Day 1: Arrival – Entebbe birding
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport you will be met by your driver guide who will transfer you the Boma Guest House. Depending on the arrival time, you can have optional birding in Entebbe, especially on the lush grounds of the Entebbe Botanical Gardens, where we’ll see both forest and lakeshore birds.
Day 2: Drive to Masindi
After breakfast we start our Birding Safari either at the Botanical gardens or the Lutembe bay then transfer to Masindi via the Luwero triangle passing through undulating grasslands and mosaic woodland where we drive watching out for the White-crested Turaco, Bronze-tailed Starling, lesser Blue and Great Blue Eared Starlings, Black, Yellow Mantled and Black Winged Bishops, White Headed Barbet, Cardinal and Nubian Woodpecker, Lesser and Greater Honeyguide. Dinner and overnight Masindi Hotel
Meal Plan: All meals included
Day 3: Birding Budongo- Royal mile and Busingiro
Depart early for the nearby Budongo Forest, birding along the Royal Mile, a truly
spectacular road with forest canopy towering far overhead. There is a good system of trails in the forest, today expect skulking birds like the Nahan’s Francolin, excessively noisy White-thighed Hornbill, graceful Cassin’s and Sabine’s Spinetail, Blue-throated Roller, Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Forest Flycatcher, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Ituri Batis, Lemon Bellied Crombec, Tit Hylia, Uganda Woodland Warbler, Forest Robin, Yellow Billed, Grey Throated, Hairy Breasted and Yellow Spotted Barbet, Great Blue and Black Billed Turaco, Dusy Long Tailed Cuckoo, Spotted, Plain, Slender Billed, White Throated, Little Grey and Little Greeenbul, Red Tailed Bristlebill and Black-capped Apalis among others. Overnight Masindi Hotel
Meal Plan: All meals included
Days 4: Bird the northern sector of Murchison Falls NP
Today you start early and drive through Budongo to Kaniyo Pabidi area in search for the Puvel’s Illadopsis, after this we bird to the top of the falls as we time the ferry to Paraa Safari Lodge for overnight.
Meal Plan: All meals included
Days 5: Birding Murchison Falls
A highlight of the visit will undoubtedly be the boat trips to the bottom of the falls and to the delta area, and of course the one bird that will be on everyone’s mind is the Shoebill while at the delta. Superb views can be had of this wonderful bird. There will be other birds including the Red-throated and Norhtern Carmine Bee-eater mammals such as Rothschild’s Giraffe, Cape Buffalo, Elephant, Waterbuck and many others will be viewed. Other birds to look out for include the Saddle-billed, Yellow Billed and African Open Billed Stork, African Finfoot, Red-necked Falcon, Senegal Thick-knee, Rock Pratincole, Giant, Woodland, Grey Headed, Malchite, Pygmy and striped Kingfishers. On the game drive we look out for Heuglin’s Francolins Black Billed Barbet, Northern and Red Faced Barbet, Swallow-tailed and Blue-breasted and Northern Carmine Bee-eaters, Abyssinian Rollers, the giant Abyssinian Ground Hornbills, Black Winged and Northern Red Bishops. Dinner and overnight Paraa Safari Lodge.
Meal Plan: All meals included
Day 6: Drive to Kibaale Forest National park
The drive today is long, you will only have a few birding stops, the drive will be via Hoima. With papyrus swamps along the way there are chances of spotting a few specialties such as White-winged Warbler and Papyrus Gonolek , while the surrounding scrub may harbor, Double-toothed Barbet, Black-bellied Seed cracker and Gray-headed Olive back. Dinner and overnight Chimpanzee Forest Guest House
Meal Plan: All meals included
Day 7: Chimp Tracking and Birding
Kibaale Forest is home to 13 species of primates. This morning you will have a chance for the chimpanzee track – man’s closest relatives. Birding in the forest is also very rewarding and you could encounter White-naped Pigeon, African Gray Parrot, Black Bee-eater, Hairy-breasted, Yellow Spotted and Yellow Billed Barbet, Chestnut-winged and Purple-headed, Waller’s and Narrow Tailed Starlings, Blue-throated Brown and Superb Sunbirds, White-collared Olive back among others.
Meal Plan: All meals included
Day 8: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National park
Today we have a very early start into the forest to try and find the Green Breasted Pitta before we drive off to Queen Elizabeth National Park. This is Uganda’s second largest protected area on the shores of Lake Edward. We check in at Mweya Safari Lodge then head for and early evening game drive looking for numerous birds that inhabit the surrounding scrub and lakeshore like the African Hopoe, Green Winged Pytilia, African Golden Breasted Bunting and later in this drive we look out for the Black Shouldered, Swamp, Square Tailed and Pennant-winged Nightjars back to the lodge or hostel for dinner and over night stay.
