Uganda Wildlife and Primate Encounter Safari

Upon your arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be welcomed by our customer care representative and your allocated English-speaking safari guide for a meet and greet and, thereafter, a transfer to your booked hotel in Entebbe town. The hotel is about 10 to 15 minutes’ drive from the airport on the shores of Lake Victoria. Depending on your time of arrival, if time allows, visit the Entebbe botanical gardens that are found on the shore of Lake Victoria in Entebbe town for a walking safari. Botanical gardens are home to some primate species, such as vervet monkeys, and several bird species. The walk will take you to the shores of Lake Victoria, where you will have a chance to spot some water birds, enjoy the fresh breezes from the lake, and get used to Uganda’s beautiful nature. Lake Victoria is the largest water body in Africa and the second largest freshwater body in the world, and it is shared by Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. Later, return to your hotel to have dinner and an overnight stay.

On your first morning in Africa, wake up early in the morning to have your travel bag arranged, be served breakfast, and get prepared for pick-up by your assigned safari guide at 7 a.m. to start your African safari with a drive to Murchison Falls National Park, located in north-western Uganda, about 320 km from Kampala. On your way, you will visit the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, located in the Nakasongola district, the home of Uganda’s rhinos, where you will have a chance to see the white rhinos in their natural environment, up close to their feet, which provides an unforgettable experience. The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is the only place in Uganda where you can see white rhinos in the wild. Once, Uganda had an adequate number of rhinos, which were found in the Kidepo Valley and Murchison Falls national parks, but they became nationally extinct due to numerous illegal human activities such as poaching and civil unrest in the early 1970s. Therefore, in 2005, the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary was established to facilitate the reintroduction of rhinos into Uganda’s wildlife inventory. While at Ziwa rhino sanctuary, you will have a chance to see rhinos up close with the help of your local site guide and spend a maximum of one hour with them. During your time with rhinos, you will be allowed to take as many photos as you want, so your camera has to be on standby so you don’t miss any of your great moments. Seeing the rhino sanctuary at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary will complete your Big Five game checklist. After the rhino tracking experience, proceed to Kabalega restaurant to have a hot lunch and, thereafter, head to Murchison Falls National Park, the source of happiness for nature lovers, where you will be welcomed by hundreds of baboons lined along the road. On arrival at Murchison Falls National Park, visit the Murchison Falls to enjoy the breathtaking views and great sound of the Falls as the River Nile squeezes itself through the narrow gorge that is only 7 meters wide, then drops 43 meters into a pool that creates a strong, thunderous sound that is so lovely. The tour to the top of the waterfall takes about an hour, starting from the viewing point to the bottom of the falls. After enjoying the falls, proceed to the northern sector of the park across the Nile to check in at your booked lodge to refresh, and then spend your evening at leisure enjoying the lodge atmosphere until it is time for dinner and overnight.
Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s oldest and largest national park, covered by savannah and tropical forest vegetation, and home to a wide range of wildlife animals that live together in harmony in the natural environment. Murchison Falls National Park is home to 76 recorded mammals and over 450 species, which makes it one of Africa’s best wildlife destinations to spot several wildlife species fully in their natural habitats in a larger concentration, such as lions, leopards, elephants, the African cape buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffe, warthogs, hippos, Nile crocodiles, several antelope species, many primates like chimpanzees, olive baboons, and many others. The park is endowed with a wide range of unique and extremely interesting features that contribute greatly to the beauty of the country.

