BEST OF THE PEARL OF AFRICA

    ENTEBBE | MURCHISON FALLS | KIBALE FOREST | QUEEN ELIZABETH | BWINDI FOREST

    10 Days 9 Nights






    Itinerary At Glance

    DAY 1- ARRIVAL AT ENTEBBE AIRPORT

    Today you will arrive at Entebbe international Airport. Upon arrival, you will be met by a representative who will then transfer you to your accommodation for an overnight. 

     

    OVERNIGHT

    • High end: Hotel No.5 
    • Medium Range: Papyrus Guesthouse 

    DAY 2 – MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK | TRANSFER 

    Today you will to the famous Murchison Falls National Park. En-route, you will visit the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. You will get a chance to trek the Southern White Rhinos that were re-introduced in Uganda. You will get the opportunity to watch these lovely creatures in their natural habitats. This activity is once in a lifetime not to be missed. Later you will proceed to Murchison Falls National park for an overnight. 

     

    OVERNIGHT

    • High end: Baker’s Lodge / paraa Safari Lodge 
    • Medium Range: Pakuba Safari Lodge

    DAY 3 – GAME VIEWING & BOAT RIDE

    Today you will head out into the wild for an exciting early morning game drive. Murchison Falls is one of Uganda’s first protected areas that harbors a variety of wild animals for example; Elephants, Lions, Cape buffalos, Rothschild’s giraffes, hartebeests, Waterbucks, Oribis, Bushbucks, Bohor reedbucks, hyenas. Guests who are lucky also get a chance of spotting a leopard. Later in the afternoon, you will go for a boat ride upstream the calm Victoria Nile to the base of the falls stopping just tens of meters from the “Devil’s Cauldron”. En-route, marvel at the toothsome hippos, crocodiles and over this 17km stretch you may see elephants, waterbucks, Uganda Kobs and crocodiles. This is also a zone of many bird species like Goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant and the rare shoebill stork. There you leave the boat and hike to the Top of the Falls (approx. 1 hour). See where the world’s longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43m below. Return to the lodge for an overnight.

     

    OVERNIGHT

    • High end: Baker’s  Lodge / Paraa Safari Lodge 
    • Medium Range: Pakuba Safari Lodge

    DAY 4 – DELTA BOATRIDE | AFTERNOON GAME DRIVE (PRIVATE BOAT RIDE)

    You will have a morning boat ride to the Nile delta. This is a 20km stretch where River Nile flows into Lake Albert. It is home to a number of bird species the commonest being the rare Shoebill Stork. You will also have a close reach to the aquatic animals such as Chrocdiles, Hippos and elephants. You will later return to the lodge for lunch and then go for another exciting evening game drive. 

    OVERNIGHT

    • High end: Baker’s Lodge / Paraa Safari Lodge 
    • Medium Range: Pakuba Safari Lodge

    DAY 5 – KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK | TRANSFER ( LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY)

    After breakfast, you will start your journey to Kibale Forest National Park through verdant countryside and past traditional homesteads and farms. Rapidly becoming a must-do destination in Uganda, Kibale Forest offers an accessible and enlightening insight into life in a tropical rainforest. Large mammals aren’t so easily seen but the clouds of dazzling butterflies and gorgeous forest birds more than make up for it, and besides, Kibale is most famous for its primates and it is commonly known as the promates capital with about 13 species of primates. The commons being the Chimpanzees. You will proceed to your accommodation for an overnight.

    OVERNIGHT

    • High end: Kyaninga Lodge / Papaya Lake Lodge 
    • Medium Range: Turaco Treetops 

    DAY 6 – CHIMPANZEE TREKKING | TRANSFER TO QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK (CRATER LAKE)

    After having breakfast, you will be transferred to the headquarters of the park where you will be briefed by the rangers and by around 8:00am the search of the amazing chimpanzees begins. Kibaale Forest is where the greatest variety and highest concentration of primates in East Africa is exceptionally represented and as you track the chimpanzees you will have an opportunity to see other wildlife species such as the rare I’Hoest’s monkey, the black and white Colobus, Blue monkey, Grey cheeked mangabey, Red tailed monkey, Olive baboon among others. In the group, the adult males dominate the group and provide protection to the territory against the rest of the males from other territories. The chimps are located by simply listening for their pant hooting calls, and then head to the place from which they replied from. Here you can observe them as they feed, play as well as socializing with each other. The tracking takes 2-3 hours after which you will you will have lunch at a local restaurant. Thereafter proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park crossing the equator along the way. Time allowing, you will go for an evening game drive.

