Summary
Nature's Light are teaming up with Penda Photo Travel where Emil will be leading the exclusive Penda Uganda Wildlife Photography workshop in July 2025. This small group workshop explores three incredible reserves: the lush rain forest of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and the savanna of Queen Elizabeth National Park and the renowned Kibale Forest. Although a focus of the workshop is Gorilla trekking, we also have fantastic wildlife opportunities including photographing chimpanzees, lion and elephant.
WHEN |
12-23 September 2026 |
PRICE |
from $6995 (per person sharing) |
FOCUS |
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY |
GROUP SIZE |
MINIMUM 2, MAX 6 |
INSTRUCTOR GUEST RATIO |
1:6 |
DURATION |
12 DAYS |
ACCOMMODATION TYPE |
Various |
NUMBER OF DESTINATIONS |
3 |
In Detail
What to Expect in Uganda
Uganda offers an incredibly rich wildlife experience in hugely varying natural settings; from dense jungles to open savannahs. One of the highlights of this photo tour is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Situated on the edge of the Rift Valley, Bwindi is a magnificent misty rainforest. Given its antiquity – it’s one of Africa’s oldest forests – it has produced an incredible biodiversity, with some 120 mammal species and over 350 bird species. Most famously, Bwindi is home to an estimated 300 to 400 Mountain Gorillas, and it’s one of three parks in Africa where these highly endangered primates still live.
Photographing Mountain Gorillas is an awe-inspiring experience. While the encounters obviously can’t be planned or predicted, you’re likely to come pretty close to these incredible creatures. It’s humbling, exciting, and – needless to say – amazing for photography. It’s worth the trek, which can be long, depending on where the gorillas are. (Note that a good level of fitness is required!) We’ve scheduled two days of gorilla trekking, so that there’s plenty of opportunity for amazing gorilla photography.
Another lush forest we’ll be visiting is Kibale Forest National Park. This 795-sq-km national park is made up of dense tropical rainforest, home to an enormous number of primates and birds. Here we'll have great opportunities for photographing chimpanzees and a great number of monkey species, including Columbus Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, and L’Hoest Monkeys.
In contrast with Bwindi and Kibale, Queen Elizabeth National Park offers wide vistas of savannah and wetlands, mixed with shady forests and large lakes. The park provides a stunning backdrop for its abundance of wildlife, which includes 95 mammal species, 20 predators and over 610 bird species, making the park a birder’s paradise. Four of the Big Five can be spotted; lions, leopards, buffalos, and elephants. And don’t forget to point your camera up, as famously, some of the lion prides spend most of their time in trees.
Throughout this photo safari, Emil will provide photographic guidance. Since we’ll be traveling in a small group, there will be plenty of time for individual tutoring, so you can expect to learn a huge amount, regardless of your level and experience. Emil will help you sharpen your skills and make the very most of this trip. Expect to return home with some stunning images!
Photographing Mountain Gorillas is an awe-inspiring experience. While the encounters obviously can’t be planned or predicted, you’re likely to come pretty close to these incredible creatures. It’s humbling, exciting, and – needless to say – amazing for photography. It’s worth the trek, which can be long, depending on where the gorillas are. (Note that a good level of fitness is required!) We’ve scheduled two days of gorilla trekking, so that there’s plenty of opportunity for amazing gorilla photography.
Another lush forest we’ll be visiting is Kibale Forest National Park. This 795-sq-km national park is made up of dense tropical rainforest, home to an enormous number of primates and birds. Here we'll have great opportunities for photographing chimpanzees and a great number of monkey species, including Columbus Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, and L’Hoest Monkeys.
In contrast with Bwindi and Kibale, Queen Elizabeth National Park offers wide vistas of savannah and wetlands, mixed with shady forests and large lakes. The park provides a stunning backdrop for its abundance of wildlife, which includes 95 mammal species, 20 predators and over 610 bird species, making the park a birder’s paradise. Four of the Big Five can be spotted; lions, leopards, buffalos, and elephants. And don’t forget to point your camera up, as famously, some of the lion prides spend most of their time in trees.
