Combining gorilla trekking with tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha region of Queen Elizabeth National Park

Combining gorilla trekking with tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha region of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Gorilla trekking and tree-climbing lions in Ishasha take you through some of the best national parks in the country, with trekking mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and then watching the tree-climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Ishasha Sector lies between Queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, making it easy for tourists to have a combined gorilla trekking and tree climbing safari. Many tourists who go gorilla trekking in either the Buhoma or Rushaga sector usually choose to go through the Ishasha sector either from or to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

An itinerary for the combined safari

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe and transfer to the Queen Elizabeth National Park

Upon arrival at the Entebbe International Airport, you will be met with a trained and experienced driver guide who will welcome and brief you about the entire safari before transferring to Queen Elizabeth National Park or the hotel where you will be briefed, have dinner and overnight stay. The drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park takes about 6 to 7 hours with a stopover at the Equator monument at Kayabwe and lunch in Mbarara.

Day 2: Morning drive in Kasenyi and boat cruise

After breakfast on day 2, we embark on an early morning drive through Kasenyi, where you get to meet the big four, which include lions, leopards, buffaloes and elephants, the different animal species and bird species, among others. The drive takes about 2 hours before heading back to the hotel for lunch. After lunch, we embark on a 2-hour boat ride along the Kazinga Channel, which is a link between Lake George and Lake Edward and stretches to about 36km. A boat ride is one of the best ways to watch the different wildlife species in the national park. We then get back to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 3: The Tree-climbing Lions of Ishasha and Bwindi Transfer

On day 3, after breakfast, we transfer to the Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth National Park, where the tree-climbing lions are found lazing in the trees. During the game drive in Ishasha, you get to meet the amazing tree-climbing lions as they are up in the Fig tree branches, you get to take photos and record videos of the lions and this is also the perfect chance to see other wildlife species especially the antelopes and other prey which is food for the lions.

After spending quality time with the lions and lunch, we proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for the gorilla trekking safari. You will be driven to the lodge/hotel for dinner and overnight stay as you prepare for the tracking of the mountain gorillas the next day.

Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi

Gorilla trekking is the highlight of the day and starts early morning with a briefing about what to expect during the trek and the rules to follow. After the briefing and assignment of the gorilla families, you will set out with an experienced guide to trek through the forests in search of the mountain gorillas. During the trek, you get to meet other species, including butterflies, monkeys, bird species and plant species, among others. After spending an hour with the gorillas, you will get a certificate of participation at the park headquarters. In the evening hours, you can opt for guided walks or other safari activities before ending the day with dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 5: Departure to Kampala

Check out of the lodge and prepare for the journey back to Kampala at a hotel (note that extra accommodation comes at an extra cost) or to Entebbe International Airport for your flight and this marks the end of the combined safari.

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi

Gorilla trekking is a top safari activity that is carried out in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the four different sectors that include Nkuringo, Rushaga, Buhoma and Ruhija. Combining this activity with spotting tree-climbing lions is popular among tourists due to the close proximity of the two national parks.

Tourists need to plan in advance for gorilla trekking, and it starts with purchasing a gorilla trekking permit, which has to be done in advance. Get in touch with us at Encounter Africa Safaris with the dates you wish to trek mountain gorillas and let us help you with the entire process of booking to purchasing the permits. Once you contact us, we check for the availability of the permits and send you payment details once we confirm that the permits are available. Make sure that the payment is made as soon as possible, and after the purchase of the permits, we will send you a scanned copy.

You will be assigned a trek sector upon purchase of the permit and the gorilla family is assigned on the day of the trek

Gorilla trekking starts early morning with a briefing about the rules, then you are assigned a gorilla family before starting the trek. The entire exercise, depending on the location of the gorilla family, can take between 1 and 6 hours, and after locating the giants, you have an hour with them before getting back to the park headquarters.

The permit cost: The cost of the gorilla permit, which is issued by the Uganda Wildlife, is $800 for foreign non-residents, $700 for foreign residents and UGX300,000 for East African Citizens. Many of the tour operators prefer direct cash transfers, and you have to first confirm if they can use credit cards; however, this comes at an extra cost.

Where to stay: The accommodation chosen depends on your budget and the sector you have been assigned. Some of the accommodation facilities you can use include Chameleon Hill Lodge, Four Gorillas Lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Gorilla Forest Camp, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, Bwindi Lodge, Buhoma Community Haven, Mutanda Lake Resort and Ichumbi Lodge among others.

