DAY 1: Arrive at Entebbe International Airport (EBB)
On arrival at the Entebbe International Airport, our company representative will be waiting to meet you and transfer you to your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala. Depending on the time of arrival, you can decide to do some activities in Entebbe like visiting the Botanical gardens, visit the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (Zoo) or visit the reptile village.
DAY 2: Depart Entebbe for Lake Mburo NP.
Meet and greet with our local guide, and then after we drive heading to southwestern Uganda. En route, there is a local community popular for making local drums and crafts and a fruit market. Stopover, admire and buy souvenirs. Proceed to the Equator line taken as one beautiful scenery in Africa – the pathway of the sun and take photographs. Arrive at Lake Mburo for a lunch in the park grounds as you marvel at the game and birds within the park. Thereafter we take the unforgettable sun set boat cruise along the Lake Mburo and while on cruise expect the clear view and panoramic photographs of wildlife and birds along the shores of the channel.
Lake Mburo National Park is a small park, excellent for birding, antelope and other grazers, one of the only places to easily see Impala and Zebra in Uganda. Game drives offer particularly picturesque game viewing with the Park’s mixture of savannah, acacia woodlands, grassy valleys, rocky outcrops, swamps, lakes and rolling hills. Herds of impala (found nowhere else in Uganda), buffalo and zebra, plus waterbuck and eland are amongst the variety of wildlife. Birders will enjoy the Park’s 310 recorded water and dry land species. In this valley, we can operate night drives and walks. This is the only park where we will see Impala and Burchell’s Zebra. It is an excellent place for walking and exploring a nearby Kopje to perhaps see Klipspringer.
DAY 3- Guided Nature Walk then transfer to Bwindi
Guided walks explore the park around Rwonyo, culminating in a visit to natural salt lake where wildlife can be observed from a timber observation platform. Lake Mburo National Park is a small park, excellent for birding, antelope and other grazers, one of the only places to easily see Impala and Zebra in Uganda. Game drives offer particularly picturesque game viewing with the Park’s mixture of savannah, acacia woodlands, grassy valleys, rocky outcrops, swamps, lakes and rolling hills. Herds of impala (found nowhere else in Uganda), buffalo and zebra, plus waterbuck and eland are amongst the variety of wildlife. Birders will enjoy the Park’s 332 recorded water and dry land species. In this valley, we can operate night drives and walks. This is the only park where we will see Impala and Burchell’s Zebra. It is an excellent place for walking and exploring a nearby Kopje to perhaps see Klipspringer.
DAY 4: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable national park
This morning, you either have the chance to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime trek to see the Mountain Gorillas in Uganda (viewing time with the Gorillas, 1hr max), or you get to trek the Rushaga Hill Trail.
After signing in and a thorough briefing, you join a team of experienced Uganda Wildlife Authority Ranger Guides into the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to start your Mountain Gorilla adventure in Uganda. The guides are extremely experienced, and use their knowledge of the Gorillas’ habits and information from the previous day to locate the group’s whereabouts. This therefore means that the time taken to track the gorillas varies enormously, from as little as a three hour return trip back to camp (hopefully including 1hr with the Gorillas), to a nine hour return trip (hopefully including 1hr with the Gorillas). Once the Gorillas are located, the group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. This is one of the world’s truly memorable experiences – a once-in-a-lifetime awe inspiring moment.
You don’t have to be an athlete to complete a Gorilla trek, but you do have to be prepared to track on fairly steep, rough and uneven terrain for a long period of time. That said, the rangers and porters always go at the speed of the slowest walker, and you will enjoy many drink/food breaks.
Time permitting, you have the opportunity to walk around the local village visiting the local community primary school and community hospital. The Bwindi area supports one of the highest rural population densities in Uganda with 350 people per km2. These activities enable the community to benefit from gorilla tourism and profits are shared with the community through assistance in funding local schools and clinics.
Day 5: Transfer to Ishasha Queen Elizabeth NP (Southern sector)
This morning, you head north to the remote Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, enjoying a game drive along the way (an approx. 3hr drive). Ishasha is an alluring, quiet off-the-beaten track game viewing area and is renowned for its tree-climbing lions. You explore the many circuits within Ishasha, driving over the plains in the open savannah searching for large herds of Buffalo, Uganda Kob, and Topi, as well as the tree-climbing Lions amongst the many fig trees that dot the landscape. You also have the chance to visit the Uganda Kob mating ground, the preferred hunting area of the Lions. Near to the swamps of the southern circuit you have the chance to search for the elusive Leopard.
