Uganda
Birding Safari — 12 days
Where: Mabamba Bay, Fort Portal, Kibale Forest National Park, Magombe Swamp, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kyambura Gorge, Kazinga Channel, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Ruhija, and Lake Mburo National Park.
Type of Travel Experience: Carefully crafted for the bird enthusiast, who will also enjoy viewing other wildlife and magnificent natural settings. Uganda has more bird species per square kilometer than any other country in Africa. Roughly the same size as state of Oregon, the country boasts a national list of 1008 species! This figure represents more than half the bird species that can be found in the whole of Africa. The key to Uganda痴 diversity is its variety of habitats: arid semi-dessert, rich savannahs, lowland and montane rainforests, vast lakes, rivers and wetlands, volcanoes and an Afro-alpine zone. This trip will take you on one great eco-adventure through the most dramatic and spectacular natural scenery in Africa, to remote and beautiful places with few other tourists and plenty of unique birds and wildlife.
Day 1 ‾ Arrive Entebbe. Overnight at Golf View Inn.
Day 2 ‾ In the morning you will have a birding excursion at the Mabamba Bay. Birding will be carried out in a dug-out canoe taking you deeper into the swamp. Return to the hotel for lunch. In the afternoon, you will explore the nearby Botanical Gardens. Dinner and overnight at the Golf View Inn.
Day 3 ‾ After breakfast, you will depart Entebbe for Kibale National Park in Fort Portal town. Arrive at the Chimps' Nest lodge just in time for lunch. Explore the bird life on their private walking trails in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Chimps' Nest Lodge.
Day 4 ‾ Track chimpanzees and other primates at the Kibale National Park. Return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch you will take a bird walk through the Magombe Swamp. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight at the Chimps' Nest Lodge.
Day 5 ‾ Depart Fort Portal for Queen Elizabeth National Park. Arrive for lunch at the Mweya Lodge. At 3:00pm you will have a leisurely boat cruise down the Kazinga channel, which offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing. Dinner and overnight at Kingfisher Lodge.
Day 6 ‾ In the morning, you will explore more of the national park and its diverse flora and fauna on a game drive. Return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch you will have a nature walk the Maramagambo Forest in the southeastern part of the park. Return to Kingfisher Lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7 ‾ After a leisurely breakfast, depart for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The drive will take you through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, famous for its lions, one of the few populations in Africa that customarily climb trees. A packed lunch will be provided. Dinner and overnight at Buhoma Lodge.
Day 8 ‾ In the morning, experience the thrill of tracking mountain gorillas! Approximately half of the world痴 700 mountain gorillas live in Bwindi. You will see them foraging and playing. A picnic lunch will be provided. In the afternoon there will be an optional birding excursion on the Buhoma road towards the forest. Dinner and overnight at the Buhoma Lodge.
Day 9 ‾ Depart for Ruhija, the highest point in the forest and the main site for many of the Albertine Rift Endemics. A packed lunch will be provided. Dinner and overnight at Trekkers' Heaven Lodge.
Day 10 ‾ Depart Ruhija for Lake Mburo National Park. Arrive in time for lunch. After lunch, you will explore the lakeside trail and take a boat ride which allows access to aquatic habitats around Lake Mburo. Dinner and overnight at Mihingo Lodge.
Day 11 ‾ After an early breakfast, you will explore the national park by road. Proceed to Entebbe. You will then have a brief stopover at the equator for lunch. Continue the journey to Kampala, where you will be dropped off for dinner and overnight at Golf View Inn.
Day 12 ‾ After breakfast, take an optional walk through the nearby Botanical Gardens. Lunch at the Golf View Inn. Later in the day you will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight.
Starting at $3,995 per person, double occupancy.
Please note that itinerary schedules, accommodations, and prices are subject to change.