Throughout this photo safari, Emil will provide photographic guidance. Since we’ll be traveling in a small group, there will be plenty of time for individual tutoring, so you can expect to learn a huge amount, regardless of your level and experience. Emil will help you sharpen your skills and make the very most of this trip. Expect to return home with some stunning images!
key highlights
- Photograph the endangered Mountain Gorillas in their natural setting; an experience that’s as incredible as it sounds
- Encounter chimpanzees and a great variety of monkey species in Kibale Forest
- Enjoy a more classical African photo safari experience Queen Elizabeth National Park, where we’ll encounter elephants, buffalo, a wealth of smaller mammals, and - hopefully - the famous tree-climbing lions of Ishasha
- Receive personalized photographic tutoring by a seasoned pro
- Enjoy a varied trip that’s fully designed around the best possible photographic opportunities Uganda has to offer
itinerary
Day 1 - Arrival in Lake Victoria
Arrival at Entebbe airport, where we’ll meet you and drive you to our first accommodation, Two Friends Beach Hotel, a hotel situated on the banks of Lake Victoria. With stunning views, a relaxing pool, and lovely rooms, this hotel is the perfect stopover.
Day 2 - Travel to Kibale Forest
After breakfast, we’ll make our way to Kibale Forest, which is a 6 to 7-hour drive. Kibale Forest is a spectacular jungle that is home to chimps, baboons, colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, L’Hoest monkeys, and a wealth of stunning birds. We’ll have two days to explore the park and photograph its inhabitants. We’ll have the pleasure of staying at Turaco Treetops, a gorgeous and relaxing lodge that effortlessly blends into the forest.
Day 3 & 4 Chimpanzee Trekking
We’ll head out into the forest on both days for chimpanzee trekking. While it’s not guaranteed that we’ll see chimpanzees, the chances are good, and the experience is thrilling. We’ll also visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a wetland swamp with a hugely rich biodiversity. Bigodi was established by a local development organisation to protect the swamp area, which is home to around 200 species of birds. It’s also good for spotting and photographing butterflies and small primates.
DAy 5 - Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park
We’ll head to Queen Elizabeth National Park for an exciting African safari experience, where we’ll settle into Enganzi Lodge, an authentic and comfortable lodge in the heart of the national park that offers us en-suite rooms, communal spaces with wildlife viewing opportunities, and a pool. Late afternoon, we’ll head out for our first game drive late afternoon, in that perfect warm light. Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the best places in Uganda to see lions. You can also expect to photograph elephants, buffaloes, hippos, and crocodiles – as well as smaller mammals and birds.
Day 6 - Game drive and Boat Cruise
Early in the morning, we’ll head out for a game drive in search of lions, elephants, and much more wildlife. We’ll make the most of the warm glow of the African light during and just after sunrise. In the afternoon, we’ll enjoy a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, which is an opportunity to photograph hippos and crocodiles – as well as a range of animals that come to drink.
Day 7 - ISHASHA, QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, we’ll take a 2- to 3-hour drive to Ishasha, the southern part of the National Park, where we’ll settle into Enjojo Lodge. This authentic safari lodge offers relaxed accommodation in this unspoilt remote sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, famous for its tree climbing lions that can sometimes be spotted resting in the branches of the large fig trees in the area. We’ll enjoy late afternoon sundowners beside the Ntungwe River or from a scenic viewing point along the ridge overlooking Ishasha.
Day 8 - Game drive in Ishasha and Community Visit
We’ll start the day with an early-morning game drive; the best time of day for wildlife photography. In the afternoon, we’ll head out for a community visit in one of the local villages surrounding Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Day 9 - Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
In the morning, we’ll drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which will take 2 to 3 hours. On our way, we’ll also pass through interesting villages and have some breath taking views of the mountains. We’ll arrive at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge by lunch time; a comfortable lodge overlooking the forest. We’ll settle in and prepare for our upcoming gorilla adventures. In the afternoon, a community visit is an optional activity.
Day 10 & 11 - Gorilla Trekking
Two days of gorilla trekking! We’ll have an early morning departure to search for the highly endangered Mountain Gorillas. The hike, guided by knowledgable local rangers, will be worth it once we find these magnificent animals. We’ll be able to spend about an hour observing and photographing the gorillas. You may wish to only do one day of gorilla trekking; this is up to you. If you decide to just join the first day, you’ll have the opportunity to do village tours, shorter forest walks, or to just rest.
DAy 12 - Goodbyes and Departure
In the morning, we will head to Kihihi Airstrip, where we’ll fly to Entebbe. This is where we’ll say our goodbyes, and where you can catch a flight home.
dates
12-23 September 2026
price
from $6995 (per person sharing)
Please enquire about simple supplement if you would prefer a room to yourself.
Please enquire about simple supplement if you would prefer a room to yourself.
Services |
Company |
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