16 Days Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari

16 Days Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari

Destinations:

• Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
• Lake Bunyonyi
• Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Kibale Forest National Park
• Murchison Falls National Park
• Source of the Nile

Overview

Our 16-day Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari takes you to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to more than half the population of the World’s 1,004 Mountain Gorillas and the former forest people, the Batwa, who used to live in this forest before it was gazetted as a National Park. You will trek the Gorillas and be mesmerized to watch them at close range as they communicate, feed, play, and bond with their young. The experience is humbling and one that will leave you with memories of a lifetime. You will interact with the Batwa who will tell amazing stories of their former life as gathers, hunters, blacksmiths, herbalists, and warriors and who will be eager to demonstrate some of their survival skills.

The Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari will then take you visiting Lake Bunyonyi “the Switzerland of Uganda” which is dotted with 20 islands protruding from the lake for canoe rides and to hike the steep terraced hills encircling the lake for a scenic view of the beautiful surroundings. The birdlife around Lake Bunyonyi is prolific. The Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari then drives you north to Queen Elizabeth National Park to see the abundant bio-diversity of wildlife in this magnificent park, the amazing picturesque scenery, and to enjoy a relaxing boat safari cruise on the Kazinga Channel with awesome opportunities to spot water birds and animals basking on the shores.

You will not miss out on the Kibale National Park, the primate capital of the world famous for its wild but habituated chimpanzee, other primates, and colorful birds. You will visit Murchison Falls National Park to see the awesome variety of wildlife including rare birds in this heritage park and to enjoy the spectacular view of the magnificent waterfall where the Mighty River Nile forces its way into a seven-meter crevice and plunges 40 meters below. Crown the Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari in style with a visit to Jinja to see the spot where the Mighty River Nile starts the 6,700 Km journey through Sudan and Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. Jinja is also a hot spot for adventures that include white water rafting, bungee jumping, and quad biking. 

Safari Highlights

• Gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
• Batwa cultural experience
• Canoe ride on Lake Bunyonyi
• Hike in the Bunyonyi hills for scenery viewing
• Equator experience
• Volcano hiking / Golden monkey trek
• Game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Boat Launch on Kazinga channel
• Chimpanzee trek in Kibale National Park
• A nature walk in the Bigodi swamp
• Game drive in Murchison Falls National Park
• Boat launch on Nile River
• A scenic view of the Murchison falls
• Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
• Source of the  Nile Adventure

Activity Schedule

Day 1: Arrival in Uganda and briefing on safari plan
Day 2: Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 3: Gorilla tracking and Cultural exposure
Day 4: Travel to Lake Bunyonyi
Day 5: Canoeing and hiking on Lake Bunyonyi
Day 6: Game drive and Boat launch on Kazinga Channel
Day 7: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
Day 8: Chimpanzee tracking and swamp walk for bird watching
Day 9: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
Day 10: Game Drive and Boat Cruise in Murchison
Day 11: Travel to Kampala via Ziwa Rhino sanctuary
Day 12: Transfer to Jinja
Day 13: Adventure on the Nile
Day 14: Visit the chimp sanctuary on Ngamba Island
Day 15: Forest walk with the chimps
Day 16: Transfer to Entebbe for your departure flight

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DETAILED SAFARI ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrival in Uganda

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by our safari guide who will transfer you to the hotel of your booking and brief you on the safari plan.

Luxury Lodge: Serena Hotel / Imperial Hotel
Moderate:  Emin Pasha Hotel / Speke Resort Hotel
Budget facility: Acardia Cottages / Namirembe Guest house
Meal Plan: Half Board Basis

Day 2: Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After an early breakfast, you will set off from Kampala and travel westwards to Bwindi for approximately 8-9 hours. You will have a brief stop at the Equator for an opportunity for you to stand in two hemispheres at the same time and take some photographs. Continue the Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari journey through the beautiful verdant rolling hills characteristic of this part of the country. You will have a lunch break in Mbarara town and then continue to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park arriving late in the afternoon hours.

