Group Tour - Uganda, the Pearl of Africa

Welcome to Uganda! You will be picked up at the airport in Entebbe and transferred to your first accommodation where you will get to know your fellow travelers.

1x Via Via Guesthouse

After breakfast, depart for Murchison Falls National Park. On the way you will stop at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to observe these wonderful animals during a rhino tracking. Until about 35 years ago, both the Kidepo Valley and Murchison Falls National Parks were home to white and black rhinos. Due to extensive poaching during the Idi Amin era, these majestic animals disappeared from the wild. In order to reintroduce rhinos to Uganda, the Rhino Fund Uganda was founded in 1998. It runs a successful rhino breeding program and an initiative to educate the Ugandan population about the endangered animals, poaching and conservation.

2x Murchison River Lodge 
or
2x Kabalega Wilderness Lodge

The savannah in the north of the park is populated by lions, giraffes, buffaloes, elephants and Uganda kobs. In the south, there is mainly forest, which is home to chimpanzees, among others. The Murchison Waterfalls give the park its name. Here the longest river in the world falls from a 7m narrow crevice into a foaming pool 43m below. Where the waterfall rejoins the calmer part of the Nile, there are hippos as well as Nile crocodiles, which partly feed on animals that have become victims of the waterfall. Your program today includes a morning game drive in a beautiful scenery. The Nile brought coconuts here from other parts of Africa, so the park is now dotted with palm trees. This backdrop, together with the large number of rare Rothschild giraffes native to this area, offers unique photo opportunities. In the afternoon, take a boat trip on the Nile followed by a hike to the source of the waterfall.

Today your journey continues to Kibale Forest National Park. This impressive park is a primate fan's dream. 80% of its area is covered with evergreen moist and deciduous forests. The rest of the park consists of swamps and grasslands. Due to the high proportion of forest, more than 1,200 chimpanzees live here, of which a group of about 80 animals is accustomed to the presence of visitors. In addition to chimpanzees, other monkey species live here, such as the black-and-white and the red colobus monkeys, as well as the L’Hoest’s monkeys. With a bit of luck, you may even see the rare forest elephants.

2x Kibale Forest Camp

Today after breakfast you have the possibility to go on an exciting chimpanzee search. Kibale Forest the largest number of primate species in the world, including our very peaceful relatives, the chimpanzees. Local cuisine is served for lunch. The "Tinka House" invites you to a culinary journey with traditional Ugandan dishes.
A nature walk in the Bigodi Swamp rounds off the day. This tour takes you through pastures, small villages, tea plantations and other impressive landscapes where the locals will warmly welcome you by waving enthusiastically. During the swamp walk, there is a good chance of encountering different species of monkeys. The blue turaco, a beautiful bird, has also found a home here.

In the morning, you will go on a hike around one of the crater lakes in the region around Fort Portal. Afterwards you say goodbye to the forest and drive towards the savannah, into the Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park is one of the most species-rich in Africa. Gazelles, warthogs, waterbuck, but also lions, hippos, elephants and buffaloes can be seen here.
Optionally, you have the opportunity to observe zebra mongoose. There is a family of zebra mongoose on the Mweya Peninsula which is used for research purposes. Visitors can observe these cute little animals in the company of a knowledgeable ranger. A very entertaining sight.
Before you check into your next accommodation, you will go on an exciting game drive as the crowning glory of a varied day.

2x Bush Lodge

Start the day with another game drive through the national park. Keep your eyes open and your camera ready. There is a good chance of encountering a group of lions resting in the sun. An insider tip is to drive through one of Uganda's most picturesque areas, along the Explosion Crater Lakes. The rugged road passes along a multitude of craters, some overgrown with grass or forest and filled with fresh- or saltwater lakes. During the dry season, large herds of elephants and buffaloes roam there. There is also a wonderful view of the lower-lying Western Rift Valley from here.
In the afternoon there is a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel. This channel flows through the middle of the park and connects the lakes Lake Edward and George. You will see more hippos and buffaloes than you can imagine. Bathing elephants are also regular guests here. This boat cruise will undoubtedly be another highlight of your tour.

Another highlight awaits you today: Ishasha, located in the southern part of the park. This area is famous for its tree-climbing lions, unique in Africa. The "big cats" climb the trees to relax and escape the hot sunny times of the day. You have a good chance of spotting the lions up in the tops of the African fig trees.
However, before you leave the northern part of the park, you make a short trip to a fishing village on Lake Edward. Here you will learn in a personal conversation what day to day life is like in a fishing village.

1x Enjojo Lodge

Your journey takes you to another breath-taking attraction - the home of the mountain gorillas. The "gentle giants" can be found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The roads are somewhat bumpy, but the panoramic views of the landscape through the banana plantations, lakes and islands, will definitely compensate you. You will also pass extensive hilly landscapes and tropical rainforests before the impressive Virunga volcanoes finally appear in front of you.

2x Chameleon Hill Lodge 

Prepare to meet Bwindi's gentle giants: the rare mountain gorillas. For most visitors, this is the absolute highlight of their Uganda Safari! The gorillas you will see today belong to a family that accepts the presence of humans. Your tour will be a very special and exciting one - along the wooded slopes, through winding vines, past bushes and bamboo plants before you finally see the gorillas. On the tour your ranger will show you traces of previous gorilla activities such as faeces, nests and nibbled bamboo shoots. You will learn a lot about the Ugandan giants and if it gets slippery, a ranger will lend you his hand. It is an emotional, touching and very impressive experience to face a gorilla face to face.
In the afternoon you have a choice of optional activities, e.g. a community walk, a visit to a village, or a boat trip on Lake Mutanda.

Today you will drive to Lake Mburo National Park, which is well worth seeing. This national park has exceptional fauna compared to other parks and reserves. It offers the best opportunity to see elands as well as zebras, giraffes, topis, impalas and various bird species. At the five lakes in the national park, you can admire hippos, crocodiles and a great variety of water birds. After your arrival in the afternoon, you will set off with your guide for an exciting game drive through the park. In the early evening, the hippos come ashore in search for food. You may be able to well observe one of these impressive animals up close.

1x Eagle's Nest

After a hearty breakfast, you will go on a guided walk in Lake Mburo National Park. During this nature walk, a ranger will go with you and show you the life of wildlife up close, without being surrounded by the metal and glass of your safari vehicle. Afterwards you have the opportunity to pay special attention to the lake: This water body is occupied by hippos and crocodiles too! Lake Mburo is a wonderful place to relax in nature and has everything your safari heart desires.

Afterwards, you will drive back to Entebbe International Airport. On the way, you will have a short stopover at the Equator. Here you can see the interesting "water experiment" to illustrate the equator effect.