11-Days Pride of Uganda Wildlife Safari

Day 1: To Murchison Falls National Park for Afternoon (Sunset) Game drive

1. Murchison Falls National Park
   8h
   On this day, you will have breakfast & transfer to Murchison Falls National Park. The drive will take you through Luwero triangle & Budongo forest in the western arm of the Rift Valley where you will also be rewarded with splendid views of the countryside.
   
   You will arrive in the afternoon, have lunch & go for your afternoon (sunset) game drive where you will expect to see elephant, buffalo, antelopes, giraffe & keep your fingers crossed for lions & leopard. The game track network converges is at Delta Point where the Nile flows north out of Lake Albert; this is a convenient place to stop for refreshments & view water birds offshore & distant hippos.
   
   After your afternoon (sunset) game drive, you will check in to Fort Murchison Lodge (permanent safari tents) or Red Chilli Hideaway Camp (permanent tents or basic bandas) or Hornbill Bush Lodge (cottages) for your relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.
   
   Lunch, Dinner + drinking water are included.

Day 2: Morning (Sunrise) Game drive & Afternoon Boat Safari on Victoria/Nile River, Murchison Falls National Park

1. Murchison Falls National Park
   10h
   Your safari breakfast will be served before the day breaks so that you can start your morning game drive as the sun comes up. Sunrise is the best time for wildlife spotting as animals tend to be the most active during the “golden hours”, when the first rays of sunshine come to rest on the savannah. Elephants, buffaloes & several species of antelope are some of the characters you may come across today, & if you’re lucky, you may even spot a lion or leopard.
   
   You will return for lunch in the afternoon & go for a 3-hours boat safari upstream on the Victoria Nile to the falls where you will pass by breathtaking scenery, as well as many crocodiles, hundreds of hippos, buffaloes, water birds & animals that come down to the Nile. The boat will drop you near the waterfall for your hike (1-1.5 hrs) up to the top of the falls.
   
   You will go for a short sunset game drive & return to the lodge for dinner & overnight stay.
   
   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + drinking water are included.

Day 3: Top of the Falls Walk & Transfer to Kibale National Park for a Guided Walk in Nature at Crater Lakes or at Amabere Caves

1. Kibale Forest National Park
   7h · Admission ticket included
   On this day, you will enjoy your last sunrise & breakfast in this beautiful National Park in Uganda with a walk to top of Murchison Falls for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Here is your chance to see the beauty of the Nile perfected. Marvel at the immensely powerful falls, caused by the 50m-wide Nile being funnelled into a 7-metre cleft in the rocks. Dropping 40 metres with a thunderous roar, the falls create a beautiful rainbow and an impressive plume of spray-they were once described as the most spectacular thing to happen to the Nile along its 6700-kilometre length.
   
   You will immediately start your journey from Entebbe to Kibale Forest National Park through Fort Portal town. Fort-Portal rests in the shadow of the fabled Mountains of the Moon. You will enjoy spectacular views of the Mountains and tea fields along the way with other several stopovers for beautiful scenery, landscape viewing among others before reaching Fort Portal for your lunch at Fort Portal Garden Restaurant.
2. 2h · Admission ticket included
   In the afternoon after your lunch, you will choose to go for a guided Crater Lakes & Plantation Walk. The landscape south of Fort Portal is dotted with picturesque crater lakes, some over 400m deep. These crater lakes are breathtakingly beautiful to behold, and offer one of the best hiking places in the area. The hikes lead you through several crater lakes, villages, tea plantations and waterfalls.
3. 2h · Admission ticket included
   OR
   
   Go for a guided walk in Nature at Amabere caves where you will be able to view stalagmites, crater lakes, and birds viewing, hill climbing among others. Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru Caves is a historic site believed to be the birthplace of the founding King of Bachwezi. The Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru meaning ‘Breasts of Nyinamwiru’ were named after the stalactites that form in the caves. They resemble the breasts of a woman, though some would say it looks more like a cow’s udder.
   
   After your guided Crater Lakes & Plantation Walk or guided walk in Nature at Amabere caves, you will check in to Lake Nkuruba Nature Reserve & Community Campsite (cottages) or Kibale Forest Camp (permanent safari tents) or Kibale Forest Lodge (rooms) for your relaxation, dinner & overnight stay.
   
   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + drinking water are included.

