Uganda Wildlife Viewing SAFARI - day by day Itinerary
Day 1 Arrivals for international visitors
Our driver guide will warmly meet you on arrival at Entebbe International Airport; brief you on the rest of the safari programme, then drive for short distance to your hotel for refreshments.
Overnight: Lake Victoria Serena Resort Hotel
Day 2 Lake Mburo National Park
We shall today travel to L. Mburo National Park arriving there in time for lunch; we have short siesta, and later we depart for our first game drive.
Lake Mburo National Park is a combination of open water with an extensive marsh and wooded grassland comprising of flooded plains bordered with pockets of tropical lowland forests giving the park an oasis setting that greatly draws wildlife in big numbers. The fresh water body attracts big congregations of hippos, crocodiles and shoreline birds. On the observation deck of our boat, we shall, most likely have a good view of pools of Hippos, Crocodiles, birds like the rare African Finfoot, White-backed Night Heron, etc. The wooded grassland section of the park is endowed with large herds of elephants, buffalo and a large numbers of antelopes like zebra, eland, impala, waterbuck, bushbuck, and many others. The entire Lake Mburo Park is a place of breathtaking and magical beauty; “a place where the vision of a deep red sunset silhouetting the thorny acacia scrub along the extensive marshy area, brings the perfect end to a day on safari”.
Overnight: Mantana Luxury Tented Camp for 2nights
Day 3 Lake Mburo
Still in Lake Mburo NP, we shall wakeup this day and enjoy our sumptuous breakfast, then go for a game drive in the wooded savanna till early afternoon. We have lunch at our lodge, have a short siesta and later take a boat along the shoreline of the lake.
Day 4 Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
We start early after breakfast, checkout the camp, and drive to the southwestern part of the country. This journey will take us up to 6hours due to the rough roads. Our ultimate destination will be Buhoma. We shall check in our lodge, have lunch and relax at the lodge for the rest of the afternoon. Optional activity is a village walk to the nearby communities.
Overnight: Gorilla Forest Camp for 2nights
Day 5 Gorilla tracking in the forest
After breakfast we assemble at the park headquarters for briefing prior to our day’s activity; gorilla tracking. For those who have done this activity before, it is by far rated as number one wilderness experience in the whole world. The Bwindi forest alone hosts more than half of the total world population of the mountain gorillas; the rest being shared among Rwanda and the DR Congo. We shall be guided by the trackers who are very knowledgeable at finding these apes. There are several other primate species in the forest including the beautiful l’Hoest monkey, blue, black and white colobus, etc. If we are successful early enough, we shall take a walk (optional) around the nearby Buhoma village where we shall have a chance to meet the marginalized Batwa (Pygmies) people, the traditional healer and visit the local brewing site (optional).
Day 6 Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National park
Today we check out our lodge after breakfast and start for a rather teeth-jarring journey on a rough road to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Our destination today will be the famous Ishasha sector of the park, famed for the tree climbing lions. Depending on the time we shall arrive here, we shall do an early check in; do a short game drive as we look to lions and other wildlife before lunch. After lunch, we rest for the whole afternoon, and later do an evening game drive looking for particularly, the Lions and leopards.
The park prides itself as being the most diverse national reserve in the entire Africa due to the rich habitats and the associated wildlife. We are likely to meet herds of elephant, buffalo, warthog, Uganda kob, bushbuck, waterbuck and many more. For centuries, Queen Elizabeth National Reserve has stumped her authority as the ‘hotspot’ of wildlife.
Overnight: Ishasha wilderness Camp for 2nights
Day 7 Queen Elizabeth National Park
We shall do an early start for yet another opportunity for the tree climbing lions. We continue our game drive to Kyambura gorge. At the gorge, we shall do a guided walk up to the bottom of the gorge.
