Mother Continent Explorers plans small group and tailor made safaris across Uganda, Rwanda, Congo and more African destinations, with every gorilla trekking permit secured and confirmed before you travel.
Waterhole game drives, river safaris and cross-border wildlife circuits through Namibia, Botswana and beyond, planned day by day by people who know the route.
From the Himba of Namibia and the Wodaabe of Chad to the tribes of southern Angola and South Sudan, we plan respectful, small group cultural expeditions off the usual route.
Tell us where you want to go and we will tell you how: tailor made itineraries with permits, guides and lodges arranged before you travel.
Mother Continent Explorers is a Uganda based tour operator built around one belief: Africa rewards travelers who go beyond the game drive. We are best known for gorilla trekking in Bwindi and Mgahinga, and we plan the same kind of carefully guided, permit certain journeys across fifteen more African destinations, from the Serengeti to the Sudd wetlands of South Sudan.
Every itinerary is built by a team that has walked the trailheads, slept in the lodges, and worked directly with the wildlife authorities who issue gorilla permits in Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. Whether you want a set departure gorilla trek or a fully tailor made three week circuit, we plan it from Kampala outward, not from a call center overseas.
Learn More About Us
Lake Mburo National Park, UgandaSix ways to experience Africa, from gorilla forests and Namibia's waterholes to Chad's Gerewol festival and the tribal heartlands of South Sudan.
This comprehensive Uganda safari takes you through the country’s top national parks and primate destinations, offering the chance to see the Big Five, trek chimpanzees and mountain gorillas, and experience Uganda’s stunning…
Experience Rwanda’s most iconic wildlife encounters on this unforgettable journey to Volcanoes National Park. This tour offers the rare opportunity to trek endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in the breathtaking…
This 10-day journey combines Tanzania’s premier wildlife destinations with the tropical beauty of Zanzibar. Enjoy thrilling game drives in the Northern Circuit and unwind on white-sand beaches along the Indian Ocean.
Experience one of Southern Africa’s most diverse overland safaris, traveling from Windhoek to the iconic Victoria Falls. This 10-day, 9-night journey blends wildlife, culture, and river landscapes—connecting Namibia’s dry…
Experience one of Africa’s most extraordinary cultural journeys with our 8 Day 7 Night Chad Tour, a unique photographic expedition into the heart of the Sahel.
This unique photographic expedition focuses on authentic tribes of South Sudan, including the Toposa, Larim (Boya), Lotuko, and Mundari people.
Gorilla trekking runs on rules, permits and small numbers. Here is exactly how we plan around them.
We book every Bwindi and Mgahinga gorilla permit directly with the Uganda Wildlife Authority as soon as your dates are confirmed, so your trek is never left to chance.
Park rules cap each gorilla family visit at eight travelers. We build our itineraries around that limit instead of overbooking around it.
Our guides are raised in the communities bordering Bwindi and Mgahinga and trek alongside Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers on every departure.
We favor lodges owned by, or invested in, the communities that share a border with the gorillas, so your stay supports the people who protect them.
Combine gorilla trekking with chimpanzee tracking, savannah game drives or a Nile cruise, built around your own travel dates.
Trek in Uganda, Rwanda or Congo, planned by a team that knows the parks, the permit systems and the border crossings between them.
From a fast three day Bwindi trek to a ten day loop through both Uganda and Rwanda, these are the itineraries travelers ask for most.
Bwindi, UgandaThe fastest route to a gorilla permit from Entebbe: one trekking day in Bwindi, framed by a scenic drive through the Kigezi highlands.
Volcanoes NP, RwandaTwo permits, two primates: mountain gorillas and golden monkeys in Volcanoes National Park, with Kigali's genocide memorial on the way through.
Queen Elizabeth NP, UgandaSavannah and forest in one loop: game drives through Queen Elizabeth, a Kazinga Channel cruise, then a gorilla permit in Bwindi.
Kahuzi-Biega, DR CongoLowland and mountain gorillas in Kahuzi-Biega, deep in one of the least visited rainforests on the gorilla trekking circuit.