Budget: Buhoma Community Rest camp / Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp / Gorilla Valley Lodge
Moderate: Gorilla Resort Bwindi / Gorilla Safari Lodge / Lake Mutanda Resort/ Gorilla Mist Camp.
Upmarket: Mahogany Lodge / Buhoma Lodge / Rushanga Gorilla Satari Lodge.
Meal plan: Full Board Basis 

Day 3: Gorilla tracking and Cultural exposure

After an early breakfast, you will go to the park headquarters where you will be briefed by the guides before you begin the search in the thick Bwindi forest for the giant gorillas. Bwindi Forest Impenetrable National Park is renowned for its impressive mountain gorillas, although it is unpredictable how long you will track them before finding them since it all depends on their movement. Though the time spent to track down these mountain Gorillas is unpredictable, the thrill of spending time and observing these gentle giant Gorillas is a rare, moving, awesome and exciting adventure that will leave you with long-lasting memories of a truly unique experience. You will return to your reserved Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari lodge for a rest and later go for a cultural walk to interact with the local people. You will participate in captivating traditional performances presented by Women’s groups or orphaned children groups.

Budget: Buhoma community Rest camp / Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp / Gorilla Valley Lodge
Moderate: Gorilla Resort Bwindi / Gorilla Safari Lodge / Lake Mutanda Resort/ Gorilla Mist Camp.
Upmarket: Mahogany Springs Lodge / Buhoma Lodge / Rushanga Gorilla Satari Lodge.
Meal plan: Full Board Basis

Day 4: Travel to Lake Bunyonyi

Beautiful Uganda

You will, after breakfast drive to Lake Bunyonyi.  The lake is said to be the second deepest lake in Africa and one of the most beautiful places in western Uganda. From glistening backwaters and palm-fringed beaches to colorful villages, wildlife, and tropical scenery, Bunyonyi is a truly exotic retreat place, perfect for adventure and relaxation. It is also one of the few places in the country where it is considered safe to swim as it is bilharzia free. This part of the Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari journey takes 6-7 hours and you will have your lunch en-route.

Dinner and overnight will be at one of the many lodges near the lake.

Budget: Bushara Island Camp
Moderate:  Bird’s Nest Lodge
Up-market: Bird’s Nest / Archadia Cottages
Meal plan: Full Board Basis

Day 5: Canoeing and hiking on Lake Bunyonyi

Lake Bunyonyi

This morning you can choose to either have a canoe ride on the lake or a walk through the surrounding hills. The landscape around the lake is made up of steep hills covered with lush green vegetation protruding from the water’s edge. Bunyonyi means “place of little birds” and as the name suggests, there is plenty of birdlife around the lake. You can choose to go for a canoe ride to see water animals and birds, go swimming, or hike to the viewpoint in the hills to admire the volcano mountain ranges at the border with Rwanda.

In the afternoon your Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari guide will drive you to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Luxury Lodge: Mweya Safari Lodge: Katara Lodge/ Jacana Lodge
Moderate:  Bush Lodge (in rooms) / Simba Safari Camp in rooms/ Buffalo Safari Lodge/ Enganzi Lodge/ Ihamba Safari Lodge 
Budget facility: Kazinga Channel View Lodge/ Simba Safari Camp in tents/ Bush Lodge in tents
Meal Plan: Full Board Basis

Day 6: Game drive and Boat launch on Kazinga Channel

You will wake up early for a morning game drive in the park during which you will see Lions, Elephants, Topis, Leopards, Bush bucks, Cape Buffaloes, Defassa Waterbucks, Giant Forest Hogs, and Uganda Kobs, among others. You will later in the afternoon go for a two-hour boat cruise down the Kazinga Channel that connects Lakes George and Edward. The cruise takes you through the highest population of Hippos and you will see a profusion of animals drinking on the water shores. This boat safari launch cruise rewards you with a great opportunity to take photos, watch birds and see the water animals.

Luxury Lodge: Mweya Safari Lodge: Katara Lodge/ Jacana Lodge 
Moderate:  Bush Lodge (in rooms) / Simba Safari Camp in rooms/ Buffalo Safari Lodge/ Enganzi Lodge/ Ihamba Safari Lodge 
Budget facility: Kazinga Channel View Lodge/ Simba Safari Camp in tents/ Bush Lodge in tents
Meal Plan: Full Board Basis

Day 7: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

After breakfast set off on a 4-hour Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari journey to Kibale Forest National Park.  On the Drive to Kibale National Park, you will be able to enjoy an impressive sight of the legendary “Mountains of the Moon” which you will clearly see on the road to Fort Portal. You will have lunch in Fort Portal and proceed to Kibale Forest National Park. You will then choose either go to the unique Bigodi swamp eco-tourism site where you will see uncommon plants and rare bird species such as the Great Blue Turaco, little Bulbul, Rwenzori Turaco, and the Narina Trogon, among others, or visit the crater lakes area to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Dinner and overnight will be at the lodge of your booking

