16 Days Best of Uganda Safari

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  • Antelope in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda, East Africa, Africa
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Gorilla tracking Tips

  • Waterproof walking shoes or hiking boots are for tracking
  • Gardening gloves for protection against stinging plants
  • Long trousers and long-sleeved sweaters or shirts while in the forest.
  • Photography is only allowed with a flash off so as not to scare the Gorillas
  • Porters are available to help you with your bags at a small fee
  • Carry enough drinking water because you never know the location of the Gorillas from the start of your hike. Be prepared for long walks just in case
  • Eating, drinking, and smoking near the gorillas is forbidden. The ranger will always communicate when it’s appropriate for you to do so.
  • Bwindi being a tropical forest, it can rain anytime so we encourage you to carry a rain jacket.

Package Includes,

  • Transportation,
  • Bottled drinking water on safari,
  • 1 Gorilla tracking permit  & 1 Chimpanzee permit each
  • Accommodation and meals outlined,
  • English speaking guide/driver
  • Park entrance fees
  • Activities as outlined,

 Package Excludes,

  • Visa/entry permit for Uganda if required at 50 USD,
  • International Flight costs
  • All drinks except ones served for breakfast, beverages
  • Any activity not mentioned
  • Personal travel insurance covers.
  • Tips to Waiters/ Waitresses and Tour Guides
  • Any other expenses of personal nature

 Extra Notes

 Accommodation named in the itinerary is based on availability during the preferred travel dates. In case of non-availability, similar types of accommodation will be recommended.

Gorilla & Chimpanzee permits cannot be confirmed until a booking/ payment has been made by the clients.

This Safari can be organized throughout the year based on the travel dates of the clients and the availability of Gorilla permits. It can as well be tailored to fit the tastes and preferences of the clients.

The Safari is done in Safari cars with a pop-up roof for Game Viewing. Each client has  a window seat for better travel moments

Day 1: Arrival in Uganda

Arrival into Uganda and pick up from the Entebbe international airport by our company representative and later transferred to Kampala for overnight. Based on the time of arrival, clients may have dinner with the guide for a briefing about the trip or this will be done the next day before setting off.

Accommodation: Budget l Mid-range l Luxury

Estimated travel time: 1- 2 hours based on traffic jam

Meal Plan: Breakfast

 

Day 2: Visit the Uganda Museum and Later transfer to Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Check out from your hotel at 8:00 am for a visit to the Uganda Museum located in Kampala which is a 20 minutes’ drive based on the traffic jam in the morning. The Uganda Museum is a display of our cultural heritage where one can experience both ethnological and natural-historical exhibitions. After the museum tour, the clients may opt for an early lunch in Kampala as the northern route we shall take to Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary doesn’t have many stops for lunch.

The journey to Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary runs through community markets and homes where clients will experience a typical local market. We shall have an opportunity to stop at one of the local markets to purchase some fruits. Uganda is known for growing some of the sweetest fruits in the world.

ZZiwa is dedicated to protecting endangered Rhinos by giving them home just like in the wild and currently, the sanctuary has 22 southern white Rhinos. 

Accommodation: Amuka Lodge

Estimated travel time: 3- 4 hours

Meal Plan: Full board – Lunch, dinner & breakfast

 

Day 3. Rhino tracking on foot & later transfer to Murchison Falls National Park 

After morning breakfast, enter the territory of the Rhinos with a well-trained ranger who will guide you through the paths in the bush to where the Rhinos are. The Rhinos are allowed to freely move in their habitat and sometimes based on where they are located, you may have to drive for a distance before you get off the car. The Rhino tracking takes roughly 1 – 2 hours based on the location of the Rhinos and clients are advised to have long pants, closed shoes, water, and insect repellent. 

After the Rhino tracking, clients will proceed with their journey to the Park through Masindi with a lunch stop at Kabalega dinners.

