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Kitesi Donah

Day 2 : Kigali

Rwanda’s capital and biggest city stretches across undulating lush hills surrounded by towering mountains, the largest of which is Mount Kigali, rising 1,850m above sea level. With its interesting architecture and leafy streets, Kigali is said to be one of the most attractive cities in Africa and is definitely worth a visit.

As the country’s financial, commercial and cultural hub, nowhere else can you understand the country’s nickname better than here “The country of a thousand hills”.

Kigali is a clean, safe and green space with a number of points of interest.

After breakfast, you get to visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial which is the final resting place for more than 250,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Learn about Rwanda’s history from pre-colonial times to the 1994 genocide as well as other genocides in the world. A visit to the Rwanda Art Museum, also known as the former presidential palace, gives you an insight of the life of the then president of Rwanda, whose plane when shot down in 1994, sparked off the Rwanda Genocide.

After lunch, we will depart Rwanda on a scenic drive through thousands of hills, coffee, tea and banana plantations to the border post foothills of the mountains and volcanoes and into the beautiful Pearl of Africa – Uganda. You will see a great countryside of bamboo forest and have amazing views of the landscape.

In the late afternoon, check into your lodge for relaxation and prepare for your big day the next day.

Overnight at Buhoma Haven Lodge

Buhoma Haven Lodge is a community project located above Buhoma village, a 5-minute drive from the main road, and this elevated location guarantees excellent views across Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The lodge has beautifully designed twin/double ensuite merging simple elegance with local materials. Guests are served 5-course meals blending Western and African cuisine, prepared by Ugandan chefs using locally grown products. For gorilla tracking a packed lunch is also provided.

The property was constructed with support from people of America (USADF) and is managed by the Buhoma Mukono Community Development Association (BMCDA) that has brought together over 7,000 community members for the benefit of development, improved livelihoods, and conservation of natural resources.

BMCDA is assisting local people to obtain reputable employment and empowering them with the necessary skills to not only guide tourists but to further their career goals.

Revenue earned from guests transfers to BMCDA and is then dispersed to local community projects. The following are some of those projects: Buhoma Community Primary School, Buhoma Community High School, Buhoma Gravity Water Flow Scheme, Rainwater Harvesting, Pineapple and Vegetable Growing Project, Buhoma Cooperative Savings and Credit Society.

Day 3 : Bwindi Impentrable forest

Located in southwestern Uganda, the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is said to be Africa’s oldest rainforest.

It is world-renowned for its excellent gorilla-sighting opportunities and its thick vegetation that give it its name.

The rugged landscape features dense jungle, cascading waterfalls, sparkling mountain streams, deep valleys and steep ridges.

This untouched forest has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its breathtaking natural beauty and unique ecological significance.

Aside from the amazing gorilla interactions, there are other drawcards such as a network of forest walks, over 340 species of birds to spot and a variety of butterflies.

Day 3 is the big day.

Prepare yourself for an encounter with one of Bwindi’s gentle giants: the rare Mountain Gorilla. For most people, this is the absolute highlight of their tour in Uganda.

You will be required to wake up early in the morning then be led to the visitor’s reception centre for a briefing about the park. You are allocated guides before heading into the forest in search of Mountain Gorillas.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest boasts both Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzees – the only forest in Africa which can make this claim. It also hosts five other species of primate, 113 species of mammals, over 200 butterflies and 360 birds.

The Gorillas you will track belong to one of nine habituated family groups that can tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period every day.

Your trek will be an exciting journey along forested slopes, entwined vines, bushes and bamboo before you eventually reach the Gorillas’ habitat. En-route, your guide will point out signs of previous Gorilla activity, including dung, nests and chewed bamboo shoots. The time taken to track the Gorillas can take as little as 2 hours or more.

Once the Gorillas have been located, your group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. Coming face-to-face with a Mountain Gorilla is a truly humbling and emotional experience. This is a fantastic and privileged opportunity to get up close and personal with Uganda’s very own ‘Gorillas in the Mist’.

Each gorilla trek is different and we cannot predict how long the walk may take. If the family is far away, we may enjoy a snack and packed lunch in the forest, otherwise, we will have lunch back at the lodge. The afternoon is free to enjoy the stunning views of the lodge or relax by the pool.

Overnight at Buhoma Haven Lodge.

Day 4 : Batwa experience

After breakfast, you will go on the Batwa Pygmies Cultural Trail where you will interact and learn about the interesting lifestyle of this community.

