BEST OF UGANDA
Day one: Arrival
On arrival at the airport, you will be welcomed by a professional guide from Afrikan Wildlife who will then take you to the Hotel in Entebbe. Depending on time of arrive, you can go for the optional city tour. Overnight at Boma Guest House, Airport View Guest House, Papyrus Guest House. Bed and Breakfast.
Day Two: Mabira Forest and Jinja.
Drive to eastern Uganda, stop at Mabira for the nature walk at Rain Forest lodge. Then proceed to Jinja and visit the Source of the Nile. Optional white water rafting. Dinner and overnight at Jinja Nile Resort.
Day Three: Jinja – Sipi
Get morning breakfast and drive to Sipi falls. In the afternoon, go for the coffee plantation and coffee making process who will take you through coffee making from the nursery bed to the stage of taking coffee in the cup. With optional activity of Hiking Mountain Elgon. Dinner and overnight at Rafiki Lodge Sipi or Sipi River lodge. Full board.
Day Four: Sipi – Pian Upe.
After an early morning breakfast, go for the Sipi falls hike and later drive to Pian Upe National reserve for the game drive in the evening. Take picnic lunch boxes with you. Dinner and overnight at Pian Upe Wildlife Bandas. Full board.
Day Five: Pian Upe
Get morning breakfast and then go for the morning gamde drive in search for Cheetahs, Zebras, Roan Antelope, Ostriches, Giraffes, Elephants, Buffalos, Waterbucks, aardvark, hares, porcupine, Uganda Kob and over 242 birds species. Optional activities like Hiking Kadamu, Night Game drive, Nature walk, Community visits for cultural performance, Caving, Bird watching. Dinner and overnight at Pian Upe Wildlife Bandas. Full board.
Day Six: Pian Upe – Moroto
Drive to Moroto after morning breakfast arriving in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Kara Tunga, Hotel Africana, Mt. Moroto Hotel. Full board
Day Seven: Karamojong and Turkana Cultural tour.
Have your morning breakfast and then go for the Turkana and Karamajongo Cultural tour. Experience daily cores of this traditional pastrolist tribe. Optional activities Mt. Moroto/Mt. Napak/Mt. Murungule/Mt. Kadamu Hikes, Cultural performance for big groups, Normadic Pastoral experience with overnight stay, Moto safari on Boda Boda, Bicycle tour, Walking tour, Bush dinners, Karamajongo traditional ceremonies like a wedding, Dinner and overnight at Kara Tunga, Hotel Africana, Mt Moroto Hotel. Full board.
Day Eight: Moroto – Kidepo National park
After breakfast, you will proceed to Kidepo Valley National Park. The park lies in the rugged and Semi-arid valley of Karamoja. This is Uganda’s most remote National Park which borders Sudan in the north. The park also suffered the same fate of poaching like other Ugandan Parks which left some game herds depleted. But the park has recovered for the last 2o years of stability with 80 species of mammals and a bird list of 475 species and amongst the host of dry eastern “specials” not found in any other Ugandan park like Karamoja Alpalis and Black-breasted barbet. Dinner and overnight at Savannah Lodge. Full Board.
Day Nine: Kidepo Valley
After breakfast, you will go for an early morning game drive to the kidepo valley plains where you may have chances of viewing Lions, Giraffe, Hartebeest, Buffalo, Elephant, Bohor Reedbuck as well as many of the other mammals of the park. Later in the afternoon, you can go for the evening game drive or go for optional nature walk, Normadic Cultural experience. Dinner and overnight at Savannah Lodge. Full Board.
Day Ten: Kidepo
Full day game drive looking for Ostriches and exploring more of the park. Dinner and overnight at Savannah Lodge. Full Board.
Day Eleven: Kidepo – Murchison Falls National park.
After breakfast, set off to Murchison falls arriving in the afternoon. On arrival, you may decide to rest in your room or go for the evening game drive. Dinner and overnight at Pakuba Safari Lodge. Full Board.
