15 DAYS UGANDA SAFARI.
Overview.
The 15 days safari in Uganda rewards you with the best wildlife and culture that you cannot witness anywhere. Visiting the selected areas and national parks like Kibale, Queen Elizabeth among others as you explore savannahs and rain forests alike will enable you to participate in different activities like primate trekking, boat cruises, game drives, cultural encounters, nature walks among others.
The beautiful land scape of Uganda - the pearl of Africa makes your safari enjoyable and memorable.
Detailed itinerary.
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to a hotel in Kampala city.
On the arrival, the driver guide will welcome you and brief you about this 15 days safari and if you arrived early, you will take a short visit of Entebbe at Uganda education centre to discover Uganda’s wildlife kept in captive.
Day 2: Transfer to Kibale national park. Afternoon optional activity.
Start a journey to Kibale national park passing through the hills and valleys covered by forests, rocks and tea plantations. The journey takes about 5-6 hours’ drive to reach your accommodation site. Kibale national park is a home over 13 primates and this makes it the capital primate of the world. Among other primates here are the chimpanzees our close cousin, olive baboons, velvet monkeys and black and white colobus monkeys.
Also the forest has other big mammals like the elephants, buffalos among others with unique bid species like the green breasted pitta.
On arrival, take an optional activity of Crater Lake exploration, coffee experience or tea plantation visit with the help of Isunga cultural community.
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking and visit Isunga cultural community.
An exciting day starts with a morning breakfast which will be followed by the drive to Kanyanchu tourist information centre where you will receive the guideline to trek our cousins-chimpanzees. These instructions among others include; not making noise, do not feed the animals and not using flashlights for cameras.
After trekking which can take between 2-3 hours, return to the starting point and be rewarded with a certificate of appreciation? Then head to the lodge for your lunch and later visit Isunga cultural community where you will experience both Batooro and Bakiga culture. You will also be able to take a community walk and explore the Isunga cold springs filled with a traditional story/myths and this will reward you with memories. Return to the lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: Sempaya hot springs-Semuliki national park and visit Amabere caves in Fort portal.
Drive to Bundibugyo district situated in Rwenzori region after your breakfast at the safari lodge. The park is well known for its hot springs that comes out of the ground with a strong pungent smell of hydrogen sulphide. You will be welcomed by the park ranger guide who will give you a brief history and rules and regulations about the park.
The park is a hub for butterflies, bird species and tree species. You will be rewarded with nature walks that will take you to the rewarding Sempaya hot springs which are both male and female. These boil at 100 degrees and will offer you a chance to cook your food maybe eggs or Matoke. This water is from underground from molten magma that is pushed upwards forming hot springs. You may spot monkeys and birds as you are taking a nature walk in this park.
In the afternoon after taking packed lunch, you will visit the Amabere caves on the same route in Nyakasura about 10km from Fort-portal town. The area is full of history about the Bachwezi which is related to the stalactites and stalagmites. Visit the Saaka craters and hike the Kyeganywa hill to see the beauty of fort-portal tourism city and Rwenzori ranges. And in the evening, you will return to the lodge for your dinner.
Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth NP.
After an early breakfast, transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park in western Uganda to catch up with the tree-climbing animals in Ishasha sector which makes it famous and the most visited national park in Uganda. The journey rewards you with several attractions the crater lakes in Kasenda, Rwenzori ranges, among others.
As you enter the park, you will be amazed and welcomed by abundant wild game such as the elephants, buffaloes, antelopes such as the Uganda kobs, warthogs among others.
Day 6: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise.
Embark on an early a game drive to catch up with early raiser wild gam such as the lions, hyenas, and leopards among others. Other animals that can be spotted are Topis, elephants, buffaloes, antelopes such as the Uganda kobs, warthogs among others.
These are spotted in the savannah vegetation and the afternoon after lunch; embark on the boat cruise at Kazinga channel a home for crocodiles and hippos. Also, you can find different water-loving birds such as raptors, pygmy kingfisher, grey-headed kingfisher, and little beekeeper among others.
Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi national park via Ishasha sector.
Enjoy a leisure spiced tea as you spot the sunset, in Ishasha sector as you spot tree climbing lions, then head to the home of gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park in southwestern Uganda, a journey covering a distance of 273km and it takes about 5-6hours depending on the speed ant the conditions of the road.
Bwindi national park is located in far southwestern Uganda at the border of Uganda and Rwanda. It's famous for harbouring the biggest population of the remaining mountain gorillas, estimated to be 600 individuals.
Day 8: Gorilla trekking and Batwa community tour.
Drive to the park headquarters after your breakfast and be able to receive the guidelines to follow while in the forest like not feeding animals, not making noise, not mimic among others. While here, you will be allocated in a group of 8 tourists to trek only one gorilla family.
Later on, the park ranger guide will escort you to penetrate the impenetrable forest as you search for this endangered mountain gorilla. You will have an hour in their presence after locating then but remember, trekking can take 2-4 hours and this involves walking long distances plus hiking. Therefore, it requires someone physically fit and strong. You will encounter other attractions like different monkeys, different unique bird species among others.
In the afternoon after your lunch, you will take a walk to Batwa community where you will be able to study about their culture through story tales, visiting their caves, and also get entertained in their traditional dances. After, you will head back to your lodge
Day 9: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi.
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast and then head transfer to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale district and at the border of Rwanda. The lake gives a stunning view of terraced land.
The journey takes about 3 hours’ drive through the highlands of Kigezi. On the arrival, you will explore the lake through boat cruise as you prepare for another exciting day tomorrow.
Day 10: Full day Lake Bunyonyi exploration.
Take a boat cruise to spot different bird species and different islands that give an appealing view. They are terraced and farming takes place around these islands.
Day 11: Depart to Lake Mburo National Park.
Enjoy the drive after a spiced tea through the Kigezi highlands and cattle farms for Banyankole to Lake Mburo national park. It is the smallest savannah national park in Uganda, located in Kiruhura, Isingiro and Mbarara districts. It is famous for its impalas and the Ankole long-horned cattle which are found grazing together at the edge of park and it’s the only national park near the capital city Kampala. You will have a stopover at Igongo cultural centre for another great cultural experience and lunch.
Day 12: Full day Lake Mburo NP exploration.
Encounter the beauty of this savannah national park after breakfast where you will take a morning game drive to be able to sot the early raiser like the jackals, spotted hyena, leopards among others. You will also encounter other wildlife like the giraffes, zebras, and different monkeys like the velvet monkeys among others.
In the afternoon, embark on a boat cruise as you spot water-loving birds and animals on Lake Mburo like crocodiles, hippo among others. This day will be a rewarding encounter as you reach to the heart of this park. In the evening, return to the safari lodge for your dinner.
Day 13: Transfer back to Kampala and a stopover at the equator.
Head back to Kampala after breakfast and the have a stopover at the Uganda equator view point in Kayabwe to take memorable photos, buy some souvenirs and also have lunch on this point. Then proceed to Kampala for your accommodation. At night, you have option to enjoy night life.
Day 14: Travel to Jinja, visit Sezibwa and source of the Nile
Travel to Jinja after your breakfast and in reaching Mukono district; visit the Sezibwa waterfalls where you will experience the beautiful scenery with a bit of culture and history.
The Sezibwa are not just waterfalls to Baganda which is a dominant tribe in central Uganda but rather an integral part of their culture, history and traditional beliefs. You will have a chance of photographic moments at this place.
And after, proceed to the Jinja and then to visit the source of the Nile by boat cruise for a memorable experience. Then head to the hotel in Jinja for your accommodation.
Day 15: Travel back to Kampala and a drop off at the airport.
Early drive to Kampala to beat off traffic jam and if time allow, we take a short city excursion where we can visit the Uganda museum and local markets like Nakasero which is well known for fresh fruits. After lunch the safari will end after a drop off at the airport in Entebbe.