Luxury: Ndali lodge/Primate Lodge/Kyaninga Lodge
Moderate: Mountains of the moon/Kibale Forest Camp/Crater Safari Lodge/ Primate Lodge
Budget: Rwenzori travelers/Kibale Forest Camp/Chimpanzee Forest Guest House
Meal plan: Full Board Basis 

Day 8: Chimpanzee tracking and nature walk in the Bigodi wetland

A Family of Chimpanzees Resting in Kibale Forest

You will, after breakfast, head to Kibale Forest National Park to watch the primates. The activity begins at 8.00 am with a briefing on the rules for trekking chimpanzees after which you set off to search for them in the forest. The exercise takes half a day and along the way, you will see other primates such as Grey cheeked Mangabeys, Red-Colobus, and the Blue-tailed and Red-tailed monkeys swinging in the braches of this thick forest. Your guide will give you informative briefings on the lifestyles of the primates you will be coming across and on the plants as well as on the insects and butterflies in this forest to ensure that the trek is not only enjoyable but informative as well. In the afternoon you will go for a guided nature walk in the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. The sanctuary offers great birding opportunities and nature walks. Besides birding, Bigodi village has a rich cultural heritage site where you can mix with the local people and enjoy the African traditions in terms of lifestyle and entertainment.

Dinner and overnight will be at the lodge of your Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari booking.

Luxury: Ndali lodge/Primate Lodge/Kyaninga Lodge
Moderate: Mountains of the moon/Kibale Forest Camp/Crater Safari Lodge/ Primate Lodge
Budget: Rwenzori travelers/Kibale Forest Camp/Chimpanzee Forest Guest House
Meal plan: Full Board Basis 

Day 9: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park (441 Kms)

You will set off on a 6-hour journey to Murchison Falls National Park.  The Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari drive is through verdant countryside dotted with traditional homesteads and farms and via the town of Hoima where you have a lunch break. You will continue the journey to Murchison Falls National Park arriving late in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight will be at the lodge of your booking.

Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge/ Nile Safari Lodge/
Mid-range: Fort Murchison (in rooms)/ Murchison River Lodge
Budget: Fort Murchison in tents/ Murchison River Lodge in tents / Red Chili
Meal Plan: Full Board Basis

Day 10: Game Drive and Boat Cruise

You will wake up very early and set off at 6.30 am for a sunrise Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari game drive in the Nyamsika plateau to see the Cape buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffes, Uganda kob, hartebeest, and waterbucks. You may also spot oribi, bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, shy sitatunga, bush duiker, warthog, and bush pig plus large carnivores including lions, leopards, and spotted hyenas. Chimpanzees and olive baboons head the list of six species of primates found in the park. Crocodiles and hippos will be seen along the banks of the Nile. Some of the more common birds that can be seen include goliath heron, Egyptian geese, pelican, bee-eaters, kingfishers, hornbill, cormorant, saddle-bill stork, and the rare shoebill stork. You will return to your lodge for a late breakfast and some relaxation before you set off in the afternoon for a boat cruise on the placid Victoria Nile, upstream, to the base of the falls. En-route you will see hippos, crocodiles, waterbuck, and a wide variety of birds like the rare shoebill stork. The boat stops just tens of meters from the “Devil’s Cauldron” for pictures to be taken of the photogenic and majestic Murchison Falls.

Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge/ Nile Safari Lodge/ Bakers Lodge 
Mid-range: Fort Murchison (in rooms)/ Murchison River Lodge
Budget: Fort Murchison in tents/ Murchison River Lodge in tents / Red Chili
Meal Plan: Full Board Basis

Day 11: Travel to Kampala via Ziwa Rhino sanctuary (311 Kms)

You will have an early breakfast and drive to Kampala via the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where you will have the opportunity to trek the Rhinos. The sanctuary houses Uganda’s Rhino reintroduction project. There are 9 white rhinos and tracking is done on foot for 1 and half hours. You will continue to Kampala arriving late in the afternoon for a well-deserved at the safari lodge of your booking.

