WILDLIFE AND PRIMATE SAFARI

Day 1- Arrival

Wajolo wu! Welcome to Uganda. On arrival at Entebbe International Airport, your personal driver/guide will be waiting for you outside arrivals. So just look out for DustTrack safaris. He will drive you to your Hotel in Kampala for the night.

Day 2- White Rhino tracking, transfer to Gulu

Today leave Kampala as early as 8am and drive across the city towards northwest of Uganda to Ziwa rhino sanctuary, the only conservation area in Uganda where you can visit the white rhinos in their natural habitat. On arrival, go on the one and a half hours’ rhino tracking after which you will drive on to Kabalega diner for lunch and a short break. On your drive to Gulu, you will not miss the Karuma falls and the baboons that frequent the roadside hoping for a snack from passing vehicles. (important; it is prohibited to take photos of the Karuma bridge).

Day 3- Transfer to Kidepo valley national park

Your journey continues this morning through Kitgum on the way to Kidepo national park, Uganda’s most remote and yet diverse conservation area. Here you can enjoy wildlife viewing, game walks and visit the locals bordering the park in a cultural tour.

Day 4- Kidepo valley national park

Have a very early breakfast or have your breakfast packed so that at 6:30am, drive to Apoka, pick a game ranger and leave for a morning game drive along the Narus valley where most wildlife congregates most of the year. Return to the hotel for lunch then later in the afternoon, you can visit the Karamojong in a community tour before returning with an evening game drive on the way to your hotel. If you are lucky, your guide might be able to locate lions sunbathing on top of the lion rock as the sun goes down. Kidepo is one of the most interesting national parks to visit. The landscape of vast savannah land and animals that cannot be found in any other park in Uganda like the cheetah and elusive eland make it particularly attractive. Expect to view herds of zebra, elephants, giraffe, antelopes, buffalos to mention but a few and birdlife.

 Day 5 – Transfer to Gulu

Take one last look of Kidepo on another morning game drive after a hearty breakfast before driving off through Kitgum to Gulu town where you will spend the night. Along the way. You might see some wildlife, birds and reptiles that you were not able to see the day before.

Day 6- Transfer to Murchison falls national park

Take the route through Nwoya to Purongo then continue along Packwach road until you reach the roadside sign post of heritage safari lodge on the right-hand side of the road. There branch off and drive straight past several small hotels until you arrive at fort Murchison lodge.

 Day 7- Murchison falls national park

Enter the park by 6:30am through the northern Tangi gate. You can choose to do the game drive on your own or get a ranger from the gate to go with you. Either way, Murchison falls national park offers a variety of wildlife, birdlife, some primates, reptiles as well as the water attractions; Nile crocodile, hippopotamus, birds which you will view when you do the afternoon boat cruise on the VictoriaNile stretching all the way to the center piece of the park, the Murchison water falls. Disembark the boat and take the exhilarating guided walk to the very top of the cascading waterfalls where your driver will be waiting for you. Return to your hotel with an evening game drive.

Day 8- Morning Game drive, transfer to Hoima

In the morning, enter the park for yet another morning game drive, then cross by ferry to the southern part of the park. Drive on out of the park through the southern gate on the way to Hoima.

Day 9- transfer to Kibale forest np, night walk

This morning, drive passed traditional homesteads, farms, forests and tea estates to fort portal town, nestled in the shadows of the majestic Rwenzori mountains also known as the mountains of the moon. Here you will stop for lunch before proceeding to Kibale forest national park. This age-old forest is where you will spend the next 2 nights. Though famous for chimpanzee tracking, you can also do nature walks, birding and other primate viewing. There is also the option of the night nature walk to view nocturnal animals and birds.

 Day 10 chimpanzee tracking, swamp walk

Wake up early morning for breakfast, put on your walking shoes and protective clothes, carry enough drinking water and drive to Kanyanchu gate for registration and briefing. Be there by 7:45am before starting the guided chimpanzee tracking. Return at about 11am, rest, have lunch and later do a swamp walk in the Bigodi.

Day 11- to transfer to Bwindi national park

Today have an early breakfast so that you start the drive to Rushaga sector in Bwindi national park at 8:00am. This scenic drive through western Uganda with its green hills and valleys. Take the Kamwenge road all the way to Ibanda and on to Mbarara where you will stop for lunch. Continue through kabala, nicknamed the Switzerland of African because of its hilly terrain and on to your destination for the day. Rushaga.

Day 12- gorilla tracking

The gorilla tracking activity is one of the most coveted activities in Uganda. Today you will get to spend 1 hour with these gentle primate giants in their natural habitats so be prepared to follow them through the thicket of the forest. To prepare yourself, you need to have comfortable walking shoes, light rain jacket, a hat if you must, long sleeved shirt, trousers, carry enough drinking water and also thick hand gloves because some of the trees you will encounter are thorny. Also, have your lunch packed just in case the tracking goes past lunch time, you will need to eat to keep your strength. Return and rest for the day after the long walk.

Day 13- transfer to lake Bunyonyi

Enjoy your breakfast then your driver will drive you to Muko where a boat will be waiting to pick you up. As your driver drives on to Lake Bunyonyi, you will do a boat cruise, visiting the islands and birding all the way to the landing site where you will meet your driver to take you to the hotel. Lake Bunyonyi is the perfect place for you to relax with a breathtaking scenery after tracking.

 Day 14- Transfer to lake Mburo, Sunset boat cruise to, Night game drive

Breakfast then leave for lake Mburo national park via the rolling hills of Kabale with a lunch break at Igongo cultural Centre in Mbarara (Biharo town Centre). Proceed to lake Mburo, on arrival, check into your accommodation then go for the sunset boat cruise on lake Mburo, optional is the night game drive.

Day 15- Wildlife tour on Foot, Transfer to Entebbe

Wake up early to go for the  guided morning nature/game walk  on the shores of lake Mburo in search for  wildlife that  includes; the zebras,  impala,  reedbuck, zebra, eland, Topis, buffaloes, warthogs, waterbuck, dwarf mongoose,  sitatunga, klipspringer, buffaloes and  leopards  among  other  mammals and  a variety  of bird life that includes  the red-faced barbet, emerald-sported dove, coqui francolin, brown-chested lapwing, lilac-breasted roller, papyrus  gonolek and the rare shoebill stork among others if you are lucky. Return for breakfast and then start the drive back to Entebbe with a stopover at the equator for snacks and a photograph.

Day 16- departure

Depending on your time of departure, you can visit the Uganda wildlife education Centre to crown your trip.

End of Safari