8 DAYS UGANDA WILDLIFE SAFARI PACKAGE
Day 1: Travel to Kibale forest National Park. Tour of the Tooro Kingdom
ou will be picked up from the airport by our tour guide/driver and be taken to the hotel where you will check in, dinner and over night.
In the morning, the office Guide/Driver will pick you up from your hotel in Kampala/Entebbe or directly from the airport. After briefing you about the tour, the driver will start the journey to Kibale National Park. Kibale National Park is found in the western part of Uganda. You will pass through the towns of Mityana and Mubende before reaching Fort Portal. By afternoon, you will be in the city of Fort Portal. You will have lunch in one of the fine restaurants in town. After lunch, you will go for a tour of the palace of the King of Tooro. During the tour, you will learn about one of Uganda’s ancient kingdoms and get a chance to buy souvenirs.
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale – Visit the Bigodi Wetlands and the local people
Wake up early for breakfast and wait for the company Guide to take you to the park headquarters for a briefing on chimpanzee tracking. During the briefing, you will be assigned a chimpanzee group and a Park Ranger to lead you into the forest. Chimpanzee tracking takes between 2 to 3 hours. Unlike gorillas, chimps spend half of their time on top of trees. You will need to be more attentive and also willing to follow the chimps for a while even after finding them. Chimpanzees are very playful and intelligent animals. They are also very mobile and do not stay in one place for long. After spending one hour with the chimps, the Park Guide will lead you out of the forest and to the starting point where you will /find the company driver waiting for you
After lunch at the hotel, you can go shower and wait for the driver to take you for a visit of the Bigodi wetlands sanctuary. The sanctuary is blessed with remarkable biodiversity and is excellent for observing birds or primates. After the Bigodi Wetlands visit, you will also visit the local people living near the site. There is an organization supporting women by training them to produce art crafts that you should visit.
Day 3: Drive to Queen Elizabeth national park – Katwe explosion crater
Wake up at your own time after yesterday’s demanding activity. The driver will start the journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park at around mid-day. As you leave Fort Portal, you will be rewarded with magnificent views of the Rwenzori Mountains. You will enter Queen Elizabeth national park through Kasese town (where you will have lunch). Before reaching the lodge, you will be taken to spot the amazing explosion craters along the way. These beautiful features will give you a taste of what to expect in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The driver will then take you to your lodge for rest and evening relaxation.
Day 4: Wildlife Viewing and afternoon boat ride at the Kazinga Channel
This will be an action-packed day with two great activities. You will start the day with breakfast early in the morning before getting into the vehicle for a game drive in the savanna plains of Queen Elizabeth national park. The game drive will start at the Kasenyi plains and end in the areas close to the Kazinga channel. During this morning game drive, you will have a chance to see animals like lions, elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, topis, spotted hyenas, Uganda kobs and so much more. The game drive will take between 3 to 4 hours after which the driver will take you back to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, you will go for the Kazinga channel boat cruise. This water channel connects two lakes of George and Edward. The boat ride starts from Lake Edward, through the channel before reaching Lake George and then back. While on the boat cruise, you will be able to see marine animals like Nile crocodiles, schools of hippos, flamingos, waterbucks and a variety of bird species. Later in the evening, you will drive back to your lodge for dinner and rest.
Day 5: Tree climbing lions in Ishasha – Transfer to Bwindi national park
Wake up early, take breakfast and wait for the driver to start the journey to Bwindi Impenetrable forest. As you leave for Bwindi, you will have a final game drive in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The Ishasha sector is one of the last strongholds for tree climbing lions. The lions here do not rest on the ground but on top of trees to avoid biting insects and also get aerial views of their prey. Take as many photos of them as they rest on fig trees and then continue to Kihihi for lunch. After lunch, you will continue the journey to Bwindi forest and to your lodge.
Day 6: Bwindi gorilla trekking – Batwa Cultural Encounter
Wake up earlier for one of the most memorable days of your time in Uganda. Take breakfast and request for packed lunch from your hotel. The driver will come to pick you up and take you to the park headquarters for briefing. During the briefing, your gorilla permit and passport will be verified. You will also be briefed about the requirements and rules for gorilla trekking. You will then be assigned to a group of people following the same gorilla family. The Park Ranger will lead you to the starting point and then into the thick forests of Bwindi to track the primates. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi takes between 2 to 6 hours depending on your gorilla family. When you meet the gorillas, you will be able to observe them for strictly one hour. In that one hour, you will observe the primates feed, play around, communicate, groom and mate. You are allowed to take as many photos and videos as you like in the one hour.
At the end of the trek, you will come out of the forest where you will find the driver waiting to take you back to the lodge for lunch. As the evening approaches, you will go to the local villages close to the park to meet the Batwa pygmies. The Batwa lived in the forests of East and Central Africa for thousands of years.
Most have now been driven away from their natural homes in the forest to a new unfamiliar world. They were not compensated and most live in abject poverty having failed to adapt to the modern world. During your visit, you will learn about their traditional culture and how they are coping in a money-driven world. After learning about the sad plight of the Batwa, you will also watch their performances through music, dance and drama.
Day 7: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi canoeing bird watching, relaxation, nature walks and Island Hopping
Wake you at your own time considering you had gorilla trekking on Day 6. The driver will come and pick you after breakfast to begin the journey to Lake Bunyonyi. Lake Bunyonyi is one of the top travel destinations in Uganda. It is popular with honeymooners and lovers who want a calm place for relaxation. Other activities in Lake Bunyonyi are canoeing, island hopping, nature walks, cultural experiences and birding as its name suggests. Lake Bunyonyi is the perfect place for you to unwind, relax and recharge your batteries as you also reflect on your safari.
Day 8: Transfer to Entebbe for departure with a stop at the equator crossing
Wake up at your own time depending on your flight details and take breakfast. The driver will start the journey to Kampala or Entebbe international airport with stops at the Igongo Cultural Centre and the Equator crossing. The Equator crossing is where the northern and southern hemispheres meet. It is also where you will have lunch after taking photos of yourself at the site. If time permits, you may also stop at the Buganda Royal drum makers to see some of the largest drums you will ever see being made. The driver will drop you at your hotel in Entebbe/Kampala or at the airport for departure.
This amazing and adventurous trip will cost from $4000 per person