Luxury Lodge: Serena Hotel/ Imperial Hotel
Moderate:  Emin Pasha Hotel/ Speke Resort Hotel 
Budget facility: Acardia Cottages/ Namirembe Guest house
Meal Plan: Full Board Basis

Day 12: Transfer to Jinja

We leave early in the morning and head to Jinja to visit the source of the Nile and to enjoy some of the adventurous activities whose options include white water rafting, jet boating, horse riding, mountain biking, quad biking, or bungee jumping. En-route to this part of the incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari, have a stopover at the Equator where you will have an opportunity to stand in two hemispheres at the same time and take some photos. You will arrive in the late afternoon and relax at the hotel of your booking till dinner and overnight.

Luxury: Jinja Nile Resort/ Signature Hotel Apartments
Mid-range: 2 Friends Guest House / Bilkon Hotel/ Brisk Hotel Triangle Jinja/ Gately on the Nile
Budget: Hotel Triangle/ Sunset Guest House
Meal Plan: Full Board Basis

Day 13: Adventure on the Nile River, Source of the Nile Site

You will, after breakfast, go for the adventurous white water rafting on the Nile River. The rafting begins at the Source of the Nile at 09:30 am with a comprehensive briefing and being fitted with the rafting gear. The rafting is done on an 18-kilometre stretch of the Nile River and no prior experience of rafting is required. The first few rapids are of low grade (1, 2) to build the confidence of the participants before guiding them gradually into the more challenging grades. A total of eight major rapids are rafted to maximize the adrenaline rush of this adventure. You will, after the rafting adventure, be treated to a barbecue lunch and drinks before returning to Kampala

Luxury Lodge: Serena Hotel/ Imperial Hotel 
Moderate:  Emin Pasha Hotel/ Speke Resort Hotel
Budget facility: Acardia Cottages/ Namirembe Guest house
Meal Plan: Full Board Basis

Day 14: Visit the chimp sanctuary on Ngamba Island

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the pier on Lake Victoria pier for you to take a boat cruise to Ngamba Island. The boat cruise will be for one hour. You will arrive at the chimpanzee sanctuary and be briefed about the sanctuary after which you will proceed to spend time with the chimps as they feed, relax and do acrobatic swings in the tree branches. Later you will go for a nature walk on the island with the young chimpanzees.

Have your Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari dinner and spend the night on the island.

Luxury Lodge: Serena Hotel/ Imperial Hotel 
Moderate:  Emin Pasha Hotel/ Speke Resort Hotel
Budget facility: Acardia Cottages/ Namirembe Guest house
Meal Plan: Full Board Basis

Day 15: Forest walk with the chimps

You will have breakfast and go for a forest walk with the chimps in the morning. This is an interesting walk as the chimps climb on you, pull your hair or walk hand in hand with you. It’s awesome. You will return from the forest walk for lunch and spend the rest of the day relaxing. Dinner and overnight will again be at the Island.

Luxury Lodge: Serena Hotel/ Imperial Hotel
Moderate:  Emin Pasha Hotel/ Speke Resort Hotel
Budget facility: Acardia Cottages/ Namirembe Guest house
Meal Plan: Full Board Basis

Day 16: Transfer to Entebbe for your departure flight

You will have breakfast and take a boat cruise back to Entebbe to relax at your hotel until the time for your departure flight. What an Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari.

END OF SAFARI

Requirements for this Safari:

• A Visa – you can apply for a visa online or very easily get one at the point of entry into the country (airport)
• Yellow fever vaccination card.
• Chimpanzee and Uganda Gorilla trekking permits – You can apply and secure these online but experience has shown that it is better coordinated when you send money to the tour firm to handle it for you at no extra cost to the standard fee (USD700)
• Travel &Health insurance – This should be arranged by you in your home country before you travel.
• Physical fitness

The Safari package includes:

• Full board accommodation as per the itinerary
• 4WD with a pop-up roof safari vehicle
• Bottled drinking water
• Game drives
• Boat trips
• Ferry crossing fees
• Rhino trekking fees
• Chimpanzee trekking permit in Kibale forest $200 per person
• Gorilla trekking permit in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – $700 per person
• Services of an English Speaking Driver/guide.
• Community visit fees
• Guided nature walks
• Pick up and Return airport transfers.

The Safari package excludes expenses of a personal nature such as:

• Other drinks.
• Laundry.
• Tips to local guides.
• Telephone expenses.
• Porter fees while trekking Gorillas and chimpanzees
• Personal Insurance.
• Cigarettes.

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