16 Days African Vacation highlight is a magical journey into the isolated jungles of East Africa where you should expect an experience like no other; the journey starts and ends in Kampala/ Entebbe on this Safari will give you an opportunity to track the Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the chimpanzees in Kibale National Park. You will have an opportunity to see the Big 5 as you will do game drives in the parks of Kidepo Valley National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National Park and Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. You will also visit the Sipi falls in Kapchorwa, the Source of River Nile in Jinja, cultural experiences and Ssezibwa falls in Mukono. This Safari is designed to allow every travelers to have a chance to spend time in the wilderness.
Day 1: Pick up from Kampala/Entebbe and transfer to Jinja Town.
After breakfast, you will meet your guide and drive to Jinja, you will stop at Ssezibwa falls and later for Lunch, and you will then have a boat ride to the source of the Nile. You will be able to visit the craft shops as well, the community staying on the river side stay at King Fisher safari lodge.
Day 2: Proceed to Sipi Falls for Lunch and Hike to Sipi Waterfall.
Today after an early breakfast, you drive to Sipi falls. You will arrive in Sipi in time for lunch and after lunch you will hike to Sipi falls in such an amazing experience. The Sipi falls is comprised of 3 waterfalls each flowing from a different altitude. The highest fall drops from an altitude of 100m referred to as the main fall since it is the last fall in the series, this fall is a little bigger than the other two falls, but all give Uganda a beautiful scenery. In fact most people say that Sipi falls are the ‘most romantic falls’ in Uganda which is evidenced by the wonderful falls. You will later stay for overnight listening to the amazing sound from the falls; you will wake up the next day to breathtaking scenery of the Sipi waterfalls. Stay at Sipi valley resort.
Day 3: Coffee Tour experience and transfer to Moroto.
After breakfast, you will start the coffee experience. This area is majorly where most coffee are planted on the slopes of mount Elgon, in this experience you will learn all about coffee from seedling to table, on same activity you will be seeing the beautiful scenic view of Karamoja region and other beautiful coffee Plantations. After visit the coffee Plantations, you will connect to Moroto via Pain Upe game park if you’re lucky you will be able to spot Ostriches and have over night stay at Kara-Tunga safari lodge.
Day 4: Cultural experience in Nakapurumuru village and transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park.
After your morning breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and drive to Kotido to visit Nakapurumuru village where the biggest number of Karamojong’s, here you will be accompanied with local guide to take you around and learn their culture and after you will be transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park in Kaabong and Kaleng districts. This journey will take approximately 8 hours but it will be a fun-filled journey with many scenic views. You will have an En-route lunch on your way to Kidepo Valley National Park. You will reach the lodge, check in and relax as you
wait for dinner. If you are not tired, you will head for an evening game drive in the park. Dinner and Overnight stay at Savannah safari lodge.
Day 5: game drive in Kidepo valley national park
After your early morning breakfast, you will depart for an early morning game drive as early as 6am in the rolling plains of Kidepo valley and look out for different mammal species such as lions, leopards, elephants, elands, zebras, ostriches, giraffes, buffaloes, cheetahs, which can be spotted at the Narus valley when they drinking water. You will then return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon you will have evening game drive as you are trying to look for what have missed in the morning after return to lodge for your overnight stay at previous lodge.
Day 6: Transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
After your morning breakfast at the lodge, you will check out of your lodge in Kidepo Valley National Park and transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola. It will be a long journey but you will have stops along the way for relaxation and you will also have lunch on your way to the Rhino Sanctuary. You will arrive at the sanctuary later and you will check in at the
lodge and relax as you wait for dinner and overnight stay Amuka safari lodge or Ziwa safari lodge.
Day 7: Rhino tracking and transfer to Murchison falls national park with visit to the top of the falls.
After your morning breakfast you will head out for rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. It’s an activity where you track the rhinos on foot and when you have sighted them, you spend one hour with them. After the rhino tracking experience you will have lunch in the way Masindi town after you will be proceeding to Murchison Falls National Park. In the park you will visit the top of Murchison Falls, the powerful falls where the Nile squeezes through the gorge of 7m wide and 45m deep and plunges with a thunderous roar into the Devil’s Cauldron creating a trademark rainbow. From the falls you will continue in the park to check in the lodge, stay at Bamboo safari lodge or Ikorom safari lodge
Day 8: Game drive and boat cruise to the bottom of the falls
Have your breakfast very early in the morning, depart for an early morning game drive as early as 6am and head into the park and look out for view the different mammals such as elephants, lions, leopards, Rothschild’s giraffes, buffaloes and antelopes like Uganda kob, Jackson Hartebeest, bushbucks. You will have time to relax for lunch. After lunch you will join the boat cruise to take you to the bottom of Murchison falls as you spot aquatic wildlife such as hippos, Nile crocodiles, and water birds. On return you will be to view sunset before dinner and overnight at the previous lodge.
