Journeys · Uganda
The Pearl of Africa
Gorillas and chimpanzees in a single trip, the source of the Nile, and island greens on the largest lake in Africa — Churchill's Pearl, played properly.
Highlights
- Mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest
- Island greens at Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort
- A sundowner where the River Nile begins
Best months
Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Dec · Jan
The island-green 18th at Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort at dusk, ten minutes after the airport, the whole journey ahead.
What's on the card — and where you'll sleep
The golf on this journey
- Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort (opening round)
- Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort (closing round)
Where you'll stay
- Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort, Kigo — Entebbe, 2 nights
- Primate Lodge Kibale — Kibale Forest, 2 nights
- Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Bwindi — Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, 3 nights
- Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort, Kigo — Entebbe, 2 nights
Every property is hand-picked from our register of fifty-two — none paid for, none reciprocated. See the options for this region →
Where you go, and why
Entebbe
Winston Churchill called Uganda 'the Pearl of Africa', and it announces itself immediately: lush, green and generous. Ten minutes from the runway, check into the Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort on the shore of Africa's largest lake — Uganda's premier championship course, with the country's first bentgrass greens and show-stopping island greens at the 8th and 18th. Play your opening round as the fishermen's lanterns come out on the water.
STAY Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort, Kigo
Kibale Forest
Drive west into a forest alive with thirteen species of primate. Kibale offers the finest chimpanzee tracking in Africa: an expert guide leads you on foot to a habituated community, and suddenly the canopy above you erupts — hooting, swinging, squabbling, heartbreakingly familiar. Crater lakes and tea plantations fill the afternoons.
STAY Primate Lodge Kibale
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
The name is honest: Bwindi is a tangle of ancient, cloak-green rainforest — a World Heritage Site you can only enter on foot — and roughly half the world's mountain gorillas live inside it. Your trek may be steep and muddy and it will absolutely be worth it: an hour with a wild gorilla family in their own sitting room. Porters from the local villages carry your pack; hiring one funds the forest's protection.
STAY Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Bwindi
Entebbe
Return for a closing round on those island greens, plus a boat trip to Ngamba Island chimpanzee sanctuary on Lake Victoria — and, if time allows, a sundowner at Jinja, the very spot where the Nile begins its 6,650-kilometre journey to the Mediterranean.
STAY Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort, Kigo
Every journey is a starting shape, not a fixed product — add nights, swap lodges, bring the Gallery. Guide price per person sharing, excluding international flights; confirmed precisely in writing before you commit.
Asked before you booked
How much does The Pearl of Africa cost?
Guide price is from US$11,800 per person sharing, excluding international flights. For an exact figure, use the Price a Private Version tool — adjust the nights, rounds and experiences and our quoting engine returns your private price, checked by a specialist, usually within one working day.
How many rounds of golf are on this journey?
2 rounds are built in — Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort (opening round), Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort (closing round). Every round can be kept, swapped or dropped when you price your private version.
Can my non-golfing partner come?
Absolutely — this is the heart of how we design. While the golfers play, the Gallery programme runs parallel experiences (game drives, spas, wine, walks, markets), and everyone reunites for lunch or sundowners. Non-golfers never sit out a day.
When is the best time to take this journey?
Best months are Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Dec · Jan. We will be honest about the trade-offs of any month you are considering — every season has its version of this trip.
Where will we stay?
Exact, named properties at every stop — on this journey: Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort, Kigo, Primate Lodge Kibale, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Bwindi. Every property is hand-picked from our register; none paid for, none reciprocated.
How much is a Uganda gorilla permit and is it included?
Uganda's gorilla permit is US$800 per person per trek — included in our journey prices — and Bwindi's treks are wilder and steeper than Rwanda's, which many guests love. Chimpanzee permits for Kibale are also included.
Do I need a visa for Uganda?
Yes — Uganda uses an online e-visa (or the East Africa Tourist Visa if you are combining with Kenya and Rwanda). We will tell you which suits your routing and help you apply.
How fit do I need to be for gorilla trekking?
Reasonably mobile rather than athletic. Treks run from forty minutes to several hours on muddy mountain paths; porters carry everything and a walking stick is provided. We can request shorter-trek gorilla families for guests who prefer them.
Tell us how you want to feel when you come home.
We'll build the wild, and the golf, around that — and nothing else.
Design your safari Speak to us