Day 4: Visit to Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary & Transfer to Semuliki National Park for a Guided walk in Nature & Sempaya Hot-Springs

1. Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary
   2h · Admission ticket included
   After breakfast, you will go deeper into the forest on a Swamp Walk in the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary; home to 8 primate species, over 200 bird species, butterflies and various reptiles. The vegetation in this swamp is also a key attraction to the plant lovers. Some travellers also come to this jungle swamp to study the different plant types that the swamp holds. Some of the dorminant plant species in this swamp include; common papyrus, polita fig trees & wild palms.
2. Semuliki National Park
   6h
   You will return for your lunch & go for another guided walk-in nature at Semuliki National Park where you will be able to see abundant wildlife including; baboons, red tailed Colobus monkeys, Vervet monkeys, various bird species, butterflies, Sempaya hot springs and many more.
   
   After your guided walk in Nature, you will return to Lake Nkuruba Nature Reserve & Community Campsite (cottages) or Kibale Forest Camp (permanent safari tents) or Kibale Forest Lodge (rooms) for your relaxation, dinner & overnight stay.
   
   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + bottled drinking water are included.

Day 5: To Queen Elizabeth National Park for Afternoon (Sunset) Game drive

1. Queen Elizabeth National Park
   8h
   After your morning breakfast, you will embark on an exciting drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park situated in the shadows of Mt. Rwenzori with several stops along the way for equator experience and landscape viewing before reaching the Park.
   
   You will arrive in the afternoon and have your lunch before embarking on your afternoon game drive where you will expect to view animals like elephants, buffaloes, Lions, bush pigs, antelope’s families among others.
   
   After your afternoon game drive, you will check in to The Bush Lodge (permanent safari tents) or Pumba Safari Lodge (rooms) or Tembo Safari Lodge (cottages) for your relaxation, dinner & overnight stay.
   
   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + bottled drinking water are included.

Day 6: Chimps Tracking/Trekking at Kyambura Gorge, Afternoon Boat Safari on Kazinga Channel & Sunset Game drive

1. Kyambura Game Reserve (Kyambura Gorge)
   7h · Admission ticket included
   On this day, you will wake up early and have breakfast and go to Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park or Kalinzu Forest Reserve for Chimpanzees Tracking/Trekking experience where you will have the opportunity to follow an experienced guide into the forest to observe these fascinating creatures at a close range. Watching them interact with each other and go about their daily routine of grooming, playing and foraging is an incredible experience. While your chances of encountering Chimpanzees are high at 90% during your tracking/trekking excursion, it is never 100% guaranteed. These are, after all, wild animals with wills and minds of their own! The guide will provide detailed explanations, not only on primates but on all the forest fauna and flora and will ensure that your walk is both informative and enjoyable.
2. Kazinga Channel The Hippo's Paradise
   3h · Admission ticket included
   You will return for lunch & later in the day when the sun is high in the sky & the animals make their way to the river for a drink, you will head to Kazinga Channel for an exciting boat safari. You will spot more hippos today than you can possibly imagine. Herds of elephants & buffalos will also be wandering down to the shoreline to bath in the cooling waters. It will be a wonderful experience.
   
   After the boat safari on Kazinga Channel, you will go for a sunset game drive before returning to The Bush Lodge (permanent safari tents) or Pumba Safari Lodge (rooms) or Tembo Safari Lodge (cottages) for your relaxation, dinner & overnight stay.
   
   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + bottled drinking water are included.

Day 7: Morning (Sunrise) Game drive at Ishasha Sector to search for Tree Climbing Lions & Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable

1. 3h
   On this day, you will wake up early & have your breakfast then go for morning (sunrise) Game drive at Ishasha sector, Queen Elizabeth National Park. Instead of scanning your eyes across vast savannah grasslands, look up & you might find something lurking in the sycamore-fig trees.
2. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
   7h
   After your Game drive, you will drive to the “Switzerland of Africa” area known as the Kigezi Highlands with its terraced hillside & winding roads. Along the way, you will enjoy spectacular views of the mountainous countryside & this comes with many incredible photography opportunities. More notably, this “impenetrable forest” protects over 400 population of Gorillas – approximately half of the population in the world, among which are a number of habituated groups, that can be tracked by visitors.
   
   You will arrive in the late afternoon & check in to Gorilla Bluff Lodge (cottages) or Ride 4 a woman (cottages) or Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge (cottages) for your relaxation, dinner & overnight stay.
   
   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + drinking water are included.

