10 Days Best of Uganda Primate Safari
This 10 days’ program takes you to some of Uganda’s finest National parks. It gives you a chance to see the big5s, primates and several bird species. Trek rhinos on foot, see the Murchison falls, go on unlimited games and get close to our closest relatives(Chimpanzees and gorillas)
OVERVIEW
Day 1 Arrival
Day 2 Travel to Murchison Falls National Park
Day 3 Game drive and boat trip
Day 4 Travel to Kibale Forest National Park
Day 5 Chimpanzee Trekking
Day 6 Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 7 Game drive and boat cruise
Day 8 Travel to Bwindi
Day 9 Gorilla Trekking and travel to Lake Bunyonyi
Day 10 Travel to Entebbe/Departure
DETAILED PROGRAM
Day 1 Arrival
On your arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be welcomed by your safari guide from Mandela Safari Holidays. He will brief you about the whole tour and transfer you to your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe.
Meal plan – Dinner
Accommodation
Budget – Vivia Guesthouse Entebbe
Midrange – Cassia Lodge
Day 2 Travel to Murchison Falls via Zia Rhino sanctuary.
This morning, you will be met by your safari guide He will give you a short briefing about the whole tour and then travel to Murchison Falls National Park. On the way, you are to do rhino tracking at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. This is the only place to see rhinos in the wild in Uganda. You track rhinos on foot under the guidance of an expert guide.
We then continue to Murchison falls National Park with a lunch stop and arrival will be in the afternoon. We then check in the lodge and relax.
Travel time – Approx 7 Hrs
Meal Plan –Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation
Budget – Fort Murchison Camp
Midrange – Pakuba Safari Lodge
Day 3 Game drive and boat trip
After having breakfast, you are to have a morning game drive in search for giraffes, water bucks, elephants, warthogs, hyenas, leopards, oribis and so on. You then have lunch and get ready for the boat trip to the bottom of the Murchison Falls. Expect to see hundreds of hippos bathing, crocodiles, warthogs, antelopes, elephants, buffaloes, lions, hyenas and many more. This park is also home to over 350 bird species. You are advised to wear a hat and insect repellent to avoid bites of insects. You will then hike with your guide to the top of the falls to see how the Victoria Nile plunges over 45 meters over the Remnant rift valley wall thus creating the amazing Murchison Falls. You will also be able to see the rainbow that appears on the top of the falls no matter what time of the day. We then drive to our lodge to relax.
Meal plan – Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation
Budget – Fort Murchison Camp
Midrnge – Pakuba Safari Lodge
Day 4 Travel to Kibale Forest
Wake up at leisure, have breakfast and then have a game drive in this magnificent park. Expect to check out of the park at before 9:00 am and then travel to Kibale Forest, The primate capital of the world. The forest is home to 13 primate species including the chimpanzee, blue monkeys, nocturnal portal, bush babies, and so on. It is also home to several species of butterflies. In the evening, you have an option to a walk in the Bigodi wetlands giving you a opportunity to see several bird and primate species.
Meal plan – breakfast and dinner
Accommodation
Budget – Kibale Forest Camp
Midrange – Turaco Tree Tops
Travel time – Approx 6 hrs
Day 5 Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest
Wake up early for breakfast and then travel to Kyanyanchu Park head quarters in Kibale Forest. You will be briefed about the dos and don’ts of chimpanzee tracking. You then enter the tropical rainforest as you search for man’s closest relatives, the chimpanzee. Having encountered them, enjoy a full hour observing their behaviour and then return to your lodge to relax.
In the afternoon, you have an option to go for a Bigodi Swamp walk (usd 25 per person) which might give you an opportunity to see some primate species including black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys and so on. This is also a ramsar site for bird watchers. Species to see include the African fish Eagles, kingfishers, herons and so on. You also have an option to visit the Amabere caves and Nyakasura falls in the footsteps of mountain Rwenzori. (usd 30 per person)
Meal plan – breakfast and dinner
Accommodation
Budget – Kibale Forest Camp
Midrange – Turaco Tree Tops
Day 6 Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Kasenda Crater Lakes
Have breakfast and then embark on the road less travelled. Visit the Kasenda crater lakes region on your way to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Common lakes include Lake Nkuruba, Lake Nyabikere, Lake Mubiro and so on. Among these, the most visited are ones at the “top of the world”. Due to their scenic and romantic location they are commonly visited by the newlyweds. The area is home to various bird species such as the great blue turaco, black and white casqued hornbill and so on. Proceed to Queen Elizabeth and if time allows, we have an evening game drive around the Kasenyi area.