Accommodation: Budget l Mid-range l Luxury

Estimated travel time: 5-6 hours including stopover

Meal Plan: Full board – breakfast, lunch & dinner

Lunch: Kabalega Dinners

 

Day 4: Game Drive & Boat cruise in Murchison Falls National Park

Wake up to an early morning Game drive in the park after breakfast starting at 6:30 am. There’s wildlife aplenty including 76 mammal species and 451 bird species.  It is Uganda’s biggest conservation area, covering an expanse of 3,840km2 which comprises of dense tropical forests, open Savannah with towering Borassus palm trees. The game drive gives you the opportunity to site Lions, Elephants, Buffalos, and many other animals are hidden away in the beauty of Nature (nature can’t be tamed, provided the day is good we shall see all the animals). Clients will have an opportunity to have a fruit break during the course of the tour.  Clients will later have a lunch break before proceeding for the boat cruise which starts at 2:00 pm  

A 3 hours boat cruise on River Nile offers a great way to enjoy the birdlife flitting along the banks of the world’s longest river, River Nile. This includes fish eagles and kingfishers dive-bombing into the water from overhanging tree branches. This is where to get that photo of a hippo yawning. You will also see lots of elephants, buffalos, and giraffes cooling off with a refreshing splash in the water. This refreshing cruise offers you a better perspective and experience of the park. You will witness a change in scenery, from tropical forest to freshwater to savannahs with rolling hills. 

You can’t miss taking pictures of the Murchison Falls known as the World’s most powerful waterfalls where the Nile from 50 meters squeezes through a 6-meter gorge falling 40 meters with a thunderous roar. For the safety of the clients, boats are not allowed to sail close to the falls.

Note: Clients should have in mind that nature can’t be tamed so we can’t assure you of what kind of animals you will see during the tour.

Meal Plan – Full board – breakfast, lunch & dinner

 

Optional Activities.

  • Hike to the top of the falls. For those who love some bit of hiking, test your fitness by hiking up the falls for a better view of the famous Murchison Falls from the top where all the magic happens. The hike takes between 1 to 2 hours and costs 15 USD per person.

 

Day 5. Transfer to Hoima via Butiaba Fishing Village

After experiencing an amazing time in Murchison Falls National Park, the client will embark on their journey to Hoima a route that takes us through small villages and markets. Clients should have in mind that part of the road to be used is bumpy and dusty.

Our first stop will be at the Butiaba Fishing Village located on the shores of Lake Albert. During the first half of the 20th century, Butiaba was an important transportation hub where merchandise from the Democratic Public of Congo and South Sudan was transported by boat across Lake Albert to the Butiaba harbor. Lake Albert is one of the lakes that make up the Western Rift Valley and the border between DRC and Uganda runs through it. Based on the day, we shall have an opportunity to see some Fishermen carrying out their daily activities at the Fishing Village who use various local fishing styles.

After the activities at the Fishing Village, we shall proceed for lunch at one of the closest and friendly restaurants (clients should note that this route is not well developed with tourist stop hubs in terms of restaurants and washrooms). Later check into our lodge in Hoima

Accommodation: Hoima Cultural Lodge

Estimated travel time: 6-7 hours including stopover

Meal Plan: Full board – Breakfast, lunch & dinner

 Note: Hoima Cultural Village is not a high-end accommodation but is a suitable facility of stay for this night as it offers some cultural experiences into the life of the Banyoro people from Bunyoro Kingdom. Provided clients have time after check-in, they can indulge in a short community tour organized by the lodge at a small fee.

 

Day 6: Transfer to Kibale National Park Via Fort Portal

After breakfast, set off to Kibaale National Park through Fort Portal. The drive combines both dusty and tarmacked roads. Clients will have a lunch break in Fort Portal which is known as the Tourism City of Uganda and the greenest city in Uganda.

The restaurant where the clients have their lunch is opposite the Mpanga Market in Fort Portal where clients will have an opportunity for a quick stroll. Clients will later continue to the Toro Kingdom where we shall have an opportunity to know about the history of the Toro Kingdom and the people within Fort Portal who are known as the Batoro.

