SAFARI GORILLA 14 DAY SAFARI

Day 1 Kampala-Murchison falls
We start early and pause for supplies in Kampala before heading north through ‘Luwero Triangle’ and on towards the town of Masindi, the gateway to Murchison Falls National Park, where we stop for lunch. We continue driving into the park and to our accommodation, on the south bank of the river.

Day 2 Murchison
We rise with the sun for our first early morning game drive in order to be on the first ferry across the river, thus making the most of the best hours for game viewing on the northern banks. Here we hope to find lions, leopard, elephants, buffalo, giraffe and many more of Africa’s big game. We will return to our accommodation for a late breakfast and to relax during the hottest part of the day when most of the animals are also hiding from the midday sun. At 2pm we will proceed for the guided boat trip on the placid Victoria Nile, upstream of the base of the falls. En-route we will see many hippos, crocodiles, waterbuck and a wide variety of birds like the unusual shoebill stork. The boat stops about 50 metres away from the base of the falls, allowing ample time to get some wonderful photos of one of the most powerful flows of water in the world. Afterwards we return to our accommodation for a sundowner and dinner.

Day 3 Murchison-Masindi
In order to be on the first ferry across the river, again we’re up early. Today we try to find the animals that may have eluded us the previous day, taking our time to drive around the infamous ‘sausage trees’ looking for leopard. Afterwards we return to our accommodation for a late breakfast and to relax during the hottest part of the day with a cool drink. Later in the afternoon we load our vehicle and drive to the top of the Falls, where you get to experience the awesome site of the whole river getting compressed through a 6 metre gap in the rocks before dropping 44 metres with a thunderous roar. It creates rainbows and plumes of spray giving opportunities for some great photographs. From here your guide will drive you out of the park and to Masindi where we stay the night in this small town.

Day 4 Masindi-Fort portal
This morning we take the long drive down the north west curve of Uganda towards the crater lake region of Fort Portal. The scenery is breathtaking, enabling plenty of photo opportunities. We arrive at our accommodation where you get the chance to sit back and take in the stunning views.

Day 5 Fort Portal
We are up early and, after breakfast, head off for a guided trek through Kibale Forest in search of man’s closest relative, the chimpanzee. The sounds of the chimps carry through the forest very clearly, so approaching and watching these creatures in their natural habitat is a fantastic wildlife viewing experience. The forest is also home to 11 other species of primates and an incredible array of birdlife.

Day 6 Fort portal-Queen Elizabeth
This morning we take the road which runs straight through the heart of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Driving alongside Africa’s highest mountain range, The Rwenzori Mountains, we sweep into the Savannah plains of the park. In the afternoon we take the boat launch on the Kazinga Channel where hippos, crocodiles, elephants and buffalo will be in great abundance either at the waters edge, or alongside your boat! We return to our accommodation in time for a well deserved sundowner.

Day 7 Queen Elizabeth
Up early we head out into the national park in search of of elephants, leopard, buffalo, lions, waterbuck, wart hogs and birds – of which there were over 650 species identified in QE alone, making it the number one park with the highest number of bird species in Africa. We continue our drive south into the remote area of the park, known as Ishasha, searching the vast fig trees for the infamous tree climbing lions! Later in the day we return to our accommodation for dinner.

Day 8 Queen Elizabeth-Lake Bunyonyi
This is our last game drive in Queen Elizabeth, and the last chance to find those wild animals that may have so far eluded us! Later we drive south and into the foothills of the Virunga Volcanoes towards Lake Bunyoni, also known as “little Switzerland’ due to the landscape and scenery that encompasses it. We stop for the night next to the lake where we get the chance to enjoy the sunset while looking out for otters and the many different types of bird life found in this beautiful area.

Day 9 Gorilla Trek
After breakfast you have the opportunity to take a local dug out canoe trip in order to discover the many islands around the lake. We will explore Kabale Town and have lunch before continuing our drive into the hills towards the forests of the Mountain Gorillas. We spend the night just next to the National Park where the sounds of the forest can be heard very clearly.
accommodation depends on where you trek

Day 10 – Gorilla Trek
We arise with the sun in order to eat a good breakfast, followed by a meeting with a ranger guide before setting off into the gorilla sanctuary. The rain forest landscape is steep and densely forested, but criss-crossed with animal trails allowing access to tourists. The trek to find the earth’s greatest primate can take up to a full day, but the thrill of discovering this gentle giant in it’s own habitat is rated as one of Africa’s best wildlife watching opportunities. By the time you return to the camp the memories will be embedded in your mind forever.
accommodation depends on where you trek

Day 11 Mountain Gorilla-Kibale
This morning you have the chance to go on one of the optional guided walks around the area, visiting the local communities and meeting with the local people, or alternatively you can spend the morning relaxing in light of yesterday’s big trek! After lunch we take the slow drive to Kabale town where we spend the night.
Kabale

Day 12 Kibale-Lake Mburo
Today we will drive through winding roads and lake dotted countryside, before emerging onto the lower thorn and savannah scrub lands of Lake Mburo National Park. Zebra, buffalo, Ugandan Kob and plenty of other species abound in this beautiful park, where you either stay in the stunning lodge built atop a kopje with incredible views across the park or in the National Park bandas, down by the lake - where hippos usually come and graze close by.

Day 13 Lake Mburo-Entebbe
This morning we are going to take a walking safari, complete with a ranger, so we can get up close and personal on ground level to the many animals that roam within the park. Later we stop for lunch and a cappuccino at the Equator, giving you plenty of time to shop for crafts and watch the local water demonstration of the different gravitational pulls! Afterwards we continue our drive down to the edge of Lake Victoria, arriving in Entebbe by late afternoon.

Day 14 Entebbe
An early breakfast sees you being shown around the Ugandan Wildlife Education Centre and afterwards you take the boat ride across Lake Victoria, over to Ngamba Island, a sanctuary for rescued chimpanzees. In depth explanations from the trained guides who work at the sanctuary make this a day to remember for all visitors. Lunch is provided on the island. Once back on terra firma, and dropped at your final destination, this is the end of your safari.