Quaint Africa Safaris

UGANDA SAFARI 20 DAYS BEST OF SAVANNAH AND PRIMATES

Highlights of the entire 20 days safari will basically cover Jinja, Sipi, Pian-Upe, Kalamoja Kidepo valley national park, Murchison falls national park, queen Elizabeth national park, Ishasha, Bwindi impenetrable national park, and lake Mburo national park.

 Parks and places you shall visit at a Glance

Mabamba Bay

Mabamba Bay Swamp in Uganda is a prime wetland birding site famous for the Shoebill which is Uganda’s most sought after bird by Uganda birding tourists as well as by nature lovers. Mabamba Swamp is located west of Entebbe on the northern shore of Lake Victoria, covering 2424 ha with thick marshes of papyrus, water lilies and other wetland grasses.

Source of the Nile.

River Nile is well known to be the longest river in the world. Its source starts right from Jinja Uganda, some people may wonder how the name Nile come about. It’s a famous Greek word simply meaning valley. The river starts from the Eastern part of Africa. It flows from the surrounding areas close to the equator to the outrageous Safari desert and up to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The river is about 6696km long and pours its water to over nine countries although it’s more centered to Uganda as well as Egypt.

Sipi Falls is a waterfall found at the foot hills of Mountain Elgon just at the edge of Mount Elgon National Park. The falls are one of the most awe-inspiring sights in Eastern Uganda

Pian Upe Game Reserve

Pian Upe Game Reserve is one of the largest wildlife conservation areas in Uganda – second only to the Murchison Falls National Park. It is located in the Karamoja region in the northeastern part of Uganda. The reserve covers an area of about 2,788 square kilometers and is found between Kidepo National park and Mount Elgon National Park. Pian Upe is bordered by the Bokora Wildlife Reserve and Matheniko game reserve in different directions. Unlike Matheniko and Bokora, Pian Upe game reserve is part of the Mount Elgon Conservation Area. Pian Upe is very close to the Eastern town of Mbale. It takes about 2 hours to reach the reserve from Mbale town and 6 from Kampala city. The area started as an animal sanctuary in 1958 before being upgraded into a wildlife reserve in the 1960s.

Kidepo valley national park

Located in Uganda’s remote north-eastern corner, some 700km from Kampala and tucked between the borders with Sudan and Kenya, Kidepo Valley is our most isolated park. However the few who make the long journey north through the wild frontier region of Karamoja to visit it, would agree that it is also the most magnificent, for Kidepo ranks among Africa’s finest wildernesses.

Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP) is a national park in Uganda and managed by the Ugandan Wildlife Authority.it is 3,893 km² and it is located in northwestern Uganda, spreading inland from the shores of Lake Albert, around the Victoria Nile, up to the Karuma Falls. It has over 76 species of mammals as well as Uganda’s largest population of Nile crocodiles. There are 450 known bird species in the park, including the rare shoe-billed stork, dwarf kingfisher, Goliath heron, white-thighed hornbill and great blue turaco.

Kibale forest National Park

Kibale National Park is a national park in western Uganda, protecting moist evergreen rainforest. It is 766 square kilometers (296 sq. mi) in size and ranges between 1,100 meters (3,600 ft.) and 1,600 meters (5,200 ft.) in elevation. Despite encompassing primarily moist evergreen forest, it contains a diverse array of landscapes. Kibale is one of the last remaining expanses to contain both lowland and montane forests. In eastern Africa, it sustains the last significant expanse of pre-montane forest.

Queen Elizabeth national park.

Queen Elizabeth national park is found in the western part of Uganda laying between Lakes Gorge, Edward and Albert with the Kazinga Channel crossing through its 700 sq. mile land area. Size: 1,978km². Queen Elizabeth spans the equator line; monuments on either side of the road mark the exact spot where it crosses latitude 00.The park was named after the Queen of England in 1954 following her visit,

The park is home to over 95 mammal species, which are the main attraction of the visitors to the park. It has four of the ‘Big Five’ namely Elephant, Leopard, Lion and Buffalo.

The park has a lot to offer ranging from herbivores, marine and eves depending on how you plan your visit and have the game drives and the time you spend in the park.

Ishasha sector queen Elizabeth

The Ishasha sector is notably recognized for its resident Tree climbing lions that are an exceptional attraction and one among the highlights on all safaris taken within Queen Elizabeth National park. In the southern section of this park, the Lions are now and again spotted hanging on braches of huge fig trees whereas the Uganda Kob (which are the major food to these lions) graze in the plains of the Ishasha sector.

Bwindi impenetrable national park, this Park lies in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley. Its mist-covered hillsides are blanketed by one of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforests, which dates back over 25,000 years and contains almost 400 species of plants.

More famously, this “impenetrable forest” also protects an over an estimate 400 mountain gorillas roughly half of the world’s population, including several habituated groups, which can be tracked. The Impenetrable Forest is a large primeval forest found in a biologically diverse region also provides shelter to a further 120 mammals, including several primate species such as baboons and chimpanzees, as well as forest elephants and antelopes. There are around 350 species of birds hosted in this forest, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics.

Lake Mburo National Park is a compact gem, located conveniently close to the highway that connects Kampala to the parks of western Uganda. It is the smallest of Uganda’s savannah national parks and underlain by ancient Precambrian metamorphic rocks which date back more than 500 million years. It is home to 350 bird species as well as zebra, impala, eland, buffalo, oribi, Defassa waterbuck, leopard, hippo, hyena, topi and reedbuck.

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Pick-up and transfer to hotel.

Your experienced safari guide will be waiting for you at the airport for pick-up, transfer to the hotel of residence and make the first official briefing on how your memorable 20 days safari will start.

Accommodation;

Meal plan; H-B

Expectation; general briefing, pick up and transfer

 Day 2:  Mabamba swamp search for the rare shoe bill

On this day you will have a lazy breakfast then visit Mabamba swamp, it is a Ramsar site and Important Bird Area (IBA). The wetland hosts over 300 bird species that include many globally threatened species, 7 of Uganda’s 12 Lake Victoria biome restricted species (notable is the Papyrys Gonolek) and plenty of wetland specialties. The wetland also hosts huge flocks of Paleartic migrants every year from October to March.

Mabamba Swamp can be reached by a number of routes. From Kampala or Entebbe the easiest route is via the Nakiwogo landing site in Entebbe where you take a 10 minutes ferry crossing to Kasanje landing and from there drive for about 20 minutes to Mabamba passing through cultivations and open fields that will provide plenty of garden birds.

You will have hot lunch and a good relaxation afternoon after the swamp visit to look for the shoe bill

Accommodation;

Meal plan; H-B

Expectation; Shoe bill, and other plenty water birds

Day 3: Checkout to Jinja and have a boat cruise to the source of the Nile

You will wake up early morning have breakfast and check out to Jinja the first industrial city of Uganda, its tropical atmosphere and lush vegetation are big attractions, but the main highlight is undisputedly the River Nile. Thought to be the home of the source of the Nile, the world’s largest and longest river of Africa.

The drive to Jinja city will take you 3-4 hours depending on the traffic and stop-overs had on the journey. In the early afternoon after checking in at the hotel of residence you will visit shores of Lake Victoria where you will have a boat cruise to the source of the Nile where you will physically observe the start point, source and mother nature giving birth to the mighty river Nile,

Accommodation;

Meal plan; F-B

Expectation; visit the source of Nile, and magical scenic views

 Day 4: White water rafting on the great river Nile in Jinja

You will wake up early in the morning after breakfast then start off white water rafting, this is a good adventure, Considered one of the best one day white water trips in the world, your safari to Uganda will be complete with truly experiencing the Nile from its source. Warm water, safe pools to swim, islands full of birds and fisherman in dugouts combine with fun and white water adventure will make this the perfect family and friends rafting day on the Nile.

 On the raft you will experience rapids without being overwhelming so there’s plenty of white water action, but you will also have time to sit back, relax and enjoy your surrounds and have the occasional water fight.

The duration of the white water raft will be 15 kilometers roughly taking 4 – 5 hours on the river, with a commitment to safety, quality and value for every penny spent we guarantee you enjoyment and happy moments on the Nile.

 Accommodation;

Meal plan; F-B

Expectation; white water rafting, great views on the Nile

Day 5: Hiking of Sipi falls

Sipi is a big deal on our 5^th day, we shall leave in the morning and drive for 4-5 hours to reach the beautiful sipi with magical views of Mt. Elgon. Sipi Falls is a waterfall found at the foot hills of Mountain Elgon just at the edge of Mount Elgon National Park. The falls are one of the most awe-inspiring sights in Eastern Uganda,

The name sip was derived from the word ‘sep’ which is a name of a wild banana-like indigenous plant that grows along the banks of the Sipi River. Resembling a type of wild banana, Sep has a translucent green frond with a bolt of crimson rib. It is a medicinal plant, being used for treating measles and fever.

You will check in at the hotel and have hot lunch and relax for a while, later in the afternoon when the scorching sun has reduced that’s when the great adventurous hike will start.

Sipi Falls lies at an altitude of 1,775 meters. The hikes can be difficult and muddy, but they’re deserving of your energy, a look at the beauty of the falls,  will mesmerize you ,but to hike all three falls, it’ll take you roughly 3 hours and for the majority of this hike, you follow a river, making it easy to stay on track. It’ll take you through farmlands, and local communities.

The second-highest of the waterfalls comes first. It plunges 85 meters before concluding in a spectacular splash. The next fall is the smallest, at 65 meters. When it’s dry, you should be able to stand under it. If it’s been raining, you can stand in the cave behind the falls, and watch as the water crashes in front of you.

The last fall is the tallest at 100 meters. Make sure to pack a swimming costume, as the plunge at the bottom is large enough to swim in.

Accommodation;

Meal plan; F-B

Expectation; hike, view of falls, visit sipi caves

Day 6: Game drive in Pian-Upe national park

On this day we shall proceed to Pian-Upe national park, the most striking thing about Pian Upe wildlife reserve is a landscape that consists of vast plains, rocky outcrops and mountains. Pian Upe Wildlife national park is home to a respectable collection of large mammals, birds and reptiles.

We shall have a game drive in the park and given the dictation of nature with our chances we should expect to see zebras, elands, gazelles and oribi. Other animals include spotted hyenas, civets, jackals, serval cats, cheetahs, leopards, topi, wildcats, buffaloes, roan antelopes, reebucks, Duikers, Dik-dik, the Ugandan Kob, waterbucks, hares, porcupines, the rock hyrax, aardvark and hedgehogs.

If lucky we shall as well see some primates like Olive baboons, patas monkey and Vervet monkeys. More to see in Pian Upe game reserve are reptiles like rock pythons, puff adders, water snakes, skinks, geckos, chameleons and monitor lizards. The most attractive bird here is the ostrich.

Laiter in the evening we shall proceed to moroto town which is located in the valley of mountains Napaka and Mt. Moroto in our drive to the hotel from pian upe expect more to see like kjong settlemts with Manyattas (Kjong shelter).

Accommodation;

Meal plan; F-B

Expectation; game drive, scenic views, beautiful landscapes, culture tour of the manyatta

Day 7: Checkout to Kidepo the land of the Kjong in Kidepo valley national park

Have early morning breakfast then proceed to the furthest north to the land of the great kjong normads in the Kidepo valley national park. The drive is long with offers of the African Massage taking you 6-7 hours and You will have either packed lunch or hot lunch enroot be fore your arrival at the hotel.

On arrival to the hotel you will enjoy the magical views of the of Kidepo valley national park which is one of the best savannah parks in the pearl of Africa with largest numbers mammals. You will relax and enjoy the rest of your evening at the hotel as you wait for the next days offer.

Accommodation;

Meal plan; H-B

Expectation; scenic drive through beautiful landscapes, great photography.

Day 8: Morning game drive and afternoon relaxation at the hotel and enjoy magical views.

Have early breakfast and drive to the park from Apoka, in the heart of the national park, a savanna landscape extends in all directions, far beyond the gazetted area of 1442km2, towards horizons outlined by distant mountain ranges. The park has a semi-arid climate with just one rainy season per year (April-September) and rainfall is light. We shall do our game drive in The valley of the Narus river in the south of the park withour fingers crossed we luckily will catch up with early risers like he bat-eared fox, striped hyena, aardwolf, caracal and cheetah.

We shall return to the hotel for hot lunch and relax as we enjoy the hotel and swim to the hot weather of the afternoon with the magical views.

Accommodation;

Meal plan;

Expectation ; game drive,

Day 9: Game drive and drive to the hot-springs in the north of Kidepo valley national park.

We shall have one more game drive in the morning and probably with luck in our favour we can see more Other carnivores present like the lion, leopard, spotted hyena, and black-backed and side-striped jackal. Less common ungulates include the greater and lesser kudu, Chandlers Mountain reedbuck, klipspringer and Guenther’s dikdik. Other large ungulates include elephant, Burchell’s zebra, bushpig, warthog, Rothschild’s giraffe, Cape buffalo, eland, bushbuck, bushduiker, Defassa waterbuck, Bohor reedbuck, Jackson’s hartebeest and oribi. Five species of primates are found in the park including the endemic Kavirondo bush baby.

Return to the hotel have hot lunch and then have a drive to the hot springs in the furthest north of the park, on this drive you have high chances of seeing ostriches and other lovely birds of the park, then later in the evening retire.

