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Community and Conservation Safari in Uganda

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Support vital community and conservation projects in Uganda

Newly launched in 2024, this 7-day Great Ape Conservation Safari takes you to Kyambura Gorge and Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. Combining exceptional wildlife viewing with the opportunity to participate in vital conservation projects and meet the people who work to protect the great apes, this safari gives you behind-the-scenes access to conservation and community projects run by Volcanoes Safaris Partnership Trust. Spend three nights each at Kyambura Gorge Lodge and Mount Gahinga Lodge and explore the wonderful changing landscapes and exceptional biodiversity of the Albertine Rift. Enjoy early morning walking safaris through the rolling savannah and Kyambura Gorge, a magical sunken rainforest, to search for the ‘Lost Chimps of Kyambura’. Join the Kyambura Lion Monitoring Team as they identify large carnivores as part of an annual census and participate in the Kyambura Ecotourism Project, a series of initiatives in partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute which aims to protect a small isolated group of chimpanzees and the fragile gorge ecosystem in which they live. At Mount Gahinga Lodge, visit the Batwa Village and learn about the ancient culture or one of the oldest surviving indigenous people in the Central African Region. Trek to see the playful golden monkeys and end your safari with a trek to the enchanting Nyakagezi mountain gorilla family, the only gorilla group in Mgahinga Park and famous for its high number of silverbacks. Rates from $11,880 per person for this 7-day all-inclusive safari, including a tax deductible donation of $3,000 per person, used to fund the Gahinga Batwa Village and the Kyambura Gorge Ecotourism Project.

Highlights

$3,000 per person tax-deductible contribution which supports the Gahinga Batwa Village and Kyambura Ecotourism Project

Walking safaris at Kyambura to search for the 'Lost Chimps of Kyambura Gorge'

Join the Kyambura Lion Monitoring Team as they conduct a carnivore census

Go birding in the Kyambura Wetlands and plan a tree seedling in the wildlife buffer zone

Enjoy exceptional wildlife sightings over sundowners on the Kazinga Channel boat cruise

Learn about the Kyambura camera trap research project

Trek mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in Mgahinga National Park

Visit the Gahinga Batwa Village and learn about their ancient culture and traditions

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Safari Activities & Wildlife

Gorilla Trekking

Trekking mountain gorillas through the dense African forests is a magical experience. Only eight visitors are allowed per gorilla group each day, and to minimize possible transmission of human diseases, visitors are asked to maintain a distance of 10m from the gorillas. Typically, tracking can take from 3 to 8 hours and requires some agility and fitness; however, all fitness levels can be accommodated and no one should feel deterred from missing this once in a lifetime experience.

Chimpanzee Trekking in the Kyambura Gorge

Trekking chimpanzees in their natural habitat, as they swing from the branches in the canopy high above the forest floor is nothing short of exhilarating. The chimps effortlessly cross and scamper through the trees above the gorge, and visitors on the other hand must cross the river using natural bridges in order to keep up with the chimps. So although the walk usually lasts only 2–3 hours, descending the steep gorge and crossing the log bridges over the river requires some agility and fitness.

Chimpanzee trekking is also available in nearby Kalinzu, a forest reserve 30 minutes drive from Kyambura Gorge Lodge where there is a community of about 40 habituated chimpanzees.

Golden Monkey Tracking

With only a small number remaining in the world, the Golden Monkey can be found in the foothills of the volcanic mountains of Mgahinga National Park in Uganda and in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. Characterized by its bright golden body, cheeks and tail, with contrasting black limbs, crown and tail end, these playful primates are a pleasure to watch. Whether you choose to do this on the Rwandan or Ugandan side, the walk will take you from the bamboo stands and forested gorge on the lower levels of the volcanoes, to the elevated heath and moorland higher up.

Kyambura Gorge Buffer Walk

The VSPT has worked on purchasing the 3km long buffer along the northern part of the Gorge since 2009. With the purchase completed at the end of 2018 and following the Kyambura Eco-Tourism Project launch event in February 2019, a 3-hour guided walk has been developed and is offered to guests to showcase the buffer created by the project, the scenic views over the Gorge, the Park and Kyambura reserve, and the chance to experience the local homesteads.

With the help of the community and of Volcanoes guests, approximately 3000 indigenous trees have been planted in the Kyambura Buffer area.

A guided 3 hour walk through the buffer area is available to lodge guests.

Community Coffee Tour

See the transformation of coffee beans into delicious Ugandan coffee - all done by hand, by local community members - and even get to sample the finished product for yourself. At the end of the tour guests are given the opportunity to purchase some of the cooperative’s coffee, which makes a great souvenir and supports the local community.

Hike the Kisozi Caldera

Located less than a kilometer from Mount Gahinga Lodge, the Kisozi Caldera is an easy to moderate hike to the top of a small hill where the caldera sweeps from corner to corner. A caldera is formed by volcanic eruptions, and many dot the stunning landscape of this volcanic region.

