Ultimate Uganda Safari 14 days

Ultimate Uganda Safari 14 days

Ultimate Uganda Safari itinerary:

Day 01: ENTEBBE

Upon arrival at Entebbe Airport on the shores of Lake Victoria, you are met by your trip leader or representative and driven a short distance to the Hotel Lake Victoria, your lodging for the first night in Uganda. The Hotel, completely refurbished, is surrounded by, pleasant gardens and a pool.

Depending on the time of your arrival, you can visit the botanical gardens, which is walk able distance from the hotel. Here you will see monkeys and different bird and butterfly species.
Overnight Hotel Lake Victoria, Entebbe

Day 02: ENTEBBE / MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK (Approximately 6-7 hours)

Your tour of Uganda's wild side begins with a morning drive north to Murchison Falls National Park stopping at Masindi for lunch arriving in Paraa lodge later in the afternoon. Once you reach the Nile in the heart of the park, you will cross on a ferry to Paraa Safari lodge.

The drive from the ferry might reveal Blue Napped Mouse birds, silver bird, and the Red Headed Agama. Paraa Lodge overlooks the mighty Nile where Hippos wallow in the water. The lodge is located in the North bank, which is the closest location to the wild in the park.
Overnight Paraa Safari Lodge, Murchison Fall National Park (BLD)

Day 03: MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK

After breakfast you will go for an early morning game drive on the rolling plains where you can view lions, giraffe, hartebeest, Buffalo and elephant as well many other mammals of the park. For the birders, this area supports the secretary bird, black-chested snake eagle, tawny and marshal eagles and many others. This is a beautiful drive across the African savannah down to Lake Albert, where the Albert Nile heads north to Sudan.

Take an afternoon boat trip to the bottom of Murchison Falls. This launch trip is for a bout three hours. This is an experience not to be missed! The launch trip gives you a chance to get up close with Nile hippos and to see the huge Nile crocodiles and other wildlife that may come down to drink from the river.
Overnight Paraa Safari Lodge, Murchison Fall National Park (BLD)

Day 04: MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK

This morning after breakfast, take a boat ride down river to the delta where the Nile empties into Lake Albert, it provides a best chance in Africa of sighting the rare shoebill. Lunch at the lodge and then take another afternoon game drive returning to the lodge at dusk.
Overnight Paraa Safari Lodge, Murchison Fall National Park (BLD)

Day 05: MURCHISON FALLS / KIBALE (Approximately 8 hours drive)

Early breakfast, cross the Nile River by ferry, game drive to the top of Murchison falls where you can have a closer look into the gorge where the Nile squeezes in to a 7 meter gorge dropping 40 meters. The falls are spectacular and thunderous with a beautiful rainbow displayed on sunny days.
Later, drive through beautiful agricultural countryside where every type of fruit and vegetable imaginable is grown. Upon reaching Kyenjojo, in the lower foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, you drive through beautiful tea plantations and into Kibale tropical rainforest. Here in the Kibale Forest, chimps and other primates now comfortably accept the presence of humans in their habitat.
Overnight Ndali Lodge / Primate Lodge (BLD)

Day 06: KIBALE FOREST

Today you spend the day hiking through the dense overgrowth of the Kibale Forest in search of primates, both greater and lesser. The forest has well marked trails that make it easily accessible. Three large communities of Chimpanzees each inhabit Kibale, each numbering over 200 individuals.

Typically you will locate the chimps by listening for their pant-hooting calls, then observe them as they feed in the trees, lounge or hunt (this is usually an adrenaline-filled moment!). Chimps move quickly through the bushy canopy hunting colobus monkeys and bush babies, and will occasionally capture ground dwellers such as small duikers or dik-dik. Though they feed primarily on figs and other fruits, they are effective hunters.

The chimp's strong social order and behavior is fascinating to watch. They are noisy, communicative, and often confrontational with each other. The male is territorial and uses elaborate boundaries and defense techniques to protect his turf. Fierce battles between communities occasionally occur, sometimes with fatalities, yet young females can pass from group to group ensuring genetic diversity.

Once you have encountered the Chimps, you will continue hiking through the forest, looking for birds and lesser primates, which may include red-tailed monkey, red colobus monkey, black-and-white colobus monkey, gray cheeked mangabey, olive baboon and vervet monkey.

The forest is the habitat of the spectacular great Blue Turaco and the African Gray Parrot; it is alive with the tantalizing sounds of the elusive birds such as the Angola Pitta. Expert national park guides will accompany us and will reveal some of the botanical secrets of the forest.

A night walk to see the potto and galagoo can be arranged (optional).
Overnight Ndali Lodge / Primate Lodge (BLD)

Day 07: KIBALE / QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK (Approximately 3 hours drive)

After an early morning breakfast, you will say goodbye to Kibale and return to Fort Portal. This rural Ugandan town is locally famous for its weaving and basketry, and we stop briefly to examine some of this local art.

Leaving Fort Portal town, you turn south and early this afternoon enter Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is dominated on its northern border by the snow-capped 16,000-foot Rwenzori Mountains-the famed "Mountains of the Moon". This 767-square-mile conservation area is bordered on the North East by Lake George and on the South West by Lake Edward; its western border adjoins the Zaire Parc Du Virunga.

You will expect to see teeming herds of impala-like Uganda Kob, as well as topi, elephant and lion, giant forest hog, Cape buffalo. There are also several soda lakes filling ancient volcanic calderas where flamingos reside seasonally.
Overnight Mweya lodge (BLD)

Day 08: QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK

Today's exploration of Queen Elizabeth National Park begins with an early morning launch trip on the Kazinga Channel. This fresh water system, joining Lake Edward and Lake George, boasts of the highest concentration of Nile Hippos in the world.

