9 Days Bwindi Forest National Park And Batwa Safari Tour

DAY 1: Transfer from Entebbe to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

You will be picked up around 9:00 am from your Hotel in Entebbe by our Guide who will brief you about your tour. You will later be driven in comfortable and secure touring vehicle to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the South-West which will take around 8 hours of drive. Lunch will be provided en-route at Mbarara, arriving late in the evening for an overnight and relax as you wait for the next day’s adventure.

Luxury: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

DAY2: Gorilla tracking and Batwa trail experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After an early morning breakfast around 6:30 am you will be driven to the park headquarters for briefing on the do’s and don’ts during gorilla tracking and thereafter you will proceed to the gorilla trail. Gorilla tracking normally lasts between 2 to 8 hours or even a day to encounter the Gorillas. However, you will be allowed to stay in the presence of these awesome apes for at least an hour.

It is advisable that you carry packed lunch, which will be provided, as one cannot determine how long it may take to encounter the mountain gorillas. If time and energy allow, you may take the Batwa Cultural visit after the Gorilla tracking or just have a relaxed afternoon.
Luxury: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

DAY3: Transfer from Bwindi NP to Lake Bunyonyi for Canoe and later to Ishasha Sector

After having early breakfast, you will set off to Lake Bunyonyi. This lake is said to be one of the most beautiful places in western Uganda. It is the second deepest lake in Africa (900 meters deep) and also one of the few places in the country where it is considered safe to swim as it is bilharzias free. The journey takes 3-5 hours depending on which sector of Bwindi you are departing from. The landscape around the lake is made up of terraced hills protruding from the water’s edge. Bunyonyi means “place of little birds” and as the name suggests, there is plenty of birdlife around the lake. You will take a Canoe ride, and post lunch transferred to Ishasha Sector.

Luxury: Enjojo Lodge

Day 4: Game drive in Ishasha and boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park

After your breakfast you will be taken to Ishasha Sector, famous for the tree climbing lions lounging in the tree branches while keeping a close eye on herds of Uganda kob, their favorite prey. You could have a chance to spot some tree climbing lions after proceed to your lodge.

In the afternoon you will take a Boat Cruise along the amazing Kazinga channel to see, at close range, the water animals to include Hippos, Buffalos, Crocodiles and elephants bathing on the channel banks. There is also a variety of bird species on the water banks especially the famous Shoebill, pelican and Jacana.

Mid-range: Baboon Safaris Resort
Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge

Day 5: Full day Game drive at Queen Elizabeth and transfer to Kibale National Park

After breakfast you will take packed lunch and head for a full day game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park to see Africa’s highly famed “Big 5”, Bush Bucks, Giant Hogs, Antelopes, Waterbucks and plenty of birds. . Later in the evening you will be transferred to Kibale Forest National Park

Mid-range: Isunga Safari Lodge
Luxury: Primate Lodge Kibale

Day 6: Chimpanzee Trekking and Bigodi walk in Kibale National Park

After breakfast head to Kibale Forest. The activity begins at 8.00 am with a briefing of the rule for trekking the chimpanzees after which you set off to search for them in the forest. Kibale Forest National Park, it boasts the highest number of primate species in the world, including the chimpanzees. Approximately 5,000 chimpanzees live in the wild in Uganda, which makes it a perfect place to spot them! An experienced ranger will take you chimp tracking in the morning. Once you locate the chimpanzees, you will spend an hour with them and then head back to the accommodation for Lunch.

Post Lunch you will be taken for Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary walk This is a guided swamp walk that takes you closer seeing primates mostly monkeys, birds and butterflies. The wetland is a birder’s paradise with about 138 species and is best known for being home to the Great Blue Turaco.

This is a 2½ – 3 hour walk and is a must for bird lovers. The walk is almost as popular as the Kibale Forest Walk. You will need good walking shoes since part of the walk is sometimes muddy. Hopefully you will spot the elusive Sitatunga antelope and the Shoebill Stork. This is nothing to be missed. You will meet some of the primates here, even a chimpanzee at times. Other primate species include the black-and-white colobus, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed, l’Hoest’s and blue monkeys, and olive baboons. Also,

Bushbucks and mongooses and many more can also be found here. There is also an abundance of butterflies. Bigodi Sanctuary is located outside the park in Magombe Swamp.

Mid-range: Isunga Safari Lodge
Luxury: Primate Lodge Kibale

Day 7: Transfer to Murchison falls National Park

After breakfast you will be transferred to Murchison Falls National Park which will take around 7/8 hours of drive, Head straight to tour the Top and bottom of majestic falls, where the Nile crashes through a 7 meters gorge to the falls 45 meters. Numerous scenic viewpoints are a photographers’ delight, the most impressive view of the foaming waters rushing into the gorge with a deafening roar.

Mid-range: Pakuba Safari Lodge
Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge

Day 8: Game drive and Boat cruise in Murchison falls National Park

You will set off at 6:30 am cross to the northern bank of river Nile head for a sunrise game drive in the Nyamsika plateau to see the Cape buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffes, Uganda kob, hartebeest and waterbucks. You may also spot oribi, bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, shy sitatunga, bush duiker, warthog and bush pig plus large carnivores including lions, leopards and spotted hyenas. Chimpanzees and olive baboons head the list of six species of primates found in the park. Crocodiles and hippos will be seen along the banks of the Nile. Some of the more common birds that can be seen include goliath heron, Egyptian geese, pelican, bee- eaters, kingfishers, hornbill, cormorant, saddle-bill stork and the rare shoebill stork.

You will return to your lodge for a late breakfast and some relaxation before setting off in the afternoon for a Boat cruise on the placid Victoria Nile, upstream, to the base of the falls. En route you will see hippos, crocodiles, water buck and a wide variety of birds including the unusual shoebill stork. The boat stops just tens of meters from the “Devil’s Cauldron” for pictures to be taken of the photogenic and majestic Murchison Falls.

Mid-range: Pakuba Safari Lodge
Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge

Day 9: Rhino tracking in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and transfer to Kampala/Entebbe

After an early morning breakfast, depart with great memories of the moments spent at Murchison falls, you will be driven to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, after a briefing from the ranger you trek the sanctuary for close to two hours. With Lunch en-route you will be transferred back to Kampala/Entebbe.

The costs include:

• Transport in a 4×4 safari land cruiser
• Accommodation
• All meals
• Park fees
• Gorilla permit & Chimpanzee permit
• Boat fees
• Drinking Water on board.

The costs do not include:

• Tourist insurance
• International flights
• Money for tips and anything of personal nature
• Beverages