Uganda is referred to as the Pearl of Africa and this 16-day expedition allows you to penetrate deep into its wilderness destination for authentic African experience. This tour package covers mind-boggling experiences including mountain gorilla trekking, whitewater rafting, chimpanzee tracking and game viewing in the lush savanna-dominated parks, especially Murchison Falls National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Safari Details
Day 1: Pick up & transfer to hotel
Meet our company representative for a warm welcome to the Pearl of Africa and from Entebbe International Airport (EBB), drive to a hotel within Entebbe city.
Day 2: Full-day with Ngamba Island chimps
Enjoy a hefty breakfast, after, meet your driver guide for a short briefing and transfer to board your speed boat. You will be connecting from Entebbe to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary using a boat and ride on the Africa’s largest freshwater Lake- Lake Victoria. Over 52 orphaned and rescued chimps call Ngamba Island their home, a tropical island surrounded by the scenic Lake Victoria.
Arrive early and the caretaker/guide will be met who will give briefing. The main highlights of the day include feeding chimpanzees and you can be the care taker of the day, assist the site caretakers feed chimps and he or she will also explain daily behaviors of these primates. Each chimp in Ngamba will be identified by their names and you will be amazed how they respond.
Day 3: Travel to Jinja for whitewater rafting
Enjoy breakfast in the morning, after embark on 2-3 hours’ drive to Jinja east of Kampala city. You drive through the lush Mabira Forest that is separated by the Kampala-Jinja highway. At Jinja, meet the officials for briefing about your long day whitewater rafting adrenaline experience. After, start your rafting adventure taking you to the toughest rapids and grades on the Source of the Nile. Once you are done experiencing the whitewater rafting adventure, retreat and you will transfer back to Kampala or retire for a night in Jinja.
Day 4: Wildlife tour trip to Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park is a Uganda park lying on the Albertine rift area, Northwestern part of the country. It is the biggest of the 10 Uganda’s National Parks, encompassing a land area of 3840sq.km and this park was founded in 1952. Getting there requires about 6-7 hours and includes visit to the Ziwa rhino sanctuary to watch rhinos in the wild. Evening relaxation, dinner and overnight sleep will be at the safari lodge inside the park or adjacent.
Day 5: Full-day wildlife viewing trip in Murchison Falls N.P.
Leave the lodge and set off for a game drive in the Northern game tracks of Murchison Falls NP. Long list of amazing mammals will be encountered on this special morning game drive and include giraffes, side-stripped jackals, cape buffaloes, spotted hyenas, warthogs, lions, leopards, elephants, antelopes like oribis, Uganda kobs, hartebeest, reedbucks and more.
You will get back to enjoy lunch and in the afternoon, drive to the Paraa Jetty. The 2pm boat cruise begins and takes you along the Victoria Nile River. The encounters to expect on the Victoria Nile launch cruise range from hippos, crocodiles and bird species. The aquatic life encounters will be accompanied with photography at the base of the waterfalls, and then you return to Paraa Jetty.
Day 6: Transfer to see Kibale chimps in Western Uganda
Travel for about 7-8 hours to Kibale through Hoima oil city. Kibale is a rich primate destination and over 13 species of primates reside in the park’s forest. It is a 795sq.km expansive tropical forest conservancy area and holds 1500 chimpanzees plus other primates.
Day 7: Chimpanzee trek & tour Bigodi Wetland
Go visit chimpanzees in Kibale and the trek begins with briefing at Kanyanchu tourism center. You will take at least 2-4 hours winding through the forest to search for chimp community and one hour is allowed for observing how they behave and taking photos, then you get back for lunch. You will also tour Bigodi Wetland, explore more primates, birds like the great blue turacos.
Day 8: Leave Kibale 2-3 hours to Queen Elizabeth NP
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth N/Park the neighboring park to Kibale Forest NP and this is 2-3 hours’ drive. It is a rich wildlife destination, also Uganda’s 2nd biggest Park located in the Western side of the country.
Day 9: Wildlife tour –full day (Kasenyi & Kazinga channel)
A memorable game drive begins early in the morning and takes 2-3 hours in a 4WD vehicle. Expected animal spotting and photography chances include jackals, cape buffaloes, elephants, lions, leopards, variety of birds and large herds of antelopes. The Kazinga channel cruise in the afternoon will go for 2-3 hours and hippos, crocodiles, water birds, etc all will be viewed.
Day 10: Depart Kasenyi for a game drive at Ishasha & proceed to Bwindi
We set off from Kasenyi side to Ishasha for a mini game drive and later continue to Bwindi NP where gorillas reside. A delicious lunch meal will be had in the wild or at savanna resort before you connect to check in at the lodge around Buhoma or your preferred gorilla trekking region.
Day 11: Tracking gorillas in Bwindi & visit the Batwa
Mountain gorillas reside on high elevation and trekking through see them requires some level of fitness and you will need some bottled water and snacks. At 7:00 am, you should have visited Kinigi offices for a briefing and for the park official to allocate a gorilla group to you. The trekking adventure lasts for 2-6 hours and you will be permitted one hour to observe how they play, feed, nest and groom each other then walk back to relax.
Visiting the Batwa will be in the evening and your journey starts with a walk via the forest. This activity will be led by an experienced Batwa elder who will take you through how they lived in the forest for years as hunters and gatherers.
Day 12: Visit Lake Mutanda
Leave Bwindi for Lake Mutanda, a remarkable location for those of you who enjoy scenic viewing. It is small freshwater water body located in Kisoro, Southwestern Uganda and lies at an altitude of 1800 meters. You will take a canoe ride to one of its spectacular islands and after, you will get back and transfer to the lodge in or near Mgahinga N. Park.
Day 13: Track golden monkeys
In Uganda, golden monkeys are tracked only in Mgahinga and you will spend 2-4 hours searching for these unique apes. Like gorilla trekking, during a trek to see golden monkeys you will be enjoying one hour face-to-face with them, taking pictures and observing their daily behaviors.
Day 14: Mgahinga to Lake Mburo
From Mgahinga, you will be transferred to Lake Mburo N/Park for another session of wildlife/game viewing. Mburo N. Park is the smallest park and it is dominated by the lake. This compact gem holds countless impalas, elands, hippos, crocodiles, 315 bird species including ruppell’s starling, black bellied bustards, shoebill storks and others.
Day 15: Game drive & Lake Mburo launch cruise
Early morning game drive through wildlife track and stand a chance to see buffaloes, elands, topis, warthogs, klipspringer, zebras, giraffes, waterbucks, bushbucks, hyenas, birds and others. After game driving, you will return to have lunch, relax and go for cruise experience on Lake Mburo. This lake is blessed with large schools of hippos, crocodiles and water birds like kingfishers, fish eagles and more.
Day 16: Depart
Depart from Lake Mburo for Kampala/Entebbe 4-5 hours’ drive with an en-route stopover at the Equator. Once you reach Kampala/Entebbe, check in at the hotel and today mark the end of 16 Days Uganda safari.
End of safari
