19 Days Uganda Birding and Primate Safari

Day 1: Arrival in Uganda

Upon arriving at Entebbe International airport, you will be received and gladly welcomed by a representative from Travel Gorge Tours who will double as your driver and guide on this safari. He will transfer you to your accommodation in Entebbe where you will dine and spend the night.

Meal plan: Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options: The Boma (Luxury), Nkima Lodge (Mid-range), African Roots Guesthouse (Budget)

Day 2: Explore the Mabamba Swamp

One of the top birding sites in Kampala is Mabamba swamp. It is a wetland and is found about 50km west of Kampala. It is almost the only-and best place to see the Shoebill bird. The show bill stock can be seen both in the sky and down on the marsh. There are other unique birds in this wetland which include, the blue headed Coucal, northern brown throated weaver, the yellow backed weaver and the white-winged warbler. Other birds that can be seen in this wetland, like the white faced whistling duck, the lesser jacana, African water rail, African jacana, swamp flycatcher, African pygmy goose, the common moorhen. There are a few others but these are some that you should expect to see. After this bird viewing, you shall be taken back to the accommodation to dine and rest.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options: The Boma (Luxury), Nkima Lodge (Mid-range), African Roots Guesthouse (Budget)

Day 3: Transfer to Murchison falls National Park

Right after breakfast, Murchison falls National Park will be the next viewing site. It boasts of a vast arena of untamed African Savannah and is the largest protected area in Uganda. What makes it more intriguing is that the mighty river Nile, which is the longest river in the world, passes right through it.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options: Paraa Safari Lodge (luxury), or Red Chili, or Sambiya Lodge.

Day 4: birding on the Launch Cruise

We shall view special birds like the secretary bird, Bruce’s pigeon, Abyssinian roller and ground horn bill, red-winged warbler, pied kingfishers, red throated bee-eaters, red-winged pytillia, saddle billed stock, bar breasted fire finch, scared ibis, brown twin sport, fulvous whistling-duck, chestnut- crowned sparrow-weaver, Senegal lapwing, black headed Gonolek, water thick-black headed lapwing, western violent-backed sunbird, long toed lapwing, red shouldered cuckoo-shrine, little bitten, red throated bee-eater, osprey, grey wood pecker, red-necked falcon, white crested turaco and the blue-breasted bee-eater among many others while on a boat cruise along the Victoria Nile delta from Lake Albert. This place is also home to a large number of giant Nile crocodiles and large numbers of crocodiles.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options: Paraa Safari Lodge (luxury), or Red Chili, or Sambiya Lodge.

Day 5: Budongo Forest

Budongo Forest is the largest ornithological site in Uganda. It boasts of 366 bird species including the white headed barbet, Ituri batis, northern crombec, velvet-mantled drongo, yellow-footed flycatcher , grey headed bush shrine, chocolate-backed kingfisher, black billed barbet, lesser weaver , yellow and grey long bill, grey headed olive back, lemon-bellied crombec African crowned eagle, black bellied fire finch, African dwarf kingfisher as well as the Madagascar heron.

This forest is also home to the highest chimpanzee population in the country.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options: Paraa Safari Lodge (luxury), or Red Chili, or Sambiya Lodge.

Day 7: Royal Mile and Busingiro

Royal Mile is known to have the best guided trails for viewing birds. It is also one of the best birding sites in the country. One of the localised species that can be seen here is the forest flycatcher, Cassin’s hawk-eagle, dusky long tailed cuckoo, African dwarf, crowned eagle, tallow and grey long bills, blue-breasted kingfisher and the olive-browned cuckoo.

You will then transfer to busingiro where you will have another bird watching expedition. you will encounter a number of bird species including the Cabanis bunting, crowned eremomela as well as the yellow-browned Camaroptera. Later return for dinner and the overnight’s rest.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options: Paraa Safari Lodge (luxury), or Red Chili, or Sambiya Lodge.

Day 8: transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

In the early morning, right after breakfast, we shall depart for KibaleForest National park. It is a diverse ecological habitat which hosts the blue masked Apalis, shouldered robin chat, white-bellied crested flycatcher, yellow spotted barbet, grey-throated flycatcher,black billed turaco, African pitta, joyful greenbul, white –napped pigeon, red-chest-fluff tail as well as the green- breasted pitta. In East Africa, this forest is recognized for its diversity in primates. On arrival you will check into your accommodation where you will dine and spend the night.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options: Ndali Lodge, or Primates Lodge.

Day 9: Explore the Bigodi wetland Sanctuary

From here, you will be able to see the great blue turaco which is also the most sighted bird in the Magombe swamp. Expect to also see other birds like the brown illadopis, the purple headed, the glossy-starling, masked Apalis, the Toro olive-green bull, the white0tailed ant-thrushes, black billed turaco and the white napped pigeon. later return for dinner and the overnight’s stay at your accommodation

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options: Ndali Lodge, or Primates Lodge.