DAY 6: Transfer to main Queen Elizabeth national park
Drive to Queen Elizabeth NP and arrive in time for lunch and an afternoon game drive. This morning, you set out in a northerly direction to Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Mweya section. Along the way, you enjoy panoramic views of the impressive Ruwenzori Mountain Range and the Rwenjuba and the Ndicho Crater Lakes (an approx. 3hr drive) as you head to Queen Elizabeth National Park. A popular route for the game drive is the Kasenyi sector, well-known for its lions that prey on Queen Elizabeth’s large population of Uganda Kob (antelope). If you are very lucky, you may spot a Giant Forest Hog, Africa’s largest pig. Keep your eyes peeled to spot an elusive leopard!
Day 7: Queen Elizabeth NP
Queen Elizabeth is arguably one of the most scenic national parks in Uganda. Gazetted in 1952, the park occupies an area of 1,978km2 and is located on the rift valley floor at 910m (a.s.l) and rises to 1,390m (a.s.l) in the Explosion Crater Field. The dramatic scenery is enhanced by the Rwenzori Mountain range, which rises dramatically beyond the park boundary. A staggering fifty-seven vegetation types exist in Queen Elizabeth National Park, including moist semi-deciduous forest, moist thicket, riparian and riverine forests, bush savannah and open acacia woodland, open grassland, swamps, craters, and crater lakes. You enjoy a game drive en-route to the lodge and if lucky you can spot Elephant, Lion, Cape Buffalo, Defassa Waterbuck, Bushbuck and Ugandan Kob, as well as Hippopotamus, Warthog, Spotted Hyena, Side-Striped Jackal, and Banded Mongoose… just some of the species that are known to exist in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
In the afternoon, you enjoy an exciting boat trip on the Kazinga Channel, a channel connecting Lakes Edward and George. The Kazinga Channel is home to one of the greatest concentration of Hippo in Africa and herds of Elephant, Cape Buffalo
and other animals come to drink at the water’s edge. The channel is also a magnet for the huge Nile Crocodile, as well as water birds, with great flocks of Pelicans and others birds on the shore, and a great spot to see African fish eagle.
DAY 8: Transfer to Kibale Forest national park via Fort Portal
Drive to Kibale Forest area, the drive is a full day of approximately eight hours. After leaving the Rift Valley passes through beautiful agricultural countryside where every type of fruit and vegetable imaginable is grown. Upon reaching Kyenjojo, in the lower foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains {Mountains of the Moon}, we drive through beautiful tea plantations and into Kibale tropical rain forest.
DAY 9: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi Swamp walk
This morning we get the opportunity to explore Kibale Forest National Park. Kibale Forest is home to 13 primate species and a guided forest trek can be taken in search of one of the most popular primate species in the world – the chimpanzee. There are 9 diurnal primates, these include, vervet, red-tailed, L’Hoest’s, blue monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, red Colobus, black and white Colobus, olive baboon and the most famous of all, the chimpanzee. Although chimp sightings are not guaranteed, the odds are good with the chance of encountering them standing at higher than 90%.
This morning you will go on a forest walk in search of primates. Whilst trekking in the depths of the lush green forest, you will be surrounded by bird song and can expect to see at least 5 or 6 other types of primate, most probably the grey-cheeked mangabey and the red-tailed monkey and of course the chimpanzee. The walking is fairly easy due to the well-maintained trails and reasonably flat terrain.
You can do a swamp walk in the evening to catch a glimpse of different bird species.
Day 10: Transfer to Murchison Falls National park
After your early morning breakfast, we start our journey northwards to the famous Murchison falls national park of which you have high hopes for it doesn’t disappoint. ‘Murch’ to its friends – the core of a 5,000km2 wilderness which, bisected by the Nile, Winston Churchill described as ‘Kew Gardens and the zoo on an unlimited scale’
You will drive through gentle unwinding landscapes with the Blue Mountains towering the western side of your travel all through.
Day 11: Murchison Falls Activities – Game Viewing – Both Land & Water
6.45: Depart taking along a packed Lunch from your Lodge. Enjoy a 4-hour game drive around the Buligi game tracks, which stretch between the Victoria and Albert Niles, and down to the Nile-Lake Albert Delta. Most of the park’s game like leopards, lions, giraffes, elephants and many more wildlife and birdlife can be viewed from here, but please note – nothing is guaranteed!
