35 Days Birding Uganda Safari

The luxury/ mid-range birding trip takes you all around to Uganda’s 10 national parks and other Important Birding Areas (IBAs) like Mabamba wetland, Lake Opeta, Budongo forest, Echuya Forest and Entebbe Botanical gardens.

Safari Highlights
All birding Safaris including game drives and boat cruise,

Equipment to bring
Pair of Binoculars, Telescope, Camera, 300+ mm lens, Tripod/Monopod, water proof protection for your equipment, spare batteries and a charger.

Snap Uganda gives one set of complimentary photographic accessories that include a trip/monopod, gimbal, cotton carrier and beanbag for each trip.

Overview
Despite being a land locked country, Uganda hosts about 50% of Africa’s bird species and about 11% of the global bird population with about 1080 bird species recorded. This earns the country a reputation as a “Birders paradise”.

The 35 days birding and photography tour explores the Albertine rift and the lower elevation of the Kigezi Highlands to the famous Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Africa semi-arid and Savanna lands. The tour will give you a chance to see the specials from the Albertine Rift (Albertine Rift Endemics) and some species from northern parts of the country like the Karamoja Apalis.

Other special birds you might see are the most thought after Shoebill, African Fin foot, Green Wood hoopoe among others. The selected areas are rich, not only in birdlife but also other Flora and Fauna like big cats, buffaloes, hippos and crocs among others.

Safari Summary
Day 1 Arrival and Pick up
Day 2 Birding in Mabira
Day 3 Transfer to Soroti
Day 4 Birding around L. Opeta and Bisina
Day 5 Transfer to Pian Upe
Day 6 Whole day birding in Pian Upe
Day 7 Transfer to Amudat
Day 8 and Day 9 Birding in Amudat
Day 10 Transfer to Kidepo Valley National park
Day 11 and 12 Birding in Kidepo Valley national park
Day 13 Transfer to Murchison falls national park
Day 14 Birding in Murchison Falls National park (Morning game drive and afternoon Boat cruise to the bottom of the falls
Day 15 Boat Cruise to the Nile Delta and evening boat cruise
Day 16 Birding in Budongo (Royal Mile)
Day 17 Birding in Budongo Forest
Day 18 Transfer to Kibale National park
Day 19 Birding in Kibale and optional chimpanzee tracking
Day 20 Birding in Kibale forest and Bigodi Wetland
Day 21 Transfer to Semliki National Park
Day 22 Birding in Semliki National park
Day 23 Birding in Semliki and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 24 Birding in Queen Elizabeth National park (Morning game drive and boat cruise on Kazinga Channel)
Day 25 Birding in Maramagambo Forest
Day 26 Birding Kyambura gorge and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
Day 27 Birding in and around Bwindi (Buhoma main trail)
Day 28 Birding in Ruhija and optional Gorilla tracking
Day 29 Birding and transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla national park
Day 30 Whole day birding in Mgahinga
Day 31 Transfer to Lake Mburo National park
Day 32 Whole day birding in Lake Mburo National park
Day 33 Lake Mburo and Transfer to Kampala
Day 34 Birding at Mabamba wetland
Day 35 Botanical gardens and Departure

Detailed Programme

Day 1 Arrival and Pick up
You arrive at Entebbe International Airport and a representative from Snap Uganda Tours will meet you and drive you to Sheraton Kampala Hotel (luxury) {1hr} or to Kaazi Beach Resort (mid-range). Please feel free to ask questions about Uganda along the way.

Meal Plan. D, B
Dinner and overnight at Sheraton Kampala Hotel- Luxury
Dinner and overnight at Kaazi Beach Resort – Mid-range

Day 2 Birding in Mabira Forest
Mabira Forest is Uganda’s only urban jungle. The forest is located between two major urban centers, on the main Kampala-Jinja highway about 54 km, an hour’s drive from Kampala and 20 km from Jinja. The forest centre is on the edge of Najjembe Trading Centre, whose roadside market is famous for roast chicken and gonja (plantain).

The forest is home to 312 tree and 218 butterfly species. Some of the tropical tree species reach up to 60 feet in height. Some have protruding buttressed roots along with an abundance of lianas and vines. Some are estimated to be 80 to 100 years old. Some of the important tree species in Mabira are: Diphasia angolensis which is not known to occur elsewhere in Uganda. Other species of international conservation concern are: Cordia Millenii, Militia Excelsa, Irvingia gabonensis, Entandrophragma angolense, and Lovoa swynnertonii, Warbhugia Ugandenesis ( known to cure over forty ailments) and the vulnerable Prunus.

