The Sky is the Limit

Welcome to Entebbe Airport! Pick up your luggage and clear immigration before you meet your driver who is already waiting for you. Short transfer to your guest house, an oasis in Entebbe, famous for its gourmet kitchen. Relax at the pool in the tropical garden, and recover from your flight.

• 1x at Boutique Hotel No. 5

After breakfast, a driver will take you to Kajjansi airfield from where you fly north to the Kidepo Valley National Park (± 1,5h) . A representative of Apoka lodge will await you and take you to the lodge. In the afternoon enjoy a game drive in one of the most spectacular national parks, known for its secluded, inaccessible location and wide, open countryside, interspersed with rocky ridges and gentle grasslands and lions that roam the plains against the backdrop of distant hills. The national park was founded in 1962 to protect the savannah at the triangle of Uganda, Sudan and Kenya. The landscape is characterized by the Sudanese dry grass span and an impressive massif with a height of 2.749 m. Kidepo lies off the beaten track and is possibly the most untouched national park in Africa.

2x at Apoka Safari Lodge, AI

Start the day with another game drive. The park shares its name with the famous Kidepo and Narus valleys, which stretch across the Southern Sudan border and contain one of the most exciting wildlife species of any national park in Uganda, including the larger and smaller Kudu and Eland antilopes. Carnivores include lion, leopard, cheetah, spotted hyena and jackals with black and white backs. Other large species that regularly migrate into the park from Southern Sudan are elephant, Burchell's zebra, Rothschild's giraffe, Cape buffalo and Jackson's hartebeest. In the afternoon you have the opportunity to go on a guided nature walk and enjoy the beautiful scenery. AI

After a scrumptious breakfast you will be transferred back to the airfield to take a short flight (± 1h) to Murchison Falls National Park, the largest national park in Uganda. The northern part of the park includes savannah and borassus palms, acacia trees and alluvial forests, while the south is dominated by forests and woodlands offering an amazing variety of wildlife such as buffalos, lions, elephants, goblins and Rothschild's giraffes. In the southern part of the park you can also go chimpanzee tracking in Budongo Forest. The park shares its name with the famous Murchison Falls, whose massive 43-meter-long waterfalls are driven through a 7-meter-wide gap before plunging into the wooded land below. Your personal driver guide will welcome you and take you to your next accommodation where you can relax on the banks of the River Nile. In the afternoon you will embark on a spectacular game drive.

2x at Baker’s Lodge, AI

After an early breakfast you will set off on a sunrise safari to find the best game viewing and photo opportunities in the park. After a relaxing lunch break, you’ll enjoy an impressive tour on the Nile to the spectacular base of Murchison Falls, where you can see hippos, Nile crocodiles and a wide variety of tropical birds, with the sound of waterfalls in the background. Once you have reached the lower part of the waterfalls, leave the boat and hike to the top of the waterfalls with a great view of the fog covered landscape and a close-up of the waterfalls from above. In these natural wonders the magic of Uganda comes alive - an experience that will be remembered forever. AI

Optional: Balloon Safari

Today you have the choice of flying differently – in a balloon. This spectacular activity includes an exclusive bush breakfast.

Today you have the chance to experience Uganda close-up, this is one of the few days where you will be driven by your guide in a 4x4 safari Land Cruiser. Your destination for the day is Kibale Forest National Park.  The impressive park is the dream of every primate fan. 80% of its area is covered with evergreen forests. The rest of the park consists of swamps and grasslands. Due to the high proportion of forest, more than 1.000 chimpanzees live here, of which a group of around 80 animals are habituated, which means they are accustomed to the presence of visitors. There are also some easily observed monkey species such as the Black and White and the Red Colobus Monkey, as well as the Red Tailed Monkey. With a little luck you may even find the rare forest elephants here.

2x Ndali Lodge, B/L/D

Optional: Chimpanzee Tracking

Today after breakfast you have the possibility to go on an exciting chimpanzee search. Kibale Forest is home to the largest number of primate species in the world, including our relatives, the chimpanzees. Nowadays, there are about 4.950 wild chimpanzees in Uganda, which makes it a unique area of observations. During your guided forest walk you will learn a lot about the diverse flora and fauna in the park.

In the afternoon you will join a guided tour to Ndali Coffee Farm, where you will get insight into organic coffee farming, from planting and harvesting to processing.  B/L/D

Optional: Crater Lake Hike

Your last activity in Kibale could be an unforgettable crater lake hike. Stroll through villages while walking around a beautiful lake. At noon you then say goodbye to the forest before a short drive (± 3h) takes you to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Before you check into your next accommodation, go hunting for gazelles, warthogs, waterbucks, also lions, hippos, elephants and buffalos - but only with your camera! ☺

2x Mweya Safari Lodge, AI

Start the day with another game drive through the national park. Keep your eyes open and the camera ready - the chance of meeting a group of lions resting in the sun after an eventful night is very big.

