MURCHISION FALLS,ROYAL MILE, KIBALE, QUEEN ELIZABETH,BWINDI FOREST,LAKE BUNYONYI,LAKE MBURO AND JINJA
Summarized itinerary
Day One: Arrival
Day Two: Drive to Murchison falls with an optional stop at Ziwa Rhino sanctuary. Continue to the top of the falls.
Day Three: Morning game drive and afternoon boat ride to the bottom of the falls
Day Four: Nature walk on the Royal mile, continue to Hoima
Day Five: Transfer to Kibale forest national park
Day Six: Morning chimp trek and afternoon nature walk in Bigodi Swap
Day Seven: Drive through the foothills of Rwenzori Ranges to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day Eight: Morning game drive and afternoon boat ride along the Kazinga channel
Day Nine: Transfer to Ishasha, the southern part of Queen Elizabeth
Day Ten: Morning game drive and transfer to Bwindi.
Day Eleven: Gorilla Trek and optional hike to the Batwa
Day Thirteen: Transfer to lake Bunyonyi
Day Fourteen: Self-guided walk or boat ride around islands on the lake and transfer to lake Mburo
Day Fifteen: Morning Game drive and afternoon boat ride along the lake
Day Fourteen: Transfer to Jinja, boat ride to the source of the Nile
Day Sixteen: Half day rafting
Day Seventeen: Departure
Detailed itinerary
Day One: Arrival
One of our company representatives will pick you fro the airport and transfer you to the hotel for overnight stay. Dinner and overnight stay at Kampala Serena hotel (Up market), Golf course hotel (Midrange) or Cassia lodge Buziga (Budget),BB
Day Two: Kampala –Murchison falls National park.
Depart early morning to Uganda’s largest protected area -Murchison falls national park. After a lunch stop in Masindi town, we shall continue to the magnificent top of the falls. Here you will enjoy and Marvel at the Mighty Nile being forced in a seven meter crevice to thunder 45 meters below in a series of cascades that can be viewed at different points at the summit.
Dinner and overnight stay at Baker’s lodge/Paraa safari lodge (Up market), Murchison river lodge(Midrange) and Red Chilli Rest Camp (Budget). B,L,D
Day Three: Murchison Falls National Park
Have an early breakfast at the lodge and go for an early game drive on Albert, Buligi or Queen’s tracks. Frequently observed animals include, bush buck, Defassa waterbuck, Bohor reed buck,Oribi,Warthog,side-stripped jackal,elephants,kob,jackson’s hartebeest,buffallo and Rothschild’s giraffe.
After lunch, we shall go for a boat ride to the bottom of the falls.Enroute we shall view large numbers of hippos, crocodiles, small herds of buffalo, waterbuck, elephants and kob. Some of the sighted bird species include shoe bill especially in the dry season, African fish eagle, Goliath heron, saddle-billed stork, African jacana, pied and malachite king fishers, black winged bishop and African skimmer.
Dinner and overnight stay at Baker’s lodge/Paraa safari lodge (Up market), Murchison River lodge (Midrange) and Red Chilli Rest Camp (Budget). B,L,D
Day Four: Murchison falls – Hoima
Have an early breakfast and check out of the lodge with packed lunches. Drive to Nyabyeya for a bird walk on the Royal Mile. This is regarded as the single best bird watching site in Uganda. Some of the bird species include African dwarf, blue- breasted and Chocolate –backed king fishers are all very common. Other local bird species include Cassin’s hawk eagle,Nahan’s fracolin,white thighed hornbill and the forest fly catcher. Spend the afternoon at leisure, overnight stay at Kontiki hotel – Hoima. B, L, D
Day Five: Hoima – Kibale forest National park.
Have an early breakfast and transfer to Fort portal arriving in time for lunch. Overnight stay at Kyaninga /Crater safari lodge (up market) or Primate’s lodge Kibale. (Midrange or Budget). B,L,D .
Day Six: Kibale Forest National park (Chimp trekking)
Check out of the lodge with packed lunches and transfer to the park headquarters at Kanyanchu. Attend a brief briefing from the guides and go for a chimp trek. The park is highly alluring to nature lovers for its excellent bird watching and Chimpanzee trekking, not to mention the greatest variety and highest concentration of primates of any forest in Africa. Other Primate species include Vervet, red-tailed,L’Hoest’s and blue monkeys, grey –cheecked mangabey,red colobus,black-and- white Colobus, and Olive baboon. Nocturnal species include bush baby and potto.The forest has also got a high concentration of birds like Nahan’s Francolin and blue –headed bee-eater. Other large mammals that inhabit the forest include forest elephants, giant forest hog and buffalo.
In the afternoon, we can go for a nature walk to Bigodi wetland. The swamp is a community based activity that was set up to enable tourists give back to the community.
Various bird species like the great blue turaco, papayrus gonolek, grey throated barbet, yellow bill and sunbird. Butterflies are abundant in the swamp and it’s a home to sitatunga, antelope, mongoose and most of the primate species found in the forest.
