This 16 Days African Experiential Safari will give you an opportunity to experience the great mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and spend an hour amongst these gentle giants, chimps trekking in Kibale forest national park and golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park, game viewing and launch trip in Queen Elizabeth, Murchison falls and Lake Mburo national parksto encounter wildlife species like lions, elephants, leopards, impalas, plains zebra, eland antelope and many more.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Travel to Murchison Falls National Park
Early morning,you will pick you from the hotel/lodge and travel to Murchison Falls National Park via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for tracking the Rhinos with a stopover for lunch in Masindi and then drive to the park. On the way you will experience the Top of the Falls, with a wonderful view over Murchison Falls National Park and the Nile. Then proceed to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge/ Bakers Lodge
Mid-range: Murchison River Lodge/Pakuba Safari Lodge/Bwana Tembo Safari Camp
Budget: Fort Murchison Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 2: Game viewing and launch trip in Murchison Falls National Park
In the morning, go for a game viewing around the park to see several animals including, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, lions, giraffes and many more. In the afternoon, you will go for an impressive launch trip on the Nile to the bottom of the Fallsgiving you a chance to see hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, elephants and many different birds!
Accommodation options
Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge/ Bakers Lodge
Mid-range: Murchison River Lodge/Pakuba Safari Lodge/Bwana Tembo Safari Camp
Budget: Fort Murchison Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3: Boat trip to the Delta in Murchison Falls National Park
Early in the morning the boat will take us downstream to the delta, where the Nile enters Lake Albert. This trip of 5-6 hours will show you the beauty of this national park especially the delta with all the different birds. This is a good chance to see the elusive Shoebill Stork! Then return to the lodge for a relaxed evening, dinner and overnight.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge/ Bakers Lodge
Mid-range: Murchison River Lodge/Pakuba Safari Lodge/Bwana Tembo Safari Camp
Budget: Fort Murchison Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Travel to Kibale National Park
Early in the morning,you will leave for Kibale Forest National Park. Youwill pass close to Lake Albert giving you a clear view of the top of the Albert rift. In the afternoon we will arrive at Kibale for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Primate Lodge/Papaya Lake Lodge/Kyaninga lodge
Moderate: Isunga Lodge/Kibale Forest Cottages/Primate Lodge
Budget: Kibale Forest Camp/Chimpanzee Guest House
Meal plan: Breakfast Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Chimp walk and Bigodi Swamp walk
Early in the morning after a breakfast, set off fora 4 hour chimpstracking experience during which you may also get to see 10 other primates! Kibale National Park is also known for all the butterflies and birds.
In the afternoon we will walk through Bigodi Swamp (home to a community based project).
Accommodation options
Luxury: Primate Lodge/Papaya Lake Lodge/Kyaninga lodge
Moderate: Isunga Lodge/Kibale Forest Cottages/Primate Lodge
Budget: Kibale Forest Camp/Chimpanzee Guest House
Meal plan: Breakfast Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: To Queen Elizabeth National Park
Early morning,you will leave for Queen Elizabeth National Park. We will travel through Fort Portal and reach Queen Elizabeth National Park at mid-day, with a stunningly beautiful view over Kazinga Channel. You will check in at your accommodation and have lunch, and in the in the evening,you will go for a game drive.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge/ Katara Lodge
Mid-range: Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge/Ihamba Safari Lodge/Parkview Safari Lodge/Twin Lakes Safari Lodge
Budget: Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge/Mweya Hostel
Meal Plan: Breakfast Lunch and Dinner
Day 7: Game viewing and Launch cruisein Queen Elizabeth National Park
After a breakfast, you will go for a morning game drive on the plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park to explore thousands of Ugandan kobs, lions, elephants and many more. Thereafter lunch,you will go for a 2 hour launch trip on the Kazinga channel where you will see a lot ofanimal and bird species from the waterside.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge/ Katara Lodge
Mid-range: Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge/Ihamba Safari Lodge/Parkview Safari Lodge/Twin Lakes Safari Lodge
Budget: Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge/Mweya Hostel
Meal Plan: Breakfast Lunch and Dinner
Day 8: Game viewing in Ishasha, Queen Elizabeth National Park
Early in the morning after breakfast you will go for a memorable experience of the famous tree climbing lion in Ishasha.
Have a relaxed evening while enjoying the views of the park.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Ishasha wildness Camp
Midrange: Ishasha Jungle Lodge
Budget: Enjojo Lodge/@ The River Ishasha Lodge
Day 9: To Lake Bunyonyi
After breakfast you will drive to Lake Bunyonyi, a beautiful place surrounded by the hills of Western Uganda. . The road takes you through a beautiful landscape called the “Switzerland of Africa”. Lake Bunyonyi is famous for birds, otters and delicious crayfish. You will spend the rest of the day here, you can swim if you want, take a canoe ride or relax at the lodge.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Bird Nest Resort
Midrange: Arcadia Lodge Lake Bunyonyi
Budget: Bunyonyi Overland Resort/Crater Bay Cottages and Camp
Day 10: To Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
In the morning you will leave for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The road takes us through a beautiful landscape called the “Switzerland of Africa”, pass mountains, hills and lakes with cultivated terraces and tropical rainforest and bamboo forest.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Gorilla Safari Lodge/Buhoma Lodge/Mahogany Spring Lodge/Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge/Bwindi Jungle Lodge/Silverback Lodge/Chameleon Hill Lodge
Midrange: Gorilla Mist Camp/ Mutanda Lake Resort/Rushaga Gorilla Camp/Gorilla Valley Lodge/Engagi Lodge
Budget: Travellers Rest Hotel/Gorilla Friends Lodge/Broadbill Forest Camp/Buhoma Community Rest Camp/ Haven Lodge Buhoma Community.