Accommodation;

Meal plan;

Expectation; game drive, visit hot springs

Day 10: Game drive and nature walk in the Kidepo valley national park

Have morning game drive and have nature walk in the park, for much of the year, the park’s wildlife congregates in the Narus valley, this area is well provided with game tracks. Three loop circuits explore the valley around Apoka. At the southern end of the Katurum loop, Katurum kopje provides superb views north across the valley towards the Morungule mountain range. We shall choose on of the loops and have our nature walk with one of the armed ranger guides after the nature walk we shall as well have another game drive through the park as we drive back to the hotel and retire.

Accommodation;

Meal plan;

Expectation; nature walk, and game drive

Day 11: Check out to Murchison falls national park

Check out to Murchison falls national park. The drive from Kidepo valley national is really wonderful and a big deal, the drive takes 6-7 hours depending on the stop-overs had on the journey and you should be in Murchison falls nation park early evening.

You will have early hot lunch enroot around Gulu city, one off the major cities of Uganda.

Murchison Falls National Park is best known, though, for the most powerful waterfall in the world. Every second, the equivalent of 200 bathtubs full of water is forced through a gorge less than seven paces wide. The pressure is so great that the ground trembles around it.

More to this it’s the largest national park in the pearl of Africa hosting most numbers of antelopes, ungulates and omnivores.

You will be able to have an evening game drive in the park and you should be able to see Elephants, Giraffes, Buffaloes, Uganda Kobs, Bushbucks, Jacksons Hartebeests, Oribi, waterbucks and warthogs to mentions but a few.

You will return to the hotel after the evening game drive and rest as you relax and wait for the next days offer in the wild.

Accommodation;

Meal plan;

Expectation; scenic drive from Kidepo, evening game drive

Day 12: Game drive in Murchison falls national park and boat cruise on the great Nile 

Wake up early in the morning to catch up with the early risers like lions, leopards and the rest of the animals the park will offer.

You will have a boat cruise in the afternoon and then visit the magical Murchison Falls, also known as Kabalega Falls, is a waterfall between Lake Kyoga and Lake Albert on the Victoria Nile in Uganda. At the top of Murchison Falls, the Nile forces its way through a gap in the rocks, only 7 m (23 ft.) wide, and tumbles 43 m (141 ft.), before flowing westward into Lake Albert. The outlet of Lake Victoria sends around 300 cubic meters per second (11,000 ft³/s) of water over the falls, squeezed into a gorge less than 10 m (33 ft.) wide

Accommodation;

Meal plan;

Expectation; game drive, boat cruise and visit the magical Murchison falls

Day 13: Check out and have scenic memorable drive to Kibale forest national park.

Wake up early morning and drive to Kibale forest national park, the drive will take us 8-9 hours with magical scenic a million views, you will have chances of seeing the views of lake albert which is the longest lake we have in Uganda. You will as well have a chance to see beautiful landscapes and cultures of people as you travel.

You will have hot lunch enroot before arriving to the hotel.

Accommodation;

Meal plan;

Expectation; scenic views of landscapes and culture

Day 14.: Chimp trecking experience in Kibale forest national park.

Wake up early morning prepared for chimp trecking, dressed in clear forest attire that is clothes covering body, nice closed hiking shoes, long trousers, long shirts and some repellants then we start off to the park for the experience. Kibale Park was gazetted in 1932 and formally established in 1993 to protect a large area of forest previously managed as a logged forest reserve. The park forms a continuous forest with Queen Elizabeth National Park. This adjoining of the parks creates a 180 kilometers (110 mi) wildlife corridor.

It is an important ecotourism and safari destination, well-known for its population of habituated chimpanzees and twelve other species of primates and in your experience expect to see other primates like olive baboons, mangabeys, black and white cloubus -monkeys and so much more.

You will retire to the hotel relax and wait for Bigodi swamp walk in the outskirts of Kibale forest nation park.

Accommodation;

Meal plan;

Expectation; chimp-trecking, bigodi swamp walk

Day 15.: Crater drive to queen Elizabeth national park with an evening game drive

After a lazy breakfast you will drive to Queen Elizabeth national park which is found in the western part of Uganda laying between Lakes Gorge, Edward and Albert with the Kazinga Channel crossing through its 700 sq. mile land area. Size: 1,978km². Queen Elizabeth spans the equator line; monuments on either side of the road mark the exact spot where it crosses latitude 00.The park was named after the Queen of England in 1954 following her visit,

The drive to this park will take us 3-4 hours with great views and scenery of mountains of the moon, glacial rivers from Mt. Rwenzori like Nyamwamba.

