10 Days Best Of Uganda Safaris (Kibale Forest National Park – Queen Elizabeth National Park – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – Lake Mburo National Park)

Day 1: Entebbe – Lake Victoria Hotel

Arrive Entebbe, meet and greet and transfer to Lake Victoria Hotel. If time permits visit the famous Entebbe Botanical Gardens.
Located in Entebbe, the gateway to Uganda, the 99-room Lake Victoria Hotel is set within beautiful grounds, adjacent to the golf course. Built in 1945, the hotel is of the old colonial style with manicured gardens, a shady veranda and breezy upstairs terrace offering a good view of Lake Victoria across the golf course. All rooms have satellite television, air conditioning and an en suite bathroom. The hotel’s a la carte menu offers European, Indian and Chinese cuisine in the upstairs Equator Restaurant or the ground floor Palm terrace and a snack menu is also available. Hotel amenities include a swimming pool, gym and health club, two conference rooms and small shopping arcade.
Overnight at Lake Victoria Hotel (on an accommodation and breakfast basis)/other similar

Day 2: Lake Victoria Hotel – Kibale Forest National Park

Drive to Kibale Forest area, the drive is a full day of approximately seven hours. After leaving the Lake Victoria Basin pass through beautiful agricultural countryside where every type of fruit and vegetable imaginable is grown. Upon reaching Kyanjojo, in the lower foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains {Mountains of the Moon}, we drive through beautiful tea plantations and into Kibale tropical rain forest. Beautiful Ndali Lodge is situated on a high saddle between two crater lakes.
Overnight at Ndali Lodge (BLD)/other similar
Ndali Lodge is in the heart of Uganda’s volcanic crater lake region, 23km (14 miles) south of Fort Portal and overlooked by the Rwenzori Mountains to the west. The lodge is perched 100m (328ft) directly above Nyinambuga crater lake and has eight individual cottages set on the hillside. Designed to blend with the landscape, the lodge was built using all local materials such as traditional mud render and thatching, providing the lodge with its key qualities of light, space, simplicity and openness to nature. Each cottage consists of an airy bedroom with en suite bathroom (containing bathtubs and showers, plenty of hot water and flushing WC) and private veranda. At night the dining room is festooned with candles – the lodge only has electricity in the cottages so as to not destroy the tranquility and atmosphere of a night in the African bush. The sitting room, reception and dining room open out onto the lake and a full English breakfast is served every morning on the veranda with wonderful views of the lake.

Day 3: Kibale Forest National Park

This morning we get the opportunity to explore Kibale Forest National Park. Kibale Forest is home to 13 primate species and a guided forest trek can be taken in search of one of the most popular primate species in the world – the chimpanzee. There are 9 diurnal primates, these include, vervet, red-tailed, L’Hoest’s, blue monkeys, grey-cheeked manabey, red colobus, black and white colobus, olive baboon and the most famous of all, the chimpanzee. Although chimp sightings are not guaranteed, the odds are good with the chance of encountering them standing at higher then 90%. This morning you will go on a forest walk in search of primates. Whilst trekking in the depths of the lush green forest, you will be surrounded by bird song and can expect to see at least 5 or 6 other types of primate, most probably the grey-cheeked managebey and the red-tailed monkey and of course the chimpanzee. The walking is fairly easy due to the well-maintained trails and reasonably flat terrain. This afternoon we have a swamp walk.
Overnight at Ndali Lodge (BLD)/other similar

Day 4: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park.The drive passes through Fort Portal and then south along the eastern length of The Rwenzori Mountains, with the hope of viewing the glaciated peaks. We gently descend into The Great African Rift Valley and Queen Elizabeth National Park and Mweya Lodge, situated on a peninsula overlooking Lake Edward and Kasinga Channel, offering beautiful views of the park with the Rwenzori Mountains in the background. Queen Elizabeth National Park resides in a fertile, equatorial area and has beautiful scenery. It is Uganda’s most popular and accessible savannah reserve, with a total area of 1978km².

