An amazing safari that combines the wide savannah plains in Queen Elizabeth with the dense tropical forest of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Excellent wildlife viewing and unforgettable encounters with the primates of Uganda!
Day 1 : Kampala – Queen Elizabeth National Park From Kampala we depart to one of the most beautiful protected areas in Uganda: Queen Elizabeth National Park. On our way we will pass the Ugandan Equator where you can take pictures and shop for a souvenir. We continue to Mbarara for lunch and then follow the road to the southwest and head for the Western Rift Valley. Upon arrival in Queen Elizabeth National Park you will enjoy a short evening game drive as we drive to our accommodation in the middle of the park. It is likely to spot waterbucks, warthogs and reedbucks while the sun slowly sets. Dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge B-L-D
Day 2 : Queen Elizabeth National Park The day begins early as we start with a morning game drive and head for the mating ground of the Uganda Kobs. We search for the 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 bird life 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 B-L-D
Day 3 : Queen Elizabeth – Bwindi National Park After breakfast you may choose to go for a hike in the Kyambura Wildlife Reserve in search of the chimpanzees (not included). It is a beautiful walk through the river valley, completely covered with tropical rainforest. We continue to Bwindi, home of the endangered mountain gorillas. Dinner and overnight at Mahogany Springs B-L-D
Day 4 : Bwindi National Park The highlight of your primate safari: a meeting with the gentle giants of Bwindi! 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 B-L-D
Day 5 : Bwindi National Park – Kampala After breakfast we head back to the capital city. En route we will pass the region that is also called “Little Switzerland in Uganda” and the Ugandan equator. With a stop for lunch we will arrive in Kampala in the evening.
Included in the price: - Ground transport per comfortable 4WD safari vehicle - English speaking driver/guide - Accommodation in budget accommodations mentioned in the itinerary, based on a double room - Full board except for breakfast on day 1 and dinner on day 5 - Bottled mineral water throughout the safari - Park entrance fees and ranger fees - Activities as described in the program
Exclusions: - International flight - Visa - Gorilla permit (USD $500 per person) - Chimp tracking in Kyambura Gorge (USD $50 per person) - Meals and drinks not mentioned above - Laundry and tips - Items of personal nature
Note: Please note that demand is very high and only 8 persons per day are allowed to see the gorillas. Therefore we advise you to book permits at least 4 months in advance.
If you wish to stay in luxury accommodation please notify so we can inform you about the upgrade fees. Please complete the enquiry form below for more details and tailor-made safaris in Uganda and Rwanda!
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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.