Day 11: Gorilla trekking
After an early morning breakfast, you will be taken at the Offices of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for pre-briefing and then start the trek after finding the Gorillas you will spend with maximum of 1 hour. After go back to the starting point for your certificate and proceed for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Gorilla Safari Lodge/Buhoma Lodge/Mahogany Spring Lodge/Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge/Bwindi Jungle Lodge/Silverback Lodge/Chameleon Hill Lodge
Midrange: Gorilla Mist Camp/ Mutanda Lake Resort/Rushaga Gorilla Camp/Gorilla Valley Lodge/Engagi Lodge
Budget: Travellers Rest Hotel/Gorilla Friends Lodge/Broadbill Forest Camp/Buhoma Community Rest Camp/ Haven Lodge Buhoma Community.
Day 12: Travel toMgahinga Gorilla National Park, Kisoro
Early in the morning,you will leave for Kisoro, travelling through a beautiful landscape also defined as the “Switzerland of Africa”: mountains, lakes, hills with cultivated terraces, tropical rainforest and bamboo forest. On the last hill the landscape unfolds beneath us, taking in the vast planes between Uganda, Rwanda and Congo, with the Virunga volcanoes dominating the view. At the bottom of the valley is Kisoro, where you will dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Mount Gahinga Lodge/Bwindi Gorilla Lodge/Chameleon Hill Lodge
Moderate: Mutanda Lake Resort.
Budget: Travellers Rest Hotel
Meal Plan:Full Board Basis
Day 13: Golden Monkey Trekking and Batwa visit in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
In the morning, you will set off for golden monkey trekking. After lunch, go for Batwa experience. The Batwa Trail runs across the lower slopes of the Muhavura and Gahinga volcanoes in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The forest is home to a variety of wildlife but the Batwa Trail is far from being a conventional nature walk. With the help of Batwa guides, you’ll see the forest as a larder, pharmacy, builder’s yard, tool kit and, above all a home. Along the trail, you’ll fire a bow and arrow, check hives for wild honey, help repair a Batwa shelter, harvest plants for medicine and food, light a fire without a matches, listen to legends and learn about Batwa traditions.The highlight of the trail is a descent into the Garama cave, a 200m-long lava tube beneath Mt. Gahinga. The Batwa are famed for their music and dance and their historic, subterranean council chamber in Garama Cave provides the setting for an unforgettable performance.The Batwa trail is celebration of the forest culture of the “first people”. It is impossible, however, to ignore the fact that Batwa life has greatly changed. The day’s events conclude with a discussion about the Batwa’s current situation; how it can be improved; and progress to date towards doing so. Then, dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Mount Gahinga Lodge/Bwindi Gorilla Lodge/Chameleon Hill Lodge
Moderate: Mutanda Lake Resort.
Budget: Travellers Rest Hotel
Meal Plan:Full Board Basis
Day 14: Travel to Lake Mburo National Park
Early in the morning,you will leave for Lake Mburo National Park. You will have lunch in Mbarara before you continue to Lake Mburo, a smaller but unique park, and the only one in the Western part of Uganda with impalas and zebras. In the evening, you will go for a village/cultural walk.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Mihingo Lodge
Moderate: Lake Mburo Safari Lodge/ Rwakobo Rock
Budget: Eagles Nest Camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 15: Guided Game walk, Boat cruise and evening game viewing in Lake Mburo National Park
Early morning,you will go for a game walk to explore the early risers in the park like zebras, giraffes, impalas, Uganda kobs and many more. In the afternoon, you will go for a boat trip on Lake Mburo,thereafter in the evening you will go for a game drive. This little park hosts a variety of animals, that is to say 68 mammal species, including a large number of Impalas (the antelope from which “Kampala” is named after), plains zebras, Uganda kobs, duikers, bushbucks, topis, buffaloes, leopards, spotted hyenas, Defassa waterbucks, warthogs, oribis. The wide variety of birds species includingfinfoots, malachite kingfishers, pied kingfishers, African fish eagles, Rüppell’s long-tailed starlings, blue-headed coucals, tambourine doves, hammerkops, pelicans, herons, cormorants, red-faced barbets, grey crowned cranes, papyrus yellow warblers and even rare shoebills.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Mihingo Lodge
Moderate: Lake Mburo Safari Lodge/ Rwakobo Rock
Budget: Eagles Nest Camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 16: Travel to Kampala/Entebbe Airport
After breakfast,you will start up a journey back to Kampala/Entebbe Airport with a stopover for lunch either in Masaka or at the Equator, for photo shoots and buying souvenirs. You will then proceed to Kampala/Entebbe Airportfor your flight.
Requirements for this Safari:
- Uganda Visa which can be got on arrival at the Airports
- Chimpanzee, Gorilla and Golden Monkey trekking permits (paid for in advance through our company)
- Travel & Health insurance arranged for from your home country
- Proof of Yellow fever vaccination (certificate}
- Travelers must be at least 15 years old on the day of the trekking.
- Good physical, fit health and mental condition
- Waterproof Jacket, breathable with hood.
- Insulated warm Jacket synthetic or down.
- Long Sleeve Shirt and Waterproof Pants.
- Footwear – Hiking.
Safari Cost Includes
- Airport transfers
- Transport in a 4×4 safari vehicle
- Services of an English speaking driver guide
- Fuel for the whole trip
- Accommodation and meal plan as per the itinerary
- All park entrance fees
- Drinking water while in the vehicle
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Chimp trekking permit
- Insurance
The Safari cost excludes,
- Pre and post tour accommodation in Uganda or Rwanda
- International airfares
- Uganda & Rwanda East African Tourist Visa
- Items of personal nature such as tips, drinks, and laundry
