GORILLA & CHIMP ECLIPSE SAFARI in Uganda, the Pearl of Africa Including the Total Solar Eclipse November 3, 2013 October 23 - November 6, 2013 OVERVIEW We invite you to join us on a Safari in the Pearl of Africa, Uganda, including the country s finest national parks, gorilla reserves and chimpanzee sanctuaries. Explore the mountain paradise of Africa -- named the Pearl of Africa by Winston Churchill -- including opportunities to look for savannah animals from lions to elephants, plus a profusion of birds and primates. Tracking gorillas and chimpanzees will be a real adventure. We will also get to look for rhinos at Ziwa Sanctuary. A highlight of the safari will be seeing the Total Solar Eclipse as it passes over Murchison Falls National Park on November 3, 2013. LEADERSHIP Leading the safari will be Dr. David Bygott, popular leader of many Betchart safaris in East Africa, including the Tanzania & Gombe trips in 2007. Dr David Bygott is a British naturalist, artist and photographer who has spent half his life in East Africa. During that time he has studied chimpanzee behavior with Jane Goodall, researched lion ecology in the Serengeti, taught zoology at the University of Dar es Salaam, and built a home in a Tanzanian village. Together with his partner and wife, Jeannette Hanby, he has written and illustrated guidebooks in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, and has helped create interpretive displays for visitors in several parks. David has led several safaris every year since 1978, including taking Betchart groups to the gorillas of Rwanda and the chimpanzees of Gombe. He has lived in the USA for the past ten years, where in between African safaris he is currently involved in monitoring wildlife in Arizona's "Sky Islands". He is ideally suited to interpreting the wonders of Africa to American visitors. He is very excited about this Uganda expedition! Joining him will be excellent African driver guides. They look forward to sharing the delights of the wildlife of Uganda & Eclipse with you! ITINERARY DAYS 1/2 Oct 23/24 NEW YORK TO BRUSSELS Fly from New York s JFK international airport on Brussels Airlines at 5:25 pm, arriving in Brussels on the morning of Day 2. Take a connecting flight to Entebbe, arriving at 10 pm. Meet your safari leader and transfer to the Cassia Lodge.
DAY 3 Oct 25 KAMPALA - LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK After breakfast, we will have our safari briefing, and then depart on a morning drive across the Uganda countryside to Lake Mburo National Park, a compact gem of a park which is a nice stop en route to western Uganda. Lake Mburo forms part of a 50 km wetland, linking 13 lakes. Enjoy lunch at our lodge, and then go on a boat ride on the lake and enjoy the rich bird life and the many hippos that are cooling off. Arcadia Cottages. DAY 4 Oct 26 LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK to BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK Wake up to enjoy early morning bird calls, and then enjoy a morning game drive through savannah habitats in Lake Mburo National Park. We will look zebra, impala, eland, buffalo, oribi, and Defassa waterbuck. Also found in the park are leopard, hyena, topi and reedback which we may see with luck! After lunch, depart for Bwindi, the home of the mountain gorillas. Drive through verdant countryside en route, including traditional homesteads, and enjoy panoramic views. Silverback Lodge (2 nights). DAY 5 Oct 27 BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK GORILLA TRACKING After breakfast depart on our gorilla tracking adventure. Everyone be prepared with proper footwear and raingear, so you are prepared to make the most of the experience. Hikers will love tracking gorillas in the beautiful ecosystem of the park. Expect to walk a long distance in steep and muddy conditions, sometimes with rain, before you encounter the gorillas. It will definitely be worthwhile as you observe them closely while they eat, play, and rest. Truly a unique and unforgettable experience! Those who do not want to participate in gorilla tracking can go on a guided forest walk or explore the surroundings on a Buhoma Village Walk. DAY 6 Oct 28 BWINDI NP - ISHASHA TREE CLIMBING LIONS After breakfast, you will drive about two hours to the north to the Ishasha Plains which are famous for their tree climbing lions. It is amazing to spot the lions sleeping away the day on the tree limbs. Males are distinctive, sporting a thick black mane. We may also encounter herds of buffaloes and antelope, elephants, and hippos. We will drive closely across the acacia tree dotted savannah to look for wildlife of interest on an evening game drive, which will give you an opportunity not only to see the tree climbing lions but also other African wildlife. Savannah Hotel. DAY 7 Oct 29 TREE CLIMBING LIONS & QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK This morning, we will enjoy another game drive to look for the tree climbing lions at Ishasha. We will then transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park has a view of Lake Edward, in the Rift Valley floor, and a spectacular view of Mt Rwenzori. On the other side you can see the Congo. There are more than 500 bird species seen in the park, and about 100 mammal species. The lush grasslands support a variety of animals that can be viewed from our safari vehicle on the network of tracks in the park. Predators such as lions, leopard, side-stripped jackal, and spotted hyena may be seen, in addition to kob, bushbuck, topi, and waterbuck. Several primate species are found in the park, including chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkey, black and white colobus monkey and olive baboons. Mweya Safari Lodge (2 nights).
