This breathtaking long safari will bring you to the beautiful sceneries of Uganda that will leave a memorable moment in your life as you explore the beauty of the pearl of Africa (Uganda). We are going to explore 6 of the 10 national parks of Uganda with their different amazing attractions which differ in size shape and color. Among these are; L. Mburo national park which will bring you beautiful zebras, giraffes, impalas and so many sight-catching animals while on the game drive. On your boat cruise, spot some beautiful water birds like the kingfishers, the giant stokes and the large herons like the goliath heron, purple heron and so on. On your 3rd day, you will transfer to Mgahinga national park where you will be exposed to the rare golden monkeys that habituate in the bamboo area of the Gahinga volcanoes.
If lucky enough you will reach the top of the Mhavura where you will be standing in three countries at the same time. Be able to reach the most interesting Bwindi impenetrable that protects the remaining endangered gentle giants that are second to human beings. An hour to be spent in presence of the gorillas will give you proof that mountain gorillas are next to man according to how you will experience their natural behavior like the feeding mode, and the way they handle their young ones like breastfeeding and caring their young ones the same way as humans do. You will be able to meet the Batwa who are the shortest people that used to leave in the forests a few years back. This 12 days Uganda safari will also bring you to Queen Elizabeth NP which protects the rare tree-climbing lions that are only found in queen Elizabeth NP of Uganda and Lake Manyara of Tanzania.
This will be a great opportunity for you to visit the Sempaya hot springs in Semliki national park and Amabere Ga’Nyinamwiru in fort portal. After visiting the Sempaya hot springs and Amabere Ga’Nyinamwiru, head to Murchison falls national park that will be a great chance for you to see the rhinos, impalas, waterbuck, buffalos that move in large herds and the most beautiful zebras and from there you will have to depart to Kampala and have your flight back home.
Detailed safari itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe and transfer to Lake Mburo NP
On your first day of the tour our company driver will meet you at any agreed point let’s say at the airport and take you through a short briefing about the tour and immediately with no minute wasted set off for your journey to Lake Mburo national park. While on your way to Lake Mburo, meet some Boda Boda riders carrying some luggage and others carrying people. You may also meet some cattle grazing alongside the roads and others in the farms since you will be passing through Mbarara a home area of the Banyankole whose main occupation is cattle grazing and they normally rare long-horned cattle. Have a stopover at the equator, take some memorable photos and if you wish buy some crafts from the nearby craft shop. On reaching Lake Mburo, check in to your booked accommodation facility and have your lunch and stay for the next day.
Day 2: Game drives and boat cruise
Wake up early in the morning, full of excitement have your breakfast and prepare for a game drive. When the breakfast is done, your driver will head to the conservation offices for check-in and briefing and then start your game drive with a well-knowledgeable park guide who will be well-armed and conversant with the park. While in the game drive, spotting the glopping impalas full of flight can take your breath away, and be able to see other sight-catching animals like the waterbuck, bushbucks, elands, worth hogs, buffalos and so much more. After the 5-hour activity is done, return to your booked accommodation facility for lunch and prepare for the after-lunch activity.
Head to the nearby conservation offices for check-in to the boat cruise and after checking in go to the lake for a boat cruise. On the boat cruise, spot some water animals like the huge hippos, crocodiles and other water bird species like the spoonbills, the large resident waterfowl and the whistling ducks. After the boat cruise, return to your lodge for a night’s stay.
Day 3: visit Igongo cultural center, Biharwe eclipse monument and Transfer to Mgahinga NP
The day starts brightly, wake up in the sun’s rays enjoying the warm weather of Uganda, have your breakfast and pack your luggage for a departure to Mgahinga NP. On your way to Mgahinga, have a stopover at Igongo cultural centre and experience the Banyankole culture that will bring you to their cultural dance, their cultural food and their cultural dressing. As you continue with your journey, you will pass by the eclipse monument at Biharwe and take some memorable pictures as you learn about the history of Uganda. As your journey still goes on, have an enroute lunch at Ntungamo town and move on to Mgahinga NP. On reaching Mgahinga, check in to your booked accommodation facility and have your dinner.
Day 4: Golden monkey trekking, Batwa cultural trail
Smoothly begin your 4th day of the tour, have your breakfast early in the morning and head to the conservation offices for a short briefing which is good for your personal well-being in the park and for the betterment of the wildlife. Be accompanied by a well-armed park ranger who is well-conversant with the park and knowledgeable about wildlife. The activity might take 3-4 hours depending on the geographic location of the monkeys and an hour of 3-4 is to be spent in their presence as you experience their behaviors mostly how they are attracted to the flashlight, not as the gorillas which are frightened by flashlight. While in the activity, spot some other primates like the varvet monkey, and the olive baboons and if very lucky enough meet a gorilla family. When the trekking is done, head back to the offices for check-out and get back to your lodge for lunch and prepare for the after-lunch activity.
In the afternoon a Mutwa guide will guide you through their cultural trail demonstrating how they used to leave in their caves and how they used to get food in various ways like hunting, fruit gathering and so many ways. The Batwa are the shortest people in the world and they used to leave in forests and sleep in caves years back up when the government decided to take them away from the forests and secured them outside the forests. From the trail, return to your lodge and rest for the next day’s departure to Bwindi.
