18 days birding safari
Day 1:Arrival in Uganda at Entebbe airport, your are welcomed by our representative and transfered to your hotel for check in. ( B&B)
Day 2: Birding in Mambamba swamp and transfer to Masindi.
Today the we start with embarding on the birding journey to Mabamba swamp on the shores of Lake Victoria in the west of Kampala. The magical offering of the destination is the endangered shoebill stork. The canoe paddle along the narrow channel of the swamp will give you chances of sighting other bird species like Lesser Jacana, Papyrus Gonolek, Black-Shouldered Kite, Blue Swallow, Blue-Breasted Bee-Eater, White-Winged Warbler, Caruthers Cisticola, Swamp Flycatcher. You will retire from the activity, settle for lunch and then transfer to Masindi Town birding along the way for special savannah species. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Day 3: Birding along the royal mile in Budongo forest and transfer to Murchison Falls.
After an early breakfast, Connect to the adjacent Budongo forest for an amazing bird encounter. You will take a bird walk along the royal mile a famously encountered road that lies under a lush forest canopy. The forest offers opportunities of spotting birds like; Nahan’s Francolin, White thighed Hornbill,Sabines and Graceful Cassin’s Spinetail,Blue-Throated Roller, Forest Flycatcher, Yellow- Browed Cameroptera, Chestnut-Capped Flycatcher, Lemon-Bellied Crombec,Ituri Batis,Tit Hylia, Forest Robin, Uganda Woodland Warbler, Grey Throated, Yellow Billed, Yellow Spotted and Hairy Breasted Barbet, Black Billed and Great-Blue Turaco, Plain, Spotted, Slender-Billed, Little Grey, White throated and Little Greenbul, Dusky-Long Tailed Cuckoo, Black-Capped Apalis and Red-Tailed Bristle Bill among other species. Primate species may also be spotted like the Guereza Colobus, Red Tailed and Chimps. After activity, you will drive to Murchison driving through the Kaniyo Pabidi Forest with chances of viewing the Purvell’s Illadopsis and the Yellow-Footed Fly catcher. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Day 4: Morning private boat to the delt area and birding in the savannah in the afternoon.
The mixed habitats of Uganda`s largest park makes it a dwelling of variety of bird with 451 species recorded putting a smile on the face of a birder on Uganda Safari. The list includes the; Shoebill stork, the Goliath Heron-the largest heron in the world and pairs of elegant Grey Crowned Cranes –the national bird of Uganda. Other species seen on the Nile banks includes; Swamp Flycatcher, Blue-headed Coucal, Squacco Heron, sandpipers, African Jacana, Denham’s Bustard, Black-billed barbet, Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill, Black –headed Gonolek, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, Weaver Birds, Pied, piapiac, Silver bird, Giant and Malachite Kingfishers, White-browed Sparrow Weaver, Red-throated Bee-eater, African Quail –Finch and Speck-fronted Weaver. The birding encounter in Murchison Falls National Park commences with an early morning thrilling boat ride to the Delta Area. This offers opportunity of exploring the rare species like the Shoebill stork. The morning boat ride is magical allowing you to explore the majestic Victoria Nile River as it empties into Lake Albert.
The scenery is very amazing while the soothing fresh morning breeze gives you a touch of the true African wilderness freshness. This will be followed by extensive birding driver both in the mid- morning and in the evening with possibilities of exploring a range of wild game liked elephants, Rothschild giraffes, African cap buffaloes, the Jacksons Hartebeest, Oribi, Uganda kob, Lions, and the leopards among others. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Day 5: morning birding in northern murchison and transfer to Hoima.
Undertake morning birding in the savannah of northern Murchison and the top of Murchison Fall.
