Boat Ride

This 19 Days Uganda and Rwanda Trip and Holiday takes you to visit all almost all the homes of primate sin Uganda including gorillas and also gives you an insight into the culture of Uganda. Best safari option for 19 days.

Day 1: Travel to Murchison Falls National Park

After the guide briefs you that morning when he meets you at your hotel, you will drive to Murchison which is Uganda’s largest national park and there, you can find lots of African savannah Flora and fauna which are very common along side. Wildlife populations have largely recovered from the poaching of the 1980s and therefore you will be able to sees the elephants, buffalo, giraffe and a variety of antelope during your game drives although the lions are not often seen. The southeast, Rabongo Forest is home to chimps and other rainforest creatures. The Victoria Nile has the highest population of hippos and crocodiles and variety of water birds including the world’s most accessible wild population of the rare shoebill stork. You will have your dinner and spend a night at

Luxury; Paraa safari Lodge/ Nile Safari Camp/ Chobe safari lodge

Moderate; Sambiya River Lodge/ Murchison River lodge/ Fort Murchison

Budget; Red Chilli camp/ Sambiya river bandas

Day 2: launch cruise along the River Nile

You will have breakfast, you will go for the morning game drive which takes about 3-5 hours on the northern Bank of the Nile River. You will have an opportunity to see animals like the Rothschild Giraffe, Jackson Hartebeest, Elephant, Lions, Water bucks and a variety of Savannah woodland birds. And then later at mid morning return to the lodge to rest as you wait for lunch. After lunch, you will go for an afternoon launch cruise on the Victoria Nile. The boat ride takes you to the bottom of the fall and during this you encounter hippos, crocodiles, and much other savannah wild life taking water. For the bird lovers, you will encounter lots of them including the shoe Bill stork if you are lucky. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight will be at your lodge.

Day 3: chimpanzee tracking at Kaniyo Pabidi

After breakfast, you will drive to Kaniyo Pabidi for the morning chimpanzee trekking adventure. The rangers you will have will help you search for these chimps as they also give you information about the other primates that you will en counter. You will be back to the lodge for your lunch and then later in the evening, you will go for an evening game drive , expect to see Elephant, Lion, Cape buffalo, Rothschild giraffe, hartebeest, Water buck, Oribi, Bush buck, Bohor reed buck, hyena and if you are lucky, you will see the leopards too. You will head back to the lodge for dinner.

Day 4 .Drive to Fort portal / Kibale National Park

After breakfast on this day, you will drive to Kibale National park which is home to over 13 remarkable primate species, like the red colobus and Lhotse’s monkey. You will have lunch en route and then dinner and sleep at either;

Luxury; Ndali Lodge /Kyaninga lodge/ Primates lodge

Moderate- Mountains of the moon/ Chimps nest

Budget –Rwenzori view guest house/ chimpanzee guest house/Ataco country resort

Day 5: Kibale National Park Uganda

You will have your breakfast and then go for chimpanzee tracking; your tracking may take half day searching for chimpanzees and while there, you will see more than 10 other primates like the l’hoestes, red colobus, blues, red tailed and gray-cheeked mangabey. You will be tracking the habituated chimps, the very delightful those that are interested in butterflies and lots of birds, over 335 species. Forest elephant will be seen, other mammals like buffalo, giant forest hog and a half dozen antelope species. You will go for your lunch after tracking and after your lunch you will go for a nature walk in Bigodi swamp to watch some birds before you head to the lodge.

Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth

After breakfast, then head to Queen Elizabeth National Park and on your way, you will enjoy an en route game drive during which you might see animals like the elephant, buffalo and a variety of antelope species. You will have lunch and then relax a little bit as you wait for time for your 2 hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. During the game drive, you will see a huge population of hippos, crocodiles and water birds at the edge of the water body. You will take photos, watch birds and game viewing. Dinner and overnight will be at

Luxury Mweya safari lodge/ Jacana safari Lodge/ Kyambura wildlife lodge

Moderate Hippo hill Camp/ Marafiki safari lodge/ Ihamba safari lodge

Budget Albertine River camp/ Mweya hostel/ Simba safari camp

Day 7: The game drive/ visit the crater lakes

Take your breakfast and then go for a game drive to search for the early riser animals and be sure to encounter as many as possible given the fact that Queen Elizabeth National Park has got diverse Eco-system of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters is home to plenty of wildlife. Game drives in this park will give you excellent opportunities to see lion, leopard, giant forest hog, Cape buffalo, elephants, defassa water buck, Uganda Kob, Topi and bush buck. Later in the afternoon, you will go visit the crater lakes region. Dinner will be at your lodge.

Day 8: Visit the Kyambura Gorge

After breakfast in the morning, you will go for a walk in the spectacular Kyambura Gorge provides excellent opportunities to see chimpanzees,  red colobus, black and white colobus and more. There will be lots of birds/ butterflies/ different vegetation covers, among other attraction. You will return to the lodge for lunch and after lunch, you will go for another interesting game drive in the Ishasha sector to look for the tree climbing lions before you can go back to your lodge for dinner and sleep.

Day 09: To Bwindi National Park

You will drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, go through Ishasha which is the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth. You will have your lunch before continuing to Bwindi which is a home to the few remaining mountain gorillas. You can expect to see various attraction including the bird species as it holds 348 species of birds and supports 24 of 26 Albertine Rift Endemics. Your night will be at the lodge of your choice at;

Luxury; Buhoma lodge/Gorilla Resort camp/ Gorilla Forest Camp/ clouds lodge

Moderate; Lake Kitandara tented camp/ silver back lodge/ Mahogany springs/gorilla mist lodge/gorilla safari lodge

Budget; Buhoma Community Bandas/ Bwindi view/Nshongi gorilla resort.

