Our 16 Days Shoebill Uganda Safari is a new product that is topping in meeting the interests of tourists in to Africa and specifically to those intending to visit Uganda. Inquire Now The ultimate feel is to encounter the rarest encounter of the Shoebill bird among other special wildlife meetings including Bwindi Gorilla Trekking experience, Chimpanzee Trekking, Elephants, Buffaloes, Leopards and the tree climbing lions to mention but a few. Book yourself this life time experience in to Uganda and share life time memories with the most top professional safari pioneers African Pearl Safaris.
16 Days Shoebill Uganda Safari
Day 1: Arrival Entebbe Airport – Kampala
Upon arrival at the airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our guide who will then take you to Forest Cottages (Budget end) for an overnight and dinner. Meal plan Dinner.
Day 2: Kampala – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Our guide/driver picks you at 7:30 am from your hotel or place of residence in Entebbe or Kampala. Drive to Mbarara (283km from Kampala) via Masaka. Make a first stop over at Equator crossing for snacks and photography. Proceed with a visit to Igongo Cultural village this is more rewarding and amazing as you visit the Ankole museum. Lunch break is made at Agip Motel Mbarara. After lunch, drive to Bwindi. This is the lushest highland rain forest on earth, filled with primates and exotic birds, valleys, hilltops and papyrus swamps. Dinner and overnight stay at Buhoma community Bandas (Budget facility) Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 3: Bwindi Gorilla Trekking
After breakfast set off early with guides to track the gorillas. The thrill of your encounter will erase the difficulties of the potentially strenuous trek. Bring jungle boots and rain jackets because the park is often wet. Spend time in awe watching the gorillas go about their activities. Each gorilla safari encounter is different and has its own rewards, but you are likely to enjoy the close view of adults feeding, grooming and resting as the youngsters frolic and swing from vines in a delightfully playful display.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a magnificent green swathe of dense rain forest, so ancient that survived the last ice age. A recently proclaimed World Heritage site, it’s one of the most biologically diverse areas on
earth and its unique, precious flora sustains roughly half of the world population of mountain gorillas – believed to number just 720. There’s also a substantial chimpanzee population and research shows that Bwindi is the only forest in Africa in which these two apes live together. Dinner and overnight stay at Buhoma community Bandas Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 4: Second Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
After breakfast, you will go for the second gorilla tracking experience but in another group returning in the afternoon. Time permitting, spend the afternoon on a community foot safari to explore the life style of the people living and surrounding the park. Return to camp exhilarated to relieve the encounter with friends over a drink.. Dinner and overnight stay at Buhoma community Bandas Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 5: Bwindi – Queen Elizabeth National Park Ishasha
Begin your day with a cup of African coffee, ready for the drive to Queen Elizabeth North of Bwindi via Ishasha sector. The drive takes you through the unique western rift valley escarpment and the (southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park) Ishasha sector where you will take on a mid morning game drive in search of tree climbing lions. After lunch is dedicated for relaxation and the evening will be spent on a sunset game drive for more wildlife and photography. Overnight and dinner at Ishasha Jungle Lodge Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 6: Queen Elizabeth Ishasha – Mweya Side
Early morning guided bush walk for a closer interaction with nature. The mid-morning will be spent on a game drive for the tree climbing lions. Later drive to Mweya Side of Queen Elizabeth the journey takes about 3 hours but driving through interesting features. Dinner and overnight stay at Enganzi Lodge. Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Begin your day with a cup of coffee. Early morning game drive along Kasenyi and Queens Mile makes visitors encounter elephants, buffalo, water bucks, warthogs, lions, Uganda Kobs lakes and a variety of birds. Return to the lodge for breakfast and lunch. After lunch, a two hour boat trip along the famous Kazinga channel is worthwhile an opportunity to see Hippo, Buffalo, Kobs, Elephants, warthogs etc. This trip also enables visitor chance to see spectacular birds. Dinner and overnight stay at Enganzi Lodge. Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 8: Queen Elizabeth National Park
With previous day’s memories, enjoy your breakfast ready for guided primate walk along Kyambura Gorge to look for habituated chimps through the gorge with birding through the gorge as you will be watching a number of beautiful birds. After primate walk, drive back to Mweya Safari Lodge. Evening relaxation, . Dinner and overnight stay at Enganzi Lodge. Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Kibale
