ACTIVITIES

• Chimpanzee tracking
• Nature walk
• Boat cruise
• Gorilla trekking
• Cultural visit
• Game drives
• Bird watching

HIGHLIGHTS

Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe-Pick up

Day 2: Transfer to Kibale National Park

Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking safari – Bigodi wetland visit

Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 5: Morning game drive – Boat cruise

Day 6: Transfer to Lake Mutanda – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi Gorilla trekking

Day 8: Depart Bwindi – Entebbe – Flight to Nairobi

Day 9: Nairobi – Transfer to Lake Nakuru National Park

Day 10: Lake Nakuru – Transfer to Masai Mara National Reserve

Day 11 & 12: Full day game drives Masai Mara

Day 13: Transfer to Lake Naivasha – Boat safari

Day 14: Naivasha – Departure Nairobi

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe-Pick up

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, our representative from Great Nest Image Safaris will receive and welcome you to Uganda the Pearl of Africa. Thereafter, you will transfer to the booked hotel in Entebbe/Kampala for your accommodation. In case you have an early landing in Uganda, you can proceed to visit some of the places around Entebbe/Kampala like the busy big markets, African craft shops, gardens (for the bird lovers) or one of the biggest shopping malls around town.

Accommodation

• Innophine Hotel (Entebbe)/Prestige Hotel (Kampala)
• Mid-range accommodation

Meals & Drinks

• Breakfast
• Bottled Drinking water 

Day 2: Transfer to Kibale National Park (Approx.5hours drive)

After breakfast, you will be picked up by one of our drivers/guide and thereafter you will drive heading west past Mityana and continue to Fort Portal where you will stop for lunch.  Catch a glimpse of the Toro Kingdom palace, the Royal tombs the mosque then continue to Kibale, just a few kilometers ahead.  Kibale national park has the highest concentration of primates in East Africa, it has 1100 -1600 m above sea level, and it contains both montane and lowland forests with 13 primate species including chimps, blue monkeys black and white Colobus monkeys and baboons. When you reach, you will check in your lodge to freshen up then in the afternoon you will go for a primate walk to Kanyanchu river camp, the most popular walk in the park. It highlights a miscellany of flora and fauna within the forest. Later return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation

• Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse
• (Mid-range guest house located just outside Kibale Forest National Park)

Meals & Drinks

• Breakfast
• Bottled Drinking water 

Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking safari – Bigodi wetland visit

After an early morning breakfast, you will go to the park headquarters where you will be briefed about the do’s and don’ts while doing chimpanzee trekking. After, you will start your search for the chimpanzees within the park and this can take you half a day depending on the movements of these primates. They are located by simply listening for their pant hooting calls, and then head to the place from which they replied from and while here you can observe them as they feed, play as well as socializing with each other. These primates are the closest relatives to the human being, and they share 98% of their DNA with that of the human beings. There are other primates in the area like the golden monkeys, baboons, L’Hoest monkey, white and black Colobus monkeys, red Colobus and blue monkeys. Other animals to watch include forest elephants unique from the common type and giant forest hogs. This park is one of the great rain forests in Africa and has the largest community of chimpanzees consisting of 1-100 individuals.

Later after lunch, you will take a guided nature walk to Bigodi swamp sanctuary, a good site for birders and here watch out for the Great Blue Turaco, Papyrus Gonolek, herons and kingfishers among others. Other primate species to view include the bush pigs, baboons, bush bucks and more. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.

Accommodation

• Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse
• (Mid-range guest house located just outside Kibale Forest National Park)

Meals & Drinks

• Breakfast
• Bottled Drinking water 

Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park (Approx. 3½ hours’ drive)

After breakfast, you will start on your journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The drive takes 3 hours, and you will pass through fort portal and arrive at the park in the lunch hours. On your arrival, you will check in at your lodge and enjoy your lunch as you prepare to enjoy a game drive within the park and when here, you will view many animal species including the lions, elephants, buffalos, kobs, antelopes and different bird different species. After you will return to your lodge for an overnight and dinner.