Day 10: Semliki National Park

After breakfast, you shall enjoy a whole day of birding in Semliki National park- in its forest. It is a dwelling place for some of the Albertine unique bird species. am the species you will see include: Zenker’s honey guide, Congo serpent eagle, lyre-tailed honey guide, black-throated coucal, red –rumped tinker bird, grey-throated rail, white-bellied kingfisher, Nkulengu rail, black-collared lovebird, western bronze-napped pigeon, red-chested owlet, long-tailed hawk, northern bearded scrub robin, spot-breasted ibis, capuchin babbler and yellow-throated Nicator. when you explore along the Ikrumira trail you will see a number of other species including the black casqued wattled, white-thighed hornbill, white crested wattled, red billed wattled, swamp palm bulbul, black dwarf casqued wattled, ferry-breasted bush shrine and the crested malimbe,

Meal Option: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options: Rwenzori View Guesthouse, or Semliki Safari Lodge

Day 11: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National park will be the next birding site. This park which was named after the Queen of England is one of the most visited parks yearly. Out of the 610 birds known to be in Uganda, 296 of these can be sighted here. Also, the route towards Queen Elizabeth National Park is lined with the Mountain Rwenzori ranges, which is quite a sight to behold. There is more to enjoy in this place for example the game drives and chimp tracking.

Meal Option: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options: Mweya Safari Lodge or Simba Safari Lodge

Day 12: Explore the Kazinga Channel

Early in the morning, birds and animals will be sighted through a game drive to the Kasenyi plains.However, it is during a launch cruise later in the afternoon that more birds will be seen, on the Kazinga channel. Expect to see water birds like the green backed heron, white-bellied cormorants, water thick-knee and yellow-billed stork.

Meal Option: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options: Mweya Safari Lodge or Simba Safari Lodge

Day 14: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After breakfast, you will transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, which is known for its mountain gorillas, also has a record of 350 bird species. Among these are 23 Albertine Rift endemics and 14 rare species. Expext to see the red faced woodland- warbler, Grauer’s warbler, grey cuckoo- shrink Neumann’s warbler, red-throated Alethe, Petit’s cuckoo-shrike, dusky-blue flycatcher, western green timber bird, Chanin’s flycatcher, Tulberg’s African green broad bill, chin-spot batis, red sheeted owlet, Rwenzori batis black, bar tailed trogon, Elliot’s woodpecker, African wood-owl, oriole finch, mountain Illadopsis, dusky crimson-wing, red-tailed bulbul, black-billed weaver, blue-throated brown sunbird, Luhder’s and Doherty’s bush-shrikes, blue headed-sunbird, McKinnon’s grey shrike, northern double collared sunbird as well as grey-headed sunbird,

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options: Gorilla Resort Hotel or Buhoma community Bandas

Day 15: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi

You will have to arise early and move to the park headquarters for a brief chat with the your guide. Even though there is an array of different bird species to see, it is the mountain gorillas that are more intriguing to encounter here. Listen for the sound of their voices, how they grumble, how the young swing freely from tree to tree. One o the things you are bound to marvel at are the sheer size of dominant male, also known as silverback. Imagine sitting in this dense rain forest knowing that it is home to a few of the remaining surviving mountain gorillas. Through a guided community walk, you will be able to see and interact with the inhabitants of the park. They are called the Batwa.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options: Gorilla Resort Hotel or Buhoma community Bandas

Day 16: Nature Walk and bird watching

The birders shall enjoy a nature walk through the Sabinyo gorge trail. Among others, expect to see birds like the RwenzoriTuraco, Strange weaver, regal sunbird, Archer’s ground robin and the handsome francolin as you ascend through the heath that goes around Ntebeko.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options: Gorilla Resort Hotel or Buhoma community Bandas

Day 17: Bird watching in Ruhija

Ruhija is known to be the highest gorilla tracking trailhead in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Being a strategic birding location, it is here that you will see the yellow-crested helmet-shrike which is a rare find in Uganda. You can also expect to see other species like the four crimson-wings, African green broadbill, Stuhlmann’s starling, stripe breasted tit, white headed wood hoope, African hill babbler, Grauer’s rush warbler, Caruthers Cisticola, Fraser eagle-owl, as well as the Rwenzori double- collared sunbird. Later return for dinner and overnight at your accommodation

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options: Gorilla Resort Hotel or Buhoma community Bandas

Day 18: Explore Lake Mburo National Park

Today you will transfer to Lake Mburo NP and spend the day exploring it. Over 315 bird species can be seen at Lake Mburo National Park. It’s the best birding site for the acacia associated birds such as the brown chested plover, southern ground horn bill, Ruppell’s long- tailed stirling, the African fin foot and green capped eremomela. Even though Lake Mburo is a small park, it is also home to the highest impala population and has so much to offer for example excellent game driving.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options: Muhingo Lodge or Rwonyo Camp

Day 19: Explore Mabira Forest, Departure

We shall head to the great Mabira Forest, the biggest forest found in Kampala. Even though part of the forest has been used for lumbering, it is still rich with many bird species and well maintained trails which ease the birding experience.It has a record 300 forest species. Expect to see the rare pretty tit hylia found in only 2 places in East Africa. Conspicuous larger birds like the stunning great blue Turaco. Expect to see the blue- breasted white-bellied dwarf, African pied hornbill, African grey parrot, Forest wood-hoopoe, yellow-throated and speckeled Tinker birds which live in the canopy, Nahan’s francolin.The ToroOlive greenbul, and the green-tailed bristle bill are secretive interior inhabitants.

Forest robin, blue-shouldered Robin-Chatand and the Fire-crested Alethe are also commonly seen especially if safari ants are within the area. Also yellow spotted and hairy breasted barbets can be seen. We also hope to see the yellow long bill, the African paradise, the elusive purple throated, the grey long bill, the tamborine dove, Red-billed bellied paradise flycatchers and the white breasted.

This will be the last of our expedition as the birders will return to Kampala, and be dropped at the hotel of your choice or to the Entebbe airport for your outbound flight.

Tour Includes: