Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Kampala. Arrive and transfer to Kampala. Overnight at Speke Hotel (The Speke Hotel is named after the famous British explorer 'Hannington Speke' who discovered the source of River Nile. It is the first and oldest hotel in Uganda built in the 1920's. It has gone through a phase of renovations but has maintained the colonial ambiance. The hotel has 50 en suite rooms, which has all the facilities, associated with European Deluxe Properties. It is situated in the heart of Kampala, close to banks and business centers and offers all the charms of bygone days complimented by efficient, modern service and facilities).
Day 2: Murchison Falls National Park. You will be picked up from your hotel at 9.00 am. Head to Murchison Falls National Park. Have a lunch break at Masindi Hotel. In the park: Visit the Top of the Falls. Cross on the ferry at 6.00 pm. Overnight at Paraa Safari Lodge. (Paraa Safari Lodge is in Murchison Falls National Park, northwest of Uganda. Elevated high above the Falls on the north side of the river, the historic Lodge enjoys simply astounding views. With magnificent views of the majestic Murchison Falls, Paraa Safari Lodge offers a unique blend of comfort, relaxation and adventure. Set in a small area of landscaped gardens, the Lodge recreates the mood of quiet elegance for a new generation of guests).
Murchison Falls Protected Area (Mfpa) comprises of Murchison Falls National Park (Mfnp), Bugungu and Karuma Wildlife Reserves. Murchison Falls National Park derives its name from the Murchison Falls where the mighty River Nile explodes through a narrow gorge and flows down to become a placid river whose banks are thronged with hippos, crocodiles, water bucks and buffaloes. The vegetation is characterized by savanna, riverine forest and woodland. Wildlife includes lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, hartebeests, oribis, Uganda kobs, chimpanzees and many bird species including the rare shoebill. Top of the Falls: Trails around the top of the Falls go right up to the water’s edge. You have the opportunity to hike to the top of the falls from the boat landing and to get to the narrow gorge through which the river explodes into the falls. Campsites, picnic sites and walking safaris are available here.
Nature Walks: Murchison Falls Protected Area offers the opportunity to explore the wild on foot. Animals, birds and plants can be closely and quietly observed. Nature walks are offered at Rabongo Forest, Top of the Falls and Kaniyo Pabidi in Budongo Forest.
Day 3: Murchison Falls National Park. Wake up to an early morning game drive to start at 7.00 am. Return to the Lodge for a late breakfast at 11.00 am. After lunch, a launch cruise to the bottom of the falls; the hippos and crocodiles are amazing. Don’t miss the water birds going after the boat. Return to the Lodge for dinner and overnight. Game Drives: In the cool early morning before the sun rises too high, you will see plenty of game on the Buligi, Albert and Queen’s tracks north of the River Nile. At Nyamusika Cliffs you can picnic, enjoy the view and watch elephants and other game on the grassy hillsides. Go well prepared for a four-hour game drive. Ensure you are accompanied by a guide. The best time is 0700hr and 1600hr.
Launch Trips on the Nile: One of the highlights of a visit to Murchison Falls National Park is the launch trip from Paraa to the foot of Murchison Falls. Hippos and crocodiles are abundant and you will see birds like herons, cormorants, ducks, bee-eaters, fish eagles, kingfishers and sometimes the rare shoebill. The launch trip from Paraa to the falls (17km) and back takes about three hours. A boat trip from Paraa to the Delta (28km) and back takes about four to five hours and you can see a similar variety of animals and birds. The boat trip is scheduled for 0900hr and 1400hr every day. Any special time arrangement can be made with park management.
Day 4: Kilbale National Park. Drive to Fort Portal. It is a 7-hour drive. You will carry a picnic lunch from Paraa Safari Lodge. Arrive late afternoon. Check into Ndali Lodge; dinner and overnight. (Ndali Lodge is set stunningly amidst the Bunyaruguru craters lake region of Western Uganda, 24 kilometers south of Fort Portal, lying at the center of 1000 acres of privately owned fertile farmland still cultivated in a traditional style. It is perched on the rim of an extinct volcano which, since its demise, has filled with water to become the breathtaking Lake Nyinambuga – 250 acres in size and 300 meters deep. The lodge has cottages providing luxurious accommodation and offer a panoramic view of the spectacular ‘Mountains of the Moon’).
