UGANDA
13 DAY WILDLIFE EXPLORER
ENTEBBE to JINJA
9 NIGHTS CAMPING
3 NIGHTS ACCOMMODATION

Guests have the option to upgrade into accommodation on every night of the tour. This service can be booked in advance at a premium.

INCLUDED HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Equator Crossing
  • Lake Mburo National Park
  • Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and surrounding villages
  • Gorilla trek (permit to be purchased separately)
  • Village walks
  • Birding walks
  • Queen Elizabeth National Park
  • Tree climbing Lions
  • Kazinga Channel
  • Rwenzori Mountains view
  • Murchison Falls National Park
  • Chimpanzee trek (permit included)
  • Murchison Falls
  • Victoria Nile boat trip

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES:

  • Pygmy village visit
  • Nile white water rafting

“For magnificence, for variety of form and colour, for profusion of wildlife – bird, insect, reptile, beast – for vast scale – Uganda is truly ‘the Pearl of Africa’. The Kingdom of Uganda is a fairy tale. The scenery is different, the climate is different and most of all, the people are different from anything elsewhere to be seen in the whole range of Africa…what message I bring back…concentrate on Uganda”. So wrote Winston Churchill in his 1908 book “My African Journey”. We take you on your African journey to discover these things that so excited Churchill.

This tour completes a circuit that covers most of the country, and includes all the highlights – trekking in indigenous forests to see wild gorillas and chimpanzees, boat trip on the Nile, tree climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park, an endless variety of animals and plants, and the warm and friendly people that make Uganda special.

Weather, roads, and other local conditions can vary enormously, and will influence the route chosen on each tour. We may run the tour in reverse if required, so you should be flexible in this regard. To make the most of Uganda you will need an open mind and a spontaneous disposition, but if you come prepared you are set for a remarkable experience.

Clients fly in to / out of Entebbe airport. Transfers and pre / post tour accommodation can be booked through Drifters for the Lake Heights Hotel, near Entebbe, or Kalagala Falls Camp near Jinja. Meals are available.

DAY 1: ENTEBBE – LAKE MBURO
Our adventure begins at 08h00, when we depart from our hotel in Entebbe to head south west through verdant green hills and countless villages. We will stop frequently at local markets, including a drum market, and at the equator we’ll experiment to see which way water really drains from a bath. We have lunch at the equator (own expense).

We arrive at our camp in the late afternoon. An upgrade to accommodation is possible, but to ensure availability this should be pre-booked.

Meals:  D (Lunch own expense)
Distance: 230 km
Accommodation: Lake Mburo Camping (2 person dome tent) or Accommodation Upgrade
Included Highlights/Activity:

  • Drum market
  • Equator

Optional Activities:

  • None, all included

DAY 2: BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST
This morning we enter Lake Mburo National Park early for a game drive. Lake Mburo is just one of a group lakes scattered like jewels between the hills, and the park is well known for its herds of plains game, and especially for the numerous hippos in the lakes.

Leaving Lake Mburo, we travel through a lush tropical landscape of rolling green hills covered with a patchwork of banana plantations and market gardens. Look out for the impressive, long-horned Ankole cattle. The roads are rough as we pass remote villages, often shrouded in mist, toward the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

We set up camp for the night at the edge of the forest and prepare for the gorilla trek the following day.

Meals: B L D
Distance: 250 km
Accommodation: Bwindi Forest – Camping (2 person dome tent) or Accommodation Upgrade
Included Highlights/Activity:

  • Game Drive in Mburo National Park
  • Scenic drive to Bwindi

Optional Activities:

  • None, all included

DAY 3 – 4: BWINDI GORILLA TREK
The gorilla trek is undoubtedly the highlight of the entire tour. The mountains and tropical forests are spectacular in their own right, but spending time with a group of Mountain Gorillas is an experience that really defies any description. Many people are moved by the obvious kinship we share with these magnificent animals. We split into small groups and trek up into the forest, each group led by a local guide, in search of a different family of gorillas. The going can be quite tough, and you should come prepared for a hike through dense forest, up steep, muddy paths over uneven terrain.

The gorilla permits are limited, with strict rules to minimise the impact on the gorillas, so we allow two days for trekking to ensure everyone gets their chance. You must be prepared to be flexible with the timing and the location of your trek. On occasions when permits are only available for Day 4, we will visit Lake Bunyoni on Day 3, but where permits are spread over Day 3 and 4, those not trekking have the option to visit a local village, led by a local guide. The forest also offers fantastic birding.

Meals:  B L D; B L D
Accommodation: Bwindi Forest – Camping (2 person dome tent) or Accommodation Upgrade
Included Highlights/Activity:

  • Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
  • Gorilla trekking (Permit paid separately)
  • Bwindi Forest

Optional Activities:

  • Forest walks
  • Birding walks
  • Pygmy village visits

DAY 5 – 6: QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK – ISHASHA
Leaving the mountains and forests behind us, we descend to the grasslands of the Queen Elizabeth National Park. The Ishasha area is renowned for its huge tree climbing lions, but fantastic bird life, numerous species of primates, and abundant plains game, including the kob that the lions prey on, are reason enough to visit. We will spend two nights here and have a full day to game drive extensively, and especially to search the tall fig trees for lions.

Meals:  B L D; B L D
Distance: 150 km
Accommodation: Ishasha – Camping (2 person dome tent) or Accommodation Upgrade
Included Highlights/Activity:

  • Queen Elizabeth National Park
  • Full day game drive
  • Tree climbing lions
  • Massive hippo population

Optional Activities:

  • None, all included

DAY 7:  QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK – RWENZORI MOUNTAINS
Today we travel the length of the park, looking for animals all the way, through the Maramagambo Forest and over the Kazinga Channel which links Lake Edward and Lake George, to exit the park in the north. We pass through the town of Kasese, before stopping at a viewpoint where we have lunch with the Rwenzori Mountains in front of us. The “Mountains of the Moon” rise over 5000m above sea level, with slopes covered in tropical forest and the highest peaks permanently snow-capped, a bewildering sight considering their proximity to the equator. Glaciers high up form one of the sources of the waters of the Nile River.

