13 Day Private Safari Itinerary
Day 1
Your DUSL safari guide will meet you at Entebbe International Airport and transfer you to the hotel in Kampala. This afternoon you will be taken on an ‘urban safari’ around Kampala – there are many places of interest and beauty around the city; museums, mosques, Bahia, Kasubi tomb, makerere university, the parliament, and many historic buildings. You will have an opportunity to exchange your currency into Ugandan shillings (if not already done) Overnight at your chosen accommodation (Bed and Breakfast)
Day 2
After an early breakfast, you will be driven to the shores of Lake Victoria to meet your 9.00am launch. The boat trip takes about 45 minutes across to Ngamba Island to visit the chimpanzee sanctuary (established in 1998) , home to around 40 orphaned chimpanzees who have been rescued, they now receive care and rehabilitation. You will view feeding of the chimpanzees from the visitors platform and hear an informative talk by sanctuary staff. Each chimp has its own character, cheeky, mischievous, playful, dominant, you will not want to leave the island. You will return to the mainland for lunch crossing the equator en-route before going on to the Entebbe Wildlife Education Centre (animal orphanage). If you have not managed to see the shoebill in the wild you are guaranteed a sighting here, as well as black rhino‘s and lions. You will return to the hotel in the late afternoon with plenty of time to unwind by the pool. Overnight at your chosen accommodation (Bed and Breakfast)
Day 3
Your guide will collect you from your hotel and drive (3-4hrs) through Uganda’s lush cultivated land and rolling green hills to Lake Mburo National Park (an extension of the Tanzanian plains), Lake Mburo is one of two parks that you will see herds of Zebra in Uganda, an abundance of impala, eland and other ungulates (cloven hoofed animals). Bird viewing opportunities are excellent you should be able to see the African fin foot and the papyrus bush shrike . Spend the afternoon relaxing or paddle on the lake in a dugout canoe or an afternoon game drive Overnight at your chosen accommodation (Full Board)
Day 4
Up early for a a guided bush walk and back for breakfast before departing for Bwindi(the highlight of your trip to see the gorillas!). You will head through the highlands from altitude of about 1800 to Rukungiri, the road then drops into valleys which offers beautiful views of streams meandering down the valley. Banana and coffee plantations as well as terrace fields, depending on the day excellent views including the triangular peaks of the Virunga volcanoes of Rwanda and the Congo. on rout stop for lunch then continue on your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to the Uganda’s mountain gorillas and an abundance of other wildlife. There are 23 of the 24 Albertine Rift endemic-birds including the African green broadbill, Chapin’s flycatcher Dwarf honey guide and the bar tailed trogon. Adding to incredible diversity of flora and fauna. Overnight at your chosen accommodation (Full Board)
Day 5
Today you are gorilla tracking! . You will need an energising breakfast and a sturdy pair of walking boots. You will need to be fit and healthy today, to take part in tracking. Reporting to the ranger station at 07.45 for registration and briefing by one of the rangers and if you require a porter/s for the journey it can be arranged here. To help carry your bags and to push/pull you when you need a little help along the climb (they will help you and you will be supporting the local community by employing porters). The guides will lead you through the forest, parting the vegetation, creepers and thick climbers to the gorillas. This trek can take from half an hour to five hours, depending where the gorillas are. You will spend an awesome hour sitting in the forest among the gorillas observing them in their natural habitat. An adventure you will never forget. From the size of the dominant silverback to the rough and tumble play of the infant’s. It is an extraordinary feeling sitting in the dense rainforest knowing you are with a few of the last remaining mountain gorillas. There are only 650 of these beautiful endangered species left in the world! Depending on your energy levels you may wish to take an afternoon walk guided walk on the Munyaga River trail; Self guided camp walk (20 min's) or a choice of 2 waterfall walks: Mnyaga river roughly 3 hrs or Ivy trail roughly 5.5 hrs or During your walk you may see a variety of primates, birds, butterflies and a profusion of tree ferns and orchids or simply relax on your private veranda listening to the different sounds of the forest and observing the array of birds and colourful butterflies from your lodge. 2nd night at your chosen accommodation (Full board)
Day 6
Today we will leave Bwindi and drive through the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park , the second largest in Uganda, lying north and south of the equator, covering an area of 1978km2. It encompasses both kyambura and kigezi game reserves. Today you will see an abundance of topi, buffalo and hippo, elephants among others. First we will pass through Ishasha famed for its fig trees, with spread branches and soft bark which attracts tree climbing lions! The lions climb the trees to seek a better view for prey and to avoid the heat and flies on the ground. We will stops for a packed lunch at the hippo pool, where you can relax and observe a school of hippo’s. We will continue our game drive through the Maramagambo Forest to the northern sector of the park. The park is host to a large variety and volume of wildlife. There over 610 species of bird found here including the African skimmer, Fish Eagles and Bateleur. Overnight at your chosen accommodation (Full Board) If there is time, you may want to go on an early evening game drive.
