A coastal terrace at dusk with lanterns and the Indian Ocean beyond

Signature Journey · Uganda or Rwanda & Seychelles · 16 days

After the Gorillas: a 16-day Uganda gorilla and Seychelles journey

Forest effort first, then Praslin, La Digue and Mahé: the complete arc from encounter to rest. Four nights in Bwindi, ten in the Seychelles, and a direct flight from Entebbe to Mahé.

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Journey at a glance

Duration
16 days / 15 nights
Route
Entebbe · Bwindi · Praslin · La Digue · Mahé
Best for
Honeymooners and anniversaries, primate specialists
When to travel
Year-round for the forest; the Seychelles are best in April to May and October to November
Pace
Effort, then deep rest · moderate physical demand
Flight sectors
Entebbe to Kihihi · Kihihi to Entebbe · Entebbe to Mahe · Mahe to Praslin · Praslin to Mahe
From price, 2027
Priced on request
  • Honeymoon
  • Primates

The shape of the journey

Why this route works.

Effort, then deep rest

  1. The trek is done first, while the body is fresh, and the islands are the reward rather than the warm-up.
  2. Four nights in Bwindi hold the trek, a second forest morning for those who want it, and a free day.
  3. Praslin, La Digue and Mahé follow the classic grammar at an unhurried pace, never more than one move every few days.

Signature Sail moments

  • Private arrival assistance and a restorative first evening
  • Gorilla trek with a porter and a ranger briefing
  • The Vallée de Mai in the first light
  • Source d'Argent before the day visitors arrive

Chapter by chapter

The considered route.

15 nights in 5 chapters, with 5 flight sectors. Read down the chapters; the map keeps pace.

01

Day 1 · 1 night

A soft landing beside Lake Victoria

Entebbe · Uganda

Your Sail host meets you at Entebbe and the first evening is kept deliberately light: a garden, the lake, an early night. Nothing about the journey begins on the road before the body has arrived.

A canopied bed beneath a thatched roof at Entebbe Forest Lodge, with forest light through the louvres
Entebbe Forest Lodge · The Most Exclusive AddressesPhotograph: Entebbe Forest Lodge
Hotel No.5 in Entebbe at dusk, its entrance lit beneath a deep blue sky
Hotel No.5 · Distinguished Camps and LodgesPhotograph: Hotel No.5
The Most Exclusive Addresses
Entebbe Forest Lodge
Distinguished Camps and Lodges
Hotel No.5

By air · Entebbe to Kihihi, about 1 hour 10 minutes

02

Days 2 to 5 · 4 nights

Four nights in gorilla country

Bwindi · Uganda

Four nights allow the forest to settle around you: the gorilla trek, a second morning for those who want it, a Batwa community visit and a protected half-day that stays unbooked so weather, wildlife and energy can change the plan without breaking the journey.

Gorilla Forest Lodge (A&K), selected for its setting and access to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Gorilla Forest Lodge, an A&K Sanctuary · The Most Exclusive AddressesPhotograph: Gorilla Forest Lodge (A&K)
Mahogany Springs, selected for its setting and access to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Mahogany Springs · Distinguished Camps and LodgesPhotograph: Mahogany Springs
The Most Exclusive Addresses
Gorilla Forest Lodge (A&K)
Distinguished Camps and Lodges
Mahogany Springs

By air · Kihihi to Entebbe, about 1 hour 10 minutes; then Entebbe to Mahé, about 7 hours 30 minutes; then Mahé to Praslin, about 15 minutes

03

Days 6 to 9 · 4 nights

Vallée de Mai in the first light

Praslin · Seychelles

Praslin pairs the Vallée de Mai, walked before the day visitors, with the great granite beaches. The pace is unhurried by design; the short hop from Mahé is the only movement of the chapter.

Granite boulders and a turquoise cove on a Seychelles shore, seen from above
Praslin
The Most Exclusive Addresses
Raffles Seychelles
Distinguished Camps and Lodges
Constance Lemuria

By sea · Praslin to La Digue, about 20 minutes

04

Days 10 to 11 · 2 nights

The bicycle island at dawn

La Digue · Seychelles

Stay after the ferries leave. La Digue at dawn is bicycles, tortoises and Source d'Argent without another person on it. Two nights turn a day trip into a memory.

Granite boulders and a turquoise cove on a Seychelles shore, seen from above
La Digue
The Most Exclusive Addresses
Le Domaine de L'Orangeraie
Distinguished Camps and Lodges
Le Domaine de L'Orangeraie

By air · Praslin to Mahé, about 15 minutes

05

Days 12 to 15 · 4 nights

Granite mountains and a held coast

Mahé · Seychelles

Mahé is the deep rest: one villa, one beach on the lee coast for the season's wind, and nothing scheduled after noon. Mornings can hold a mountain walk or a boat; the rest is left alone on purpose.

Granite boulders and a turquoise cove on a Seychelles shore, seen from above
Mahé
The Most Exclusive Addresses
Hilton Northolme
Distinguished Camps and Lodges
Constance Ephelia

By road · private transfer to the airport with time in hand

06

Day 16

Return with care

The journey closes with the Mahe to Praslin flight and a private transfer to the international departure, timed with margin rather than haste.

