12-DAY EXPLORE UGANDA THE PEARL OF AFRICA BY ROAD

STARTS: ENTEBBE,  ENDS: ENTEBBE

This amazing adventure offers a complete tour of “The Pearl of Africa” and allows travelers to enjoy all the must-see places of this amazing country: from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to Kibale National Park, from Queen Elizabeth National Park to Murchison Falls National Park, from mountain gorillas to chimp tracking,
from the highest density and diversity of primates in Africa to one of the highest diversity of birds in the world, from lakes to mountains, from hills to rivers, from boat safaris to game drives and rhino tracking… a real concentration of superlatives.

Itinerary

Arrival in Entebbe and transfer to the Guest House
–Excursion to Mabamba Swamps (Optional Extra) 

 

Papyrus Guest House – Mid range
No.5 Boutique Hotel – High end

Drive Entebbe to Lake Mburu NP via the Equator.
Game drive & boat ride.

 

Rwakobo Rock Lodge – Mid range
Mihingo Lodge – High end

Early morning game drive and departure to
Nkuringo via Mbarara, Kabale and Kisoro. Buninga
Forest Trail Walk (encounter with the Batwa)

 

Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Deluxe
Cottage) – Mid range
Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Forest suite) – High end)

Gorilla Tracking - Nkuringo or Rushaga Gorilla groups.

 

Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Deluxe

Cottage) – Mid range
Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Forest
suite) – High end

Hike & canoe on Lake Mutanda.

 

Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Deluxe

Cottage) – Mid range
Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Forest
suite) – High end

Hike across Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to Buhoma
and continuation to QENP

 

Katara Lodge – Mid range
Kyambura Gorge Lodge – High end

Queen Elizabeth NP: game drives and boat safari in
Kazinga Channel

 

Katara Lodge – Mid range
Kyambura Gorge Lodge – High end

To Kibale Forest NP via Fort Portal and hike to the
“Top of the World”

 

Turaco Tree Top – Mid range
Primate Lodge – High end

Chimp tracking in Kibale NP and excursion to Bigodi
Wetlands

 

Turaco Tree Top – Mid range
Primate Lodge – High end

Drive northbound to Murchison Falls NP

 

Murchison River Lodge – Mid range
Nile Safari Lodge – All-inclusive

Murchison Falls NP: game drives and boat trips in
the river Delta and and to the Waterfalls

 

Murchison River Lodge – Mid range
Nile Safari Lodge – All-inclusive

Drive to Entebbe airport with the visit en-route to
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

(Day 1)  Arrival in Entebbe as per your international flight meet up with a representative from Kiboko Safaris and transfer to Papyrus Guest House.
Optional Extra: In the afternoon (departure from the hotel must be max at
14.30/15.00 hours) departure by car and local canoe to Mabamba Swamp, one of the best places for spotting the rare shoebill storks. Of course, some fortune is needed but rarely does one leave the swamp without seeing one! Many other water birds have chosen this area as their home so birding is always very interesting. Enjoy a relaxing sundowner on Lake Victoria and then return to the Guest House.

Accommodation: Papyrus Guest House (Garden Room)/Bed & Breakfast – Mid range No.5 Boutique Hotel (Luxury room)/ Bed & Breakfast – High end

 

(Day 2)  Enjoy an early breakfast then travel to Western Uganda across the beautiful landscape of central Uganda made of rolling hills and cultivated terraces. Stop-over en-route at Mpambire, to watch drums being made using old traditional methods, and at the equator. After lunch at the lodge, game drive in the park and 1-hour boat ride on Lake Mburo National Park. to admire the beautiful landscape and in search of close encounters with the local fauna: bushbucks, bush duikers, crocodiles, hippos, plenty of water birds, etc.The drive takes about 5-7 hours.

Accommodation: Rwakobo Rock Lodge (Cottage)/ Full board – Mid range
Mihingo Lodge (Luxury safari tent)/ Full board – High end

 

(Day 3)  Enjoy an early morning enroute game drive as you exit the park, then continuation to Western Uganda: rolling hills, tea plantations, tropical rainforest and, towards the end, the majestic chain of the Virunga Volcanoes. Pass via the towns of Mbarara, Kabale and Kisoro before reaching Nkuringo, on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
In the afternoon stroll down to the Buniga Forest Trail Walk, an informative project run by USAID and the local Batwa community. The Batwa tribe was forced to leave their home in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in 1991 when it was declared a UNESCO Heritage site for gorillas only. They had been living in the forest as nomadic hunter-gatherers for millennia, in
perfect balance with the flora and fauna around. Moving out and suddenly living in communities with a completely different way of life has proven to be a huge challenge. They now survive as best as they can and earn a living explaining their previous life in the forest and their rich heritage. Continuation of the walk through the community to visit the traditional herbalist and the black smith. The drive takes about 5-7 hours.