DAY 8 Oct 30 QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK GAME DRIVE & BOAT TRIP We will enjoy another morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park today, and then after lunch enjoy a two hour boat trip on the Kazinga Channel into Lake Edward. This boat cruise is an excellent opportunity for photography, bird watching, and game viewing. DAY 9 Oct 31 KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK After breakfast, we will transfer to Fort Portal, in the shadow of the fabled Mountains of the Moon. The area is famous for its many tea plantations. From this lovely town, we will continue to Kibale National Park, while passing the region of the Crater Lakes. Here we will explore some small lakes, before heading to our lodge for the night in anticipation of our Chimpanzee Tracking adventure tomorrow. Mountains of the Moon Hotel (2 nights). DAY 10 Nov 1 CHIMPANZEE TRACKING & BIGODI SWAMP Today, we will go chimpanzee tracking in the forest! Kibale Forest has a reputation for the greatest variety and highest concentration of primates in East Africa. We will enjoy a guided walk in the tropical reainforest in search of the wild chimpanzees, red-tailed monkey, black-and-white colobus monkey and many others. After lunch, we will transfer to the Bigodi Swamp for another, totally different nature walk. The Bigodi Swamp Walk is an initiative of the local community and the area is known for its rich diversity of birds and primates. DAY 11 Nov 2 KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK TO MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK Today, we will have an all day adventure across the countryside to Murchison Falls National Park, with a stopover for lunch. This evening, we will have a special lecture about the Total Solar Eclipse, the eclipse phenomena we may see, and how to photograph the eclipse. Sambiya River Lodge (2 nights). DAY 12 Nov 3 MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK & TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE Today, we will have an early morning game drive on the northern bank in Murchison Falls National Park, and will then see the Total Solar Eclipse. With the help of our guide, we will spot elephant, lion, Rothchild s giraffe, cape buffalo, waterbuck, hartebeest, bushback, and with luck leopard and other animals. All passengers will receive eclipse-viewing glasses. We will look for special phenomena of the Eclipse. As the Moon slowly comes between the Sun and the Earth, you will see the dark crescent of the Moon cross the Sun and slowly advance to block all of the Sun s direct rays. The sunlight passes through craggy surface features of the Moon, and may create a phenomenon called Baily s Beads, Sometimes the depression of the Moon is so great that it produces a larger phenomenon call the Diamond Ring. During the Total eclipse, the rays of the Sun produce a corona or crown of light radiating outward behind the dark globe of the Moon. This rare event can only be seen with a Total Solar Eclipse. There is some possibility cloud cover or mist may obscure the eclipse. We will try to have the best possible viewing location. After lunch, we wil go on a boat safari upstream on the calm Victoria Nile, to the base of Murchison Falls. We will stop just ten meters from the Devil s Cauldron. We will look for hippos,
crocodiles, and over the 17 km stretch you may see waterbuck, elephant, and Uganda kob. You may also see many bird species like goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant, and the rare shoebill stork. DAY 13 Nov 4 MURCHISON FALLS TO KAMPALA ZIWA SANCTUARY RHINO GAME DRIVE This morning, we will drive to Kampala with a stopover at the Ziwa Sanctuary for a rhino game drive. Rhinos had been hunted to extinction in Uganda in the 1980 s, and Rhino Fund Uganda began in 1997. It received two white rhinos for educational and awareness-raising purposes in 2002. The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary was established to protect the animals and visitors were allowed, starting in 2005. On June 7, 2012, the first female baby rhino was born in the sanctuary, joining her young brother Obama and two other young males. There are 10 rhinos total in the sanctuary at the moment, with another baby due in the coming weeks. We will continue to Kampala for the night. Check in at our hilltop lodge. Then enjoy a farewell dinner in celebration of our safari and eclipse adventure! Cassia Lodge (1 night). DAYS 14/15 Nov 5/6 KAMPALA TO USA Have breakfast and a day at leisure in Kampala for shopping, museum visits, or other personal interests. After dinner, transfer to the airport for our return flight to Brussels (which departs at 11:59 pm). On Day 15, arrive in New York in early afternoon. COSTS & CONDITIONS Safari Fee: $5,495 per person, plus international air fare of approximately $1,295 including tax from New York to Brussels and Uganda, RT. Gorilla tracking permit is $500 pp; chimpanzee permit is $150 pp. What to Expect: This safari is planned for the travel enthusiast who would enjoy exploring the wildlife reserves of the mountain paradise of Africa -- Uganda -- with a special opportunity to track gorillas and chimpanzees and see the November 3, 2013 Total Solar Eclipse. Travel by safari vehicles, jeeps, or mini-coaches with experienced local driver guides, and leadership from an excellent safari leader. Each passenger will have a window seat in safari vehicles. Gorilla and chimpanzee tracking may require long walks on muddy, steep, or slippery terrain (the location of the gorillas