12 Day Grand Uganda Tour

 

Day 4  (09/11/2024)

Cultural Experiences of Bahima

Lake Mburo national park is surrounded by unique group of people with very rich culture they are mainly cattle keepers the Banyankole Bahima people, earlier on before lake Mburo national park was gazetted as a park, they used to graze their animals in the park  when they were later resettled they subdivided the land outside the park into small ranges and subsistence farming plots, tourists to lake Mburo can visit the people and encounter African un touched culture by involving themselves in activities like hand milking, Animal grazing, treating sick animals, brushing animals, meat roasting, preparing meals made out of cow butter without fire, and many more. You will also be entertained by the traditional local dancing group, know the people’s way of life, craft making or you can also buy souvenirs from local crafts to take back home for remembrance.

 

Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After early morning breakfast Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national Park after early morning breakfast with stopover for birding en-route birds expected to be seen here includes; Speckled dove, eastern grey plantain eater, secret Ibis, black-headed heron, black kite, grey parrot, village weaver, long-tailed purple starling, broad-billed roller enjoy the breath taking scenery of the green terraced hills and snake like roads of this Region, the drive along this route is amazing and impressive by the remarkable scenery that unfolds in sight. The terraced hills gradually give way to the cascading hills that seem never to end on these snake like roads which will definitely impress you as you drive through this region of Kigezi You also enjoy the cold interior with spectacular Tea Plantations could also be good spot for birding.

 

LODGE	STATUS	NO, OF CLIENTS	TYPE OF THE ROOM	NUMBER OF NIGHTS
ICHUMBI GORILLA LODGE	FULL BOARD	06	STANDARD WITH FANTASTIC VIEW	1

 

Day 5  (10/11/2024)

Gorilla tracking experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After early morning breakfast at lodge transfer to Rushaga gorilla tracking briefing point on the eastern sector of this impenetrable forest. Get registered and get a general briefing before you see off to go and meet these beautiful majestic giant maintain gorillas in the forest. Tracking is captivating and unforgettable experience that is more than repays the effort needed to reach. Tracking starts at 8:30am and can last from a few hours to a whole day depending on where gorillas were left the previous day.
The park is characterized by tangled vegetation dropped over a deeply fissured landscape of steep slippery valleys and high-draughty ridges. It is ever chilly weather and challenging terrains offers the best experience in a trek though one of Africa’s most ancient rainforests in search of the endangered maintain gorillas ranks among the world’s premier wildlife encounters.
NB: You will go with packed lunch.
After tracking drive back to the lodge as you enjoy the breath taking views of Bwindi forest the Uganda’s most pristine tracts of rainforest.
Have your time and relax as you enjoy the perfect view of Bwindi Impenetrable forest. Enjoy the balcony view of the impenetrable forest from your room or on your private patio just outside at the shade besides the restaurant and the bar as you wait for dinner

Batwa Community Experience

After Lunch, Visit Batwa the pygmies, Bwindi’s dense forests were home to the indigenous Batwa; hunters, gatherers, and fierce warriors who depended on the forest for shelter, food and medicine, when the national park was established the Batwa were evicted from the forest and abandoned their low-impact, nomadic lifestyle. Here you discover the magic of Batwa’s ancient home while enjoying nature walks and learning about the cultural heritage, the Batwa demonstrates hunting techniques, gather honey, point out medicinal plants and demonstrate on how to make hand crafts, Visit Batwa Men and Women where women of the community perform sorrowful songs which echoes eerily around and this will leave you with moving sense of richness of this fading culture

 

Birding in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi is famously known as Africa’s number one birding spot. Sometimes, the Grey-capped Warbler, Dusky-brown Flycatcher, White-necked Raven and Straw-colored Fruit Bats around the parking lot attract your attention. Driving through this beautiful forested area is a special count, you will possibly see the huge-billed White-necked Raven; this is a cool-looking raven for sure; they have this very huge and thick-looking bill on your way to Bwindi Impenetrable possibly do a few stops to look for Albertine Sooty Boubou, Rwenzori and Black-faced Apalises. We also hope to get better looks at the Mountain Yellow Warbler, Banded Prinia individuals as they skulk in the undergrowth, White-browed Crombec, Brown-capped and the endemic Strange Weaver, Northern Puff-back, Mountain Illadopsis, Red-throated Alethe, Doherty’s and Lagden’s Bush-shrikes and many more to richen our list endemics list, Common Waxbill, Grey-crowned Crane. When we enter Bwindi Impenetrable forest, we shall stop to look for Doherty’s Bush-shrike and Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo to add on the list.

 

LODGE	STATUS	NO, OF CLIENTS	TYPE OF THE ROOM	NUMBER OF NIGHTS
ICHUMBI GORILLA LODGE	FULL BOARD	06	STANDARD WITH FANTASTIC VIEW	1

 

Day 6  (11/11/2024)

Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park & Birding En-route

After early morning breakfast at the Lodge, drive to Ishasha the remote southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. After over a week of montane forest birding, you will have to leave these fantastic locations and head to the Great East African rift valley. You will bird through Ishasha which is the southern section of Queen Elizabeth National Park and have a wonderful time working on our woodland and open country birds again. On sunny days, the sky here is excellent for observing some raptors many of which may have seen earlier. Most likely to be new should include Gabar Goshawk, White-headed and Lappet-faced Vulture, Rufous-breasted Sparrow-hawk and Banded Snake-Eagle. White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Olive Woodpecker, Mountain Greenbul, Rwenzori Hill-babbler, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Northern Puffback, White-starred Robin, Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird, Dusky Crimsonwing, Thick-billed Seedeater, Streaky Seedeater, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Variable Sunbird, Waller’s Starling, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Yellow-rumped

Birding in Bwindi forest there is a high chance that you will be happy to go out for more restricted-range and Albertine Rift endemics. In this case, you will do a leisurely walk to the community secondary forest. You will look for Barred and Olive Long-tailed Cuckoos, Grauer’s Warbler, Black-tailed oriole, the very skittish Luhder’s Bush-shrike while they make their way through the vines, Gray Cuckoo-shrikes, we’ll be searching for rare Albertine endemic species as well as looking for beautiful forest species such as the Regal Sunbird, Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Ludhers Bush-shrike, Petits cuckoo-shrike, Bar-tailed Tragon, White-tailed crested-flycatcher, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Collared Apalis, Elliot’s Woodpecker, Purple-throated Cuckooshrike, Willcock’s Honeyguide, Xavier’s Greenbul, Kivu Groundthrush, Graure’s Broadbill, Handsome Francolin, Strange Weaver, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Dusky Crimsonwing, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, White-browed Crombec, White-naped Raven, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Sharp’s Starling, Mountain Masked Apalis and Rwenzori Apalis among many more! just to mention but a few.

The Area can be an excellent spot for, Common Waxbill, Grey-crowned Crane, Variable Sunbird, Thick-billed Seed-eater and we shall stop to look for Doherty’s Bush-shrike and Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo to Handsome francolin, Black bee eater, add to our new birds of the day. The L’Hoest’s and Blue Monkeys are among the new primates we should find for our continuously growing mammal list, drive through Ruhija-Butogota-Kihiihi-Ishasha.  This drive is long but rewarding enjoy your journey while driving on the winding snake-like roads that shyly pass at the lips of the cliffs looking out for birds such as black bee eaters, red-throated wryneck, mountain wagtail, Tooro olive greenbul, white-starred robin, olive thrush, Cassin’s grey flycatcher, red-faced woodland warbler, Grauer,s warbler, chubb’s cisciticola, banded prinia, mountain masked apalis, chestnut-throated apalis, collared apalis, stripe-breasted Tit, Grey cuckoo shrike, Sharpe’s Starling, Regal sunbird, Strange weaver, dusky Twinspot, yellow bishop, black-throated seed-eaters, and primates along the way and provide expansive views across the plains of Western Rift Valley to the west, drive through tea plantations and proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National park with stopover for the best photographs along the way you will drive through the Impenetrable forest before connecting to the open plains at the extreme end of the rift valley wall.

