Arrival
Arrival
Day 1
Pickup, Drive to Mabamba for Shoebill, then Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
Pickup, Drive to Mabamba for Shoebill, then Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
Today after breakfast, you'll go birding to Mabamba before transferring to Lake Mburo National Park in the afternoon. You'll stop over at Kayabwe-Uganda Equator for lunch. You'll go birding to Mabamba this morning, one of the few remaining productive wetlands in Uganda protected by the local communities. It has extensive papyrus swamps with labyrinth channels and lagoons, classified as an important bird area (IBA). It’s a home of multiple shoebills— Uganda’s most famous avian resident and one of the most sought-after birds in Africa! It's only accessed by canoeing through the channels with a wooden boat. Birds like; papyrus gonolek, blue-breasted bee-eater, lesser and African jacana, white-browed scrub robin, swamp flycatcher, Vanga flycatcher, rufous-napped lark, black-crowned waxbill, bern swallow, African-dusky flycatcher, and a few others can't be missed. As you drive to Lake Mburo National Park, you'll have several stops to look at birds on the roadside.
- Main Destination:
- Mabamba Swamp
- Accommodation:
- Eagle's Nest Camp
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 2
Birding, Game Drive, and Afternoon Boat trip at Lake Mburo in Lake Mburo National Park
Birding, Game Drive, and Afternoon Boat trip at Lake Mburo in Lake Mburo National Park
After breakfast at 6 am, you'll drive 5 minutes to the park for your game drive. While in the park, you'll look out for zebras, elands, topi, impalas, cape buffalos, warthogs, etc, with a big checklist of birds including African-grey hornbill, black-loward babbler, red-headed weaver, greater blue-eared starling, trilling cisticola, green-wood hoopoe, brown-chested lapwing, scaly-throated honeyguide, lesser-masked weaver, white-backed vulture, Tabora cisticola, crested-spurfowl, red-faced barbet, little bee-eater, green-caped eremomera, black-throated barbet, black-collard barbet, southern ground hornbill, rufous-bellied night heron, and more. Today, after a hot lunch, you'll target the boat along Lake Mburo where you'll hardly miss the African finfoot, white-backed and black-crowned night heron, giant kingfisher. A night walk always produces good views of the black-shouldered, northern Tanzania fiery-necked nightjar, nocturnal mammals, and bush babies, and many others.
- Main Destination:
- Lake Mburo National Park
- Accommodation:
- Eagle's Nest Camp
Wildlife in Lake Mburo NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 3
Birding and Wildlife to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Birding and Wildlife to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
In the morning after breakfast, you'll transfer while birding and wildlife to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You'll have a lunch break in Kabale town. Bwindi is situated in southwestern Uganda, famous for its habitat for mountain gorillas including several habituated groups that can be tracked, and home to about 350 species of birds including 24 Albertine rift endemics! At least 14 species were recorded! Opportunities abound to discover the local Bakiga and Batwa pygmy cultures through their performances, workshops, and village walks. Birding en route allows scanning for birds like white-winged warbler, papyrus yellow warbler, common, Mackinnon's, and grey-backed Fiscal, great-blue, Ross's turaco, and a few more. Expected mammals are vervet, L'Hoest's monkey, black and white Colobus, and olive baboons. You will also be driving alongside hills and mountains, several Bakiga Gardens, and small towns that give memorable experiences!
- Main Destination:
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)
- Accommodation:
- Agandi Lodge
Wildlife in Bwindi NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 4
Birding and Wildlife in Mubwindi Swamp Trail-Albertine Rift Endemic Bird Species highlight
Birding and Wildlife in Mubwindi Swamp Trail-Albertine Rift Endemic Bird Species highlight
After breakfast, you'll pack your picnic gear and start birding to the Mubwindi Swamp. Here, you'll use site guides who are based in this area and monitor the birds and mammal habitat. They are Knowledgeable and can identify all bird species by calls and mimic all of them. The likes in this forest (Albertine rift endemics) include; red-throated alethe, archer’s robin-chat, yellow-eyed flycatcher, Chapin’s flycatcher, blue-headed sunbird, regal sunbird, Rockeffeller’s sunbird, purple-breasted sunbird, strange weaver, dusky crimson-wing, red-collard mountain babbler, Chapin’s mountain babbler, Grauer’s warbler, Neumann’s’ warbler, Prigogine’s greenbul, black-faced Apalis, collard Apalis, stripe-breasted tit, Grauer’s cuckoo shrike, red-billed helmet shrike, Ruwenzori batis, African green broadbill, dwarf honeyguide, Ruwenzori turaco, handsome francolin, and other native or common birds. Later, you'll experience birding back to the camp for dinner and an overnight stay.
