Safari Brief:

• Stopover at the Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary
• Game drive in Murchison Falls National Park
• Boat cruise to the bottom of Murchison Falls
• Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park
• Game drive in Semuliki National Park
• Game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Boat cruise on the famous Kazinga Channel
• Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary located in Nakasongola District is the home of the only wild rhinos in Uganda. Ziwa is the only place where you will trek the southern white rhinos in the wild in the country.

According to UWA, Murchison Falls National Park hosts 76 species of mammals and 451 birds. The park is one of the popular destinations for both foreign and local tourists, who are attracted by the Murchison Falls, which is one of Uganda’s most scenic natural heritage spot on the River Nile.

According to UWA, Kibale National Park contains one of the loveliest and most varied tracts of tropical forest in Uganda. Kibale is famously known for Chimpanzee trekking. The park is home to a total of 70 mammal species, most famously 13 species of primate including the chimpanzee. It also contains over 375 species of birds. 351 tree species have been recorded in the park. Kibale is one of Africa’s foremost research sites for primatologists, among other researchers.

According to UWA, Semuliki National Park hosts 441 recorded bird species and 53 mammals. Birdlife is especially spectacular in Semuliki with 441 recorded species, representing 40 per cent of Uganda’s total bird species and 66 per cent (216) of the country’s forest bird species.

According to UWA, Queen Elizabeth National Park is understandably Uganda’s most popular tourist destination. The park’s diverse ecosystems, which include sprawling savanna, shady, humid forests, sparkling lakes and fertile wetlands, make it the ideal habitat for classic big game, ten primate species including chimpanzees and over 600 species of birds.

According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park contains almost 400 species of plants more famously, this “impenetrable forest” also protects an estimated 400 mountain gorillas – roughly half of the world’s population, including several habituated groups, which can be trekked. This biologically diverse region also provides shelter to a further 120 mammals, including several primate species such as baboons and chimpanzees, as well as elephants and antelopes. There are around 350 species of birds hosted in this forest, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport

On your arrival at Entebbe International Airport you will be welcomed and transferred to the hotel in Entebbe for a night.

Meals: Dinner

Day 2: Kampala to Murchison Falls NP with stopover at the Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary

After breakfast you set off for Murchison Falls National Park in Masindi District with a stopover at the Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary on the Kampala-Gulu highway. The sanctuary is home to the endangered white rhino that nearly got wiped out in Uganda in the 1970s. You will be able to trek the white rhinos on foot in their wild guided by rangers. The other attractions are: shoebill trek and canoe ride, bird watching, night walk, nature walk and relaxation.

Lunch will be at a selected restaurant along the route. After lunch you will proceed to Murchison Falls National Park. You will be driven straight to the top of the magnificent Murchison Falls while enjoying an afternoon game drive. At the top of the falls, you will enjoy the falls from above. You will watch birds and butterflies, and also enjoy the spectacular view of the mighty Nile and the landscape and vegetation. You will watch the rainbow as water droplets fall on your face to cool you off. Thereafter, you will be driven to the lodge.

Accommodation

• Paraa Safari Lodge – luxury
• Pakuba Lodge – mid-range
• Red Chilli – budget

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 3:  Boat Cruising to the Bottom of Murchison Falls and Game Drive

You will enjoy an early morning game drive to catch a glimpse of several species including the graceful giraffes, elephants, lions, buffalos and antelope species, like the Ugandan kob, eland, bush buck, the water buck, greater kudu, Jackson’s hartebeest, Grant’s gazelle and the dik dik, among others, in the savannah. Thereafter, you will return to the lodge for breakfast and lunch.

After lunch you will take the boat cruise to the bottom of the mighty Murchison Falls. At the dramatic Murchison Falls, the Nile squeezes through an 8-meter wide gorge and plunges with a thunderous roar into the “Devil’s Cauldron” creating a trademark rainbow. The mighty cascade drains the last of the river’s energy, transforming it into a broad, placid stream that flows quietly across the rift valley floor into Lake Albert. This stretch of river provides one of Uganda’s most remarkable wildlife spectacles. Regular visitors to the riverbanks include elephants, giraffes and buffaloes; while hippos, Nile crocodiles and aquatic birds are permanent residents. The boat cruise will end on the fringes of the rift valley escarpment.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 4: Murchison Falls to Kibale National Park

After breakfast you will leave for Kibale National Park via the Masindi-Hoima-Kyenjojo-Kabarole Road. Lunch will be at a selected restaurant along the journey.

