14 Days wildlife, Nature and Culture

Arriving at the airport you will be warmly welcomed by a Churchill Safaris representative, and transferred to your hotel in Kampala.
Optional Activities:
1. City Tour: Depending on your time of your arrival, explore the vibrant and chaotic city of Kampala. Discover historical and political sites including the ancient tombs of the Kabakas, where the Buganda tribe laid their kings to rest or the Bahai Temple, etc.

2. Eat Out: Kampala is a town full of culinary wonders. Stray out from your hotel to taste some of the eclectic cuisine of the region including Kampala’s delicious Indian food!
Accommodation:
Luxury: Sheraton Kampala hotel
Situated in the heart of Kampala Sheraton hotel is a perfect starting point to explore the city. This classic luxury hotel has an array of modern facilities, with each room being equipped with a television and air conditioning.

Medium: At the height of comfort, Cassia Lodge is a perfect get away from the craziness of Kampala. Perched high on the hills in Buziga, the hotel offers some of the best panoramic views of the city and Lake Victoria.
Budget: Located near Cassia lodge on Buziga hill, New Madagascar hotel is one of the better budget options in Kampala with a nice quiet home environment. The facilities are good and the service and staff are excellent, and will make you feel right at home.

After breakfast, you will set off to Lake Mburo National park in the southern part of the country stopping en route for lunch and to look at the Equator-where you will be able to stand in both hemispheres simultaneously. Have a game drive while entering the park and spend two nights in Lake Mburo National Park.
The 371 sq km park is an extension of the Tanzanian Plains and has distinctly different fauna compared to other Ugandan parks. It is the best place in the country to see Eland Antelope, Zebra, Topi, Impala, and Acacia. The five lakes within the park attract hippos, crocodiles, and a variety of water birds, while fringing swamps hide black and yellow papyrus gonalek. Arriving in the park in the afternoon you can rest before exploring the park for the rest of the evening..

Optional Activities:
1. Horseback Riding Safaris: What better way to explore the park than on horseback! Horseback riding safaris are available for various times and are suitable for all levels of riders including the non-experienced.

2. Boat Safari: Take a cruise along Lake Mburo which is home to dense populations of hippos and crocodiles.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Mihingo Lodge is a peaceful and exclusive retreat adjacent to Lake Mburo National Park. It features ten rooms which are built on wooden platforms with stilts, covered by a thatched roof. Suspended under the thatched roof is a spacious and comfortable tent equipped with en-suite bathrooms with stunning views, including hot and cold running water, showers, and flush loos.
Medium: Lake Mburo Arcadia cottages
Nestled in the heart of the park, Arcadia cottages offer several comfortable cottages. The cottages have a clear view of the park and are built on stilts to allow warthogs to burrow underneath and get warm at night. The lake can be viewed from the restaurant and is home to hippos that walk up to the restaurant at night and graze right outside the cottages.
Rwonyo UWA Tents: The Ugandan Wildlife Authority runs several tents within the park, for very budget travelers this is a good option, but the facilities are very simple and basic.

Today you will continue to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for three nights. Home to over half of the world’s mountain gorilla population. Interacting with these gentle giants is one of the most moving experiences that Africa has to offer and should not be missed! The ancient rainforest of Bwindi spans 321 sq km and boasts 90 mammal species, including a range of primates, as well as 23 Albertine Rift endemic bird species, including the African Green Broadbill, the Bar Tailed Trogon and many others.

The next morning you set off for gorilla trekking. Hiking through the thick, verdant, rainforest to eventually come across the gorillas in their natural habitat, is an amazing and unforgettable experience. Actual trek times can vary; these are wild animals after all. If time permits there are a diverse range of activities which are unique to Bwindi which you can participate in during the afternoon.

The next day visit we learn more about the indigenous people of Bwindi on the Batwa trail. The dense forests at the foot of the Virunga Volcanoes were home to the Batwa people: hunter-gatherers and fierce warriors who depended on the forest for shelter, food and medicine thanks to the ancient knowledge passed down for generations.
When Mgahinga Gorilla National Park was established, the Batwa were suddenly evicted from the forest and forced to abandon their low-impact nomadic lifestyle. Now landless, they work when they can for local famers, and the only time they are permitted to re-enter their cherished forest is as tour guides on the Batwa Trail, where they invite visitors to discover the magic of their old home.
During this moving tour, the Batwa demonstrate hunting techniques; gather honey; point out medicinal plants and demonstrate bamboo cups. Guests are finally invited to the sacred Ngarama Cave, once home to the Batwa King, where the women from the community perform a sorrowful song which echoes eerily in around the depths of the dark cave, and leaves guests with a striking and moving sense of the richness o this fading culture

Optional Activities:
Village Walk: Overlooking the imposing hillsides of Bwindi Impenetrable forest, with the mist swirling over the summits, this is one of the most dramatic settings for your cultural tour! Among others, meet a traditional healer, who not only treats the sick, but uses his knowledge to conserve and educate about the various medicinal plants.
Bwindi Community Hospital: Started by a Canadian doctor BCH revolutionized health care for the Batwa and the Bwindi community. This free hospital tour provides insight into the region and issues that the local community member’s face.
Waterfall Walk: Walk along the Congolese border and Bwindi to see the magnificent waterfalls and the incredible scenery.