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi with a stopover at Lake Mutanda
On the 5th day of your safari, arise in the morning with much pleasure have your morning breakfast and pack your luggage to head to Bwindi. On your last day in Mgahinga, you will pass by Lake Mutanda and have a stopover for a scenic view of the lake, take some photos and have a meal as you enjoy nature. Continue to Bwindi and have leisure and rest from a long journey.
Day 6: Gorilla trekking and Batwa community walk
Early to bed early to rise, have your breakfast served in the early morning and the driver heads to the conservation offices for a briefing and the ranger accompany you through the park. As you continue with the trekking, spot some other animals like the monkeys, the forest hogs and the elephants. The trekking will be for about 2-8 hours depending on the geographic location of the gorillas and only 1 hour will be spent in presence of the gorillas as you experience the behaviors which are almost the same as the human beings according to the way they handle their young ones like the feeding mode, the way they breastfeed their young ones and much more characters. After the trekking, return back to your lodge for a hot lunch and refreshments.
In the afternoon depart for the Batwa community walk where you will meet the Batwa people, and learn about their culture like their dressing modes, housing, fire making using the stone age methods, local food and their day-to-day activities. Batwa are very interesting happy people but they always expect something when their eyes see a visitor, so you can support them by buying their crafts from their craft shops. From the community walk, return to the lodge for dinner and prepare for the next day’s departure.
Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth NP through the Ishasha sector
Wake up at any time you wish in the morning, and have your breakfast as your driver is waiting for you to start your journey to Queen Elizabeth NP just a few kilometers North of Bwindi NP, it is harbors tree climbing lions that can only be found in Manyara of Tanzania and Queen Elizabeth of Uganda in East Africa. Pass through Ishasha to have a chance to spot the rare tree-climbing lions and some other animals like elephants, hippos and giraffes.
On reaching Queen Elizabeth, have your lunch served at your booked accommodation facility and rest for the next day.
Day 8: Game drives and boat cruise
Arise in the sunshine morning and have your breakfast as you prepare for the game drive. Immediately after having your breakfast set off for your game drive and pass by the conservation center for a short briefing about wildlife. In your game drive expect to see the tree climbing lions, elephants, buffalos, hippos, impala and some beautiful birds like the Egyptian goose, African fish eagle, pied kingfisher sacred ibis. The game drive will approximately be four about 4 hours and after the 4 hours, you will have to return to your lodge for an early noon lunch and get sorted for the boat cruise.
Start your boat cruise at Kazinga channel just a joining point of Lake Edward and lake George where you will get exposed to amazing water birds like the kingfisher, the sand grouse, the white-winged tern and the whiskered tern. Also, some water animals can be spotted, animals such as hippos, crocodiles and salamanders. After the 2 hours are done, head back to your lodge for a dinner and rest for a departure to Semliki.
Day 9: Transfer to Semliki and visit Sempaya hot springs
Wake up at any time you wish and prepare for a departure after having your breakfast. Start your journey to Semliki NP where you are going to be neighboring DRC and part of the huge Ituri forest that makes it a haven for birds. On reaching Semliki check in to your booked accommodation facility for an early lunch and visit the Sempaya hot springs.
The Sempaya hot spring may not allow you to have a bleak eye on the natural hot springs that bubble away softly. There are also salt deposits favoured by the surrounding wildlife, you can make an experiment of cooking eggs with the bubbling natural hot water. The hot spring is traditionally considered to be healing different kinds of diseases. The exploration may take 2 hours and then go back to your lodge for evening dinner and leisure.
Day 10: Amabere ga Nyinamwiru and transfer to Murchison falls NP
The day commences with high pleasure, having your breakfast and everything ready for a departure to Murchison falls. Amabere ga Nyinamwiru is located a few km from fort portal city where visitors can enter a set of damp caves that tell a sad story. The rocks in the caves are really stalagmites and stalactites, but Nyinamwiru’s story makes the sight of these rocks the most interesting. From the cave continue with your journey to Murchison falls passing by fort portal.
On reaching Murchison falls it will be late evening so, you will have your dinner and rest for the next day.
Day 11: Game drive and boat cruise
Wake up early and have your breakfast as you prepare for the game drive. After having your breakfast, head to the conservation centre for check-in and start your game drive. Murchison falls is the largest national park in Uganda that offers game drives which will bring you to the African buffaloes, giant elephants, giraffes, impalas and hunting lions. It is from the game drive that you will have your lunch after a 5-hours drive in the wilderness.
Head to the boat cruise which will expose you to beautiful water animals like hippos, crocodiles and salamanders and some water birds like the spotted morning thrush, silver bird, buff-bullied, red-breasted bee-eater, red-breasted apilas and so much more varieties of bird and birders consider the park as the paradise.
From the boat cruise of course you will have to return to the lodge for the dinner and chill for the next day’s departure to Kampala.
Day 12: Transfer to Kampala for a flight back home
Heart warning this will be the last of your safari where you will be at liberty to wake up at any time of your choice and then you have your breakfast served in a very interesting way as you prepare for a flight back home. After having your breakfast the assigned driver guide will head to Kampala for the last steps in Uganda as the Uganda safaris wish you a safe journey
