UGANDA ITINERARY:
Day 1 - U.S. / En Route
We depart the U.S. this evening. (Meals Aloft)
Day 2 - En Route / Entebbe, Uganda
We connect with our flight to Entebbe, Uganda, arriving in
the evening, and transfer to the gracious Windsor Lake Victoria
Hotel. (Meals Aloft)
Day 3 - Entebbe / Kampala
This morning we visit the Entebbe Botanical Gardens,
established during the colonial era, with a superb collection of
indigenous trees and shrubs and some of the bird watching for
which Uganda is famous. There are good chances of seeing vervet
and colobus monkeys. In the afternoon, we travel to Kampala,
tour the city center and visit the National Museum. We enjoy a
welcome dinner back at our hotel. (B,L,D)
Day 4 - Murchison Falls National Park
Today we set out on a full-day drive to the Murchison Falls
National Park. We’ll descend the escarpment of the western
corridor of the Great Rift Valley, enjoying fine views of Lake
Albert. In the late afternoon we arrive at our home for the next
three nights, Nile Safari Camp. This luxurious tented camp (with
en-suite facilities) lies on the banks of the Victoria Nile, and
your tent has a private veranda overlooking the river. (B,L,D)
Day 5 Murchison Falls National Park
Today we take the renowned launch journey on the Victoria
Nile to the base of spectacular Murchison Falls, where the full
force of the Nile is channeled into a narrow gorge just 20 feet
wide. The wildlife along the river is exceptional: hundreds of
hippos, large numbers of enormous crocodiles, a good chance of
seeing elephants and vast numbers of birds. We may see one of
the greatest rarities of all: the shoebill, a huge bird with a
massive bill related to storks and herons. We then drive to top
of the falls for lunch, and take a walk for a great view of the
falls. We view wildlife as we return to our camp. (B,L,D)
Day 6 Murchison Falls National Park
Today we explore the park’s northern sector, where part of
The African Queen was filmed. Wildlife, after the turmoil of the
Amin years, is returning rapidly, and we look for elephant,
lion, giraffe, sitatunga, Uganda kob, buffalo and a great deal
more. We then take a boat to the Lake Albert Delta in search of
shoebills, elephants and other wildlife. (B,L,D)
Day 7 - Kibale Forest National Park
We take the full day traveling to the Kibale Forest area, seeing
beautiful, fertile land that supports a wealth of agriculture.
We traverse the foothills of the Ruwenzori Mountains ( the
Mountains of the Moon), pass tea plantations and reach the
Kibale Forest. The acclaimed Ndali Lodge is situated on a high
saddle between two crater lakes, with breathtaking views of Lake
Rukwanzi and mountain slopes planted with bananas. Rooms are
decorated with local crafts and have four-poster beds. There is
no electricity, but candles and oil lamps create the romantic
feel of “old Africa.” (B, Box L,D)
Day 8 - Kibale Forest National Park
Today we walk in the Kibale Forest with skilled local guides in
search of primates, including the star attractions: chimpanzees.
While there is no guarantee of seeing chimps, the chances are
good. If we find chimpanzees, we hope to spend about an hour
observing their social behavior. After our walk we have a
special treat: enjoying a traditional lunch in a local home,
visiting the village of Bigodi, seeing a school, meeting local
elders and getting insight into how the people of the area live
and work. (B,L,D)
Day 9 Kibale Forest / Queen Elizabeth National Park
In the morning we visit one of the area’s swamps, where there is
excellent birding and where we look for monkeys, including
black-and-white colobus, red colobus, mangabey, L’Hoest’s monkey
and others. Birds of the area include some of the large, noisy
members of the turaco family. In the afternoon we drive to Queen
Elizabeth National Park, passing the eastern slopes of the
Ruwenzori Mountains — the Mountains of the Moon. They are
usually covered in cloud, but if luck is with us we may see the
glaciated peaks. We arrive at Queen Elizabeth National Park and
Mweya Lodge*, which is situated on a peninsula overlooking Lake
Edward and Kazinga Channel with the Ruwenzoris as backdrop. (B,L,D)
Day 10 - Queen Elizabeth National Park
Today we enjoy game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, one
of Africa’s premier national parks, known for its prolific
wildlife. We look for elephant, buffalo, kob, waterbuck,
bushbuck and predators including lion and leopard. Bird watching
is remarkable, with about 600 species recorded. We’ll go by
launch along the Kazinga Channel, which connects Lake George and
Lake Edward, to view the large concentration of hippos. We’ll
also visit a crater lake where salt is harvested for export to
the Congo. (B,L,D)
Day 11 - Queen Elizabeth National Park / Bwindi Impenetrable
National Park
In the morning we drive to the less-visited Ishasha region of
Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of the few places where lions
regularly climb trees. We’ll look for them, along with a great
deal of other wildlife. In the afternoon we drive to the Bwindi
Impenetrable National Park, traversing the beautiful mountain
landscapes known as the “Switzerland of East Africa.” We stay at
the elegant Gorilla Forest Camp, whose tents have verandas and
private facilities. (B, Box L,D)
Day 12 - Gorilla Tracking / Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
This morning, we hike in search of endangered mountain
gorillas in the company of outstanding local guides and
trackers. The trekking is very taxing: it can take anywhere
between one and six hours, and we may climb to altitudes of as
much as 7,500 feet. The terrain is rough and at times muddy. The
chances of finding gorillas are excellent, and our reward is the
chance to spend time with some of the most remarkable creatures
on Earth. This may well be the most exhilarating natural history
experience in the world. The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a World
Heritage Site, has other primates and excellent bird watching.
We return to Gorilla Forest Camp for the night. (B, Box L,D)
Day 13 - Lake Mburo National Park
We drive eastward to the town of Mbarara and on to the
country of the Ankole people, seeing some of their renowned
long-horned Ankole cattle. We continue to the outstanding Lake
Mburo National Park, with a game drive in the afternoon. Lake
Mburo is one of the few places in Uganda to see impala and
zebra, and there is a wealth of other wildlife. We stay at the
fine new Mihingo Lodge. (B,L,D)
Day 14 - Lake Mburo National Park / Entebbe / En Route
After a final game drive, we drive back to Entebbe. We have
dayrooms at the Windsor Lake Victoria Hotel, and transfer to the
airport for our flight home. (B,L)
Day 15 - U.S.
We connect with our flights to the U.S. (Meals Aloft)
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