- Main Destination:
- Ruhija Sector (Bwindi NP)
- Accommodation:
- Agandi Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 5
Birding, Optional Gorilla Trekking, Evening Birding en route to Buhoma Sector
Birding, Optional Gorilla Trekking, Evening Birding en route to Buhoma Sector
Gorilla tracking (optional activity, so we can replace it with birding if any/all are not going for the activity). Later, you'll transfer to the Buhoma sector through the neck this evening. If you are willing to do the trekking, after breakfast, you'll assemble at the park offices for a briefing before this historic event. Gorilla tracking is a captivating pursuit; it involves walking in the wilderness in search of these great apes. The exhilaration attached to first setting an eye on a wild mountain gorilla is difficult to describe. They’re enormous animals, yet despite their fearsome appearance, gorillas are remarkably peaceable creatures. More impressive even than the gorilla’s size bearing is their unfathomable attitude to people, which differs greatly from that of any other wild animal that you’ve ever encountered! This once-in-a-lifetime experience is not to miss! You'll have birding en route through the NECK to the Buhoma sector. The NECK provides a stopover to scan for birds.
- Main Destination:
- Ruhija Sector (Bwindi NP)
- Accommodation:
- Ride 4 a Woman Guesthouse
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 6
Birding, Wildlife in Buhoma Sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Evening Transfer to QENP
Birding, Wildlife in Buhoma Sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Evening Transfer to QENP
With our picnic gear, you'll try your luck for Cabanis’s greenbul, narrow-tailed starling, grey-winged robin chart, Eliot's woodpecker, Northern double-collard sunbird, black-billed weaver, Bocage’s bushshrike, pink-footed puff back, petit’s cuckoo shrike, white-bellied nigrafinch, Cameroon sombre greenbul, African broadbill, buff-throated flycatcher, Chapin’s flycatcher, yellow bill, black-faced rufous warbler, little grey greenbul, Equatorial akalat, short-tailed warbler, red-headed Malimbe, white-browed crombec, mountain black boubou, Jameson’s anti-pecker with a list of butterflies and other mammals like L’hoest monkey, blue monkey, olive baboon, etc. After a hot lunch at 3 pm, you will transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
- Main Destination:
- Buhoma Sector (Bwindi NP)
- Accommodation:
- Engiri Game Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 7
Morning Birding, Wildlife Game Drive, Afternoon Boat Trip at Kazinga Channel
Morning Birding, Wildlife Game Drive, Afternoon Boat Trip at Kazinga Channel
Queen Elizabeth National Park is the second largest after Murchison Falls National Park with 95 mammal species. The highest for any Ugandan national park! About 610 bird species a truly remarkable figure for a reserve that is relatively smaller by continental standards. The park’s excellent biodiversity ranks it as one of the best birding sites in Uganda with a one-day record of about 300 species! The likes in this park include; the broad-tailed warbler, martial eagle, African skimmer, Verreaux’s eagle-owl, amur falcon, African skimmer, striated heron, African spoonbill, water thick-knee, three-banded plover, marsh, green, wood and common sandpiper, gray-headed gull, plain Martin, lesser swamp-warbler, white-winged warbler, Verreaux’s eagle-owl, yellow-billed ox-pecker and others. Mammals include; olive baboons, vervet monkeys, tantalus monkeys, blue and red-tailed monkeys, etc. After a hot lunch, you'll target the boat at Mweya Peninsula.
- Main Destination:
- Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Accommodation:
- Engiri Game Lodge
Wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 8
Morning Birding Stroll around Bunyaruru Craters for Scenery Viewing and Transfer to Fort Portal
Morning Birding Stroll around Bunyaruru Craters for Scenery Viewing and Transfer to Fort Portal
In the morning after breakfast, you will check out and drive a short distance to the crater region of Nzuguto. This time, you'll stroll along the way to Nzuguto wetland and the rest of Bunyaruguru craters where you'll hardly miss red-faced cisticola, Vanga flycatcher, red-eyed dove, black bishop, red-headed bluebill, rare white-collard olive back, African green pigeon, long-crested eagle, great blue turaco, Ross’s turaco, eastern grey plantain eater, African fish eagle, hamerkop, tawny-franked prinia, and a few others. You'll have a lunch break at the cave and transfer onwards to Fort Portal town.
- Main Destination:
- Fort Portal (Town)
- Accommodation:
- Mountains of the Moon Hotel
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 9
Birding and Wildlife Semuliki Valley National Park-Great Ituri Congo Forest Biome Species Highlights
Birding and Wildlife Semuliki Valley National Park-Great Ituri Congo Forest Biome Species Highlights
Semuliki is of particular interest to bird watchers: 435 bird species have been recorded, including a high proportion of forest birds and about 45 species seen nowhere else in Uganda. Only 53 mammal species occur and 11 species are seen nowhere else in Uganda including pygmy antelope, two types of flying squirrels, and six types of bats. Other interesting birds here are; the orange-checked waxbill, white-crowned hornbill, western bronze-napped pigeon, swamp bulbul, willcock’s honeyguide, crested malimbe, blue-breasted kingfisher, yellow-crested woodpecker, brown-eared woodpecker, red-billed dwarf hornbill, yellow-throated nicator etc. Semuliki contains a large number of many different colorful butterflies among all parks in Uganda. Today, you will start with your picnic breakfast and lunch and drive for about an hour to the park. You'll use the site guide here. Later in the evening, after a successful day, you will be en route birding back to Fort Portal town.
- Main Destination:
- Semuliki National Park
- Accommodation:
- Mountains of the Moon Hotel
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 10
Birding in Nyakasura Hills, Afternoon Transfer to Kibale National Park
Birding in Nyakasura Hills, Afternoon Transfer to Kibale National Park
You'll experience morning birding and wildlife in Nyakasura Hills and transfer to the Kibale chimpanzee forest in the afternoon. In the morning after breakfast, you will check out and drive for a short distance to the spectacular hills of Nyakasura, one of the beautiful sceneries in Fort Portal. Try your luck with Sharp’s babbler, brown babbler, white-backed duck, great-crested, and little grebe. After your hot lunch, you'll transfer birding to Kibale forest.
- Main Destination:
- Kibale National Park (Chimps)
- Accommodation:
- Chimpanzee Forest Lodge
Wildlife in Kibale NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 11
Birding and Wildlife in the Park/Bigodi Swamp Afternoon Optional Chimpanzee Tracking
Birding and Wildlife in the Park/Bigodi Swamp Afternoon Optional Chimpanzee Tracking
You'll enjoy morning birding and wildlife. In the afternoon, you'll have chimp tracking (an optional activity, so we can replace it with full-day birding if any/all of you are not interested in doing tracking). You'll wake up early and start birding along the roadside from the hotel to Bigodi sanctuary or wake up early at 5:00 am and prepare yourself for the most sought-after bird the green-breasted pitta! Thereafter, you'll continue normal birding getting out from the forest to your hotel for lunch break. In the afternoon, you'll drive to the park visitor center for briefing and chimp tracking. Kibale is the home of 13 primates and about 375 bird species. Primates include; L’Hoest’s monkey, red Colobus monkey, bush baby, olive baboon, red-tailed monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, and bird species like; Afep pigeon, red-winged francolin, narina trogon, bar-tailed trogon, black-billed turaco, black bee-eater, etc. You'll have a hot lunch at our lodge.
- Main Destination:
- Kibale National Park (Chimps)
- Accommodation:
- Chimpanzee Forest Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 12
Birding, Wildlife and Transfer to Masindi Town via Hoima
Birding, Wildlife and Transfer to Masindi Town via Hoima
After breakfast, you'll check out and depart for Masindi. This being quite a long journey, it will take a big percentage of your time this day traveling. You will be having several strategic stops to stretch your legs and have a look at birds. You will have a lunch break in Hoima town.
- Main Destination:
- Budongo Forest (Chimps)
- Accommodation:
-
Masindi Hotel
Wildlife in Budongo Forest
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 13
Budongo Forest - Royal Mile Birding and Wildlife
Budongo Forest - Royal Mile Birding and Wildlife
You'll have a birding excursion to the Royal Mile within the Murchison Falls Conservation Area. You will start early and head to the Royal Mile. En route, you will have some birding stopovers in the Nyabyaya farmlands to look out for bird species like the singing cisticola, cabanas’ bunting, dark-capped yellow warbler, grey-headed olive back, brown twinspot, black-bellied fire finch and more. You'll carry on to Royal Mile. Birding here is excellent with an open interior and gives you unique bird and butterfly species like the Ituri batis, lemon-bellied crombec, firest warbler, dusky longtailed cuckoo, dwarf, blue breasted, pygmy and chocolate-backed kingfisher, western black-headed oriole, red-headed malimbe, blue-throated roller, white spotted greenbul, rufous crowned eremomela, chestnut capped and forest flycatcher, yellow-crested woodpecker, yellow long bill, blue-throated brown sunbird and many more. Later, you'll go back to Masindi for dinner and an overnight stay.
- Main Destination:
- Budongo Forest (Chimps)
- Accommodation:
- Masindi Hotel
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 14
Morning en route Birding Via Kaniyo Pabidi then to Murchison Falls Np/drive through the escarpment
Morning en route Birding Via Kaniyo Pabidi then to Murchison Falls Np/drive through the escarpment
Pabidi is part of the Budongo Forest Reserve and an area of enormous diversity of flora and fauna. The forest is crisscrossed with maintained networks of trails making it perfect to explore the forest and giving the best sights for the rare, shy, and secretive bird; Puvel’s Illadopsis, and many other interesting species like; grey and yellow long-bill, chocolate-backed, blue-breasted, dwarf and pygmy kingfisher. You'll also have good views of the shaggy-crested guineafowl, fire-crested alethe, Narina tragon yellow-billed, grey throated and yellow spotted barbet, rufous-sided broadbill, chestnut capped and forest flycatcher, yellow-crested woodpecker, etc. Later, you'll enter Murchison Falls National Park southwards through the woodlands. You'll have lunch at the lodge.
- Main Destination:
- Murchison Falls National Park
- Accommodation:
- Bamboo Village Safari Lodge
Wildlife in Murchison Falls NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 15
Morning Birding, Wildlife Game Drive, Afternoon Boat Trip to the Bottom of the Falls
Morning Birding, Wildlife Game Drive, Afternoon Boat Trip to the Bottom of the Falls
Murchison Falls National Park with its spectacular waterfalls, prolific game, and clutch of outstanding lodges is universally regarded as one of East Africa’s most compelling national parks. It lies at the core of the greater Murchison Falls Conservation Area and is famous for its world’s powerful falls. You'll start an early morning game drive northern bank of the river Nile, looking out for birds and animals. Specialties to look at in Murchison are among others; the red-winged grey warbler, red-chested cuckoo, banded snake eagle, black-billed wood-dove, short-toed snake eagle, black-cheeked waxbill, black-headed and Vitelline masked weaver, heuglin’s robin-chat, black-headed gonolek, etc. Mammals like Jackson’s heartbeats, Rothschild’s giraffes, elephants, warthogs and many more. You'll have a lunch break at the Nile side/hot lunch from your lodge as you wait for the boat to take you along the Nile. Later, you'll go back to the hotel for refreshments, dinner, and an overnight stay!
- Main Destination:
- Murchison Falls National Park
- Accommodation:
- Bamboo Village Safari Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 16
Birding and Wildlife Back to Entebbe
Birding and Wildlife Back to Entebbe
This is quite a long journey but with strategic stopovers to stretch your legs and look at birds like the African mustached warbler, greater blue-eared starling, Abyssinian roller, common bulbul, and red-eyed dove. Chances abound for the rarity of the short-toed snake eagle and Hartlaubs’s marsh widowbird. Turacos like great blue and Ross’s turaco are rarely missed.
- Main Destination:
- Entebbe (City)
- Accommodation:
- No accommodation (End of tour)
- Meals & Drinks:
