9 Day Gorilla and Africa Big Game Safari
This 9 days gorilla and Africa big game safari will offer you a chance to see either all the 5 or just the 4 of Africa’s Big Five animals. You will start with the Rhinos at Ziwa sanctuary, then proceed to Murchison Falls National Park the largest in Uganda to see the powerful waterfalls and other wildlife, continue to Queen Elizabeth National Park home of the tree climbing lions, among several other animals for a launch cruise before concluding at Bwindi Forest National Park for gorilla trekking tour.
Safari Highlights
Day 1: Transfer to Murchison Falls –Rhino tracking
Day 2: Game Viewing Safari and Launch Cruise
Day 3: Travel to Fort Portal
Day 4: transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Launch Cruise and Game Viewing,
Day 5: Game Viewing, Launch Cruise
Day 6: Game Viewing along the Kasenyi Track; transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Day 7: Gorilla trek, Community Walk
Day 8: Game Viewing in Lake Mburo National Park
Day 9: Travel back to Kampala
Detailed Safari Itinerary:
Day 1: Transfer to Murchison Falls –Rhino tracking
Approximate Travel Time is 6 Hours
After an early breakfast our guide from baboon safaris will pick you up brief you about the safari and begin on the journey to Murchison Park. You will drive through the historical Luwero triangle before arriving at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary found close to Masindi where you will get an opportunity to track the black and white rhinos a species which was almost wiped out in Uganda due to the civil wars that took place in the early 1980s. You will have lunch before reaching the park. You will head to the top of the falls and watch the large volumes of water of the river Nile force its way through a narrow gorge and thunderously drop several meters below. It’s a breathtaking view. You will head to you accommodation for dinner and the night’s rest.
Accommodation options include:
Luxury: Chobe Safari Lodge, or Paraa Safari Lodge,
Mid-range: Bwana Tembo Lodge
Basic: Red Chilli Tented Camp
Day 2: Game Viewing Safari and Launch Cruise
You will have breakfast before going on an early morning game drive in the northern part of this park where you will see various animals such as Lions, Elephants, Leopards, Hartebeests, Bushbucks Buffaloes as well as Giraffes, in addition to a large number of bird species.
After lunch, have a thrilling two hours launch cruise on river Nile to the bottom of the breathtaking Murchison Falls. You will see a range of animals in the river’s shallows and on the banks including: giant Nile crocodiles, hippos, lone buffaloes, some elephants and a distant antelopes not to forget several water birds. Later return to your accommodation for dinner and the night’s rest
Accommodation options include:
Luxury: Chobe Safari Lodge, or Paraa Safari Lodge,
Mid-range: Bwana Tembo Lodge
Basic: Red Chilli Tented Camp
Day 3: Travel to Fort Portal
Approximate Travel time: 8 hours
Today you will have an early breakfast, before driving to Southwestern Uganda. along the way you see the beautiful countryside including the breathtaking Mountain Rwenzori Ranges; have an en route lunch. Later in the evening you will arrive in fort Portal town where you will dine and spend the night
Accommodation options include:
Luxury: Kyaninga Lodge,
Basic: Mountains of the Moon Hotel
Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Launch Cruise and Game Viewing,
Travel time approximately 3 hours
You will have breakfast before you transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park where you will have a game drive in the afternoon during which you will see several animals including Giant Forest Hogs, Bush bucks, Defassa, Cape Buffaloes, Lions, Elephants, Topis, Leopards, Waterbucks and Uganda Kobs among others. You will dine and spend the night at
Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge
Mid-range: Katara Lodge, or Kyambura Game Lodge
Basic: Enganzi Lodge
Day 5: Game Viewing, Launch Cruise
Today you will enjoy the highlight launch cruise. Right after a very early breakfast, you will go for a game drive to see some of the early risers within the park. Some of the animals you will see include Giant Forest Hogs, Bush bucks, Defassa, Cape Buffaloes, Lions, Elephants, Topis, Leopards, Waterbucks and Uganda Kobs among others.
After lunch, you will set out on a 2 hours launch-cruise on the Kazinga Channel during which you will see the largest school of hippos in Uganda, crocodiles, some other animals plus a large number of birds as the park has a bird list of more than 550 birds. Don’t leave your camera behind as you go for this exciting activity. In the evening you will return to your accommodation..
Accommodation Options include:
Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge
Mid-range: Katara Lodge, or Kyambura Game Lodge
Basic: Enganzi Lodge
Day 6: Game Viewing along the Kasenyi Track
Today you will have breakfast early in the morning before going on for an early game drive along the renowned Kasenyi track and the Queens mile where you see several animals including: Elephants, mangoose, waterbucks, Warthogs, Lions, hyenas, leopards, Cape buffaloes, Uganda kobs and Topi, in addition to several bird species.
After wards you will transfer to Bwindi National Park the home of mountain gorillas where you will dine and spend the night.
Luxury: Mahogany Lodge, or Buhoma Lodge
Mid-range: Lake Kitandara Camp, or Engagi Lodge or Gorilla Safari Lodge, or Silverback Lodge
Budget: Travellers Rest Hotel or Buhoma Community Campground, or Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp
Basic: Buhoma Community Bandas, Wagtail Eco Lodge
Day 7: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Forest
You will have a very early breakfast, before going for the early morning briefing by the park warden who will brief you on the dos and the don’ts while on this activity. You will set out deep in the forest led by guides and rangers as you search through the thick vegetation for gorillas. You will traverse through the forested muddy slopes until you eventually meet the gorillas. The trek may take anything between 2 and 6 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas. On finding them you will be allowed one hour in their presence for purposes of their conservation. You will observe them go about their day to day routine and even take photos and capture videos. It’s a very exciting moment coming face to face with these gorillas. You will be amazed by the huge size of the silverback which is the dominant male – the can grow to a weight of 230 kilograms and reach a height of over 1.8 meters.
While in the forest you will encounter different other wildlife including birds, butterflies, moths, various reptiles, chimpanzees, baboons, L’Hoest’s, black & white colobus, blue monkeys and the red tailed monkeys in addition to several small mammals.
At the end of the trek, you will return to your accommodation where you will have your dinner and spend the night.
Options include:
Luxury: Mahogany Lodge, or Buhoma Lodge
Mid-range: Lake Kitandara Camp, or Engagi Lodge or Gorilla Safari Lodge, or Silverback Lodge
Budget: Travellers Rest Hotel or Buhoma Community Campground, or Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp
Day 8: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park and Game Viewing
Approximate Travel Time: 6 hours
This morning immediately after breakfast, you will drive to Lake Mburo National Park. On arrival, you will have an afternoon game drive following the tracks close to the lake during which you will see the largest number of zebras in the country, topi, cape buffaloes and elands. There will be an optional boat ride on the lake. Birders will also have a chance to see various bird species on the optional birding trips. This park has more than 250 different bird species including the Carruther’s Cisticolas, Papyrus Gonoleks, White winged Warbler, Bare-Faced Go-away bird as well as the Brown-faced Lapwings.
Dine and spend the night at your accommodation.
Accommodation options include:
Luxury: Mihingo Lodge
Mid-range: Arcadia Cottages
Basic: Lake View Resort Hotel
Day 9: Drive back to Kampala
Today you will have some final game viewing in the park, have lunch and then start on the drive back to Kampala. You may make stopovers at the equator and the Mpambire drum makers. Eventually you will arrive in Kampala and depending on your flight you will be transferred to the airport. This will be the end of this exciting Safari.