Two expressions, one journey

The same route, in two registers of address.

The Most Exclusive Addresses and the Distinguished Camps and Lodges preserve the same route, purpose and Sail operating standard. The expression changes the addresses, never the soul of the journey. Every property is a current decision set, not guaranteed inventory; availability, opening and access are confirmed live.

Accommodation sequence by expression
ChapterNightsThe Most Exclusive AddressesDistinguished Camps and Lodges
Entebbe1Entebbe Forest LodgeHotel No.5
Bwindi4Gorilla Forest Lodge (A&K)Mahogany Springs
Praslin4Raffles SeychellesConstance Lemuria
La Digue2Le Domaine de L'OrangeraieLe Domaine de L'Orangeraie
Mahé4Hilton NortholmeConstance Ephelia

This journey is priced on request. Figures are given once every air sector and supplier rate has been verified for your dates; Sail does not publish a figure it cannot stand behind.

At a glance

What the facts strip does not say.

Nights by chapter
Entebbe 1 · Bwindi 4 · Praslin 4 · La Digue 2 · Mahé 4
Physical demand
Moderate
From price, 2027
Priced on request

The Sail standard

Held to, and left out.

What Sail holds to on this journey

  • Every transfer, permit, activity and contingency has a named operator.
  • Major wilderness chapters normally receive three nights or more.
  • At least one unbooked half-day appears in the design.
  • Private vehicle and Sail guide on the road chapters; air sectors only where the route calls for them.
  • Permits, sectors and lodge availability are confirmed live before anything is written as final.

What Sail does not do

  • No figure is written as final before every air sector and supplier rate has been verified for your dates; published from prices are public starting points on the Distinguished expression.
  • No sighting, crossing or encounter is promised; likelihood is discussed openly.
  • No fixed departure or set package is implied by this journey.
  • No single safari night without a deliberate transit job.

Plan with a clearer frame

Season, party size and the shape of the investment.

Best fit. Honeymooners, anniversaries and primate specialists who want the forest's effort answered by the islands' rest.

Choose another route when. Choose Mara to Seychelles for savannah rather than forest, or The Forest, Unhurried and The Deep Rest as two separate journeys.

Indicative planning logic by season and private party size
Travel bandTwo travellersFour travellersSix travellers
Green seasonApril, May and November

Forest-rich landscapes and quieter permits, with rain and road resilience planned into every day.

The private vehicle, guide and fixed route costs are shared by two, so the per-person investment is usually highest.Four travellers usually create the clearest private-journey efficiency while preserving one vehicle and a close group dynamic.Six travellers can share more fixed costs, subject to luggage, room mix and whether one or two vehicles best protect comfort.
Shoulder seasonMarch, June and early December

A useful balance of access, availability and varied landscapes before or after the busiest windows.

The private vehicle, guide and fixed route costs are shared by two, so the per-person investment is usually highest.Four travellers usually create the clearest private-journey efficiency while preserving one vehicle and a close group dynamic.Six travellers can share more fixed costs, subject to luggage, room mix and whether one or two vehicles best protect comfort.
Peak seasonJuly to October and festive dates

Drier trails are often favoured, while permits, domestic flights and the best-positioned rooms need earlier decisions.

The private vehicle, guide and fixed route costs are shared by two, so the per-person investment is usually highest.Four travellers usually create the clearest private-journey efficiency while preserving one vehicle and a close group dynamic.Six travellers can share more fixed costs, subject to luggage, room mix and whether one or two vehicles best protect comfort.

Usually included

  • Private guiding and road transfers where the route is road-operated
  • Selected accommodation expression and stated meals
  • Park, conservancy and concession fees in the accepted proposal
  • Named gorilla or chimpanzee permits shown in the proposal

Usually separate

  • International flights
  • Visas and travel insurance
  • Premium drinks unless stated
  • Gratuities and optional activities not itemised

What changes the proposal

  • Permit dates and the matching forest sector
  • Live air fares and baggage requirements on the flight sectors
  • Room category, single supplements and the accommodation expression
  • Private versus camp vehicle days and party size

Current working range

Receive the live range for your dates in the first reply.

Public journey figures are not treated as live quotations. Sail checks current contracted rates, permit and flight availability, room mix and vehicle logic before putting a dated working range in writing.

Ask Sail to place your dates

Journey framework designed by Nulu Kamuntu, Founder and Lead Safari Specialist · Reviewed 1 September 2026.

A Sail planning perspective

A starting point, never a fixed package.

Gorilla permits are date-locked and the Entebbe to Mahé flight runs on fixed days; the two are reconciled before anything else. The Seychelles are calmest in April to May and October to November, and the lee coast is chosen in other months.

Every final journey is built around confirmed availability, the current season, your preferred pace and the character of places you want to stay. No fixed departure or price is implied by this sample.

Tailor this journey

Prefer to talk it through first? Book a planning call with Nulu at a time that suits you.

Designed and reviewed by Sail Safaris DMC's East Africa specialists · Founded in 2016 · Last reviewed 8 September 2026. Our planning standards

A private lantern-lit dinner prepared in the East African bush

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