UgandaMay 21 – June 2, 2020

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Photos: (Cover) Silverback Gorilla, Hippo with Baby, Red-tailed Monkey

Straddling the Equator in the heart of Africa, Uganda is a land

without equal. From the source of the Nile on Lake Victoria’s

papyrus-choked shores to the snow-capped Rwenzoris, the

game-thronged grasslands flanking Murchison Falls to the

legendary Mountain Gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda

is a country of astonishing contrasts. In a continent long renowned

for its wildlife, Uganda alone combines the intoxicating abundance

of classic, thorn-studded savannas with the biological wonders of

the primate-rich Congolese rainforests. Join Apex Expeditions on this

comprehensive survey of Uganda and discover for yourself why

Winston Churchill described the country as “The Pearl of Africa”!

Expedition Over view

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Thursday, May 21: Entebbe On arrival in Entebbe, you will be met and transferred to the Protea Hotel, on the shores of Lake Victoria. This evening, gather with your fellow travelers and Apex Expedition leader for a welcome briefing and dinner. Overnight at the Protea Hotel.

Friday, May 22: Entebbe After breakfast, meet for a walk through the nearby botanical gardens. After lunch at the hotel, depart on an afternoon exploration of the shores of Lake Victoria, your first opportunity to encounter such charismatic primates as Guereza Colobus and Tantalus Monkey, alongside immense Black-and-white-casqued Hornbills, glamorous Great Blue Turacos, and a wide array of waterbirds. Dinner and overnight at the Protea Hotel.

Saturday, May 23: Entebbe / Murchison Falls National Park This morning, transfer back to Entebbe Airport for your charter flight west across Uganda to Murchison Falls National Park. Uganda’s largest national park—a scenic wonderland of rolling palm-studded grasslands, Acacia woodland, Papyrus swamps, and the meandering Victoria Nile—is home to some of the most impressive concentrations of animals in all of Uganda. You have three full days to enjoy the magnificent scenery and bountiful wildlife of this unique area.

Approaching the Western, or Albertine, Rift by air, you’ll gain a unique perspective of the spectacle that is Murchison Falls, the mighty Victoria Nile squeezed through a mere 22-foot-wide chasm to cascade nearly 120 feet to the rocks below. Transfer by private vehicle to Baker’s Lodge for lunch before embarking on one of the world’s great wildlife-watching cruises. En route to the falls, you encounter a plethora of waterbirds, enormous Nile Crocodiles, grazing African Elephants, and one of the highest concentrations of Hippopotamus in Africa. Eventually, you reach the base

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Photos: Nile Crocodile, Shoebill, Murchison Falls

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of Murchison Falls, with wonderful photographic opportunities, before returning downstream as the sun sets over the Nile. Meals and overnight at Baker’s Lodge.

Sunday & Monday, May 24 & 25: Murchison Falls National Park Highlights of your stay are game-viewing cruises on the Nile. Head downstream on a game-viewing cruise to the delta on Lake Albert. Keep binoculars and cameras at the ready for Hippopotamus and Nile Crocodiles, with Defassa Waterbucks and elephants in close attendance. Birders will thrill to the species that live in this region: Grey Crowned Cranes, Goliath Herons, Red-throated Bee-eaters, and possibly even Shoebills. Continue your exploration of the park by safari vehicle in search of the elegant Rothschild Giraffe and Lake Chad Buffalo. Smaller herbivores such as Lelwel Hartebeest, Ugandan Kob, and Nile Oribi are plentiful, and support a healthy population of Lions. With luck, encounter bands of terrestrial Patas Monkeys, a primate restricted to the arid savannas of the Sahel. Dinners and overnights at Baker’s Lodge.

Tuesday, May 26: Kibale National Park After your final morning in Murchison Falls National Park, depart for your private charter flight over a patchwork of colorful villages and agricultural lands. Land at Kasese in the foothills of the looming Rwenzoris, or “Mountains of the Moon”, and then drive to the beautiful Ndali Lodge, with stunning mountain views. Overnight at Ndali Lodge, ideally situated for activities in Kibale National Park.

