17-nights birding and wildlife safari

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by your guide who will take you to your hotel – a short drive from the airport. S/he will remain with you throughout your safari.

Accommodation: ViaVia Guest House, Entebbe
Meals depending on time of arrival

Mabamba is an extensive wetland on the edges of Lake Victoria and is one of the most important IBAs for the elusive Shoebill. It’s also a successful community conservation initiative. Head out early to the landing site where you will take a local fishing boat through the swamp’s small channels and pools in search of this iconic bird. While looking for the Shoebill, we hope to also see many other classic African water species as well as those inhabiting the agricultural land surrounding the lake like the Yellow-billed Duck, African Jacana, Papyrus Gonolek, Long-toed Lapwing. We also have chances of seeing the Blue-checked Bee-eater and African Marsh Harrier. Later, return to your lodge and enjoy a relaxed afternoon.

Accommodation: ViaVia Guest House, Entebbe

Meal Plan:      Breakfast, Lunch Dinner

07:00 transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary (approx. 3-4-hours), the only place in Uganda where you can see the rhino. On arrival, you will take a guided nature walk tracking rhinos with chances to see them at very close range. There are also over 300 bird species to be spotted here. Look out for African Jacana, Pied Kingfisher, African Pygmy kingfisher among others. The sanctuary has woodlands, swamps and savannah which attract a wide variety of bird species. It is also home to bush buck, monkeys. Later, transfer to Masindi for your overnight stay.

Accommodation: Masindi Hotel, Masindi

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

07:00 transfer to the The Royal Mile, in Budongo forest (approx. 45 mins) for a full day birding.  This mile-long, private road stretches through the forest, and is home to many stunning birds, including Ituri Batis, Chestnut wattle eye, Chocolate Backed Kingfishers, Blue Breasted Kingfisher, African Dwarf Kingfisher, White thighed Hornbills, Nahan`s francolin, Yellow crested woodpeckers, Shinning Blue kingfishers, Rufous Crowned Elemomela, Yellow browed Camaraptera, Olive Bellied Oriole, Brown Illadopsis, Cassin`s Hawk Eagle, Rufous flycatcher Thrush among others. The forest is also home to primates like chimpanzees and various monkeys, small mammals like Elephant Shrew and many butterfly species and, for non-birders, a nature walk amongst the giant mahogany and ironwood trees is also a joy.

Accommodation: Masindi Hotel, Masindi

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Transfer to Murchison Falls national park, Uganda’s largest and oldest conservation area (approx. 2 hours). It is home to 556 bird species and different mammal species. Visit the top of the powerful Murchison waterfalls for spectacular views over the water falls and the park. Later, continue to your lodge and have lunch. Later, head out exploring this interesting park on a birding game drive. Look out for the Senegal Coucal, Denham’s Bustard, Black-headed Lapwing, Northern Carmine Bee-eaters, Speckle-fronted Weaver, White-headed Vulture, Red-billed Quelea, Tawny Eagle, Heuglin’s Francolin, Red-necked Falcon, Spotted Thick-knee, and Swallow-tailed Martin, Pale Flycatcher, Senegal Thick-knee and some of the seasonal migrants.

Accommodation: Pakuba safari Lodge, Murchison Falls national park

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, Dinner

Your day starts with an early morning birding game drive in the northern sector of the park while birds and animals are most active. Search for animals like lions, elephants, buffalos, antelopes and more tropical birds.  After lunch, enjoy a relaxing boat cruise (2 hours) on the River Nile to the bottom of Murchison falls: see animals along the shore, as well as a wealth of birds along the banks including Bee-eaters, Giant Kingfisher, Rock Pratincole, African Jacana and the Saddle-billed Stork.

Accommodation: Pakuba safari Lodge, Murchison Falls national park

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, Dinner

Take a local boat birding down the Nile to the delta and out onto Lake Albert. The target will be the riverine forest, thickets and banks for the Shoebill, Little Bittern, Saddle-billed Stork, the Giant Kingfisher, White-backed Heron that may come around. The boat will drop you off at a fishing village where your guide will be waiting to transfer you to Kibale approx. 5 – 6 hours, having lunch en route. The journey is scenic as you go past villages, small towns, tea plantation and forest.