Here the Nile is transformed into explosive foam of thunderous wide water-funnels shaped through a narrow cleft in the Rift valley escarpment offering the most inspiring sight of its kind in east Africa. Here you have a chances of viewing birds like the Pel`s Fishing Owl, Chest-nut crowned and the red- winged grey warbler. Proceed on the drive to Hoima birding in the escarpment. Arrive in Hoima for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Hoima> Kibale. After breakfast, embark on the transfer to Kibale National Park. You will be birding en route across low lying water logged environments in Kagadi and Kagorro forest reserve near Kyenjonjo. Upon arriving in Fort portal, you settle for lunch after which you proceed to Kibale Forest National park for an afternoon birding experience. Kibale National Park offers great flora concentration with 351 species of trees some of which are 200 years old and over 55m tall. The park also supports 70 species of mammals and 13 species of primates among which includes the common chimpanzee, Black and white Colobus monkeys. The 375 species of birds thrive in the park including the impressive western green tinker bird, two species of pittas (African and green-breasted), olive long-tailed cuckoo, African grey parrot and the endemic ground thrush (Turdus kibalensis).Retreat from the activity and connect to the lodge for relaxation, Dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Kibale & Bigodi swamp. After breakfast you will have a whole day birding the Kibale forest for special forest species like the Green Breasted Pitta, Cameron Sombre Greenbul, Blue-Shouldered Robin chat, you can choose to do an afternoon optional chimpanzee tracking or proceed to do the Bigodi swamp walk for more species.
Day 8 and 9: Semuliki. Today we wake up so early to meet the semuliki specials like the Nkulengu Rail then we spend the whole day at Kirumia trail looking for more species like Blue Swallow, White-throated Blue Swallow, Swamp Palm Bulbul, Spotted Greenbul, White-starred Robin, Lowland Akalat, Red-throated Alethe, Fire-crested Alethe, Snowy-headed Robin-Chat, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, Red-eyed Puffback, White-tailed Robin-Chat, Northern Bearded Scrub-Robin, Capped Wheatear, Common Stonechat, Abyssinian Ground-Thrush, Oberlaender’s Ground-Thrush, Grey Ground-Thrush, Little Grey Greenbul, Toro Olive Greenbul, Mountain Greenbul, Yellow-throated Nicator, Western Nicator, Purple-throated Cuckoo-shrike, Petit’s Cuckoo-shrike, Black Saw-wing, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Long-tailed Hawk, Red-thighed Sparrow hawk, Chestnut-flanked Goshawk, Grant’s Bluebill, Afep Pigeon, Blue-headed Coucal, Bates’s Nightjar, Swamp Nightjar, Cassin’ Spinetail, Sabine’s Spinetail, White- bellied Kingfisher, Shining-blue Kingfisher, then later transfer back the lodge for relaxation
Day 10: > Queen Elisabeth National Park. Today we proceed our beautiful trip to Queen Elizabeth National Park, driving on the foot of Mountain Rwenzori birding along the way where you could see species like the Beautiful Sunbird, Bronze sunbird, Purple sunbird, Shikra, then later do an afternoon birding in the park for more special species like the Rufous-Naped Lark, African Thrush, Termnicks Courser. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Day 11: Queen Elisabeth National Park and afternoon cruise. Have a whole day encounter with birds in the varied ecosystem of the park; the birding encounter can be conducted in Mweya Peninsular, environs of Lake Kikorongo, Maramagambo forest, Savannah Plains of Kasenyi, Katungulu Bridge Area among other areas. The park exposes you to birds like Rupells Griffon Vulture, Martial Eagle, White headed, Lappet Faced Vulture, Blue Quail, Harlequins Quail and Button Quail, African Crake, African Skimmer, Black Headed Gonolek, Verraux Eagle Owl, Amur Falcon, Ovambo-Sparrow Hawk, Lesser Flamingos. The sights of wild life like Elephants, Spotted Hyenas and Side Stripped Jackals may not be missed. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Day 12: > Bwindi via Ishasha. After breakfast, you embark on the drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National park. You will pass through the landscape of Ishasha in the southern sector of the Queen Elizabeth National park which will give you an opportunity of seeing savannah and forest bird species which include the following: Red-Chested Flufftail, Red Headed Bluebill, Black Throated Seedeater, African Citril and many more. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Day 13: Gorilla tracking and afternoon birding along the forest edges. Although this is a special birding safari, you cant skip the main activity and most important touristic atraction of Uganda. ‘Gorilla tracking at Bwindi’. However this is optional as we respect someone choice not to do the tracking for personal reasons. After an early morning breakfast, with your packed lunch you will head to the briefing point to go through the tracking orientation for the activity you are going to do and safety guidelines, then you will head into jungle with your guide and when you encounter them you will be allowed to stay with them for a maximum of one hour and later proceed back to the lodge for relaxation. Then you may opt to do an afternoon birding depending on the time you have come back from tracking gorillas. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Day 14: > Mount Mgahinga National Park birding along the way.