Wednesday, May 27: Kibale National Park Spend a full day in Kibale National Park, one of Africa’s most celebrated forests for primates. Home to several large communities of Chimpanzees, many of Kibale’s primates are well studied and accustomed to human observers. The reserve is accessed by a series of well-marked and maintained trails and walking is relatively easy. Typically, chimpanzees live in large communities and are best located by their characteristic pant-hooting calls as they execute their nomadic treks along forest pathways or forage for fruit in the canopy above. Although they feed primarily on figs and other fruits, they also occasionally hunt other forest animals. At these times, the Chimpanzees use their extraordinary social and communicative skills to band together and rush through the forest to capture ground dwellers such as bushpigs and duikers. Although Chimpanzees are the main focus, you will also spend time viewing other wildlife species which inhabit this diverse forest reserve. Those commonly encountered include Grey-cheeked Mangabeys, Red-tailed and Tantalus Monkeys, and both Ashy Red and Guereza Colobus Monkeys. Enjoy dinner and overnight at Ndali Lodge, with panoramic vistas of the Ndali crater and the fabled Rwenzori Mountains.

Thursday, May 28: Queen Elizabeth National Park After an early breakfast, head for Queen Elizabeth National Park. The drive takes you once again to the western corridor of Africa’s Rift Valley. Arrive at Mweya Safari Lodge, situated on a bluff overlooking the Kazinga Channel and Lake Edward, in time for lunch. This afternoon, set out on a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel. This narrow ribbon of water teems with huge herds of Hippos—the largest concentration in the world—and buffalo, and connects Lake Edward with smaller Lake George. Birds here are both numerous and spectacular, including multiple species of eagle, stork, waterfowl, kingfisher, and bee-eater. Regarded by some as one of Africa’s best birding locations, more than 560 bird species have been recorded. Dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge.

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Photos: African Savanna Elephant, Lake Chad Buffalo, Chimpanzee, Malachite Kingfisher

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Friday, May 29: Queen Elizabeth National Park An early start provides a full day to explore Queen Elizabeth National Park. The focus is the southerly Ishasha sector of the park and its population of tree-climbing Lions as well as myriad other wildlife, including Uganda Topi, Giant Forest Hogs, and even Leopards. Dinner and overnight at Ishasha Wilderness Camp.

Saturday, May 30: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest After a final exploration around Ishasha, set out for the world famous Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The drive through the Ugandan countryside winds through rolling hills, cultivated lands, and villages that make for excellent photographic opportunities along the way.

Arrive at the permanent luxury-tented Gorilla Forest Camp, set on the edge of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a World Heritage Site and one of the most biologically diverse areas on the planet. Later this evening you’ll have a briefing on gorilla-watching etiquette followed by dinner and overnight.

Sunday & Monday, May 31 & June 1: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Spend two days tracking Mountain Gorillas. Under the supervision of trained local guides, you’ll head out each day to the site where the gorillas were seen the previous day and then begin your search. Once the gorillas are located, you make your approach and sit quietly by them, watching and observing, with ample time for photography, or to simply enjoy this extraordinary experience. The moment of looking into the soft brown eyes of a gorilla, to marvel at its size and gentle countenance, as you introduce yourself to the family group, is truly unforgettable.

Other activities at Bwindi include forest trekking for the lesser primates, Blue and L’Hoest’s Monkeys. There are also opportunities to look for the many bird species that make this montane forest their home. Dinners and overnights at Gorilla Forest Camp.

Tuesday, June 2: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest / Entebbe After breakfast, board your charter aircraft for the short flight to Entebbe, then return to the Protea Hotel, where day-use rooms have been booked. Enjoy a final dinner at the hotel before you transfer to the airport for your independent late-night flight homeward.

Photos: Tree-climbing Lion, Ugandan Kob, Baby Gorilla, L’Hoest’s Monkey

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A – Entebbe

B – Murchison Falls

C – K ibale National Park

D – Mweya Safari Lodge

E – Ishasha Wilderness Camp

F – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

By Air By Road

Expedition Map – Uganda

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Marco TonoliMarco organised his first expedition into the Drakensburg Mountains at the age of 13 for a group of friends, which ultimately led to an unquestionable love of exploring and sharing the natural world. As soon as he was of legal age, he was on the first plane out of his home country, South Africa, to discover the cultures and environments of the Middle East, Far East and Europe. This love of the world’s wilderness areas and the people within it, led him to pursue what turned out to be an adventurous 16-year career as a naturalist guide throughout Southern and East Africa.

