Self Drive - The Explorer

Welcome at Entebbe Airport! Collect your baggage and clear immigration before you will be welcomed by your driver. You have the opportunity to draw some money from an ATM en route to your accommodation in Entebbe.

After a nice breakfast an Across Africa representative will meet you to assist with handing over your vehicle. A briefing will give insight in all the dos and don’ts, you will receive a detailed map and you have the opportunity to ask all questions you might have. 

• 2x nights at ViaVia Guesthouse, B – Bronze
• 2x nights at 2 Friends Beach Hotel, B – Silver
• 2x nights at Boutique Hotel No. 5, B - Gold

Today you will drive to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda's largest park. The savannah in the north is populated by species such as lions, buffalo, elephants, Uganda mobs, and as a special feature, the rare Rothschild giraffe. In the south, there is mainly dry forest, which is also home to chimpanzees. The park shares its name with the famous Murchison Falls, a spectacularly beautiful waterfall. Beneath the falls there are hippos and many birds as well as Nile crocodiles, which also feed on animals that fell victim to the waterfall.

Our recommendation is to visit the top of the falls en route to your lodge. Watch out for the sign on the road. Don't miss the spectacular view when the longest river in the world plunges 43m down from a 7m narrow gap into a foaming pool!

• 2x nights at Murchison River Lodge, B/L/D – Bronze
• 2x nights at Murchison River Lodge, B/L/D – Silver
• 2x nights at Nile Safari Lodge, B/L/D - Gold

After an early breakfast, you have the opportunity to go on a morning game drive to find the best game viewing and photo opportunities in the park. In the afternoon, you have the choice of going on an impressive boat cruise on the River Nile to the spectacular base of the Murchison Falls, where you can observe hippos, Nile crocodiles and a magnificent variety of tropical birds with the roar of the falls as a backdrop.

The magic of Uganda comes alive in these natural marvels; an experience to remember forever. 

Today you are driving to the Kibale Forest National Park. This impressive park is the dream of every primate fan. 80% of its area is covered with evergreen forests. The rest consists of swamps and grasslands. More than 1.000 chimpanzees live here, of which a group of around 80 animals are used to the presence of humans. You will probably also be able to observe many other primate species such as the Black & White and the Red Colobus Monkeys, as well as the Red-Tailed Monkey. Furthermore, the bird life of Kibale Forest is unique and diverse and if you are lucky, you might even meet a herd of elephants, cleaving their way through the forest.

• 2x nights at Kibale Forest Camp, B – Bronze
• 2x nights at Turaco Treetops, B – Silver
• 2x nights at Ndali Lodge, B/L/D

In the morning, you have the opportunity to go on an exhilarating search for the chimpanzees in the dense jumble of tropical forests. There is further opportunity of observing a great number of tropical bird species in their natural habitat. Kibale Forest National Park is home to the largest population of primates in the world including our peaceful relatives, the chimpanzees. Nowadays, there are about 4.950 wild chimpanzees in Uganda, which makes it a unique area for observations. During your guided walk through the forest you will learn a lot about the diverse flora and fauna in this area.

In the afternoon you can optionally take a swamp walk (about 2-3h) in the Bigodi Swamps. This excursion will take you through pastureland and small villages. You pass by tea plantations and some gorgeous scenic backdrops, where the local people will welcome you with an enthusiastic wave. It is normal to meet up to three or four different kinds of monkeys on this hike, but the highlight of the tour certainly is the view of the Great Blue Turaco!

Your last activity at Kibale could be an unforgettable Crater Lake hike. Pass through villages while hiking around a beautiful lake. At lunchtime you say “good bye” to the forest and take a short drive to Queen Elizabeth Park. Before you check into your new accommodation, you could go to the park and start hunting for gazelles, warthogs, waterbucks but also lions, hippos, elephants, and buffalos – but please, only with the camera! 

• 2x nights at Bush Lodge, B
• 2x nights at Marafiki Safari Lodge, B
• 2x nights at Elephant Plains Lodge, B/L/D

It is highly recommended to start your day with a morning safari through the national park. Keep your eyes open and the camera set, the chance is big that you meet a pack of lions, which are relaxing in the sun after a busy night. Thereafter you could embark on a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel in the afternoon. This channel runs through the park and connects Lake Edward and Lake George. Here you will see many hippos, more than you can probably imagine! With a little bit of luck, you will also encounter bathing elephants. This boat trip would undoubtedly be one of the highlights of your tour!

Another highlight is waiting for you today: Ishasha the southern part of the Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Today you drive to Ishasha sector, the area is famous for the tree climbing lions, which is a unique behavior of lions in all Africa. The lions are climbing into trees to rest and escape from the sun in the hottest period of the day. You have very good chances to see the lions in the treetops of the fig trees.

• 1x night at Bull Bush Camp, B
• 1x night at Enjojo Lodge, B
• 1x night at Ishasha Wilderness Camp, B/L/D

Today, you will continue your journey to reach your next exciting attraction - the home of the Mountain Gorillas, in the southern part of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The roads are pretty bumpy, but the breath-taking scenery along the way pays it off. You will pass expansive lakes, foothills and one of the oldest tropical rainforests on earth before getting the first glimpse of the mighty Virunga volcanoes.

• 2x nights at Chameleon Hill Lodge, B - Bronze
• 2x nights at Chameleon Hill Lodge, B - Silver 
• 2x nights at Chameleon Hill Lodge, B/L/D - Silver 

Today offers one of the biggest opportunities. An encounter with Bwindi's gentle giants: the rare mountain gorillas! For most visitors, this is the highlight of their Uganda trip! Bwindi is home for both, mountain gorillas and chimpanzees.

It is the only forest in Africa, where these two species share their territory. Additionally, 5 other primate species, 113 mammal species, over 200 butterfly species and 360 species of birds can be found here. If you choose to see the Gorillas, you will be excited to learn that the Gorillas you see today belong to one of the few families in Uganda who accept the presence of humans.

Your tour will be a very special, exciting journey - along the wooded slopes, tangled vines, bushes and bamboo plants before you finally reach the gentle giants. En route, your ranger will show you traces of previous activities, such as droppings, nests and nibbled bamboo shoots. It is an emotional, tantalising and very impressive experience, to see a mountain gorilla face to face.

Today, after a hearty breakfast you will drive to the Lake Mburo National Park. The National Park is one of the smallest parks in Uganda but you shouldn´t underestimate it. It is the home of zebras, elands, impalas and giraffes which were shifted from the Murchison Falls National Park – and don´t forget the lake itself with bunches of crocodiles and hippos. Lake Mburo is a fantastic place to relax in the middle of nature. 

• 2x nights at Eagle's Nest, B - Bronze
• 2x nights at Rwakobo Rock, B - Silver
• 2x nights at Mihingo Lodge, B/L/D - Gold

In the morning, you have different opportunities before you head out to Entebbe. You could enjoy a morning game drive, a bushwalk, a safari on either horse back or mountain bike through Lake Mburo National Park. Here you will get to see a variety of wildlife including antelopes and large herds of zebras. In the afternoon you should visit the lake and the swamps around. They will give you a lot of opportunities for bird-watching and observing other animals. You have the opportunity to go on a game drive through the National Park as the sunsets down. We recommend you pass by the lake and look for the hippos coming out of the water to rest for the night.

In the afternoon you will drive back to Entebbe. This also offers you the additional opportunity to take a photo at the Equator crossing. At the airport you will also return your rental car and later check in for your flight back home.