Safari Brief
- Game drive in Lake Mburo National Park
- Boat drive on Lake Mburo
- Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Stopover at the Uganda Equator at Kayabwe
According to UWA, Lake Mburo National Park is the smallest of Uganda’s savannah national parks and underlain by ancient Precambrian metamorphic rocks which date back more than 500 million years. It is home to 350 bird species as well as zebra, impala, eland, buffalo, oribi, Defassa waterbuck, leopard, hippo, hyena, topi and reedbuck.
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: Entebbe to Lake Mburo National Park
After breakfast you will depart Entebbe for Lake Mburo National Park in Kiruhura District in western Uganda. Lunch will be along the way. After checking in at the lodge if time permits you will go for an afternoon game drive to catch a glimpse of the wild animals in their natural habitat.
Accommodation
- Mihingo Lodge – luxury
- Rwakobo rock Lodge – mid-range
- Eagle’s Nest Lodge – budget
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 3: Game drive in Lake Mburo National Park
After an early breakfast will enjoy a morning game drive in the park to catch a variety of bird species and wild animals such as zebras, impalas, elands, buffalos, oribis, defassa waterbucks, leopards, hippos, hyenas, topis and reedbucks in their habitat.
After lunch you will enjoy a boat drive on Lake Mburo while viewing hippos in water. You could also enjoy a nature walk or cycling on the mountain or running wild with a guide.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 4: Lake Mburo to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After an early breakfast you will depart for the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Kabale District in southwestern Uganda. You will have lunch along the journey.
Accommodation
- Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge – high-end
- Bakiga Lodge – mid-range
- Gorilla Friends Resort – budget
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 5: 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 could 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. After trekking the gorillas, you will enjoy your packed lunch in the forest, and thereafter return to the lodge. 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.
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 for gorilla trekking
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 6: Kabale to Entebbe 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 be then transferred to Entebbe International Airport to board your departure flight.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
