Gorilla Safari Holiday and Wildlife Tour in Uganda
15 DAY UGANDA SAFARI
This 15 day safari itinerary is designed for the tourists on holiday with more time to check out Uganda’s wildlife, gorillas and adventure tours. It includes visits to Mt Elgon, Murchison Falls National park, Bwindi impenetrable park, Lake Bunyonyi, Lake Mburo National park, Queen Elizabeth National park, visits to the source of the Nile in Jinja and finally trips to Ssese Islands in Lake Victoria. Gorilla safari
Day 1Arrivals at Entebbe International Airport, meet the safari and tour guide and find a Kampala hotel or accommodation facility for overnight and dinner. Options include the Tourist Hotel, Kampala Sheraton Hotel, Kampala Serena, Speke Hotel, Holiday Express and others, all with full board facilities.
Day 2 – Jinja tours & the Source of the river Nile
Travel east of Kampala, drive through the dense Mabira forest on the Jinja Highway, into the Jinja town where the source of the Nile is found. For Jinja tours are visits to the Nile Brewery, Monument of Ghandi, some of the oldest building in ancient Indian-arabic architectures and Bujagali falls where white water rafting and bungee jumping are exceptionally thrilling.
Picnic lunch is served at Bugajali and then drive to Mbale town, in the far east for the overnight stay at Mbale resort or Mount Elgon hotel.
Day 3 – Mount Elgon and Sipi Fall
Start your day with a good breakfast at your hotel and then a drive to hills of Kapchorwa chasing the shadow of Mount Elgon peak within the misty clouds. Take walk from Sipi River Lodge down the steep rocks, through banana plantations and finally reach the touch of the Sipi the main water fall. Sipi falls is a series of three waterfalls that course their way from the glaciers of Mount Elgon falling to a length of up to 80m.
Get your picnic lunch or snack at Crow’s Nest, a camping and lodging site and then head back to Jinja town in the afternoon for water rafting at Bujagali Falls or golfing time at Jinja Golf club and later retire to your Jinja hotel or lodge for overnight and dinner at Jinja Nile Resort, Haven River lodge or Sunset Hotel International.
Day 4 – To Ziwa Rhino sanctuary
Leave Jinja in the early morning to western Uganda, in Nakasongola where Ziwa rhino sanctuary is located. It is 2-3 hours drive from Kampala on Murchison Falls drive. This sanctuary is located within the beautiful rocky hills of Nakasongola and your visit here is a worthy financial contribution towards the Rhino Fund and conservation efforts.
Get dinner and full board overnight at Masindi Hotel, Masindi Kolping Hotel or Court View Hotel
Day 5 – Murchison Falls National Park
Finish your early breakfast and then continue to Murchison Falls National Park, actually Uganda’s largest game park that is crossed by Victoria Nile. Arrive in time for a pre-arranged lunch and then an afternoon game drive north of the park. Some of the regular r sights include waterbucks, hippos, big five, Rothschild giraffes, oribi, eland, spotted hyena and so much more.
Diner and overnight accommodation at Paraa Luxury Safari Lodge, Chobe Safari Lodge, Nile Safari Lodge, Sambiya River Lodge or the Budget Red Chilli Camp and Shoebill campsite
Day 6 – Murchison Falls and Victoria Nile Boat cruise
Start the morning with an early game drive on the banks of the river, return to the lodge for a sumptuous breakfast and then rest for the afternoon when you’ll catch the launch cruise on Victoria Nile to Murchison falls. The river flows through a narrow 7m gap to make the beautiful waterfall that is 43m high. Below the falls is a boiling caldron ‘devil’s cauldron’ and head of the river are a series of water rapids, some of the sights here include yawning hippos, Nile crocodiles, and some birds that live in the savannah that fringes the riverbanks. Birds found here include goliath herons, crowned cranes, Egyptian geese, sunbirds, pelicans, cormorants, bee-eaters, the rare shoe bill stork, kingfishers, hornbills and others. The 3 hour boat trip is a true reward from the Nile river adventures.
Day 7 – Drive to Fort Portal at the foothill of the Mountains of the Moon
Following breakfast is a long drive from Murchison Falls to fort portal town, with backdrop views of the Rwenzori Mountains, also called the Mountains of the Moon as seen from the misty clouds.
