14 days Kibale, QE, Bwindi, Rwanda, L. Mburo, Bunyonyi, Jinja.
Day 1: Kibale national Park.
From Kampala to Kibale is 358km and 7hr drive. Drive early from Kampala city heading west past Mityana and continue to Fort Portal where you will stop for lunch. Catch a glimpse of the Toro Kingdom palace, the Royal tombs the mosque, many shops and eating-places but continue to Kibale, just a few kilometers ahead. When you reach, check in at Ndali lodge or Primates Lodge. Kibale national park has the highest concentration of primates in East Africa including chimps, black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys and baboons. Go for an afternoon primate walk to Kanyanchu river camp, the most popular walk in the park. It highlights a miscellany of flora and fauna within the forest. Return to Ndali Lodge/Primates Lodge.
Day 2: tracking chimpanzees in Kibale.
After morning breakfast, wake up early to track chimps near Kanyanchu. This can take you half a day. There are primates in the area like the golden monkey, L’Hoest monkey, baboons, white and black colobus monkeys, grey checked mangabey, red colobus, blue monkeys and pottos. Other animals involve forest elephants unique from the common type, giant forest hogs and a striking tree species. Later take a guided nature walk to Bigodi swamp sanctuary, a good site for birders. The Great Blue Turaco and Papyrus Gonolek can easily be marked among the other bird 137 species. There is also an array of butterfly species. Return to Ndali Lodge/Crater Valley afterwards.
Day 3: transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park.
After an early breakfast, proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The Northern crater Area. With beautiful lakes and rich grasslands that are set deep in the crater valley, this is truly the most breathtaking scenery in the park. The park spreads over an area of 1978 sq kilometers in the western arm of the Great East African Rift Valley 418 km from the capital Kampala and takes approximately 6 hours. The park is a home to a variety of wildlife including elephants, lions, hippos, buffaloes, Uganda Kobs, baboons and birds all typical riverine savannah habitats and the famous Kazinga Channel. In the Southern Parts is the Ishasha sector with the tree climbing lions and the Maramagambo forest, it is one of the largest surviving natural forests in Uganda.
Day 4: launch cruise in Kazinga channel.
Begin with a game drive in the Kasenyi plains that will lead you to see black and white Colobus, bush buck, Uganda Kob, topi, Defassa waterbuck, and Cape buffaloes. A range of birds like Cassin’s grey flycatcher, broad billed roller, black bee-eater along the banks of Lake Edward. This can take you 2-3 hrs. In the evening, go for a launch cruise on Kazinga channel along lake George-lake Edward, come eye-eye with yawning hippos, crocodiles, leopards though sporadic. Watch birds for birders with over 550 resident species like flamingos, red chest, papyrus Gonolek, pink backed pelicans, malachite kingfishers, yellow crown, pink backed pelicans, water thick-knee, yellow-billed stork, shoebill stock. Do not forget your camera. Return to Mweya lodge/Simba Safari.
Day 5: chimp tracking in Kyambura.
Enjoy breakfast and go on a game drive in the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth called Ishasha plains famous for tree-climbing lions usually spotted on sycamore fig tress lying in wait for their prey. Directly connect to Bwindi forest. Welcome to Bwindi where gorillas are the centre of attraction, a distinct feature for Uganda’s tourism. Bwindi national park, Mgahinga National Park alongside Rwanda’s Volcanoes Park and Congo’s Virunga Volcanoes are habitats to the only endangered mountain gorillas left in the whole world. Sleep at Gorilla Forest Camp/Gorilla Resort/Buhoma community Bandas.
Day 6: Gorilla tracking in Bwindi.
Take an early morning breakfast, head to the park office headquarters with packed lunch for a vital briefing prior to trekking the gorillas in the thick impenetrable forests. You get to spend an hour with the gorillas after having trekked for about 5-8 hours. If you still feel strong just head for a brief nature walk to the local Batwa community. Check out the curio shops, children’s school among others. If you are nature lover, you can try the other option being Munyanja river trail, where you can check out an array of bird life and butterflies. Return to Gorilla Forest Camp/ Gorilla Resort/ Buhoma community Bandas/ Buhoma Homestead.
Day 7: Transfer to Rwanda.
