Safari Overview.

The classic wildlife and Gorilla safari starts with a scenic drive from Entebbe to the true west of Uganda. You will be amazed by the majestic, elegant Ankole long horned cattle grazing along with herds of zebras in the open savannahs of Lake Mburo, ride a horse and get close to Wildlife, go on a night game drive for nocturnal game viewing. Day time Game drives offers opportunities to see the Big cats (Lion & the leopard) plus other Big game and small game (the giant Eland, impalas, Giraffes among others).

Popularly known for Mountain Gorillas, you will visit Bwindi, a park which is at the junction of the plain and mountain forests. while looking for Gorillas on foot, you will be amazed by giant species of ferns, different tree species, sounds of Birds and other primates. Go visit the forest Batwa tribe as well!

Brief Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe international airport – Uganda.

Day 2: Entebbe – Lake Mburo National Park – Optional Horseback ride.

Day 3: Game Drive & Boat ride on Lake Mburo – optional Night game drive.

Day 4: Lake Mburo – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park by road – Afternoon community walk.

Day 5: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – Afternoon Batwa experience.

Day 6: Fly to Entebbe – Connect to international flight.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe international airport – Uganda.

Adventure Consults’ airport staff will meet you on arrival, assist you through customs, get your luggage, and transfer you to the hotel.

Depending on arrival time, you may have a briefing on your safari today/tonight or opt to have it in the morning after some hours of relaxation.

Overnight accommodation on Bed & Breakfast basis.
Most of the hotels are 10 minutes’ drive from Entebbe airport.
Inclusions: Bed & Breakfasts basis.
Excludes: All meals and Drinks.

Day 2: Entebbe – Lake Mburo National Park App. 5 hours’ drive.

After breakfast, have a briefing of the day’s schedule and start the adventure.

The panoramic drive towards the west of Uganda takes you through the busy towns, roadside markets, and farmlands.

You will stop at the Equator Crossing line for interesting practical experiments/demonstrations. There are only 13 countries in the world that are crossed by the equator, and Uganda is one of them. Watch and listen to the site guide as he demonstrates interesting facts using water. If you love random curious facts, this is the right place. The experiments will take you back to old school physics and Geography classes. Don’t miss out the photo-op on the green witch meridian or 0 meridian line with the equator sign as your photo frame.

The drive from Entebbe to the Equator crossing is about 2 hours and the site visit takes 30 – 45 minutes.

You will proceed with your journey for another three hours arriving Lake Mburo National Park in time for lunch.

Lake Mburo is the is it the smallest savannah Park in Uganda but boasts of over 68 mammal species and about 315 bird species.  The 370-square-kilometer Park is a compact treasure trove closest to Entebbe international airport and Uganda’s capital Kampala. The beautiful park can be explored by Game drives, mountain bikes, horseback rides, boats or even on foot.

In the afternoon, go for a game drive. The drive along the lakeshore track is unmissable with high chances/opportunities to see of Zebras, Cape buffaloes, Rothschild giraffes, Topis, Olive baboons, Topis, Vervet monkeys, Bush pigs, and spotted hyenas.

This evening, you have an option to go for a night game drive that starts at 0630 hours for about 2 to 3 hours. The night game drive provides opportunities for spotting nocturnal animals which may include among others the spotted hyenas, leopard, Bushbabies, porcupines, genet cats, honey badger and bats. On a dark clear night, don’t miss out on star gazing!

Meals and Overnight at the Lodge.

Standard inclusions: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).

Some lodges include drinks with exclusion of premium/imported wines and spirits.

Standard exclusions: All drinks.

Day 3: Game Drive & Boat ride on Lake Mburo

After an early breakfast, head out for a game drive through the savannah interspersed with woodlands rocky kopjes and forested gorges to search for the big game. You may explore the network of game tracks in the east of the park, with interesting views of acacia woodlands, wetlands, grassy hillsides, rock outcrops and seasonally flooded valley floors. This kind of vegetation provides ideal environment for food and water for most part of the year.

Midmorning head back to the to the lodge.