Accommodation:
Luxury:
Mahogany Springs is a luxurious lodge which offers privacy and serenity blended with optimal comfort in a spectacular setting. All the rooms at Mahogany Springs are suites. The Superior Suites can be Twin, Double or Triple. These suites are spacious with large double doors and beautiful windows. Each Suite has its own private exquisitely designed terrace with panoramic views of the surrounding area. All suites have large en-suite bathrooms with a gorgeously designed open terracotta shower.

Travel time – 3-4 hours
Today you proceed to Ishasha, home to the famed tree climbing lions. The lions are located in the Southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, and are best seen in early hours of the morning. Have a game drive before stopping for lunch, and another game drive in the afternoon before dinner.

Accommodation:
Luxury: Ishasha Wilderness Camp is situated on the Ntungwe river, and is an idyllic retreat for people who truly enjoy the wilderness. Each of the ten spacious framed canvas rooms, situated in the wooded area besides the river, is comfortably furnished and with its own private en suite bathroom and dressing area providing running water, hot water ‘bush’ showers and a flushing eco-friendly toilet.

Accommodation: Luxury, Midrange, Budget

Have a morning game drive and then depart Ishasha for Queen Elizabeth for two nights in Queen Elizabeth National Park, which boasts one of the highest biodiversity ratings of any game park or reserve in the world. Uganda’s second largest National Park, the 1,978 sq km has everything from open savannah to rain forest. Queen Elizabeth has over 100 mammal species, and an astounding 606 bird species, making it a premier safari destination. Arrive in the park in the afternoon, and go for a game drive in the early evening.

In morning, you will have a game drive to the Kisenyi area to look for lion prides and other wildlife like the Uganda Kob, before returning to the Lodge for breakfast. In the afternoon take a cruise along the Kazinga Channel, home to one of the largest concentrations of hippopotamus, as well as herds of elephants, buffalo, and other wildlife that come to drink from the river. The Kazinga also attracts a tremendous variety of bird species including the African Eagle, Open-Billed Stork, and Pied Kingfishers.

Optional Activities:
Queen’s Pavilion: Just 800 metres from the equator monument, and overlooking a thrilling landscape of crater lakes is the Queen´s Pavilion, a community-run internet café. This is the perfect spot to revive yourself after an early morning safari with a cup of Ugandan tea or coffee. Listen to the elephants trumpeting on the dry plains below and enjoy the savannah views.

Katwe Salt Walk: This tour offers a unique insight into the fascinating process of salt mining, as well as providing an alternative income for Katwe. During the tour you will see community members at work, cross the mud walkways and enter one of the traditional grass huts used to shelter and store tools. The nearby bird sanctuary lake offers a chance to see flamingos from October to May.

Kikorongo African Art Workshop: Traditional crafts hold a special significance in Ugandan villages. Small baskets of groundnuts as a sign of friendship; a calabash on top of a house to ward off evil spirits or a traditional healer´s woven purse filled with natural remedies. Kikorongo Women Community invites you to learn their traditional skills during this fascinating workshop.

Accommodation:
Luxury: Kyambura game Lodge:

Your safari continues as you depart for Kibale National Forest for two nights a 795 sq km of rainforest in Western Uganda. Kibale is home to an extraordinary thirteen species of primates, including chimpanzees, red colobus, and L’Hoest monkeys. Kibale National Forest has also recorded over 355 bird species, and a range of other mammals including the elusive forest elephant.

The next morning go for Chimpanzee tracking along the network of forest trails. Seeing habituated chimps squabbling and swinging from the trees is an exhilarating experience. Later in the afternoon you will have the opportunity to visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, which is rich in bird species, vegetation, and wildlife. This is also a great opportunity to support local tourism initiatives which benefit social and economic development in the area.

Optional Activities:
1. Crater Lakes Hike: Formed by ancient volcanic activity, the crater lakes of Uganda are located near Fort Portal, and are a great hiking option. Typical hikes take you through local villages and tea plantations, to the base of several of these incredibly serene and beautiful lakes. With the Rwenzori Mountains in the background, this is by far one of Uganda’s most peaceful and extraordinary sights.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Ndali Lodge

This morning you will depart for Murchison Falls National Park having lunch enroute. Entering the park, you will drive to the Nile River, catching a ferry across to reach your lodge.
The next morning after breakfast you will depart for an early morning game drive across the rolling plains of Uganda’s largest National Park. The 3,893 sq km park is home to a range of animals, and you will have a chance of viewing some of the Park’s residents including lions, giraffes, hartebeest, buffalo, and elephants. For the birders amongst you, these areas support the secretary bird and the black chested snake eagle, to name a few.
In the afternoon, go for a boat trip to the base of Murchison Falls, where the Nile thunders through a small 7 meter gap plunging 43 meters into Lake Albert. The banks of the Nile are densely populated with crocodiles, hippopotamus, and a range of other wildlife that come to the river to drink. There is also the option of getting off the boat and hiking up the side of the falls to the top.

Optional Activities:
1. Falls Hike: Stopping to take pictures at the base of the falls on the boat trip, adventurers can then disembark from the boat and climb up to the actual top of the falls. The forty five minute hike is not very challenging, and provides spectacular views of the falls.

2. Mubako Cultural Performance: The remote community of Mubako is located beside the sprawling savannah of Murchison Falls National Park. The village is a collection of traditional thatched mud huts around a central clearing. At dusk, the local cultural groups Alur and Campfire perform vibrant songs and dances around a campfire accompanied by the beautiful sound of the adungu.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge

After breakfast, proceed to Kampala stopping en route for lunch and Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary if time permits, arriving in Entebbe in the evening to catch your flight back home.