Safari Brief:
- Game drives in Kidepo Valley National Park
- Nature walk and cultural tour in Karamoja
- Adventures around Sipi Falls in Kapchorwa
- Boat cruise to the source of the Nile
- White water rafting on Rive Nile
- Game drive in Murchison Falls National Park
- Boat cruise to the bottom of Murchison Falls
- Stopover at the Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary
According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), Kidepo Valley National Park (KVNP) lies between Uganda’s borders with South Sudan and Kenya, some 700 kilometres from Kampala. It is Uganda’s most isolated and magnificent national park. And it ranks among Africa’s finest wilderness. The major tourist activities include game viewing. The park has a profusion of big game and hosts at least 86 mammal species, around 475 bird species (including unique birds like the ostrich, secretary and kori bustard) as well as 692 plant species.
Murchison Falls National 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 spots on the mighty River Nile. It is Uganda’s largest and oldest conservation area, hosting 76 species of mammals and 451 birds.
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.
Jinja District located in the eastern region of Uganda, is about 81 kilometres, by road, east of the Ugandan Kampala. Jinja City sits along the northern shores of Lake Victoria. Jinja is famed for being the source of the mighty River Nile.
The Nile offers a number of tourist attractions and activities which include white-water rafting, bungee jumping, boat cruises or canoeing to the source of the Nile, fishing, among others
Kapchorwa District located in the eastern region of Uganda is approximately 295 kilometres northeast of Kampala by road. You will enjoy the major tourist attraction which is the beautiful rugged landscape on the ranges of Mountain Elgon. The magnificent Sipi falls and Mt Elgon can easily be accessed from Kapchorwa (meaning “home of friends” in the Kaksabin language). There is the scenery, the Kapchorwa plains, numerous species of birds, cliffs and historic caves spread throughout the district, and moderately cool weather.
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
We have two packages(travelling by road or flying from Entebbe or Kajansi to Kidepo).
Day 2: Entebbe to Jinja
After breakfast, you will leave for Jinja District. Lunch will be at a selected restaurant in Jinja. After lunch, you will take a boat cruise to the Source of the Nile. Thereafter, you can choose from a number of activities that include kayaking/tubing, white water rafting or fishing on the River Nile. You could also enjoy quad biking, birding or the adrenaline-filled sport of bungee jumping over the Nile on a possible third day in Jinja.
Accommodation
- Nile Village Hotel – high-end
- Nile Front Hotel – mid-range
- Tourist Day Hotel – budget
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 3: Jinja to Kapchorwa
After breakfast, you will leave for Kapchorwa District. Lunch will be at a selected restaurant along the route. You will checkin at the lodge. In the afternoon you will choose from a number of activities that include nature walks, hiking, Boda Boda tours, experience a coffee tour and see how organic coffee is made, view the stunning waterfalls of Sipi, and from the stunning hanging valleys of Kapchorwa, you will view the sun setting in the horizons of the Teso plains.
Accommodation
- Lacam Lodge – high-end
- Rafiki Lodge Sipi – mid-range
- Crow’s Nest Campsite – budget
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 4: Sunrise walk and abseiling in Kapchorwa
You will wake up early in the morning for a sunrise walk to view the sun rising over the hanging valleys of Kapchorwa. You will return to the lodge for breakfast. You will then go for abseiling, hiking, and cave adventuring. After lunch, you attend Sebei cultural dances and storytelling, and once again view the sun setting in the horizons of the Teso plains.
Day 5: Kapchorwa to Moroto
After breakfast, you will depart for the Karamoja region to experience different activities on the Warrior Nomad Trail offered by Kara-Tunga. You will have lunch in Moroto District. After lunch, you will experience this untouched northeast region of Uganda by cycling, Boda Boda (motorcycle taxis).
Accommodation
- Hotel Africana Moroto – high-end
- Mount Moroto Hotel – mid-range
- Kara-Tunga – budget
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 6: Hiking Mount Moroto
After breakfast, you will hike the volcanic massive Mount Moroto. You will have an opportunity to experience Uganda’s last living traditional cultures through village visits. You will get the feel of the nomadic pastoral life with a visit to a kraal. You can also on birding trails, and visit ancient rock painting sites, among others. You will then return to the lodge for the night.