Meal Plan: All meals included
Day 9: Whole day birding
Today you will spend the whole day exploring Queen Elizabeth National Park. Birds on this drive are numerous and may include among others the Wahlberg’s, Brown Snake, Short Toed Snake and Martial Eagle, Red-necked Spurfowl, Black-rumped and Common Buttonquails, African Crake, Hollub’s Golden and Lesser Masked Weavers, Black Coucal, Black Lored and Arrow Marked Babbler, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl Copper, Scarlet Chested and Red-chested, Broad Tailed and African Moustached Warbler. Dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: All meals included
Day 10: Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National park
This morning before departing for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest you will go for a morning boat ride along the Kazinga Channel looking out for water birds that roost in between the Edward and George lakes. Close encounters with the biggest schools of Hippos in Africa and some crocs many migrating species like the Gulls and Terns are here. Later transfer to Bwindi if road conditions allo the drive will be through the Ishasha sector with chances of spotting the famous tree climbing lions. Overnight Engagi Lodge
Meal Plan: All meals
Day 11: Optional Gorilla trekking or Birding
If you are Gorilla tracking you will have early breakfast then assemble at the park headquarters for briefing about this breath taking activity. Time spent tracking depends on where the gorillas spent the night and their feeding range or encounter with other groups which might be wild forcing them to move long distances so be prepared for a whole day activity. Once found you spend an hour with them, seeing these gentle giants interact is awesome and the marvelous wildlife encounter on the African continent and an unforgettable. Birding the Buhoma side which is at lower altitude of Bwindi always as results like the Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Pink Footed Puffback, Cassin’s and Scaly-Throated Honeyguide, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Bar-tailed Trogon, Equatorial Akalat, Red Faced Woodland Warbler, African Broadbill White Headed Wood Hopoe, Red Throated Allethe, Red Faced Woodland Warbler, Blue Throated Brown, Blue Headed, Northern Double Collard and Rwenzori Double Collard sunbird and White-bellied Robin to mention but a few. Overnight Engagi Lodge
Meal Plan: All meals included
Day 12: Drive to Lake Mburo National Park
Today Safari birding will be done en route, depending on the route used either the Ishasha or the Rukungiri each has birds of interests with stops at different interesting spots. In the evening there will be a boat trip on the Lake. While in the lake look out for the African Finfoot, White Backed and Black Crowned Night Heron, Giant Kingfisher. A night drive always produces good views of the Black Shouldered, northern Tanzania Fiery Necked Nightjar, nocturnal mammals and Bush Babies. Overnight Mantana Tented camp
Meal Plan: All meals included
Day 13: Birding/Kampala
After breakfast start early in search for special savannah birds like the Yellow Bellied Apalis, Green Capped Eremomela, Buff Bellied Warbler, White Winged Tit, Red Billed Wood Hopoe, the special birds for today’s drive will be the Tabora Cisticola, Red Faced Barbet and Coqui Francolin. Brubru, Sulpher Breasted Bush Shrike, Red Headed Weaver, Green Backed and Uganda Spotted Woodpecker, African Black Headed Oriole. Over night Cassia Lodge
Meal Plan: All meals included
Day 14: Mabamba Swamp
After an early breakfast you will transfer to Mabamba Swamp in search of the Shoebill then later transfer to Mabira Forest where you will have an over night stay at Mabira Rain Forest Lodge.
Meal Plan: All meals included
Day 15: Departure
After breakfast you will bird in Mabira Forest looking out for the Red Caped Robin-chat around the Logde then hit the trail to try and find Weyn’s Weaver, Olive Green Cameroptera, Tit Hylia, African Pied Hornbill Grey and Yelloe Long Bill, Forest Wood-Hoopoe, Blue-breasted, White-bellied, Dwarf and Shining-blue Kingfishers, Soty Flycatcher, Yellow-throated, Yellow Rumped and Speckled Tinkerbird, Yellow Crested Woodpecker, Toro Olive Greenbul and Green-tailed Bristle bill, Fire-crested Alethe, Forest Robin and Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat. Later transfer to Entebbe Airport to connect with your international fight out.
Meal Plan: Breakfast
End of Services
The Safari includes; transfers to and from the Airport, transportation in a 4 wheel drive vehicle with opening roof including fuel, services of a professional bird driver guide, accommodation as stated, park entrance fees, boat cruises where mentioned, ferry crossing where mentioned, scheduled boat trip to the delta where mentioned, meals as indicated, bottled water in the vehicle.
The cost does not include; international flights to and from Uganda, Visas, and items of a personal nature e.g laundry, tips, drinks and insurance of any kind