Wake up very early in the morning by 6 a.m., have a quick cup of coffee with a snack to warm your body, get boxes of your packed breakfast, get into your safari vehicle, and then set out for an early morning game drive safari for wildlife encounters. The early start is a better time to have high chances of sighting several wildlife species, including nocturnal animals and elusive predators such as lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, and jackals, as they are still active in the jungle before they have returned to their hideouts. During the morning game drive safari, expect to encounter several animal species such as elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, warthogs, and many antelopes like Jackson hartebeest, Uganda kobs, water bucks, oribis, and many others, plus several bird species. Murchison Falls National Park is the main stronghold in Africa for Rothschild giraffes, so expect to see them in large numbers. Have a short break to enjoy your full breakfast, and proceed with your game safari until 1200 p.m. Your safari guide will help you encounter as many wildlife species as possible and share with you a lot of information regarding the various wildlife species that you will encounter. After the game drive, drive back to your lodge to relax for some time, have lunch, and then set off for a 3-hour afternoon boat cruise on the Nile that will take you up to 500m to the bottom of the Falls. The boat cruise on the Nile offers open opportunities to encounter several wildlife species, like hippos, lizards, huge Nile crocodiles, and some of the land mammals, such as elephants, buffaloes, and some antelope species. During the boat cruise experience, you will have the opportunity to take as many photos of the various animals as possible since the boat cruise takes you closer to them. After the boat cruise, drive back to the park for an evening game drive safari till sunset to search for more wildlife species of the park mostly the big predators like lions, leopard, spotted hyenas an many others since these species are so active during evening hours. Besides spotting more animals, it is so beautiful for the sunset to meet you in the African jungle. Thereafter the game drive, drive back to your lodge to refresh, have dinner and an overnight..

Today rise up at your best time to have all your travel bags loaded into your safari vehicle, be served breakfast, check out drive slowly through the park to cross the river Nile and then proceed with your safari to Kibale Forest national park located in western Uganda that is proudly known as the Africa’s primate capital, with over 13 recorded primate species than any other national park or wildlife reserve in Africa plus the biggest population of chimpanzees that are amounting to more than 1500 individual chimpanzees. Kibale Forest National is most famous for its population of chimpanzees and is known as the best destination for the wild chimpanzees tracking experience activities on the earth. While at Kibale Forest national park expect to encounter several primates such as the black-and-white colobus, red-tailed- monkeys, blue monkeys, olive baboons, grey-cheeked mangabeys, the threatened and rare L’hoest’s monkey and red colobus monkeys. Besides primates, the park is a home to forest elephants and some antelopes plus over 370 bird species which includes the 23 Albertine Rift endemics. On your way to Kibale Forest national park, you will enjoy the spectacular views of tea estates, several forests where olive baboons are parading alongside the roads and the shadow of the legendary Rwenzori Mountain that forms a mystic backdrop to the beautiful volcanic landscape with a stopover in Fort Portal City to have lunch, relax move around the city on foot, and later continue with your journey to the park to check in at your booked lodge and later drive to Bigodi Swamp for a nature walk and community experience.
Bigodi Sanctuary Swamp is remarkable for its biodiversity of wildlife species, with about eight primate species, including baboons, grey-cheeked mangabeys, blue monkeys, red colobus monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, and other animals like mongooses, wild pigs, various reptiles, over 200 bird species, and butterflies. The community walk will be guided by a trained local guide who is very knowledgeable of the local terrain and perfect at identifying all the animal, bird, and plant species and explaining details about their mating nature. While at Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, expect to encounter rich vegetation and several wildlife species. After the swamp walk, the tour will end in Bigodi village, one of the relatively small villages around the park with all the characteristics of a typical Ugandan rural setting, such as living in small houses made with mud and surrounding gardens. While at the Bigodi community, you will have close interaction with the locals to learn about their daily social and economic lifestyle and take part in some experiences like learning how coffee is grown, visiting women’s groups, and having the opportunity to experience the local food. After the community tour, return to your lodge to refresh, have dinner, and stay overnight.

