05.09.2018 | ENTEBBE, KIBALe FOREST Nationalpark
After breakfast, my guide await me for the next few days. Francis is ready with the Landcruiser and we start towards Kibale Forest. Green is the color of the country - we leave plantations and small towns behind us and arrive at Kibale Forest Camp in the late afternoon with a quick stop at Fort Portal. After a short excursion into the surrounding area and the first little monkeys in the trees, I go to bed early to sleep well for morning. The Kibale Forest Camp is a small, very comfortable, African-style tent camp nestled in the tropical forest of the Kibale Forest. The camp is the perfect starting point for chimpanzee tracking. The 766 square kilometer National Park is located in western Uganda. Established in 1993, the park is a mountain and rainforest system with enclosed marsh and grassland areas, directly connected to the savenny areas of Queen Elizabeth National Park in the south. The forest has one of the highest primate densities in the world and contains the most primate species in Uganda. The biggest attraction of the area are the (habituated) chimpanzee groups accustomed by researchers to humans.
06.09.2018 | KIBALE FOREST - THE CHIMPS and monkeys in the swamp
With today's chimpanzee tracking, I will have the opportunity to meet these nimble animals in the wild and watch them play, eat and take care of each other. At the park entrance I meet the ranger, who takes me into the realm of the chimpanzees. The rules for tracking are explained quickly and the hike through the rainforest begins. Here live about 1500 chimpanzees. They are free-living animals that move according to their own rules in the forest. A sure and clear sign of a close-knit chimpanzee group is the unmistakable shrill screams echoing through the forest.
In the afternoon, I hike to the sprawling Bigodi wetland, where native-style wooden walkways and paths lead to other primates, colorful butterflies and tropical birds.
07.09.2018 | QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK - On the banks of mweya lodge
Today the journey continues via the Equator Line to Queen Elizabeth National Park. In the varied landscape with an open savannah, wetlands, tropical wet forests, rivers and lakes, I undertake a first game drive in the afternoon to track down elephants, buffalos, topos, giant forest hogs, lions and leopards. During my game drive I always get beautiful views of the Ruwenzori Mountains in the distance.
Mweya Lodge is located on a peninsula in the middle of Queen Elizabeth National Park. From my room, I have a breathtaking view of the shores of Kazinga Channel and Lake Edward.
08.09.2018 | BOAT trip KAzinga channel - lions in the tree ishasha
The morning starts with a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel to observe numerous waterfowl as well as hippos and many other wildlife on the shore. The trip takes about 2 hours. Then it goes on to the south of the national park, in the Ishasha region. Here I will go to Game Drive in search of the tree climbing lion. It is the fig trees of the region that lions like to climb. The strong, spreading branches are ideal for a lunch break of the beautiful big cats. On the other hand, they also offer the wonderful opportunity to keep an eye on the environment.
I stay at the Ishasha Jungle Camp, which is just outside the park.
09.09.2018 | Bwindi Impenetrable national park
Today we continue to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. In the afternoon we reach the Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge at an altitude of 2.160m with a beautiful view of the Virunga volcanoes in neighboring Rwanda.
Bwindi National Park protects one of the largest contiguous forest areas in East Africa and includes both mountain and lowland forest. Here live about 400 of the last 1000 mountain gorillas, whose groups are each led by a silverback. The home of the silverback spans from 1,100m to 2,600m up steep, green slopes. Rivers meander through the fairytale forest and everywhere you can hear the voices of the rainforest. Only thirteen of the gorilla families living in the park are habituiert, twelve of them can be visited in a tracking. The gorillas live free, so gorilla tracking relies on trackers who know the animals' tracks, terrain, and sounds better than anyone else.
Tomorrow I will be in the woods early in the morning looking for the last mountain gorillas.
10.09.2018 | bwindi impenetrable national park - mountain gorillas
With local rangers and trackers in the early morning is finally one of the highlights of my trip. The number of visits to the mountain gorillas is strictly limited to groups of 8 people each and the visit time is limited to 1 hour. This is important so that the animals are not exposed to excessive stress. After a long march of about 4 hours we meet the Nkuringo family.
This group is an example of purposeful and sustainable conservation. Primarily, this group was habituated because they regularly plundered the fields and plantations of the surrounding villages. After the death of the silverback Nkuringo in 2008, power struggles between the silverback descendants Safari and Rafiki had been expected, but without too much resistance, Safari took the lead. The tracking to this group is considered the most strenuous in Uganda, but the path leads through the spectacular landscapes in the south of Bwindi. The way back is steep and not all group members make the way back without the summoned helpers and porters.
After 7 hours and an hour with the gorillas, I returned home alone and on my own. In the evening I sit in front of the fireplace and tell about one of the most impressive encounters that I will have in my life.
11.09.2018 - 12.09.2018 | RWANDA - Volcanoes National park, silverback lodge
I stay at the Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge at an altitude of about 2,500m. Everything is fantastic here - there is no better place for the end of my journey. Here I also meet Dave Richards - an experienced photographer and guide with exciting stories by the fireplace.
The next day we will be tracking early - we will visit the Ntambara group, consisting of a silverback and 12 more gorillas. The march is not nearly as exhausting as the one in Bwindi. After about 2 hours of easy climb we meet the group. The silverback plays with a small one and we are allowed to watch family life for one hour.
13.09.2018 | RWANDA - Volcanoes National park, silverback lodge
In the early morning hours, I head back towards the Virunga volcanoes for a short walk to find the Golden Monkeys. After a short time we meet the little journeymen in the middle of a bamboo forest. One last little adventure before heading for Kigali and the airport.