This area is excellent for birders and you expect to see species ranging in size from the tiny and brilliant Malachite Kingfisher to the Giant Goliath Heron. You leave the water and re-unite with your drivers to explore the park in a more traditional manner.

In addition to these semi-aquatic mammals, the launch affords unique opportunities to view other mammals, and birds as they come to the waters edge to drink or bathe. Waterbuck, Bushbuck, Cape buffalo, Hartebeest, Giant Forest Hog, Warthog, Elephant, and potentially Leopard and Lion.

The scenic beauty of the park is a perfect backdrop for the wildlife drama that takes place before us.
Overnight Mweya Lodge (BLD)

Day 09: QUEEN ELIZABETH / BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST (Approximately 6 hours)

You are up early this morning for a final game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park, hoping to catch a glimpse of the more elusive wildlife of this lovely sanctuary.

You then drive through Ishasha area of the park hoping to see the famous tree climbing lions (weather permitting) and then through the scenic area known as the "Switzerland" of East Africa, to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for your gorilla treks.
Overnight Engagi Lodge/ Mahogany Springs (BLD)

Day 10: GORILLA TREKKING IN BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST

The Impenetrable Forest of Bwindi National Park is certainly aptly named. On its steep slopes and in the deep valleys, the largest of the primates has managed to escape extinction.

Report at the park office at 7.30am for the gorilla trek. Carry a picnic lunch and plenty of water. Cameras and plenty of fast speed film is recommended. It can rain at short notice; hence waterproof clothing is a good essential including zip lock bags for cameras and film.

Meeting our ranger guides, gorilla watchers head off the steep, trail-less slopes to search for the gorillas. In addition to the gorillas, you may spot many birds, red-tailed and ground-dwelling L'Hoest's monkeys.

Although park rangers try to keep tabs on the whereabouts of the gorillas, they are free ranging wild creatures and can be difficult to locate. Sometimes finding the gorillas can be easy, as they may have remained close to the area where they had been feeding the previous day.

Sometimes they require constant tracking, which can be arduous. Some of the difficulties to be encountered on the gorilla trek can include steep, muddy slopes, stinging nettles, safari ants, and rain.

The reward is an extraordinary opportunity to observe the gorillas at close range. The gorillas are not tame, but they have been scientifically habituated to accept the presence of quiet and non-threatening observers.

The park rangers will brief you on appropriate behavior. You can expect to stay with the gorillas for about an hour after first encountering them. However we can't guarantee you'll see them but chances are 98%.

If your group size is less than six members, the park rangers will add other trekkers to your group. You have no way of knowing who these trekkers will be or what physical condition they may be in, and our group will need to trek together.

Should your gorilla trek end early, rainforest walks in Bwindi can be arranged. Other wildlife you may encounter includes yellow-backed duiker and a variety of birds.
Overnight Mahogany Springs / Engagi Lodge (BLD)

Day 11: SECOND GORILLA TREK

Early breakfast, drive to the park headquarters with a picnic lunch for your second Gorilla trek. Today you visit a different group from yesterdays.
Overnight Mahogany Springs / Engagi Lodge (B/PL/D

Day 12 BWINDI / LAKE MBURO (Approximately 7 hours drive)

After breakfast we depart for Lake Mburo National Park. En route, we pass through Uganda's Ankole District where the people keep massively horned cattle, which have been bred in this region for centuries and are used as an indicator of personal wealth. The horns of these domestic beasts may measure well in excess of four feet each.

Small children tend their herds, making sure that the cattle don't invade the fertile fields and banana plantations that dot the countryside. We continue to Lake Mburo National Park, a small park surrounding a lovely system of lakes and papyrus swamps.

Mburo offers perhaps the best opportunities in Uganda to see birds associated with acacia woodlands, such as the Bare-faced Go-away Bird, Black-bellied Bustard, Black-headed Gonolek, Grey Hornbill and Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater. The only large predators here are Spotted Hyena and Leopard, but the park is home to a large variety of ungulate species, including African Buffalo, Topi, Uganda Kob, Oribi, Reedbuck, Klipspringer, Defassa Waterbuck, Common Zebra, Giraffes and Eland.

This is the only place in western Uganda where Impala are found. Nile Hippo and Crocodile are also fairly common in the park.
Overnight Mantana tented camp (B/L/D

Day 13: LAKE MBURO / KAMPALA / JINJA (approximately 6 ½ hours drive)

You will view game as you leave the camp for Kampala, pass through the town of Masaka near the shores of Lake Victoria, then continue through huge papyrus swamps, fragmented rainforest, with a stop at the Mpigi Royal drum makers and witness how drums have been made in Uganda for centuries.

Long before the coming of the Europeans, the Buganda people had a highly structured society and drums were used extensively for long distance and rapid communications. Later proceed to Jinja arriving at Gately on Nile in the evening, where you overnight.
Overnight Gately On Nile (BL)

Day 14: JINJA / ENTEBBE / DEPARTURE (Approximately 3 hours drive)

This morning, you will visit the spectacular Bujagali Falls and the source of the Nile. On your way to Kampala you will branch off the main road and visit the Ssezibwa falls, which is a cultural site, used by the Kabaka's (Kings) for traditional healing. A witch doctor lives here and the Baganda people visit this site regularly.

Transfer to Entebbe for your flight out depending on flight departure times. (Your departure flight should be late in the afternoon or in the evening otherwise, another night can be arranged in Entebbe) (B)

End of Ultimate Uganda Safari