Wake up very early in the morning to dress in a recommended style for the most memorable chimpanzee trekking experience, such as waterproof hiking boots, a long-sleeved shirt suitable for cold weather, a rain jacket, a round hut, and insect repellents. Enjoy an early breakfast to fueling up for the day’s main activity and then head to park information center for a pre-trek briefing by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) rangers where you will learn about the guidelines for trekking and interacting with chimpanzees, ensuring both your safety and the conservation of the primates. After the briefing session, embark on the forest walk through the dense Kibale rainforest accompanied by experienced guides in search of chimpanzee troops. On the planet, there is no other animal that reminds us so much of ourselves as the chimpanzee, and besides many common features and mannerisms, chimpanzees share 98.8% of our human DNA, which makes them our closest living relatives. Chimpanzees are found in 21 countries throughout Africa, but Uganda is where they can be easily sighted due to the high concentration and seeing chimpanzees in Uganda is guaranteed on any particular day throughout the year. While searching for chimpanzees, you will encounter other primate species such as L’hoest monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys and blue monkeys, as well as several bird species. The forest walk in search of chimpanzees may take about 30 minutes to 4 hours, depending on their location and once you encounter them, you will spend a magical hour observing their behaviors such as how they swing through the tree branches, groom each other, and feed, while the guides provide fascinating insights into their social structure and habits. After an hour with the chimpanzees, return to the park information center to receive your certificate of completion, meet your safari guide, and then return to the lodge for a well-deserved lunch, and then embark on your drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park is one of the traditional savannah destinations in Uganda and African continent more famous for its big cats, like lions and leopards, and the Kazinga Channel known to have the highest concentration of hippos in the world. The park is estimated to have over 600 bird species and 95 mammal species, which includes approximately 2,500 elephants, 5,000 hippos, 10,000 buffalo, and many small mammals. On arrival at Queen Elizabeth National Park before checking in at your booked lodge, visit the Lake Katwe salt mining community that lies inside Queen Elizabeth National Park on the western arm of the East African rift valley. For over 600 years, salt mining activities have been taking place, and a visit to the community will give you better insights as to how locals extract and process salt to the stage of use and how they have maintained these economic activities for decades. While at the Katwe community, you may see some wildlife species like buffaloes and several antelope species since they always visit this community for salt licking. Drive to your booked lodge to refresh and then stay at your leisure until it is time to have dinner, and overnight

Wake up very early in the morning (05.30am) to prepare yourself for the day. Today, you can put on light clothes, simple shoes and then pack a sweater for emergencies, have an extra camera battery, have your binoculars. Have a cup of coffee and then get a box of your packed full breakfast, and later leave your lodge at (0630 am) to Kasenyi Plains, found in the northern part of Queen Elizabeth national park for a morning game drive safari. It is always very important to begin your game drive as early as possible because during the morning hours of the day animals are more active and chances are high to encounter as many species as possible. Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the best savanna destinations in Africa to encounter several wildlife species and it is one of Uganda’s most varied and most beautiful protected areas. The park is home to two of Africa’s big cats, the majestic lion and the elusive leopard alongside classic big game such as approximately 5,000 hippo, 2,500 elephants and 10,000 buffalo. During your game drive safari expect to encounter different groups of animal species like Buffalo herds, elephant herds, Uganda kob herds plus many other antelopes, warthogs, lions, leopards, spotted hyenas the giant forest hog are among the others. Your safari guide will help you to spot as many animals as possible as well as giving much information regarding everything that you will encounter which will make your game drive time so interesting and memorable. Later around 11: 30 am, retire from the game drive to return to your lodge to be served lunch, have some time at leisure till time to be served lunch and then go for an afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga channel which starts at 0300 pm. Boat cruise on the Kazinga channel is one of the special ways to explore and enjoy Queen Elizabeth National Park where you will have a chance to have a close encounter of several mammal species like hippos, Nile crocodiles, herds of elephants and buffalo and many antelope species when swimming and others wandering down to the shoreline to bathe in the cooling waters. So, the boat cruise will get you so close to wildlife and for many of our visitors they consider a boat cruise safari on the Kazinga channel as the highlight of their visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Thereafter the boat cruise on the Kazinga channel, drive back to the park for an evening drive safari to search for more animal species and to enjoy the sunset while in the middle of the African jungle. After the game drive, return to your lodge to refresh, have dinner and overnight.

Today, wake up at your best time to have all your travel bags loaded into your safari vehicle, be served breakfast, check out of your lodge, and start your drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, which is found in south-western Uganda. On your way to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, you will go via the Ishasha sector, which is found in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park and is famous for its tree-climbing lions and, of course, other great mammals, primates, and antelopes. The Tree Climbing Lions can only be found in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania, and Kruger National Park in South Africa, but there are obvious chances to encounter them in Queen Elizabeth National Park at Ishasha Sector because it has many prides with the character of climbing trees, but spotting them is not guaranteed. While at Ishasha Sector, besides looking for the tree-climbing lions, you will encounter other mammal species such as huge herds of buffalo, elephants, Uganda kobs, topis, warthogs, and various monkeys. After the game drive, look for treeclimbing lions, have lunch, relax for a while, and then continue your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, which is located in south-western Uganda on the western edge of the East African Rift Valley and is proudly known to be home to nearly half of the world’s remaining population of endangered mountain gorillas. The park also encompasses one of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rain forests, dating back over 25,000 years and containing nearly 400 species of plants that form the vast impenetrable forest, which is home to over 119 other mammal species besides the mountain gorillas and 350 species of birds, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics, as well as at least 200 butterfly species, including eight albertine rift endemics. On arrival at the park, check in at your booked lodge to refresh, and then spend the evening at your leisure until it’s time for dinner and an overnight.