Day 5: Kilbane National Park. Have an early breakfast by 7.00 am and proceed to the park headquarters for briefing before going on the chimpanzee trek in Kibale Forest. You will carry packed lunch from Ndali Lodge and lots of drinking water. Dinner and overnight at Ndali Lodge. With lush tropical rainforest and fascinating diversity of animals, Kibale National Park (Knp) is one of the most beautiful and stunning forests in Uganda. Kibale forest is certainly worth protecting as it is home to the largest number (in Uganda) of our closest living relative, the endangered chimpanzee, as well as the threatened red colobus monkey and the rare L’Hoest’s monkey. The forest has one of the highest diversity and density of primates in Africa totaling 13 species including the black and white colobus, blue monkey and grey-cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkey, bush babies and pottos. The park also hosts over 325 species of birds including the yellow spotted nicator, yellow rumped tinker-bird, little green bull, green breasted pitta, African pitta, crowned eagle and the black bee-eater. There are a number of impressive mammals including forest elephants, buffaloes, bush pigs, duikers and bats. A keen observer may see some of the reptiles and amphibians as well as a colorful variety of butterflies. Furthermore, over 250 tree species have been recorded. The most famous inhabitants of Kibale National Park are the chimpanzees with over 1,450 individuals protected within the park. At Kanyanchu, a community of chimpanzees has been habituated since 1991, allowing visitors the unique opportunity to view these great apes in their natural environment.
Primate Walk: This starts from Kanyanchu River Camp at 8:00am or 3:00pm. It lasts for 2-4 hours and is the most popular walk, highlighting the diversity of different animals and plant species within the forest. This walk is restricted to four groups of four persons each, in the morning and the same number in the afternoon.
Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park. Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park after a late breakfast. You will have a picnic lunch with you. Go via the crater lakes. Visit the Katwe Salt Works. Dinner and overnight Mweya Safari Lodge. (Mweya Safari Lodge is located on a peninsula within the heart of Queen Elizabeth National Park. A safari lodge compared to no other with sumptuous accommodation, breathtaking views from every room, an abundance of game and some of the best birdwatching in East Africa. Mweya Safari Lodge is the perfect place to enhance your journal of discovery).
Queen Elizabeth National Park (Qenp) together with Kyambura and Kigezi Wildlife Reserves form one of the most diverse ecosystems in Africa. The melting glacier waters of the Rwenzori Mountains create a vast wetland system comprising of two main lakes, George and Edward, as well as the connecting Kazinga Channel. Thousands of hippos populate these lake shorelines. Open savanna dotted with Acacia and Euphorbia trees provide habitat for elephants, lions, leopards, Uganda kobs and big herds of buffaloes. Ten primate species including chimpanzees are present. Among the many animals frequently seen are giant forest hog, water-bucks, topi, hyenas and crocodiles. The park boasts of more bird species than any other park in Africa.
Traditional Salt Works: Visit one of the oldest industries in Uganda at the enclave of Lake Katwe town. Since the 14th Century, salt has been mined by traditional methods and still in use today. Salt production peaks during the dry season.
Day 7: Queen Elizabeth National Park. Get up ready for a 6.30 am morning game drive. Return to the lodge for a late breakfast. After lunch go for the afternoon launch cruise on the Kazinga Channel. Dinner and overnight Mweya Safari Lodge. Game Drives: This is the act of driving through the park for the purpose of viewing animals. This is best done in the early morning and late afternoon hours. Over 200 km of well-maintained tracks give visitors access to the park’s game. Some of the tracks pass through large mating grounds of great herds of Uganda kob.
Hungry lions can often be seen searching for prey. The legendary giant forest hog is visible roaming the bush. When it is hot, large herds of elephant make their way down to the water. Buffalo and bushbucks can be found on the Channel track and adjacent circuits. The warthog is a hallmark sight on the Mweya Peninsula. The outstanding scenery along the Crater track brings visitors to volcanic craters at the foothills of the misty Mountains of the Moon (Mt. Rwenzori). The drive is a breathtaking experience. Our friendly staff will assist in planning for a game drive.
Launch Trip on the Kazinga Channel: A boat trip along the hippo crowded banks of Kazinga Channel gives visitors a unique unequalled wildlife experience. Eye to eye with yawning hippos and surrounded by vast numbers of migrant and resident water birds, the boat puts one right in the heart of nature. Many buffaloes rest in the water while the big herds of elephant enjoy themselves drinking and playing along the Channel banks. Crocodiles have become a common sight and occasionally leopards may be seen.
Day 8: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Drive to Bwindi. Dinner and overnight, Gorilla Forest Camp. (Gorilla Forest Camp is a permanent luxury tented camp nestled in the mist-swathed rain-forest of a mountainside in the heart of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Designed to blend seamlessly into the forest-clad mountains that protect this fragile eco-system, its accommodation is in double tents raised on wooden platforms, each with en-suite facilities, hot and cold running water and unusually – a bathtub looking out into the forest. Each tent has a spacious wooden veranda where guests can relax, enjoy a private meal and absorb the exotic mystery of the surrounding rain-forest that provided the animation of Disney’s The Jungle Book).
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is situated in south western Uganda, on the edge of the Western Rift Valley (Albertine rift) and is shared by Kanungu, Kabale and Kisoro districts. It is 331 sq km in size and on an altitude range of 1,160 metres (Ishasha gorge) to 2,607 metres (Rwamanyonyi Peak). The annual average temperature range is 7°C - 20°C with the coldest period being June and July.