Day 10; Gorilla safaris

After your breakfast, the guide will brief you about your gorillas tracking exercise. You will have an hour to spend with the mountain gorillas to watch them as they play, care for their young ones. This may take between 1-6 hours and so if you still have some time, then you can go visit the Batwa community but this will be at an extra cost. You can spend a night at;

Budget- Buhoma Community bandas/Bwindi View bandas/ Nkuringo campsite tents /Virunga Hotel /Nkuringo safari centre

Moderate- Lake Kitandara camp/ Gorilla safari lodge/ Nkuringo camp site/ gorilla mist lodge/Wagtail Eco lodge

Up market; Engagi lodge/ Buhoma lodge/ Gorilla Resort camp/ Silver back lodge/ Gorilla safari lodge

Luxury – Gorilla Forest Camp /Clouds Lodge /Gahinga Volcanoes Lodge/Volcanoes Bwindi safari Lodge

Day 11: Forest walks in Bwindi and later transfer to Lake Mutanda

You will go for a forest walk in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Then later, you will travel to Kisoro for dinner and overnight stay at

Luxury Nkuringo safari lodge /Clouds lodge

Budget; Nkuringo safari Centre/ Nshongi gorilla resort

Day 12: Hike the Mgahinga-Transfer to Rwanda- Parc Des Volcanoes

After breakfast, you will hike the Gahinga and Virunga, then later you will head to Rwanda, driving straight to Parc National Des Volcano situated in the far northwest of Rwanda the most notable amongst these is the “the Virungas”. It is a home to the endangered mountain gorillas. Half the world’s population of gorillas can be found in this park. Dinner and overnight at;

Super luxury : Bisate lodge

Luxury – Sabyinyo silver back lodge/ Virunga lodge

Moderate-Gorilla nest lodge/mountain gorilla view

Budget – Kinigi guest house/Muhabura lodge

Day 13: Gorilla tracking

After breakfast, you will meet your guide who will take you fro briefing at the head quarters of Parc National Des Volcans in Rwanda. The ranger will guide you through the forest as you track because he will have an idea where the gorillas may be since he knows where they were the previous day. You will have chance to stay with them for an hour before you go back to your lodge.

Day 14: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi.

After breakfast, you will you will drive to Lake Bunyonyi a place known lots of bird species and you will find them in those island in the Lake Bunyonyi. There will be plenty of birds thus the name which means bird translated from the local language. You will have shortened on your distance back to Lake Mburo and you will have your dinner and sleep at either.

Budget; Bushara Island Camp/

Moderate; Arcadia cottages/lake Bunyonyi overland camp

Luxury; Heritage lodges on Habuharo Island/ bird nest lodge

Day 15: Bird watching in Kabale.

You will have your breakfast and then go for bird watching and for those who are bird lovers will have the best time since they will so many of them in the forests on the mainland. Later, you will return to your lodge for lunch and then go for a boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi where there are also lots of birds and also have the opportunity to see the various island in the lake. You will later return to your lodge for dinner.

Day 16; Lake Mburo National park

You will drive to Lake Mburo National Park immediately after breakfast. You will have lunch when you when you get to Mbarara and then later enter the Park through the closest gate. You will go for the afternoon game drives through the park. You will find here herds of zebra, Cape buffalo, eland, Oribi and topi as well as so many other animals. You will find so many animals especially if you visit the salt lick. Later, you will retire for dinner and overnight at

Luxury; Mihingo Lodge/Mantana luxury tented/ Lake Mburo safari lodge

Moderate; Arcadia cottage/ Rwakobo rock

Budget; Rwonyo

Day 17: Game drive and Canoe Ride along Lake Mburo

You will go for a game drive in the morning to search for the animals like the Zebras, water bucks, bush bucks, impalas, topis, antelopes, lots of birds which are more than 250 species including Papyrus Gonolek, Brown faced Lapwing. You will go back for lunch and the after lunch, you will go for the boat ride on Lake Mburo and get a close look at the crocodiles and hippos as well as water birds. Dinner and Overnight will be back at your lodge.

Day 18: Transfer to Kampala.

After breakfast, go for a horse ride and then go for lunch, then after lunch, you will drive back to Kampala and you may stop at the Mpigi Royal Drum Makers to get some souvenirs. You can also stop over at the equator for photographs. Later you will proceed to Entebbe where you will spend the night at;

Up market; Imperial Botanical Beach hotel

Moderate; The Boma Guest house/ Laico hotel

Budget; Central Inn Hotel/ J residence hotel.

Day 19: Transfer to Ngamba

After breakfast, you will drive to the pier so that a boat ride to Ngamba Island for a half day excursion to see orphaned Chimpanzees being fed. The boat takes about 45 minutes across to Ngamba Island Chimp Sanctuary, crossing the Equator en-route. On arrival at this home to 39 orphaned chimps, the rangers will brief you about the sanctuary and after that you will watch the chimpanzee feeding time. You will watch these primates from the visitors’ platform as they feed which is so fascinating. You will see their different characters just like in men where some are greedy while others aren’t. Later you will transfer to the main land, head straight too the airport to catch your flight back home. This will mark the end of your trip