After lunch, transfer to the jetty for a 2 pm boat ride on Lake Mburo. The biggest lake in the area is where this majestic park derives its name. The tranquil two-hour boat voyage is the best way to explore the Eastern banks of the lake. The lake shallow lake sides is where crocodiles bask, get up-close to small herds or individual buffaloes, hippos, the colorful Kingfishers, magnificent Fish Eagles and Hamerkops.

Return to the lodge, and time permitting, walk to the animal hide (if operational), camouflage and see zebras and buffalos at very close range as they come to the waterhole to drink. This is the best photography opportunity.

Meals and Overnight at the Lodge.
Standard inclusions: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).
Some lodges include drinks with exclusion of premium/imported wines and spirits.
Standard exclusions: All drinks.

Day 4: Scenic drive to Bwindi (about 5 hours’ drive including stops).

A relaxed morning, and later start for Bwindi. You will drive through the heart of the park, keep an eye out for more game, the Ankole long horned cattle, Birds and look out for the tall Giraffes that live here.

You will have relevant stops at place of interest for photography and proceed to Bwindi arriving in time for lunch.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has got almost 400 species of plants, providing habitat for over 120 mammal species (including 11 primates), 346 species of birds (including 23 highly localised Albertine Rift endemics), 202 species of butterflies, 100 species of ferns, 27 species of frogs, chameleons, geckos, and many other endangered species. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is notable for being home to over 50% of the approximately 1,060 Mountain Gorillas still living on earth.

After a 5 hours in the vehicle, you may either relax at the lodge or stretch and go for a tea plantation walk. Bwindi has got the best soils that favours growth and flourishing of tea plantations. You don’t have to be a ‘tea-person’ to learn more about tea!

You will head out for a tea tour and get to know how tea is grown, picked and traditionally processed. The tour also shows how ‘black’, ‘green’ and ‘white’ teas are produced and differentiated. You have an opportunity to sample the fine teas at the end of the tour whilst looking over the impressive forests. We call it the tea ceremony.

Time permitting, go for a visit to Ride for a woman project:  This is a charitable organization set up to support women struggling with poverty, HIV, and domestic violence. Your visit indirectly supports the project work and while here, you may participate in basketry, weaving, and have an opportunity for craft shopping. You can as well place your order for African designed cautions, dresses, wrappers, table mats and all that has got an African touch on it! The ladies will ensure your orders are ready for collection within 24 hours or earlier.

Meals and Overnight at the Lodge.
Standard inclusions: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).
Some lodges include drinks with exclusion of premium/imported wines and spirits.
Standard exclusions: All drinks.

Day 7: Gorilla Tracking – Afternoon short Batwa experience.

Today is dedicated to visiting the Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

While in Buhoma, you can access Gorilla families of Buhoma or Ruhija sectors. Depending on the sector/family booked to track gorillas, you may leave the lodge either at 0600hrs for Ruhija or 0700hrs for Buhoma area. Breakfast is always ready by 0500 hours or can opt to have a packed breakfast if leaving at 0600hrs.

This beautiful park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to over 50% of the world’s remaining Gorillas. The rainforest is spectacular, heavily vegetated, and dense landscape crisscrossed by numerous animal trails, allowing access for trekkers. The time taken to find the Gorillas depends on Gorilla movements and in most cases, they are either looking for food or simply taking time to walk in their territory.

When you finally find them, you are allowed to spend 60 minutes while watching and following their movements. The thrill of spending time with and observing these gentle giants is a rare and moving adventure that will leave you with long-lasting memories of a truly unique experience.

Mountain gorillas are generally shy and peaceful creatures, and it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to watch and photograph them as they interact with each other.

In the afternoon, visit the Pygmy/Batwa community. This is cultural tourism activity at its best! It’s a hands-on, mind-opening adventure you will never forget as you go for an incredible hike in the rain forest with the elderly Batwa (pygmy) guides.

The Batwa are known to be one of the oldest surviving indigenous people on earth. A very special and unique group of people, lived in the bush and entire lifestyle depended on the forests. Just like the well-known ‘hunters and gatherers’, the Batwa gathered plants and fruits for food, hunted any animals within their reach, caves were their homes with the main big caves reserved for Kings.