can change from day to day). Typically, temperatures will be in the upper 70 s to low 80 s, and into the 60 s at night. This safari is a tremendous experience for travelers with an appetite for the adventure of gorilla and chimpanzee tracking who can tolerate some insects, heat, and bumpy dirt roads for the lifelong experience of exploring superb parks and reserves in this spectacular country. There is some possibility cloud cover can partly or totally obscure the eclipse. We will try to have the best possible viewing location. (No smoking in vehicles, during lectures, or meals, please.) Safari Fee Includes: Land transport; group airport transfers; accommodations twin share with bath in comfortable, traditional hotels and safari lodges; all meals in Uganda; park entrance fees; baggage handling, leadership, administration. Safari Fee Does Not Include: International air fare (quoted separately); independent transfers; gratuities to safari leader, guides, and drivers; Uganda visa fees; personal items such as alcoholic beverages, laundry, phone calls, bottled water, sodas, snacks, passport, personal insurance, or foreign airport departure taxes. Accommodations: Are in comfortable traditional hotels and safari lodges with private facilities en suite. Single Accommodations: We encourage all travelers to share twin accommodations. If you do not have a roommate, or we cannot assign one, you must pay the extra $795 cost of a single.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - RESERVATIONS #1302 YES! I/We want to join the Uganda Gorilla & Chimp Eclipse Safari, October 23 - November 6, 2013 offered by Betchart Expeditions Inc, Planetary Society, AAAS, and Sigma Xi. Please reserve space(s). As a deposit, I/we have enclosed a check for $ ($1,150 per person), payable to Betchart Expeditions Inc. Trust Account. (This is $500 deposit per person plus $500 gorilla permit and $150 chimpanzee permit.) Name(s) Age Sex Age Sex Address City State ZIP Phone: Home ( ) Work ( ) Email #1: #2: Membership (please circle): AAAS Sigma Xi ACS Planetary Society Accommodations Preference: Twin Twin share (with a friend) or assign a roommate Single Nonsmoker Smoker Signature: Date: Signature: Date: Please mail to: 2013 Uganda Gorilla-Chimp Eclipse Safari Betchart Expeditions Inc. 17050 Montebello Road Cupertino, CA 95014-5435 Air Fare & Airline Ticketing: Air fare quoted is a group fare with Brussels Airlines from New York to Brussels, RT, as of January 28, 2013. We ask that all travelers depart New York together so that all group members can get the group air fare which requires a minimum of 10 paying passengers on the flights. Participants make their own flight arrangements from home to New York, round trip. AIR FARES & TAXES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Reservations, Deposits, & Payments: Please mail a deposit of $1,150 per person with the completed reservation form to: Uganda Eclipse Safari 2013, Betchart Expeditions Inc., 17050 Montebello Road, Cupertino, CA 95014; phone Marisa Eide (800) 252-4910 or (408) 252-4910. The balance of payment is due 90 days before departure (July 23, 2013). Cancellations & Refunds: The initial deposit for the safari is refundable up to 90 days before departure less a handling fee of $250 per person EXCEPT the gorilla and chimpanzee permits must be purchased immediately and are not refundable. There will be no refund for any cancellation after the 90 day period unless your place is resold; then only a $100 per person handling fee applies. There are no refunds for unused meals, accommodations, or other trip features. Trip cancellation insurance will be offered.
Responsibility: Betchart Expeditions Inc., the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Chemical Society, Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society, andthe Planetary Society act only as agents for the passenger with respect to transportation and hotels, and exercise every care possible. However, we can assume no liability for injury, damage, delay, loss, accident or irregularity in connection with the services of any airplane, ship, motorcoach, or other conveyance used in carrying out the arrangements of the tour. We cannot accept any responsibility for losses or additional expenses due to delay or changes in air or other services, weather, sickness, strike, war, quarantine, terrorism, acts of God, or other causes beyond our control. All such losses or expenses will have to be borne by the passenger as tour rates provide for arrangements only for the time stated. We reserve the right to substitute another leader of similar expertise or to reserve the right to cancel any tour prior to departure, in which case the entire payment will be refunded with no further obligation on our part. The right is also reserved to decline to accept or retain any person as a member of the tour. No refund will be made for the unused portion of any tour unless arrangements are made in sufficient time to avoid penalties. The price of the program is based on current tariffs and rates, and is subject to change. Any tariff, exchange rate, or fuel increases will be passed on to participants. Baggage is carried at the owner s risk entirely. It is understood that the air ticket when issued shall constitute the sole contract between the passenger and the airline concerned. The airlines concerned are not to be held responsible for any act, omission, or event during the time passengers are not on board their plane or conveyance. Copyright Betchart Expeditions Inc. 2013. All rights reserved.