The Batwa pygmies are the traditional inhabitants of the Bwindi forest that’s currently occupied by the National Park. The trail exposes you to their in-depth hidden history before the year 1990 when they evacuated the forest area that had become protected as a National Park and gives you an insight into their traditions, and their ways of live which rely on the natural habitat of the forest.

The experience comes along with different unique demonstrations on how the pygmies used to extract local herbs that were used for healing different diseases, traditional ways of fetching water using locally made bamboo mugs and construction of grass huts.

You will then transfer to the beautiful Ishasha plains which are part of Queen Elizabeth National Park – the oldest & second largest National Park in Uganda, located at the base of the massive Rwenzori Mountains, adjacent to lakes Edward & George.

The park is covered by Savannah plains that provide an abundance of game viewing like elephants that trumpet when you get too close, lazy leopards laying in the sun, abundant gazelle and buck, tree-climbing lions, buffaloes, hippos and more.

On our way to the lodge, you will enjoy game drives in the park and arrive at dinner for sunset and an overnight stay.

Overnight at Ishasha Jungle Lodge

Ishasha Jungle Lodge is surrounded by riparian forest vegetation and acacias Savannah. This is a small eco-friendly lodge, entirely made with local materials and African art with its raised en-suite wooden deck cottages (now they are 4), spacious rooms and bathroom, all finished with canvas.

The lodge uses clean energy with a solar system giving 24hr power and hot water to all cottages. All bulbs are of low energy consumption and the solar fridge provides safe storage and cold drinks. Cooking is provided with clean sources like gas and alternative charcoal. Attention is given to waste management disposal and recycling of any materials. Water is safe as it comes from a borehole.

The restaurant serves international food following the principles of the Slow Food movement.

Day 5 : Queen Elizabeth National Park

Located in southwestern Uganda, the Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the county’s most popular parks.

Volcanic craters, grassy plains, tropical forest and giant lakes connected by a channel inhabited by abundant hippos, are what you will see at the Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The park has almost 100 types of mammal and 606 different bird species, including the peculiar shoebill. The 40-kilometre-long Kasinga Channel alone is said to contain the world’s largest concentration of hippos.

Other species to spot include buffalo, the rare aquatic sitatunga antelope, giant forest hog, Uganda kob, Defassa waterbuck and elephants.

On day 5, we will indulge in a morning and evening game drive in time to see the sunrise and watch the sunset over the horizon respectively.

On your game drives through the open savannah of Acacia, on the edge of the Albertine Rift valley, we will go in search of tree-climbing lions and other wild animals.

In the afternoon, we will head for a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel to view the water-dwelling birds and animals such as the pied kingfisher, African fish eagle, herons, darters to mention but a few and see animals such as buffalos, crocodiles, monitor lizards, elephants wallowing at the mud and much more. After the boat cruise, you will proceed for a short game drive as you find your way back to the lodge for dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Overnight at Twin Lake Safari Lodge

Twin Lake Safari Lodge is perched on the edge of the escarpment with spectacular views over the Queen Elizabeth National Park. Eight spacious canvas tents with en suite bathroom under the cover of thatched roofs. From your private, shaded veranda, you look down onto the Kazinga Channel, flat-topped acacia trees and the occasional elephant wandering by.

The surrounding area also boasts plenty of rare wildlife species, birds, rich culture and various crater lakes. Community walks, forest reserves, fishing village, cotton and coffee plantations amongst much more. The Restaurant serves a choice of international and local cuisine with a bar offering various kinds of drinks.

Day 6 : Kibale National Park

Located in southern Uganda, Kibale Forest National Park is said to be home to the highest density of primates in Africa.

Although the highlight of the park is the habituated chimpanzees, the treetops are alive with all manner of monkey including: red-tailed monkey, L’Hoest’s monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, red colobus and black and white colobus monkeys are all spotted here. When you’re not searching for monkeys there are over 300 bird species and an incredible 250 species of butterfly to keep you busy.

After early morning breakfast, you will head off for a game drive in search of the early raisers where you have a great chance to spot more wildlife before you depart Queen Elizabeth National Park heading to Kibale Forest National Park driving through a scenic lush green countryside.

On arrival at Kibale Forest, you will enter a completely different world… some serious monkey business!

The forest is home to at least 12 Primate Species including The Red-tailed Monkey, Olive Baboon, Black and White Colobus plus Blue Monkeys. The birdlife in the forest is also prolific and includes the beautiful Great Blue Turaco. If you are very lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of the meandering herd of Forest Elephant.

