An amazing safari that combines the wide savannah plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park with the dense tropical rainforests of Kibale and Bwindi. Excellent wildlife viewing and unforgettable encounters with the primates of Uganda!
An amazing safari that combines the wide savannah plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park with the dense tropical rainforests of Kibale and Bwindi. Excellent wildlife viewing and unforgettable encounters with the primates of Uganda!
Day 1 : Arrival Arrival at Entebbe Airport where you will be welcomed by our representative and transferred to your hotel. Overnight at the Boma Guest House (B&B).
Day 2 : Entebbe - Kibale Forest National Park After a relaxed breakfast we will depart Entebbe and head west to Fort Portal, with (packed) lunch en route. Fort Portal rests in the shadow of the fabled “Mountains of the Moon” and is famous for the many tea plantations. From this lovely town we will continue to Kibale National Park, while passing the region of the Crater Lakes. Here we will explore some small lakes, before heading to our accommodation for tonight. Dinner and overnight at the deluxe safari tents of Primate Lodge Kibale.
Day 3 : Kibale Forest & Bigodi Swamp Today the forest opens its doors for a sensational chimp tracking. Kibale Forest is reputable of having the greatest variety and highest concentration of primates in East Africa. Enjoy a guided nature walk in the tropical rainforest in search of the wild chimpanzee, red-tailed monkey, black-and-white colobus monkey and many others. After a hearty lunch we transfer to the Bigodi Swamp for another, totally different nature walk. The Bigodi Swamp Walk is an initiative of the local community and is known for its rich diversity of birds and primates. Dinner and overnight at the deluxe safari tents of Primate Lodge Kibale.
Day 4 : Kibale Forest - Queen Elizabeth National Park After a delicious breakfast we calmly transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Have lunch and relax at the pool before going on a game drive in search of the first wildlife, including warthogs, buffaloes, waterbucks and elephants. Dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge.
Day 5 : Queen Elizabeth National Park The day begins early as we start with a morning game drive and head to the mating ground of the Uganda Kobs. We search for lions, elephants, buffaloes and other wild animals in their natural habitat before returning for lunch. In the afternoon we take on a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, a natural channel between Lake Edward and Lake George. Thanks to the abundant birdlife that is sighted, and the elephants, buffaloes and hundreds of hippos that are cooling off at the shores, this cruise will definitely be one of the highlights of your safari. Dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge.
Day 6 : Queen Elizabeth National Park - Bwindi National Park After breakfast we head towards the south, passing the southern sector of the national park (if road conditions allow). This part is called Ishasha and is famous for the tree climbing lions. After a short game drive in this area we continue to Bwindi. While driving through a verdant countryside, you will pass traditional homesteads and enjoy panoramic views. In the afternoon arrival in Bwindi National Park, home of the endangered mountain gorillas. Dinner and overnight at Mahogany Springs
Day 7 : Gorilla tracking The highlight of your safari: a meeting with the gentle giants of Bwindi! Especially hikers will love the tracking in the beautiful ecosystem of the park. Expect to walk a long distance in steep and muddy conditions, sometimes with rain overhead, before you encounter any gorillas. But it will definitely be worthwhile as you observe them closely while they eat, play and rest. A unique and unforgettable experience! Dinner and overnight at Mahogany Springs.
Day 8 : Bwindi National Park - Lake Mburo National Park After breakfast we depart the impenetrable forest of Bwindi and head to Lake Mburo National Park. As we enter the park it is likely that you will spot some wildlife. After checking in you will go on a boat ride on the lake and enjoy the rich bird life and the many hippos that are cooling off. Dinner and overnight at Mihingo Lodge.
Day 9 : Lake Mburo National Park - Kampala Early start of the day as we will go for a nature walk guided by a ranger. Lake Mburo is the only national park where you can experience a safari on foot. Return the lodge for breakfast and with a game drive on our way out we depart the protected area and drive back to Kampala. Arrival in the afternoon and leisure time to visit some shops or relax at the pool. Overnight at Le Petit Village.
Day 10 : Departure Enriched with an experience of a lifetime and unforgettable memories you will say goodbye to the Pearl of Africa. Depending on your flight schedule you can join our guide on a city tour and visit some interesting and historical sites. In time you will be transferred to Entebbe Airport for your international flight.