In the afternoon you’ll experience a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel, connecting Lake Edward and Lake George. You will see more hippos and buffalos than you can imagine. More birds than you can count. Bathing elephants are also regular guests here. This boat safari will undoubtedly be another highlight of your tour. AI

In the morning your driver guide will transfer you to the airfiled in Kasese from where a short hop (± 30 min) in a Cessna Caravan bush plane takes you to Kisoro. While your driver undertakes this journey by car to meet you again in the afternoon, you’ll be welcomed by a representative of award winning Chameleon Hill Lodge. This lodge is located on the shores of island dotted Lake Mutanda with the Virunga mountains as a backdrop.

This area is also the home of the mighty mountain gorillas. These gentle giants can be found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a 45 min drive from the lodge. The roads are somewhat bumpy, but the many impressions through the wonderful landscape, past banana plantations and villages, with unique panoramic views, will certainly compensate you.

3x Chameleon Hill Lodge, B/L/D

Optional: Gorilla Tracking

Today is the big day, get ready to meet the rare mountain gorillas! For most visitors, this is the absolute highlight of their Uganda safari! The gorillas you will see today belong to one of the few habituated families that are used to 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 trees before you finally see the gorillas. En-route your ranger will show you traces of previous gorilla activities such as droppings, nests and nibbled bamboo shoots. You will learn a lot about the Ugandan gentle giants and if it gets slippery, a ranger will lend you his hand. It is an emotional, touching and very impressive experience to see a gorilla face to face. B/L/D

Optional: Best of Chameleon Hill, Batwa Trail, Golden Monkey Tracking, Volcano Climbing and much more…

This day is yours to chose from a variety of activities on offer. You can opt for Lake activities (inflatable kayak, local dugout canoe, pontoon motorboat), cultural activities (farm experience, weave a basket, carve a gorilla mask, Batwa trail), hiking & walking, biking (guided or self-guided), more primates (Golden Monkey tracking) or simply unwind at this beautiful spot and perhaps get a massage or a pedicure.

Here are a few activities we would recommend:

“Best of Chameleon Hill”: Mountain Bike, Coffee Tour & Boat trip

Start the day with a 2-3-hour bike tour along Lake Mutanda. Drive through beautiful landscapes, past banana plantations, while children run after you and mothers in colorful clothes wave to you on their way to the field. Your destination is Kisoro. Here you exchange your bike for a Boda Boda, a light Ugandan motorcycle, which will take you to a coffee plantation in a short drive where you will tour a local farm, and experience the full process of making coffee from beans. Your Boda will now take you to the southern shore of Lake Mutanda. Our signature red pontoon boat awaits you just a few steps from a local beverage hut where you can get beer or wine for the boat ride. You will then head to Mutanda Island, the largest island in the lake. After a guided tour of the island, there is another stop on the promenade: Skeleton Island. Let yourself be surprised...

Batwa Trail

Turn off your flashlight in the Ngarama Cave, the ghostly singing begins to resound in total darkness. Making fire requires cooperation! Watch your Batwa leaders make fires to smoke out wild bees. Watch as the Batwas build a traditional grass hut and then disassemble what was typical and essential to their nomadic lifestyle. Enjoy the lively dance at the entrance of the cave as the Batwa women sing a traditional song to welcome the guests. You walk through Mgahinga Gorilla National Park with spectacular views of the Virunga Volcanoes. During the cultural conquest tour, the Batwas show hunting techniques, procuring honey and medicinal plants, making bamboo cups and much more.

Golden Monkey Tracking

In the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park you will hike through the bamboo forest at the foot of the majestic volcanoes accompanied by your rangers. Golden Monkey tracking is a lively experience, not to be missed by those desiring to track Chimpanzees and Gorillas in Uganda. The viewing is kept to an hour and you get a close-up look at the Golden Monkeys in their natural habitat. You can see them frolic in the bamboo forest, mothers carrying their children, nibbling on bamboo leaves and totally at ease with you being around. The Monkeys are listed as endangered species by the World Conservation Union and are endemic to the park. The bright orange-golden body, cheeks and tail contrast beautifully with the black limbs and tail end and are a real photo hit!

Volcano Climbing

Chameleon Hill is the perfect starting point for a "volcanic hike". Three of the eight major Virunga volcanoes are located in Uganda: Mt. Muhabura, Mt. Sabinyo and Mt. Gahinga. There are several routes with different lengths, as well as higher and lower difficulty. We will definitely find the perfect summit for you. The most recommended hike is the path on Sabinyo Mountain. The summit has a height of 3.645m and is the border crossing of Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. The hike is not easy and takes about 7-8 hours. B/L/D

Depending on your flight departure time, you shall leave Chameleon Hill Lodge in the morning or after lunch. After crossing the border, you will enter Rwanda and drive towards Kigali. Enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way. Once in Kigali, you have the possibility to visit the Genocide Memorial Center and the Hotel De Mille Collins ("Hotel Rwanda"). Your guide will then take you to the airport. Here we say goodbye to you and wish you "urugendo rwiza" - a safe journey. B/L