The tree-climbing lions

The tree-climbing lions in Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth National Park are the main attraction, as they can be seen lazily lying in the trees, which allows them to carefully watch their territory and easily spot their prey. Visiting the Ishasha sector for the tree-climbing lions is extremely safe because there are safety measures that are set up to make sure that the tourists are safe, including taking the drive with an experienced guide and following all the rules and regulations to be followed during the drive.

Why do the lions climb trees? Researchers believe that the lions climb trees to get away from the insect bites on the ground (tsetse flies and mosquitoes), they can also easily spot their prey when in the trees, and they climb to escape from the heat on the ground, especially during the dry season.

Where to stay: Several accommodation facilities can be used during a tree-climbing lion safari in Ishasha and these range from budget, mid-range and luxury accommodation facilities. Some of the lodges that you can use include the Ishasha Pride Lodge, Simba Safari Lodge, Mweya Safari Lodge, Ntungwe River Camp, Bull Bush River Camp, Topi Lodge, Enjojo Lodge, Ishasha Wilderness Camp, Kasenyi Safari Camp, Kikorongo Safari Lodge, At The River Ishasha Lodge and Savannah Resort Hotel among others.

Getting to Ishasha in Queen Elizabeth: The Ishasha Sector can easily be accessed using air and road transport depending on the preference of the client. Air transport involves booking chartered flights in advance using domestic flights like AeroLink (this can be done through trusted tour operators). The flights are from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airstrip to Kasese Airstrip, Mweya Airstrip or Kihihi Airstrip and then you can connect to the Ishasha sector by road.

You can also access the Ishasha sector by driving from Kampala or Entebbe to Queen Elizabeth National Park, which takes 6 to 7 hours, and then connecting to the Ishasha sector. There is another option of connecting to Ishasha sector from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and this takes 3 to 4 hours, and also from Kibale Forest National Park, and this drive takes 5 to 6 hours.

Why this is the perfect safari combination

Combining gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with tree-climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park is the perfect combination for a safari, and below are some of the reasons why it is considered a great combination.

The proximity: Queen Elizabeth National Park, especially the Ishasha sector, is close to Bwindi, especially Rushaga and Buhoma sectors, which has made it feasible to have the combined safari. The drive between Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth is about 3 to 4 hours and it is easier to make transfers between the two national parks.

The rounded safari: combining a gorilla trekking safari with tree climbing safaris in Ishasha gives you a wide picture of what to expect when it comes to wildlife safaris in Uganda. You get to experience both the forest where the mountain gorillas are and the Savannah environments where the tree-climbing lions are found.

The unique wildlife: Both Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth National Park have unique wildlife including mountain gorillas, L’Hoest monkeys, baboons, Red-tailed monkeys, forest elephants, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, butterflies and tree species in Bwindi and tree-climbing lions, chimpanzees, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, crocodiles, antelopes and over 600 bird species among others. All these can be seen during the combined safari in the different national parks.

How can I plan for the combined gorilla and tree-climbing safari

Planning for the gorilla trekking in Bwindi and the tree-climbing lions safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park is easy with the right tour operator and information. Below is how you can plan a smooth combined safari.

Carefully plan your itinerary: With a tour operator like Encounter Africa Safaris, you can work out a custom itinerary for the combined safari that includes gorilla trekking in Bwindi and a visit to the Ishasha sector where you can watch the tree-climbing lions.

Consider the travel time: The drive between the two national parks, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, is just a few hours, so when planning, put this into consideration. Due to their close proximity to each other, the drive is short and not exhausting.

Plan for accommodation: Accommodation in both Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park is categorised into budget, mid-range and luxury accommodation facilities, and the choice made depends on your budget. During gorilla trekking, make sure that the accommodation chosen is within the sector that you have been assigned to make it on time for the trek. All accommodation has to be booked in advance, especially during the dry season with the large crowds of tourists.

Plan for other activities: Plan for other safari activities for your safari, like game drives, bird watching, guided nature walks, primate walks, cultural trips and boat rides to add to your combined safari. Note that each of these activities is paid for differently.

When to visit: Plan on when to visit so that it can cater for both gorilla trekking and a visit to Ishasha for the tree-climbing lions. The dry season is the best time to go for the combined safari because there is better visibility of the tree-climbing lions and the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

The best time to see tree-climbing lions and gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi and seeing the tree-climbing lions in Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth National Park is an all-year-round activity, but the best time is during the dry months of June to September and December to February. During this period, there is a thinning of the vegetation, which makes it easy to spot both the lions and the mountain gorillas. The trek trails are easier to use compared to the wet season, and the roads leading to the national park are easy to use.

For more information, get in touch with us at Encounter Africa Safaris.