Day Twelve: Murchison Falls
After breakfast, you will go for an early morning game drive where you may have chances of viewing Lions, Giraffe, Hartebeest, Buffalo, and Elephant, Bohor Reedbuck as well as many of the other mammals of the park. For the bird lovers, you can come across the Sported Morning Thrush, Silverbird, Buff-bellied Warbler, Black-headed Batis, Black headed Gonolek, Vitelline masked weaver, Green winged Pytilia, Blue-naped Mousebird, Secretary Bird, Black Chested Snake Eagle, Tawny and Marshal Eagles, Northern and Southern Carmine Bee-Eaters and many others. In the afternoon, go for a boat trip to the foot of Murchison Falls where the Nile thunders through a small 7-meter gap, or down river to the delta where the Nile empties into Lake Albert. The banks of the Nile are home to many species. You may see huge Nile Crocodiles, Hippos and other wildlife that may come down to drink from the river. Optional Chimpanzee trekking, Boat to the Delta, Hot Air Ballon safari, Pakwach Cultural experience. Dinner and overnight at Pakuba Safari Lodge. Full Board.
Day Thirteen: Murchison Falls – Kibale.
After breakfast, depart Murchison Falls to Kibale Forest National Park. This park is known for the highest number of primate species in Africa. The activity starts in the morning hours, and there is also another lot for the afternoon depending on the time of your booking and itinerary. When tracking chimpanzees, you may come across other primates including phoestes, Red-Colobuses, Blues, Red-tailed and grey cheeked Mangabeys in the canopies of the dense forest and birds, butterflies and many small insects. The guides provide explanations about primates and other forest’s fauna and flora, ensuring that your walk is both informative and enjoyable. Optional activity of Chimpanzee Habituation, Nocturnal Forest walk, Crater lakes hike, Hike to the top of the World, Community walk. Dinner and overnight at Kibale Guest Cottages, Kibale Forest Cottages. Full Board.
Day Fourteen: Kibale National Park.
This morning you will go for the morning Chimpanzee tracking in the forest, When tracking chimpanzees, you may come across other primates including phoestes, Red-Colobuses, Blues, Red-tailed and grey cheeked Mangabeys in the canopies of the dense forest and birds, butterflies and many small insects. The guides provide explanations about primates and other forest’s fauna and flora, ensuring that your walk is both informative and enjoyable. Later in the afternoon, you will go for a guided walk through Bigodi Swamp. This Wetland is managed by the Kibale Association for Rural and Environmental organization formed in 1992 with the aim of achieving social and economic development for local communities. This swamp is a home to about 137 bird species. Dinner and overnight at Kibale Guest Cottages, Kibale Forest Cottages.Full Board
Alternatively
You can decide to go for chimp habituation and be part of the habituation team that goes to study the behavior of the Chimps in order to make them get used to human beings. Being part of the team that observe the way Chimps nest, feed, climb trees, react to human presence, caring for the young ones is unforgettable experience. This activity starts very early at 6:00am to 6:00pm. You spend the whole day in the forest observing Chimps.
Day Fifteen: Kibale – Semiliki Game Reserve
After your breakfast, depart Kibale and proceed to Semiliki Game reserve while enjoying the rolling hills of Bundibujo and the meandering drive arriving in the afternoon. You can rest in your room or go for the evening game drive. Semiliki National Park protects an extension of the vast Ituri forest and forms part of a forest continuum that stretches across the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Zaire River. Optional activities of Chimpanzee trekking, Night game drive, Dinner and overnight at Ntoroko Lodge. Full Board.
Day Sixteen: Semiliki Game Reserve – Queen Elizabeth National park.
An early breakfast, go for the morning game drive as you drive to Semiliki National Park is one of the richest area for forest birds in Africa. This include some of the continent’s most spectacular and sought-after birds like the Congo Serpent Eagle, Long-tailed Hawk, Nkulengu Rail, Black-wattled Hornbill, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide among others. In the afternoon, proceed to Queen Elizabeth National park. Optional activities, Chimpanzee trekking, Lion experiential, Cultural encounters, Visit salt lakes, Forest in Maramagambo and visit the bat cave, Dinner and overnight at Park View lodge of Twin Lakes lodge. Full Board
Day Seventeen: Queen Elizabeth National Park
This morning, you will have a game drive to the Kasenyi area to look for Lion prides and other wildlife like, waterbuck,Oribi and Uganda Kob that mate around this area returning at the Lodge for breakfast. Queen Elizabeth is the Uganda’s most popular and certainly one of the most scenic. It stretches from the crater-dotted foothills if Rwenzori range in the north, along the shores of Lake Edward to the remote Ishasha River in the south, incorporating a wide range of a variety of habitats that range from savanna and wetlands to gallery and lowland forest. This gives the park the diversity of bird species of over 550 and a list of 95 mammal species.