Lake Bunyonyi, UgandaTwo countries, two gorilla permits and a chimpanzee trek, crossing overland at the Cyanika border with a rest day on Lake Bunyonyi between treks.
Bwindi & Queen Elizabeth NPGorilla trekking in Bwindi's Ruhija sector, a chimpanzee walk in Kyambura Gorge, and a boat cruise for hippo and elephant on the Kazinga Channel.
Bwindi's accommodation sits close to the trailheads, run by staff who often grew up in the villages next door. These are the properties we book most.
A community owned property above the Rushaga trailhead, in Bwindi's southern sector. Stone and timber cottages, hot water from wood fires, and a five minute drive to the ranger briefing point.
Set on the Munyaga River at the edge of the forest, within walking distance of the Buhoma park gate. A favorite for travelers trekking Bwindi's original, most researched gorilla families.
Ridge top cottages looking across the Kashasha river valley toward the Virunga volcanoes, at the trailhead with the steepest, most rewarding trek in Bwindi.
A tented camp built inside Bwindi's own boundary, among the closest accommodation to the forest edge, with the canopy sound carrying into camp after dark.
Uganda holds close to half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas, spread across more than twenty habituated families in Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks. No other country offers that many families to choose from.
A Uganda gorilla permit also costs meaningfully less than the equivalent permit in Rwanda, without a shorter trek or a lower sighting rate. Because Bwindi sits inside one of Africa's most biodiverse rainforests, a trekking day here comes with forest elephants, over 350 recorded bird species and eleven other primates, alongside the gorillas themselves.
Mountain gorilla family, Bwindi Impenetrable National ParkBeyond Uganda, these are the eight destinations travelers are booking most for the coming two seasons.
Maasai Mara National ReserveHome to the Maasai Mara and the annual wildebeest migration, with fixed departure safaris that make Kenya one of the most accessible big game destinations on the continent.
Visit Kenya
Serengeti National ParkThe Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Zanzibar's beaches in one country, with enough space between parks that game drives rarely feel crowded.
Visit Tanzania
Volcanoes National ParkGorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park an hour and a half from Kigali, alongside a capital city that has become a destination of its own.
Visit Rwanda
Kahuzi-Biega National ParkLowland and mountain gorilla trekking in Kahuzi-Biega, the least visited leg of the gorilla trekking circuit, planned with a specialist local partner.
Visit DR Congo
Etosha National ParkFloodlit waterholes in Etosha, the dunes of Sossusvlei and some of the emptiest, most dramatic self drive and guided routes in Southern Africa.
Visit Namibia
Okavango DeltaThe Okavango Delta by mokoro canoe and the Chobe riverfront by boat, for travelers who want their safari at a slower, quieter pace.
Visit Botswana
Kalandula FallsSouthern Africa's emerging destination: Kalandula Falls, Iona National Park's desert coastline, and Portuguese colonial architecture in Luanda.
Visit Angola
Boma communities, along the NileOne of the least visited countries on the continent, with direct access to Mundari cattle camps and tribal communities along the Nile.
Visit South SudanTrip planning notes, permit updates and field guides from our team, written from Kampala rather than a stock content calendar.
Gorilla permit briefingWe break down price, trek difficulty and sighting rates for both countries, so you can pick the permit that fits your trip.
Great Migration river crossingThe migration moves on its own schedule. Here is how we time Maasai Mara departures to give you the best odds of a crossing.
Mundari cattle camp, South SudanNotes from a South Sudan cultural tour: what a Mundari cattle camp visit actually looks like, and how to visit respectfully.
Packing for the forestGaiters, gloves and a dry bag for your camera: the exact packing list our guides hand travelers before every Bwindi trek.
Real footage from our own journeys. See the full channel on YouTube.
The authorities, associations and review platforms we are registered with and work alongside.
Tell us your travel dates and group size, and we will build a tailor made itinerary and permit plan within 48 hours.
Not sure where to start? Talk to someone who has walked the trails. Choose how you would like to reach us:
Chat on WhatsAppThe fastest way to reach us Send a Safari EnquiryShare your dates and wishes
