Day 1:
On the arrival at Entebbe International Airport you will meet our representative who will take you for dinner and overnight at Lake Victoria Windsor Hotel or Botanical Beach Hotel in Entebbe.
Day 2: Botanical Gardens and Mabamba Swamp
After breakfast, you will start birding around the botanical gardens. Look out for Slender-billed Weaver, Brown-throated Weaver¸ Golden-backed Weaver, Yellow-backed Weaver, Grey-headed Gull, Long-tailed Cormorant, Common Squacco Heron,Yellow-billed Duck, Pied Kingfisher, Giant Kingfisher, Swamp Flycatcher, Broad-billed Roller, Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill, Splendid Glossy Starling, Black-headed Gonolek, Orange Weaver, Verreaux's Eagle-owl, Red-chested Sunbird, Ross's Turaco, Pied Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill, Open-billed Stork, Great Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Grey-capped Warbler and many others. After lunch at the hotel proceed for Mabamba Swamp and board the canoe for the best tour of the swamp. You can find the Shoebill stork, Swamp Flycatcher, Purple Swamphen, African Water Rail, Common Moorhen, Lesser Jacana, African Jacana, African Pygmy-goose, White-faced Whistling-duck, Squacco Heron, Goliath Heron, Black Crake and many more birds. Return to Lake Victoria Windsor Hotel or Botanical Beach Hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 3 and 4 Budongo Forest
After breakfast drive to Budongo Forest one of the main birding sanctuaries in Uganda . After lunch in Masindi Hotel, go for afternoon and evening birding and look out for the White-crested Turaco, Ross's Turaco, White-crested Helmet-shrike, Bat Hawk, Black-shouldered Nightjar, White-crested Turaco, Crowned Eagle and African Wood-owl. Dinner and overnight at Nyabyeya Guest House in Budongo.
In the second day after an early breakfast start birding at the Royal Mile. You will look for the rare Nahan's Francolin, Banded Snake-eagle, African Pied Hornbill, Brown-backed Scrub-robin, Black Bishop, Brown Twinsport, Black-bellied Firefinch, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, White-thighed Hornbill, Yellow-billed Barbet, Spotted Greenbul, Cameroon Sombre Greenbul, Slender-billed Greenbul, Black-capped Apalis, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Green Hylia, Pale-breasted Illadopsis, Forest Flycatcher, Fire-crested Alethe, Yellow Longbill, Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Crowned Eagle, Yellow-footed Flycatcher, African Dwarf Kingfisher. Packed lunch and dinner overnight at Nyabyeya Guest House.
Day 5 and Day 6 Kibale National Park
Early morning departure for the chimpanzee tracking in Budongo Forest , before leaving to Kibale National Park. This is a rainforest which hosts over 9 species of primates, including chimpanzee, red colubus, black and white colobus, grey-cheeked Mangaby and red-tailed monkey. Among other birds you find here Scaly Francolin, Marsh Tchagra, Black-bellied Seedcracker, Green-backed Twinspot, Bicoloured Mannikin, White-naped Pigeon, Afep Pigeon, Narina's Trogon, Joyful Greenbul, Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Black Bee-eater and many others. A nature walk at Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary ecotourist site is rewarding. This is home to Blue-headed Coucal, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Scaly-throated Honeyguide and Black-faced Rufous Warbler. Lunch is included. Dinner and overnight at Rujuna Hilltop Guest House.
Day 7 and 8 Semliki National Park
From Fort Portal drive to Semliki National Park , one of the top destination for birding in Uganda . The forest along river Semliki is home to Spot-breasted Ibis, Northern Bearded Scrub-robin, Capuchin Babbler, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, Yellow-throated Green Cuckoo, White-bellied Kingfisher, Maxwell's Black Weaver, Black-winged Oriole, Red-eyed Puffback, Crested and Red-bellied Malimbe, Brown-crowned Eremomela, Zenker's Honeyguide and African Piculet. Dinner and first overnight at Semliki Lodge, second night back to Fort Portal at Rujuna Hilltop Guest House or proceed to Kasese.
Day 9 Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast you depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park . This Park records over 550 bird species. The one-day record in this Park is 296, which is one of the highest in the world. After lunch go for the boat cruise along Kazinga Channel, where the concentration of water birds and photographs is extraordinary. Dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge.
Day 10: Game drive in the park and Ishasha sector
After early cup of coffee, you start birding early morning in the open savannah for birds like the Temminck's Courser, Martial Eagle, Rupell's Griffon Vulture, then return to the lodge for breakfast and lunch. In the afternoon proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through Imaramagambo Forest and Ishasha sector. Dinner and overnight in Buhoma Homeastead.
Day 11: Bwindi Forest
In the early morning you can hear the songs of the Snowy-capped Robin-chat, Luehder's Bush-shrike and the Grey-capped Warbler while having breakfast. You will spend the whole day birding in Bwindi Forest , one of the most interesting ecosystems in Africa for the concentration of biodiversity. Over 350 bird species are recorded. These include Red-throated Alethe, Equatorial Akalat, Grey-throated Barbet, Black Bee-eater, Forest Robin, Montane Oriole, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Pale-breasted Illadopsis, Pettit's Cuckooshrike, Black-faced Rufous Warbler and many more. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 12, 13 and 14 Ruhija in southern Bwindi
Early morning gorilla tracking in the forest sanctuary starting from Buhoma. Depart to reach Ruhiija in the south of the forest and spending two nights at the camping site.
In the second day after breakfast you go for birding in this prolific area. Birding to the Mubwindi Swamp is very productive. One has to be prepared to walk on steep mountain tracks. You drop from about 2400m to 2050m above sea level. Birding in the bamboo zone is good for the Handsome Francolin, Archer's Robin-chat, Stripe-breasted Tit, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Mountain Greenbul, Waller's Chestnut-winged Starling, Dusky Crimsonwing, Mountain Illadopsis and Mountain Yellow Warbler.
The third day proceed for dinner and overnight in Mburo National Park , Mantana Tented Camp.
Day 15 Lake Mburo National Park
After breakfast, enjoying birding in the swampy area and Lake Mburo . You will hear the songs of Morning Dove, Dideric Cuckoo, Grey-capped Warbler, Black-headed Weaver and Ring-necked Dove. Among other you will go searching for Brown-chested Lapwing, Lilac-breasted Roller, Black-bellied Bustard, Helmeted Guineafowl, Coqui Francolin, Rufous-napped Lark plus many raptors. In the evening transfer to Kampala for dinner and overnight.
Day 16
Reserved to the airport transfer or extensions.
ENQUIRE ON THE TARIFFS
The tariff includes:
- Airport transfer
- Accommodation in hotels or lodge/bandas, in double room, full board treatment, included soft drinks for the meals
- All the transfer in private means 4x4 ordinary Land Cruiser or minibus
- English speaking Birding Driver/Guide
- Entrance fees, taxes and "gorilla permit"
The tariff does not include:
- Air ticket
- Tourist insurance
- Entrance visas: 50 USD directly from Entebbe Int. Airport
- Extra drinks and tips
- Everything not directly mentioned in the programme itinerary.
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