Included in the price: - Airport transfer - Ground transport per comfortable 4WD safari vehicle - English speaking driver/guide - Accommodation in places mentioned in the itinerary, based on a double room - Full board (breakfast, lunch, dinner), apart from the stay in Entebbe and Kampala (B&B) - Bottled mineral water throughout the safari - Park entrance fees - Game drives, boat launches and walks according to the program - Chimp tracking in Kibale Forest NP
Exclusions: - International flight - Visa - Gorilla permit (USD $500 per person) - Meals and drinks not mentioned above - Laundry and tips - Items of personal nature - Christmas supplement
Departure dates 2013: 30 January , 2nd March , 10th April , 16th June , 10 July, 09th August, 20 September 26th October 30th November Note: * Prices are subject to change. * Availability of accommodation, permits and activities is not guaranteed until confirmation. * The safari is based on budget accommodation, consisting of basic hotel rooms, bandas or tents with one double or two single beds and mosquito nets where necessary. Bathrooms will be either private or shared, depending on availability. * The chimp tracking in Kibale Forest may take place either in the morning or afternoon, depending on the availability of the permits for chimp tracking.
PLEASE NOTE: The price shown is for a Minimum of 4 persons
Our unique relationship with our tour operators ensures only people who have participated in a trip after making an enquiry for it at The Africa Guide can leave a review.
The email we send you when you make an enquiry has full instructions for registering a booking and leaving a review - both are free services.
Feel free to read through the reviews for any trip you like the look of.
Trips with no reviews are usually new to the The Africa Guide but are normally operated by a tour operator who is established here. Most tour operators listing here will usually have gained reviews about other trips they have listed here.
Thanks for visiting, happy travels and don't forget to send us your reviews...
I was very impressed with the website when I was looking for a company to plan our trip to Murchison Falls. My friend and I were going to Uganda to visit my daughter and her friend who were working as volunteers with an NGO in Jinja. The four of us wanted to visit Murchison Falls.
We were pleased that the operator was able to make arrangements to suit our budget. They also accommodated our wish to be picked up in Jinja instead of Kampala.
Our driver, Beki was wonderful. Not only was he a very competent driver, but he was full of good humour and knowledge about the culture of Uganda and its animals and plants. He answered all of our questions about everything we saw on our trip to Murchison Falls and we had many as this was our first trip to Africa. He pointed out many things of interest to us and made us feel so comfortable on our trip. Beki helped to make our safri a most enjoyable and memorable experience.
The company sent us an information package and a complete itinerary before we went on our safari. I thought this was very helpful. I have only praise for their staff. If Beki is representative of all their drivers, then you are ensured of an amazing safari experience.
We thought they did a very good job of meeting our needs during our trip to Uganda. They were responsive when we asked to modify the standard itinerary - visiting a local hospital, the Kampala marketplace, and the veterinary school at the University.
At our request, they substituted an extra game drive for the scheduled activity, and accommodated our request for a different hotel in Kampala on our last days.
Our guide/driver was named David, and he answered all of our questions, maintaining his composure despite some unforeseen circumstances (car broke down, and he had to get a different driver to bring us back to Kampala).
We took the luxury option except for Travellers Rest, which we chose when the Nkuringo Lodge was not able to honor our reservations. It was an unexpected pleasure to stay at Travellers Rest -- wonderful food and friendly service at a very reasonable price. The Primate Luxury Tented Camp, where we stayed when we tracked chimps in Kibale, seems like it's not quite ready for prime time but shows promise for the future.
Overall, we were very pleased, and if we were going to make the trip again, we'd call them.
We would be delighted to provide you with information about our holiday. We have nothing but praise for this operator, both for their helpfulness throughout and their flexibility in planning our itinerary.
We had a rather unusual plan for our holiday, in that, as well as touring the game parks, we wished to seeand meet Ugandans on the ground as much as possible,and also we wished to end our holiday by being taken to Gulu, where our daughter is working as an NGO.
They responded to this by including a 2-day visit to a farm in the far south-west, near the Tanzanian and Rwandan borders, and by agreeing to drop us off in Gulu, rather than returning us to Kampala.
We visited Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabth, Kibale and Murchison Falls National Parks, in addition to Nshenyi village referred to above. All this was achieved in an 11-day itinerary, at a very reasonable cost. Our driver was fantastic. He was not only one of the best drivers I've ever come across either inside or outside of Uganda, but he was also very friendly, and most knowledgeable about all the wildlife, including the rich variety of birds we saw. He also had phenomenal eyesight; even when the road he was negotiating was particularly pitted and rough, he still managed to catch sight of birds and game a long way of, which we would have missed.
Altogether a most positive, enjoyable and educational trip. I'd recommend anyone to go; Uganda is a truly beautiful country. We look forward to returning.
I found the safari operator to be very accommodating with any special requests we had regarding the itinerary.
The Safari Lodge pool made for a perfect setting for a sunset swim, overlooking the channel filled with hippos. The lodge also provided the unique experience of waking up to a hippo grazing outside our door.
