Wildlife Tours to Uganda UGANDA
Silverback Mountain Gorilla
*Single room supplement.
(Cost excludes gorilla permits)
Tour Destinations :
- Lake Mburo National Park
- Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
- Kibale Forest National Park
- Lake Victoria
Tour Summary
Uganda
Whilst Uganda does not boast the teeming herds of animals to be found in Kenya and Tanzania, it has much to offer which is not available in those two countries.
Uganda is a highland equatorial country with a high rainfall in many areas. These areas support the best remaining examples of rain-forest which can be easily accessed and provide probably the best opportunity available in the world to see Mountain Gorilla (Bwindi Impenetrable Forest), Chimpanzee (Kibale Forest) and several other primate species, not to mention a dazzling wealth of birds and butterflies.
At the smaller Lake Mburo National Park there are extensive areas of acacia bush and savannah supporting good populations of birds and mammals, whilst the lake itself is a good birdwatching venue. Queen Elizabeth National Park offers further attractions including the lekking grounds of the Uganda Kob and the boat trip on the Kazinga Channel which connects Lakes Edward and George. Here, birds and mammals are drawn to the shallow waters of the Channel in good numbers.
Uganda is a beautiful country, the people are very friendly and the Government has expressed a determination to ensure the protection of the country’s wildlife and the management of tourism on a modest scale. There has been ample evidence, from our previous tours, of these statements being put into practice.
Itinerary
Day 1 : Depart from the UK in the evening for your overnight flight to Entebbe.
Day 2 : On arrival in Entebbe, transfer to your hotel on the shores of Lake Victoria. In the afternoon visit the famous Entebbe Botanical Gardens and relax in the beautiful hotel grounds. Lunch, dinner and overnight in Entebbe.
Day 3 : Today you will drive to Murchison Falls National Park via Masindi and Biso, a full days drive of approximately seven hours, inclusive of breaks en route. From Biso you drop down the escarpment of The Great African Rift Valley (the Western Corridor) with spectacular views of Lake Albert. A drive along the valley floor to the southern banks of the Victoria Nile River takes you to your lodge located on the banks of the Victoria Nile. The lodge will be your base for the next three nights.
Day 4 : This morning you will take a launch trip on the Victoria Nile to the base of Murchison Falls, viewing game and birds en route. Nile Crocodile are in abundance as are hippo and aquatic birds including a good chance of seeing Shoebills. The launch trip is about three hours. You will then drive to the top of the falls for lunch and walk in the area to obtain excellent views of the falls where the Nile is forced through a 20-foot wide gap in the Rocks and drops 145 feet over the escarpment. This is said to be the largest natural force of water in the world creating what appears to be a boiling caldron of water. You return to your lodge for overnight.
Day 5 : Today you will drive and take a ferry across the Nile to game drive in the northern sector of the park where most of the game is to be found in the area north of the Victoria Nile River and East of the Albert Nile and Lake Albert. This is where part of the movie The African Queen was filmed. Game is now returning quite rapidly and game drives can be very exciting. Game often seen includes elephant, oribi, giraffe, waterbuck, hartebeest, topi, buffalo, sitatunga, bushbuck, warthog, bush pig, lion, leopard, mongoose, genet, hyena, jackal and bat eared fox. You return to your lodge for overnight.
Day 6 : A full day’s drive will take you to the Kibale Forest area. After leaving the Rift Valley you will pass through beautiful agricultural countryside where every type of fruit and vegetable imaginable is grown. Upon reaching Kyanjojo, in the lower foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains (Mountains of the Moon), you drive through beautiful tea plantations, into Kibale tropical rain forest and on to your lodge for the next two nights.
Day 7 : Today you will take forest and swamp walks to see the rain forest and view birds and primates, including chimpanzees. There are 13 primate species amongst the forest’s mammals and you should also see some interesting bird species including a number of West African examples at the eastern limit of their range. Bird species likely to be seen include Grey-throated, Yellow-billed, Yellow-spotted and Double-toothed Barbets, Blue-throated Roller, Swamp Flycatcher, Grey Parrot, Tambourine Dove, Black-and-white casqued Hornbill and a wide variety of weavers, woodpeckers, bee-eaters, coucals and turacos. Walking is not difficult, paths have been made in the forest and all walks are with excellent local guides. Lunch, dinner and overnight will be at your lodge.
