18 Days Best Of Uganda Game Viewing Safari
18 Days Best Of Uganda Game Viewing Safari
Safari highlights
18 Days Best Of Uganda Game Viewing Safari : Uganda Game Viewing Safari is the best Uganda Safari any adventure traveler anywhere would yearn for. On this safari, the travelers explore the entire Uganda from head to toe and have maximum opportunities of spotting much more than the legendary Big5 African mammals.
There is possibly no other wildlife adventure activity that gets close to Mountain gorilla trekking in the rainforest. On this Uganda safari, travelers explore semi arid, wetland, grassland and rainforest habitats and discover the relationships between them. The safari is a test of Uganda tourism potential where travelers explore the beauty of nature in car, walking, boat cruise and hot air balloon safaris are possible in selected areas. The traveler interacts with indigenous communities in each destination on the safari to share life experiences. The travelers get a balanced view of Ugandans as a whole when they visit Jinja city and have a brief tour of Kampala city.
Safari activities:
- Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary; rhino tracking.
- Kidepo Valley National Park; Game viewing drive, Community tour.
- Murchison Falls; Game viewing drives, boat cruise and walk on at top of falls.
- Kibale National park; Chimp tracking and Bigodi sanctuary walk
- Queen Elizabeth national park; Game drives, boat cruise and tree climbing lions tracking
- Bwindi Impenetrable forest; Mountain gorilla trek
- Lake Bunyonyi; boat cruise
- Lake Mburo National Park; game drive, boat cruise
- Equator line-crossing point; hot coffee, geographical experiment, photo opportunity
Day 1; Arrival travel to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Your safari guide on tour of Uganda will pick you up when your plane touches down at Entebbe International Airport. You will share a cup of coffee / lunch as you discuss about your travel schedule, share interests and get to know each other.
This is a long safari into Uganda and you need to combine all efforts to make it highly successful. Shortly, you begin a 3-hour travel into the countryside through Kampala City 40km away.
You will then ease away through the slow moving traffic of Kampala taking the north direction and traverse through the Victoria basin.
You will make a detour to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, check into the safari camp in the middle of wilderness. This is the introduction of Uganda tour wilderness experiences.
It is highly recommended to do rhino tracking in case you check into the safari camp before 4pm. The travelers will have extended time for morning sleep next day and save time for next day travel.
Day 2; Track rhino, travel to Kidepo Valley National Park
The morning program depends on events of previous evening. You will have an early morning breakfast, track rhinos and set out to travel further north.
You will traverse the Nile and wander into the northern Uganda corridor with a generally flat terrain and high temperatures. You will have lunch in Kitgum town and check into Kidepo Valley National Park a few hours’ drive later.
It is highly recommended to do a brief sunset uganda game viewing safari drive and explore the Kidepo valley and discover a virgin Uganda safari destination.
Day 3; Game viewing safari, visit Manyatta
Your safari guide picks you up at first light and you set out on an early morning uganda game viewing safaris. The resident ranger guide will lead you to quiet spots with a high concentration of game/wildlife.
You will wander in the Narus Valley and traverse Kidepo valley spotting all species of mammals and birds resident in the park. You will travel to the neighborhood shortly after lunch and visit an indigenous community of people who have lived with wildlife all their lifetime.
They share their experiences through music, songs, storytelling, art and drama. You will do another sunset game viewing drive en route to the safari camp.
Day 4; Game viewing safari, travel to Murchison falls
Rise up for early morning breakfast in time for a brief game viewing drive while checking out of the park. You will set out on the 6-hour travel to Murchison Falls National Park and have your lunch in Gulu town.
You will check into the park and visit the top of the Murchison Falls and d o a brief sightseeing walk. You will check into your hotel set on the edge of the Nile in the middle of wilderness at sunset and live your Ugandan tour dreams.
Day 5: Early morning game drive, Afternoon boat cruise on the Nile
You will spend this day exploring the wilderness rubbing shoulders will huge mammals and spotting beautiful bird species. Breakfast is served very early morning and your safari guide will be on hand to escort you on a lifetime tour of Uganda.
You will travel on the floor of the rift, wander into the savanna grasslands and traverse the woodlands in search of unique game. Elephants trumpet very close, lions roar in the thickets, hippos grunt from a pool, and giraffes, hartebeests, hyenas, waterbucks, jackals and several antelope species are a common sight.
