4-Day Uganda (Kigali Start): Primates Roam & Plains Awaken

Your driver-guide meets you at Kigali International Airport or your Kigali hotel in the morning, and after a short briefing you set off north through Rwanda's famous land of a thousand hills, where terraced farms, banana groves and tea gardens cover every ridge.

You cross into Uganda at the Cyanika border near Kisoro, where formalities are usually quick and friendly, then continue through the volcanic highlands of Kigezi with the cones of the Virunga volcanoes on the horizon. The drive from Kigali to the southern sectors of Bwindi takes about four to five hours, plus time at the border.

By mid-afternoon you reach the Rushaga sector on the southern edge of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Settle into your lodge, enjoy the views over the forested hills and turn in early, ready for tomorrow's gorilla trek.

After an early breakfast you head to the Rushaga ranger post for a briefing on gorilla etiquette and safety, before being assigned to one of the habituated gorilla families of the southern sector. With experienced rangers and trackers leading the way, you set off into the steep, tangled rainforest that gives Bwindi its name.

The trek can take anywhere from one to several hours, depending on where the family has moved overnight. When you find them, you spend one unforgettable hour watching the gorillas feed, rest and play: the silverback keeping a calm eye on his group, mothers cradling infants and youngsters tumbling through the undergrowth. Bwindi protects almost half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas, and this hour is a privilege few people ever share.

Return to your lodge for a late lunch and a well-earned rest. In the afternoon you can join an optional community walk through the surrounding villages, or simply relax and watch the mist settle over the forest.

After breakfast you leave the forested hills of Kigezi behind and drive east via Kabale and Mbarara, the largest town in western Uganda. The landscape opens up as you go, with rolling pastures where herders tend the striking long-horned Ankole cattle. The drive takes around five to six hours with stops along the way.

You arrive at Lake Mburo National Park in time for lunch. In the late afternoon you set out on a boat trip on Lake Mburo itself, where hippos wallow in the shallows, crocodiles bask on the banks and birds such as pelicans, herons, fish eagles and the elusive African finfoot patrol the papyrus.

Continue with a short game drive as the light turns golden, looking for zebra, impala and eland, before returning to your lodge for dinner.

Rise early for a final morning in Lake Mburo, with a short game drive or guided walk while the light is soft and the zebra, impala and eland are most active. Then return to your lodge for breakfast.

You drive south via Mbarara and cross back into Rwanda at the Katuna (Gatuna) border, continuing through the green hills to Kigali. The journey takes around five to six hours, including border formalities and a lunch stop on the way.

On arrival your driver-guide drops you at Kigali International Airport for your onward flight, or at your Kigali hotel, bringing your Uganda safari to a close.