For birders the forest boasts of a 315 bird record with 74 of the 144 species of Guinea-Congo Forests biome that occurs in Uganda. The hottest item in the birding menu is the Nahan’s Francolin which is on the IUCN Red list of endangered species.

Other birds in the forest are: Cassin’s Hawk-eagle, White-spotted Flufftail, Afep Pigeon, Grey Parrot, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Black-shouldered Nightjar, Sabine’s Spinetail, Cassin’s Spinetail, Blue-throated Roller, African Dwarf-kingfisher, White-bellied Kingfisher, Forest Woodhoopoe, African Pied Hornbill, Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill, Speckled Tinkerbird, Yellow-throated Tinkerbird, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Green-breasted Pitta, African Shrike-flycatcher, Jameson’s and Chestnut Wattle-eyes, the Forest Robin, Fire-crested Alethe, Red-capped Robin-Chat, the Speckle-breasted, Yellow-crested, Brown-eared, Grey and the Buff-spotted Woodpeckers, Cassin’s Honeyguide, Red-tailed Bristle bill, Little Greenbul, Honeyguide Greenbul, Sooty Boubou, Grey-green Bush-shrike, just to mention but a few.

Meal plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Rainforest Lodge -Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at- Mid-range

Day 3 Transfer to Soroti
Wake up in the morning at 6am have breakfast and check out. This day we will drive from Mabira and transfer while birding along the way to Soroti where we will have an overnight and Dinner before the morning search for the Specials that Lake Opeta will offers.

Meal plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at -Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at- Mid-range

Day 4 Birding around L. Opeta and Bisina
After the morning breakfast, drive to Lake Opeta for the hunt of the area’s specials. Lake Opeta is a lake with an extensive wetland system in Uganda. The wetland lies south of the Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve and serves as a dry-season refuge for both wildlife from the park and domestic cattle of the surrounding Karamajong and Pokot people.

Lake Opeta is one of Uganda’s 33 Important Bird Areas ( IBAs) and since 2006 a Ramsar-listed wetland of international importance. The trigger species in the area include the Shoebill, Fox’s Weaver which is a country endemic, Papyrus Gonolek, Black-lored Babbler and Red Chested Sunbird among others.

Meal plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at -Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at- Mid-range

Day 5 Transfer to Pian Upe
After the morning breakfast, drive to Pian Upe game reserve. Pian Upe Wildlife reserve is located in the northeastern semi-arid part of Uganda, spanning a land area of 2043 sqkm. It is undisputedly the largest wildlife reserve in the country and the second largest protected area in Uganda after Murchison Falls national park and also one of the most picturesque points in the country. This game reserve comprises of untouched grassland and wooded grassland. There is also a section of riverine woodland, kopjes and others.

Meal plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at UWA Bandas- Mid-range

Day 6 Whole day birding in Pian Upe
In the morning after breakfast embark on a game drive in the reserve in the search of the northern Somali-Masai species that the area offers. Pian Upe’s ecosystems attract unique bird species that make it an endeared birding hotspot. Birds in the area include: the Karamoja Apalis, which is endemic to northeastern Uganda. Ostriches (both wild and domesticated), Green Bitta, Abyssinian ground Hornbills, Superb Sterlings, and the Secretary birds. The Shoebill can be sighted on the park’s stretch of land. The reserve’s boundary is broken by the extension of Lake Opeta, one in two places in Uganda and the entire world where the Fox’s Weaver bird can be sighted.

Meal plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at – Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at UWA Bandas- Mid-range

Day 7 Transfer to Amudat
In the morning, have early breakfast and transfer to Amudat for the Somali- Masai biomes birds that are endemic to the region. Amudat has a variety of endemic bird species from the Somali-Masai and Sudan–Guinea Savanna biomes that are easy to see and photograph. Birding is done in the community lands. Accommodation facilities in Amudat are basic with a few hotels with self-contained rooms.

Amudat District is in Karamoja region. It is bordered by Moroto District to the north, the Republic of Kenya to the east, Bukwa District and Kween District to the south and Nakapiripirit District to the west. Amudat lies approximately 38 kilometres (24 mi), by road off Moroto Road, northeast of Nakapiripirit, the nearest large town and about 400 kilometres (250 mi), by road, northeast of Kampala, Uganda’s capital.

Meal plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at -Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at- Mid-range

Day 8 and Day 9 Birding in Amudat
Amudat has a variety of semi-arid birds only found in Karamoja region. The Pokot tribe who live in the area have a tradition of not cutting trees. As a result, the area is forested with a variety of easy to see and photograph birds. The list of the birds in the area is still its infancy but you will not be disappointed. Key among the special birds in Amudat include, Purple Grenadier, Black-cheeked Waxbill, Red- billed Hornbill, Karamoja Apalis, Straw-tailed Whydah, Eastern Paradise – Whydah, Grey-headed Silver bill, Red-pate Cisticola, Dark Chanting Goshawk, Beautiful sunbird among others

Meal plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at -Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at- Mid-range

Day 10 Transfer to Kidepo Valley National park
After an early breakfast, you do a game drive through the reserve as you continue to Kidepo Valley national park. Kidepo Valley National Park lies in the rugged, semi-arid valleys between Uganda’s borders with Sudan and Kenya. Gazetted as a national park in 1962, it has a profusion of big game and hosts over 77 mammal species as well as around 480 bird species. In the morning after breakfast you will transfer to Kidepo Valley national Park. Then drive to the 480 species search adventure in the only IBA located entirely within the Somali– Masai biological region. The park has the second-highest bird record of the protected areas in the country, after Queen Elizabeth National Park and supports some of the rarest species in Uganda, such as Black-breasted Barbet and Karamoja Apalis.

Meal plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Apoka Safari Lodge-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Kidepo Savanna Lodge- Mid-range

Day 11 – Birding in Kidepo Valley national park
Wake up early have breakfast, go with packed lunch and drive in Kidepo Valley for the park’s special species and other wildlife will be encountered on the drive. Today we bird at the Park’s tourism hub (Apoka) and Kidepo River that enters an expansive plain lined to the east of Morungole Mountain. The search will be on for two days and this will help to at least exhaust half or even more of the parks bird population.

During the search expect to see the African Swallow-tailed Kite, Eastern Pale Chanting Goshawk, Pygmy Falcon, Fox Kestrel, Stone Partridge, Clapperton’s and Heuglin’s Francolins, Yellow-necked Spurfowl, Kori, White-bellied and Hartlaub’s Bustards, Violet-tipped Courser, Black-headed Plover, Four-banded Sand Grouse, Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Rose-ringed Parakeet, White-crested Turaco, White-bellied Go-away-bird, White-faced Scops Owl.

Meal plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Apoka Safari Lodge-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Kidepo Savanna Lodge- Mid-range

Day 12 Morning Game drive to Narus valley and evening game drive
Wake up early have breakfast or go with packed breakfast and do a morning game drive. Kidepo Valley has a very impressive list of birds with about 60 of the species in the park not recorded in any other Ugandan national park or Important Birding Area (IBA). Today we will do birding in the Narus and Namamukweny Valleys. Among the birds seen are the Abyssinian Roller, Purple Heron, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill and Clapperton’s Francolin, which is found only in Kidepo.

Meal plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Apoka Safari Lodge-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Kidepo Savanna Lodge- Mid-range

Day 13 Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
After breakfast we transfer as you bird in Murchison Falls National Park via, Kitgum and Gulu. Murchison Falls along the River Nile is the main attraction of the park from which it is named. The park lies at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley, where the sweeping Bunyoro escarpment tumbles into vast, palm-dotted savanna. The park hosts 76 mammal and 451 bird species respectively and is the largest conservation area in the country. We will drive looking out for birds like African open billed Stork, Grey Kestrel, African Green Pigeon, Great Blue Turaco, Ross’s Turaco, Red-headed Lovebird, Swifts, Sunbirds, Weavers, Finches among others. Arrive in Murchison falls check in at the lodge for an overnight and dinner.

Meal plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Paraa Safari Lodge -Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Murchison River Lodge- Mid-range

Day 14 Morning game drive and boat cruise to bottom of the falls
Wake up at 6:00 am have a quick cup of team and move with packed breakfast. The morning birding drive will take you to the northern bank of the park. The park is divided into two by the Victoria Nile. During the game drives, expect a variety of savanna species while on the game drive which include House Martin, African Rock Martin, Lesser Striped Swallow, Ethiopian Swallow, Angola Swallow, Red-rumped Swallow, Rufous-chested Swallow, Nightingale, Rock Thrush, Pied Wheatear, Whinchat, Common Redstart, White-fronted Black Chat, Sooty Chat, Isabelline Wheatear, Common Bulbul, Cameroon Sombre Greenbul, Yellow-throated Greenbul, the Black, White-breasted, and Red-shouldered Cuckoo Shrikes, the Black and Penduline Tits, the Arrow-marked, Black-lored and Brown Babblers, Nubian Woodpecker, Cardinal Woodpecker, Brown-backed Woodpecker, Lesser Honeyguide, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Black Scimitar bill, Green Wood Hoopoe, a number of Buzzards, Barbets, Rollers, Harriers, Vultures, Bee eaters and Eagles.

After lunch, we will do a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls along River Nile. A boat cruise to the bottom of Murchison Falls is another rewarding experience to view wildlife and birds. Hippos, waterbucks, crocodiles, buffaloes and elephants can be seen along the banks of the Nile. Birds usually seen during the cruise include: Cormorants, African fish Eagles, Spur-winged goose, African darter, Giant Kingfisher, Red-throated Bee-eater, Water thick knee among the many. At night, we will do a night drive in search of birds that are active at night like Night Jars etc

Meal plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Paraa Safari Lodge -Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Murchison River Lodge- Mid-range

Day 15 Morning boat cruise to the delta and evening game drive.
Wake up at 6:00 am have a quick cup of tea and move with packed lunch. and move by boat to the delta. The boat ride is about 22 km along a placid river whose banks are rich with a variety of water birds. The delta is rich with birds like Grey crowned Crane and the famous Shoebill. In the evening we will do game drive and later a night hunt.

Meal plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Paraa Safari Lodge -Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Murchison River Lodge- Mid-range

Day 16 Birding in Budongo (Royal Mile)
After breakfast, we travel to Budongo in search of Forest birds. Budongo Forest Reserve is one of the most important birding areas in Uganda. It lies on the escarpment North-East of Lake Albert. It consists of a medium-altitude moist semi-deciduous forest (covering 42,800ha), with areas of Savanna and Woodland.

The forest has a prolific bird life of about 360 species with two species not found anywhere else in Uganda. Expect species like Sabine’s Spinetail, Cassin’s Spinetail (rare), Pygmy Crakes, Kingfishers( Chocolate-backed, Blue-breasted, Dwarf), White-spotted Flufftail, Ituri Batis, Puvell’s Illadopsis, Brown Twinspot, Cameroon Sombre Greenbul, Cassin’s Hawk-eagle, Crowned Eagle, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Forest Robin, Little Green Sunbird, Grey-headed Sunbird, Olive Green Carmaroptera, Blue-throated Roller, African Pied , Piping, Black and White Casqued Hornbills, Speckled Tinkerbird, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Cassin’s Honeyguide, African Shrike Flycatcher, Jameson’s Wattle-eye, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Yellow-browed Carmaroptera and many others.

Meal Plan (B, L, D).
Dinner and Overnight stay at Budongo Eco Lodge.
Dinner and Overnight stay at – Mid-range

Day 17 Birding in Budongo Forest
Wake up in the morning at 6am and do birding in the forest and forest edge. Budongo forest is of great interest to birders so we shall have another day of birding in the second most Important Birding Area (IBA) in Uganda (after Semliki National Park) for species of the Guinea-Congo forest region. Two species of birds found in Budongo forest are found nowhere else in East Africa: Yellow-footed flycatcher and Puvel’s Illadopsis

Meal Plan (B, L, D).
Dinner and Overnight stay at Budongo Eco Lodge.
Dinner and Overnight stay at – Mid-range

Day 18 Transfer to Kibale National park
Early breakfast then you check out and drive to Kyaninga Lodge in Fort Portal via Masindi with a lunch stop in Hoima. {5hrs} At Kyaninga Lodge, check in (Luxury) or proceed to Primates Lodge in Kibale Forest (Mid-range) Kibale National Park has one of the most stunning and varied tracts of tropical forest in Uganda interspersed with patches of grassland and swamp that dominates the northern and central parts of the park.

The Park is famous for Chimpanzee tracking. With 13 primates species, Kibale National Park in western Uganda, measuring 795 km2 is known is the Primates Capital of the world. The park hosts about 1500 chimpanzees out of the 5000 recorded in the country and has 375 and 250 bird and butterfly species respectively in addition to 70 mammal species.

Along the way, you might see these birds: Yellow-rumped and Yellow-fronted Tinkerbird, Foxy Cisticola, Black Bishop, the Northern and Black-winged Red Bishops, Cinnamon-breasted Rock Bunting, Tropical Boubou, the Grey-crowned and Black-crowned Tchagra, Striped Kingfisher, White-headed Barbet, and many more.

Meal Plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Kyaninga Lodge -Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Primate Lodge- Mid-range

Day 19 – Birding in Kibale Forest and Optional Chimpanzee tracking
Wake up early, have breakfast and drive for one hour from Kyaninga to Kibale Forest National Park visitors’ center at Kanyanchu. If you stay at Primates Lodge, it’s just a stone throw away. The start your first day of the trilling two day birding experience in Kibale Forest and Bigodi wetland.

The birds in the forest include: Green-breasted Pitta and more forest species like the Brown Illadopsis, Brown Illadopsis, Brown-capped Weaver, Brown-chested Alethe, Black-headed Oriole, African Emerald Cuckoo, African Green-pigeon, Black-crowned Tchagra, African Wood Owl, African/Rwenzori/Abyssinian Hill-Babbler, Alpine Swift, Ashy Flycatcher, Barn Swallow, Black Bee-eater, Black Cuckoo, Black Cuckoo-shrike, Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill, Black-and-white Manikin, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, Black-billed Turaco, Black-billed Weaver, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, African Dusky Flycatcher, Black-headed Weaver, Black-necked Weaver, African Citril (Western Citril),Black-throated Apalis, Blue-shouldered Robin-chat, Blue-throated Brown Sunbird, Blue-throated Roller, African Blue Flycatcher, Bocage’ Bush-shrike, Bronze Manikins among others

Meal Plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Kyaninga Lodge-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Primate lodge- Mid-range

Day 20 – Birding in Kibale forest and Bigodi Wetland
Wake up early, have breakfast and drive from the lodge to Bigodi wetland. Located just 6 kilometers from the Kanyanchu information center, Bigodi wetland sanctuary is a fascinating area sheltering over 200 bird species and various primates and mammals all which make a visit there surely interesting. The wetland is a community-based project managed by the Kibale Association for Rural and Environmental Development (KAFRED). The great Blue Turaco also known as a loyal lover is one of the unique birds with an intriguing story. The bird is believed to remain single for life after the loss of a loved one. The other birds residing in the wetland include Purple breasted Sunbird, African Pitta, Abyssinian ground Thrush, Collared Apalis, Black capped Apalis, Crowned eagle, Green breasted Pitta, Kingfishers, Weavers, Cuckoos, Hornbills, Papyrus Gonolek, Flycatchers, Black Bee eater, Little Greenbul, Brown chested Alethe, Blue breasted Kingfisher, Yellow rumpled tinker bird, Dusky crimson wing, Black bishop, Western Nicator, Spotted barbet, Brown throated Wattle eye, White-spotted fluff tail, Weaver birds and Purple breasted Sunbird.

Meal Plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Kyaninga Lodge-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Primate lodge- Mid-range

Day 21 Transfer to Semliki National Park
Wake up early, have breakfast and drive for Semliki National Park which sprawls across the floor of the Semliki Valley on the remote, western side of the Rwenzori. The park is dominated by the easternmost extension of the great Ituri Forest of the Congo Basin and is one of Africa’s most ancient and bio-diverse forests that survived the last ice age, 12-18,000 years ago. Wake up early in the morning have breakfast and check out of the lodge as we embark on the journey to “the birders haven” . From Kibale we go birding on the way for the species we may have missed as we proceed to Semliki national park.

Meal Plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Semliki Safari Lodge-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Ntoroko Game Lodge- Mid-range

Day 22 Birding in Semliki National Park
In the morning we pack our breakfast and lunch and take on the Kirumia trail for our whole day birding experience. Semuliki National Park is known for its endemic bird species, unmatched butterfly life and hot springs. It has 441 recorded bird species, representing 40% of Uganda’s total bird species and 66% (216) of the country’s forest bird species. Birders who make it to Semuliki are always rewarded with some of Africa’s best forest birding experience. Sempaya and Ntandi areas provide excellent viewing of the birds. The area around Kirumia River is another top birding spot. The shoebill stork is regularly seen at close quarters on Lake Albert and forest walks are good for tracking water birds.

The bird checklist includes: Spot-breasted Ibis, Hartlaubs’s Duck, Chestnut-flanked Goshawk, Red-thighed Sparrow hawk, Long-tailed Hawk, Forest Francolin, Nkulengu Rail, Western Bronze-napped Pigeon, Black-collared Lovebird, Yellow-throated Cuckoo, Red-chested Owlet, Bates’ Nightjar, Chocolate-backed, White-bellied and African Dwarf Kingfishers, White-crested, Black Dwarf, Red-billed Dwarf, Piping and Black-wattled Hornbills, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, Spotted, Lyre-tailed and Zenker’s Honeyguides, African Piculet, Gabon Woodpecker, Red-sided Broadbill, White-throated Blue Swallow, Green-tailed Bristlebill, Sassi’s Olive, Xavier’s, Swamp, Simple and Eastern Bearded Greenbuls, Yellow-throated Nicator, Capuchin Babbler, Northern Bearded Scrub Robin, Forest and Grey Ground Thrushes, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Brown-crowned Eremomela, Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher, Ituri Batis, Red-billed Helmet -Shrike, Red-eyed Puff-back, Black-winged Starling, Maxwell’s Black Weaver, Blue-billed, Crested and Red-bellied Malimbes, Pale-fronted and Chestnut-breasted Negro finches, Grant’s Bluebill.

Meal Plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Semliki safari Lodge-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Ntoroko Game lodge- Mid-range

Day 23 Birding in Semliki and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
In the morning, have early breakfast bird in Semliki in the morning as we look for the species that we may have not seen the previous day and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National park. Queen Elizabeth in western Uganda is the country’s flagship national park gifted with diverse ecosystems. These include savanna, forests and sparkling lakes. The park is home to a variety of game, primate species including chimpanzees and over 600 species of birds.

Meal Plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Mweya Safari Lodge-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Enganzi Game Lodge- Mid-range

Day 24 Birding game drive and boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National park
Wake up early in the morning at 6am have a quick cup of tea and pack breakfast and go on birding game drive up to lunch time. With over 600 bird species, the park has the biggest number of birds of any protected area in East Africa.

In the the afternoon, go for a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel.
Kazinga Channel is a haven for water birds that are easily seen during a boat cruise. Some of them are: Great and Long-tailed Cormorants, Common Squaco Heron, White-faced Whistling and Knob-billed Ducks, African Fish Eagle, Great-white and Pink-backed Pelicans, African open-billed Stork, Water Thick-knee, Malachite and Pied kingfishers, Swamp flycatchers and Yellow backed Weavers, Black Crake, African Jacana, Spur-winged and African Wattled Plovers.

Hundreds of African Skimmers may be seen roosting on sandbars near the entry to Lake Edward but are migrants from southern tropics and typically present only from December to May. Other birds to watch out for in the park are: Grey-headed Kingfisher, African Mourning Dove, Red-chested sunbird, Swamp Fly-catcher, Grey-capped Warbler, Slender-billed, Yellow-backed and Lesser Masked Weavers, Pin-tailed Whydah, Brimstone Canary, Gabon and Slender-tailed Nightjars.

Meal Plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Mweya Safari Lodge-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Enganzi Game Lodge- Mid-range

Day 25 Birding in Maramagambo Forest.
Wake up early in the morning at 6am have a quick cup of tea pack breakfast and go on birding expedition to Maramagambo Forest and have lunch at Jacana Safari Lodge. After lunch you continue the birding exercise and go back to the hotel in the evening. Maramagambo forest covers a part of queen Elizabeth National Park from the escarpment of Kichwamba and all through to Lake Edward At maramagambo forest you will have a chance to watch a variety of forest birds. The list includes a number of uncommon bird species like; the Rwenzori Turaco, the White napped Pigeons, Pygmy Kingfisher, African skimmer, Martial Eagle, Black-rumped Buttonquail, Chapin’s Flycatcher, African Broadbill, Black – Bee eater, Papyrus Gonolek, White- tailed Lark, Varreaux’s Eagle Owl, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Canary, Lesser and Greater Flamingo, Corncrake and African Finfoot among others.

Meal Plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Mweya Safari Lodge-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Enganzi Game Lodge- Mid-range

Day 26 Birding in Kyambura Wildlife Reserve and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
Wake up early in the morning at 6am have a quick cup of tea and packed breakfast and drive to Kyambura for a morning forest birding experience and after lunch transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park. Kyambura gorge in Kyambura Wildlife Reserve is one of the most popular tourist draw in the part of Queen Elizabeth National Park with habituated chimpanzees.

It is also called the valley of apes which is approximately 1km across its broadest point and about 100 meters deep. The landscape is the most impressive with a rich wildlife diversity with a tropical rain forest. Kyambura gorge is famed for its underground forest and birds like Northern Brown throated weaver, Carruther’s cisticola, White-winged swamp Flycatcher, Lesser Flamingo, Red-chested sunbird and Black-Bee eaters among others.

After lunch break we transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National park about 62km away. Bwindi is a UNESCO recognized World Heritage Site and a habitat for the endangered mountain gorillas. The park is located in South Western Uganda on the edge of the western rift valley, covering 331 square kilometers. Bwindi is known to have a rich fauna community in East Africa with over 120 mammals, 11 primates, 200 butterflies and around 350 species of birds of which 23 are Albertine Rift endemics.

Along the way we hope to add Black-headed Gonolek, Slender-billed Weaver, Little Weaver, Black-headed Weaver, Grey-headed Sparrow, Red-headed Lovebird, Spur-winged Lapwing, the Ring-necked, Red-eyed and African Mourning Doves, the Winding, Croaking and Zitting Cisticola among others.

Meal Plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Clouds Lodge-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Silverback Lodge- Mid-range

Day 27 Birding in and around Bwindi (Buhoma main trail)
In the morning wakeup at 6am have breakfast and drive to the starting point of the trails and embark on the search for the forest species in Bwindi. As we bird to Buhoma, we look out for species like the Black Bee-Eater, Dusky Tit, Brown-caped Weaver, the Yellow-billed and yellow-spotted Barbets, the African and Black-and-white Shrike Flycatchers, Common Stonechat, Brown-throated and Chestnut Wattle-eyes, Apalises, to mention but a few of the forest species.

Meal Plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Clouds Gorilla Lodge-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Silverback Lodge- Mid-range

Day 28 Birding in Ruhija and optional Gorilla tracking
Wake up early in the morning at 6am have a quick cup of tea and packed breakfast and drive to Ruhija through the park. Ruhija is the best birding spot in Uganda and Africa. Located in the eastern part of the park the sector harbors species like we bird Mubwindi Swamp we look out for the Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, White-tailed blue flycatcher, Brown-capped warbler, Black Billed weaver, Black Necked weaver, Red Headed Malimbe, Grey-headed Sparrow, Waller’s Starling, Stuhlmann’s Starling, Montane Oriole, Many Coloured Bush Shrike, Bocage’s Bush Shrike, Brown Crowned Tchagra, Pink Footed Puffback, Ludher’s Bush Shrike, Doherty`s Bush-shrike, Mountain Illadopsis, Rwenzori Nightjar.

Meal Plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Bakiga Lodge- Mid-range

Day 29 Birding and transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla national park
Today we wake up early in the morning have a cup of tea and packed breakfast and drive as we bird from Ruhija via Echuya forest along the Kabale- Kisoro road as we transfer to Mgahinga National park. Echuya Forest Reserve is a fantastic birding destination located in the southwestern part of the country near the Rwandan border. It is home to roughly 150 species of birds, eighteen of which are endemic to the reserve, including the elusive Grauer’s Swamp warbler.

The forest is ranked as Uganda’s most important forest habitat due to the rarity of it’s flora and fauna and has much potential for sustainable tourism initiatives due to the dense human population of the area and the growing interactions between these people and the forest. And we expect species like African Green Broadbill, Handsome Francolin, Strange Weaver, Shelley’s and Dusky Crimson-wings, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, White-browed Crombec, White-naped Raven, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Sharp’s Starling, Mountain masked and Rwenzori Apalises.
Meal Plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Gahinga lodge-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Lake Chahafi Resort- Mid-range

Day 30 Whole day birding in Mgahinga
Wake up early in the morning at 6am have a quick cup of tea and drive to the park for the search. Mgahinga Gorilla national park is the smallest of Uganda’s national park. The Park has a unique bird fauna with 115 bird species recorded including several species prevalent to the East Congo Montane region. For the Virunga Conservation Area as a whole, over 295 species are prevalent to the Albertine Rift Afromontane region representing 59% of the total of known endemic species include: the Rwenzori Turaco, Dwarf Honeyguide, Kivu Ground Thrush, Rwenzori Double-collared, Regal and the Purple-breasted Sunbirds, Archer`s Robin-chat, the cinnamon Bracken and Mountain Yellow Warblers, the Dusky and much Sought after Shelley’s Crimson-wing and many more.

Meal Plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Gahinga lodge-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Lake Chahafi Resort- Mid-range

Day 31 Transfer to Lake Mburo National park
Lake Mburo, is Uganda’s smallest savanna National Park. It is conveniently close to the highway that connects Kampala to the parks of western Uganda. The park is underlain by ancient Precambrian metamorphic rocks which date back more than 500 million years. We shall have Mgahinga and drive to Lake Mburo National Park. The park is home to over 350 bird species and has the biggest concentration of Zebras, impala, and eland in Uganda. Other animals are: buffalo, oribi, defassa waterbuck, leopard, hippo, hyena, topi and reedbuck.

Lake Mburo National Park with 13 other lakes forms part of a 50km-long wetland system linked by a swamp. Five of these lakes lie within the park’s borders. In the western part of the park, the savanna is interspersed with rocky ridges and forested gorges while patches of papyrus swamp and narrow bands of lush riparian woodland line many lakes.

Meal Plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Mihingo Lodge-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Rwakobo Rock – Mid-range

Day 32 Whole day birding in Lake Mburo National park
Game drive
We shall wake up 6am have a quick cup of tea and packed breakfast and go for a game drive in search of birds. The network of game tracks in the east of the park passes a variety of landscape features; acacia woodland, wetlands, grassy hillsides, rock outcrops and seasonally flooded valley floors.

Lake Mburo has about 350 bird species including White-winged warbler, Shoebill stork, Crested Francolin, Brown parrot, Red-necked Spur, Common quails, African grey hornbill, Nubian wood pecker, Trilling Cisticola, Coqui Francolin, Long-tailed Cisticola, Southern red bishop and so much more. The best birding spots in the park include the swampy valleys of Warukiri and Miriti, and the roadsides between Rwonyo camp and the jetty. There are viewing platforms at the salt lick, in Miriti Valley, and in Rubanga Forest. From the morning game drive we come back for lunch, have a rest and go for a boat cruise in the evening.

Boat cruise
The park is well-to-do with a variety of animal and plant species which can only be seen clearly if you take a boat trip. The Hippopotamuses, crocodiles and birds like Pelicans, Heron, Fish Eagle, Black Crake, African Fin foot and Cormorants can be sighted on a during a boat cruise.

Meal Plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Mihingo Lodge-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Rwakobo Rock- Mid-range

Day 33 Lake Mburo and Transfer to Kampala
Wake Up early in the morning have breakfast and check out the lodge and drive from the park to Kampala through the Ankole-Masaka corridor as we bird en route and looking out for birds.

Meal Plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Sheraton Kampala Hotel-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Kaazi Beach Resort – Mid-range

Day 34 Birding in Mabamba wetland
Wake Up in the morning at 6am have a quick cup of tea and pack breakfast and drive to Mabamba swamp. Mabamba Bay is a unique extensive marsh stretching along a narrow bay, fringed with papyrus towards the main body of Lake Victoria. It lies between Busi Island and Buwaya/Zziba village on the mainland. The marshland forms part of Buwaya Bay, South-west of Nakiwogo Bay both of which are located west of Entebbe International Airport.

The swamp is about 50 Km from Kampala on the north edge of Lake Victoria. The swamp is one of Uganda’s 33 Important Bird Areas and a Ramsar-listed wetland of international importance hosting key protected bird species. Of the 200 species in the area, the shoebill is the most popular attraction. Other birds in the area are: the Blue Swallow, Papyrus Gonolek, Malachite Kingfisher, Swamp Flycatcher, Common Moorhen, Lesser Jacana, African Jacana, African Pygmy Goose, White- faced whistling Duck, Common Squacco Heron, Blue- breasted Bee-eater, Saddle billed Stork, Grey-headed Gulls and more.

Meal Plan (B, L, D)
Dinner and Overnight stay at Sheraton Kampala Hotel-Luxury
Dinner and Overnight stay at Kaazi Beach Resort- Mid-range

Day 35 Botanical Gardens and departure.
Wake up early in the morning have breakfast and drive to Entebbe Botanical gardens for birding. This is the only national Botanical Garden in Uganda. It was established in 1901 and strategically located on the shores of Africa’s greatest Lake, Victoria, just 34 km’s from Kampala. The gardens are an attractively laid-out mix of indigenous forest, cultivation, and horticulture, and a highly attractive destination to birdwatchers.

The garden hosts a variety of water, open country and woodland bird species among which include: the Pink-backed Pelican, Yellow-billed Stork, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, Yellow White-eye, Purple-banded Sunbird, African Jacana, Lesser Jacana, Yellow-billed Duck, Glossy Ibis, African Open-billed Stork, Malachite Kingfisher, Blue-checked Bee-eater, Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Black Crake, Long-tailed Cormorant, Crowned Hornbill, Vieillot’ Black Weaver, Woodland Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, the Africa and Red-billed Firefinch, Black-and-white-Casqued Hornbill, Senegal Coucal, Little Stint, Little Weaver, Striated Heron, Ruff, Gull-billed Tern, White-winged Tern, Klaas’s and Diederik Cuckoos, Green Crombec, Tambourine Dove, Cameroon, Little and Tooro Olive Greenbuls, Water Thick-knee, Madagascar Bee-eater, Egyptian Goose, Black-headed Weaver, Slender-billed Weaver, Yellow-backed Weaver, Black-headed Gonolek, Long-tailed Sterling, Grey-Headed Sparrow, the Spur-winged Lapwing, Orange weaver and a variety of primates.

Meal Plan (B, L)
This will mark the end of the 35 days birding tour in Uganda

Tour Prices
This is a private Safari and can be booked by an individual or a group.

Cost Includes