Normally at this time of the trip, desire to see the big game will be high, you will be having good chances for African Bush Elephants, Leopards and the tree climbing Lions of the remote Ishasha the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The experience here is great. Driving here is long, but full of scenic attractions arriving in the evening to check in at the lodge.

Species to look forward to include Grey-backed Fiscal, Red-winged Pytilia, Short-tailed Eagle, Red-capped Lark, Flappet Lark, Palm-nut Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture, Ruppell’s Vulture, Hooded Vulture, Long-crested Eagle, Black-bellied Bustard, Crowned Plover, Red-and-yellow Barbet and Pin-tailed Whydah, Saddle-billed Stork to name a few! The time spent in this truly incredible park will be one that is not forgotten in a hurry!

Plains of Ishasha in Queen Elizabeth National Park the medley of wonders and the vast savannah of Africa is the perfect setting for a classic African safari experience. With the breathtaking and majestic sceneries across entire mountain spectrum. Visit the vast open spaces full of oddities and secrets that are elastic thread of Natural wonders where we shall begin our safari into African wilderness the way Nature intended, to see the wild residents emerge for a drink from the busy waterhole as the sun begins to rise over the iconic bush veld scenery. It will be the one that will engage all our senses from the very first moment Sparked to life when we first hear the distant roar of a lion, the laugh of a hyena in the morning, or the song of a thousands of cicada beetles at midday, then experience the high lightening of these sense when we first spot a rare leopard hidden in a tree or feel the ground vibrate as a herd of elephants cross right in front of us, or hear the gentle and peaceful antelopes the Uganda Kobs as they whistle in alerting the other group members with their well painted-hears about the suspicion that the enemy could be watching their movement.

Soon we shall feel that this world moves at its own speed, and to witness it be part of it is something you won’t forget. Coming this close to nature is a vivid reminder of why we have always been inspired by the untouched wild. Photograph the attractions a poetry wrapped in beauty. Explore and witness the miracles of the dry landscapes, fertile valleys, drive to river Ishasha where we shall see the plentiful of hippos resting in the waters as they lean on each other, witness these wildlife enjoy breathtaking experience, stop somewhere at the designated point for your picnic lunch before proceeding with our evening game drive where we expect to see evening wipes as the animals becomes active to graze in this open savannah grassland expected to be seen includes, Herds of huge dark Elephants, several herds of African Buffalo, Lions resting up on the fig trees, Leopards, Uganda Kobs, Spotted Hyenas, Waterbucks, Warthogs, Topis and many others. We shall explore all the wildlife spotlight areas of Ishasha’s best Safari

 

LODGE	STATUS	NO, OF CLIENTS	TYPE OF THE ROOM	NUMBER OF NIGHTS
ISHASHA  JUNGLE LODGE	FULL BOARD	06	STANDARD WITH FANTASTIC VIEW	1

 

Day 7  (12/11/2024)

Morning Birding combined with Wildlife safari experience & Transfer to the northern part of the park

After morning breakfast at the lode we shall do morning game drive and birding before connecting to the northern part of Queen Elizabeth National we shall enjoy Park park’s magnificent vistas include dozens of enormous craters carved dramatically into rolling green hills, panoramic views of the Kazinga Channel with its banks lined with hippos, buffalo, and elephants, and the endless Ishasha plains, whose fig trees hide lions ready to pounce on herds of unsuspecting Uganda kob. As well as its outstanding wildlife attractions, Queen Elizabeth National Park has a fascinating cultural history

 

LODGE	STATUS	NO, OF CLIENTS	TYPE OF THE ROOM	NUMBER OF NIGHTS
ELEPHANT HAB LODGE	FULL BOARD	06	STANDARD ROOM WITH FANTASTIC VIEW	1

 

Day 8  (13/11/2024)

Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park

After early Morning breakfast at the lodge experience early morning beauty of Queen Elizabeth National Park tends to start with a lovely sunrise, if we have a clear day, you should expect it. The Kasenyi side is most preferred in this section of the park; this is because it offers excellent lekking grounds for the Kob. Game viewers drive their first thing in the morning and birders too, love it a lot for its open grasslands and sparsely distributed thickets that provide perfect microhabitats for quite shy birds. It also offers the best chances for birds like Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Rufous-napped, White-tailed, Red-capped and Flappet Lark, African and Jackson’s Pipit. These four larks mentioned, are a significant target when starting this morning‘s drive. We should see Temminck’s Courser, Black-crowned, Senegal and Wattled Lapwings, Kittlitz’s Plover, Yellow-throated Longclaw, White-backed Vultures, Ruppell’s Griffon and others soring the sky, Black-chinned and Black-faced Quail-finches, and also observe Kob lekking ground activity. Keeping up with the game birding tradition, you will scan openings, thickets and Euphorbia Candelabrums for Lions. Euphorbia Candelabrum is a cactus-like plant that dominates this part of the park.

 

Afternoon Boat Cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park

After lunch, you will do an afternoon boat ride on the Kazinga channel. This 40 km natural channel connects two major lakes in this park; Lake George and Lake Edward. Because of the significant wildlife activity at the banks of the channel, we only cover a less than 4km distance, and this takes us to Lake Edward for a turning point. This boat ride typically targets congregations of birds and big mammals when they come down to cool off during the heat of the day.

We should get good looks at fishing African Spoonbill, a few African Skimmer, Gull-billed and White-winged Terns, a few shower birds depending on the season and these should include Curlew Sandpipers, Common, Marsh and Wood Sandpipers, Common Greenshank, Ruff, Little Stint, Ruddy Turnstone, Black-tailed Godwit, Three-banded Plover, and Common Snipe. Other good birds to expect to see include four Gulls; Lesser Black-backed, Heuglin’s, Slender-billed and Grey-hooded Gull, both Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans, Great and Long-tailed Cormorants, Yellow-billed, Marabou and Woolly-necked Storks, our first of the many Red-throated Bee-eaters and many more. If we choose to go out for a short evening drive, we will have chances for Square-tailed and Black-shouldered Nightjars.

 

LODGE	STATUS	NO, OF CLIENTS	TYPE OF THE ROOM	NUMBER OF NIGHTS
ELEPHANT HAB LODGE	FULL BOARD	06	STANDARD ROOM WITH FANTASTIC VIEW	1

 

Day 9  (14/11/2024)

Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park & Birding En-route

After early morning breakfast, you will leave Elephant Hab Lodge and transfer to Kibale National Park, shortly after arriving at your accommodation.

 

After Guided Swamp Walk At Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary

You will proceed for the swamp walk at the sanctuary which is a community-based initiative and one of the most successful few in the country. With your site guide from the community, you should go around and through the papyrus looking for White-spotted Flufftail, Hairy-breasted, Yellow-spotted and Yellow-billed Barbet, Black-and-White Shrike-Flycatcher, Joyful Greenbul, Blue-throated Roller, White-collared Oliveback, Spurb Sunbird and a Shinning Blue Kingfisher

The walk also being famous for primates, we should see Uganda Red Colobus which are threatened in this region for being preyed on by Common Chimpanzee (remember to learn from our guide, why?). The Uganda Mangabey, Olive Baboon, Mantled Guereza, L’Hoest’s and Blue Monkey are also very likely to show up and after wards drive back to the lodge for overnight.

LODGE	STATUS	NO, OF CLIENTS	TYPE OF THE ROOM	NUMBER OF NIGHTS
CHIMPANZEE FOREST LODGE	FULL BOARD	06	STANDARD ROOM WITH FANTASTIC VIEW	1

 

DAY 9  (15/11/2024)

Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale National Park
After early morning breakfast drive to Kanyanchu Visitor Centre for briefing to get set to go and meet the chimpanzee in the forest. Kibale forest is regarded as the playground of the chimpanzees and it is one of the few remaining areas of rainforest in Africa and offers the visitor the high percentage of viewing the 600 chimpanzees that rest in its tree canopy. The tracking starts at 8.00am to 2.00pm and lasts 2 – 5 hours. You will go through this ritual accompanied by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) Ranger Guides and being the highest Africa diversity at the primates in Africa and famously known as the primate capital of the world you will as well come across the Adam naked tree during the walk after tracking drive back to the lodge.

