12 Days Epic Uganda Safari

DESTINATION: UGANDA

TOUR TYPE: PRIVATE SAFARI / GROUP SAFARI

DAYS /NIGHTS: 12 DAYS, 11 NIGHTS

DESCRIPTION:

This 12 days Epic Uganda Safari is one of our best selected tours taking you to the best wildlife destinations around Uganda including Murchison falls, Kidepo Valley, Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi forest among others.

Price currently not available

ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrive in Uganda – Entebbe

Arrive at Entebbe International airport, meet, greet and transfer to your hotel. If time permits we can visit the famous Entebbe Botanical Gardens or Entebbe Wildlife Education Centre. You could also visit some shopping malls to buy extra things that you need including the exchange of forex to the local currency. Overnight at Cassia Lodge |2 Friends Beach Hotel| Airport Guesthouse – B&B

Day 2: Zziwa – Rhino Tracking

Today you will head to the north west of the country, Nakasongola at the Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the only remaining home for the white Rhino in Uganda. On arrival you will check in at your accommodation, have lunch then at 3:40 pm you will head for the rhino trekking which normally takes an hour on foot, before returning to prepare for Dinner & Overnight.

Overnight at Amuka Lodge – L, D, B, B

Day 3: Zziwa – Kidepo Valley National Park

After your early breakfast, with your packed lunch you will drive to the north east of the country, head to Kidepo Valley National Park for an epic adventure with wildlife. This is still a virgin park with almost all the wildlife like lions, leopards, hyenas, elephants and other antelopes, Your trip to Kidepo will take in the contrasts of the grassland plains of the Narus Valley, where most of the park’s wildlife congregates due to the permanent water supply, and the hot and arid area of the extreme north, beside the South Sudanese border.  You will cross over the Kidepo River and because it is dry for the majority of the year, you should be able to take a stroll along its 50m wide bed of white sands, surrounded on either side by Borassus palms.  11km north of here you will reach the Kanangarok hot springs – a fabulous place to look out for ostrich and to admire the mountains beyond the frontier. You will arrive in the evening and time for a game drive.

Overnight at Apoka Safari Lodge |Kidepo Savannah Lodge – L, D, B, B

Day 4: Game Drive in Kidepo

Today will be a day to try out all your luck on the game drives as mentioned earlier, Kidepo is Uganda’s most isolated national park, nestled in the rugged, semi arid valleys between the Sudanese and Kenyan borders in the north-eastern Karamoja region of Uganda.  Transacted by the Narus and Kidepo Rivers, the park hosts a profusion of big game, with over 80 species of mammal, including lion, leopard, elephant, giraffe, zebra and various antelope species.   A staggering 28 species of mammals found in Kidepo cannot be found in any other national park in Uganda: cheetah, striped hyena, aardwolf, caracal and kudu to name but a few.  With a total of more than 475 different bird species, Kidepo is also considered outstanding for birds of prey and 58 different species have been recorded here. Return for lunch and relax after you may decide to go for an evening game drive to increase your chances-you can discuss this with your guide. Overnight at Apoka Safari Lodge |Kidepo Savannah Lodge – L, D, B, B

Day 5: Transfer to Murchison falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s oldest and largest conservation area, covering an area of 3,840 Km² and home to over 451 bird species, including the highly sought after and rare shoebill stork and a total of 76 different mammal species, including the highest concentration of Rothschild’s giraffe in the world.  Other game sightings regularly include lion, elephant, hippo, leopard, buffalo, hyena, warthog and various antelope. Arguably the highlight of this trip is the mighty River Nile, which bisects the park and is forced through an 8m wide cleft in the rock at Murchison Falls, plunging into the Devil’s Cauldron below.

07:30am: After an early breakfast at Savannah Lodge you will depart for Murchison Falls National Park. Today will be a full day of driving.  Lunch may be a packed from the lodge or alternatively taken at a restaurant in Gulu, en route, arriving late in the evening at your accommodation.

Overnight at Paraa Safari Lodge |Murchison River Lodge| Fort Murchison Lodge – L, D, B, B

Day 6: Game Drives & Boat Cruise

6.45am:  Depart for the ferry crossing to the North Bank, taking along a packed breakfast from Red Chilli. Enjoy a 4-hour game drive around the Buligi game tracks, which stretch between the Victoria and Albert Niles, and down to the Nile-Lake Albert Delta. Most of the park’s game and birdlife can be viewed from here, but please note – nothing is guaranteed!

11.00 am: Take the ferry back to the South Bank and enjoy lunch and a well-deserved break at Red Chilli Rest Camp.

14.30 hrs: Depart for a 3 hour boat cruise along the Victoria Nile to the base of the falls, along the way; you will be able to view a wide variety of birds and wildlife, including numerous hippos and crocodiles – as well as breath taking scenery. Cold drinks are for sale on board.

16.30 hrs:  Disembark at the bottom of the falls and hike up to the top for the best views of the main falls and its sister falls, Uhuru.  Your driver-guide will meet you at the top and take you back to the Lodge.

Overnight at Paraa Safari Lodge |Murchison River Lodge| Fort Murchison Lodge – L, D, B, B

Day 7: Kibale Forest National Park

Kibale National Park boasts one of the highest concentrations and diversities of primates in the continent.  Within East Africa the park supports the last significant expanse of pre-montane forest.  However, although most of the park consists of moist ever-green forest, its 766 square kilometers are actually home to a vast array of landscapes. After an early breakfast you will drive to Kibale national Park a distance of 7-8hrs with a lunch stop in Fort – Portal before proceeding to your lodge.

Overnight at Primate Lodge |Kibale Forest Camp| Chimpanzee Forest – L, D, B, B

Day 8: Kibale Forest National Park

After breakfast, it’s an early start to report to the ranger headquarters at 8 am in Kibale Forest National Park to track habituated Chimps. These engaging apes, our closest living relative, are great fun to watch as they play and fight in the fruit trees. Your experienced guides will introduce you to the different members of the chimp families, as well as the birds and plant life of the forest. The trails through the forest are generally easy to navigate and you will always be accompanied by Rangers who will explain the fascinating traditional uses of the forest plant species – the forest elephant, smaller and hairier that its savannah counterpart, moves seasonally into areas of Kibale Forest.

After lunch, your guide will lead you to Kibale Association for Rural Environment Development (KAFRED), where you will have a swamp walk through communities and gardens hence understanding the people’s way of life in the community, then back to your lodge.

Overnight at Primate Lodge |Kibale Forest Camp| Chimpanzee Forest – L, D, B, B

Day 9: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park + Afternoon game drive

Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The drive passes through Fort Portal and then south along the eastern length of The Rwenzori Mountains, with the hope of viewing the glaciated peaks. We gently descend into The Great African Rift Valley and Queen Elizabeth National Park and Mweya Lodge, situated on a peninsula overlooking Lake Edward and Kazinga Channel, offering beautiful views of the park with the Rwenzori Mountains in the background. Queen Elizabeth National Park resides in a fertile, equatorial area and has beautiful scenery. It is Uganda’s most popular and accessible savannah reserve, with a total area of 1,978km². It is primarily associated with grassy savannah plains, but this impressive park also includes within its boundaries, leafy rainforests, dense papyrus swamps and natural volcanic crater lakes. As a result it has one of the highest biodiversity ratings of any game reserve in the world, including a total of 95 recorded mammal species and more than 610 species of birds. In the afternoon, we will explore the park and its wonders on a game drive.

Overnight at Mweya Lodge |The Bush lodge| Simba Camp – L, D, B, B

Day 10: Morning game drive, Afternoon boat cruise then transfer to Bwindi

Start your day early with a 6 o’clock coffee or tea wake-up call, ready for your early morning game drive. Make sure to ask the hotel staff for a packed breakfast that morning. A popular route for the game drive is the Kasenyi sector, well-known for its lions that prey on Queen Elizabeth’s large population of Uganda Kob (antelope). If you are very lucky, you may spot a Giant Forest Hog, Africa’s largest pig. Keep your eyes peeled to spot an elusive leopard!

After your Safari, you will head back to the lodge for a few hours relaxation by the pool and lunch. In the afternoon, you will take a boat for a water safari on the Kazinga Channel at Mweya that connects the two lakes of Edward and George. This is likely to be a big highlight of your trip! The expert Uganda Wildlife Authority guides will identify many of the Channel’s 100 bird species and you’re likely to see African Skimmers, Great White Pelicans, Spoonbill and a number of Bee-eater species. You can also view some of the largest concentration of hippo in the world {reported to be about 30,000} wallow at the edge of the water, and other game; huge Nile crocodiles bask in the sun and elephants come down to drink. The Kazinga Channel boat ride is a brilliant opportunity to take some close-up wildlife shots.

Overnight at Bwindi Lodge |Silverback Lodge| Buhoma Community Camp – L, D, B, B

Day 11: Gorilla Tracking

You will be up early on the morning of your Gorilla Tracking for a good breakfast in preparation for the day’s physical activity. You will report for registration at the Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger station by 8 AM. After a briefing by the rangers, your gorilla trek will start. The trek usually takes between three and six hours so a reasonable degree of fitness is required, as well as a strong pair of walking boots or shoes.

The rangers will guide you through the village gardens and into the jungle-like forest. They will escort you through the sometimes thick bush, occasionally hacking the dense undergrowth with a machete as you search to locate the gorillas. The mountain gorillas are under 24 hour monitoring for their own safety, so you’re almost guaranteed to see them. The rangers monitor each gorilla family by keeping in close radio contact.

In part due to gorilla tourism, the population of gorillas is slowly increasing but the species remains critically endangered. Gorillas and humans share almost identical genetic material and their health must not be compromised by coming into contact with human diseases (via our food, for example). To reduce transmission of disease from humans to gorillas, you will also be advised to keep a distance of 7 metres from the gorillas.

Once you have located the gorilla family, you will be asked to leave all your belongings to one side, and approach the gentle giants, just with your camera. The guides will interpret the animals’ behavior and advise on what you are watching. Females and their young, young males and even a dominant Silverback may be seen: feeding, playing, interacting with each other, or just sleeping! You will never forget your encounter with the gorillas. They will be quite curious to see you! You are allowed exactly one hour with the gorillas before returning to base.

You will then have a quick shower, and then you may enjoy an afternoon walk around the village of Buhoma and have a chance to visit one of the handicraft shops or to meet the Batwa, the ancient forest-dwelling tribe. Here you get to meet the local brewer, the traditional healer, have a dance performance with them.

Overnight at Bwindi Lodge |Silverback Lodge| Buhoma Community Camp – L, D, B, B

Day 12: Transfer to Entebbe (Departure)

After your memorable experience we now begin the last leg of our trip back to Entebbe airport through Mbarara town, the Equator where you can buy lots of souvenirs & crafts.

End of Tour

Interested in this trip? Let us know and we will help you plan…

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

• Gorilla Permits
• Chimpanzee permits
• Airport pickup and transfer
• Boat cruise & Park entrance fees
• Fuel, Driver guide & car hire
• Accommodation based of Full board
• All the mentioned activities
• Bottled water in the Vehicle

EXCLUDED

• Both Local & International Flights
• Tips & Laundry
• Extra Activities
• Extra Drinks & Meals not mentioned above
• Insurance cover