Of the local people neighbouring the park, the majority are Bakiga and Bafumbira, constituting the most dense settlements in Uganda (350 people/sq km). A few Batwa are also found.
Species Diversity: Bwindi is home to 326 gorillas, almost a half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas. There are also 346 species of birds and over 200 species of butterflies. This afromontane forest has dense under storey of fern, vines and shrubs. About 324 tree species have been recorded here, 10 of which occur nowhere else in Uganda.
Bird Watching: Bwindi is the bird watchers haven! It holds 346 species of birds and contains 90% of all Albertine rift endemics, difficult or impossible to see in any other part of East Africa and seven IUCN red data listed species. An experienced bird watcher can identify up to 100 species in a day! Visit Ruhija and Buhoma for this dream. Indicate your interest to the Park Management so that appropriate early morning departures can be arranged.
Day 9-12: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Have an early breakfast. Armed with your picnic lunch, proceed to the park offices for clearance. With guides and game rangers off you go into the forest to track the ‘gentle giants’, the gorillas. Return to Gorilla Forest Camp for dinner and overnight.
Gorilla Tracking: This is the major activity in Bwindi, with four gorilla groups currently available daily for tourists. Mubare group (10 gorillas, 1 silver-back) was opened for tourism in 1993, Habinyanja group (18 gorillas, 1 silver-back) opened in July 1998, Rushegura group (10 gorillas, 1 silver-back) was opened in July 2002, while Nkuringo group (19 gorillas, 2 silver-backs) was opened for tourism in April 2004. Book at least 6 months (but not more than two years) in advance to ensure that requested dates are available.
Gorilla tracking in Bwindi can be challenging, therefore ensure fitness. The tracking experience starts at 8.30 am local time and can last from a few hours to a whole day! Registration at the gate commences at 7.45 am.
Nature Walks: For the visitor who has 2 or 3 days in Bwindi, the park has 4 fantastic hiking trails. On all these trails, you have the opportunities to see and learn about primates, many species of birds, butterflies, trees and other organisms. Arrange at the reception for a guide. The guide’s company is obligatory and affords you an excellent understanding of nature’s system at work in the park. Departure times: 9.00 am and 2.15 am. The Munyaga river trail is an ideal short walk for visitors with little time to spare. Here you can see birds and primates of the forest edge. The popular waterfall trail provides an attractive feature of the forest with a profusion of tree ferns, epiphytic ferns, orchids and Bwindi’s colorful array of butterflies. This trail which leads to 3 delightful crystal clear waterfalls typifies your impression of a tropical rain-forest. The Rushara trail commands expansive views across the western rift valley floor. To the west, Congo’s Park Nationale des Virungas provides a spectacular backdrop and on clear days, Lake Edward and the Rwenzori Mountains are visible. The 5.2 km Muzabajiro Loop trail offers breathtaking views of Bwindi Forest, Western Rift Valley and the Virungas. On the way, you witness hundreds of pre-historic tree ferns. The top of this trail is a great place for a picnic lunch. The River Ivi trail, so far the longest in the park, will occupy you for a full day. It is highly recommended for bird watchers.
Day 13: Kampala. Head for Kampala on to Entebbe. Over night, Windsor Lake Vic hotel.
Day 14: Departure – Airport transfer.
What to bring:
- Wear jungle shoes suitable for steep muddy slopes and carry a rain jacket because the park is often wet.
- Put on ear plugs for those who feel uncomfortable with jungle sounds.
- Carry rain gear, sunscreen lotion, a hat (as the weather is unpredictable) and insect repellant.
- Carry a packed lunch.
For conservation reasons, visits to the gorillas are tightly controlled. The following rules apply and must be strictly adhered to:
- No one with a communicable disease (e.g. flu, diarrhea) is allowed to enter the park.
- Stay together in a tight group while with the gorillas, don’t surround them.
- Don’t get closer than 7 meters (21 feet) to the gorillas.
- Don’t eat or smoke when with the gorillas or within a distance of 200 meters from the gorillas.
- Turn away from the gorillas if you have to sneeze or cough. Cover your nose and mouth in the process.
- Burry all human feaces a minimum of one foot deep and ensure that the hole is properly covered.
- Don’t leave litter. All litter must be carried out of the park and disposed off properly.
- No person under 15 years is allowed to track gorillas.
- Don’t spit on vegetation or soil when in the park; use your hankie or other garment.
- Your group must not be more than 6 tourists and must all be over 15 years old.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Price Includes:
- Airport transfers to/from Entebbe
- All transport & fuel costs with driver and his allowance
- Park entrance fees, game drives & boat rides
- Accommodation as indicated
- One Gorilla permit & one chimp permit
Price does not Includes:
- Tips, drinks, personal items and all air travel
- Insurance
Validity: 1st January–31st December 2008
Also see tour packages in:
Africa
Uganda
Ecotourism
Wildlife Viewing
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