Meal plan – breakfast and dinner
Accommodation
Budget – The Bush Lodge
Midrange – Buffalo Safari Lodge/Elephant Hab Lodge
Day 7 Morning Game drive and afternoon boat trip
We wake up for early breakfast and embark on a morning game drive around Kasenyi sector to search for the early risers. This sector is known as a matting ground for antelopes and therefore a hunting ground for predator such as lions, leopards and so on. The game drive lasts for 3 to 4 hrs and ends at the shores of Lake George. We then return to the lodge for a lunch break.
We are to have lunch on the Mweya peninsular and then a boat safari on the Kazinga channel in search for crocodiles, hippos, elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, water birds and so on. This channel is a water stream that joins two lakes George and Edward and is known as a hippo paradise because it has the highest concentration of hippos in the world. If time allows, you are to end your day with an evening game drive before returning to your lodge to relax.
Meal plan – Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation
Budget – The Bush Lodge
Midrange – Buffalo Safari Lodge/Elephant Hab Lodge
Day 8 Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
We eat breakfast and then travel to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. On the way, you are to have an enroute game drive in Ishasha, the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This area is famous for the rare tree climbing lions. They tend to relax on fig trees as they escape the mid day sun. Arrival to your safari lodge will be in the early evening.
Meal plan – Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation
Budget –Gorilla Mist Camp
Midrange -Mutanda Lake Resort/Gorilla Leisure Lodge
Day 9 Gorilla Tracking and Travel to Lake Bunyonyi
On this day, you wake up very early, move to the park headquarters for paperwork and then get briefed about gorilla trekking before entering the Impenetrable forest. Be ready to walk for one to six hours depending on where you will find the gorillas. Having encountered them, you will be given a full hour to associate with them. The one hour you spend with the gorillas is unforgettable. The mountain Gorilla is the most powerful and muscular primate on earth. Expect to see more wildlife since the forest is home to other creatures including the black and white colobus monkeys, L’hoest’s monkey, bushbucks, olive baboons, forest elephants, and many bird species.
Your lodge is a resort on Lake Bunyonyi. This is Uganda’s deepest and Africa’s 2nd deepest lake and the world’s 3rd deepest lake. Relax and feel free to take part in several optional activities while here. Optional activities include canoeing, swimming, boat cruise, visiting a Batwa community, bird watching and so on.
Meal plan – breakfast and dinner
Accommodation
Budget – Bunyonyi Overland Resort
Midrange – Arcadia Lodges
Day 10 Departure
Having ad breakfast, travel to Kampala or Entebbe to catch your flight. The journey takes you through the Ankole kingdom famous for its long-horned cattle/Ankole cattle. You will have a lunch stop at Kayabwe/Equator village. This is where the earth is divided into south and northern hemisphere. In this case, you will cross from south to northern hemisphere and arrival at your destination will be in the early evening hence end of safari.
Meal plan – breakfast
Accommodation – Not included.
HIGHLIGHTS
Game drives and game walks
Bird watching
Hiking to the top of the Falls
Boat trips
Chimpanzee trekking
Gorilla trekking
Included in the cost are.
Airport Transfers
All breakfast and dinners as the itinerary states
All accommodation
Rhino tracking fees
Hiking to the Top of the Murchison Falls
Gorilla permits valued at USD 700 per person.
Chimpanzee permits
All park entrance fees.
Game ranger fee
All game drives.
Boat trips
4WD Safari vehicle (Landcruiser) suitable for game viewing
Enough Bottled drinking water while on safari
Not included in the cost are
Porter for your forest treks
Flights
Visa fees
Drinks besides water provided in safari vehicle.
Anything marked optional in the itinerary.
Packing list
A pair of waterproof trousers and jacket.
A hat
Insect repellent
Sunshine repellent
A pair of sunglasses
Personal camera
A pair of binoculars
Personal sleeping bag
Good hiking shoes
While on site, we accept payments either in US Dollars, or Uganda Shillings.
Enjoy your safari!