A hike to the Batwa community, will enrich you with the history of these historical people. You will enjoy demonstrations and storytelling sessions of how the Batwa lived before they left the forest in favor of conservation programs. They will make fire using very simple tools (sticks and stones) and take you back to the old stone age period. You may participate in the mock hunting exercise, learn how to use a bow and arrow, and can taste the local meals and drinks, and participate in traditional dances.

Meals and Overnight at the Lodge.
Standard inclusions: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).
Some lodges include drinks with exclusion of premium/imported wines and spirits.
Standard exclusions: All drinks.

Day 8: Fly to Entebbe and connect to an international flight.

After breakfast, transfer to Kihihi airstrip in time for your morning flight to Entebbe Airport. The morning flight departs Kihihi airstrip at 9:45 am (flight schedule can change and sometimes at short notice due to unforeseen circumstances, but in most cases would be for safety reasons).

Baggage restrictions on domestic flights:  Maximum luggage weight is 15 kgs /33lbs in soft-sided bags.  Standard luggage should have the three dimensions of 24 inches (60cm) height, 18 inches (45cm) length, and 13 inches (33cm) width. Any excess luggage can be paid for at 3$ per Kg depending on space availability or can make advance reservation.

The drive from Buhoma to Kihihi airstrip takes about 2 hours. The approximate flight duration is one hour and forty-five minutes. It can be shorter than that, but the actual duration depends on the routing of the day.

You will arrive Entebbe airport by 1125hrs (sometimes earlier). If you have a connecting international/regional flight today, ensure it’s scheduled to depart Entebbe not earlier than 1345hrs.

On arrival at Entebbe airport, you will be assisted through customs and connect to your international/regional flight.

If you have more than 4 hours layover from 11am, Adventure consults offers various options.

  • Complementary transfer to the nearby restaurant (outside the airport) where you will have an early lunch (on own account), then later transfer back to the airport in time for your flight.
  • Day room at a hotel near Entebbe airport (on payment of supplement).
  • Optional day activities to keep you busy and get to see more of Entebbe. Please ask for detailed info and related costs to ensure reservations are in place.

Accommodation

Uganda boasts a variety of accommodation facilities depending on the traveler’s personal interests and budget. Adventure Consults will help you chose ideal choices of accommodation. Get in touch and we discuss all your safari specifications.

Accommodation in Entebbe

Entebbe has got accommodation options for every traveler. Whether it’s a large group or family travel, both options are available. Entebbe has got large hotels, small boutique hotels with limited rooms (10 to 20 rooms) ranging from luxury, midrange to budget.  While in Entebbe or Kampala, our packages are usually on Bed & Breakfast basis.

  • Hotel Number 5.
  • Protea Hotel by Marriott Entebbe.
  • The Boma hotel.
  • Lake Victoria Serena Golf resort and spa.
  • 2 Friends Beach Hotel.
  • Papyrus Guesthouse.
  • Best Western Premier Garden Hotel.
  • K Hotels.
  • Admas Grand Hotel.

Where to stay while in Lake Mburo National Park;

The park has got facilities that cater for all traveler categories. This range from Luxury, midrange to price sensitive options.

  • Mihingo Safari Lodge.
  • Kigambira Safari Lodge.
  • Mantana Tented Camp.
  • Arcadia Cottages.
  • Rwakobo Rock Lodge.
  • Mburo Safari Lodge.
  • Mpogo Safari Lodge.
  • Hyena Hill Lodge.
  • Leopard Rest Camp.
  • Mburo Eagle’s Nest.

Where to stay in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Whether you are looking for a luxury tented facility, warm spacious bandas, midrange, or budget options, accommodation facilities in this area will have a forest view or there will be resident Gorillas in the backyard or colorful birds by the verandah. Here are some of the available lodges/camps, but discuss with Adventure Consults office staff for more options.

  •  Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge.
  • Buhoma Lodge.
  • Mahogany Springs lodge.
  • Trekkers Tavern Lodge.
  • Kiho Gorilla Safari Lodge.
  • Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp.
  • Engagi Lodge.
  • Ride 4 a woman Cottages.