In the late afternoon, transfer to your accommodation for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Overnight at Turaco Treetop Lodge

Turaco Treetops is Kibale Forest’s newest semi-luxe lodge and offers an uncomplicated, and warm-hearted atmosphere and a unique experience in the forest with stunning views over the snowcapped Rwenzori Mountains.

The lodge has 8 luxury cottages situated at secluded locations in the jungle. The cottages are spacious, with large windows and outside wooden decks, providing splendid views over Kibale Forest and are designed to ‘bring the outdoors inside’ with a mix modernity and an ‘African feel’ by using clean lines in combination with wood and other natural materials.

Day 7 : Chimpanzee tracking

This morning at 08:00 am, your Chimpanzee tracking excursion will commence.

Kibale Forest boasts the highest number of primate species in the world, including our delightful cousins, the Chimpanzees. At this moment, in Uganda, there are approximately 4,950 Chimps left in the wild, which makes this forest a perfect place to spot chimpanzees in Africa!

During the excursion, your ranger will point out the other species living in the forest, including birds, flora and fauna.

In the afternoon you embark on a nature excursion. Your swamp walk (1- 2 hours) will take you through grassland and some beautiful scenery.

It is usual to spot 3 or 4 different primate species during this walk though the highlight is catching a glimpse of the Great Blue Turaco bird.

In the late afternoon, return to your accommodation for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.

Overnight at Turaco treetop Lodge.

Day 8 : Murchison Falls

Bid farewell to Kibale National Park after breakfast and head out for the mighty Murchison Falls National Park, the largest national park and Uganda’s flagship with exceptional wildlife.

The meandering Victoria Nile and the dramatic Murchison Falls neatly bisecting Uganda’s largest park, where you’d expect a wide range of animals and you’d be right. It’s a stunning habitat for wildlife and it’s where to go in Uganda for classic big game species.

We will go on game drives and wildlife sightseeing as we make our way to the lodge for the evening.

Optional – Sunset or Sunrise hot air balloon

Experience the wildlife of Murchison Falls NP in a, unique way. Wake up early to catch the sunrise, as you silently fly over the plains of the Park, or join a sunset ride. Admire the herds of buffaloes, elephants and enjoy the serene tranquillity of the African bush… After a smooth landing, you can celebrate this amazing adventure with a bush breakfast.

Hot Air Balloon Flights schedule: Sunrise: 5:00am — 9:30am (includes bush breakfast) Sunset: 4:00pm — 6:30pm. Price: $494 (subject to change).

Overnight at Pakuba Lodge

Pakuba Safari Lodge is located in North West of Uganda on the Eastern Bank of the Albert Nile.

The tastefully furnished rooms offer comfort, style and serenity and twin rooms are a lot of space for two guests to comfortably relax. Enjoy evening outdoor dinners with the sound of the river and nature.

Day 9 : Murchison Falls

After an early breakfast, you will head out on an early game drive while the animals are the most active since it’s not yet so bright and temperatures are cooler. This is the best time to spot wild animals.

A drive through the park brings you eye-to-eye with the African animal kingdom: elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards, different species of antelope and many tropical birds. They are all there in Murchison Falls National Park!

In the afternoon, a 3-hour Boat Cruise along the Victoria Nile will lead you to the base of the Murchison Falls. Along the way, you will be able to view a wide variety of birds and wildlife; numerous hippos, elephants and crocodiles, as well as breathtaking scenery.

Overnight at Pakuba Lodge.

Days 10 & 11 : Murchison Falls & Entebbe

At 7:00 am, a morning trip to the Lake Albert Delta is a must for any bird and wildlife enthusiast.  

The Victoria Nile delta, a 20 km voyage downstream from Paraa, is home to rare wetland birds including shoebill and papyrus endemic species.

You will depart Murchison Falls National Park and head to Entebbe for refreshments and overnight stay as you relive your safari highlights. 

Tonight, there is a special Farewell dinner at Faze 3 where all group members will be invited to a unique dining setting. We will toast to a great experience with a glass of wine or your favorite drink. This dinner will be joint with the Luxe trip guests.

On Day 11, you will wake up and check out. At the time of your departure, you will be taken to the airport.

Overnight at Best Western Premier Entebbe

Conveniently located just a few minutes away from the Entebbe Airport on the Kampala-Entebbe Highway, the hotel is adjacent to the Victoria Shopping Mall, giving guests direct access to the mall and all its facilities.

The UN Base, Entebbe Golf Club, the Botanical Gardens and the lake are right next to the hotel. The hotel offers 51 full-service rooms, equipped with all amenities for the demanding business traveler.