Day 8: Mountain Gorillas Tracking/Trekking & Batwa/Pygmies Community Cultural Experience

1. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
   10h
   After your breakfast, you will hike to the park headquarters just meters from the lodge for briefing by UWA guides before transferring to the starting point for Gorillas tracking. You will enjoy Gorillas tracking in Bwindi. Bwindi has the biggest concentration of Gorillas, given its small size. The search for Gorillas goes through the thick untamed rainforest, where you’ll be scrambling over mossy rocks & through deep undergrowth. Watching Gorillas in their natural habitat is an experience that will last a lifetime. The experienced ranger guides will willingly share with you a lot of information about the history & lifestyle of these Gorillas.
   
   After Gorillas tracking, you will visit the Batwa community for them to take you through their traditions like traditional dance, beer making, setting fire before checking in to Travellers Rest Hotel in Kisoro or Golden Monkeys Guest House for your relaxation, dinner & overnight stay.
   
   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + drinking water are included.

Day 9: Golden Monkeys Tracking/Trekking & Canoe/Boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi

1. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
   5h
   Just like gorilla trekking, you will go for Golden monkey tracking starting with pre-tracking briefing at the Park headquarters. Hiking through the forests to sight Golden monkeys is not so strenuous like Gorillas tracking because Golden monkeys live in lower areas, so you will not track for more than 3 hours. When you encounter Golden monkey family, you will be given one hour to spend with them (to take photographs & observe their behavior). With this activity, there is no minimum number of visitors & the age limit is 12 years.
2. Mabamba swamp shoebill excursions
   5h · Admission ticket included
   In the afternoon after lunch, you will go for canoe ride on a scenic lake Bunyonyi. This lake is the only one were you can ride a canoe to visit all the 29 islands on this lake including the floating Island & the punishment Island where young girls who got pregnant before marriage would be dumped & left to die.
   
   You will check in to Itambira Island, Seeds of Hope Hotel (tree house cottages) or Bunyonyi Overland Resort (cottages) for your relaxation, dinner & overnight stay.
   
   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + drinking water are included.

Day 10: To Lake Mburo National Park for Afternoon (Sunset) Game drive

1. Lake Mburo National Park
   10h
   After an early breakfast, you will leave Lake Bunyonyi & drive to Lake Mburo National Park via Kabale Town. You will be welcomed into the park by various herds of zebra, buffalo, Eland, and antelope as they graze in the savannah grass.
   
   You will arrive in the afternoon, have lunch & go for afternoon game drive where you will be assured of spotting Zebras, Buffalos, Impalas, Warthogs, Waterbucks among others. Also, when it comes to the birds, you will view the malachite kingfishers, African Fish eagles, blue headed weavers, Rufous long tailed starlings, Herons, pelicans, the rare shoebill as well as the cormorants.
   
   After your afternoon game drive, you will check in to Hyena Hill Lodge (cottages) or Eagles' Nest Lodge (permanent safari tents) for your relaxation, dinner & overnight stay.
   
   Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + bottled drinking water are included.

Day 11: Morning (Sunrise) Walking Safari or Guided Walk in Nature, Equator Experience & Departure

1. Lake Mburo National Park
   3h
   On this day, you will enjoy your last sunrise in this beautiful side of Uganda with a guided walk-in nature (walking safari with a guide) where you will spot Zebras, Giraffes and Eland, Topi, Antelope, Cape buffaloes among others on close range. If the time and conditions allow, you will take the trail to the top of the hills and see Lake Mburo and beyond. From this vantage point, you will have a great view of 9 of the twelve lakes surrounding Lake Mburo National Park.
2. Entebbe
   7h
   After your walking safari (guided walk-in nature), your guide will drive you across the beautiful sceneries back to Kampala or Entebbe or drop you off at Entebbe International Airport 3 hours before your departure time with a stopover at the equator for equator experience and photos moments.
   
   Please make sure your flight departure is after 6 pm at the very earliest. For flights departing before 6 pm, you will need an extra night in Entebbe, which we can help arrange for you at an additional cost.
   
   Please note: You can also choose an alternative departure route (at an additional cost), or fly to Entebbe.
   
   Did we hit all the items on your travel bucket list for this safari? If not, don’t worry. We specialize in tailor-made tours and can customize this program to create your dream trip. Contact us to create your personalized program.
   
   Breakfast, Lunch + drinking water are included.

Pickup details

Your driver/guide from Ecovic Tours & Travel Uganda will be at Entebbe International Airport to welcome you & expertly navigate you through the lively traffic, while you can lean back & watch your new world go by. If this is your first time traveling to Uganda/Africa, you will never forget your first acquaintance with her.

• Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness