Arrival
Arrival
Day 1
Arrivals at Entebbe International Airport and bird Entebbe Botanical gardens for early arrivals
Arrivals at Entebbe International Airport and bird Entebbe Botanical gardens for early arrivals
Pick up and transfer to a nearby Lodge for refreshment, dinner and overnight stay. Early arrivals will give a chance for a leisurely birding walk at the archetypal tropical rainforest of National Botanical Gardens of Uganda along Victoria shores in Entebbe as we get over jetlag. Likely encounters: Bat-hawk, Southern White-faced Scops-Owl, African Cuckoo-hawk, Orange Weaver, Golden-backed Weaver, Black & White Casqued Hornbill, African Pied and Crowned Hornbills.
- Main Destination:
- Entebbe (City)
- Accommodation:
- Forest Cottages
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 2
Visit Mabamba wetland in the morning and drive to Mbale later on
Visit Mabamba wetland in the morning and drive to Mbale later on
Start very early in the morning and drive to Mabamba marsh along the shores of Lake Victoria. We look for the shoebill along the channels and lagoons in the marsh. After we drive to Kampala, have lunch and later drive to Mbale town. A little bit of slow traffic along the Kampala Jinja Highway, so we expect later arrivals in Mbale.
- Main Destination:
- Mabamba Swamp
- Accommodation:
- Mount Elgon Hotel
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 3
Birding in Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve for the whole day
Birding in Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve for the whole day
We drive to this second largest protected area in Uganda which is home to the gigantic Roan Antelope, cheetahs and the Uganda Endemics; Fox’s Weaver and the Karamoja Apalis. We spend the whole day here in search of the Karamoja Apalis, Fox’s Weaver, Bronze-tailed Starling, black-breasted barbet, stone partridges etc. the Roan Antelope is a specialty of this reserve. Cheetahs are occasional encounters in the evenings.
- Main Destination:
- Pian-Upe Wildlife Reserve
- Accommodation:
- Kara-Tunga Safari Camp
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 4
Drive to Kidepo Valley National Park
Drive to Kidepo Valley National Park
Long and birdy drive all the way. Arrivals at our lodge in the park will be late in the afternoon - may have a late lunch there. Birding around the lodge this afternoon/evening – always very productive. Along the road we expect to see steel blue whydahs, eastern paradise whydah, the straw-tailed paradise whydah, plus many others.
- Main Destination:
- Kidepo Valley National Park
- Accommodation:
- Mara Safari Lodge Kidepo
Wildlife in Kidepo Valley NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 5
Whole day birding in Kidepo Valley National Park
Whole day birding in Kidepo Valley National Park
Spend the whole day in the park – white-crested Turaco, black-breasted barbet, Red pate Cisticola, greater blue-eared starling, Bruce's green pigeon, Rufous Chatterer, Rose-ringed Parakeet numerous species of mammals…. Large Herds African Buffalo, Lions, Elephant etc. We shall spend most of our time across the river Kidepo. we carry Picnic lunch.
- Main Destination:
- Kidepo Valley National Park
- Accommodation:
- Mara Safari Lodge Kidepo
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 6
Drive to Muchison Falls National Park
Drive to Muchison Falls National Park
It a long journey and may likely take us most of the day with limited birding activity. A few stops on the way to stretch and look at birds. Lunch break will be in Gulu town. Arrival in the park will be late this afternoon. The lodge we stay at tonight is at the extreme end of the park's northern sector and is very good for birding.
- Main Destination:
- Murchison Falls National Park
- Accommodation:
- Fort Murchison (Room)
Wildlife in Murchison Falls NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 7
Birding in Murchison Falls National Park
Birding in Murchison Falls National Park
Spend the whole morning in the northern sector of the park. Afternoon boat cruise along the Nile to the Bottom of the falls. Highlights of the day: Lions, Leopard, Hyena, Giraffe, Hartebeest, Uganda Kob, Nile Crocodiles, plus a diverse array of birds found in this park. We shall pay a short visit to the top of the falls before driving to Masindi town after here.
- Main Destination:
- Murchison Falls National Park
- Accommodation:
-
Masindi Hotel
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 8
Birding to Budongo Forest Reserve
Birding to Budongo Forest Reserve
Drive for about an hour to Budongo forest and spend the day birding along the Royale Mile. Special Species: Ituri batis, Uganda Woodland Warbler, brown twinspot, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Dwarf Kingfisher, Rufous-crowned Eremomela etc. There occasional encounters are chimps. Black-and White Colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkey, blue monkey etc. are also present.
- Main Destination:
- Royal Mile (Budongo Forest)
- Accommodation:
- Masindi Hotel
Wildlife in Budongo Forest
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 9
Drive to Kibale National Park
Drive to Kibale National Park
Birding to Kibale forest with a few stops along the way to look at some specials. Late lunch in Fort Portal town. Spend the rest of the afternoon along the main road in the forest or around the lodge gardens. Kibale forest is famous for primates and the Green-breasted for the bird enthusiasts.
- Main Destination:
- Kibale National Park (Chimps)
- Accommodation:
- Chimpanzee Forest Lodge
Wildlife in Kibale NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 10
Birding in the morning and Optional Chimp tracking in the afternoon
Birding in the morning and Optional Chimp tracking in the afternoon
Start very early for the special bird of this forest - the green-breasted Pitta, plus several other encounters with occasional chimpanzees. Afternoon drive Chimp tracking in the forest.
Apart from the Pitta, there is a quite a selection of interesting birds in the forest like the White-spotted flufftail, the Jameson's Wattle-eye, Shinning blue Kingfisher, black bee-eater, Masked Apalis and many others.
