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. This can be at your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala at 08:00 am. If you however coming off a flight arriving Entebbe in the morning before 2pm, we can start from from Entebbe Airport up-on your arrival.

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En route, there is a local community popular for making local drums and crafts and a fruit market. Stopover, admire and buy yourself souvenirs.

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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 zebra, topi, buffalo, eland, impala, water hogs, waterbucks and more.

 

Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)

Up-market: Mihingo Lodge 

Moderate: Rwakobo Rock Safari Lodge

Low Budget: Eagles Nest

 

Day 2: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for Gorilla Trek

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.

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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 | Haven Lodge Bwindi | Nkuringo Gorilla Camp | Gorilla Mist Camp

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

 

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.

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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.

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: Engagi Lodge | Haven Lodge Bwindi | 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 for Wildlife Safari Experiences, Tree-climbing lions in Ishasha

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

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 | Buffalo Safari Resort | Enganzi Lodge

Budget price: Bush Lodge (tents)

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Day 5: Game Viewing drives and Kazinga Boat Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park

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.

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.

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

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

Budget price: Bush Lodge in tents

 

Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park & Kibale Forest National Park

After your breakfast, we check out and start our drive to Fort Portal. We do a game drive in the northern part of the park, visiting the Baboon Cliff famous for its nice scenery, and good views of the shadows of the mountains of the moon – the Rwenzoris.

Enjoy the drive back to the lodge through large expanses of savannah grasslands as you spot some wildlife en route.

Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)

Up-market: Kyaninga Lodge | Ndali Lodge | Primate Lodge Kibale

Moderate: Isunga Lodge| Kibale Forest Camp | Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse (self contained cottages)

Low Budget: Kibale Forest Camp (in tents) | Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse (shared bathroom rooms)

 

Day 7: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale National Park & Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary

After breakfast we take a 45-minute drive takes us to Kibale National Park, where we spend the day hiking through the Kibale Forest in search of chimpanzees and other primates.

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This park, which averages about 3,300 feet in elevation, is an extension of the great rainforests of central Africa. Kibale is inhabited by three large “communities” of chimps, each numbering more than 100 individuals. Each community has a complicated social structure. The big adult males dominate the group and defend the community territory against incursions by male outsiders; the females usually wander in small family groups. Chimps tend to forage in small parties, or even as individuals. They usually travel on the ground, but being primarily fruit eaters, they mostly feed in trees. They coalesce into larger groups when they find an abundant source of food, such as a fruiting fig tree.

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Typically, we locate the chimps by listening for their pant-hooting calls, then hustle to the area from which they are calling. We get to observe them as they feed in fruiting trees, lounge, and socialize with each other, or even, occasionally, hunt.

In the afternoon we visit a nearby forest swamp that is excellent for viewing primates and other forest animals. At the Eastern edge of Kibale forest is Bigodi Wetland sanctuary which is maintained by the local community. You will expect birds like the great blue turaco, blue monkeys, baboons, otters, mongoose, bushbucks, bush pigs and among others.

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Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)

Up-market: Kyaninga Lodge | Ndali Lodge | Primate Lodge Kibale

Moderate: Isunga Lodge | Kibale Forest Camp | Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse (self contained cottages)

Low Budget: Kibale Forest Camp (in tents) | Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse (shared bathroom rooms)

 

Day 8: Drive back to Entebbe or Kampala for end of Uganda Safari

Breakfast and head for Kampala (about 5 hours driving) via Mubende. This route travels through breathtaking scenery and delightfully rolling plantations, some of the best in Uganda.

Depending on how much time we have on us we can tour around Kampala’s crafts and souvenirs markets before checking in at your hotel or being transferred to the airport.