Accommodation

• Engiri Game Lodge & Campsite
•  (Budget lodge located just outside Queen Elizabeth National Park)

Meals & Drinks

• Breakfast
• Bottled Drinking water 

 Day 5: Morning game drive – Boat cruise

After an early morning breakfast you will go for the morning game drive in the Kasenyi area which is well known as the kob mating grounds; therefore, perfect to spot a lot of kobs, antelopes like the sitatunga and the hyenas. Other wildlife can also be spotted out such as lions and the elephants among others. The game drive will take 3-4 hours and later you will go to your lodge, freshen up and have lunch. In the afternoon, you will go for launch cruise on the Kazinga channel famous for its highest hippopotamus, you will also see crocodiles, buffalos, elephants and other animals as they come down to drink and bathe, here watch out also for different bird species. Later return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation

• Engiri Game Lodge & Campsite
•  (Budget lodge located just outside Queen Elizabeth National Park)

Meals & Drinks

• Breakfast
• Bottled Drinking water 

 Day 6: Transfer to Lake Mutanda – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Approx.9hours Drive)

After your morning breakfast, you will drive to Kisoro in the south-western part of Uganda, close to the borders with Rwanda and Congo. You will cross a beautiful part of the country often referred to as ‘the Switzerland of Africa’. On your way you will see a great countryside, bamboo forest and have great views over the Virunga Mountains. You will have lunch on the way and then proceed to Lake Mutanda for bird lovers, watch out for the beautiful different bird species around the lake also don’t forget to take your chance to dip in the lake as it is Bilharzia free, so safe to swim, peddle board or canoe amongst the locals going about their daily business on the lake! The sunset scenes are spectacular so make sure to be on one of the verandas.

 Accommodation

• Mutanda Lake Resort
•  (Mid-range accommodation)

Meals & Drinks

• Breakfast
• Bottled Drinking water 

 Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi Gorilla trekking (Approx.1hours Drive)

After an early morning breakfast, you will be driven to the park headquarters where you will be briefed by the park rangers about do’s and don’ts while trekking in the park, here you will also be divided in a group of 8 individuals and after you will start off your gorilla trekking guided by the park rangers. There are also some potters who always help with the carrying of the luggage on behalf of the visitors but at a small cost. This is a memorable and an amazing experience watching the Mountain gorillas feed, play around and also do their day-to-day activities. The time taken and the terrain vary with the movements of these great primates and once you have located a gorilla group, you will be allowed an hour in their presence as you take photographs and observe their unique characters. Later, you will return to your lodge and in the evening, you may choose to relax at the lodge or visit the Batwa community which will expose you to their culture basing on how they live, dance, and also hearing stories concerning their culture which will leave you amazed. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation

• Mutanda Lake Resort
•  (Mid-range accommodation)

Meals & Drinks

• Breakfast
• Bottled Drinking water 

 Day 8: Depart Bwindi – Entebbe – Flight to Nairobi

After breakfast you will transfer to Kampala/Entebbe with lunch en route at Igongo cultural Centre in Mbarara town to explore the lifestyle of the Ankole and Bahima. Later you will proceed to Kampala and have a stopover at the Equator for a photo moment and for refreshments, thereafter you will continue to Kampala/Entebbe for your flight to Nairobi. Upon arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be picked by our safari driver/guide who will transfer you to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation

• Decasa Hotel
• (Mid-range Hotel in Nairobi city)

Day 9: Nairobi – Transfer to Lake Nakuru National Park (Approx.5hrs)

After your morning breakfast, you will transfer to Lake Nakuru National Park. You will enjoy short photographic stop overs on your way and proceed to Lake Nakuru past Naivasha, Gilgil and Elmenteita areas arriving during lunch time hours. Later in the afternoon you will enjoy game drives in the park and along the shores of the Alkaline Lake. While here, look out for endangered white Rhinos and Rothschild’s Giraffes, popular pink necked lesser Flamingos may be spotted here seasonally. Other wildlife found here include zebras, spotted hyenas, lions, buffaloes, elands, water bucks and several bird species. Dinner and Overnight stay at lodge.

Accommodation

• Taidy’s suite – Nakuru
• (Mid-range Hotel)

Meals & Drinks

• Breakfast
• Bottled Drinking water 

Day 10: Lake Nakuru – Transfer to Masai Mara National Reserve (Approx. 5hours Drive)

After an early breakfast, you will depart for the famous Masai Mara National Reserve arriving at your lodge in time for lunch. Later in the afternoon, you will go for your game drive in the search for the big 5 and several other game and bird species that whole afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge. Masai Mara reserve is situated in the Rift Valley with Tanzania’s Serengeti Plains running along its southern end.  The park showcases big families of elephants, buffaloes, lions, and hippos among many more. The areas bordering the Mara River are forested and are home to over several hundred bird species. Home to the great migration in the months of July-October when two million Wildebeest make their way northwards from Serengeti in Tanzania. The Masai tribesmen also offer cultural tours which really add to the experience.

Accommodation

• Rhino tourist camp
• (Budget lodge located just outside the park)

Meals & Drinks

• Breakfast
• Bottled Drinking water 

 Day 11 & 12: Full day game drives Masai Mara

Today you will have a full day of game drives ahead. Before sunrise you will try to spot different predators that might have made a kill last night. You will return for breakfast at the camp while the sun rises over the game reserve. You can decide to take a packed lunch for a full day game drives or come back at the camp for a hot lunch. The secret on sighting a lot of animals is to do different game drives on different time and areas for the highest success rate. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.

Accommodation

• Rhino tourist camp
• (Budget lodge located just outside the park)

Meals & Drinks

• Breakfast
• Bottled Drinking water 

 Day 13: Transfer to Lake Naivasha – Boat safari (Approx. 4hours drive)

After your breakfast, you will start on your journey to Lake Naivasha which is home to a wide variety of wildlife including a sizeable population of hippos. Being a freshwater lake, it also has a healthy fish population to include Black bass, Tilapia and Crayfish which attracts a variety of fish-eating birds such as Long tailed and Great Cormorants, along with Fish Eagles, Pelicans, and various types of Kingfishers. In the afternoon you will do a boat safari on the lake to see different bird species and hippos. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

 Accommodation

• Naivasha Sopa Lodge

Meals & Drinks

• Breakfast
• Bottled Drinking water 

 Day 14: Naivasha – Departure Nairobi

After your morning breakfast, you will check out of your lodge and enjoy en-route game drive as you exit the reserve on your drive back to Nairobi. You will have lunch in Nairobi city and then proceed to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your evening flight.

END OF SAFARI TOUR

PERMITS

In Uganda chimpanzee and Gorilla tracking is done throughout the year. Chimpanzee permit goes for $200 per person while a Gorilla trekking permit goes for $700 per person and all these are payable through the Uganda Wildlife Authority or through our Company.

Optional activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park

• Chimpanzee tracking

The only habituated chimpanzee community in Queen Elizabeth National Park inhabits an isolated strip of riparian forest in the 100m deep Kyambura River Gorge, which runs for 16km on the park’s eastern boundary with quite easy to locate the chimps by sound, and once you’ve found them, they can usually be approached quite closely. Guided chimp-tracking excursions depart twice-daily and permits cost US$50 inclusive of the guide but excluding the park entrance fee.

• Lion tracking

Lion tracking involves learning much more about the habits of the king of the wild in natural plains of kasenyi with in the national park. Lions with radio collars are tracked by a researcher who use the radiation trackers to monitor the movement of the lions with the radio collars. Lion tracking is one of the most interesting experimental tourism activities in Uganda. Limited numbers of participants are allowed to a natural habitat. This means if you are to join the team you have to book in advance in order to spare a place. This activity lasts for 2-3 days and only twice a day; in the morning around 8am and late afternoon. The coast of a lion permit authorized by Uganda wildlife authority is US$60 for international tourists and UGX 100,000 for the members of the East African Community.

Number of Days

14 Days / 13 Nights

Included

• All Park entry fees as included in the itinerary
• Chimpanzee permit in Kabale National Park
• Gorilla permit in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
• A professional driver/guide
• Transport in a 4WD safari car with a pop up roof
• All activities (included in the itinerary)
• All accommodation (included in the itinerary)
• All Taxes/VAT
• Roundtrip/Airport transfer
• Bottled Drinking water

Excluded

• International flights
• Personal items
• Meals
• visas
• Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
• Tips for safari guides
• Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees

Standard 4X4 Safari Vans/Land cruisers

Our standard mode of transport is by road and we use 4×4 Safari van and Land cruisers with open roof tops customized for game viewing and photography.  Each Safari van/Land cruiser comes with a professionally trained driver/guide with fuel for the whole safari. Each client is entitled to a window seat and can take up to 8-10 people. We also have very comfortable super customs which can carry up 6 people with their luggage also have small vehicles like Alphads, Harrier and much more that can carry 4-5 people.