Accommodation: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Deluxe Cottage)/ All-inclusive – Mid range
Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Forest Suite)/ all-inclusive – High end

 

(Day 4)  After breakfast, at around 7:45 am, with packed lunch and drinking water you will be transferred to the National Park Head Quarters for the briefing on the dos and the don’ts while with the gorillas. You then continue to the forest for the start of the actual gorilla tracking.The beauty of this rain forest is spectacular. The area offers a dramatic, steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense, but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails allowing access to tourists. The time taken and the terrain vary as per the movements of these great primates. The thrill of spending time observing these gentle and endangered giants is an awesome, exciting experience to be long savored. Many find it to be a rare and moving opportunity. The tracking can take place at Nkuringo or at Rushaga (1hr drive from Nkuringo), as per the gorilla permits obtained. Upon return, relax at the lodge and, for those who like, at 5.00 pm either stroll through the community center or drive up to the “Top of the World” - the name given to the football field which offers amazing views over the peaks and forests around Nkuringo. A great way to stretch your legs after the gorilla tracking and to enjoy a sundowner.

Accommodation: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Deluxe Cottage)/ All-inclusive – Mid range
Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Forest Suite)/ all-inclusive – High end

 

( Day 5)  After an early breakfast, drive to Rubuguri Junction (10k – 1 hour) to start a nice hike across beautiful landscapes and local communities - a great opportunity to experience authentic village life (9km – 2/3 hours). Upon arrival at Lake Mutanda, you then “settle” in a dugout canoe for 1.5-2 hours of gentle relaxed cruising across the lake, enjoying the beautiful panorama. Meet with your vehicle and drive back to Nkuringo. Of course you could also drive from the lodge directly to the lake (20k - 90 minutes), enjoy the canoe ride across the lake and drive all the way back to the lodge again. Guests decide!

Accommodation: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Deluxe Cottage)/ All-inclusive – Mid range Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (Forest Suite)/ all-inclusive – High end

 

(Day 6)  After an early breakfast, drive along the Nteko Ridge till the junction of the Ivy River Trail with the forest (7 km) and then start the unforgettable hike across Bwindi Forest (13km – 4/5 hours). Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is a vast unique natural reserve - monkeys, duikers, bush pigs and some of Bwindi's world-renowned bird species plus many butterflies can be sighted. If you are very lucky you may even encounter gorillas! Once part of a much larger forest that included the Virunga Volcanoes in neighboring Rwanda, the park is nowadays an ecological island within a sea of villages and farmland, its conservation importance is immense. The emphasis of this activity is for your walking guide to share his knowledge of the forest with you, it is not simply an A to B hike. The trail is also an important footpath for local people, particularly on market days, travelling from Nkuringo and Nteko to Buhoma, on the northern boundary of the park. There is no road
through Bwindi so vehicles driving between the two locations have an incredible 170 km bone jarring journey taking 5 to 8 hours.

Upon arrival at the park headquarters in Buhoma, meet with the vehicle and
continue to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The southern area of Ishasha is
notably recognized for its resident ‘tree climbing’ lions that are an exceptional attraction and one of the highlights of all safaris taken within the park. With a bit of luck, the lions can be spotted hanging on branches of huge fig trees while the Uganda Kobs (which is the major food to these lions) graze on the plains below.

Accommodation: Katara Lodge (Cottage)/ Full Board – Mid range
Kyambura Gorge Lodge (Standard Banda)/ All-inclusive – High end

 

( Day 7)  Full day dedicated to game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park and to the boat trip on the Kazinga Channel - the 36 km waterway connecting Lake George and Lake Edward, which allows special viewing of game and birds on the river banks, as the boat passes through pods of hippos. Crocodiles have only recently been seen in the Channel, they disappeared for 8,000 years after they were eliminated from Lake Edward by toxic ash from local volcanoes. QENP is one of Uganda’s oldest parks, being officially declared in 1952. The park was initially known as ‘Kazinga National Park’ before it was renamed in 1954 to commemorate the visit by Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain. QENP hosts 95 species of mammals - more than any other park in Uganda- and 619 bird species -the second highest of any park in Africa, the sixth highest of any park worldwide.