On many occasions, travelers on similar game viewing safaris in Uganda have spotted elusive leopards. The afternoon boat cruise explores and brings travelers to the wonders of the Nile. Large mammals trek to the watering holes, huge hippos are sunbathing while crocodiles lay ambushes for a kill.
You have an opportunity to explore the Nile and view the Murchison Falls from the bottom elevation. Climax the day with a sunset game viewing drive to maximize wildlife sighting opportunities.
Day 6: Boat cruise to the delta, travel to Hoima
Take an early morning breakfast, check out the hotel and the safari guide escorts to the jetty. You will go for an exciting 4-hours boat cruise to the delta where the Nile meets Lake Albert.
Explore the Nile aquatic wildlife species and maximize the opportunities of spotting wildlife. The major attractions on the cruise are swarms of unique water birds.
There are high possibilities of sighting Shoebill; a unique endangered bird species on this cruise. You may then set out on travel to Hoima town to break the long travel the next day.
Day 7: Travel to Kibale Forest NP
Kibale National Park is average 400km, 8-hours drive west of Murchison Falls. The road is dirt in some parts though it is being up-graded to tarmac. The activities of the day depend on where you spent the night.
The travel traverses the indigenous communities tending to their plantations. You wander into the beautiful sugar cane and tea estates before the Kibale rainforests close to Fort Portal town.
You will check into your hotel set on the edges of the rainforests in the foothills of Ruwenzori Mountains and sleep to the quietness and stillness of the rainforest.
Day 8: Adventure in Kibale rainforest
You will traverse into the jungle, wander in the wilderness today and get unique feeling of safari into Uganda. The natural setting if Kibale rainforest is an absolute opposite of the places you visited previously on this tour of Uganda.
Your safari guide will escort you to chimpanzee tracking assembling point at Kanyanchu Tourism office in time for briefing and interaction with the fellow chimpanzee trackers. A team of rangers descends you into the rainforest and explains to you any unique wilderness sightings.
This is an opportunity for travelers to explore, discover the beauty of the wilderness and live your Uganda safari dreams. You will spend an hour with the chimpanzees after discovering their feeding areas.
A walk to wetland sanctuary on the edges of Kibale forest gives travelers more time in the wilderness, increases opportunities of spotting more wildlife, is a way of interacting with indigenous communities and give support to their income generating projects; often wildlife encroaches and destroys their crops affecting their livelihood.
Day 9: Welcome to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Enjoy your morning sleep and shake off chimpanzee tracking fatigue. You will set out on travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park travelling in the foothills of Ruwenzori Mountains 3-hours’ drive south.
Queen Elizabeth is a unique Uganda tour destination that has something for everyone and no doubt every adventure traveler’s dream destination. You will travel to Katwe, a lakeside town on the edges of Lake Edward and tour traditional salt mining works.
A sunset game viewing drive brings travelers on tour of Uganda close to wildlife winding up day activities and is a wise option.
Day 10: Morning game drive, afternoon boat cruise
You will spend this day traversing the Edward rift and wandering into the savannas on the lookout for wildlife species. Elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards, hippos, waterbucks, warthogs, unique and beautiful birds are resident in Queen Elizabeth national park.
Your safari guide on tour of Uganda will pick up early morning and you descend onto the rift taking keen interest in the Kasenyi circuit. Travelers on tour into Uganda converge here to satiate all their Uganda safari adrenalin.
The 2-hour afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga channel is an exciting way of relaxation on Uganda safari that gets travelers closer than ever to different mammal species at water holes. There is no better way of winding up the wonderful events of this day’s tour of Uganda than a sunset game viewing drive.
Day 11: Chimpanzee tracking, tree-climbing lions
Experience the magic of safaris to Uganda tracking the chimpanzees in Kyambura gorge. Your safari guide will pick you earlier than before and you begin travel to Fig Tree camp; chimpanzee tracking assembling point. Shortly, the rangers descend steep escarpments onto the floor of the gorge.
You will traverse a river line forest and explore the wilderness travelling in the footsteps of chimpanzees. Your interaction with chimpanzees is limited to an hour and you set out on travel west to Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth national park. Check into your safari camp in time for lunch.
Relax, smell the earth and breathe wilderness air that is free of all impurities. You will set out on game viewing drive and wander into the grasslands spotting unique wildlife species along the way. You will explore the woodlands and search for unique prides of lions that rest up the fig tree branches.
