Ultimate Uganda

Day 1 London to Kampala, Uganda.

Fly by scheduled flight. Arrive this evening and transfer to the Emin Pasha Hotel in Kampala, our base for the next two nights.

Day 2 Kampala.

We spend the morning exploring Kampala including Kabaka’s Palace and the local markets before visiting a social project in the city’s slums. Here we will see some of the projects designed to help the local residents. We will return to the hotel for an afternoon at leisure before dinner at the Ndere Cultural Centre where we will enjoy a performance of local music and dance.

Day 3 Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary & Murchison Falls National Park.

Today we travel north from Kampala to Murchison Falls National Park. En-route we will stop at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where we will meet our ranger for a safari hike during which we hope to see the rhinos at very close range. Kidepo Valley and Murchison Falls National Parks once had both black and white rhinos however widespread poaching during the Idi Amin era resulted in the disappearance of these majestic animals from the wild. Founded in 1998, Rhino Fund Uganda works to reintroduce black and white rhinos into Uganda and runs a breeding programme, as well as work to educate communities on endangered rhinos. After our visit we continue towards Murchison Falls National Park arriving in the afternoon at Murchison River Lodge for our three night stay. Covering an area of over 3840 square kilometres, Murchison Falls National Park is the largest conservation area in Uganda and its name derives from the famous waterfall. The Nile River divides the park into its north and south sections and, at the spectacular Murchison Falls the world’s longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43 metres below.

Days 4 & 5 Murchison Falls National Park.

We have two full days in the park and a range of activities will be on offer including a dawn game drive to see the animals at their most active. A drive through the park brings you eye-to-eye with the African animal kingdom: elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards, different species of antelope and many tropical birds. Enjoy a private boat safari up the Nile River to Murchison Falls. Carefully watched by crocodiles, hundreds of hippos, buffaloes, water birds, monkeys and all the other thirsty wildlife that the Nile attracts, you will reach the base of the 43 metre-high falls which approaches you with a thunderous sound. Upon arriving at the base of the falls you will have the option of taking a tough hike (about 1 hour) to the top, from where you have a perfect view of the impressive falls. Another boat safari will take us to the Nile Delta where the Victoria Nile flows into Lake Albert. This is a “must do” for every birdwatcher as the banks of the delta are home to hundreds of bird species including the rare and prehistoric-looking shoebill stork. Here you will see hundreds of hippo and maybe even bathing elephant and huge crocodiles. There will also be time to relax in the comfortable lodge and soak up the surroundings.

Day 6 Hoima.

After another morning game drive and brunch we will proceed to Hoima, the centre of the Bunyoro Kingdom. The Bunyoro tribe is famous for their great hospitality, traditions and unique tribe names – you will probably get one too after spending some time with the locals. A BBQ is waiting for us this evening at the Kontiki Hotel where we will spend the night.

Days 7 & 8 Kibale Forest National Park.

After an early breakfast we will return to our vehicles and make our way to Kibale Forest. Our scenic drive passes through villages, lush green forests and hills dotted with tea plantations which characterise this part of Uganda. On arrival we will check in to the Papaya Lake Lodge, located just outside the town of Fort Portal with amazing views over one of the crater lakes in this area. The following day we will make our way to Kibale Forest National Park which boasts the highest number of primate species in the world, including our delightful cousins, the chimpanzees. Today, in Uganda, there are approximately 5000 chimpanzees in the wild which makes it a perfect place to spot them. An experienced forest ranger will take you chimp tracking and en-route you might also see other monkey species that live in this forest. Once located, you will spend time with the chimps. Since they are wild animals we can never guarantee that you will see them so you might have to settle with hearing their hoots and hollers. Our walk will take us through grassland, small communities and some beautiful scenery, where the locals are likely to greet you with enthusiastic waves. It is usual to spot three to four different primate species during this walk, though the highlight is catching a glimpse of the great blue turaco.

Days 9 & 10 Queen Elizabeth National Park.

After breakfast we will continue our journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park and check in for our two night stay at Mweya Safari Lodge. Queen Elizabeth is Uganda’s second largest park, located at the base of the majestic Rwenzori Mountain Range adjacent to Lake Edward and Lake George. Here we will take a private boat safari along the Kazinga Channel which joins Lake George and Lake Albert. We will see a lot of hippos as well as a variety of other animals which come to the water to drink or bathe. You can expect to see buffalo, crocodile, bathing elephant, and a range of beautiful birds. During a game drive we will search for all the wildlife in the park and are likely to come across elephant, buffalo, lion, waterbuck, leopard, Uganda kob, and many warthogs.

Days 11 & 12 Bwindi National Park.

After breakfast we will enjoy a game drive on our way out of the park for a chance at spotting tree climbing lions before arriving to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home of the mountain gorillas and Buhoma Lodge for our two night stay. After lunch, our first afternoon is free to relax and enjoy the camp and prepare for our gorilla tracking the following day. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest boasts both mountain gorillas and chimpanzees - the only forest in Africa which can make this claim. It also hosts five other species of primate, 113 species of mammal, over 200 butterflies and 360 birds. The gorillas we track belong to one of nine habituated family groups who can tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period every day. Our track will be an exciting journey along forested slopes, entwined vines, bushes and bamboo before we eventually reach the gorilla family. The time taken to track the gorillas can be anything from two hours to up to seven hours. Once the gorillas have been located, each group is allowed a maximum of one hour with them. Coming face-to-face with a mountain gorilla is a truly humbling and emotional experience.

Day 13 Lake Mburo National Park.

This morning we will travel to Lake Mburo National Park and check in to Mihingo Lodge for our overnight stay. Lake Mburo is one of Uganda’s smallest parks but certainly not one to be underestimated. It is one of the few Ugandan National Parks which is home to zebra, eland and impala, and an abundance of other wildlife as well as the lake itself, which is teeming with hippos and crocodiles. Last but not least, the Uganda Wildlife Authority recently brought 15 giraffes from Murchison Falls to Lake Mburo.

Day 14 Lake Mburo National Park to London.

Lake Mburo National Park is one of two parks in Uganda where it is permitted to go for a bush walk with an experienced ranger. This opportunity should not be missed. From footprints and animal droppings the ranger will be able to tell you which animal has left it and how long ago. It is exciting to approach wildlife at such close range. We will continue after lunch to Entebbe where we join our scheduled indirect flight to London.

Day 15 London.

Arrive this morning.

Please note that to best enjoy your experience in Uganda you should be in good physical condition and be able to participate in moderate hikes over rough or uneven terrain. There will be opportunities for hikes of varied lengths and for most activities a moderate level of exertion is required. As an approximate guide, for chimpanzee tracking the hikes will be between two to four hours and, for gorilla tracking, between four to eight hours. Some days may entail early starts and long drives, however the vehicles used are modern and comfortable.