After enjoying that wonderful experience of the gorillas in Bwindi, we will proceed for the one more prime destination for gorillas in Rwanda based in Parc National des Volcans PNV) Volcanoes is part of the Virunga mountains which has different peaks like Bisoke, Karisimbi, Muhabura, Sabyinyo. Marvel at this beautiful mountainous country also called “a thousand hills.” Stay overnight in Kinigi Guesthouse/ Gorilla’s Nest Hotel.
Day 8: Gorilla tracking (PNV National Park).
Early morning wake up and take breakfast then proceed to the park head quarters for briefing. Go for gorilla trekking in the Volcanoes forest where you will be amazed by the huge size of the silverback, the behavior and communicating skills of these unique creatures among other things. Use this moment to learn and discover all there is about the gorillas. Stay overnight at Kinigi Guesthouse/ Gorilla Nest House.
Day 9: visit Dian Fossey’s grave/ golden monkey tracking.
Early morning wake up and take breakfast. There are a number of options you can choose from. You can visit the famous Dian Fossey’s grave. This famous primatologist is a person who dedicated her life to studying and protection of mountain gorillas in Rwanda and made people more aware of these creatures. You may go for golden monkey tracking another unique and rare primate or you could visit Ross Car’s Orphanage or visit Rwanda’s largest Lake Kivu. After such a long day, make your back to Kinigi Guesthouse/ Gorilla Nest House. (FB)
Day 10: city tour in Kigali.
After breakfast, depart from PNV and head to Kigali city where you will do a brief city tour where you will visit the genocide memorial centre, which explains much of Rwanda’s painful historical past. So much has changed ever since the genocide as you will see and compare. Transfer to Uganda. Stay overnight at Mantana tented camp/ Rwonyo camp.
Day 11: Lake Mburo.
Lake Mburo national Park, a haven for “impalas” small antelopes and herbivorous are most concentrated in Lake Mburo of all the Ugandan national Parks. There is more to impalas, Kampala; the capital city of Uganda was named after this beautiful animals. After breakfast go for a game drive and check out Uganda’s wildlife besides the mountain gorillas in Bwindi such as zebra, warthog, buffalo, klipspringer, eland, oribi and waterbuck. Better yet, you can do the game drive on ATV quad bikes; they are much fun. In the afternoon, go for a boat trip on Lake Mburo where you will admire several other lakes like Kazuma, Lake Bwa besides Lake Mburo. Gaze at the huge hippos, crocodiles and buffaloes as they drink water. There are attractive birds to check out like Abyssinian ground hornbill, the crested crane (Uganda’s national emblem), saddle bill storks among others. After the boat trip, drive back to Kampala.
Day 12: White Water Rafting.
Depart Kampala and drive to Jinja. It is in Jinja where you stumble on the source of the River Nile, the longest river in Africa. On your to Jinja there are quite exciting things to check out. Stopover at Mabira forest where you will encounter diurnal primates like red-tailed has 300 tree species and a big bird community of over 300 species of which you can spot some birds like Nahan’s francolin. Red-tailed monkeys and the elusive black and white colobus are also common. After proceed to our main destination Jinja. Jinja is located at northern end and east bank of Lake Victoria. Everything in Jinja is connected to the river like electricity production, brewing and the shops on the main street. Finally we get to water rafting, the best activity. Shooting the rapids is described as an ‘adrenaline-pumping experience’ and not for the faint hearted; its tremendous fun but for the physically demanding. Spend the entire day challenging the steep rapids of the Nile. Stay overnight in Sunset Hotel/ Nile Resort Hotel.
Day 13: Bungee Jumping/ Quad biking.
After breakfast, we will go on a 4-hour quad bike safari. Get to drive on quad bikes through the lush countryside around Bujagali village. Drive yourself over some of the most beautiful terrain in the world. No experience is required and all protective clothing is provided such as boots, overalls. This may as well turn out to be one of the most fascinating experience for first-timers. Spend the afternoon relaxing off or ride along the shores of the Nile on the back of a horse, kayaking or the more astounding bungee jumping where you will scream your heart out! Stay overnight at Sunset Hotel/ Nile Resort Hotel.
Day 14: Back to Kampala.
Take a cup of coffee at leisure and return to Kampala bringing us to the end of this adventurous trip!