Discover Uganda – 8 Days

From: USD: ___________ PER PERSON SHARING.

KAMPALA – KIBALE N. PARK – QUEEN ELIZABETH N. PARK – BWINDI NATIONAL PARK [BY ROAD]

Accommodation Plan: BB = Bed & Breakfast, HB=Half Board, FB = Full Board. Meal Plan: B = Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner.

Day 1: Arrival in EBB/KLA:  (Day includes: BB).

Arrival at Entebbe, transfer to (high end) Kampala Serena Hotel for overnight – BB, or transfer to (mid range) Protea Hotel, Entebbe – BB.

Day 2: Kampala – Fort Portal – Ndali near Kibale N. Park. (Day includes: B, L &D)

Meet and greet at 0630 hrs. After breakfast at Kampala Serena Hotel, or Protea Hotel Entebbe, departing will be with an expert guide who will provide knowledge and assistance throughout your journey. Bound for Western Uganda, you pass the historic town of Fort Portal before continuing to Ndali Lodge.

Lunch at the lodge. The lodge has amazing 360º views of the ancient volcanic landscape, the Bunyaruguru Crater Lake and the Rwenzori Mountains beyond. After your long journey and late lunch, enjoy the swimming pool, walk around the lodge garden and grounds or simply relax on the terrace.  Dinner and overnight: Ndali Lodge –FB.

Day 3: Exploration of Kibale N. Park: (Day includes: B, L &D)

Spend the morning tracking the exuberant chimp families in the Kibale forest. Tracking chimpanzees in their natural habitat, as they swing from the branches in the canopy high above the forest floor, is a thrilling experience. Though they can be difficult to spot, you will be in no doubt of their presence as the forest is alive with their noisy calls. Warm lunch at the park gate with the Bigodi Project people.

In the afternoon, explore the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. The reserve is abundant with butterflies, plants, animals and, in particular, birds. Spectacular birds like Great Blue Turaco and rare Papyrus Gonolek will be of great interest to birders. The swamp is also home to more elusive animals such as Red Colobus monkeys and Sitatunga antelope. There is also the opportunity to visit local community projects that have been financed by tourism. In the evening enjoy pre-dinner drinks on the terrace with its stunning views. Dinner and overnight: Ndali Lodge (high end) / Rujuna for mid range.

Day 4: Kibale N. Park – Queen Elizabeth N. Park. (Day includes: B, L &D).

Depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park. Drive straight to the park and take an en route game drive to the lodge. Check in and lunch at Mweya Safari Lodge, which is beautifully situated on a bluff overlooking the Kazinga Channel and Lake Edward.

In the afternoon, embark on game drive from around 15h45. What you see depends on the season, but the Kasenyi plains are excellent for sighting lion and large herds of Uganda kob. The Mweya peninsula offers excellent game drives with magnificent views across the water to the Rwenzori Mountains. Mweya is one of the best places to look for leopard, which lives in the dense, scrubby thickets. . Queen Elizabeth National Park’s diverse Eco-system of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife.

Dinner and overnight: Mweya Safari Lodge – FB.

Day 5: Explore Queen Elizabeth N. Park: (Day includes: B, L &D).

Today we head out to Kyambura Gorge, an extraordinary natural environment which forms a stark contrast to the surrounding grasslands. Here you can track one of our closest animal relatives, the chimpanzee. The chimp population is quite mobile and viewing can be unpredictable but the walk itself is enchanting. Lunch at the lodge.

In the afternoon take a unique 2-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, which flows between Lakes Edward and George. Kazinga is home to one of the greatest concentration of hippo in Africa and herds of elephant, buffalo and other animals come to drink at the water’s edge. The channel is a magnet for water birds, with great flocks of pelicans and others birds on the shore, and a great spot to see African fish eagle. For dinner and overnight, return to Mweya Safari Lodge– FB. (high end) / ihamba for mid range.

Day 6: Queen Elizabeth – Bwindi Forest N. Park. (Day includes: B, L &D).

Your safari now continues to the primeval Bwindi Forest best known for Gorilla Trekking.  Travelling via Ishasha – subject to road conditions – you can observe the unusual behaviour exhibited by the tree-climbing lions. The long journey through the rapidly changing landscape takes you to Mahogany Springs in Buhoma Area, which looks across to the towering trees of the forest. Lunch at your destination. Depending on when you arrive, there may be time to explore the lodge grounds with its clear mountain stream or visit the local village.

Dinner and overnight: Mahogany Springs – FB.

Day 7: Explore Bwindi Forest N. Park. (Day includes: B, L & D).

After enjoying an early breakfast, you set off gorilla trekking. Trekking through the steep, densely forested hills to finally come across the gorillas camouflaged in the vegetation is an inspiring and privileged moment. Tracking in Bwindi Forest requires stamina and can often take most of the day. Alternatively there are other activities and excursions on offer in and around the national park:

Take a guided walk in the rainforest, home to several endemic bird species, clouds of butterflies and rare plant life. This walk offers excellent photographic opportunities and the knowledgeable guide will provide a great insight into this globally important habitat.

Walk through the local village, and learn about community projects, such as the Amagara Project that assists local farmers and their communities, and Bwindi Community Hospital which started as a health clinic under a tree and now provides vital medical and educational services to over 60,000 people.

Discover the traditions of the Batwa Pygmies, and learn about the native tribal inhabitants of the forest. The indigenous people of Bwindi Forest, though no longer resident in the forest, still practice many of their traditional hunter-gatherer skills.

Dinner and overnight: Mahogany Springs – FB (high end) / Buhoma Home Stead for mid range.

Day 8: Bwindi Forest N. Park – Kampala. (9 – 10 hours by road, or 45 minute scheduled morning flight). (Day includes: B, L) +D, if your flight departure time permits)

Return to Kampala with great memories of moments spent with the fascinating Mountain Gorillas. If you return by road, you will have a stopover in Mbarara Town for en route lunch at the Igongo Cultural Centre, as you head to Kampala. We arrive at nightfall! Your overnight is at Kampala Serena Hotel, or at the Protea Hotel Entebbe on the shores of Lake Victoria. Note: If your flight departs tonight, we transfer straight to Entebbe Airport.

End of Service.