 

Accommodation: Budget l Mid-range l Luxury

Estimated travel time: 8+ hours including the lunch stopover

Meal Plan: Full board –  Breakfast, lunch  & Dinner

Lunch: Garden Restaurant

 

Day 7: Chimpanzee tracking and community tour in the afternoon.

 Clients will have their early morning breakfast before setting off at 7:00 am to the park offices for briefing in preparation for Chimpanzee tracking which takes roughly 45 minutes. The Chimpanzee tracking takes roughly 1 – 2 hours or less depending on the location of the Chimps. The walk in the Kibale Forest at times takes the slippery paths and some bit of climbing and therefore clients should have good hiking shoes, enough drinking water, a rain jacket, long pants, and long-sleeved shirts.

Clients will spend 1 hour observing and taking pictures of the Chimps in the forest a moment which is worthwhile. Based on the time clients finish their Chimpanzee tracking, we shall return to the lodge for a hot meal or having it at a new by the lodge in case the chimpanzee tracking took long. 

In the afternoon, we shall head out for a community experience to see how locals in the area live their lives and this will involve a run through how local beer is made, local coffee processing at home, visit the local medicine man who is one of the most respected man in the community and local cow milking methods. Dinner will be at the lodge again.

Meal Plan: Full board – Breakfast, lunch & Dinner

 

Day 8. Crater Lake Tour & Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

 Around the town of Kabata are about twelve lakes and Mahoma waterfall, which makes it an ideal place for visits.  The lakes are all surrounded by intensely steep crater rims that create little sanctuaries for monkeys and birds.  However, they are of varying depths, with the shallow ones murky milk chocolate brown and prone to carry bilharzia, while the deeper ones are glittering sapphire swimming holes for local children.

A popular one is the Nyinambuga lake which appears on the Twenty thousand Uganda Shilling, after break off for lunch.

After lunch, we shall start off our journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park Via Fort Portal. One of the common features we shall be able to see during the drive is the famous ranges of Mountain Rwenzori with the highest peak Margherita Standing at 5109M. Clients will check into the lodge, have lunch, and the rest of the afternoon to relax and enjoy the beautiful views from the lodge.

 Accommodation: Budget l Mid-range l Luxury

Estimated travel time: 4+ hours including the lunch stopover

Meal Plan: Full board – Breakfast, lunch & dinner

 

Day 9: Game Drive & Boat Cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park

 In the morning at 6:30 am, start off your game drive in the park. Queen Elizabeth boasts of one of the highest biodiversity ratings of any game park or reserve in the world. Located on the floor of the Albertine Rift Valley southwest of Kasese, its vegetation comprises of savannah, acacia, euphorbia trees and large papyrus swamps. A number of over 100 mammal species and 500 bird species make this territory and great tourist destination. The maramagambo forest houses a large selection of monkeys and birds with flamingos on the crater lakes. The morning Game drive provides excellent opportunity to see lions, elephants, Leopards, Topi, and many other animals (remember these are wild animals and nature can’t be tamed, so we can’t be 100% sure of seeing all the animals), After the Game Drive, head to Mweya Safari Lodge for lunch at around 12:30 pm before transfer for the boat cruise at 1:30 pm

The boat trip on the Mweya Peninsula along the Kazinga channel which is a 41 km stretch of water and believed to be the longest natural water channel connects Lake Edward and Lake George. Here you have an opportunity to see crocodiles, hippos, and birds that inhabit the Shoreline. The boat cruise takes roughly 2 hours. After the boat cruise, transfer back to the lodge through the magnificent crater lakes in the park.

Meal Plan: Full board – Breakfast, lunch & dinner

 

Day 10: Transfer to the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Ishasha is a sector in Queen Elizabeth National Park which is famous for the tree-climbing lions. The drive to this area takes approximately 3- 4 hours on dusty roads. We shall proceed to the lodge for check-in and have lunch before we head out for an afternoon game drive in search of the tree-climbing lions and any other animals that nature will provide.

Accommodation: Budget l Mid-range l Luxury

Estimated time of travel: 3- 4 hours including stopovers.

Meal Plan: Full board- Break Fast, Lunch & Dinner

 

Day 11: Bush breakfast & Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

 Clients will have an opportunity for a bush breakfast in the wilderness as a way of closing off their visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park.  After proceed with their journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and based on the availability of Gorilla Permits, clients will either track in Buhoma or Ruhijja

Accommodation: Budget l Mid-range l Luxury

Estimated time of travel: 4 hours including stopovers.

Meal Plan: Half board- Break Fast & Dinner

 

Day 12: Gorilla tracking  in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

After an early breakfast, at 7:15 am drive to the information center with packed lunch boxes to prepare for the Gorilla tracking.

Uganda is estimated to have 53.3% of the world population of Mountain Gorillas found both in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. Clients are briefed on the gorilla tracking experience by a Ranger from Uganda Wildlife Authority before they traverse to the Gorilla sanctuary to start tracking these lovely creatures.

It’s never certain how much time clients will take to find the Gorillas as this is based on where they are currently located. Tracking sometimes goes through steep and muddy areas in case of rains so clients should be ready for that. Upon finding the Gorillas, clients spend 1 hour with them observing and taking pictures while the range takes them through the life of these animals.  The time you spend observing these endangered species is worth a trip to any part of the world and can never be forgotten.  Clients are expected to have enough drinking water, good hiking shoes, rain jackets in case it rains, gloves if necessary, long-sleeved clothes.

After the tracking, we will get in contact with the local community. Dance, music, and a short tour through the village will follow.

 

Day 13. Transfer to Kisoro at Lake Mutanda

After breakfast starts off the journey to Lake Mutanda at 9 am. The drive goes through Bwindi Impenetrable National offering beautiful sceneries of the cultivated hills offering a sneak insight into the way of life of the people living in this area.  Our night will be spent at Lake Mutanda Resort which offers an amazing view of the Virunga Mountains.

Later in the evening, clients will go for a boat cruise on Lake Mutanda with some snacks and drinks to celebrate their graduation from the school of ‘Gorilla Tracking.

Accommodation: Lake Mutanda Resort

Estimated time of travel: 4 hours including stopovers.

Meal Plan: Full board- Break Fast, Lunch & Dinner

 

Day 14: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

After breakfast, you will set off for your journey to Lake Mburo National Park at 7:30 am.  We shall have a lunch stop at Igongo Cultural Center before proceeding for check-in at the lodge.

Later in the afternoon head out for a 2 hours nature walk with a well-trained ranger. The nature walks are a magical way to experience the bush. They allow you to notice smaller details often overlooked when in a car. The savannah park is small, compact, and easy to travel around, and the number of animals is significant comparing to the small area of the park. Nowhere else in Uganda do you get a big population of zebras as is Lake Mburo, over 8,000. Even more fascinating, it has almost all the animals in the antelope family, inclusive of topi, klipspringer duiker, oribi, and bohor reedbuck

 Note: Clients can either opt for a horse bark safari or cycling tour in the park.

Accommodation: Budget l Mid-range l Luxury

Estimated time of travel: 7 – 8 hours

Meal Plan: Full board- Break Fast, Lunch & Dinner

Lunch: Igongo Cultural Center

 

Day 15. Morning Game drive in the park & later transfer to Entebbe.

 Clients will have an opportunity for a morning game drive in Lake Mburo National Park before they embark on their journey back to Entebbe for an overnight.

Accommodation: Budget l Mid-range l Luxury

Estimated time of travel: 6 – 7 hours

Meal Plan: Half board- Break Fast & Dinner

 

Day 16.  Transfer to the airport for international flights

Transfer to Entebbe International Airport for a flight back home carrying memories about Uganda along with you. The hotel is 10 minutes drive away from the Airport. If possible clients are advised not to take very early morning flights so as to have some time for personal shopping.   (Breakfast)

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