Then go for the afternoon boat trip along the Kazinga Channel. Here Hippos huff and spray mere feet away from the boat, Buffalos linger in the shallows, a tremendous variety of birds grace the grasses on the shores. Great White and Pink-Backed Pelicans, Great and Long-Tailed Cormorants, Open-Billed Stork, African Jacana, Malachite and Pied Kingfishers are commonly seen. Dinner and overnight at Park View Lodge or Twin Lakes Lodge. Full board
Day Fourteen: Northern sector to Southern Sector – Ishasha.
After breakfast, drive to Ishasha and do the game drive in such for the tree climbing lions. Overnight at Ishasha Jungle Lodge or Enjojo Lodge. Full board.
Day Eighteen: Queen Elizabeth – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
After breakfast, you will depart Queen Elizabeth and head for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park best known for its Mountain Gorillas, the Montane Forest also attracts spectacular birds. There are 23 of the 24 Albertine Rift endemics including the African Green Broadbill, Bar Tailed Trogon and other beautiful forest species. Optional activites, Gorilla Habituation, Vist Batwa (Pygim) community trail, community walk. Spend the night at Rushaga Haven Lodge, Rushaga Gorilla Camp. Full Board.
You have to get enough rest to get ready for the following day’s gorilla tracking because it is quite challenging because of the terrain depending on the group you track.
Day Nineteen: Gorilla Tracking – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
This morning you will have to wake up very early to get ready for Gorilla tracking. The guide will drive you to the headquarters for briefing before you set off in the interior of the forest. Do not forget to take your lunch boxes and all the necessary gear to track the rare Mountain Gorilla, perhaps one of the most exciting wildlife experiences on this Planet. There are now only 650 left in the world. The tracking may take between 3 and 6 hours but its well worth the effort. There are always park guides with you who interpret the flora and fauna and the lifestyle of the Gorillas. The rainforest is spectacular as it offers a dramatic, heavily forested and dense landscape crisscrossed by numerous animal trails, allowing access for tourists. Recorded mammals here include the endangered mountain gorilla, the rare golden monkey, buffalo, elephants, black-fronted duikers, bushbucks, leopards, giant forest hogs as well as other animals. After Gorilla trekking, drive to Mgahinga national park. Dinner and overnight at Travellers Hotel Full Board.
Day Twenty: Mgahinga
After breakfast, go for the golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga national park. Later in the afternoon, drive to Lake Bunyonyi or engage in Optional activities like Mt Muhabura Hike, Golden Monkey Habituation, Community walk, Canoeing. Dinner and overnight at Arcadia cottages. Full board.
Day Twenty One: Bwindi – Lake Bunyonyi
Spend the whole day visiting various historical Islands including the punishment Island, Lepers Island, Bushara Island, the upside down Island, visit the Batwa (pygmies ) community, retuning at the lodge in the evening. Do not forget to take your lunch boxes. This also provides a good chance for the birders to view different water and swamp bird dwellers. Later in the afternoon, relax or engage in Optional activities like Village walk, Zip lining, community walk. Dinner and overnight at Arcadia Cottages. full board.
Day Twenty Two: Bunyonyi – Lake Mburo
After breakfast, depart Bunyonyi for Lake Mburo National Park arriving in the afternoon. Go for the evening game drive or for the boat trip on Lake Mburo. Lake Mburo is an extension of the north-western Tanzanian Plains and eastern Rwanda with big herds of Zebra, Impala, Eland and other savannah mammals. For birders, this is one of the best place to find African Fin foot, Papyrus yellow warbler, papyrus gonolek, Bush Shrike, Brown-chested plover, Southern ground hornbill, Spot-flanked and many others. Optional activities like night game drives, nature walk, horse riding, bicycle safari in the park. Overnight at Arcadia Cottages. Full Board.
Day Twenty Three: Lake Mburo – Entebbe
After breakfast, you will go morning game drive as you are driving out of the park and head for Entebbe. then later transfer to the airport to catch your flight back home.
NB:
The group of Gorilla tracking in Uganda depends on the permits available at the time of your booking. These Gorilla permits in Uganda and Rwanda are on a very high demand and they are sold on first come first serve basis. So we strongly advise that you book them as early as possible.