Overview
Uganda is a land of contrast. In half a day you can drive from mist shrouded volcanic mountains to hot hazy savannah, dappled with wildlife. Serene undulating hills of tea plantations, lush but ordered, give way to tangled jungle and rainforest with t he musical accompaniment of chaotic, cacophonous birdlife. Uganda is alive!
With these contrast: the tiniest sunbirds, iridescent in the morning light, the massive lumbering yet silent elephant, disappearing like a vapor behind the trees, the chimpanzees crashing about the forest canopy, the lugubrious goril la, chewing thoughtfully in the bamboo thicket. There’s the Nile, twisting its way north like a shimmering ribbon, through arid semi -desert scattered about with rocky kopjes.
Snowcapped peaks, tropical, sandy freshwater beaches, and smiling faces everywhere.
It’s all here, a feast for all the senses.
Let us show you the Uganda we know and love This is Africa the way it should be!
Highlights:
Explore the terrific land with all the beauty it has to share with you in these
Primates: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi
Bragging Rights: Seeing the Gorillas and the Tree climbing lion
Fun: Game Drives
Your Program
Day One
Arrival
Destination
Entebbe
On arrival at the Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by our safari guide who will then transfer you to the booked hotel.Depending on your preference a tour of Kampala City can be arranged; experience rich cultural history of the Buganda Kingdom from which the name ‘Uganda’ was derived. A visit to the Uganda Museum and feel the energy of Kampala’s vibrant night life.
Accommodation
Lodge: Airport Guest House
Meal Plan: Dinner
Day Two
In the morning transfer to Murchison Fall National Park
Destination
Murchison Fall National Park
Early morning breakfast and off you is for another game drive across the Savannah, along Lake Albert Delta, abundant wildlife as you move slowly as the sun rises.
Climb to the narrow gorge that makes the famous Murchison Falls, first gazetted as a game reserve in 1926, it is Uganda’s largest and oldest conservation area, hosting 76 species of mammals and 451 birds and a popular spot for white water rafting in Uganda. Look out for the crocodiles, hippos, buffaloes and a variety of birds along the banks.
Accommodation
Lodge: Fort Murchison
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day Three
Morning Game Drive and Boat Rides Along The Nile
Destination
Murchison Fall National Park
The game drive is on an open roof vehicle to the north of the River Nile where the park is crowded with different animals.The gorilla trek can proceed for more than 2 hours but it is worthwhile when you meet a family that you have been tracking for a long time.
Please carry a wide brimmed hat, binoculars and a good camera to capture the wild’s moments. Sights include the giraffes, buffaloes, a few lion prides, oribi, antelopes and waterbucks. Head back to your lodge for a sumptuous lunch before your afternoon rides.
On the 3 hour boat trip, gently moving along the river bank viewing crocodiles, an abundance of hippos, elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, lots of birds including the fish eagle, storks and so much more.The boat moves gently up the river and stay on the left hand side so that you see most of the animals who come to the river.
Accommodation
Lodge: Fort Murchison
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day Four
Transfers to Kibale Forest National Park
Destination
Kibale Forest National Park
Get up ready early for your breakfast and proceed for a 6.30 am morning game drive. The Park’s diverse ecosystem of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife.After lunch go for the afternoon launch cruise on the Kazinga Channel. The Kazinga channel is a wide, 32-kilometre (20 mile) long natural channel connecting the two Lakes; Lake Gorge (which is to the east) and Lake Edward (which is to the west). This is a home of a variety of water birds and on a hot day, hippos, elephants, buffaloes and waterbucks can be sighted as they bathe and drink water at the water edge.
From the enormous Goliath Heron, a statuesque 1 metre high, to the tiny jewel-like Malachite Kingfisher, Queen Elizabeth’s bird life offers something for everyone to admire.
Accommodation
Lodge: Chimp Forest Guest Hs
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day Five
Kibaale National Park to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Destination
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Start your day on an early chimpanzee tracking in the abundant forest. The chimps are the prime attractions in this park, despite the presence of other species of primates like red colobus monkeys, the rare L’Hoest, blue monkey, grey mangabey, pottos, black faced vervet monkeys, baboons and also bush babies. Other animals include forest elephant, buffalo, forest hog, antelopes and other birds. You will have a lunch break before heading to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Accommodation
Lodge: Bush Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day Six
Game Drives & Boat Ride On The Kazinga Channel
Destination
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Early in the morning you will go with a ranger head for a game drive through the park, with magnificent views of the plains, valleys, terraced hills and wild animals like reedbuck, bushbuck, kob, warthogs, elephants, lions, buffalos and so much more. Have a break and relax as you eat lunch served at the lodge.
