- Overview
- Trip plan
- Trip Includes
- Trip Excludes
- Gallery
- Booking
Day 1: Birding Entebbe surroundings
Day 2: Bird mabamba wetland and transfer to Murchsion falls
Day 3: Birding and game drive in Murchison falls national Park
Day 4: launch cruise and transfer to budongo forest
Day 5: Birding budongo forest
Day 7: Transfer to Kibaale national Park
Day 8: chimpanzee trekking and birding bigodi swamp
Day 9: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 10: Birding and boat ride on kazinga channel
Day 11: Bird to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 12: Gorilla trekking
Day 13: Buhoma community walk
Day 14: Birding at Ruhija
Day 15: Birding Mubwindi swamp
Day 16: Bird to lake Mburo national Park
Day 17: Birding and boat ride
Day 18: Depart for Kampala
These 18 days of birding will give you a great experience. You will visit a number of Uganda national parks and will get to see a variety of bird species as well as wildlife. Some of the birds you will see will include shoebill, papyrus gonolek, blue headed coucal,and more.
Animals like the lions, zebras antelopes, kobs, heartesbeat and more.
Itineraries
Day 1
Arrival
Upon arrival, depending on what time that would be.. you will be picked up by our representative who will guide to your hotel for freshening up. If time permits, you go out for some birding in the sorroundings of Entebbe like to botanical gardens. These gardens are a good spot to start your tour from. You will both wood land water bird species. Some of the birds you will spot may include, orange Weavers, Violet's black weavers, red chested sunbirds, maraboustorks etc.
Day 2
Birding mabamba swamp & transfer to Murchsion falls national park
After an early breakfast at your hotel, shall embark on a drive to the harbor where you shall board a canoe that you will better the birding experience on this swamp. You will spot birds like shoebill, black egret, black crate, Goliath heron among others.
In the afternoon, transfer to Murchsion falls. This journey will take 4-6hours. Passing via Masindi to the park.
Arrive and check into your lodging for dinner and the night stay.
Day 3
Early birding, game drive
Very early in the morning, shall go birding shall spot birds like the abbysinian ground hornbill, giant kingfisher, African jacana and more. Morning hours are the best for birding when the birds are most active. Have a break to relax and lunch. In the afternoon, have a game drive through the park. You will spot animals like the elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes etc.
Shall embark on more birding later in the evening.
After get back to the lodge for dinner and night stay.
Day 4
Boat launch to the falls
After the morning breakfast, embark on a boat launch where you will get to the bottom of the falls. Here you will see birds like the shoebill, abbysinian roller, secretary bird etc animals like the crocodiles, hippos and more wildlife.
You will trekking up the falls and continue with the amazing view of the falls from the bottom to the top.
In the afternoon shall embark on the journey to budongo forest. You will continue birding en-route. Arrive and check in for dinner and night stay.
Day 5
Birding budongo forest
In the morning start by birding the budongo forest Royal mile. It's a host for birds like nahans francolin, Chestnut capped flycatcher. There are many confusing forest Greenbuls to test us including Spotted, Xavier’s, White-throated, Red-tailed and Honeyguide Greenbuls. Canopy flocks support Yellow-mantled Weaver, Rufous Thrush and Uganda Woodland Warbler. The undergrowth along the track holds numerous skulkers including Scaly-breasted, Brown and Pale-breasted Illadopses, Fire-crested Alethe, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, Rufous Flycatcher-Thrush, Red-tailed Ant-Thrush, Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Yellow Long-bill, and Grey-throated Tit-Flycatcher. We will keep an eye on any openings in the forest canopy such as Cassin’s and Crowned Hawk Eagles, Cassin’s and Sabine’s Spine-tails, and White-throated Bee-eaters are all possible. The area around the Park Headquarters is the only site in East Africa for the elusive canopy dwelling Ituri Batis. Stay at Masindi Hotel
Day 7
Transfer to Kibaale national Park
After breakfast, we will drive to Kibale forest arriving in Fort Portal in the late afternoon. Kibale forest national park is the best safari destination for chimpanzee tracking in East Africa. It contains one of the loveliest and most varied tracts of all tropical forests in Uganda. It hosts 13 species of primates including the Chimpanzee. It has 1450 chimpanzees, and these represent Uganda’s largest population of this endangered primate. It is also home to the rare L’hoest’s Monkey and East Africa’s largest population of the threatened Red Colobus Monkey.
Other primates that you may see include the Black and White Colobus, Blue Monkey, Grey-cheeked Mangabey, Red-tailed Monkey, Olive Baboon, Bush baby and Pottos. Kibale forest cover predominates in the Northern and Central parts of the park. Kibale is highest at the park’s Northern tip which stands at 1590m above sea level. The park also boasts 325 bird species, including 6 that are endemic to the Albertine Rift region. They include the Black capped Apalis, Blue-headed Sunbird, Collared Apalis, Dusky Crimsonwing, Purple-breasted Sunbird and Red-faced Woodland Warbler. If you are lucky, you may also see the African Pitta, Green-breasted Pitta, Black Bee-eater, Yellow-spotted Nicator, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Little Greenbul, Black-eared Ground-Thrush, Brown-chested Alethe, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Abyssinian Ground-Thrush, and the Crowned Eagle.
Overnight at Ndali Lodge.
Day 8
Chimpanzee trekking and birding at bigodi wetland
After an early breakfast we drive to Kibale National Park visitor center for briefing and chimp tracking. The activity may last from a few hours to several hours. Kibale forest is home to 13 primates of Uganda.
Birding in the afternoon along the main road may be productive. Depending on the weather predictions, birding Bigodi wetland is also productive with riverine forest birds. Kibale National Park is a good site for a number of birds that are hard to find elsewhere including; the Speckle-breasted Woodpecker, Cabanis’s Greenbul and Joyful Greenbul as well as White-spotted Flufftail, Dusky and Olive Long-tailed Cuckoos, Lesser Honey guide, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, White-chinned Prinia, Grey Apalis, Olive-green Camaroptera and White-collared Oliveback.
Day 9
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, shall embark on the journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park. This journey will take around 5 hours. Will drive while birding on the way. Have lunch on the way.
Arrive in the afternoon and engage on a game drive and evening birding. Later check into the lodge for the night.
Day 10
Birding game drive and boat cruise
After a very early morning breakfast, go out birding in the park. Early morning birding is ideal for you will get to spot a variety of bird species as they are more active at this time.
Have a break and then go for a game drive and spot animals like kobs, elephants etc.
In the evening shall have a boat cruise along kazinga channel.. you will spot crocodiles, hippos and more bird species.
Return to the lodge for the night.
Day 11
Bird to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
You start early after breakfast, we will also drive through the Ishasha section where, if lucky, you may be able to view tree climbing lions and continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to approximately half of the world endangered population of Mountain Gorillas. Forest birding in Bwindi ranks the best in Uganda. It is home to 23 highly localized Albertine Rift Endemics. Special birds include; Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Banded Prinia, Black-throated Apalis, Mountain Masked Apalis, Red-throated Alethe, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Ashy Flycatcher, Dusky-blue Flycatcher, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Chin-spot Batis, Rwenzori Batis, Black-and-white-Shrike-flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Magpie Mannikin, Yellow-crowned Canary, Thick-billed Seed-eater, Streaky Seedeater, African Green Broadbill, Shelly’s Crimsonwing, Oriole Finch, etc.
Stay at Buhoma Community Rest Camp.
Day 12
Gorilla tracking
After breakfast, we shall assemble at the Park Offices for the briefing prior to this historic event. Gorilla tracking is a very captivating activity; It might take 1-8 hours which involves walking in the wilderness in search of these gentle giants. Gorilla Tracking can be a challenging activity, therefore ensure physical fitness. Eight people are permitted per group per day. On occasions the Gorillas prove elusive but often can be found within an hour by the tracker guides. It is a wonderful experience to stare in to the eyes of these gentle giants; watch them in awe as they play and go about their daily activities. Gorilla Tracking is indeed a “once in a lifetime” experience that you must never miss. Each encounter with the gorillas is different and has its own rewards, but you are likely to enjoy the close view of adults feeding, grooming and resting as the youngsters frolic and swing from vines in a delightfully playful display.
Overnight at Buhoma Community Rest Camp.
Day 13
Buhoma community walk
After Breakfast, we have a village walk around the Buhoma Community. We will visit the Batwa and you will observe their ways of living. The Batwa were given land upon relocation from the forest and most of their basic needs are taken care of. The money they receive out of the village walk is, therefore, used to buy clothes and food. They also use the money from sale of crafts for recreational purposes, reading and buying of alcohol. You will also observe how they go about the process of juice making. We will also visit the traditional healer and you will observe how he treats ailments using tree bark, leaves, and some animal material. He dresses in goat and cow skin to preserve the way traditional healers used to dress. You will also be taken through tea plantations and 10 sites that describe the way of life of the Buhoma Community.
Stay at Buhoma Community Rest Camp
Day 14
Birding in Ruhija
After breakfast, we head to Ruhija sector of Bwindi National Park. Along the way, we’ll pass through “The Neck”, a narrow strip of forest that connects the southern and northern portions of the national park. This forest system is the eastern extension of the vast Congo forests combined with a series of restricted range species of the Albertine Rift. This forest which extends into the DR Congo, is far more accessible and very safe to visit, making this the perfect area for birders to see a range of species that are otherwise logistically very difficult to see. Here we have a chance to find some specialties, which include Cassin’s Flycatcher, Black Bee-eater, African Black Duck, White-browed Crombec, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, and many more.
Stay at Gorilla Mist Camp
Day 15
Birding Mubwindi swamp
We spend the entire day birding the Mubwindi Swamp area. The 4 km trail to Mubwindi Swamp is the best place for some of the most difficult to find of all rift endemics. This includes Grauer’s (African Green) Broadbill, the beautiful Regal Sunbird, and Archer’s Robin-Chat. Mubwindi Swamp is also home to Dwarf Honeyguide, Stripe-breasted Tit, Ruwenzori Apalis. African Hill Babbler (sometimes treated as a separate species from Ruwenzori Hill Babbler), the rare and localized Grauer’s Scrub-Warbler. Some of the many species we have a chance of seeing here include Black Goshawk, Augur Buzzard, Crowned Hawk-Eagle, Handsome Francolin. Olive (Rameron) Pigeon, Bronze-winged Pigeon, Black-billed, Ruwenzori, and Ross’s Turaco, Barred Long-tailed, and African Emerald Cuckoos. Red-chested Owlet, Narina and Bar-tailed Trogons, Black and Cinnamon-chested Bee-eaters, Blue-throated Roller. White-headed Woodhoopoe, Grey-throated, Double-toothed, and Yellow-spotted Barbets, Western and Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Thick-billed and Dwarf Honeyguides. Rufous-necked Wryneck, Tullberg’s, etc
Day 16
Bird to lake Mburo national Park
After breakfast, shall start on the journey to lake Mburo national Park.
Arrive at the park and have a game drive. At the entrance of the park you will spot impalas, zebras. Have athe drive and will see a variety of wildlife.
Day 17
Morning birding and boat ride
In the morning after breakfast, go for birding in the park. You will spot a variety of bird species. In the afternoon you shall have a boat ride on lake Mburo. You will spot more wildlife
Day 18
Depart for Kampala
After breakfast shall park up and set off for Kampala.
You will bird along the way. You shall have a stoppover at the Equator for water experiments and photography. Proceed with the journey. Depending on your time of the flight, you will be dropped off at the airport.
End of trip.
4X4 tour vehicle
English speaking guide
Meals and accommodation
Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permits
Personal insurance
Tips and porterage
Visa and air ticket fees
Laundry
Personal expenses