Accommodation

• Kyaninga Lodge – high-end
• Kibale Forest Lodge – mid-range
• Isunga Lodge – budget

Day 5: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale

After breakfast you will trek the chimpanzee parties in the park under the guidance of guides. You will return to the lodge for lunch. Thereafter you will go for a nature walk in the afternoon.

Day 6: Kibale National Park to Semuliki National Park

After breakfast you will leave for Semuliki National Park via the Kabarole-Bundibugyo Road. Lunch will be at a selected restaurant along the journey.

Accommodation

• Semuliki Luxury Lodge – high-end
• Ntoroko Game Lodge – high-end/mid-range
• Bumuga Campsite – budget

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 7: Nature Walk and Game Drive – Semuliki National Park

After enjoying your breakfast, you will go for a nature walk through the vast savannah woodland and forest. You will have the opportunity to get to the boiling and gushing Sempaya Hot Springs where you may boil eggs and matooke (green bananas) for a quick snack. You will view primates like vervet monkeys, baboons, red-tailed, black and white colobus, Uganda kobs, warthogs and birds like the ground-hornbills, shoebills, black-billed barbets and red-necked falcons, among others. You will return to the lodge or camp for lunch.

You could go for a night game drive you will have a chance to see rare nocturnal species like the potto and bushbaby primates, white tailed mongoose, leopards and nightjar birds, among others. You will return to lodge or camp for the night.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 8: Semuliki National Park to Queen Elizabeth National Park

After enjoying your breakfast, you will leave for Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Bundibugyo-Kabarole-Kasese Road through the Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve where you will have the opportunity to view forest buffaloes and elephants, waterbucks, giant forest hogs, warthogs, Uganda Kobs, antelopes, the two flying squirrel species and a variety of primates. In addition, you will enjoy site seeing that includes the beautiful savannah woodland landscape with the magnificent Rwenzori Mountain ranges forming a beautiful backdrop along the journey. Lunch will be at a selected restaurant along the journey.

Accommodation

• Mweya Safari Lodge – high-end
• Jacana Safari Lodge – mid-range
• Bush Lodge – budget

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 9:  Boat Cruise and Game Drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park

You will view the famous tree-climbing lions, herds of buffaloes, elephants, Ugandan kobs, leopards and water bucks, among others, in their natural habitat in the savannah plains in an early morning game drive. Thereafter, you will drive back to the lodge for breakfast.

After lunch you take a boat cruise along the famous Kazinga Channel that runs between Lake Edward and Lake George. At close range you will see buffalos, hippos, elephants and bird species during the panoramic cruise, which will be one of the major experiences of your safari.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 10: Queen Elizabeth National Park to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After an early breakfast you will tour the salt mines at Lake Katwe. Thereafter, you will head for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via the Kasese-Mbarara-Kabale Road.

Accommodation

Meals: Breakfast and lunch

• Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge – high-end
• Bakiga Lodge – mid-range
• Gorilla Friends Resort – budget

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 11: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After an early morning breakfast, you will carry your packed lunch and bottled water to the trekking start point on the Eastern sector of Ruhija where you will be registered and briefed by the park rangers on your trekking safari. You will be required to carry a photocopy of your passport to verify the correct names and address as they appear on your Gorilla Trekking Permit.

Guided by park rangers the actual trekking experience will take you one hour in cold, steeply and muddy conditions. The highlight of this safari is that you will closely watch these endangered species as they go about their daily life in their habitat. Trekking endangered mountain gorillas remains as one of the undisputed highlights of an Africa safari. Encountering these enormous creatures is an experience that will stay with you for life. After trekking the gorillas, you will enjoy your packed lunch in the forest, and thereafter return to your lodge.

For the gorilla trekking excursion, you must have:

• Long trousers and long sleeved shirts for protection against insect stings
• Leather gloves for protection against stinging plants
• A rain coat
• Hiking boats or waterproof walking shoes
• Packed lunch and bottled water

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 12: Kabale to Kampala and Transfer to Entebbe Airport for Departure

After breakfast you will head back to Entebbe. You will have lunch at a selected restaurant in either in Mbarara or Masaka Town. You will have a stopover at the Uganda Equator for water experiment at Kayabwe. You will then be transferred to Entebbe International Airport to board your departure flight.