Lion Monitoring in Queen Elizabeth

This activity provides a unique opportunity to take part in the lion monitoring project. You can collect survey data while on game drives in the Queen Elizabeth National Park and then submit it to the Kyambura Lion Monitoring Team. During the activity, you will record the GPS of the safari car and take specific identification photos of the lions you spot on your game drive. The data collected will support the protection of Uganda's carnivore populations and will be used to build on the research and previous surveys conducted by the lion monitoring team. Learn more here

Conservation and Community

Tea Processing

In 2013 the VSPT began simple tea processing in partnership with the local communities, at the Volcanoes Safaris Bwindi Lodge, which is located at the edge of the primordial Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, World Heritage Site and home to the famous Mountain Gorilla, in South West Uganda.

Tea has proven to be a very useful buffer crop when planted between forest areas with protected wildlife, and local human communities. Animals do not eat tea so feel no need to come out of the forest to “crop raid” which is the source of much human-wildlife conflict in areas around National Parks.

A tea tour is available to interested Volcanoes Safaris guests, demonstrating how tea is grown, picked and traditionally processed in Uganda. The tour also shows how ‘black’, ‘green’ and ‘white’ teas are produced and differentiated. Guests are invited to sample the fine teas at the end of the tour whilst looking out over the impressive forest.

Beekeeping

In 2013 the VSPT started a new project of keeping bees at the Volcanoes Safaris Virunga Lodge in Rwanda. This was adapted from the project already in place in Kyambura, which has proved incredibly successful in providing honey and reducing human-wildlife conflict. The VSPT has allocated a plot of land near the lodge where 11 colonized beehives are located. Interested guests staying at the lodge are able to take a tour of the hives to see how the honey is grown and harvested. Five local beekeepers participate in this project and each has contributed one traditional beehive with a bee colony.

Kyambura Football Pitch

Opened in November 2010, the playground was built by members of the community on land purchased by the VSPT located near the Kyambura Gorge Lodge and Queen Elizabeth National Park. The playground provides a safe environment for local children to play and a focal point for the local community.

The area is used for football, netball and the local Kyenzaza Primary School’s fitness lessons. By supporting the local community, the VSPT seeks to encourage conservation of chimpanzees and other local wildlife. In March 2012, the VSPT sponsored uniforms for the Kyenzaza Men’s and Women’s Football Teams and Kyenzaza Primary School’s boys’ team. In return for these uniforms, the teams are being trained how to maintain the ground on their own.

The area is used for football, netball and the local Kyenzaza Primary School’s fitness lessons. By supporting the local community, the VSPT seeks to encourage conservation of chimpanzees and other local wildlife. The VSPT sponsored uniforms for the Kyenzaza Men’s and Women’s Football Teams and Kyenzaza Primary School’s boys’ team. In return for these uniforms, the teams are being trained how to maintain the ground on their own.

Kyambura Women’s Coffee Cooperative

The Kyambura Women’s Coffee Cooperative is a community-based initiative designed to provide vocational training to women and an alternative and sustainable source of income. Twenty local women and their families are actively involved in the cooperative, many of whom are HIV positive and widowed. They tend to over 2,500 Arabica and Robusta coffee plants in 100 acres of rejuvenated land, and process the coffee by hand at a communal processing plant. Members of the cooperative commit to growing the coffee organically, without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers.

The coffee is sold to Volcanoes Safaris and served in all of our luxury lodges. The coffee demonstrations are popular with lodge guests who can see how African coffees are harvested and processed before sampling the ‘best cup of coffee in Uganda’.

The coffee plantation also acts as a wildlife buffer zone between the protected area of the gorge and local farmlands, helping to reduce human/wildlife conflict.

To support this project please click on the ‘donate’ button below.

$500 will provide 500 additional coffee seedlings to help grow the project.

$1,000 will provide materials and financial support to the ladies group for three months.

Kyambura Gorge Buffer

In 2024 we are aiming to increase the size of the buffer zone by twenty acres with an estimated cost of $160,000.

A contribution of $10,000 will purchase additional land for the Kyambura Buffer zone, contributing to the protection of wildlife and the communities in this area.

To make a larger contribution to this project please email Esme Stewart, VSPT Project Supervisor at [email protected]

Lodges

Mount Gahinga Lodge

Kyambura Gorge Lodge

Safari Guides

Francis Kiwanuka

Head Guide, Uganda

Petrus Kiweewa

Guide, Uganda

Newsweek

Future of Travel Awards

2021

Afar Magazine

Travel Vanguard

2022

Condé Nast Traveler

Readers' Choice Awards

2022 - 2023

Newsweek

Future of Travel Awards

2021

Afar Magazine

Travel Vanguard

2022

Condé Nast Traveler

Readers' Choice Awards

2022 - 2023

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7 Day Great Ape Conservation Safari in Uganda Rates

High Season Safari Rates 2024	Per Person Sharing	Single Traveler Supplement
7 day Community and Conservation Safari in Uganda	$ 14675	$ 3025

High season rates are applicable on bookings from 1st June to 30th September and 15th December to 28th February. Rates are based on a minimum of 2 people.

Low Season Safari Rates 2024	Per Person Sharing	Single Traveler Supplement
7 day Community and Conservation Safari in Uganda	$ 11880	$ 1595

Low season rates are applicable from 1st October to 14th December and 1st March to 31st May. Rates are based on a minimum of 2 people.

High Season Safari Rates 2025	Per Person Sharing	Single Traveler Supplement
7 day Community and Conservation Safari in Uganda	$ 15305	$ 3125