We return to our camp later in the evening for refreshments, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 8 Queen Elizabeth National Park – Mweya Peninsula
Still in Queen Elizabeth NP, we check out Ishasha Wilderness Camp, drive slowly as we look for game up to Mweya Peninsula. We do an early check in, have lunch, rest for a while, and later do the most scenic crater lake drive up to the Queen’s Pavilion. The Queen’s Pavilion stands nearby at the northern entrance to the Crater Lake drive of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Both the Crater Lake drive and the Queen’s Pavilion guarantee an excellent panoramic view of some of the parks explosion craters, some filled with lovely lakes, and the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountain Ranges across the rift valley flow. The Queen's Pavilion, historically, hosted H.M. Queen Elizabeth II in 1954 as a temporary shelter and later the Duke of Edinburgh in 2007
Overnight: Mweya Safari Lodge
Day 9 Launch Cruise along the Kazinga Channel in the morning and afternoon relaxation at the Lodge
This morning, after our breakfast, we shall transfer to the docking area for a launch Cruise. This activity takes utmost three hours.
Kazinga Channel is a natural narrow neck of water connecting lakes George and Edward. It is one of the migratory stopovers in the region attracting both resident and Palearctic visitors like spoonbills, waders, gulls and terns and sometimes flamingos. Along the banks of the channel, we are likely to find giant crocodiles basking in the sun alongside other big herds of elephant, buffalo, giant forest hog, and hippos. Later we return to our lodge lunch and afternoon relaxation.
Located on the peninsula within the heart of Queen Elizabeth national park, Mweya Safari Lodge offers the visitors with splendid accommodation, breathtaking views on the balcony from every room overlooking the Kazinga Channel. One may have a chance to see the occasional Leopard that normally visits the hotel premises in at dusk. This is the palace where the Queen of England lodged in 1954. There is a swimming pool purposefully located for maximum relaxation, the poolside bar, Tembo safari bar and the Kazinga restaurant serving global cuisine, all set to offer a panoramic view of the park and the Rwenzori Mountain Ranges. There is a fully equipped gymnasium, sauna and massage parlour to offer maximum relaxation after long game drives in the park. There is also an open fire place in the compound of the lodge that will give you memorable experiences to gather around in the chilly evenings to watch the local dance groups wriggle their waists and bellies portraying the ancient traditions of hunting and the recent call for conservation. In the evening, when the skies are clear, you will have an opportunity to admire the myriad brilliance of the crystal clear Rwenzori mountain ranges
Day 10 Travel to Fort Portal Area
We check out Mweya Safari Lodge, drive to another Crater Lake zone of Uganda, Fort Portal. We shall have lunch in town. Today, we take some time off to see the natural wonders of this area by visiting the Stalactites and stalagmites of Nyakasura hills, do hill climbing as we enjoy the panoramic views of the crater lakes up to our lodge. We spend the night at the stunning Ndali Lodge.
Day 11 Chimp tracking in Kibale Forest National Park
We start very early, after an early morning breakfast, carry our lunch boxes and head to the Kanyanchu Tourism centre for briefing as we prepare for today’s activity.
This park is also famous for hosting the highest number primates in Uganda (13 primate species) including Chimps, the Beautiful l’ Hoest Monkey, black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkey etc.
The movement of the chimps depends upon the availability of food and hopefully they won't be too far away! As we tour one of the chimps groups, we shall witness the behavioral characteristics of these living closest cousins to human beings demonstrating a distrustful fleeting look at our sudden interruptive visit into their private world, which is comforted by the chuckling made by the knowledgeable tracker guides. The noisy giant male uses loud vocalizations and drumming on large tree buttresses as a means of communicating with the other members of their group.
If we are successful early enough today, we shall talk an afternoon walk to the Bigodi Wetland. Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is a community owned and managed nature reserve. A 4km trail has been created in the wetland adjacent to the forest. The habitat here consists of a swamp surrounded by low, scrubby secondary forest and cultivation. The walk is most interesting for bird enthusiast; Occasional encounters are chimps; black and white colobus and red-tailed monkeys are also residents here.
