This safari offers the ultimate game viewing and wildlife experience in Uganda’s largest game park – Murchison Falls National Park; the ultimate chimpanzee experience in Kibale Forest National Park, known to habor Uganda’s largest population of chimps & Africa’s highest primate density and finally for the ultimate gorilla experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Highlights
- visit to the top of the Murchison Falls
- Early game drive in Murchison Falls National Park
- Afternoon Launch Ride along the Nile
- Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park
- Nature walk in Kibale National Park
- Gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park
Itinerary
Day 1: Travel to Murchison Falls National Park – Top of the Falls
Have early breakfast, prepare for pick-up from residence by 7.00am and depart for Murchison Falls National Park. You pick some fruits like oranges, pineapples and jackfruits in Luwero. Get to Masindi town for lunch. Thereafter continue and get to Murchison Falls National Park via Budongo Forest. Drive into the park for about one and half hours and get to the famous top of the Murchison Falls. The falls is an iconic feature that gives the park its name. You get to see the mighty Nile press through rocks in a narrow space of about 7meters wide and busting into the world’s strongest waterfalls. It is such a sight!
Thereafter proceed and transfer to your lodge, relax and later dinner and overnight.
*Accommodations:
– Luxury : Paraa Safari Lodge
– Midrange: Murchison River Lodge
– Budget: Global Village Guest House or Red Chill Rest Camp
*Meal Plan: Lunch & Dinner
*Travel Time: 6 Hours
Day 2: Early Game Drive, Afternoon Launch Ride
Wake up to an early cup of tea and set off for the game drive in Murchison Falls National Park. It is necessary to start the game drive as early as possible, about 6.00am – 7.00am, for a bigger chance to see nocturnal such as leopards, hyenas, jackals, lions, and grazing hippos. The northern side of the Nile has much a higher game population than the south, hence favored for better game drive. In case your lodge is situated on the southern side, you shall drive to the ferry crossing in order to get to the northern side and start the game drive. Explore the major game tracks of Queen and Albert for lots of game sightings and savor the scenic savannah landscape. You are likely to see large herds of buffalos and kobs, giraffes, oribis, bushbucks, Jackson’s hartebeests, baboons, waterbucks, warthogs and several birds.
The game drive lasts about 4 hours, return to your lodge to relax and have lunch.
Set out for the afternoon 3 hour Launch ride along the Nile to the bottom of the Murchison Falls. The Nile banks host very many animals and birds. Hippos and crocodiles are common sights. Other animals come to drink, cool off and eat fresh grass, these include bushbucks, elephants, warthogs, baboons, and waterbucks among others. Lots of birds including cormorants, cattle egrets, African fish eagle, red-throated bee-eater, shoebill, and kingfishers among so many are sighted during the Launch ride.
Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
*Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 3: Transfer to Kibale National Park
After early breakfast check out and set off to Kibale National Park. You drive on the Masindi-Hoima-Fortportal road with panoramic views of the Albertine Escarpment of the western rift valley. You shall have lunch enroute. Get to Kibale National Park; check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
*Accommodations:
– Luxury : Kyaninga Lodge
– Midrange: Chimps Nest Lodge
– Budget: Chimpanzee Forest Guest House
*Meal Plan: Lunch & Dinner
*Travel Time: 7 Hours
Day 4: Chimpanzee Tracking, Evening Nature Walk
Have early breakfast and transfer to the ranger station in Kibale Forest National Park. Get briefing from the ranger and then set off to track habituated chimpanzees in Kibale National Park. Kibale hosts Uganda’s largest population of chimpanzees, and East Africa’s largest population of the red Colobus and the rare l’Hoest. In total the forest is home to 13 primate species including grey-cheeked Mangabey, Olive baboon, bushbabies, vervet monkeys, black-and-white Colobus, Potto, red-tailed and blue monkeys. A number of ground animals have been recorded in this incredibly diverse area including forest elephants, leopards, branded and marsh mongoose, swamp otter, warthogs, buffalos, bush pigs, gold pigs and several antelopes. Botanists, as well as Butterfly and Bird lovers are in for a treat with lots species to encounter.
After the exciting chimpanzee experience, return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation.
Later set out for a nature walk in Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for sightings of monkeys, birds, butterflies, shrubs and small animals.
Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Have early breakfast, check out and depart for Bwindi National Park. You travel via Ishasha, a remote sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. While going through this area be on the looked for the famed tree-climbing lions and lots of other game including buffalos, elephants, and antelopes among others. You proceed amidst nice views of the rolling hills and get to Bwindi National Park. Check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
*Accommodations:
– Luxury : Mahogany Springs, Buhoma Lodge
– Midrange:
– Budget: Buhoma Community Rest Camp
*Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
*Travel Time: 7 Hours
Day 6: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Have early breakfast and transfer to the ranger station for briefing from the ranger. Carry with you a rain jacket, bottled water, and packed lunch. A walking stalk shall be provided at the station. After brief you set out for gorilla tracking in Bwindi National Park. Bwindi protects half of the world’s remaining endangered Mountain Gorillas, estimated at about 400 individuals. 12 gorilla groups have been habituated, 11 for tracking expeditions and 1 for research purposes. You shall set out to track one of the habituated gorilla groups that we shall make known to you before start of the safari. The trekking time is quite unpredictable, ranging from a few minutes to several hours depending on the gorillas’ movements. The rangers constantly monitor their movement so that by start of the trek, they have an idea on where to find them. The likelihood of not locating them is very minimal. Once located you are allowed not more than one hour of observing them.
After a successful gorilla experience, transfer to your lodge to relax, have dinner and overnight.
*Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
Day 7: Travel to Kampala
After your breakfast, depart for Kampala. Travel via Mbarara and be on lookout for some zebra sightings as you drive along Lake Mburo National Park on the Kampala-Mbarara highway. Expect enroute stopovers for lunch in Mbarara and at the Uganda Equator for some picture moments.
*Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch
*Travel Time: 9-10 Hours
Tour Inclusions
Transport – tour vehicle, drive, fuel
Full board accommodation for 6 nights
All meals
Bottled water
Gorilla permits
Chimpanzee permits
Access fees
Guide fees
All activities as indicated in the itinerary
Exclusions
Gratitude and tipping
Alcoholic drinks
Travel insurance
Curion shop purchases
Phone bill and other personnal expenditure