It is primarily associated with grassy savannah plains, but this impressive park also includes within its boundaries, leafy rainforests, dense papyrus swamps and natural volcanic crater lakes. As a result it has one of the highest biodiversity ratings of any game reserve in the world, including a total of 95 recorded mammal species and more then 610 species of birds. In the afternoon, we will explore the park and its wonders on a game drive. Mweya Lodge is situated on a peninsula overlooking Lake Edward and Kasinga Channel, offering beautiful views of the park with the Rwenzori Mountains in the background. The lodge has been completely renovated to a high standard with excellent rooms, en suite facilities, restaurant, bar area, outside dining and a swimming pool.
Overnight at Mweya Lodge (BLD)/other similar

Day 5: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park including a launch trip of about two hours on the Kasinga Channel to view some of the largest concentration of hippo in the world {reported to be about 30,000} and other game with excellent birding. Queen Elizabeth National Par is one of best birding parks in Africa, with 560 + recorded species and a record of 296 bird species seen in one 24 hour period.
Overnight at Mweya Lodge (BLD)/other similar

Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Today we drive through the park to the Ishasha region. Game drive in search of tree climbing lion (75% success rate) and other game. Afternoon drive to Bwindi Impenetrable (a World Heritage Sight) passing through the scenic area known as The Switzerland of East Africa. The driving today is about 5 1/2 hours (not including game drives).
Overnight at Gorilla Forest Camp (BLD)/other similar

Day 7: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Gorilla tracking day
After breakfast take a short drive to Park Headquarters and meet with excellent local guides and trackers who will give a talk on the etiquette of gorilla trekking. We then hike into the forest where the gorillas were seen the night before and track from that point. The trekking can take from 1 to 6 hours and climb to altitudes in excess of 7,500 feet. The terrain is rough and at times muddy. Although the Hike is physically demanding the beauty of the forest and surrounding scenery make the trekking worthwhile. Once the gorillas are located all fatigue is forgotten, as the experience is often described as being the most profound natural history experience in the world. Picnic lunches are provided and it is important to take plenty of water. Cameras and plenty of fast speed film is recommended. It can rain at a few minutes notice; hence waterproof clothing is a good essential including zip lock bags for cameras and film. N.B. We cannot guarantee seeing Gorillas.
Overnight at Gorilla Forest Camp (BLD)/other similar

Day 8: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Second gorilla tracking day
Overnight at Gorilla Forest Camp (BLD)/other similar

Day 9: Lake Mburo National Park

Drive to Mbarara passing through the Switzerland of East Africa area and eventually into Ankole Cattle country around Mbarara. These cattle are incredible with horns larger than one can imagine. Continue to Lake Mburo National Park, game drive. The drive today is 6 to 7 hours. Lake Mburo National Park is a small park, excellent for birding, antelope and other grazers, one of the only places to easily see Impala and zebra in Uganda.

Game drives offer particularly picturesque game viewing with the Park’s mixture of savannah, acacia woodlands, grassy valleys, rocky outcrops, swamps, lakes and rolling hills. Herds of impala (found nowhere else in Uganda), buffalo and zebra, plus waterbuck and eland are amongst the variety of wildlife to be seen. Birders will enjoy the Park’s 310 recorded water and dry land species. In this valley we can operate night drives and walks. This is the only park where we will see Impala and Burchell’s Zebra. It is an excellent place for walking and exploring a nearby Khopji to perhaps see Klipspringer. Game drive to the lodge.
Overnight at Mihingo Lodge (BLD)/other similar

Day 10: Lake Mburo National Park – Entebbe

This morning we have an early morning game drive before heading back to Entebbe, this takes approximately 5 hours – road and weather dependent. If time permits it is possible to stop in Kampala for shopping and lunch and a visit to the Mpigi Royal Drum Makers. You are then transferred to Entebbe International airport to connect with your departure flight. Please note the departure flight must be in the late afternoon or evening, alternatively we can arrange another overnight in Entebbe.
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