    OVERNIGHT

    • High end: Kyambura Gorge Lodge
    • Medium Range: Buffalo Safari Lodge

    DAY 07: GAME VIEWING & BOAT RIDE | KAZINGA CHANNEL 

    Rise up early to go for a morning game drive to catch-up with the early risers and predators returning to their hideouts. You will most likely meet grazing Hippos, Elephants, and Lions, spotted Hyenas, bush buck, water buck, stripped jackal, comical warthogs and the elusive leopard. Later in the afternoon, you will go for a boat ride on Kazinga Channel. The Kazinga Channel is home to many of the captivating species that inhabit the park and taking a boat ride along it gives tourists a chance to cruise just meters from the enormous hippos and buffalos while elephants linger on the shores. Later return to your accommodation for an overnight.

    OVERNIGHT

    • High end: Kyambura Gorge Lodge
    • Medium Range: Buffalo Safari Lodge

    DAY 8 – BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST NATIONAL PARK | TRANSFER 

    After an early morning breakfast, you will start your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. This park is a home to over half of the remaining population of the rare mountain Gorillas and offers visitors an excellent Gorilla tracking experience. You may decide to have the afternoon at leaisure as you relax at the lodge or take a walk around the lodge. You will go to bed early as you prepare for the next day’s activities. 

    OVERNIGHT

    • High end: Buhoma Lodge
    • Medium Range: Ichumbi Gorilla  Lodge

    DAY 9 – GORILLA TREKKING | GLANCE AT THE GREAT APES 

    After breakfast with your packed lunch, your guide will drive you to the park headquarters for briefing about the do’s and don’ts during your gorilla trekking. Your gorilla family tracking will start immediately after the briefing. This is a memorable and an amazing experience watching the Mountain gorillas feed, play around and also do their day to day activities. This activity can take 2 hours or even up to 8 hours since its dependent on the location and movement of the gorillas. Also expect to walk long distances in muddy and steep conditions- this will require you to have a walking stick. On meeting the gorillas, you will spend one hour with them as you take photos. Later, trek back to the park headquarters to pick your certificates and return to the lodge.

    OVERNIGHT 

    • High End : Buhoma Lodge 
    • Medium Range: Arcadia Cottages 

    DAY 10 – FLY TO ENTEBBE AND DEPART

    After breakfast, you will be transferred to Kisoro Airstrip for your flight back to Entebbe. You will then connect to your flight back home.


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    Inclusions

    • All meals as specified in the itinerary (hotels in Kampala or Entebbe are B&B)
    • Drinks as stipulated in itinerary
    • Accommodation as indicated in the itinerary
    • Water in the vehicle for overland sectors
    • All ground transportation and transfers as indicated, which are inclusive of fuel
    • Activities as indicated in the itinerary 
    • Ranger guide fees
    • Park, conservation and community bed night fees 
    • All applicable taxes, administration and banking fees
    • AMREF flying doctors’ emergency evacuation program
    • Gorilla permits per person as specified in the itinerary. 
      • Gorilla tracking is subject to availability of permits, which are limited to 8 per gorilla group per day.
      • Any Gorilla permit required need to be paid for upfront when booking. As soon as funds clear in our account, we will go ahead and purchase.  
      • Gorilla permits cannot be held with the Uganda Wildlife Authority in advance of payment and Rwanda Development Board – they are only secured once physically paid for.
      • Gorilla permits are always 100% non-transferable and non-refundable.
      •There is a minimum age limit for gorilla tracking which is strictly 15 years

    Exclusions

    • International flights and applicable airport departure taxes 
    • All passport and visa fees (Visa: US$ 50 per person for entry into Uganda – easily obtainable at the Airport) 
    • Meals not specified (including lunch and other meal stops between properties on overland sectors)
    • Drinks where not stipulated in itinerary
    • Items of a personal nature: fax, telephone, etc. 
    • Laundry in Entebbe/Kampala
    • Gratuities for guide/driver/hotel staff 
    • Any extras and additional activities not mentioned in the itinerary 
    • Travel/medical insurance
    • Trip cancellation, travel delay or baggage insurance. 
    • Charges incurred as a result of delays beyond our control. 
    • All statutory increases beyond our control.