Accommodation: Kibale Forest Camp, Kibale

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, Dinner

After your breakfast, you will transfer to Semuliki national park (1.5 – 2 hours) for a full day birding. The park has got a rich forest habitat and is the only connection to Ituri Forest of the DR Congo in Uganda and supporting some of the Guinea-Congo forest biome species. It is also a good spot to find some of the restricted-range species in East Africa. Right from the edge of the forest, keep your eyes peeled for resident birds including; Piacpiac, Mosque Swallow and Rattling Cisticola and as you get in to the forest, we’ll work for the Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill, Black Dwarf Hornbill, Yellow-throated Nicator, African Piculet, Red-tailed Ant-thrush, African Dwarf Kingfisher, Dusky-crested Flycatcher, Orange-cheeked Waxbill, Forest Robin among many more special birds of this extensive forest.

Accommodation: Kibale Forest Camp, Kibale

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, Dinner

07:30, join your group for a briefing with your ranger guides. Then you trek into the forest for 2 to 4 hours in search of the chimps. Look out for forest birds on your trek through the forest. Once you find your chimpanzee family, you will spend an hour, watching them play, eat and doze; plenty of time to take memorable photos! Later in the afternoon, you will visit Bigodi wetland – a successful community conservation initiative. This is home to a number of colourful birds and primates. Accompanied by a site guide, you will enjoy a walk through the papyrus in search of birds including the White-collard Olive back, Yellow-billed Barbet, the Joyful Greenbul, Black-headed Gonolek and Great Blue Turaco, White Shrike-Flycatcher, Blue-throated Roller, Shinning Blue Kingfisher, White-collared Oliveback, White-spotted Flufftail, Spurb Sunbird as well some primates like black and white colobus monkeys and red-tailed monkeys.

Accommodation: Kibale Forest Camp, Kibale

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, Dinner

Get ready for an amazing day as you leave for the forest. We’ll use the early hours for chances of the Green-breasted Pitta, one of the most difficult to find bird species. Among the many other birds, you will look out for include the Thick-billed Honeyguide, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Western Nicator, Black-headed oriole and Red-chested Owlet, African Green-pigeon, Black-crowned Tchagra, African Wood Owl, African Blue Flycatcher, Black Cuckoo Shrike, Black Necked Weaver, Bocage’s Bush-shrike, Brown-throated Apalis, Red-winged Francolin and White-headed Wood Hoopoe, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, Black-billed Turaco, Abyssinian Hill-Babbler and Alpine Swift.

Accommodation: Kibale Forest Camp, Kibale

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, Dinner

This morning, you will transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park through the scenic crater lakes region (approx. 2 hours). Settle into your lodge and later in the afternoon, you get on board for a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, one of the major highlights of Queen Elizabeth. There is a lot of activity along the banks of the channel with congregations of birds and game cooling off. You will look out for African Skimmer, Common Sandpiper, the amazing African Spoonbill, Three-banded Plover, Pink-backed Pelican and Long-tailed Cormorants to mention but a few.

Accommodation: Bush Lodge, Queen Elizabeth national park

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, Dinner

Queen Elizabeth is one of Uganda’s popular national parks with diverse habitat which include open savannah, humid forest, lakes and wetlands. An early birding game drive will take you in search of classic birds of this park and big game in the kasenyi area. The grassland and sparse thickets provide chances of birds like Flappet Lark, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Jackson’s Pipit, Yellow-throated Longclaw, and Wattled Lapwing. The sky is usually also active with birds soring like vultures. We’ll also keep watch for chances of seeing lions, Kob, elephants, warthogs, bushbuck, buffalos and leopards. Later, you will transfer to Ishasha sector, famous for her tree climbing lions, large herds of Antelopes and Buffalos. We’ll look forward to working on the woodland and open grassland list, looking for birds like; Croaking Cisticolas, White-headed Barbet, Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike and White-winged Widowbird, Red-necked Francolins among many others as you enjoy your game drive. The endless plains have many fig trees in which the elusive tree-climbing lions hide – will you spot one? You will also scan for birds like Croaking Cisticolas, White-headed Barbet, Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike and White-winged Widowbird.  After your lunch, continue to Buhoma (approx. 2 hours).

Accommodation: Ride 4 a Woman, Buhoma

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, Dinner

Buhoma is one of the areas in this rainforest that offers an excellent birding experience. You will spend a full day birding here. We will look for species like; the Black Bee-Eater, Brown-caped Weaver, Dusky Tit, the Yellow-spotted Barbets, the African Shrike-flycatchers, Brown-throated and Chestnut Wattle-eyes, Common Stonechat, Alethe to mention but a few of the forest species along the way.

Accommodation: Ride 4 a Woman, Buhoma

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, Dinner

07:30, you will join your small group for a briefing from the rangers. After, enjoy a guided forest walk as you track your gorilla family. Once you find them, you have the privilege of spending an hour in their company; watching as they eat, groom, play or move through the forest – memories you will surely treasure. Later, transfer to Ruhija birding via ‘the Neck’ if time allows. The neck is where the forest narrows and it offers excellent forest birding opportunities.

Accommodation: Bakiga Lodge, Ruhija

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, Dinner

Spend your day birding in Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable national park including in Mubwindi – a high-altitude swamp. Bwindi is one of Uganda’s birding hot spots with 350 species of birds including the 23 of 24 Albertine Rift endemics. You’ll spend the best part of the day birding in Mubwindi swamp area, famous for the elusive endemic species such as Black-headed Oriole, White-headed Flycatcher, Dwarf Honeyguide, Mountain Buzzard, Narina Trogon and Black-billed Turaco. The marshes and undergrowth may present birds including Dusky Crimsonwing, Oriole Finch, Mountain Illadopsis and Purple-breasted Sunbird.

Accommodation: Bakiga Lodge, Ruhija

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, Dinner

Travel through the scenic Ugandan countryside to Lake Mburo National Park, approx.  5 – 6 hours’ away. Lake Mburo is one of Uganda’s smallest but most interesting parks. Keep your eyes peeled for birds along the way like the Augur Buzzard, Black-breasted Snake Eagle, and Long Crested Eagle. After settling into your lodge, you will take an afternoon game drive. Keep your eyes peeled for the Red-Faced Barbet a highlight of this destination, the Crested Barbet, Black Cuckoo-shrike, White-winged Black-Tit, African Pipit, Chin-spot Batis, Red-necked Spurfowl, Bataleur, Black-bellied Bustard, Temminck’s Courser. You will also not miss the animals such as Impala, zebras, buffalos, eland and giraffe

Accommodation: Eagle’s Nest, Lake Mburo

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, Dinner

Your day starts with a boat trip on Lake Mburo. This destination holds higher chances of seeing the rare African Finfoot and the beautiful African Fish-Eagle. Other sightings during the boat trip may include the Black Crake, Saddle-billed Stork and the African Wattled Lapwing, White-backed Night-Heron, Grey-capped Warbler and good views of hippos. After your lunch, you will spend the afternoon birding in the park. You will drive on different tracks in pursuit of birds like; the Red-Faced Barbet, Crested Barbet, Black Cuckoo-shrike, White-winged Black-Tit, African Pipit, Chin-spot Batis. You will also not miss the animals such as Impala, zebras, buffalos, eland, and giraffe.

Accommodation: Eagle’s Nest, Lake Mburo.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, Dinner

Return to Entebbe with a stop at the Equator to stretch your legs and have a phot moment (approx. 5 hours). Later in the afternoon, take a nature walk around the beautiful botanical gardens, on the shores of Lake Victoria, in search of birds and primates like the Black and White Colobus monkey. Depending on the time of your flight, your guide will take you to the Airport in time for your departure.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.