Today, wake up very early in the morning to have your backpack ready. Dress up in the recommended style for the best mountain gorilla trekking experience. long trousers, possibly khaki or jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, water-proof hiking shoes, a water-proof jacket, a round hut, and heavy-duty gloves. This is due to the unpredictable weather conditions in the forest; it can rain at any particular time of the day, and then, for protection. Later, you will be served breakfast, have a box of your picnic lunch, meet your safari guide, and drive to the park information center for the pre-gorilla trekking briefing about the mountain gorilla trekking rules and regulations, the expectations during the gorilla trekking, how to behave while with the gorillas, and many other things. You will be joined in groups of eight people per group and then be assigned a particular gorilla family for tracking, with two gun-baring rangers (for your security) and a tracker/guide with a machete to lead your way during the forest walk while searching for the magical mountain gorillas. Thereafter the briefings, start the forest walk to search for your assigned mountain gorilla family. The time taken while searching for the mountain gorillas is not known, but it can be anywhere between 45 minutes and 6 hours, depending on the location and the movements of your allocated gorilla family on that day. Therefore, you need to be mentally and physically fit and prepared for multiple hours of forest walking over uneven and steep terrain. So, it is better to ask to be assigned a nearer gorilla family if you are not fit to manage multiple hours in the forest. If you consider yourself fit, choosing a challenging family is more fun and enjoyable because you will have the opportunity to encounter several wildlife species that live in this forest, and the longer you stay in the jungle, the more you will enjoy it and have opportunities to see many things.
During the forest walk in search of the mountain gorillas, you may encounter other wildlife species since Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park hosts numerous species, including chimpanzees, African elephants, l’Hoest’s monkey, and many others, plus birds, and your forest guide will keep on giving you information regarding everything that you will encounter that will make you enjoy your forest time. Once you meet your assigned mountain gorilla family, you will have one full hour to interact with the magical mountain gorillas. You will be required to keep a low tone, and you will be free to take as many photos as you want as well as ask as many questions as you want to your guides regarding the gorillas. Get ready to encounter Mr. Silverback, who is the head and determines the movements of the entire family. Mothers nurse the young ones, and the juveniles entertain the family, which makes a stay with them so amazing. It is advisable to avoid looking directly into the eyes of the gorillas. In the event of a chance encounter with the gorillas, it is always important to stay calm and quiet and let them pass because running away or making any kind of noise may disrupt the gorillas, causing them to behave wildly despite being habituated. The chances of seeing mountain gorillas in Uganda stand at 99% on any particular day. After an hour with the magical mountain gorilla, return to the starting point and receive your trekking certificates as a sign of appreciation for your contribution towards the conservation of the endangered mountain gorillas in Uganda. Meet your safari guide, enjoy your packed lunch with some refreshments, and later continue with your safari to Lake Bunyonyi, one of the most popular places in Uganda due to its green and lush terraced hills that are punctuated with a plethora of over 200 bird species. It is a perfect paradise for many bird enthusiasts because of its combination of water birds and some migratory birds. Lake Bunyonyi is an ideal place for swimming, boat cruising and canoeing experiences, birdwatching, as well as cultural adventures. Lake Bunyonyi is framed by 29 islands of different sizes, making it one of the most magical views in the world. On arrival at Lake Bunyonyi, check in at your booked lodge to refresh and have a free evening until it’s time to have dinner and overnight.

