10 Days Best Of The Pearl Of Africa

Today you will to the famous Murchison Falls National Park. En route, you will visit the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. You will get a chance to trek the Southern White Rhinos that were re-introduced in Uganda. You will get the opportunity to watch these lovely creatures in their natural habitats. This activity is once in a lifetime and not to be missed. Later you will proceed to Murchison Falls National park for an overnight. 

­

Today you will head out into the wild for an exciting early morning game drive. Murchison Falls is one of Uganda’s first protected areas that harbors a variety of wild animals for example; Elephants, Lions, Cape buffalos, Rothschild’s giraffes, hartebeests, Waterbucks, Oribis, Bushbucks, Bohor reedbucks, hyenas. Lucky guests also get a chance of spotting a leopard. Later in the afternoon, you will go for a boat ride upstream the calm Victoria Nile to the base of the falls stopping just tens of meters from the “Devil’s Cauldron”. En route, marvel at the toothsome hippos and crocodiles, and over this 17km stretch, you may see elephants, waterbucks, Uganda Kobs, and crocodiles. This is also a zone of many bird species like Goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant and the rare shoebill stork. There you leave the boat and hike to the Top of the Falls (approx. 1 hour). See where the world’s longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43m below. Return to the lodge for an overnight.

­ ­

You will have a morning boat ride to the Nile Delta. This is a 20km stretch where the River Nile flows into Lake Albert. It is home to several bird species the commonest being the rare Shoebill Stork. You will also have a close reach the aquatic animals such as Crocodiles, Hippos, and elephants. You will later return to the lodge for lunch and then go for another exciting evening game drive.

­

After breakfast, you will start your journey to Kibale Forest National Park through verdant countryside and past traditional homesteads and farms. Rapidly becoming a must-do destination in Uganda, Kibale Forest offers an accessible and enlightening insight into life in a tropical rainforest. Large mammals aren't so easily seen but the clouds of dazzling butterflies and gorgeous forest birds more than make up for it, and besides, Kibale is most famous for its primates and it is commonly known as the primates' capital with about 13 species of primates. The commons are the Chimpanzees. You will proceed to your accommodation overnight.

­ ­

After having breakfast, you will be transferred to the headquarters of the park where you will be briefed by the rangers, and by around 8:00 am the search for the amazing chimpanzees begins. Kibaale Forest is where the greatest variety and highest concentration of primates in East Africa are exceptionally represented and as you track the chimpanzees you will have an opportunity to see other wildlife species such as the rare I’Hoest’s monkey, the black and white Colobus, Blue monkey, Grey-cheeked mangabey, Red-tailed monkey, Olive baboon among others. In the group, the adult males dominate the group and provide protection to the territory against the rest of the males from other territories. The chimps are located by simply listening for their pant hooting calls, and then head to the place from which they replied from. Here you can observe them as they feed, play as well as socializing with each other. The tracking takes 2-3 hours after which you will you will have lunch at a local restaurant. Thereafter proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park crossing the equator along the way. Time allowing, you will go for an evening game drive.

­

Rise early to go for a morning game drive to catch up with the early risers and predators returning to their hideouts. You will most likely meet grazing Hippos, Elephants, Lions, spotted Hyenas, bushbuck, waterbuck, stripped jackal, comical warthogs, and the elusive leopard. Later in the afternoon, you will go for a boat ride on Kazinga Channel. The Kazinga Channel is home to many of the captivating species that inhabit the park and taking a boat ride along it gives tourists a chance to cruise just meters from the enormous hippos and buffalos while elephants linger on the shores. Later return to your accommodation overnight.

­

After early morning breakfast, you will start your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. This park is home to over half of the remaining population of the rare mountain Gorillas and offers visitors an excellent Gorilla tracking experience. You may decide to have the afternoon at leisure as you relax at the lodge or take a walk around the lodge. You will go to bed early as you prepare for the next day’s activities. 

­

After breakfast with your packed lunch, your guide will drive you to the park headquarters for a briefing about the dos and don’ts during your gorilla trekking. Your gorilla family tracking will start immediately after the briefing. This is a memorable and amazing experience watching the Mountain gorillas feed, play around, and also do their day to day activities. This activity can take 2 hours or even up to 8 hours since it's dependent on the location and movement of the gorillas. Also, expect to walk long distances in muddy and steep conditions- this will require you to have a walking stick. On meeting the gorillas, you will spend one hour with them as you take photos. Later, trek back to the park headquarters to pick up your certificates and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi.

After breakfast, you will be transferred back to Entebbe. You will then connect to your flight back home.