Drive to Kibale Forest National Park. Kibale is the best reserve in Africa to view chimps, a thick jungle with a towering canopy using Kasese-Fort Portal road. Enjoy the winding scenery of the foot hills of Mt. Rwenzori arriving in Fort Portal for lunch. The afternoon is spent on a guided walk in the crater lakes area of the park for outstanding cultural visit. Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee Guest House Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 10: Chimpanzee Trekking Kibale
In the morning you will have breakfast to transfer to Kibale Head quarters for briefing before setting off for a forest walk in search for chimpanzees. The forest walk will be guided to provide information not only on
chimpanzees and primates but also on small organisms making it interesting. The walk will reward you with other primates like Grey cheeked Mangabeys, Colobus monkeys, Red-tailed monkeys, phoestes, and butterflies. Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee Guest House Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 11: Second Chimpanzee Trekking Kibale
Again after breakfast to transfer to Kibale Head quarters for briefing before setting off for a forest walk in search for chimpanzees. The forest walk will be guided to provide information not only on
chimpanzees and primates but also on small organisms making it interesting. The walk will reward you with other primates like Grey cheeked Mangabeys, Colobus monkeys, Red-tailed monkeys, phoestes, and butterflies. Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee Guest House Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 12: Kibale – Murchison Falls National Park
Begin the panoramic drive north through Hoima verdant countryside and past traditional homesteads and farms along Albertine Rift escarpments. After lunch, drive to Murchison Falls National Park. Dinner and overnight at Murchison River Lodge Thatched Tents Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 13: Murchison Falls National Park
After your cup of coffee, cross the Nile by ferry to the northern bank of the park. Your guide will help you spot Elephant, Lion, Cape buffalo, Rothschild’s giraffe, hartebeest, Waterbuck, Oribi, Bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, hyena and if you are lucky, the leopard. Return to the hotel for breakfast and lunch. After lunch, go for a boat safari 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, crocodiles and over this 17 km stretch you may see elephant, waterbuck and Uganda Kob crocodile. 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 start your – quite heavy – 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. Your driver/guide will be waiting for you to bring you back to the lodge. Dinner and overnight at Murchison River Lodge Thatched Tents Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 14: Murchison Falls National Park
After your morning breakfast ready for a boat trip to the Nile Delta that takes you between 4-5hrs, this one of the most interesting experiences in Murchison falls National Park through the extensive papyrus delta through which the Victoria Nile flows into Lake Albert. Here again there are plenty of animals and birds to see with an excellent chance of seeing the rare Shoebill. The afternoon is spent relaxing at your Lodge. Dinner and overnight at Murchison River Lodge Thatched Tents Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Alternative Activity: Hot Air Balloon Safari
Our hot air balloon safari gives you an aerial view of Murchison Falls National Park as you spot the many species wild animals. The hot air balloon is made to fly at the tree altitude so as to bring you closer so that you take a good look at the beautiful Murchison Falls National Park.
Safari Features:
– View sunrise or sunset from above
– Panorama view of Murchison Falls National Park
– Tree top level flights
– Victoria Nile or Lake Albert view
– Watch full herds of animals
– Watch hidden off-road animals
– Approximately 1 hour hot air balloon ride
– Pick up from set destinations
– Ferry Crossing
– Photos during cold inflation inside the balloon
– Ground Safari before takeoff and after landing
– Receive Participation Certificate.
– Bush Breakfast in the wild.
The hot air balloon safari costs $380 per person inclusive of the bush breakfast.
Day 15: Murchison Falls National Park – Kampala
Wake up at 6:00am prepared to take a photograph of the African rising sun in the morning and enjoy African breakfast. Drive back to Kampala with a visit to Ziwa Sanctuary for a canoe ride on a swamp in search for the rare Shoebill bird, picnic lunch and later return to Kampala Forest Cottages for your overnight stay. Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 16: Kampala – Entebbe Out
Today is dedicated for airport transfer depending on your flight details and timing. Meal Plan (Breakfast).
End of the 16 Days Shoebill Uganda Safari. Inquire Now
The 16 Days Shoebill Uganda Safari package includes:-
Airport transfers
Transportation by a 4wd vehicle 1 vehicle up to 5 and more than 5 pax will use 2 safari vehicles
Accommodation and meals as per the itinerary
Boat trips
Two Gorilla permit per person to be secured and paid for in advance
Park fees
Two Chimpanzee permits for Kibale and One Kyambura Chimpanzee permit
Community visits
Services of English speaking Driver/guide.
En route lunches
Bush walk Ishasha
canoe ride for Shoebill bird
Ferry crossing fees
Hike to the Top of the falls
A boat ride along the Nile Delta
Game drives
AMREF Emergency Evacuation Medical Insurance
However, the 16 Days Shoebill Uganda Safari package excludes: expenses of personal nature like: Visa, drinks, laundry, tips to local guides, telephone, porter fee while trekking, personal insurance, and tobacco.