Best Safari in Uganda

Uganda Safari, 15 days

DAY 1: ARRIVAL AND TRANSFER TO YOUR HOTEL

After pick up by your tour guide, travel to the bustling capital Kampala for guided tous of the city’s attractions such as Kibuli mosque, National theatre, Uganda museum, cultural and historical sites like the royal tombs at Kasubi, the martyr’s shrine at Namugongo, the Kabak’s palace, independence monuments and others, there is so much to see in Kampala if there is no Traffic jam to hold you hold.

Accommodation and dinner is available from Holiday Express Hotel, Tourist Hotel, Speke Hotel and Cassia Lodge at budget friendly costs and luxury is offered at Kampala Sheraton Hotel, Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala Serena Hotel and Grand Imperial Hotel.

(Bed and breakfast)

DAY 2: KAMPALA – Murchison Falls National Park

Head for Murchison falls, in the south western town of Masindi after your morning breakfast at a hotel in Kampala city. Delightfully make stops at the equator crossing for drinks, snacks, photographs and book/ have your lunch at a hotel en-route.

On reaching the park, take a walk to the top of the falls, plunging into a narrow gorge at 47m and 7 feet wide. The water explodes at the base forming a boiling caldron of water, a wonderful sight to behold! There is accommodation of all standards from Red Chillis, Sambiya River lodge or Budongo Eco lodge and luxury options from Paraa safari lodge or Nile safari camp.

DAY 3: MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK

Ready for a morning game drive after you breakfast in the park, north of the Victoria Nile. The savannah plains and roc kopjes here are home to rothschild Giraffe, Hartebeest, Lions, Elephant, Waterbucks and a variety of woodland birds.  Return to the lodge for lunch and take a boat ride on the Nile for the afternoon adventure. There are plenty of birds on the river banks including the rare shoe bill stork, bee-eaters, pelicans, king fishers and much more. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight accommodation.

Day 4: MURCHISON FALLS – FORT PORTAL

After break fast, start an 8 hour journey to fort portal town where you’ll later on visit River Semiliki and Kibaale forest national park. Relax for the evening at your lodge; Ndali Lodge or Rwenzori View Guesthouse or at Kanyankyu ecological site.

Day 5: FORT PORTAL – SEMLIKI – FORT PORTAL

Visit the famous Semiliki river, the fringing game reserve and the interesting Sampaya hot springs after breakfast and then interact with the local people living near Ituri forest.  Go ahead and take a forest walk in the tropical lush forest where you’ll find different birds, frogs and unique blossoming undergrowth. Travel to fort portal town where you’ll get accommodation from Ndali Lodge or Rwenzori View guesthouse. While here visit the monument of Sir Lugard Portal, a British officer who created his fort here during the colonial times and from whom the town was named.

Day 6: Kibaale NATIONAL PARK.

Leave for Kibale Forest National Park after morning breakfast into the world of habituated primates like 6 Chimpanzee families, olive baboons, grey mangbeys, popots, colobus monkeys and others. Go chimp tracking under the care and lead of a trained ranger guide at the same time enjoying different birds, butterflies and flowers you meet on your trial. The park has scenic backdrop views of the Rwenzori glaciated peaks. Return to the tourist centre at Kanyankyu for a picnic lunch and visit the surrounding villages, Bigodi swamp and then check nto a lodge or hotel for overnight and dinner. They include Ndali Lodge, Primates Lodge Rwenzori View guest, Kanyankyu Ecological campsite at park headquarters.

Day 7: KIBAALE – QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK.

Have a quick breakfast and head straight to the vast Queen Elizabeth National Park for a mid-morning game drive through the scenic landscape, savannah, views of the lakes like George and Albert and the long Kazinga Channel that connects these rift valley lakes. Sight of lions, buffaloes, elephants, kob, warthogs, zebras and antelopes are common. On the afternoon boat/ launch cruise, get ready to school with the hippos yawning in the lake, crocodiles and buffaloes at the shallows and several birds fly and tossing about the waters and in the swamps at the shore. Find excellent dining and overnight accommodation form the luxurious Mweya Safari Lodge, Jacana safari lodge, Lake Kitandara camp with cheaper options from the institute of Ecology.