12.30: Return to the banks to relax as we wait for your boat cruise in the afternoon.
14.30: Depart for a 3 hour boat cruise along the Victoria Nile to the base of the fall, along the way; you will be able to observe a wide variety of birds and wildlife, including numerous hippos and crocodiles – as well as breathtaking scenery. On reaching the bottom I would advise you to hike to the top of the falls *OPTIONAL(please let your guide be aware if you’re hiking so that his in position to drive and wait for you so that he can drive you back to your lodge). Also note that Cold drinks are for sale on board!
Day 12: Transfer to Jinja via Nakasongola
Finally, by mid-morning, you leave this wonderful area and are transferred to Jinja City (The Adrenaline capital of Uganda) arriving late in the evening and then you check in at the hotel booked for you. Jinja is strategically located at the source of the Nile, where Lake Victoria flows into the famous River Nile. It is the perfect base for a wide range of activities and water sports. In addition to the famous white water rafting, you may like to try tandem kayaking, canoeing, fishing, bird watching… If you love adrenaline activities, we assure you you’ll want to try some of these out.
Day 13: Transfer to Kenyan border through Busia
We take a short 4 hour journey towards the Kenyan border town of Busia the cross into Kenya heading for the Masai Mara Game reserve. Drive while you enjoy the stunning views of the largest Valley in the world, said to be visible from outer space. Arrive at your camp in Masai Mara for a leisurely lunch. Your afternoon game drive starts at 3.30pm, allowing spotting of the amazing wildlife in the reserve ranging from the Big Cats such as Lion, Leopard & Cheetah to Rhino, Elephant and Wildebeest. Our Driver-Guide will try his best to show you not just the ”Big Five” animals but the ”Big Nine” as well. Return to your tented camp by 6.30pm.
Day 14: Game drives in the Masai Mara with packed lunch.
Your safari in Kenya continues on the fourteenth day after a hearty breakfast. You shall set out on a day-long game drive in the Maasai Mara, where you will meet the African Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard, and Rhino, collectively known as ‘The Big Five.’
Of the five, the Lion remains the King of the jungle and Africa’s top predator, although the African Buffalo has been known to kill more humans than the Lion. Unlike its cousin, the Water Buffalo, the African Buffalo has never been domesticated and remains wildly aggressive even to safari goers.
As for the Elephants, they have been known to communicate across vast distances only using foot vibrations! On the other hand, Rhinos are the most endangered of the lot. Did you know that Rhinos have poor vision?
So much so that they have been reported sometimes to attack trees and boulders by mistake! Of the Big Five, the agile Leopard is the most elusive, a trait enhanced by the fact that the Leopard is a nocturnal hunter.
On day 14 of your magical East Africa safari and beach holiday, you will enjoy witnessing these impressive beasts up-close. The great migration is a great treat for those who book this safari packages between July and October.
Every year, over 2 Million Wildebeest, accompanied by hundreds of thousands of other herbivores, make a dangerous voyage from the Serengeti in Tanzania. To get to Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Reserve, the animals must cross the Crocodile-rich Mara River.
The great migration is the largest overland migration in the world. And the danger for the migrating herds is not limited to the Crocodiles. Over 3,000 Lions follow the migrating herds from Tanzania into Kenya.
These migrant herds are all the more amazing because even in their enormous numbers, they cover a distance of 800 to 1,000 kilometers at an approximate speed of 64Km/hr. Even more astonishing is that this thunderous exodus is so synchronized that the animals neither bump into each other nor stray off course!
Scientists have termed this phenomenon of organized relocation as “‘swarm intelligence.” If your Maasai Mara safari coincides with this wonder, you shall get to see it up close.
Day 15: Transfer to Mombasa
On this 16th day, your Kenya safari package shall change the scenery by leaving the bush for the beach. Kenya is a haven for many attractions, all top of their class, and our beaches are no different.
You may leave the Mara for the coast in two ways depending on your preference. First, you can board a direct flight from Masai Mara to Diani or drive to Nairobi and then catch a train to Mombasa.
Most people find it more expensive to catch a flight from Masai Mara and opt to fly from Nairobi; it is about USD 250 more expensive