Day 7: Moroto to Kidepo Valley National Park
After breakfast, you will leave for Kidepo Valley National Park. Lunch will be at a selected restaurant along the route or at the lodge. You could go for a game drive in the afternoon.
Accommodation
- Apoka Safari Lodge – high-end
- Kidepo Savannah Lodge – mid-range
- Apoka Rest Camp – budget
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 8: Game Drive
Early in the morning you will go for a game drive to view cheetahs, prides of lions and heard of African elephants. By luck, you will see rare like species not found anywhere in Uganda like the striped hyena, aardwolf, cheetah, caracal, mountain reedbuck and bat-eared fox, among others. You will return to the lodge or camp for breakfast.
After lunch and a rest, you will go for an afternoon game drive. Under the glance of the setting sun, you will view elephants, leopards, Jackson’s hartebeests, warthogs, giraffes, waterbucks, zebras, elands, bush duikers, jackals, bushbucks, among others, in the unique amazing picturesque terrain and scenery along the Narus Valley.
What you will not definitely miss are the herds of buffaloes that can be seen grazing in their hundreds and inside these large herds are smaller units of families or clans. A herd may hold 2,000-3,000 buffaloes.
You will be struck by Kidepo’s vast beautiful pristine open savannah landscape that seems not to have a boundary but is only interrupted by distant mountain ranges. You will return to the lodge or camp for the night.
There is the option of climbing Mountain Morungole in the afternoon and visiting the Ik people as well. The Ik an ethnic minority tribe live in Kaabong District, south-east of KVNP. The Ik are believed to have been the first people to occupy north Karamoja. Originally dependent on hunting and gathering, the Ik now practice substance farming and harvest honey for domestic and commercial use.
Day 9: Nature Walk and Cultural Tour
After breakfast, you will embark on a morning game drive to the Kanangorok Hot Springs where you will view more wildlife especially the big cats that like to keep around rocks scanning the vast area for possible prey.
The Kanangorok Hot Springs water is about 50°c temperature hot is famed for its skin-healing powers. Mammals are rare in this area but the fast running ostriches and secretary birds are often seen. You will return to the lodge or camp for lunch.
After lunch, you will embark on the cultural tour in the surrounding Karimajong community and learn about their ancient lifestyles, beliefs, dress, dance and song, child upbringing and leadership. They are predominately pastoralists and have resisted modern life and live like their forefathers. During the cultural tour, you will experience how the life of Karamajong revolves around cattle. They live in villages of grass huts, each surrounded by stockades of grass and reeds. You will return to the lodge or camp for the night.
Day 10: Kidepo to Murchison Falls National Park
After breakfast, you set off for Murchison Falls National Park in Masindi District via the Kidepo-Kitgum-Gulu-Karuma route. Lunch will be at a selected restaurant along the route. 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 for the night
Accommodation
- Paraa Safari Lodge – luxury
- Pakuba Lodge – mid-range
- Red Chilli – budget
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 11: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, bushbuck, the waterbuck, 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. You will return to the lodge for the night.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Day 12: Murchison Falls National Park to Entebbe with a stopover at the Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary – Transfer to Entebbe Airport for Departure
After breakfast, you set off for Entebbe 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 shoe-bill trek and canoe ride, bird watching, night walk, nature walk and relaxation. Lunch will be at a selected restaurant along the route. You will be transferred to Entebbe International Airport to board your departure flight.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Included in this package is:
- Bookings in standard rooms
- Airport transfers
- A full time English speaking driver/guide
- 4WD air-conditioned vehicles for road transport
- Non-air-conditioned vehicles for game drives
- Park fees, game drives
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Park fees, game drives
- Applicable government taxes
- Indicated meals
- Bottled drinking water (one-liter per person per day during on while driving on safari)
Not included in this package is:
- International airfare to Uganda
- The cost of the visa (USD$50)
- Meals and drinks not included in the safari
- Personal insurance, beverages and bar bills, phone bills and expenses of a personal nature like laundry, tips and buying souvenirs, among others.
For inquiries or booking contact us on:
Tel: +256-775-426315
Email: info@pigeonsafaris.com