha Jungle Lodge near Queen Elizabeth National Park
3 nights in Chameleon Hill Forest Lodge in Kisoro near Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
1 night in Rwakobo Rock near Lake Mburo National Park
Arrival and departure transfers
9 breakfasts, 9 lunches and 9 dinners
Activities as described
Chimp trek, including chimp permit valued at 200 USD;
Bigodi Nature Walk & Community Visit;
Afternoon & full day game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park;
Gorilla trek, including gorilla permit valued at 700 USD;
Nature walk & traditional canoe boating and sightseeing experience;
Visiting women empowerment projects around Lake Mutanda;
Afternoon game drive in Lake Mburo National Park;
Morning bike safari in Lake Muburo National Park;
Stop at Equator sign
All park fees & conservation fees
Local English-speaking guide throughout the trip, who will be happy to share his knowledge & passion with you. We will experience a fantastic carefree Soul Safari Retreat in the comfort of our group and the expertise of our guide. I am working with Uganda Adventure Safaris, which is one of Uganda’s established and reliable tour operators offering wonderful travel experiences.
The transfers and game drives will be done in a safari jeep
Unlimited water in the jeep
Comprehensive info pack 1.5 month before departure including background information on Uganda, tips & tricks, interesting facts and a detailed packing list
Whatsapp group to keep in touch & to get assistance before, during and after the Soul Safari Retreat
E-meet up, digital meeting 1 month before departure to get to know the Soul Safari Ladies + pre departure meeting
Safari Sophie als your hostess, Africa lover & enthusiast before, during and after the Soul Safari Retreat
Printed travel itinerary & program upon arrival in Entebbe
Safari Sophie’s Do-Good Goodie Bag, made & filled with local love from conscious brands
EXCLUSIve
International flights to and from Entebbe
Travel documents: international travel passport + e-visa
Insurances: cancellation, medical and travel assistance insurance (medical & travel assistance insurance required!)
Medications, and/or vaccinations (please contact your GP for suitable advice)
All warm & cold drinks: coffee, tea, waters, soft & alcoholic drink (except welcome drinks & drinks during breakfast)
Souvenirs
Personal expenses
Porter service during gorilla tracking (30 USD payable on the spot)
Tips for driver, guides and porter (at your discretion)
Optional activities
Services not mentioned in the program
Important to note down: Travelling to and in Africa requires a flexible attitude and an open mind. The travel program, the choice of accommodations and the activities have been composed as detailed as possible, but can be changed before the start or on location, depending on the situation and availability.
PAYMENT DETAILS & CONDITIONS
€ 4915 per person, based on 4 Soul Safari Ladies
€ 4655 per person, based on 5 Soul Safari Ladies
€ 4475 per person, based on 6 Soul Safari Ladies
30% deposit to secure your spot
Remaining balance is due 6 weeks before departure
I W A N T T O J O I N,
W H A T ’ S N E X T ?
Call or whatsapp Safari Sophie on 0032 486 39 95 91 or press below to send an email. So we can set up a discovery call.
Why do I prefer this? I like to get an idea of who will be joining me on the Soul Safari Retreat. We will have a nice chat to check if I meet your travel wishes. We discuss if the Soul Safari Retreat is the right experience for you. I will answer all possible questions & we go through the trip details. I love to chat!
I will assist you with pleasure to book your flight ticket and travel insurance (if you live in Europe).
If you are truly satisfied, happy to join the Soul Safari Retreat and are saying ‘Yes Africa, here I come’; I will send you a travel agreement for you to sign, together with the deposit invoice and payment instructions.
I will add you to the Soul Safari Retreat whatsapp group to keep in touch and to exchange info.
Spots are limited (only 6 spots available) and will be filled on a first-come first-serve basis.
I will organise 1 month before departure a digital meet up with our group to get to know the Soul Safari Ladies and to go profoundly to all the trip details and travel requirements. We end with a Q&A. I am more than happy to assist by answering all your questions. You will be fully informed so you can travel without worries. Safari Sophie always at your service!