While in Fort Portal town, visit the Toro Kindom palace buildings, Sir Lugard Portal’s monument and then drive to the western rift valley region. Overnight and full board accommodation is available from Mountains of the Moon Hotel, Semiliki Safari lodge or Chimpanzee Nest Lodge or Chimpanzee Guest House
Day 8 – The Semliki National park & Hot Springs
Begin the day with breakfast and thenhead for Semiliki valley where Uganda’s newest national park is found. A game drive in the young park shows you around its unique flora and fauna; chimps, Uganda kob, elephants, buffalos, forest hog, hippos, leopard, sitatunga, rare shoe bill stork and other birds within the swampy area.
For the afternoon adventures is a walk to Kasenda crater lake, the traditional female and male hot springs from where you can have your eggs boiled and ready to eat!
Return to the lodge for overnight and dinner.
Day 9 – Queen Elizabeth National Park
Wake up to the call of kingfishers, a ready breakfast and off on-road to Queen Elizabeth National Park. This park is probably the second largest game park on Uganda wildlife safaris. It is intersected by the Kazinga Channel that joins Lake George and Edward and is a source of life within the park.
Arrive in time for lunch and then a full 2 hours of boat cruise on Kazinga Channel where you are greeted by spraying and yawning hippo schools, crocodiles, buffalos, water birds and a host of animals that visit the banks for an afternoon drink.
Book accommodation from Mweya Safari Lodge, Hippo Hill camp, Ihamba safari lodge or Simba camp or the institute of Ecology hostel for budget accommodation
Day 10 – Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Forest Reserve
Kyambura gorge and the fringing forest reserve are part of the park accessed by Kasenyi tracks and queen’s mile. On the tracks are lion prides patrolling the savannah plains, bufaflos, warthogs, giraffes, mangoose, kob, leopards and spotted hyenas
The forest walk in Kyambura Forest reserve after a picnic lunch is chimp tracking time. Expect to see other primates like grey checked mangabey, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, owl faced monkeys, colobus monkeys and birds too. Visit the caves on the gorge that host thousands of bats and prey snakes like the spitting cobra, python, green mamba, turtle and others.
Day 11 – Ishasha tree climbing lions, transfers to Bwindi Forest Park
South of the pack is Ishasha sector, a famed section for tree lounging lions only a few of these found in East Africa from Lake Manyara Park in Tanzania. The acacia umbrella trees are perfect for tree climbing lions and draw other predators like spotted hyenas, leopards and giraffes.
Proceed on the journey to Bwindi forest park in the south western hills of Uganda. Check into full board accommodation from Buhoma Lodge, Nkuringo capsite, Buhoma community banda, silver back lodge, Clouds Lodge, Engagai Lodge and Bwindi Gorilla resort.
Day 12 – Bwindi mountains gorilla trekking
Mountain gorillas in Uganda are found in Bwindi forest and Mgahinga national parks. Gorilla tracking is interesting in Bwindi’s lush forest canopy but can last several hours (2-6 hours), make sure you have lunch, a rain jacket, camera, walking stick and jungle boots on the trail.
On the trails are golden monkeys, chimps, leopards, birds, butterflies, buffalos and other interesting/ unique plant species.
Drive back to Kabale after a light meal at the lodge, past the terraced hill slopes, large acres of Banana plantations, grazing cattle herds and into the Lake Bunyonyi region.
Find ready Dinner and overnight at Luxury Kyahugye Island Resort, Bushara Island camp, Arcadia Cottages, Bunyonyi safari resort or at lake side cottages.
Day 13 – Visit Lake Bunyonyi
Begin your day with a boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi, visiting some of its historical and traditional islands such as Akampene Island. Bird viewing is excellent on the lake with sights like cormorants, sun birds, kingfishers, fish eagles and so much more.
Head to your lodge for lunch and then off to Lake Mburo National park.
Dinner and full board overnight at Mihingo lodge, Mantana tented camp or Rwonyo rest camp
Day 14 – Lake Mburo National Park tours
Early morning game drive within the park, the smallest park on Uganda wildlife safaris and see; impala, zebra, buffalos, elands, oribi, sitatunga, hippos, crocodiles, vervet monkeys, baboons, kingfisher and African finfoot among other birds.
Get a quick picnic lunch and get on the return trip to Kampala with stops at Equator crossing and the royal drummers.
Day 15 – Departures
Grace your day with visits to different African gift and craft shops around Kampala; buy some souvenirs and gifts to take home. Also get some time to tour Kampala’s monuments, cultural sites, cathedrals, Namugongo martyr’s shrine and be in time for afternoon departure flights at Entebbe airport.
