19 Days Uganda Experience Nature

Overview

This 19 days Uganda Adventure Safari starts and ends in Entebbe International Airport. Meet eye to eye with the amazing chimpanzees of Uganda in their natural habitat, one of Africa’s major highlights. This close encounter with these amazing apes is simply breathtaking. Also get a close encounter with other diverse African wildlife, beautiful landscapes, and amazing culture and if you are a keen Birder, this is the place to be. Experience the wonder of the World’s re-known Murchison Falls as it squeezes through the narrow gorge. An exciting drive to Kidepo Valley National park and White water experience on the Nile and visit to Sipi falls.

Overview:

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport
Day 2: Drive to Jinja, visit the source of the Nile
Day 3: Transfer to Mbale, visit sipi falls
Day 4: Transfer to Kidepo valley national park
Day 5: Game drives in Kidepo
Day 6: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
Day 7: Morning game drives and afternoon boat cruise on the Nile
Day 8: Game drives and visit to the top of the falls
Day 9: Transfer to Kibale National Park with a Lunch stop on the way
Day 10: Morning Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi swamp walk in the afternoon
Day 11: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National NP and Boat Cruise on Kazinga Channel
Day 12: Game drive or hot air Balloon safari or game drive, afternoon bat cave
Day 13: Transfer to Ishasha Sector, game drives
Day 14: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Gorilla National Park
Day 15: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Forest
Day 16: To Magical Lake Bunyonyi
Day 17: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park, boat cruise and game drive
Day 18: Bush walk, mountain biking or horse riding and transfer to Kampala
Day 19: Departure

Detailed Itinerary:

DAY 1: Entebbe – Kampala

Meet and greet at Entebbe International Airport where your Uganda Adventure Safari starts by our representative who will warmly welcome you and facilitate seamless arrival formalities. Your will then be transferred to your hotel where you will be briefed about your adventure safari. Depending on the time of arrival you are advised to have money Changed on this day and time allowing you may go for city tour with the help of our driver/guide.

DAY 2: Kampala – Jinja

After breakfast transfer to Jinja. Visit the virgin and dramatic Itanda falls where you are entertained by the kayaking boys as they tussle the big rapids, enjoy cultural dances at the source, birds among others. Drive to the source of the Nile where you will take a boat ride around source of the River Nile where it dramatically separates from lake victoria, the stream of water will start running towards the North forming the Victoria Nile co-joining with the Albert Nile in the Murchison falls National Park to Sudan to meet the Blue and White Nile and continue through Egypt to the Mediterranean sea.

DAY 3: Transfer to Mbale – Sippi Falls

Mbale town where we shall stop briefly for lunch. From Mbale we shall drive straight to Sipi. We shall have an evening nature walk where we shall visit the three falls that make up Sipi. The visit of the three falls involves hiking a trail network that is characterized by a steep and slippery path, mud on rainy days, climbing ladders and going through farms. It is this adventurous already – you will enjoy great views of the surround vegetation-clad valleys and mountains and the Karamoja plains, view several birds, and see the coffee farms that are characteristic of this region. On a successful visit of all the magnificent waterfalls we shall return and check in your lodge to relax, unwind and have your dinner.

DAY 4: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park

After breakfast, have an early start for Kidepo via Soroti arriving late afternoon. In the evening go for a game drive and sun downer. Return to the lodge.

DAY 5: Kidepo Valley National Park

Take a game drive in the morning to see the lions, cheetah, always surrounded by Zebra, Waterbuck, Jackson’s Hartebeest, Warthogs, Patas monkeys and big herds of Buffalo. Afterwards, relax in your outdoor bathtub under the warm sunshine or take a dip in the big rock swimming pool overlooking the savannah and a waterhole frequently visited by animals before having dinner at the main building. In the afternoon go to visit one of the communities, a Karamojong manyatta. Get an insight of their daily lives, the way their homes are constructed and much more. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight at Apoka Safari Lodge.

DAY 6: Kidepo Valley National Park – Murchison Falls National Park

After your early morning breakfast drive northwest to Murchison Falls National Park driving via Gulu. Later continue to Murchison Falls National Park arriving at your lodge late afternoon.

DAY 7: Murchison Falls National Park – Game Drives and Boat Trip.

Arise very early in the morning for your game drive on the northern bank of the River Nile in your open-roof vehicle which will give you an excellent opportunity to view and photograph the diverse wildlife. Your guide will help you spot elephant, lion, cape buffalo, Roth child’s giraffe, hartebeest, waterbuck, oribi, bushbuck, bohor reed buck, hyena and if you are lucky, the leopard.
After lunch, go for a boat cruise upstream the calm Victoria Nile to the base of the falls stopping just few of meters from the ‘Devil’s Cauldron’, marvel at the schools of hippos, crocodiles and over the 17km stretch you may see elephant, waterbuck and Uganda Kob. This is also the zone of many birds, species like goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant and the rare shoebill stork. After taking shorts of the photogenic Murchison Falls, you may choose to continue to the top of the falls, where you will have the amazing view of the falls! See where the Nile -world’s longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43m below. Later, return to your lodge and relax in the evening.

DAY 8: Murchison Falls National Park

Go for another morning game drive and in the afternoon visit the Top of the Falls. Trail around the top of the falls go right up to the water’s edge.

DAY 9: Murchison Falls National Park – Kibale Forest National Park (441 Kms Appox. Drive Time: 8 Hours)

After your morning breakfast, begin your journey to Kibale Forest National Park. Drive south via Hoima to Fort Portal through verdant countryside passing through traditional homesteads, farms and Tea Estates. You will have a stopover for lunch en-route. You will arrive at you lodge in the late afternoon. Check in at your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

DAY 10: Chimp Trek Kibale Forest National Park

After breakfast at your lodge, transfer to the starting point of your Chimpanzee tracking experience in Kibale Forest National Park which is reputed to have the greatest variety and highest concentration of primates in East Africa. The most famous of its 13 species is the Chimpanzee, man’s closest relative. Kibale’s 1450 Chimpanzee represent Uganda’s largest population of this endangered primate. Kibale is also a home to the rare I’Hoest’s monkey. Other primates include the black and white Colobus, Blue monkey, Grey cheeked mangabey, Red tailed monkey, Olive baboon to mention but a few. So you will enjoy a guided nature walk in the tropical rainforest in search of the wild chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys and many others. Although chimp sightings are not guaranteed, visitors stand a good chance of hearing and seeing our distant cousins as they gloom and bond with one another.
Alternatively you may opt to do chimpanzee habituation experience by paying a supplement of $70, this exercise takes the whole entire day. Only 6 people are allowed per day and you will be sure to come face to face with these closest cousins of man. Advance booking is necessary for this option.
After lunch, head to Bigodi for an afternoon swamp walk. Bigodi was established by a local development organization to protect the 4sq-km Magombe Swamp that’s home to around 200 species of birds (highlights include papyrus gonolek, white-winged warbler and great blue turaco). The highlight of this tour is catching a glimpse of the great blue turaco. The swamp is also good for spotting butterflies and primates, with 8 different species here, including grey-cheeked mangabey. The 2-3 hour guided walk is led by experienced local guides who interact with the guests and make the trip both enjoyable and exciting.

DAY 11: Kibale Forest National Park – Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast at your lodge before you proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park following the mystical Rwenzori Mountain Range. Your expert driver guide will take you through the game park where you might spot some animals. Upon arriving at your lodge, you will enjoy a hot lunch and later in the afternoon take a unique 2-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel into Lake Edward. This trip passes through possibly the highest concentration of hippos and this launch/cruise offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing. The prolific bird life is colorful and stupendous, with well over 550 resident species.

DAY 12: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Game Drive and Boat Safari

Queen Elizabeth National Park’s diverse eco-system of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife. Have an early morning game drive where you have an opportunity to view the massive Rwenzori as backdrop, which provides excellent opportunities to spot lion, leopard, giant forest hog, Cape buffalo, elephant, defassa waterbuck, Uganda Kob, topi and bushbuck. The game drives and the boat trip (taken prior) are memorable methods of discovering a vast array of Ugandan wildlife. Be sure to have your camera ready for these amazing sightings! Alternatively you may opt to go for a balloon safari on payment of a supplement of $380. Arise early in the morning and proceed to the starting point of your balloon safari at the Kasenyi gate of Queen Elizabeth NP at 5:30am. This early drive in the dark is a chance to see nocturnal animals that live in and around the park. You will meet your pilot and be given a safety briefing and instructions for boarding the balloon as well as landing procedures. The flight gives you great photo opportunities that are different from an ordinary safari on the ground. As you gently drift over the park, you can watch the sun rise as savannah below come to life with birds and animals. After landing, celebrate the flight with a glass of sparkling wine. After the toast, passengers sit down to a delectable bush breakfast prepared by Mweya Safari Lodge. The bush breakfast makes for a memorable ending to your ballooning adventure in Queen Elizabeth NP.
Afternoon visit the bat and hunters cave where we take a close look at the bats, rock python and forest cobras. The same walk will provide a chance of seeing birds, primates, tree species etc. Return to the lodge for dinner and your last overnight stay.

DAY 13: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Ishasha Sector

After breakfast go for chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura gorge. This is also a perfect place to enjoy chimpanzee tracking done within the Kyambura Gorge where there are several habituated Chimpanzees. The scenery within this gorge is very spectacular and there are several other mammals plus birds to be seen as you start out in the morning on your chimpanzee trekking voyage. In the afternoon go for another game drive. Later transfer to Ishasha sector where you will go for yet another game drive in the evening in search of tree climbing lions

DAY 14: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (150kms)

After your breakfast, take a morning game drive in Ishasha plains for your final visit with the lions and other wildlife continue to Bwindi. The drive takes you through the Switzerland of Africa area known as the Kigezi Highlands with its terraced hillside and winding roads to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, arriving in the evening. Check into the lodge for dinner and your overnight stay.

DAY 15: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Forest

After an early breakfast depart to the starting point for briefing about your gorilla trekking adventure after which you will be led by experienced gorilla trackers on the slopes of the volcanoes. You will start from the site where the gorillas were encountered the day before and from here the gorilla tracking begins. Although the hike can be physically demanding, the anticipation of the exciting experience ahead is amazing, and the beauty of the gorilla forest and its inhabitants are fascinating. One of Africa’s major highlights is when you encounter these gentle apes. It is a humbling experience to stand just meters from man’s distant cousins as they eat rest, play and bond with their young ones. Follow the mountain gorillas as they range freely in the impenetrable forest, and discover their gorgeous natural habitual and the many species they share it with. You are allowed an hour with the gorillas before finally sloping down back to your lodge. If your trek was relatively short, you may have a guided nature walk around the lodge and the surrounding communities in the evening. Return to the lodge where you will enjoy dinner with your fellow travelers before getting a good night’s rest for tomorrow’s safari adventure.
Don’t forget to carry your rain gear, packed lunch, plenty of water, gloves, hat, and water proof bag for protection of your camera in case of rain

DAY 16: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Lake Bunyonyi 110kms

After breakfast drive to Lake Bunyonyi which has breathtaking scenery. Spend the night overlooking Uganda deepest lake, where you may try your hand at paddling at dugout canoe, or eating fresh water crayfish.

DAY 17: Lake Bunyonyi – Lake Mburo Np 167kms

After breakfast, at 08.00 hours you will travel to L. Mburo National Park, the smallest National Park of Uganda. Though being small, it has a lot offer!! Centered on a series of swamp-fringed lakes its birdlife is very rich. The green acacia woodland harbors wildlife like Zebra, warthog, Eland, Impala, not to mention the lake itself, which is home to schools of hippos and crocodiles! Furthermore, Uganda Wildlife Authority recently brought 15 giraffes from Murchison falls to Lake Mburo.
You will arrive at the lodge in time for lunch. Later in the afternoon at 16:00 enjoy the boat ride on Lake Mburo and get quite close to the croc and hippos. As you return to your Lodge, you may have an evening game drive as you return to your lodge.

DAY 18: Lake Mburo National Park – Kampala

After breakfast have a safari walk under the escort of an armed ranger. The Kopjes are particularly interesting with the camouflage kilspringers and topis. Due to cattle herding in the area it is amusing to see zebra grazing alongside the long horned Ankole cattle peaceably. It is exciting to approach wildlife at such close range.
Alternatively, you may choose to go for mountain bike safari (on payment of a supplement of $15 per person for 2 hours) or horseback riding safari in the park (on payment of $60 person for 2 hours).
Later Leisurely drive back to Kampala with a stopover at the Equator where you will have an opportunity to stand in 2 hemispheres at the same time. Take some photos, then another stop over at the Mpigi Royal Drum Makers where you will be able to watch the ceremonial drums being crafted using methods passed down through the generations arriving in the afternoon.

DAY 19: Departure

Depending on the departure time you may go for the following excursions on payment of a supplement:

• Half day white water rafting on River Nile,
• Half day trip to Ngamba Island on L. Victoria to see the orphaned chimpanzees or city tour.
• Transfer to the airport in time to catch your flight