The tour begins with a visit to the Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary. This small island set in the splendour of Lake Victoria is home to over thirty rescued chimpanzees, mostly victims of the pet trade. For the chimps it is a safe home and for the visitor it’s a great opportunity to see our fascinating ‘cousins’ up close - next time the chimps will be in the wild.

We make our journey to southwest Uganda with a five hour drive to Fort Portal, ready to launch straight into Kibale Forest the next morning. The day is broken into various stops to admire the green scenery and a well deserved rest in Fort Portal.

The late afternoon is spent enjoying local entertainment and the stunning backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon.

Tracking wild chimpanzees is an exciting and sometimes unnerving experience. As you get closer and hear their calls, you will no doubt remember the warning of Ngamba’s rangers. But don’t worry, these chimps have been habituated and are used to tourist visits.

The morning’s tracking will no doubt reveal various other primates such as L’Hoest’s monkeys, black-and-white colobus and blue monkeys. Kibale Forest boasts the greatest variety and concentration of primates in Africa.

In the afternoon we drive to the Congo border right under the Rwenzori Mountains and into the Semuliki National Park jungle.

A day spent investigating the Semuliki rainforest. This is unspoilt Central African jungle with hundreds of bird species, excellent primate viewing and great guided walks.

We visit the Sempaya hot springs, the shore of Lake Albert and try to spot some of Semuliki’s unusual wildlife including the 11 mammal and 45 bird species that are found no where else in Uganda.

It’s a two hour drive to the spectacular wildlife of Queen Elizabeth National Park. With 95 mammal and 600 bird species (the most in any African reserve), you can expect to enjoy great game drives and bird watching.

Our first drive is across the plains and crater lake dotted northern sector where lions, elephants, Uganda kob and hyena dominate. This is especially striking when compared to the previous days spent in the humid and closed canopy forests.

We rise before first light and set out in search of lions, leopards and antelope. As the sunrises over the Mweya peninsula, we have good chances of seeing these, along with elephant, buffalo, hyena and warthog.

After brunch there is a boat trip down the Kazinga Channel – hundreds of hippo and buffalo are guaranteed and you are likely to see crocodile, African fish eagles and countless birds. With 600 species in the park, the bird life is never boring in Queen Elizabeth.

Start out for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Depending on the roads (which depend on the weather) we will drive either via Ishasha, home of the tree-climbing lion, or take the alternative route through cultivated farms (approximately 4 hours driving). In the afternoon, we explore the area surrounding the lodge and local village and prepare for the next day’s mountain gorilla trekking.

The highlight of many safaris - gorilla trekking (subject to permit availability at the time of booking). This can take up the whole day and can be very tiring – the ground is steep and densely forested – but it’s worth it. This is an inspiring moment.

If we have been unable to get a permit for you, or the activity is too strenuous, we can spend the day hiking in the foothills and visiting local communities at a much more relaxing pace. Don’t worry there is still much to see around Bwindi, besides the gorillas.

Today's drive is through what is probably East Africa's most spectacular scenery, the highland rain forests. Filled with primates and exotic birds, this really is an incredible journey. The afternoon is spent on a foot safari around the magnificent crater lake, Bunyonyi.

We make the long journey back to Kampala, where the tour ends.