Wildlife and Wilderness: A Comprehensive 9-Day Journey to Uganda's Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, and Bwindi Forest

Embark on a 9-day odyssey through Uganda's natural wonders—Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth & Bwindi—for an unforgettable wildlife adventure.

Itinerary:

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Day 1: Arrival Entebbe Airport-Kampala (Travel Time 1hrs).

Upon arrival at the airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our guide who will then take you to Serena Kampala Hotel (High end) or Fairway Hotel Kampala (Mid-range) for an overnight and dinner. Meal plan Dinner.

Day 2: Kampala- Murchison Falls (Travel Time 5hrs).

Begin the panoramic drive north-west through the famous Luwero Triangle and, travel to Masindi via Ziwa Rhino Project. A visit to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino trekking is a must.

After lunch, drive to Murchison Falls ". Overnight and dinner at Parra Safari Lodge (Lodge facility) or Murchison River Lodge (Mid Lodge facility) Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 3: Murchison Falls National Park.

Begin the day with a cup of African Coffee. After your cup of coffee, cross the Nile by ferry to the northern bank of the park. Your guide will help you spot Elephant, Lion, Cape buffalo, Rothschild's giraffe, hartebeest, Waterbuck, Oribi, Bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, hyena and if you are lucky, the leopard.

Return to the hotel for breakfast and lunch. After lunch, go for a boat safari upstream the calm Victoria Nile to the base of the falls stopping just tens of meters from the "Devil's Cauldron". En-route, marvel at the toothsome hippos, crocodiles and over this 17 km stretch you may see elephant, waterbuck and Uganda Kob crocodile. This is also a zone of many bird species like Goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant and the rare shoebill stork.

There you leave the boat and start your - quite heavy - hike to the Top of the fall (approx. 1 hour). See where the world's longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43m below. Your driver/guide will be waiting for you to bring you back to the lodge. Overnight and dinner at Parra Safari Lodge (Lodge facility) or Murchison River Lodge (Mid Lodge facility) Meal Plan Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 4: Murchison Falls-Kibale (Travel Time 8hrs).

All day drive south via Hoima to Fort Portal through verdant countryside and past traditional homesteads and farms along Albertine Rift escarpments. Fort-Portal rests in the shadow of the fabled Mountains of the Moon. Meals and over night at Kyaninga Lodge (Lodge facility) or Turaco Tree Tops Lodge (Mid Lodge). A stunning location overlooking a dramatic Crater Lake and the fabled “Mountains of the Moon”. . Meal plan: (B, L, D).

Note: Flights are available from Murchison to Kasese the nearest airstrip too Kibale in just 2hrs.

Day 5: Kibale Chimpanzee Trekking -Queen Elizabeth National Park (Travel Time 2hrs)

Early morning trek for chimpanzees. Kibale is the best reserve in Africa to view chimps, a thick jungle with a towering canopy. In the afternoon, drive to the south into Queen Elizabeth National Park, sightseeing and game viewing enroute. 

Dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge/Jacana Safari Lodge (Lodge Facility) or Buffalo Safari Lodge (Mid Lodge) Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Begin your day with a cup of coffee. Early morning game drive along Kasenyi and Queens Mile makes visitors encounter elephants, buffalo, water bucks, warthogs, lions, Uganda Kobs lakes and a variety of birds.

Return to the lodge for breakfast and lunch. After lunch, a two hour boat trip along the famous Kazinga channel is worthwhile an opportunity to see Hippo, Buffalo, Kobs, Elephants, warthogs etc. This trip also enables visitor chance to see spectacular birds.

Dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge/Jacana Safari Lodge (Lodge Facility) or Buffalo Safari Lodge (Mid Lodge) Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 7: Queen Elizabeth National Park-Bwindi Forests. (Travel Time 3hrs).

With previous day's memories, enjoy your breakfast ready for guided Chimpanzee/primate walk along Kyambura Gorge to look for habituated chimps through the gorge. After primate walk, proceed to Ishasha. You will drive along the deep and wide dry craters that are occupied by savanna grasses and acacia. The drive takes you through the unique western rift valley escarpment and the (southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park) Ishasha sector where you will take on yet another game drive in search of tree climbing lions before proceeding to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The journey takes about 4 hours but driving through interesting features. Arrive Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the evening. This park is home of the rare mountain gorillas. Apart from gorillas, there are a wide variety of primates to see including the blue and red tailed monkeys. The forest itself is lush and green and there are streams running through it. Dinner and overnight stay at either Buhoma Lodge/Mahogany Springs/Gorilla Safari Lodge (high end lodge) or Engagi Lodge/Buhoma Haven Lodge (Mid-range) Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 8: Bwindi Gorilla tracking & Community/Village Visit.

After breakfast set off early with guides to track the gorillas. The thrill of your encounter will erase the difficulties of the potentially strenuous trek. Bring jungle boots and rain jackets because the park is often wet.

Spend time in awe watching the gorillas go about their activities. Each gorilla safari encounter is different and has its own rewards, but you are likely to enjoy the close view of adults feeding, grooming and resting as the youngsters frolic and swing from vines in a delightfully playful display.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a magnificent green swathe of dense rainforest, so ancient that survived the last ice age. A recently proclaimed World Heritage site, it's one of the most biologically diverse areas on earth and its unique, precious flora sustains roughly half of the world population of mountain gorillas - believed to number just 720. There's also a substantial chimpanzee population and research shows that Bwindi is the only forest in Africa in which these two apes live together.

Time permitting, spend the afternoon on a community foot safari to explore the life style of the people living and surrounding the park. Return to camp exhilarated to relieve the encounter with friends over a drink. Dinner and overnight stay at either Buhoma Lodge/Mahogany Springs/Gorilla Safari Lodge (high end lodge) or Engagi Lodge/Buhoma Haven Lodge (Mid-range) Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 9: Bwindi -Kampala/Entebbe (Travel Time 8hrs).

After early breakfast, drive back to Kampala with a visit to Igongo Cultural village to explore and learn the Bahima and Ankole culture. This is the place where the future meets the past. Continue your drive to the Equator crossing with your lunch enroute before you drive to back to Kampala/Entebbe to catch up your evening flight back home. Meal Plan B-L

End of Service.

OR

Fly back from Bwindi to Entebbe- Flight time 2hrs Flight Out –US$ 280.00 per person.

Morning relaxation in Bwindi National Park, returning from Bwindi with the either a morning flight/afternoon flight to Entebbe.

The 9 Days Uganda Safari package includes:-

• Airport transfers.
• Transportation by a 4wd vehicle.
• Accommodation and meals as per the itinerary.
• Igongo cultural village visit.
• Boat trips.
• Hike to top of Murchison Falls.
• One Gorilla permit per person to be secured and paid for in advance US$ 700.00.
• Park fees.
• Kibale Chimpanzee permit US$ 200.00 and Kyambura Gorge chimp Permits US$ 50.00.
• Community visits.
• Ziwa sanctuary Rhino Tour.
• Services of English speaking Driver/guide.
• Enroute lunches.
• Game drives.
• All government taxes.

Package excludes: 

Expenses of personal nature like: Visa, drinks, laundry, tips to local guides, telephone, porter fee while trekking, personal insurance, and tobacco.