You will have packed lunch on the way and have afternoon game drive in the park before you check in the hotel, in the game drive expect to see several animal species like

Accommodation;

Meal plan;

Expectation; crater drive, views of mountains, evening game drive

Day 16: Game drive in Queen Elizabeth national park with boat cruise

Wake up early morning to catch up with the early grazers and carnivours in the park some of these animals include the tree climbing lions, leopards, hyena more to it will be life memorable having the raising sun catch you in the wild searching for the best offer of the day, depending on your luck several other animal species can be spotted, like Elephants, plenty of anterlopes, Defassa waterbuck, hippoes, hyena, topi, reedbuck and plenty of bird species.

During a short break after the game drive we shall relax then enjoy the salt lake experience and do curio-shopping, then we shall have a channel drive as we proceed to Mweya peninsula have hot lunch there as we wait for the afternoon boat cruise.

On the afternoon boat cruise on the great Kazinga channel, which is the known longest channel in Uganda, it connects lake George and lake Edward and harbors several animal species, bird species. This will be your perfect time to see animals blousing.

On this boat cruise mainly we shall have the best moments with the hippopotamus, which are also one of the main highlights of our safari.

Accommodation;

Meal plan; F-B

Expectations; game drive, boat cruise, salt lake experience, channel drive on the peninsula.

Day 17: Drive to Bwindi through Ishasha fir tree climbing lions

On this day we shall wake up in the morning after breakfast and drive to Ishasha Sector Park of Queen Elizabeth national park to have more chances of seeing tree climbing lions.

The drive to Ishasha sector is a short one and will take us 2hours drive because as we drive in the park we shall as well be utilizing our more chances of spotting more animals in the park as we drive through the dense forest.

The Ishasha sector is located near the fur most south-western rim of Queen Elizabeth National Park which is not only the most well liked park but also the most traveled to national park within Uganda. The landscape in this section of the magnificent park is considerably different from that found in other parts of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

After the game drive we proceed to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park the home of mountain gorillas which holds over 52% of the world’s mountain gorilla population

Accommodation;

Meal plan;

Expectation; game drive and search for tree climbing lions, scenic drive, view of fish landing sites

Day 18: Gorilla trecking experience with Batwa experience

You start with an early heavy breakfast, suit up (warm clothing and hiking shoes are advised) with rain gear just in case and head to the briefing Centre. After registration mainly done by your safari guide, you are taken in for the Do’s and Don’ts for gorilla tracking! Then put into respective groups each headed by some experienced ranger and armed personnel and head towards a habituated gorilla Family assigned to you, guided by the trackers (a group of extremely experienced men who wake up very early come rain or sun shine to go way ahead of the tracking party and locate where the family made their previous nests the previous evening) using CB radios or walk talkies as they are commonly known.

   Once the family is located, they guide the head ranger on which track or short cut to take to avoid calamities (there are extremely aggressive forest Elephants and buffaloes that rarely see humans and are the reasons you will have armed personnel to scare shoot in the air in case you encounter them).

When you reach the gorillas, the ranger will give one final briefing and then you spend 1 hour enjoying the presence of the gentle giants after which you will go back to your lodge and share your memories as you decompress!

 There could be an afternoon soft village walk including a meet up with the village children depending on what time you come back from tracking (very educative and exciting)

Accommodation:

Meal plan: breakfast. Lunch and Dinner.

Expectation; Gorilla tracking, forest experience (of Africa’s oldest living forest) and good views of the (“Switzerland” of Africa) then in the afternoon you will have the Batwa experience

Day 19: Check out to lake mburo national park.

Wake up in the morning and drive to lake mburo national park, the drive will take you roughly 6-7 hours with memorable views of the valleys, crops, farms and so much more that you live to remember.

You will have lunch on the way and later in the afternoon have an evening game drive, in the game drive expect to see zebras, impalas, the great Elands and these are the largest antelopes in the entire world, buffalo, oribi, Defassa waterbuck, leopard, hippo, hyena, topi, reedbuck, and so many beautiful bird species.

Accommodation;

Meal plan;

Expectation; scenic drive, evening game drive

Day 20: Transfer Back to Entebbe and relaxation as you wait for your flight.

On this wonderful day you have an early breakfast then check out from the hotel and transfer back to Entebbe, The journey is pretty short and precisely less tire-sum (most of the way is tarmac) and pretty exciting! You will have a brief stopover at the Equator for a cup of coffee depending on the time frame and have the amazing equator experience and see how surprising it is seeing wind blow in different directions at different hemispheres, you will as well have one last minute stop over at the Equator for curio shopping!.

Meal plan: Break fast and lunch.

Activity: curio shopping

Timings: 3-4 hrs. Transfer to Entebbe

Expectation; Scenic drive, equator experience, curio shopping.