The afternoon adventure entails a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel, water stream joining Lake Edward and Lake George. The channel attract a large school of Hippos and Nile crocodiles, besides the variety of birds that flock the reed shores like the shoebill, pelicans, kingfishers, saddle billed stork and sometimes the crowned cranes.
Accommodation
Lodge: Bush Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day Seven
Transfers To Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Destination
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After an early morning breakfast, board vehicle and head for Bwindi National park. En-route pass through Ishaha, south of Queen Elizabeth Park, famous for its tree climbing lions.Continue on to Bwindi forest for the montane gorillas, a population of the few left in the world.
The forest is also home to over 300 species of birds, particularly Albertine endemics like the double collared sunbird, Kivu ground thrushes, short tailed warbler and African grey parrots. 24 of 26 species are found in the park alone.
Accommodation
Lodge: Gorilla Mist Camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day Eight
Gorilla Trekking at Bwindi
Destination
Entebbe
After an early morning breakfast, take a walk to the park’s offices for preliminary briefing where you will be allocated into groups of 8 persons and given about 2 armed ranger guides to lead you through the thick forest.Trek through the forest’s thick vegetation hearing creaks and groans of the gorilla and monkeys at a distance. Identify the spoors and trails of the gorillas from their previous night spots and then track them.
Finding the gorillas is quite an anxious feeling, you have only 1 hour to enjoy the amazing creatures as they feed and grumble with their little ones. Take pictures of them as your tour guide identifies for you this particular family, its name and usual behaviour. The tracking sometimes lasts 2-7 hours thus the need to pack your lunch for the adventure.
Accommodation
Lodge: Gorilla Mist Camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day Nine
Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
Destination
Lake Mburo National Park
After an early morning breakfast, set off to Lake Mburo National Park; Drive past the intensely terraced Kigezi hill slopes and stop by Mbarara town for lunch break.Arrive in the park in the early afternoon for a boat ride on the lake or game drive in the park.On the game drive, there are different animals to see such as the eland, zebras, hyenas, leopards, buffalos, sitatunga and other mammals.
The boat ride on the lake is good for birding safaris for several birds like African Harrier Hawk, yellow- backed, cormorant fish eagles, spectacled weavers, Levillant, shoe bill stork, heron etc. the shores of the lake are crowded with crocodiles and a number of hippos. Later, relax at Rwakob Rock , where you will spend the night.
Accommodation
Lodge: Rwakob Rock
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day Ten
Departure for Kampala
Destination
Kampala
Breakfast in the morning and there is an early option for a a bush walk in the park and a Kampala city tour if you’ve late departures.
Note: Instead of going for the bush walk, you can as well decide to relax at your lodge, make a mountain bike safari (US$15 pp extra for 2 hours) or going on a horseback riding safari in the park (US$ 60 pp extra for 2 hours).
After brunch at the lodge, you will drive back to Kampala or Entebbe (Airport) (7 hours) stopping at the equator for the requisite snapshot and a bit of souvenir shopping. Accommodation for tonight is not inclusive in the program. If you wish to depart tonight from Entebbe Airport, make sure your flight is at 10.
Optional: Depending on your interest and time for the flight, Move with us to witness us deliver your contribution to the communities we work with.Consequently we deduct 20% of every booking you Journey with us and we offer to our charity www.globalictcare.org
Accommodation
No Accommodation
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch & Fly-out
Inclusions
1. All Meals and accommodation as per the itinerary.
2. Chimpanzee Tracking
3. All ground transportation in a comfortable 4×4 vehicle
4. Park entrance fees
5. Services of a full time English speaking driver/guide.
6. Gorilla permit $600
7. Water while on safari
8. All airport pick-ups and drops
9. All activities at stipulated in the itinerary
10. And all government taxes/levies.
Exclusions
1. Phone calls and bar bills
2. Personal insurance4.
3. Air fare
4. All other Services of a personal nature
5. Driver guide’s gratuity
6. Activities not mentioned in the itinerary