Overview
The 10 Days Gorillas, Chimps, & Wildlife safari explores the Westside of Uganda from Lake Mburo National Park to Bwindi, via Queen Elizabeth and Kibale to Murchison Falls national park and ends with an amazing walk at the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary for a walk with the Rhinos.
Details.
Day 1. Arrival at Entebbe Airport at 10.30 am and transfer to Lake Mburo national park, evening game drive.
Meet your driver guide at the Airport and transfer to Lake Mburo national park. On the way you make a stopover at the equator for photographs as you continue enjoying the fantastic views of the park as you head to your lodge. You will have a late lunch at the lodge and relax. After lunch go for an evening game drive with in the park with chances of seeing rare animals like zebras, impalas, elands, giraffes plus other animals like buffaloes, hippos, bushbucks. Here you also have to see a number of birds like kingfishers, starlings, hornbills, eagles.
Overnight Leopard Rest Camp (Budget), Rwakobo Rock Lodge (Mid-range), Mihingo Lodge (Luxury)
Day 2. Morning safari and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi.
After breakfast set off for an early morning safari with many chances of seeing cats hunting like leopards, hyenas, jackals and other animals for example the herbivores going out to graze like buffaloes, bushbucks, zebras, elands, waterbuck, warthogs plus the interesting morning sounds of birds singing like weavers, kingfishers, cuckoos, shrikes, starlings among others and after transfer to Lake Bunyonyi.
The lake is known to be the deepest in Uganda with many islands offering excellent views of the scenery plus leisure activities like swimming, horse ride, boat cruises and also with a number of beautiful birds like kingfishers, cuckoos, eagles and many more.
Overnight Bunyonyi View Resort (Budget), Hawks Eye Lodge (Mid-range), Arcadia Cottages (Luxury)
Day 3. Morning relaxation at Lake Bunyonyi and afternoon transfer to Bwindi.
You have breakfast at the time of your choice and continue to enjoy the scenic nature of the lake with cool breathes as you relax at the lodge to put out the fatigue of the journey. You have lunch at the lodge and then transfer to Bwindi. On your way you pass through the terraced hills with good spots for photographs as you continue to the lodge for dinner and relaxation.
Overnight Ruhija Gorilla Friends Resort (Budget), Agandi Eco Lodge (Mid-range), Kiho Gorilla Safari Lodge (Luxury)
Day 4. Gorilla trekking and transfer to Ishasha.
After breakfast prepare for a long day walk as you go for gorilla trekking in the Ruhija sector of the Bwindi forest. Gorilla trekking starts with a briefing at Ruhija headquarters at 8am. After you will put in a group of 8 people and each group is given a gorilla family to trek. You are guided by the ranger guide into the forest to search for the given gorilla family. After meeting the family, you are allowed to stay with the gorillas for one hour as you learn on their behaviors and take the more photos as you wish to take. The forest also gives you chances to see other primates like black and white moneys, blue faced monkey, and L’Hoest monkey plus a number of bird species like cuckoos, Gonolek, woodpeckers and butterflies and after start a 3 to 4 hour drive to Ishasha.
Overnight Topi Lodge (Budget), Enjojo Lodge (Mid-range), Ishasha Wilderness Camp (Luxury)
Day 5. Morning safari in Ishasha and afternoon transfer to the northern sector of Queen Elizabeth national park, evening Kyambura walk and hike to twin lakes.
After an early breakfast; go for a morning game drive in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth national park. The sector is known for the tree climbing lions giving chances to see lions resting in branches of figs and a number of other animals like leopards, hyenas, elephants, herds of buffaloes, warthogs, Kobs plus a variety of bird species like starlings, eagles, hawks, vultures, and shrikes among others and then transfer to the northern sector of the park.
You will have lunch at the lodge and relax. Then go for a 3 hour evening Kyambura village walk through the cultivated plantations of cocoa, vanilla, coffee, bananas, cassava as you also meet with the local people and then continue with a hike to the Katinda and Mirambi twin lakes with the most interesting scenery for excellent photography and then transfer back to the lodge.
Overnight Pumba Safari Cottages (Budget), Kazinga Wilderness Safari Camp (Mid-range), Kyambura Gorge Lodge (Luxury)
Day 6. Morning safari and afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga channel.