Prepare yourself for this long drive to Mgahinga national park as you are birding along the way. Having a stopover at Echuya forest in search of forest species like Doherty’s and Luther’s Bush-shrike, Eurasian Blackcap, Green Tinkerbird, White-browed Crombec, Long-tailed Cuckoo and many more. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Day 15: whole day birding at Mount Mgahinga National Park.
After an early morning breakfast, with your packed lunch you will embark on your way to the forest with the bird site guide for the search forest species and the Albertine endemics like Handsome Spurfowl, Grauer’s Broadbill, Archer’s Robin chat, Regal, Purple-breasted, Regal and Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbirds, Strange Weaver, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Montane Masked Apalis, Grauer’s Warbler, Golden-breasted Bunting, Rwenzori Batis and many more. Dinner and overnight.
Day 16: > Lake Mburo. After an early morning breakfast, you will embark on a long drive to Lake Mburo while birding along the way. The park is mostly dominated savannah grasslands, swamps and woodlands which boosts it as home to savannah bird species and waterbirds. The birds include rare visitor Southern Hornbill, Brown-chested Plover, Coqui Francolin, Mariquo Sunbird and many more.
Day 17: Morning gamedrive and afternoon boat cruise followed by night gamedrive.
After an early, morning breakfast we shall embark on the way to the park for the morning game
drive in search of gems and birds like Topis, Nubian Giraffes, Elands, Zebras and many more.
Common and conspicuous birds are Lilac-breasted Roller, Common Scimitarbill, Spot-flanked Barbet, Nubian Woodpecker, Trilling Cisticola, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Chin-spot Batis, Marico Sunbird, Temminck’s Courser, Black-collared Barbet, Black-bellied Bustard, Red-headed Weaver, Red-faced Barbet, Shikra, Black-chested, Brown and Western Banded Snake eagles, and many more. Then later in the course of the day, you will head to have hot lunch and proceed for a boat cruise on Lake Mburo which will give an opportunity to watch the Elusive Swamp Specialist, The African Finfoot and many more other waterbirds like Greater Swamp Warbler, Papyrus Canary, African Water Rail, Wood and Common Sandpipers, Greater Painted Snipe and many more. After the boat Cruise, you will head back to the lodge for relaxation in preparation for the night game drive which will give you an opportunity to see the night specialists like African Scops Owl, Verreaux’s Eagle-owl, Black- winged, Fiery-necked, White-tailed and Pennant-winged Nightjars. Animals include African Civet, Giant Pangolin, Zorilla, Spotted Hyena and other wild animals. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Day 18: Lake Mburo > Entebbe.
After a relaxed morning breakfast, you will embark on journey to Entebbe having a stopover at the Equator for lunch and experience then proceed to Entebbe for your safe flight back home
Price Includes:
• All meals specified in the itinerary
• Drinks as stipulated in itinerary
• Accommodation as indicated in the itinerary
• Water in the vehicle for overland sectors.
• All ground transportation and transfers as indicated
• Activities as indicated in the itinerary
• Game drives
• Chimpanzee tracking fees
• Ranger guide fees
• AMREF flying doctor’s emergency evacuation program
Prices Excludes:
• Visa fees
• Meals not specified
• Drinks where not stipulated in itinerary
• Gratuities for guide/driver/hotel staff
• Any extra and additional activities not mentioned in the itinerary
• Travel/medical insurance