Accommodation: Katara Lodge (Cottage)/ Full Board – Mid range
Kyambura Gorge Lodge (Standard Banda)/ All-inclusive – High end

 

(Day 8)  Game drive through the northern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park and continuation to Kibale National Park via the town of Fort Portal. In the afternoon hike to the ‘Top of the World’ to enjoy fantastic views of the Rwenzori Mountains, the crater lakes, the tea plantations and local villages. The drive takes about 3 hours (180 km).

Accommodation: Turaco Treetops (Luxury Cottage)/Full board – Mid range
Primate Lodge (Luxury Cottage) / All-inclusive – High end

 

(Day 9)  Morning chimpanzee trek. The density and diversity of primates in Kibale National Park is the highest in the whole of Africa. The most well-known of its 13 species is the chimpanzee, our closest relative. Kibale’s 1450 chimpanzee population of this threatened primate is Uganda’s biggest. Additionally, Kibale is home to the uncommon I’Hoest’s monkey as well as East Africa’s biggest population of the endangered red colobus monkey. The black & white colobus, red tailed monkey, blue monkey, olive baboon, grey cheeked mangabey, bush baby and potto are among the other primates living in the forest. Afternoon excursion to the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a great example of a community-based approach to the natural resources management which can bring good economic benefits to the local residents. This sanctuary is a paradise for bird watchers - skilled birders can spot up to 50 new species on a bird list. At today 138 species of birds have been recognized within the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, among which the Great Blue Turaco. Bigodi is also regularly visited by a diverse number of primate species from the nearby national park.

Accommodation: Turaco Treetops (Luxury Cottage)/Full board – Mid range
Primate Lodge (Luxury Cottage) / All-inclusive – High end

 

(Day 10)  After an early breakfast, departure to Murchison Falls National Park. Located at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley, where the sweeping Bunyoro escarpment tumbles into the vast palm-dotted savannah, the park is bisected by the Victoria Nile. The “mythical” river plunges here 45m from the rift valley wall thus creating the dramatic Murchison Falls, centrepiece of the park and final “event” in an 80km stretch of rapids. The mighty cascade drains the last energies from the river and transforms it into a broad placid stream flowing quietly across the rift valley floor into Lake Albert. This stretch of river provides one of Uganda's most remarkable wildlife spectacles. The drive takes about 6-7 hours (400 km)

Accommodation: Murchison River Lodge (Thatched Cottage)/ Full board – Mid range Nile Safari Lodge (Deluxe Banda)/ All-inclusive – High end

 

(Day 11)  Full day dedicated to the discovery of this unique national park.
Early morning game drive en route to the Victoria Nile Delta for a boat trip in
this spectacular area teeming with birds and wildlife - several endemic species like the Rothschild's giraffe, the Shoebill stork and the red-throated bee-eater. In the afternoon, scheduled boat trip to the Murchison Waterfalls (with the possibility to disembark and walk to the top of the falls – walk included) - amazing for the panorama and the possible encounters with the local fauna: elephants, giraffes, buffalos, crocs, antilopes … Game drive on the way back to the lodge.

Accommodation: Murchison River Lodge (Thatched Cottage)/ Full board – Mid range. Nile Safari Lodge (Deluxe Banda)/ All-inclusive – High end

 

(Day 12)  After an early breakfast, departure to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – located in Nakasongola, it is the only place in Uganda where southern white rhinos can be tracked. In 1983 both black rhinos and northern white rhinos were declared extinct throughout Uganda so the purpose of the NGO Rhino Fund Uganda is to return rhinos back into the country, through a program of breeding and release. The first 6 rhinos were translocated in 2005-06 (4 from Kenya and 2 from the USA) and it was 5 years before the first healthy calf was born, making him the first rhino born in Uganda in almost 30 years (“Obama” is the name)! After lunch continuation to Entebbe airport, where arrival is expected around 17.00.

End of services.The drive takes about 6 hours (390 km).
Depending on your departure flight either book a day room/overnight at Papyrus Guest House or wait for your departure flight at the Airport. To be on the safe side we recommend to overnight in Entebbe or book night flights.