Day 9: Transfer to Kibale Forest national park and Nature Walk in Bigodi swamp
After your morning breakfast, you will check out of the hotel and start your journey to Kibale National Park in Fort Portal in Western Uganda through the tea plantations and rolling hills to reach Fort portal town. While in Fort portal you will have an En-route lunch and continue your journey to Kibale National Park. After checking into the lodge, you will embark on a guided nature walk in the Bigodi wetlands and have a chance to spot 138 bird species.
Day 10: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
You will wake up early in the morning for breakfast and then report at the park headquarters at Kanyanchu at 7:30am for briefing by the guides about the dos and don’ts while with the chimpanzees. You will then embark on a trek for the search of the chimpanzees and once you have spotted a group, you will spend one hour with them observing their different behaviors and you will also spot other primates in the forest. After the chimpanzee tracking experience you will be awarded a chimpanzee tracking certificate and after you will return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch you will check out of the lodge and start the journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will arrive at the lodge in Queen Elizabeth later that evening and you will check in as you wait for dinner. Dinner and overnight stay at Chimpanzee capital safari lodge.
Day 11: Game drive and boat cruise to Kazinga channel
Have your breakfast very early in the morning, depart for an early morning game drive as early as 6am to the rolling plains of Uganda’s second largest National Park and look out for lions, leopards, Elephants, buffaloes, hippos, waterbucks, warthogs, and leopards, Uganda Kobs, Hyenas, and Hippos. For any birder, there are quite a number of birds to sight too during the drive. Return to the lodge for some rest time and lunch. After lunch at the lodge, you will go for a 2 hour boat cruise trip on the Kazinga Channel which connects Lakes George and Edward and you will surely be fascinated by the concentrations of giant hippos, buffaloes, elephants and crocodiles among others. You will also see many varieties of birds at the water shores. You will have dinner and overnight at the previous lodge.
Day 12: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park via Ishasha sector
After your early morning breakfast, you will checkout of the lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park and you will transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through the Ishasha sector. You will have a game drive in the Ishasha sector and you will have to try track tree climbing lions that are seen resting in the fig trees during hot hours of the day. After that you will proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and you will have lunch at Topi safari lodge Ishasha after you will connect to Bwindi forest. You will reach late evening check in the lodge stay at Ride 4 woman Buhoma or Rushaga Gorilla Havens.
Day 13: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi forest and Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi.
After the early morning breakfast, you will proceed to UWA visitor’s reception where briefing is done before tracking about the do’s and don’ts while with the gorillas. Remember to carry your packed lunch and enough drinking water since you may stay in the forest up to afternoon in search of these gentle giants in their natural environment. Gorilla tracking exercise is physically demanding but an exciting activity! You may need to hire a porter to assist you during tracking and these are readily available at the park headquarters. Time allowed to spend with gorillas is 1 hour when you have found them and this is enough to ask all the questions about their behavior. After the trekking you will return to the lodge for relaxing. Overnight stay and Dinner at Keija resort Bunyonyi.
Day 14: Boat cruise on Lake Bunyonyi and Transfer to Lake Mburo national park
After your morning breakfast at the lodge, you will head for canoeing at Lake Bunyonyi after check out and transfer to Lake Mburo National Park. You will arrive at the lodge for lunch and after check in your rooms and relax as you wait for the evening game drive. In the evening, you will head out for an evening game drive and you will see various mammal species such as Buffaloes, Giraffes, impalas, zebras, waterbucks, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, bush bucks, Elands among others. After the game drive you will head back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Hyena safari lodge
Day 15: Safari Walk in Mburo national park and transfer to Mabamba.
After your morning breakfast, you will embark on a guided nature walk in Lake Mburo National Park as early as 7am with the guidance of an armed game ranger and you will see many animals such as Giraffes, zebras, impalas, among others. After the nature walk you will return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch. In the afternoon you will check out of the lodge and transfer to Mabamba swamp stay at Enkima safari lodge
Day 16: Shoebill track on Mabamba swamp and transfer to Entebbe Airport for your flight
After your morning breakfast at the Enkima lodge, you will check out of the lodge and transfer to Mabamba swamp for shoebill tracking; here you will be accompanied with local guide by use of boat to track this elusive bird in the swamp. I n the swamp there is a lot and many bird species like the papyrus Gonolek, African Pygmy Goose, African Black Duck, African Darter, Great Cormorant, African Jacana, Saddle Stork, Hadada Ibis, Black Heron, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, Goliath Heron, African Swamp hen, Black Crake, and among others. After you will have lunch at Entebbe as you will be waiting for flight time Entebbe International Airport.