Day 8 : After breakfast you will depart on a half day drive from your lodge which will take you to Queen Elizabeth National Park located on the boundary of Uganda and the Congo. 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. You again gently descend into The Great African Rift Valley and enter the Queen Elizabeth National Park which embraces large areas of grassland, acacia savannah and euphorbia bush country supporting a large population of mammals, particularly Uganda Kob and good numbers of elephant. All the large predators except Cheetah are also present. The bird life is prolific and many interesting species occur. These include three species of vulture, Martial Eagle, Northern Black Flycatcher, three species of nightjar, Flappet Lark and White-throated and Little Bee-eater, Blue-spotted Wood Dove and Copper and Red-chested Sunbirds. You will stay in the park for the next two nights.
Day 9 : Today you will have game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park including a launch trip of about two hours on the Kasinga Channel to view some of the largest concentration of hippo in the world (reported to be about 30,000) and other game with excellent birding. Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of best birding parks in Africa, with 560 + recorded species and a record of 296 bird species seen in one 24 hour period. Your launch trip should provide the opportunity to see huge numbers of migrant and resident birds along the shoreline along with good numbers of mammals. Large numbers of swifts, hirundines, terns, gulls, pelicans and cormorants gather here together with many less common species such as African Skimmer.
Day 10 : In the morning you will drive through the park to the Ishasha region, taking a game drive in search of tree climbing lion (75% success rate) and other game. In the afternoon you drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a World Heritage Site, passing through the scenic area known as The Switzerland of East Africa. The driving today is about 5 1/2 hours (not including game drives). You should arrive at your camp in time for an evening walk before you settle in dinner and a two night stay.
Day 11 : Today is Gorilla tracking day. After breakfast you will take a short drive to Park Headquarters and meet with excellent local guides and trackers who will give a talk on the etiquette of gorilla trekking. You then hike into the forest where the gorillas were seen the night before and track from that point. The trekking can take from 1 to 6 hours and climb to altitudes in excess of 7,500 feet. The terrain is rough and at times muddy. Although the hike is physically demanding the beauty of the forest and surrounding scenery make the trekking worthwhile. Once the gorillas are located all fatigue is forgotten, as the experience is often described as being the most profound natural history experience in the world. Picnic lunches are provided and it is important to take plenty of water. Cameras and plenty of fast speed film are recommended. It can rain at a few minutes notice; hence waterproof clothing is essential including zip lock bags for cameras and film.
As well as being home to many primate species, the forest has a huge bird list. Birdwatching in the forest is not easy but by carefully choosing the vantage points you will undoubtedly ‘get among’ some of the most interesting species such as Slender-billed Starling, Emerald and Klaas’s Cuckoo, Bar-tailed Trogon, African Broadbill, Black Bee-eater, Ludher’s Bush-shrike and Petit’s Cuckoo-shrike, several greenbuls, flycatchers and woodpeckers.
By way of contrast, butterflies are easily seen and congregate, sometimes in large numbers, on parts of the main forest tracks. Whether you have knowledge of butterflies or not you cannot fail to be impressed by the spectacular display they present in the forest.
You return to your lodge for overnight.
Day 12 : After breakfast you drive to Mbarara on a journey which will take most of the day and passes through the Switzerland of East Africa. You will pass into Ankole Cattle country around Mbarara. These cattle are incredible with horns larger than one can imagine. You will continue on to Lake Mburo National Park where you will take a game drive as a prelude to your two night stay.
Day 13 : Today provides the opportunity for a full day of game drives and game walks in Lake Mburo National Park. The Park is dominated by acacia savannah, the remaining 20% of the area being made up of wetlands. It is notable for supporting a good variety of antelope including Impala, Topi, Bushbuck, Common Duiker, Sitatunga, Klipspringer, Oribi and Defassa and Bohor Reedbuck.
Lake Mburo is also a good place to see savannah associated birds such as Black-bellied Bustard, Bare-faced Go-away Bird and Ground Hornbill, whilst the wetlands hold highly localised species such as the Papyrus Gonolek. This is an excellent location to end the tour since its large population of birds and considerable stock of mammals set in a most attractive landscape, ensure a rewarding day in the field.
Day 14 : There will be time for a final game drive before driving to Entebbe, which takes about 5 hours. If time permits it's possible to stop in Kampala for shopping and lunch and the Mpigi Royal Drum Makers. You will check in to your hotel in Entebbe for dinner and your last night in Uganda.
Day 15 : You transfer after an early breakfast for your flight back to the UK where you will arrive in the late afternoon.