This gorilla safari takes you to Bwindi Forest National Park and then after to Jinja at the source of river Nile. Bwindi alone is home to over half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Finding these beasts in the dense forest is no easy task, and gorilla treks here can last 7 hours or more.
Get up early and head to the park headquarters for briefing. Walk on the wild side and visit Uganda for a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with one of the rarest animals on Earth. Half of the world’s mountain gorillas are found in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. This dense rain forest is a World Heritage site with awe-inspiring biodiversity that lies in the southwest of Uganda. Dotted by forests and lakes and dominated by the dramatic Virunga Mountain range, just 350 mountain gorillas live and play among the mossy undergrowth of the forest floor.
Uganda offers the intrepid traveler a chance to enjoy a more adventurous level of safari. Boasting over 1000 species of birds, and wildlife not found anywhere else, it is the original Eden. Rub shoulders with mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
Only eight visitors are allowed to go gorilla trekking in each gorilla family every day and our expert guides will explain the etiquette involved in meeting a giant silver back. After all this, head to Jinja and find out more about white water rafting.
The source of the Nile is one of the most spectacular white-water rafting destinations in the world and for many visitors to Uganda a rafting trip is the highlight of their visit. Here you can expect long, rollicking strings of Grade 5 and Grade 5 rapids, with plenty of thrills and spills.
Despite the intensity of some rapids, most people who venture here are first-time rafters; it’s the perfect opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and try something different.
The white-water rafting is done in paddle‐rafts, each person joins as a member of a team and a professional guide captains the team. Paddlers are instructed comprehensively on how best to enjoy themselves on the water and on all aspects of safety including the use of safety kayaks which accompany every raft trip on the water.
The highly-trained safety kayakers are world-class paddlers who adeptly pilot their kayaks through the rapid ahead of the raft. When the rafts flip upside down or people are washed overboard, they are nearby to provide assistance in getting people back to their boats.
The trip on the water begins slowly and the first few kilometres give the raft guides an opportunity to train their crews fully on all aspects of Nile rafting. The river becomes much more adventurous at Bujagali Falls and one major rapid follow swiftly after another for most of the morning.
Once the rafts enter Wild waters Reserve (protects the unique flora and fauna of the mid‐stream islands of the Nile), there is more time between the rough water but the rapids become larger and more spectacular.
Take a family rafting trip, wonderful river journey for the whole family. Instead of choosing the biggest and wildest rapids, these rafts instead drift swiftly between the beautiful forested islands, bounce down smaller rapids and explore the many different channels of the river.
Spend a night on the ‘Hairy Lemon’ a beautiful secluded island right on Nile. The next morning the adults have a chance to river surf at ‘Nile Special’ the infamous surf wave found near to the Hairy Lemon. The lightweight boogie boards will allow provide an incredible thrill on the waves of the Nile.