Tonight we camp amongst the tea plantations near Fort Portal.

Meals:  B L D
Distance: 120 km
Accommodation: Camping (2 person dome tent) or Accommodation Upgrade
Included Highlights/Activity:

  • Queen Elizabeth National Park
  • Drive through Maramagambo Forest
  • Kazinga Channel
  • Ruwenzori Mountain views
  • Tea plantations

Optional Activities:

  • None, all included

DAY 8: MASINDI
We have a long drive today, over some rough roads, so we leave early this morning. We pass through the luminous green tea plantations surrounding Fort Portal before taking the long road, via Hoima, to Masindi, our stop for the night. Given the long drive and the state of the roads, we don’t camp tonight, staying at a local hotel or lodge.

Meals:  B L D
Distance: 300 km
Accommodation: Masindi Hotel
Included Highlights/Activity:

  • Scenic drive
  • Masindi

Optional Activities:

  • None, all included

DAY 9 & 10: MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK / VICTORIA NILE
This morning we enter Murchison Falls National Park, where we spend the next two nights. Here we will track chimpanzees on foot, game drive in the park, view Murchison Falls, and take a boat cruise on the Victoria Nile River. The program is flexible, depending on the season, road conditions and availability of bookings, but all these activities will be included.

The southern part of the park is heavily forested, great habitat for chimps, with the northern part, where we game drive, open savannah with abundant plains game, including the relatively rare Rothschild’s Giraffe. Getting to the northern part of the park means crossing the Nile using the ferry at Parra, an adventure all on its own.

Meals:  B L D, B L D
Distance: Roughly 50 km per day
Accommodation: Camping (2 person dome tent) or Accommodation Upgrade
Included Highlights/Activity:

  • Chimpanzee trek, permit included
  • Murchison Falls
  • Game drive in Murchison Falls National Park
  • Victoria Nile boat cruise

Optional Activities:

  • None, all included

DAY 11 & 12: KALAGALA FALLS
We leave the park early this morning to drive south towards Jinja, near the source of the White Nile where the water pours out of Lake Victoria in a wild torrent.

The area around Jinja is regarded as east Africa’s adventure capital, and we spend a full day here so you have time to participate in any of a number of adventure activities: white water rafting, bungee jumping over the source of the Nile, boat cruises, horse riding, visiting local community projects are all options (own expense).

Meals:  B L D, B L
Distance: 430 km
Accommodation: Kalagala Falls
Included Highlights/Activity:

  • Drive through many villages
  • Jinja Area (adventure capital of Uganda)

Optional Activities:

  • White water rafting
  • Bungee Jumping

DAY 13: ENTEBBE
The tour officially ends after breakfast this morning. The crew and vehicle usually leave for Kampala immediately after breakfast, in order to attend to post tour responsibilities. You are welcome to ride along, at no charge, to Kampala, but be aware that this trip to Kampala, and the timing, is not guaranteed.

Alternatively, you can extend your stay in Kalagala Falls or participate in further optional activities and take a later transfer directly to Entebbe, all of which Drifters can arrange on your behalf.

Meals:  B
Distance: 116 km

DEPARTURES
These tours depart from ENTEBBE on selected Sundays

At time of going to print the above itinerary was correct, but Drifters continually strive to offer our clients the best available tour options, and as such we reserve the right to change aspects of the itinerary at our discretion. During the validity period of the published itinerary, conditions may change, roads may be improved or deteriorate, contracted camps and accommodation facilities may change standards, optional activities might become available or be discontinued, new border posts open or existing ones become congested, etc.  Drifters are continuously monitoring all of the factors that contribute to a successful tour, and will make amendments to the published itinerary if circumstances so demand, or if we believe that the change will enhance the tour.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
This itinerary may be run in reverse to accommodate conditions and bookings. Flexibility and an open mind are essential to deal with the detours, delays and other inconveniences sometimes encountered in Uganda. The recommended currency for Uganda is the US Dollar, and all bank notes should be dated 2009 or later.

A sleeping bag, towel and pillow are required for this tour, unless you have booked the accommodation upgrade before departure. Please note temperatures can drop below 10 degrees on certain nights and guests should have appropriate clothes and sleeping bag. A day pack is recommended for hikes, walks and excursions.

Malaria precautions are strongly advised and Yellow Fever inoculations and a vaccination certificate are required prior to travelling to Uganda.

A valid passport is required by everyone. The tour will visit Uganda only. It is the client’s responsibility to ensure they have the appropriate visas. Some nationalities may need to obtain visas before departure as they may not be obtainable on arrival.

Our price includes transport, meals as stipulated, coffee, tea, fruit juice at breakfast, two Drifters crew, group equipment, accommodation, permits and park entry fees, one gorilla trek and one chimpanzee trek. The Gorilla permit is purchased separately. Once the permit is booked and confirmed guests are liable for the payment even in the case of cancellation.

The price does not include alcohol, bottled water, soft drinks, visas, tips, curios, restaurant meals, flights, airport taxes, airport transfers or any optional extras.

Before departure, clients will be required to enter into an agreement and indemnity pertaining to our booking conditions and general information. It is compulsory for clients to have their own comprehensive personal travel insurance that includes cover for (but not limited to) any medical emergencies as well as Covid 19 related cancellations or deviations prior or during the tour.