 

Birding in Kibale national Park

In this forest, you will look for the Chimps and also do an early start for the Green-breasted Pitta. This Pitta is one of Africa’s most difficult birds to find!

The time we should spend in the forest looking for the Pitta, we will also look for White-throated Greenbul, Crowned Eagle, Thick-billed Honeyguide, Brown-chested and Fire-crested Alethe, Crested Guineafowl, Western Black-headed Oriole, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Blue-throated Roller, Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Blue Malkhoa, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Western Nicator, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Bronze-napped Pigeon, Yellow-mantled Weaver, Lesser Honeyguide, Red-chested Owlet and African Wood-owl among others. At the world famous Kibale National Park. Renowned as ‘The Primate Capital of the World’ for its incredible primate population – 1450 individual chimpanzees and 13 species of primates overall, but the best part is that it holds an impressive bird list of 335 species! In the morning, we’ll be on the lookout for species such as the Shining Blue Kingfisher, Blue- breasted Kingfisher, White-browed Robin-chat, Red-chested Sunbird, White-Headed Saw-wing, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Black Bee-Eater, Blue Malkoha, White-chinned Prinia, Speckled Pigeon, Green-breasted Pitta, African Pitta, Abyssinian Groundthrush, Dusky Crimsonwing, Black-capped Apalis, Collared Apalis, Purple- breasted Sunbird to a name a few!

 

Visit the Bigodi Community

The women use local materials such as millet straw, banana fibres, raffia and Phoenix palm leaves, and natural dyes, all from plants that the women grow themselves at their homes. Ten percent of all sales from crafts go into community development. Over the years, this income has funded the Bigodi Pre-Primary (Nursery) School, and it has helped support orphans, widows, the disabled and other disadvantaged people in the community. The group promotes conservation, takes school children on field trips, and produces songs and plays with conservation messages, as ways of creating awareness among the wider community. Buying handicrafts is onsite and prices vary depending on the size, materials, shape, dyes etc.

 

LODGE	STATUS	NO, OF CLIENTS	ROOM TYPE	NUMBER OF NIGHTS
CHIMPANZEE FOREST LODGE	FULL BOARD	06	STANDARD WITH FANTASTIC FREST VIEW	1

 

Day 10  (16/11/2024)

Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park & Birding En-route

After early morning breakfast transfer to Murchison Falls National Park, here you will do the longest drive of the trip; is seven birding-drive hours away from Fort Portal. Depending on what will be missing on your list.

The few stops we should do along the way, are for a lunch stop and adding some very likely birds like Yellow-shouldered and Red-collared Widowbird, Brown Twinspot, Red-backed and Brown-backed Scrub-Robin. You will stop over en-route at the selected Hotel/Restaurant for Lunch in Hoima. After here we shall drive directly to Budongo Forest which is along the way to Murchison Falls National Park

Viewing the top of Murchison Falls

We shall create time for the top of the Murchison Falls. These very dramatic falls are arguably the world’s most powerful. The bottom of the falls is great but the top is quite something! This is where the world’s longest river squeezes through a very narrow cleft of about eight feet and drops for a straight forty feet down!

We never plan to miss this adventure on any of our tours that get to this part of the country and here we shall scan and photograph the rock pranticoles after here drive back to the lodge for overnight.

 

LODGE	STATUS	NO, OF CLIENTS	TYPE OF THE ROOM	NUMBER OF NIGHTS
PAKUBA SAFARI LODGE	FULL BOARD	06	STANDARD WITH FANTASTIC VIEW OF THE RIVER	1

 

Day 11  (17/11/2024)

Full Day Birding & wildlife Photography in Murchison Falls National Park

The tour continues to Uganda’s largest national park, which is also at the lowest elevation amongst all other parks, we will scan the trees for Purple Starling.  When we approach the escarpment’s thickets and wooded acacias, we will look for birds typical to this habitat. Northern Red Bishop, Beautiful Sunbird, White-fronted Black-Chat, Bronze-tailed, Violet-backed, and Lesser Blue-eared Starlings Whistling and Foxy Cisticola, Cinnamon-breasted Bunting, Black-faced Waxbill, Cliff Chat, Spot-flanked, Martial Eagle, Black-billed Barbet and hopefully acceptable looks at the shy Dusky Babblers. As we continue with our drive, you will stop and scan spots for Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver, Shelley’s Rufous Sparrow, Cut-throat, Vitelline Masked Weaver, Swallow-tailed and Red-throated Bee-eater, Northern Crombec, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Dark-chanting Goshawk, the very localized White-rumped Seed-eaters and many more

Over the next few days we’ll be birding and taking game drives in Murchison Falls National Park. It’s the largest national park in Uganda and boy does it pack a punch! Its very existence is determined by the famous Murchison Falls – the rushing waters of the River Nile forced through a narrow gorge is spectacle to behold and has been fascinating the world for centuries. The park is blessed with having all of Africa’s Big Five – Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, and of course the African Elephant – which large herds gather together at the river to quench their thirst. It’s also a fantastic spot to see formidable Nile Crocodile too, where they wait to ambush an unsuspecting character. The park, luckily for us birders, is also well endowed in bird species too, holding a whopping 460 bird species! With some of the highlights including the Red-throated Bee-eater, Eurasian Curlew, Black-billed Barbet, White-headed Barbet, Eurasian Curlew, Black-billed Barbet, White-headed Barbet, Denham’s Bustard, Black-billed Barbet, Southern and Northern Carmine Bee-Eater, Rüppell’s Vulture, Lapet-faced Vulture, Silverbird, Black-billed Wood Dove, Pallid Harrier, Egyptian Plover and Montague’s Harrier. This park truly has it all and it will be a wonderful way to end this truly spectacular tour!

We should find Speckle-fronted Weaver, Red-necked Falcon, Red-headed, Cardinal and Red-billed Queleas, Denham’s Bustard, Black-headed Lapwing, Spotted Thick-knee, and the critically endangered and uncommon White-headed Vulture. Swallow-tailed and Northern Carmine Bee-eaters, Red-throated bee eater, Cinnamon-chested bee eater, European bee eater,  , Banded Martin, Scarce Swift, Senegal Coucal, blue-headed coucal, White-browed coucal, African Fish Eagle, African Jacana, Purple swamphen,  Tawny Eagle, Heuglin’s Francolin, black-bellied bustard, Pale and Gambaga Flycatcher, Senegal Thick-knee and seasonal migrants. Our mammal list will aim for African Lions, the graceful Rothschild Giraffe, Lelwel’s Hartebeest, Oribi, Side-striped Jackal, and the shy Bohor Reedbuck, the northern part of the park and you will possibly be rewarded with a Good views of Heuglin’s Francolin, a central African endemic on this day you will aim at finding some specialties of the Southern Sudan stretch and new lovely mammals that show up during an African safari.

You drive into the open Savannah of Uganda’s biggest National Park, covering the section north of river Nile. We should find Speckle-fronted Weaver, Red-necked Falcon, Red-headed, Cardinal and Red-billed Queleas, Denham’s Bustard, Black-headed Lapwing, Spotted Thick-knee, and the critically endangered and uncommon White-headed Vulture. Swallow-tailed and Northern Carmine Bee-eaters, Red-throated bee eater, Cinnamon-chested bee eater, European bee eater,  , Banded Martin, Scarce Swift, Senegal Coucal, blue-headed coucal, White-browed coucal, African Fish Eagle, African Jacana, Purple swamphen,  Tawny Eagle, Heuglin’s Francolin, black-bellied bustard, Pale and Gambaga Flycatcher, Senegal Thick-knee and seasonal migrants. Our mammal list will aim for African Lions, the graceful Rothschild Giraffe, Lelwel’s Hartebeest, Oribi, Side-striped Jackal, and the shy Bohor Reedbuck.

11’Oclock Boat to the bottom of Murchison Falls

After a proper lunch by the banks of the mighty river Nile, you will take a three hours boat ride to the bottom of Murchison Falls, an enjoyable on the Victoria Nile that can find Giant Kingfisher, White-crested Turaco and Rock Pratincole at the bottom. Giant Kingfisher, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Grey-headed Bush-shrike, the spectacular looking Saddle-billed Stork, Little Bittern and the Shoebill. With a little more effort, some days Pel’s Fishing-owl, White-backed and Black-crowned Night-Heron show up. This park has extensive savannah grasslands that give fantastic photography opportunity when the sun is setting. The Kobs and the other mammals with a background filled with the Albert Nile, Cattle Egrets flying back to their roost and distant Blue Mountains with beautiful golden sunlight on them is a scene that hardly gets another to compare.

 

Evening Game Drive in Buligi Areas

The evening drive that is on the plan, places us in what feels like the middle of nowhere. Imagine a spot where you are only surrounded by wildlife, a dark sky with only stars and the moon to pick out with no surrounding light pollution. It is basically living your favourite wild animal’s moment. This is also one of the favourite moments for some of our Avian Safaris guides. Depending on the season, we hope to find a few nightjars like Swamp, Slender-tailed, Long-tailed, Square-tailed, Standard-winged, Pennant-winged, Plain and European Nightjars, Grayish Eagle-owl. New mammals to look out for should include, White-tailed and Marsh Mongoose, Bunyoro Grass Rabit, Leopard, Blotched Genet, Slender Gerbils, Fat Mice, Spotted Hyena, among others.

LODGE	STATUS	NO, OF CLIENTS	TYPE OF THE ROOM	NUMBER OF NIGHTS
PAKUBA SAFARI LODGE	FULL BOARD	06	STANDARD ROOM WITH FANTASTIC RIVER VIEW	1

 

Day 12  (18/11/2024)

Birding & Rhino Tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

While driving to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the drive has the potential of adding good birds to your list, I will list a few of them; Brown-backed Woodpecker, Black and Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike, White Helmet-shrike, Yellow-billed Shrike, Red-winged and Orange-winged Pytilias, Bat-hawk, Beaudouin’s, Short-toed and Brown Snake-Eagles, Abdim’s Stork, Thick-billed Cuckoo, Green-backed Eremommela, Bar-breasted Firefinch, White-shouldered Black-Tit, White-browed Sparrow-weaver, Singing Cisticola several other residents and migrants depending in the season.

 

Rhino Tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

After early Morning breakfast from our home we shall drive to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary Via Masindi town, this route has a lot of attractions and it will take us through Kaniyo-Pabidi the eastern part of Budongo Forest and here we shall be expecting to see animals such as Olive Baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, red-taled monkeys alongside different speciaes of birds arriving at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where we shall go for tracking of the southern White Rhino which were declared extinct in Uganda by 1983. Later, through conservation efforts, the white Rhino finds its birth again.

This is the only place in Uganda where you can find Rhinos in the wild. Along with the Rhinos, there are other wildlife that roam this sanctuary. They include animals such as: Bushbuck, Olive Baboons, Velvet Monkeys, Warthogs, Black and White Columbus monkeys, Uganda Kob, Waterbucks, Bush backs, Hippos, Pangolins, Mongoose, snakes and different species of birds such as; saddle beaked stork, shoe bills, and Grey crowned

Here at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary you will enjoy the tracking of the southern White Rhino which were declared extinct in Uganda by 1983. Later. This is the only place in Uganda where you can find Rhinos in the wild. Along with the Rhinos, there are other wildlife that roam this sanctuary. They include animals such as: Baboons, Velvet Monkeys, Warthogs, Black and White Colobus monkeys, Uganda Kob, Waterbucks, Bush backs, Hippos, Pangolins, Mangoose, snakes and different species of dry country birds such as cassin’s hawk eagle, common kestrel, grey kestrel, helmeted guinea fowl, scally francolin, grey crown crane, brown parrot, grey parrot, bare-faced go away bird, African grey hornbill, red-chested cuckoo, African cuckoo, African emerald cuckoo, Buffalo weavers return to Kampala for overnight. After Tracking Rhinos at Ziwa we shall have lunch at Kabalega Dinners

Transfer to Entebbe International Airport with stop over en-route for lunch at the selected Tourist Hotel/Restuarant, then after Lunch transfer to Entebbe international Airport to check in for the flight

END OF THE TOUR