DETAILED ITENERARY

Day 1: Lake Mburo National Park

Meet and greet with our local guide over breakfast, and then after we drive heading to southwestern Uganda.

En route, there is a local community popular for making local drums and crafts and a fruit market. Stopover, admire and buy yourself souvenirs. Proceed to the Equator line taken as one beautiful scenery in Africa - the pathway of the sun and take photographs.

Early afternoon, arrive in Lake Mburo for a lunch in the park grounds as you marvel at the game and birds within the park. Take a game drive in the afternoon and look out for zebras, topis, buffalo, eland, impala, water hogs, waterbucks etc

Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)

Up-market: Mihingo Lodge

Moderate: Rakobo Rock | Lake Mburo Safari Lodge

Low Budget: Eagles Nest Camp

 

Day 2: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

After an early breakfast we depart for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest via Mbarara town.

We drive through stunning volcanic landscape adorned with steep sided hills covered from top to bottom in neatly terraced plantations of bananas, tea and thick montane forests to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

The Bwindi area is a highly fertile, mountainous region with steep sided hills covered from top to bottom in neatly terraced rows of cultivation. You are really driving through the “Banana Republic” with banana plantations all around you, steep hills, small rivers……just amazing scenery.

Arrive late afternoon at the park and check-in at accommodation.

Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)

Up-market: Buhoma Lodge | Mahogany Lodge | Chameleon Hill Lodge | Trackers Lodge Buhoma

Moderate: Engagi Lodge  | Silverback Lodge | Nkuringo Gorilla Camp | Gorilla Mist Camp

Low Budget:  Buhoma Community Campground |Rushaga Gorilla Camp | Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp | Gorilla Valley Lodge 

 

Day 3: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After breakfast, proceed for the morning briefing before enjoying the highlight of the trip - gorilla trekking, which may last the entire day.

We trek through the rainforest and bamboo covered slopes, accompanied by a guide and trackers, in search of a mountain gorilla family. The walking can sometimes be tough and long, but when you catch a glimpse of the magnificent silverback, any discomforts will be quickly forgotten. When sighted, visitors will be guided to within 6 metres from the gorillas, sit around them for a whole hour while gazing into their big round eyes.

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Gorilla trekking is unpredictable. It's difficult to foresee how many hours you will hike. The gorilla excursion can take from 2 up to 8 hours. Expect to walk along distance in steep and muddy conditions, sometimes with rain overhead, before you encounter any gorillas. A good physical condition is recommended. For conservation purposes, time spent with the gorillas is limited to one hour. A ranger will brief you on how to behave with the gorillas.

While most of today's forests are no more than 12,000 years old, Bwindi's vegetation has been weaving itself into tangles over at least 25,000 years, in the process accumulating a lengthy species list. This includes 310 species of butterfly, 51 reptiles, 200 trees, 88 moths and an exceptional 120 types of mammal including 10 primates. The latter includes chimpanzee, L'Hoest's, red tailed and blue monkey, black and white colobus, baboon, and Bwindi's most famous resident, the mountain gorilla.

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Bwindi is a prime destination for birdwatchers. Its 350 species include seven which are IUCN red data listed and 90% of all Albertine rift endemics, species which are difficult or impossible to see in any other part of East Africa.

Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)

Up-market: Buhoma Lodge | Mahogany Lodge | Chameleon Hill Lodge | Trackers Lodge Buhoma

Moderate: Silverback Lodge | Nkuringo Gorilla Camp | Gorilla Mist Camp

Low Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Camp | Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp | Gorilla Valley Lodge | Buhoma Community Campground

 

Day 4: Queen Elizabeth National Park & Tree-climbing Lions

After breakfast we drive through stunning savannah grasslands as we head to the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Ishasha a much more remote and less-traveled part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, but one which has a sense of exclusivity and remoteness. The game densities here are high, and this region has reported some of the largest herds of elephant anywhere in Uganda, as it is their main migration corridor between Uganda and the DRC.

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As we enter the park, we do a game drive in search of the wild game. We continue and drive to the northern circuit which is the area near the main road known for its tree climbing lions. We look particularly at the many fig trees where lions like to stay. But we also visit the Uganda kob mating ground which is their preferred hunting area.

Up-market/Luxury: Deluxe Tent/Deluxe room at Mweya Safari Lodge | Katara Lodge

Mid-range or moderate facility: Ihamba Safari Lodge | Bush Lodge (rooms) | Buffalo Safari Resort | Enganzi Lodge

Budget price: Bush Lodge (tents) | Simba Safari Camp | Pumba Cottages

 

Day 5: Kyambura Gorge Chimpanzee Trekking and a Boat safari on The Kazinga Channel

After an early breakfast you head out to the Kyambura Gorge for Chimpanzee trekking. 

Chimpanzee tracking in the gorge is remarkable as some of the Chimps have been habituated, meaning that these chimpanzees are familiar with human beings and can carry on their day to day activities in the presence of people. Kyambura is the only place in the park where you can see habituated chimpanzees and other types of primates including red-tailed monkey, black-and-white colobus, baboons and vervet monkeys. This area is also identified for a variety of avian species like numerous falcons, the blue-headed bee-eater and the African Fin foot.

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In the afternoon we will go for a launch trip along the Kazinga Channel. This gives you the opportunity to view wildlife up close: hippo’s huff and spray at a mere feet away from the boat, buffalo linger in the shallows. The shores of the channel are also home to an array of birds including pink backed pelicans, pied and malachite kingfishers, saddle billed stork and many others.

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Up-market/Luxury: Deluxe Tent/Deluxe room at Mweya Safari Lodge | Katara Lodge

Mid-range or moderate facility: Ihamba Safari Lodge | Bush Lodge (rooms) | Buffalo Safari Resort | Enganzi Lodge

Budget price: Bush Lodge (tents) | Simba Safari Camp | Pumba Cottages

 

Day 6: Safari Game drives, Depart for Kampala

We set out early in the morning for a game drive in the northern part of the park on the Kasenyi Track in search of lions, elephants, solitary buffaloes. This is the best time for opportunities of viewing the cats in action owing to the vast population of Uganda kobs. We have an excellent chance to view just about every animal here at very close range.

After the game drive, start your journey back to Kampala with a lunch stop along the way (if you didn't get packed lunch in the morning). You will carry on with the journey to Kampala arrive in the evening and the driver will transfer you to your accommodation in Kampala or Entebbe area in case your flight is timely close.