Day 8: QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK

There are pick ups from your lodge for an early morning game drive in the park, to the south. This part of the park is a known mating ground for the Uganda kob, other antelopes and has more sighs of lions lounging in the trees, zebras, buffaloes and other animals. There also time to visit Kyambura gorge caves, hosting thousands of bats and some snakes, pythons and cobras that prey on these bats. Day 9: QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK – BWINDI.

After breakfast, driving through grassland area, instantly we come across an amazing gorge of tropical rainforest 100 meters deep. Trek into Kyambura River Gorge for an extraordinary; experience hiking chimpanzees. It’s so remunerative to see the ravishing river valley, home of many bird and butterfly species. Take your lunch as you prepare for a drive to Bwindi for dinner and overnight at Luxury Gorilla Forest camp /Mid Range Lake Kitandara luxury tents / Buhoma Homestead or basic at Buhoma Community Bandas .

Day 10: BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST NATIONAL PARK.

Morning breakfast is followed by a walk to the ranger station for briefing and tips on how to interact with the gorillas once encountered. The trekking exercise is often long, unpredictable but worthwhile when you come across the family that you have been tracking. Lunch boxes are an accessory to carry, as a must for the long strenuous trekking adventure.

Besides the gorillas, golden monkeys will be seen along with several birds and small mammals. Take pictures of all things, creatures and unique plants you see on the trails but remember not to use the camera flash. Return to your lodge and then spend the evening at leisure.

Day 11: BWINDI – LAKE BUNYONYI.

There is a scheduled nature walk through Bwinid Impenetrable forest, one of the richest eco-systems in Africa with over 300 different bird species, 220 species on butterflies, frogs, bats, chameleons, geckos and several unique species of trees and flowering plants. Down the river trails, the walks take you to short delightful waterfalls.

Have your lunch en-route to Lake Bunyonyi where you’ll find accommodation and dinning for the day. Find accommodation and excellent dining from Arcadia cottage, Bunyonyi overland resort and camp.

Day 12: LAKE BUNYONYI:

Wake up to relaxed adventures from Lake Bunyonyi, sounds of birds in the air, fresh breeze by the serene lake and the like. After breakfast, take nature walk, canoe ride or bicycle ride around the lake that was named after its many migrant and resident birds such as the rare shoebill stork, malachite kingfishers, bee-eaters, little sunbirds and several Albertine rift endemics. Sail across the lake to its spectacular islands and retire to the comfort and luxury of your lodge.

Day 13: LAKE BUNYONYI – LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK.

Immediately after breakfast, there is no time to waste, set off to Lake Mburo National Park for game drive with sights of the zebras, lions, rothchild’s giraffes, giant forest hog, hippos, crocodiles, antelopes, impala and different species of migrant and resident water fowl. Dinner and overnight accommodation is available at Mantana Luxury tented camp, Mihingo lodge, Arcadia cottages and Rwonyo campsite

Day 14: LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK – KAMPALA – JINJA.

Take your breakfast quickly and join the trip to the adventure town of Uganda, Jinja. Visit places like Bujagali falls, Ripon falls, the source of the Nile, sugar and tea plantations, not mentioning a stop in Mabira forest for a picnic lunch and forest walk.

Activities to enjoy in Jinja include rafting, quad biking, jerry swimming, bungee jumping… the list goes on and on! Dinner and overnight at Nile Resort Jinja or Hotel Triangle

DAY 15: Kampala City Tour and Departure.

Follow Kampala’s sights and tours after breakfast (only if your departures are late). Visit places like the vibrant markets, Christian cathedrals, shopping malls, cultural and historical sites and craft villages and shops. Take a short lunch and head to the airport for your return flight.