Uganda Wildlife & Bird Watching Safari

Day 1: Kampala — Murchison Falls National Park:

After breakfast, your dedicated driver/guide will pick you from your hotel and drive northwest toward Murchison Falls NP. Along this beautiful journey you get to enjoy the display of countryside green, through homesteads and different vegetation types along the way to the Murchison Falls National Park. You will enjoy an en-route lunch in Masindi town and then after proceed to the park where you will see animals like monkeys, baboons alongside different bird species if you are keen.

Upon arrival to the park, you will visit the top of the falls to enjoy the spectacular views of waterfalls of the Nile River compressing from 50 meters to squeeze through a 7 meters canyon. Look out for different birds species as you birding safari is already underway. Check into the hotel for a calm evening, dinner and an overnight.

Accommodation:

• Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge/ Baker’s Lodge
• Mid-range: Pakuba Safari Lodge/ Sambiya River Lodge
• Budget: Red Chilli Camp/ Global Village Guest House.

Day 2: Bird Watching in Murchison Falls NP

After breakfast with your packed lunch, you will head out early morning for a Birding Watching. With your birding guide’s help, look out for some birds like Blue-breasted Kingfisher, African Crowned Eagle, Hugli’s Francolin, White-thighed Hornbill, Dwarf Kingfisher, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, a Selection of Tinkerbirds and Barbets, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Greenbuls, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Fire-crested Alethe, Red-tailed Anthrush, Rufus-crowned Eremomela, Whistling Cisticola, Black-throated Apalis, Black-capped Apalis, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Forest Flycatcher, Grey-throated Flycatcher, Ituri Batis, Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher, Western Black-headed Oriole, Purple-headed Starling, Brown Twinspot among others.

Return to the hotel after your Bird Watching excursion for a relaxed evening at the swimming pool and a warm dinner and retire to bed an reflect on the day’s adventure.

Accommodation:

• Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge/ Baker’s Lodge
• Mid-range: Pakuba Safari Lodge/ Sambiya River Lodge
• Budget: Red Chilli Camp/ Global Village Guest House.

Day 3: Wildlife Viewing in Murchison — Semuliki N. Park

After an early breakfast, you will head out for an early morning game drive around the Nile Delta which will enable you to see some of the large mammals like the lion, leopard, Elephants, Hippopotamus, Rothschild’s giraffe drive you might see, cape buffalo, Hartbeest, Oribis, Warthogs and Uganda Kobs to mention but a few.

While on the game drive you will be able to see different bird species like Dwarf Kingfisher, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, a Selection of Tinkerbirds and Barbets, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Yellow-crested Woodpecker.

Leave Murchison Falls National Park and drive to Semliki National park where you will also enjoy the amazing scenery homesteads and serene vegetation types along the way as well as a sighting of monkeys, baboons among other animals. Have a lunch en-route in Hoima at Kolprings hotel and continue on your drive to the park and while on your way you will catch different sightings of various bird species with the help of your birding guide.

Accommodation:

• Luxury: Semliki Safari Lodge/ Ntoroko Game Lodge
• Budget: Kirumia Guest House

Day 4: Birding in Semuliki National Park

After breakfast with a packed lunch, you will head for your Bird Watching expedition through the 13 km kirumia trail which runs through the heart of the forest to semliki River. On this trail you will enjoy sightings of the forest and river birds such as the shoebill stork, max well’s a black weaver, the crested malimbe, the Red-billed malimbe, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, Blue-billed malimbe, the lemon-billed crombec, the orange-cheeked waxbill and many more to tick off your bucket list of birds. While on your birding safari, you may be lucky to see different animals and rare plant species in the forest

After a full day’s birding expedition, you will return to the hotel for a relaxed evening, dinner and an early night.

Accommodation:

• Luxury: Semliki Safari Lodge/ Ntoroko Game Lodge
• Budget: Kirumia Guest House

Day 5: Game Drive, Birding & Swamp Walk in Semuliki

After breakfast go for an early morning game drive through the savannah grassland of Toro Semliki Wildlife Reserve.  You will be able to see mammals like the pygmy antelope, elephants, lots of Buffaloes, warthogs, and if lucky you might see the leopard other animals. While on the game drive, You might see Birds like the piping Hornbills, the Black Dwarf Hornbill, the Great blue and Ross’s Turacos, the Yellow-throated Nicator, the white-throated blue swallow, the leaf- love to mention but a few.

Return to the lodge for lunch and relax a bit before heading out in the evening for a swamp walk through sempaya and Ntandi to spot the swamp birds like the – breasted Hornbill, Red-billed Dwarf, Piping Hornbill, Yellow-throated Nicator, Great blue and Ross’s Turaco among other birds. Return to the lodge for a dinner, a relaxed evening and an early night

Accommodation:

• Luxury: Semliki Safari Lodge/ Ntoroko Game Lodge
• Budget: Kirumia Guest House

Day 6: Semuliki — Queen Elizabeth N.Park — Game Drive

After an early breakfast, drive out of Semliki National park to Queen Elizabeth National Park as you enjoy the last of Bird Watching safari in Semliki National Park. You will stopover in Fort Portal town for an enroute lunch and then proceed to Queen Elizabeth National park. Upon arrival in the park, you will conduct an evening game drive through the northern sector- Ishasha to watch out for wild game and here you might enjoy sightings of the famous tree climbing lions.

After the evening game drive, you will check into your hotel for a relaxed evening, a swim and a heart warming dinner.

Accommodation:

• Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge/ Ishasha Wilderness Camp
• Midrange: Kasenyi Safari Lodge/ Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge
• Budget: Kasenyi wild game lodge/ Simba Safari Camp

DAY 7: Birding in Kikorongo and Kasenyi Birding Areas

After breakfast, you will drive towards Lake Kikorongo and kasenyi tracks for your day’s Bird Watching expedition where you will sight bird species like common squacco Heron, Glossy and sacred ibises. The kasenyi track has much more to offer birders as it passes through glass plains which support a large number of Storks of birds in season including a brown-necked eagle, and martial eagle.

Return for lunch at the lodge and in the afternoon head out for another Birding Watching expo on the boat cruise on the Kazinga channel to watch out for water birds, both residents and non-resident bird species like the African morning dove and Eurasian Honey Bizzard respectively surrounding animal species like the hippos and Buffalos. After the launch cruise, you will return to the lodge and reflect on your birding safari that is soon coming to an end.

Accommodation:

• Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge/ Ishasha Wilderness Camp
• Midrange: Kasenyi Safari Lodge/ Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge
• Budget: Kasenyi wild game lodge/ Simba Safari Camp

DAY 8: Queen Elizabeth N. Park — Kampala — Return

After breakfast, you will drive through the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park as you enjoy sightings of different animals and birds. Expect to see the green vegetation and tea plantations along the way. You will stopover in Mbarara town for an enroute lunch at Agip Motel and proceed to the Equator to buy your souvenirs.

You driver guide will drive you to Kampala/ Entebbe to your hotel or for your outbound flight back home.

End of Safari