Uganda Primates & Wildlife Safari

HIGHLIGHTS

Starts/Ends: Entebbe, Uganda

Country Visited: Uganda

Main Activities:  Scenic Viewing, Game Viewing, Boat Ride, Chimpanzee Tracking

Strength Demand: Moderately Demanding

8 Day Uganda Primates & Wildlife Safari

Route:  Kampala – Murchison – Kibale Forest – Semiliki – Kampala

This 8 Day Uganda Primates & Wildlife Safari gives you a Uganda Wildlife experience meeting the ‘big 5‘ game in Murchison Falls national park through Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the primates of Kibale Forest National Park and the unimaginable hot springs of Semiliki National Park. Enjoy some of the beautiful scenes like the devil’s cauldron on the Nile river at the Murchison falls and the rainforest jungles of Kibale on this Uganda primates.

Safari Highlights

• A visit to the magnificent Murchison Falls renowned for its scenic beauty and the spectacular falls
• Enjoying a game drive and a boat cruise along the Nile River
• Being tantalized by the squeezing of the Nile River into a 7 meter gorge before tumbling 40 meters down in a thunderous explosion
• Sightseeing of the unique geographical gifting along the Albertine Rift Valley with breathtaking scenic glamour of landscapes
• Watching at close range the wild but habituated chimpanzees, other primates and birds in their natural environment
• An opportunity to explore the beautiful crater lakes surrounded by gentle hills and stunning views
• A guided nature walk in the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for birding and primate viewing
• A fascinating experience at the Hot Springs where you can participate in boiling eggs in the bubbling pools of hot water(103°C)

Day 1: Arrival in Uganda

You will be met at the airport by our Uganda Primates & Wildlife Safari guide who will transfer you to the hotel reserved for you in Kampala. Dinner and overnight will be at this hotel.

Day 2: Travel to Murchison Falls National Park (5-6hrs)

You will have an early breakfast and drive to Murchison Falls National Park via the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where you will have the opportunity to trek the Rhinos. The sanctuary houses Uganda’s Rhino reintroduction project. There are 9 white rhinos and tracking is done on foot for 1½ hours. You will continue to Masindi Town for lunch and later drive to Murchison Falls National Park. The entire journey takes 6-7 hours. You will have dinner and overnight at the lodge of your booking.

Day 3: Game drive and Boat launch on the Nile

You will have an early start (6.30am) and set off at for a sunrise game drive in the Nyamsika plateau to see the Cape buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffes, Uganda kob, hartebeest and waterbucks. You may also spot oribi, bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, shy sitatunga, bush duiker, warthog and bush pig plus large carnivores including lions, leopards and spotted hyenas.

Chimpanzees and olive baboons head the list of six species of primates found in the park. Crocodiles and hippos will be seen along the banks of the Nile. Some of the more common birds that can be seen include goliath heron, Egyptian geese, pelican, bee-eaters, kingfishers, hornbill, cormorant, saddle-bill stork and the rare shoebill stork. You will return to your lodge for a late breakfast and some relaxation before you set off in the afternoon for a boat cruise on the placid Victoria Nile, upstream, to the base of the falls.

The Uganda primates route continue where en route you will see hippos, crocodiles, water buck and a wide variety of birds like the unusual shoebill stork. The boat stops just tens of meters from the “Devil’s Cauldron” for pictures to be taken of the photogenic and majestic Murchison Falls.

Day 4: Top of the fall Visit and travel to Kibale Forest National Park

You will after your breakfast visit the “top of the thunderous Murchison falls”, where you will observe the River Nile squeezing itself in a 7 meter gorge before tumbling 40 meters down in a thunderous explosion and then flows down into a very peaceful river whose water banks are swarmed with a profusion of water and land animals as well as birds.

You will thereafter set off for a 9 hour Uganda primates safari route to Kibale Forest National Park. The drive is through verdant countryside with traditional homesteads and farms and via the towns of Hoima and Fort Portal which rests in the shadow of the fabled Mountains of the Moon.

You will have dinner and overnight at the lodge of your booking.

Day 5: Chimp trek and Bigodi swamp walk

After breakfast you will go for chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park, where the greatest variety and highest concentration of primates in East Africa is exceptionally represented. The most famous of its 13 species is the Chimpanzee known to be a delightful ape.

It is also home to species like the rare I’Hoest’s monkey, the black and white Colobus, Blue monkey, Grey cheeked mangabey, Red tailed monkey, Olive baboon among others. The walk takes 2-3 hours after which you will return to your lodge for lunch. After lunch you will go for the Bigodi swamp walk where you will see a variety of rare bird species and other smaller mammals and return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Visit to the Crater Lakes

This Uganda primates safari day, we go for an exploration of the crater lakes region to enjoy the beauty of the numerous small lakes surrounded by gentle hills with spectacular views. You take a hike at Lake Nkuruba to see different species of primates and birds and to visit the Mahomet Falls. You meet the local people as you walk through their villages and learn about their customs as you enjoy the panoramic views of the beautiful scenery.

Day 7: Travel to Semliki Wildlife Reserve

We travel to Semuliki National Park, for another but different experience. You take a nature walk to the Hot Springs where you can participate in the rare experience of boiling eggs in the bubbling pools of hot water. You also visit the Pygmy village to meet these unique people and learn about their culture. In the late afternoon you travel to Fort portal for overnight stay at the hotel of your booking.

Day 8: Travel to Kampala

You get onto the Uganda primates & wildlife safari route with that last hours on a road trip back to Kampala with stopovers at interesting tourism attractions, arriving in the evening. Among the attractions will be a stopover at the Equator where you will have the remarkable opportunity of standing in two hemispheres at the same time and take some photos. You will arrive in Kampala in the late afternoon and either be transferred to the airport for your departure flight or to the hotel of your booking for dinner and overnight.