After breakfast, set off for an early morning safari in the Kasenyi sector of Queen Elizabeth national park. Here you get chances of seeing cats hunting like lions, leopards, hyenas and other animals like elephants, herds of buffaloes, hippos, Kobs plus a number of bird species since the park holds almost 600 bird species like turacos, eagles, doves, hornbill, flycatchers and continue to visit the Kasenyi salt lake to see how salt is mined.
Transfer back to the lodge for lunch and after go for an afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga channel. The boat cruise takes 2 hours on the channel giving you opportunity to spot a number of animals along the banks like elephants, buffaloes, crocodiles, hippos drowning and yawning within the water plus a variety of aquatic birds like herons, egret, kingfishers, fish eagle, jacana etc. and after transfer back to the lodge.
Overnight Pumba Safari Cottages (Budget), Kazinga Wilderness Safari Camp (Mid-range), Kyambura Gorge Lodge (Luxury)
Day 7. Transfer to Kibale forest national park, afternoon Chimpanzee trekking.
After breakfast, drive for 2 to 3 hours to Kibale national park, on your way you pass through the crater lakes area with a beautiful scenic nature and continue to the lodge for lunch. After lunch you go afternoon chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest. Kibale forest national park is most popular for its population of chimpanzees and considered the best place for chimpanzee trekking in the world with approximately 1500 chimpanzees.
Chimpanzee trekking starts with a briefing by the rangers and then head into the forest to trek a group of chimpanzees. After meeting the chimpanzees you are allowed to stay with for one hour. The forest also holds other primates like the black and white colobus, red tailed monkey, Vervet monkey plus other animals like duikers, bushbucks, giant forest hogs and bird species like sunbirds, tinker birds, Apalis and many more and after transfer back to the lodge.
Overnight Nkuruba Camp Site (Budget), Isunga Lodge (Mid-range), Primate Lodge (Luxury)
Day 8. Transfer to Murchison falls national park, evening game drive.
Prepare for a long day drive of about 7 to 8 hours to the Northwest part of Uganda to the Murchison falls national park. On your way you pass through villages, markets, tea plantations giving you an interesting experience. You will have lunch on the way or at Red chill rest camp depending on time. You will go for an evening game drive through the tracks of the park like the Albertine track, Victoria track, Queen’s track.
Murchison falls national park being the biggest park in Uganda holds a number of animals giving you chances to spot as many as you can like elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, hartebeest, duikers, Oribis, hyenas, baboons, monkeys, giraffes, among others plus a variety of bird species like hornbills, starlings, eagles, Turaco, weavers, doves and many more.
Overnight Red Chilli (Budget), Murchison River Lodge (Mid-range), Nile Safari Lodge (Luxury)
Day 9. Morning safari and afternoon boat cruise on the Victoria Nile.
Wake up early for a cup of tea and set off for an early morning with chances to spot the cats hunting like lions, leopards, jackals, hyenas and other animals as they coming out to graze like elephants, hippos, hartebeest, giraffes, Oribis, buffaloes, warthogs, duikers, bushbucks and then also get a chance to listen to sweet morning sounds of birds like doves, weavers, eagles, cuckoos, starlings, hawks, hornbills.
After lunch you go for an afternoon boat cruise on the Victoria Nile, here you get chances of seeing large school of hippos and other animals coming to drink water like elephants, buffaloes plus the Nile crocodile on the banks of the Nile. You also spot some of the aquatic birds here like kingfishers, fish eagle, herons, egrets, geese, African jacana and after drive back to lodge.
Overnight Red Chilli (Budget), Murchison River Lodge (Mid-range), Nile Safari Lodge (Luxury)
Day 10. Transfer back to Entebbe via the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino trekking.
After breakfast start your journey back to Entebbe which takes about 5 hours. On your way you will visit the top of the falls as you continue with your journey making a stopover at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino trekking. You either first have before the trek or you first trek depending on time. Rhino trekking starts with a briefing from the ranger and then go spend one hour with the Rhinos. After trekking continue to Entebbe with a target to up with the night flight.
Included
- Transportation by 4×4 safari vehicle
- Fuel/gas
- Full time Driver/ guide (English speaking)
- Gorilla and chimpanzee permits
- Meals and accommodation (Full board)
- Drinking water on board
- Activities mentioned
- Park Entry fees
- Rhino tracking tour
Excluded
- Alcoholic drinks
- Laundry
- Flights
- Tips and gratuities
- Souvenirs and other expenses of personal nature