His love of ethology and species adaptations, and their survival in harsh and extreme habitats took him to the Kalahari Desert, where he led and trained a team of specialist guides, as well as lived and worked closely with the region’s best trackers. In due course he developed a passion for the art and science of tracking, conducting desert Black Rhino walking safaris for the next four years.

Marco took a small break from guiding to study wildlife filmmaking and photography in the pursuit of documenting the natural world, which has allowed him opportunities to work on productions by National Geographic and Discovery Channel, as well as having images appear in notable natural history publications throughout the world.

Liam Rainier*Liam Rainier grew up in a family that took every chance to explore nature and get away from the bustling city of Pretoria where he grew up. His love for nature was instilled in him by his father’s same adoration, a continuous exposure to all types of wilderness. “It’s about something more than just what you see with your eyes—you have to feel and smell it. When you’re alone and in nature you are forced to use all your senses, not because you have the choice—it just happens.”

Liam has spent the last decade in the Lowveld guiding from vehicle and from foot, he loves nothing more than to share his passion and enthusiasm for the animals and their behavior. His excitement and pure joy of witnessing a sighting, big or small, is contagious.

Liam has a deep love for walking in any natural environment, whether it be tracking a leopard in the bushveld, trailing a breeding herd of elephants without them knowing you’re there, or listening to the bird calls in a forest canopy—there is just nothing that tickles the senses more.

* Liam will join as the second expedition leader with 8 or more participants.

Your Expedition Leaders

“Marco is simply one of the most knowledgeable guides I’ve ever come across, and I’ve come across quite a few! I highly recommend Marco to anyone wanting guiding of the highest caliber.” – Alex W., United Kingdom

“Liam’s knowledge and passion was incredibly infectious and made each drive even more memorable—he even gave us helpful photography tips! We really can’t express how impressed we were with him.” – Daniel & Sarah J., United Kingdom

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Uganda May 21 – June 2, 2020$16,970 Per Person Rate

$18,680 Solo Rate

13 Days Trip Length

14 Guests Group Size

Entebbe / Entebbe Start/End

Expedition Details

IncludedApex Expeditions’ rates include all accommodations; all meals, activities and excursions as described in the itinerary;

chartered flights from Entebbe to Murchison Falls, Murchison Falls to Kasese, and Bwindi to Entebbe, as noted in the

itinerary; services of one Apex Expeditions leader per seven guests and local guides throughout the itinerary; two-day

Gorilla tracking permits; Chimpanzee tracking permit; local beer & wines at lunch & dinner; all gratuities; airport

transfers; permits and entrance fees; all taxes.

Not IncludedCosts not included in the price of your Apex expedition include travel to and from the start and end point of trip;

premium brand drinks and liquor; travel protection (Trip Cancellation and Interruption, as well as Emergency Medical

and Evacuation insurance, are highly recommended); airport departure taxes; equipment rental; excess baggage fees;

passport and/or visa fees; items of a personal nature (phone calls, laundry, souvenirs, etc.); and independent travel

arrangements pre- or post-trip.

Payments & Terms20% of the trip cost will confirm your place on the expedition. The final balance is due 150 days prior to departure.

All prices are quoted in U.S. dollars and must be paid in U.S. dollars. Per person pricing is based on double occupancy.

The solo rate is paid by participants who specifically request single accommodations and is subject to availability.

If you are traveling alone and wish to share accommodations, we will try to match you with a roommate of the same

gender. However, if a roommate is not available, the published solo rate will be charged. Upon confirming your

reservation you will be required to pay the published Solo Rate, if we are able to pair you with a roommate, the

applicable difference will be refunded at the time that the final trip payment is due for all participants. Please note that

solo accommodations are limited and cannot always be guaranteed throughout. For our full set of Terms & Conditions,

please visit our web site at www.apex-expeditions.com/about/terms-conditions/

One-of-a-kind adventures to the world’s most fascinating places. Join us.

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Uganda May 21 – June 2, 2020

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