Uganda and Rwanda Safari

Uganda Rwanda Safari, 9 days

Day 1 AIRPORT TRANSFERS

Meet your pick up tour guide at the airport, who will take you though expectations on this safari itinerary and help you book and check into preferred accommodation in Kampala. Overnight of all standards is available in the city, budget and moderate options from Holiday Express hotel, Tourist hotel, Speke hotel, Cassia lodge, and similar while luxury accommodation is available from Kampala Sheraton hotel, Grand Imperial hotel, Kampala Serena and Imperial Royale hotel.

Alternatively take an evening in Kampala’s vibrant nightclubs, cinemas, eating points and hang outs.

Day 2   Kampala City and Jinja Tour

Wake up to a breakfast treat that id followed by pick up from tour guide, ready for a guided city tour of first, Kampala and then the Lake Victoria port town of Jinja. For Kampala, visit historical and cultural sites like Namugongo martyr’s shrine, Kasubi royal tombs, the old Christian cathedrals and city monuments. Have a short forest walk and picnic lunch break in Mabira forest and then head to Jinja, visiting the source of the Nile, Sezibwa falls, Bujagali falls and Ripon falls. These falls are popular places for white water rafting expeditions and jerrycan swimming. Jinja can be otherwise called the adventure town of Uganda with activities like Bungee jumping, rafting, swimming, quad biking and so much more.

Drive back to Kampala for diner and overnight accommodation.

DAY 3 L. MBURO NATIONAL PARK

After breakfast, follow your tour guide for a 6 hour trip to south western Uganda into Lake Mburo National Park. There are a few stops, say at the equator for refreshments, snacks and souvenir buys and then lunch can be arranged in a hotel en-route. The park is a famous home to the Uganda ob crowned cranes, leopards, elephants, antelopes, hippos, crocodiles, zebras and several species of wild birds. The rare shoe billed stork is a resident in the lake’s papyrus reed shores. All this can be enjoyed on a boat ride and afternoon game drive.

There luxury accommodation from Mantana Luxury tented camp or Mihingo Lodge, and moderate options are found in Arcadia Cottages and budget accommodation from Rwonyo Bandas.

Day 4 To Queen Elizabeth and Kazinga Channel Launch Cruise

After you tea and breakfast, board the tour van to Queen Elizabeth national park, crossing many farmed/ terraced hill slopes and long horned Ankole cattle grazing by the grasslands. Arrival to an arranged lunch and join in for an afternoon boat/ launch cruise on the Kazinga channel, linking lakes George and Edward, crater lakes from the rift valley escarpment. On the cruise, you’ll see several yawning hippos, buffalos, crocodiles at the shores and birds crossing the water expanse.

Check into moderate accommodation from the Institute of Ecology, Hippo Hill, Ihamba lodge and Simba Safari lodge and luxury option from Jcana lodge, Mweya safari Lodge and Kingfisher resort.

Day 5 GAME DRIVE THEN TRANSFER TO L. BUNYONYI

Wake up to an early morning game drive, south of the park where trails are commonly visited by impala, zebras, lions, leopards, hyenas and other animals. Head back to the lodge for breakfast and then travel to Kabale visiting Maramagambo forest along the way.

On arrival in Kabale, take a short town visit and lunch there and then check into your preferred hotel or lodge for diner and overnight near Lake Bunyonyi. Have an evening boat trip around the lake with excellent view of terraced hills and several birds, both residents and migrant around the shores of the park. Ride to one of the 29 islands within the lake if it doesn’t get late and dark on the boat trip.

Budget accommodation from Bushara Island camp, White Horse Inn and up market accommodation from Bunyonyi Overland resort, Habuharo Island Camp and Arcadia Cottages.

DAY 6   TO RWANDA

Drive off to Rwanda after breakfast, crossing the border post at Kisoro. Do all your Visa clearing here and then head for Musanze, a town at the foot of the Virunga volcanos, near Volcanoes National Park. This town is a popular tourist point for gorilla trekking in Rwanda.

From the town, the majestic peaks of five of the 6 volcanoes; Muhabura, Bishoke, Mgahinga, Sabyinyo and Karisimbi are clearly seen. The forest slopes form a scenic landscape above which can’t wait to be explored on the gorilla trekking adventure. Visit and interact with the local people and trackers found here before you retire to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Budget accommodation is available at Kinigi Guest House, standard and/or up market options include Mountain Gorilla View lodge, Hotel Gorillas and Mountain Gorilla Nest lodge. Luxury is offered and available at Volcanoes Lodge and Silverback Lodge.

Day 7 Rwanda Gorilla Trekking

After breakfast,walk to the ORTPN offices in Musanze, a small tourist town/ point at the entrance Parc National des Volcans, receive an hour of briefing and then set off with a tracker or ranger guide.  Trekking for the gorillas through the light mountain forest on the slopes of the Virungas is thrilling at the same time strenuous, lasting several hours on intense tracking.  There are a few golden monkeys and birds on the trails too. Meeting a gorilla family feeding and the young playing around can be memorable. Have one hour staring at them and then head back to your lodge for lunch, diner and overnight.

Day 8 BOAT/ CANOE RIDES ON L. KIVU

Drive to one of the three resort towns of Gisenyi, Kibuye or Cyangugu on Lake Kivu, one of Rwanda’s fresh water valley lakes from the Albertine rift valley escarpment. Have a canoe or boat ride on the beautiful lake enclosed by terraced hill slopes and several rural fishing communities. There are a number of birds that visit the lake for example pelicans, malachite kingfishers and crowned cranes.

There is luxury accommodation from Kivu Sun, Stipp hotel and palm beach hotel in Gisenyi. You could prefer Kigali’s accommodation in Serena hotel, Chez Lando or Hotel Milles des Collines. Food and dining is splendid and mouthwatering from each of these hotels.

Day 9; Departures from Kanombe Airport, Kampala

Shop for some souvenirs and gift items from Kigali after breakfast. For late departures, take a city tour to sites like the Franco-Rwanda cultural centre and the genocide memorial site and museum. After lunch, check in for your flight at Kanombe airport or catch your departure flight from Entebbe by travelling back to Kampala-Uganda.