We return to our lodge later in the evening for refreshment dinner and overnight stay.
Day 12 Travel to Murchison Falls National Park
This is a very long journey that will probably take us the whole day. We will carry packed lunch; arrive at our hotel late this evening for refreshments, dinner and overnight stay. On this day, we shall drive through the park, cross the Nile River, and continue through northern bank of the river as we view wildlife up to our lodge.
Murchison Falls National Conservation Area is one of the best places in Uganda to relax, and enjoy nature’s beauty. The park was named after the stunning Murchison Falls which were discovered by Sir Roderick Impey Murchison, who was a Scottish geologist who visited the area in the 18th century. The scenery is breath-taking; a sight of the virgin expansive open savannah plains, grassland dotted with standing borassus palm trees, tropical rain forest, traversed by the majestic River Nile. Interesting activities here include a boat ride along the Nile up to the bottom of the falls, a game drive to the delta, and a game drive to the top of the falls. Game viewing in the park is so fascinating with encounters like the lion, Cape buffalo, waterbucks, warthogs, oribi, giraffes, Jackson’s Hartebeest, Patas monkeys etc
ON: Chobe Lodge
Day 13 Game drive and a visit to the top of the falls
We shall start very early today; we spend most on of our morning in the Northern part of the park. We do a game drive to the delta. Return to the lodge for lunch, and later drive to the top of the falls. At the top of the falls we shall experience the powerful water surge as the Nile River waters plunge down the main pool 43metre below through a narrow 7meters gap!
Day 14 Transfer to Kampala
We bid farewell to Uganda at Ndere Center. We will enjoy a mouth-watering farewell dinner at the centre as we are being entertained by Ndere’s versatile artists in the Afro Jazz style. There is quite a variety of soft delicacies to sample. During this time we can exchange pleasantries, reflect on the safari experience - moments that carried us away in laughter, joy & amazement. Back home, with your photographs – a capture of the special moments we have had on this tour to immortalize the experience, your memories should last a lifetime and tell all those who have not known about Uganda!
Optional activity here is a stopover on our way to Kampala at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino tracking.
Note: Ndere Troupe entertainment is always on the evenings of Sundays and Fridays
Overnight: Lake Victoria Serena Resort Hotel
Day 12 Flight back home – End of our Tour
Optional 4 days trip extension
This trip will have an optional extension to Kidepo valley National Park after Murchison Falls National Park. Accommodation will be at the Luxurious Apoka Safari Lodge.
Nestled in the extreme northeastern corner of Uganda, bordering with Sudan and Kenya, Kidepo Valley National Park is Uganda’s wildest and most spectacular conservation area. Covering an area of 1,442 sq km, it is cut off from the rest of the country in terms vegetation cover by the sparsely distributed arid badlands of Karamoja region at about 910m ASL and the rugged horizons of Moroto reaching an altitude of 2,750m ASL. From open wooded savannah plains with patches of montane forest, riparian woodland, thick miombo woodland, borassus palms and rocky koppies, to the montain forest supporting dense acacia geradi forest studded with small hills, rocky outcrops and inselbergs, the area provides a unique landscape from which one can obtain stunning views as far as the eye can reach.
The scenic beauty coupled with the unique diversity of wildlife of this park is compared to no other national reserve in East Africa. The Park offers breathtaking Savannah landscapes, rugged mountain scenery horizons, all proving a strong wilderness atmosphere, extraordinary game viewing and bird watching
The park is famed for protecting remarkable wildlife that is not represented in any other Ugandan protected area. . Much of the flora and fauna in the park is typical of northern Kenya. Of the 77 mammal species recorded in the park, over 20 species are not known to occur in any other Ugandan park. Besides the big game like elephants, leopard, lion and buffalo; there other species that are unique to the region like kavirondo bush baby, bat-eared fox, striped hyena, aardwolf, caracal, black-backed jackal, cheetah, and African hunting dogs.