Day 7
Early start for the 08.00 chimp trek in Kyambura Gorge This embarrass variety of primates including habituated chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkey, Black faced vervet monkeys, baboons. All these are supported by the river rainforest that also draws other big games into this gorge that come for drink during the heat of the day elephants,lions,buffalos,hippos and other ungulates. We will then continue to take maramagambo (speechless forest). prehistoric – strangler figs, giant screw palms, flora and fauna. There is a bat cave, housing thousands of Egyptian fruit bats, brightly coloured lizards and geckos and the possibility of seeing large African rock pythons that come to feed on the bats. We will continue on to Mweya Safari Lodge for lunch and in the afternoon a boat trip along the Kazinga Channel it joins both lake George and Edward the boat trip takes 2hrs bring you so close to the wildlife as many different school of hippos huff and spray near the boat, buffalo and even elephants come wallowing in the channel. The channel is also parades to over 610 different spices of birds including pink backed pelicans, pied and malachite kingfishers, saddle billed stork and many others. After this wonderful day some it all with a slow game drive back to the lodge. 3rd night at your chosen accommodation(Full Board)
Day 8
“sunrise game drive” (6am) you can go for an early morning game drive to Kasenyi mating ground where lions hunt for Uganda kobs . We may also see elephants and hyenas amongst other mammals. return to the lodge for breakfast. You will leave Queen Elizabeth National Park via the northern crater drive to, Fort Portal (3-4hrs); with beautiful lakes and rich grasslands which are set deep into volcanic craters, this is truly the most breathtaking scenery in the park. We will visit the busy town prior to our chimpanzee trekking tomorrow. Overnight at your chosen accommodation (Full Board)
Day 9
An early start and your last chance to see chimpanzee’s before you journey to Semliki game reserve. Reporting at 8am in Kibale National Park for your chimpanzee trek . The walk takes you through a tropical rainforest which is home to over 13 species of primates including habituated chimpanzees, red colobus monkey, the rare l’Hoest, blue monkey, grey mangabey, Black faced vervet monkeys, baboons, galagos and bush babies after your trekking continue to Semliki Game reserve (2:15hrs). Semliki game reserve (nothing in it) originally known as the Toro game reserve was the first to be protected in Uganda in 1913. It was used for hunting bush meat for the kingdom. Semliki reserve is situated in the western Rift valley basin and the most diverse habitant in Africa with wonderful riparian forest gallery, rainforest, borassus palm, forest, hyperaenia grass (short), panicam maximum grass (tall). The reserve holds a high chance of sighting both forest and savannah elephant and the inter-breed of both, lions, leopards rare though, kobs, buffalo, water backs, warthog……. Bird life is fantastic there are 504 recorded bishops, red-headed malimbe, red-headed weaver, western nicator, black and red-shoulder cuckoo-shrike…… Semliki is a beautiful small private tented lodge nestled on the crest of the Wasa River valley. The rooms are tented with large four poster beds, Persian carpets and en-suite bathrooms. A spot lit evening game drive will give you the chance to see fantastic nocturnal species such as; large spotted genet, African scops owl, pearl dash spotted owlet and night jars and if lucky you may spot a leopard. Overnight Semliki Safari Lodge (Full Board)
Day 10
After tea in your tent you will meet your guide at 6.15am to head to mugiri forest for the Chimpanzees trekking. Chimpanzees here are still under habituation, tracking them with the team of researchers makes it very interesting for you to get involved in the activity. The Chimps tend to spend there time in both the forest and savannah grassland giving them different features to others Chimps in the world. Chimp Project is run by the University of Indiana. The project was initiated to study bipedalism and the rare geography of Semliki makes ideal to study this important stage in man’s development. Return to the lodge for lunch and the chance to relax by the pool and enjoy the tranquillity of the Lodge. In the late afternoon you will go for an evening game drive, Sundowners; watching the sunset with a cold drink. The perfect end to a perfect day. Overnight at Semliki Safari Lodge (Full Board)
Day 11
Up early for game drive and a boat trip on Lake Albert. Lake Albert is a vast lake sitting in the rift valley. The lake was first made famous by Baker who from the shores of the lake first sighted the legendary mountains of the moon, and by Stanley who travelled from West Africa through the central African rain forest to arrive on the shores of Lake Albert with his paddle steamer on his expedition to rescue Emin Pasha from the Madi rebellion. On the lake we will take the Lodge boats as we explore the lake shore in search of the rare and most extraordinary Shoebill. The shoebill is a bird which appears to be left over from prehistoric times most closely resembles the Dodo. We will stop along the way for a picnic lunch – what a wonderful way to spend the day. Following dinner and for those who have the energy we will go on a spot lit night drive.
Day 12
Up early for a morning game drive – this will give you a different perspective on both the park and the animals. Return to the Lodge for a leisurely breakfast and then depart and drive back to Kampala. Your safari guide will take you to the Theatre Craft Market – here you will be able to buy local crafts and souvenirs. Overnight at your chosen accommodation (B & B)
Day 13
Your safari guide will collect you from the hotel and transfer you to Entebbe International Airport for your outbound flight.