Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
This days notes the beginning of the Gorilla Trekking, Chimpanzee & Big 5 Safari. I will pick you up from your hotel in the morning and we hit the road heading to Murchison Falls National Park with a stopover at the Rhino Sanctuary. This 70sqkm sanctuary is a home to over 20 white rhinos and its main purpose is to reintroduce rhinos to Uganda. This is a very nice opportunity to observe the rhinos in their habitat at close range while on foot. And after this we shall have a lunch stop and thereafter proceed to Murchison Falls National Park.
Day 2: Game drives & boat safari on the River Nile
We will wake up very early and set off at 6:30am for a morning game drive on the northern bank getting back to the lodge at around 11:00am. We will be in position of seeing; Baboons, buffaloes, giraffes, Uganda Kob, hartebeests, oribis, waterbucks, bushbucks, reedbucks, warthogs and side-stripped jackals. Carnivores like; lions, leopards and spotted hyenas. After lunch we will get to the jet for an afternoon boat cruise on the River Nile where we expect to see a number of hippos and crocodiles along the banks of the Nile. You will also see birds like; goliath heron, Egyptian geese, pelicans, bee-eaters, kingfishers, hornbills, cormorants, saddle-bill stork, and the shoe bill stork if lucky. After 2 hours you will be dropped at the bottom of the magnificent Murchison falls and from there you will hike up to the top of the falls where you will meet me and thereafter we will drive back to the lodge.
Day 3: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
After an early breakfast, we will depart Murchison falls proceeding to Kibale Forest National Park. We always regard this route a full day drive depending on the condition of the road. We may get to Kibale at around 4:00pm and this gives chance to those who would like to go for a community walk to visit the crater lakes region with spectacular views of the lakes.
Day 4: Chimpanzee Tracking & Bigodi Swamp Walk
We shall wake up early for breakfast and thereafter we proceed to the Park headquarters in Kibale Forest National Park. After a short briefing by one of the park staff you will be allocated a guide who will lead you into the forest to find the chimpanzees. This park is the only place in East Africa where one can have the best primate tracking viewing the chimpanzee– man’s closest relative. After lunch we will then head out for the swamp walk which is very close to the park and home to a number of other primates and birds.
Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park – Boat safari on the Kazinga Channel
After breakfast, we shall set off for Queen Elizabeth National Park and after lunch we will proceed to the jetty for an afternoon boat safari on the Kazinga Channel. Expect to see a lot of animals coming down to the lake to drink water and many water birds.
Day 6: Morning Game Drive – Transfer to Bwindi Forest National Park
Today we will set off quite early with packed breakfast and head out for an early morning game drive in the Kasenyi plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park to catch sight of the early risers. We expect to see a number of elephants, buffaloes, lions, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, leopards, hyenas and a lot more.
Day 7: Gorilla Trekking & Community Walk
I always regard this day to be the biggest of all days in the safari. Son, after breakfast we shall head out to the park headquarters where you will be briefed by one of the park staff and thereafter you will meet me with the lead guide who will take you into the forest to find the gorilla family that you will be allocated to. This may take between 2-7 hours round trip depending on how long the family you are trekking will have moved today from where it was last seen yesterday. Depending on how you feel, you may go out for an evening community walk through the villages very close to the forest.
Day 8: Departure
After breakfast, we will depart Bwindi for Kampala with a lunch stop in Mbarara and also at the equator for a photo shot and some shopping of souvenirs as you may wish. This will also mark the end of our memorable and lifetime safari.