Dinner and overnight stay at Kyaninga /Crater safari lodge (up market) or Primate’s lodge Kibale. (Midrange or Budget)
Day Seven: Kibale – Queen Elizabeth National park.
Have an early lunch and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National park arriving late in the afternoon. Overnight stay at Mweya lodge/Kasenyi Safari camp (Up market) and Simba Safari camp (Budget). B,L,D
Day Eight: Queen Elizabeth National park.
Wake up for an early game drive in the park today. Queen Elizabeth National park is Uganda’s popular and Uganda’s most accessible Savannah reserve and it’s associated with open savannah, large areas of swamp around Lake George, forest and crater lakes. Animals that can be sighted during the game drive include the Uganda Kob, bush buck,topi,and defassa waterbuck, buffaloes, sitatunga and elephant. The Park’s predators include side stripped jackal, spotted hyena, lion and leopard.
Return to the lodge for a late breakfast and go for a boat ride along the Kazinga channel in the afternoon. This is the most popular activity in the park. View animals like elephants, buffalo, waterbuck, hippos and crocodiles. Water birds are also plenty and these include water thick knee, yellow-billed stork and various plovers, pink blacked pelicans ,pied king fishers and white bellied cormorants and the sunbird
Overnight stay at Mweya lodge (Up market) or Simba safari camp (Budget). B, L,D
Day Nine: Queen Elizabeth – Ishasha.
Early morning game drive in the park to capture what you missed out on the previous game drive. Have an early lunch at the lodge and drive to the southern part of the park. Overnight stay at Ishasha wilderness camp (Up market), Ishasha Jungle lodge (Midrange) or at the River Ishasha (Budget). B,L,D
Day Ten: Ishasha – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park.
Early morning breakfast and check out of the camp with picnic lunch boxes. Have a game drive in Ishasha, this region is well known for the most alluring game viewing areas in the country and if lucky, we can spot the tree climbing lions
Arrive at Bwindi late in the afternoon. Overnight stay at Clouds Mount Gorilla lodge (Up market) , Nkuringo Gorilla lodge (Midrange) and Traveller’s Rest Kisoro(Budget). B,L,D
Day Eleven: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park – Gorilla trekking.
Have an early morning breakfast and transfer to your respective Gorilla trekking points for a briefing from the guides. Gorilla trekking is unpredictable and it usually takes 2-8 hours `depending on where the gorillas built their nest the previous night. Your efforts will be rewarded when you encounter with the humble giants. Enjoy the infant Gorillas as they feed, play and swing from on branch to another. For conservation purposes, the time spent with the Gorillas is only one hour.
Bwindi harbors at least 120 mammal species, 11 types of primates and a total of 350 bird species.
Overnight stay at Clouds Mount Gorilla lodge (Up market), Nkuringo Gorilla lodge (Midrange) and Traveller’s Rest Kisoro(Budget). B,L,D
Day Twelve: Bwindi – Lake Bunyonyi
Check out of the lodge and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi. Have a nature walk on the Island or go for a boat ride on the lake . The Island is popularly referred to as a ‘place for little birds and the best place in Africa to see the diurnal spotted –necked otter. Overnight stay at Bird Nest lake Bunyonyi (B,L,D)
Day Thirteen: Bwindi – Lake Mburo National park.
Early breakfast and check out of the lodge with a packed lunch. Transfer to Lake Mburo National park arriving late in the afternoon. Overnight stay at Mihingo lodge (Up market), Rwakobo rock lodge (Midrange) and Eagle’s Nest (Budget) L,D
Day Fourteen: Lake Mburo National park
Have an early game drive in the park and view animals like Impala, Zebra,waterbuck,buffalo,topi,hippopotamus,warthog, bushbuck, common duiker, Eland as well as a variety of woodland and water associated birds Return to the lodge for a late breakfast. After lunch, we shall go for a boat ride on the lake in the afternoon. Have good sightings of hippo, crocodile, buffalo, waterbuck, bush buck and otters. Bird species include African fish eagle, marabou stork, pied king fisher, various egrets and herons. While Ross’s turaco and Narina trogon are frequently sighed in the lake side thickets, Lake Mburo is possibly the easiest place in Uganda to see the exclusive African fin foot that is associated with still water below overhanging branches.
Overnight stay at Mihingo lodge (Up market), Rwakobo rock lodge (Midrange) and Eagle’s Nest (Budget) B,L,D
Day Fifteen: Lake Mburo – Jinja.
Transfer to Jinja and arrive in time for an afternoon boat ride at the source of the Nile. Overnight stay at Wild water’s lodge Jinja (Up market), Gately on the Nile (Midrange) or Two Friend’s guest house (Budget). B,L,D
Day Sixteen: Jinja
Alternatively go for a half day rafting trip on the Nile, a quad bike or a nature walk on the Island. Overnight stay at Wild water’s lodge Jinja (Up market), Gately on the Nile (Midrange) or Two Friend’s guest house (Budget).B,L,D
Day Seventeen: Departure
Depending on your departure time, you can have an early lunch at the lodge and transfer to Entebbe with a stop at the equator for photographs or souvenirs. Arrive in time for your evening flight.
END OF SAFARI