Day 12: Game viewing drive, travel to Bwindi
You will cut short your morning sleep for an early breakfast. Your safari guide will pick you up and set out for an early morning game viewing drive. Explore the grasslands and wander into the rift teeming with beautiful wildlife species.
Lions, elephants, buffalos, waterbucks, hippos, leopards, Uganda kobs, topi, warthogs and many other wildlife species are easy to spot at some time. You will then set out on travel and ascend the Kigezi highlands the home range of Mountain gorillas.
The unique natural setting of thick rainforest with steep hanging valleys is welcoming and humbling. Check into your hotel and enjoy new and unique Uganda safari experiences.
Day 13: Trekking the Mountain gorillas, travel to Lake Bunyonyi
Today you wander into the Bwindi rainforest and explore a Uganda safari destination that awakens travelers’ adventure senses. Your safari guide will escort you to Mountain gorilla trekking assembly post in time for pre gorilla trekking briefing and share experiences with the rangers.
Often a cultural troupe offers live entertainment with traditional dance, music and songs. Shortly, rangers descend you into the jungle. You wander in the wilderness and traverse from corner to corner following fresh signs of gorilla presence.
The Bwindi rainforest has a vibrant wildlife presence. You will explore the rainforest and discover a unique habitat quite different from many Uganda tour destinations. Interaction with gorillas is limited to one hour and you retreat to the gorilla trekking starting point.
You will then set out on travel out of the rainforest and check into your hotel on the shores of Lake Bunyonyi. Lake Bunyonyi is a Uganda safari destination rich in unique sightings and sounds. It is a perfect resting place to refresh adventure and have fun after the physical gorilla trekking expedition in the Bwindi jungle.
Day 14: Explore Lake Bunyonyi
Today we explore Lake Bunyonyi; a place of very many birds. You will set out on the boat cruise after breakfast, travel deeper into the lake and explore the beauty of the many floating islands.
Every sighting on the boat cruise is exciting in its own way with a unique reason behind it. You will return in time for lunch, then relax and enjoy the exciting feelings of safari into Uganda. Resident guide may take you on a hike into the highlands and visit some selected indigenous homesteads.
Day 15: Travel to Lake Mburo national park
You set out after breakfast on a 4-hour travel to Lake Mburo National park. The travel traverses the steep Kigezi highlands and descends onto the Ankole plateaus.
You will spot pastoralists tending to long horned Ankole and wander into hills covered with large banana plantations. You will check into your hotel in time for lunch. A 2-hour boat cruise is an appropriate way to relax and explore the magic of Lake Mburo.
A sunset game viewing drive while traveling back to hotel brings travelers into contact with unique mammal species; zebras, impalas, topi, elands, giraffes, sitatungas, buffalos, hyenas and beautiful birds species.
There are high opportunities of spotting leopards and the lone male lion resident in Lake Mburo National park on the evening game viewing drive.
Day 16: Game drive Kampala via Equator Monument
Today morning you will traverse the woodlands on the lookout for exciting sightings. Mammals are very active in the morning grazing by the roadside on grass softened overnight.
You will wander into the grasslands and have an opportunity to spot unique bird species. Have maximum fun as this is the last day of your tour into Uganda in the wilderness.
You will then set out on a 3-hour travel to Kampala city to complete a circuit. The equator crossing point at Kayabwe is a popular Uganda safari break spot for lunch, refreshing, photo opportunity and equator experiments.
You will check into your hotel in Kampala city at sunset, freshen up, shake off wilderness fatigue and swallow exciting feelings of Uganda safari. You may attend a live band playing cultural music that covers all corners of Uganda.
Day 17: Adventure at the source of the Nile
You will set out after breakfast for Jinja; Uganda major tourism city 80km east of Kampala. You will traverse the Mabira rainforest, sugar cane and tea estates before crossing the Nile on the edges of Lake Victoria.
You will have a boat cruise at the source where the Nile departs Lake Victoria for the 6,000km long travel to the Mediterranean Sea taking approximately 3 months to arrive.
There are class 5 rapids for whitewater rafting at Itanda falls. There are opportunities for Bungee jumping, horseback riding, water sports, quad biking and other beach games in Jinja town.
Jinja is 120 km away to Entebbe International Airport. You may choose where to spend a night depending on your flight schedule.
Day 18: Departure
Your safari guide will escort you at an appropriate time to Entebbe International Airport in time for your departure flight and end of the memorable safari into Uganda.