DESTINATIONS TO VISIT: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Murchison Falls National Park , Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Lake Mburo National Park.
Itinerary Overview
This 14-day safari in Uganda takes you to 5 of the country’s diverse landscapes and wildlife. The journey leads to Murchison Falls National Park for exceptional game drives and a boat safari along the Nile River. Continuing to Kibale with great scenic views and mind-blowing community activities, followed by Queen Elizabeth National Park for diverse wildlife encounters and stunning scenery. Kalinzu chimpanzee tracking adds to the primate experience. The adventure reaches its peak with the unforgettable gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. A visit to Lake Mburo National Park, known for zebra sightings and abundant birdlife, concludes the expedition.
Upon your late arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will receive a warm welcome from your driver guide and will be transferred to Kampala for a rest and sleepover at your accommodation.
On this day our driver guide will pick you up after breakfast and head to Northern side of Uganda. You will have lunch along the way. On arrival at sanctuary, you will have a briefing and then head out for rhino tracking. The sanctuary was set up to reintroduce rhinoceros in Uganda following their extinction in 1982. This 70 square kilometer sanctuary in an immaculate bush country is currently home to the only wild rhinos in Uganda. After rhino tracking, you will continue to Murchison Falls National Park for dinner and overnight at the lodge.
In the morning after breakfast, you will go for a game drive through the park searching for predators and other game. The drive will reward you with game like Hyena, Leopard, Elephant, Lion, Jackson’s hartebeest, Oribi, Uganda kob, Giraffe to mention but a few. After the game drive you will have a picnic lunch in the park. In the afternoon you will be transferred to the Victoria Nile dock for a boat ride that takes you to the bottom of the falls. The ride will reward you with game like Crocodile, Monitor lizard, Hippos, Buffalo, and plenty of birds like the Kingfisher. Later that evening you will have a cocktail sundowner at the top of the falls. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
After breakfast you will depart for a 7 hours’ drive to Kibale National Park, passing though verdant countryside, traditional homesteads, tea plantations, matoke (banana) plantations and much more. You will have a stopover in Hoima town for lunch, and later continue to Kibale National Park. Dinner and overnight at the booked accommodation.
The lodge you will be staying at was designed on the theme of safari built on agricultural land, next to the Kibale Forest National Park and its primates, separated from the forest by the roaring river with its rapids. If you’re lucky, don’t be surprised to see the chimpanzees in front of you! This local family lodge was built for people who love travel, nature and conservation. Every effort has been made to ensure a memorable stay for all their guests. In honor of the tropical environment, each cottage (6 in total) has a variety of organic tropical fruit trees available at your fingertips. For example, you can see, touch, harvest and eat a papaya!
Today you will have a jungle breakfast and later you will engage in different activities available at the lodge. Later in the evening, you will have a camp fire with a traditional dance performance to wrap up the day.
Activities at the lodge
Making Ugandan waragi gin, banana juice and brewing experience, Vanilla growth chain experience, Vegetable garden experience, Botanical experience (African medicinal plants), , Tree planting experience in Africa, Coffee experience, Tea experience, Lawyer growth experience, Community walk, Nature walk/Crater Lakes (Great Views), Local culinary experience, Massage in nature.
Today you will have breakfast at leisure then you may choose to do more of the activities at the lodge that you might not have gotten a chance to do the previous day. Lunch will be at the lodge and spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing enjoying the scenic views from the lodge.
Today after breakfast, you will take on a nature walk to have a magnificent view of the crater lakes. On return from the walk, you will have lunch at the lodge. After lunch, you will check out and start your journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to the tree climbing lions. As you approach the park, you will have an enroute game drive arriving at the lodge in the evening. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Wake up before sunrise for breakfast and set off to the park tracks for a game drive. It is important to set off early to be able to see predators as they return from their hideouts. During the drive, look out for game like leopards, lions, giant forest hogs, hyenas, Uganda kobs, warthogs and others. After the game drive you will head back to the lodge to refresh and later have lunch before a boat ride. The boat ride takes you along the Kazinga channel that connects Lakes George and Edward. You will spot game like hippos, elephants and buffaloes at the shores, not forgetting plenty of birds. Dinner and overnight
After breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and drive to Kalinzu forest to track chimpanzees. The activity involves moving in the forest in search of the chimpanzees and once they are located, you spend an hour watching and learning about their different behaviors. After you will proceed with the journey to Kabale where you will have lunch and then later continue to Lake Mutanda. Arrival will be in the evening for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Have an early breakfast, and get transferred to the park headquarters for briefing before setting off in search of gorillas at the impenetrable Bwindi Forest. The time you will take searching for these humble apes is unpredictable, however, it ranges between 2-9 hours depending on their movement. The thrill of encountering these giant primates is one of a lifetime. You will stay with them for 1 hour for observation and photographs, later return to the lodge for lunch and a relaxed afternoon. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
WHAT TO PACK FOR A GORILLA TRACKING SAFARI: HIKING BOOTS, LONG SLEEVED SHIRT, LONG TROUSERS, WATER PROOF JACKET, WATER PROOF BACKPACK, SUNGLASSES, GARDEN GLOVES, HAT, DRINKING WATER, MASK.
After breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and start your journey to Lake Mburo National Park. Lunch will be at Igongo Cultural Centre before proceeding to check in at your lodge for a relaxed afternoon at the pool or you may opt to do an afternoon boat cruise or an afternoon/evening game drive. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
After breakfast, you will go for game viewing in the park. You may opt to do this by taking a nature walk, cycling or by horse riding in search of animals, the common ones being the zebra, impala, buffalo, topi, and eland as herbivores plus predators like the rare leopard, hyenas and jackals. Return to the lodge for lunch, and later go for a boat cruise on Lake Mburo. After you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
After an early breakfast, you will have a game drive as you drive out of the park to take the road to Kampala. Expect scenic viewing enroute including long-horned Ankole cattle. You will have a lunch break at the Equator line where you will have an opportunity to take photos too. Later proceed to Kampala. Dinner and overnight at the booked accommodation. Accommodation is based on bed and breakfast. (Dinner at own cost) The Diner is a La carte (3 restaurants: Italian, African & Asian)