Today, wake up at your convenient time to have your travel bags ready in your safari vehicle, enjoy your hearty breakfast, check out of your lodge, and then go for a morning boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi, one of the most naturally beautiful lakes in Africa and the second deepest lake in Africa, with the cool weather to enjoy nature and offer great panoramic views from all sides. Boat riding is the only way of getting around the lake and its islands, so during the boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi, expect to visit some islands such as Akampene Island, also known as the “punishment island”, which was used by the Bakiga people to punish their girls who would get pregnant before marriage by leaving them on this small island where they would die of hunger and others while trying to swim to the mainland. This was to intimidate others from making the same mistake since, in African traditional society, it is an abomination for a girl to get pregnant before marriage, and parents would do everything possible to keep them from engaging in sexual activities until their rightful time to get married. So, poor men who could not afford to pay dowery could go to this island and pick up some of these abandoned girls. But this act of isolating girls on the punishment island was later abandoned in the first half of the 20th century. Your local guide during the boat cruise experience will narrate to you all the interesting stories about each of the islands, and you will have a chance to visit one of the islands that is occupied by people to interact with them and learn how they manage to stay in this isolated place. Later, return to the mainland to meet your safari guide and then proceed with your safari to Lake Mburo national park, which is home to over 68 recorded mammal species, including zebras, elands, impalas, buffalos, Defassa waterbuck, oribi, giraffes, hippo, leopard, hyena, topi, and reedbuck, and over 350 bird species. When you arrive at Lake Mburo National Park, be served lunch, check in at your room to refresh, have some time at your own leisure, and later in the evening, drive to the park for a game drive safari. In comparison to other East African national parks, Lake Mburo National Park is small but home to a variety of mammals and birds that are easily seen all over the park. So, during your game drive safari, expect to see the largest populations of zebra, impala, eland, and klipspringer, buffalo, topi, waterbuck, and warthog, reedbuck, oribi, giraffes, some primate species and many others. The park is also known for containing the highest concentration of leopards in Uganda. After the evening game drive, return to the lodge to refresh, have dinner, and then drive back to the park for the night game drive to explore the night life of the jungle, see how animals spend their night lives, listen to the vibrant sounds of the jungle at night, and boost your chances of encountering a whole variety of animals that are rare see during daytime, such as bush pigs, genet cats, leopards, spotted hyenas, bush babies, and many other nocturnal species. It is an interesting experience to be out at night. After the game drive, return to your lodge for the night.

Rise up very early in the morning to have all your travel bags ready to be packed in your safari vehicle, have breakfast, check out of the lodge, and drive to the park for the 2-hour morning jungle walking safari. Lake Mburo National Park is one of two national parks in Uganda that permits going for a bush walk with an experienced guide because of its open savannah. A jungle walking safari is one of the most magical ways to experience and enjoy the jungle because it allows you to be free and not confined in a safari vehicle, allowing you to enjoy fresh air directly from the bush and walk with mammals such as impalas, giraffes, and zebras. Your walk safari will never be interrupted by any foreign noise, such as those made by the safari car, allowing you to hear the voices of the animals and birds at all times. The walk will take you to the salt licks area, where animals parade themselves to enjoy the taste of the salty licks made up of water and soil. So, expect to see as many zebras, giraffes, impalas, and other antelope species as possible, and on a good day, you will encounter hippos coming out of the waters as well as hyenas returning to their dens. After the walking safari, get in your vehicle and stay in the park for a game drive safari to explore Lake Mburo National Park deeply and to have a chance to encounter more mammals and birds in the park. The more time you spend in the jungle, the more you enjoy it and have more chances to spot as many wildlife species as possible. After that, begin your journey back to Entebbe International Airport to end your safari. On the way back to Entebbe airport, you will have a stopover at the Kayabwe Equator land mark, which is at zero degrees latitude on the planet. The equator line divides the planet into the northern and southern hemispheres. It is a major stopover to experience the water experiment, which is done to show how forces move on each side of the planet. For example, in the northern hemisphere, forces move clockwise and anti-clockwise, and it is said that when you stand at the centre line, your body weight drops by 3 kg. You will have a chance to prove this to be right or wrong, by taking some photos while at the centre of the planet. After the experiment, visit the craft shops, have lunch, and proceed with your drive to Entebbe airport to conclude your 10-Day Uganda wildlife and primate encounter safari.