- Main Destination:
- Kibale National Park (Chimps)
- Accommodation:
- Chimpanzee Forest Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 11
Explore Bigodi Wetlands and travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Explore Bigodi Wetlands and travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Start early for birding in the forest later drive to Fort Portal Town for lunch and later drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Highlights at the famous Bigodi Community wetland include white-spotted flufftail, great-blue turaco, white-tailed anti-thrush, great blue turaco, red colobus monkey, black and white colobus monkey, white-nosed monkey, Uganda Mangabey etc.
- Main Destination:
- Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary (Kibale NP)
- Accommodation:
- The Bush Lodge (Banda)
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 12
Birding drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Birding drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Morning game drive along the Kasenyi plains and spend this afternoon at Kazinga Channel on a birding and mammal watching cruise. Common Button Quail, Temminck's Courser, Verreaux's Eagle Owl, Rufous-napped Lark, Red-necked Spurfowl, white-browed coucal and Lesser masked weaver and many others are special encounters along the Kasenyi tracks. The Launch Cruise along the Kazinga Channel is an icon of wildlife and bird watching in the park with herds of elephant, buffalo thronging the banks, giant Nile crocodiles basking in the sun, several schools of hippos etc. African skimmers, great white and pink backed pelicans, white-breasted cormorants, grey-headed gulls, gull-billed terns, sacred ibises, marabou storks, white-faced whistling ducks and many others always find a single location to show off along the banks of the channel and they always appear in hundreds!
- Main Destination:
- Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Accommodation:
- The Bush Lodge (Banda)
Wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 13
Birding to Ishasha Queen Elizabeth National Park
Birding to Ishasha Queen Elizabeth National Park
Do another birding stroll in the morning along the Kasenyi plains where African crake, small button quails, Temminck’s coursers, collared pratincoles etc. are normally encountered before transferring to Ishasha sector of the park that is mostly famous for tree climbing Lions. Early morning of this day, we look for the papyrus gonolek at the Katunguru Bridge.
- Main Destination:
- Ishasha Sector (Queen Elizabeth NP)
- Accommodation:
- Ishasha Pride Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 14
Bird Ishasha sector in the morning and afternoon transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Bird Ishasha sector in the morning and afternoon transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Birding here the whole morning is always very productive: Fan-tailed grass warbler, dwarf-bittern, Black coucal, re-collared widowbird, blue-cheeked bee-eaters etc. are possible encounters. In the afternoon we drive to Bwindi Impenetrable NP - spend the last couple of hours before dark at the forest edge birding.
- Main Destination:
- Ishasha Sector (Queen Elizabeth NP)
- Accommodation:
- Ride 4 a Woman Guesthouse
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 15
Birding the Main trail at Buhoma in Bwindi Forest
Birding the Main trail at Buhoma in Bwindi Forest
Bwindi Impenetrable NP – Birding along the main trail at Buhoma. Specials: Neumann’s Warbler, Kivu ground Thrush, Red-throated Alethe, and Jameson’s Ant-pecker, Many-coloured Bush shrike, African Broadbill and many other Albertine rift endemics. Transfer to Ruhiija late in the afternoon.
- Main Destination:
- Buhoma Sector (Bwindi NP)
- Accommodation:
- Broadbill Forest Camp
Wildlife in Bwindi NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 16
Birding at Ruhiija in Bwindi Forest
Birding at Ruhiija in Bwindi Forest
Bird to the Mubwindi Swamp - the African Green broadbill trail. The yellow-eyed black flycatcher, Lagden’s Bushshrike, Grauer’s rush warbler, the African green broadbill, Grey-chested Babbler, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Archer’s Robin Chat and may others, are some of the targets here.
- Main Destination:
- Ruhija Sector (Bwindi NP)
- Accommodation:
- Broadbill Forest Camp
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 17
Optional Gorilla tracking at Ruhija in Bwindi Forest
Optional Gorilla tracking at Ruhija in Bwindi Forest
Today we wake up and drive to the park headquarters for registration and briefing before we head to the forest for tracking the gorillas. You will be joining other groups and will be guided by tracker guides who are experienced in finding these great apes. The activity is challenging and requires one to be in reasonably good health.
- Main Destination:
- Ruhija Sector (Bwindi NP)
- Accommodation:
- Broadbill Forest Camp
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 18
Drive to Lake Mburo National Park
Drive to Lake Mburo National Park
Drive to lake Mburo NP. Afternoon/evening birding around the lodge, or depending on the time we arrive here, we may do a short stroll in the park. Lake Mburo is a beautiful place comprising of acacia associated species of birds and a very good mix of the northern Tanzania species that find their northern limits in this park.
- Main Destination:
- Lake Mburo National Park
- Accommodation:
- Hyena Hill Lodge
Wildlife in Lake Mburo NP
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 19
Birding and mammal viewing in the park
Birding and mammal viewing in the park
Early Morning Walk in the woods looking at animals and birds as they graze along, is a fascinating experience. Zebras, Impala, Giraffe, Bufalo can’t be missed here. There are chances of African water rail, shoebill, Greencap Eremomela, Tabora Cisticola, Black-collared barbet etc. we shall also do a boat ride to look for African finfoot, giant kingfisher plus may others.
- Main Destination:
- Lake Mburo National Park
- Accommodation:
- Hyena Hill Lodge
- Meals & Drinks:
Day 20
Drive to Entebbe for departure
Drive to Entebbe for departure
Check out the hotel and drive straight to Entebbe for your flight back home. Lunch in Entebbe at Faze3 restaurant or Cafe Javas.
- Main Destination:
- Entebbe International Airport (Entebbe)
- Accommodation:
- No accommodation (End of tour)
- Meals & Drinks:
