Day One :
Morning pick
up from your hotel in Kampala. Start 4 - 5 hour drive to Murchison
falls National Park. Transfer to the Magnificent Top of the falls
where you will enjoy your picnic lunch as you marvel at the Mighty
River Nile forced into a seven Meter crevice to thunder 45 meters
below in a series of cascades. The Nile can be viewed at different
points up to the Baker's Summit. Dinner and overnight at Paraa
Safari Lodge. In the grasslands and dry woodland have Secretary-bird,
Black-chested Snake and Tawny Eagles, Red-throated Bee-eater,
Sooty Chat, Northern and Southern Red Bishops and flocks of noisy
Helmeted Guinea fowl. Overhead we have a chance of observing African
White-backed Vulture, Bateleur, Wahlberg's Eagle and Black-shouldered
Kite. After re-crossing the Nile we visit a safari camp adjacent
to the river where garden birds include Yellow-throated Greenbul,
Red-winged Grey Warbler and Purple-banded Sunbird.
Day Two -Four:
After an
early morning breakfast, embark on a half day game drive on the
northern bank of the river Nile. In the guidance of a game ranger,
you may opt for a game walk while trailing animals and studying
animal spoors. Game in this area include Giraffe, Elephant, Harte
beest, Lion, Uganda Kob, Oribi and a variety of savannah and woodland
birds. After lunch, take a boat Cruise along the Nile for game
viewing at close quarters. This is a paradise of the Hippo and
Crocodiles. Dinner and Overnight at Paraa SafariLodge. Rocky outcrops
attract Rock Pratincole, African Pied Wagtail and mixed flocks
of White-headed Sawing, Horus Swift and Rufous-breasted Swallows.
A nearby outlook is reliable for Palmnut Vultures and African
Harrier Hawks. Several trails run through the area with African
Pygmy Kingfisher, Heuglin's Robin Chat and Yellow-throated Leaflove
Day Five:
An early
breakfast, then transfer to Kibale Forest. locating Papyrus Gonolek,
Yellow-billed Barbet, Grey-capped and White-winged Warblers,Great
Blue Turaco, Blue-headed Coucal and Papyrus Canary. In the afternoon
you have the option of birding the main road or tracking Chimpanzees
in the forest itself. Birds occurring at Kibale include Narina
Trogon, White-headed Woodhoopoe, Yellow-spotted Barbet and Black-capped
Apalis. Forest clearings may give us glimpses of African Goshawk
and Crowned Eagle plus noisy flocks of Grey Parrots. More secretive
species present that require a degree of luck to find are Dusky
and Olive Long-tailed Cuckoos, Grey-throated Flycatcher, Thick-billed
and Cassin's Honeyguides, Nahan's Francolin, Green-breasted and
African Pittas
Day Six:
After breakfast,
head for Kibale forest for a half day Primate walk in search of
chimpanzees. On the walk, you may see Black and white colobus
monkey, Red tailed monkey, Baboon, Grey cheeked mangabeys or the
chimpanzee. After lunch, transfer to Queen Elizabeth National
Park. After an evening game drive, transfer to your accommodations
for dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge. (B, L, D)
Day Seven and Eight:
After an
early morning cup of tea at 6:30am, depart for a drive on the
northerly parts of the park along the Kasenyi track. African Moustached
Warblers, Trilling and Croaking Cisticolas, Marsh Tchagra, Fawn-breasted
and Crimson-rumped Waxbills. Maramagamo Forest is nearby with
another wide selection of species. Acacia trees are home to Black-headed
Batis, Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike and Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrikes.
Walking along the numerous trails may produce Brown-eared Woodpecker,
Scaly-breasted Illadopsis, Chestnut Wattle-eye, White-breasted
Negro-finch and Red-headed Bluebill. Areas of ironwood are home
to Forest Robin, Brown-chested Alethe and Red-tailed Antthrush.
Overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge.
Day Nine:
After a
relaxed breakfast, transfer to the gorilla sanctuary through a
beautiful mountain scenery with rolling hills and deep valleys
usually referred to as the little Switzerland of Africa. Dinner
and overnight at Lake Kitandara Bwindi Luxury Tented Camp (B,
L, D) Bwindi offers some of the best forest birding in Africa.
The camp grounds before the main track attract Black Sawing, Petit's
Cuckoo-shrike, Black and White and African Blue Flycatchers, Mackinnon's
Fiscal, Luhder's Bush-shrike, Mountain Greenbul, Black-billed
Weaver, Variable Sunbird and Grey-crowned Negrofinch. On the main
track itself we enter the forest proper as it passes under huge
trees and areas of lichen lined trunks. Another track takes us
to the waterfall trail a reliable area for Red-throated Alethe,
Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher and Kivu
Ground Thrushes. Other species recorded the main track on recent
visits include Crested Guineafowl, Black and Cinnamon-breasted
Bee-eaters, Bronze-naped Pigeon, Gabon and Elliot's Woodpeckers.
Day Ten and Eleven:
After breakfast, briefing by ranger guides. Later with picnic
lunch, start a 30 minutes - 8 hours trek to find the Mountain
gorillas and or/while birding. The tracking starts at the area
where the gorillas were the previous day. After a full hour with
the gorillas, return to your accommodations for dinner and overnight
at Lake Kitandara Bwindi Luxury Tented Camp. (B, L, D)
Day Twelve:
After breakfast,
transfer to Mbarara arriving in time for lunch at the Lake View
Hotel. Later head for Lake Mburo National Park. In the park itself
an exploration of tracks and reed-lined swamps may produce Dwarf
Bittern, Yellow-billed Duck, Nubian Woodpecker, Yellow-breasted
Apalis, Spot-flanked and Black-collared Barbets. At Nshara Gate
a large seasonal marshland has African Openbill, Sacred Ibis,
Wattled Lapwing, African Water Rail, Greater Painted-snipe, Three-banded
Plover and Malachite Kingfisher. Further along the track drier
areas attract Emerald-spotted Wood-dove, Red-faced, Winding and
Croaking Cisticolas, Yellow-throated Longclaw and Golden-breasted
Buntings. We have a chance of mammals in Vervet Monkey, Burchell's
Zebra and Impala, before proceeding to Kampala to overnight at
St.Bruno Tented Camp. (B, B,)
Day Thirteen:
Mabamba Swamp, the road eventually ends at a papyrus reedbed
adjoining Lake Victoria. From hand-paddled boats we explored a
maze of channels and mud flats for the majestic Shoebill, African
Marsh Harrier,African Pygmy Goose, Black Crake, Purple Swamphen,
Allen's Gallinule,African and more rarely Lesser Jacanas, Blue-breasted
Bee-eater, Winding and Carruther's Cisticolas, Papyrus Gonolek
and White-winged Warbler. Overnight at St.Bruno Tented Campl.
Day Fourteen:
Transfer to the airport. |
departure dates
2,
Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec 2004, Jan 2006, Feb, Mar 2007.
safari information Price per person: US$ 3,090.
Includes: accommodation, meals, park entry fees,
Boat trips, Local bird guides, 4x4 transport, fuel, driver and
bird hide fees.
bookings information
- Our tour costs do not include Insurance; you are encouraged to have your own insurance cover.
- Confirm your booking at least one year in advance by depositing 30% of the entire tour cost; this
entitles you to the gorilla trekking. Note that there are no refunds for permit cancellations two months to the tour set-off date.
- Late booking; i.e three months after the tour departure date will attract 10% of the
tour cost.
attractions
- White-headed Woodhoopoe
- Chimpanzees
|