Sightseeing tours - Uganda

SEMULIKI NATIONAL PARK 

The 3-day Safari will take you to Semuliki National Park lying on an area of 220 sq km, found in Bwamba County in Western Uganda in Bundibugyo district just near Fort Potal town. The park harbors an extension of Congos Ituri rainforest. It is home to around 52 species of mammals, 300 recorded tree species, 374 butterfly species, and over 400 bird species hence among the best birding spots in Uganda and that is why it is called the True birders haven.

During the safari different animal species will be seen such as Hyenas, white tailed and the slender mongoose, buffaloes, leopards, elephants, velvet monkeys, cats among others. Activities to be done will include; Game drives (including the night game drives), chimpanzee trekking, and bird watching among others.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Travel to Semuliki - Night game drive

Have an early breakfast and travel to Semuliki National Park approximately 7 to 8 hours on the road from Kampala. Have lunch along the way; later reach the park check in at the lodge. In the evening go for a night game drive through the park. Diner and Overnight at the lodge of your choice.

Meal Plan; Lunch & Dinner

Day 2: Explore the Park- Sempaya hot springs, Waterfall visit, Chimpanzee trekking, and game drive

After your delicious breakfast, set out and visit the Sempaya hot springs which are the most attention-grabbing attractions in Semuliki. These springs have a geyser that shoots up from the 8 meters hole, and the water is at a high temperature. The most interesting part about the springs is that one can boil matooke and eggs in the springs and they can get ready for eating n a few minutes. In fact this is the largest hot spring in Uganda.

Still along the trail where the hot springs are located you will be in line to see several birds such as the Blue breasted Kingfisher and various primates such as the Red-Tailed monkeys, and the Grey Cheeked Manga bey. Later proceed, to Mungilo waterfall where you will have an opportunity of seeing a number of beautiful birds and it will be a great time for a birder. There is also an opportunity of seeing/trekking chimpanzees but in this park they can be trekked either in the morning or evening because during the day they tend to hide.

Later, head back to the lodge and have lunch, unwind around the pool. In evening go for a game drive, your expectations should be high as you will have a great time when you meet different animals including leopards, big cats, buffaloes, antelopes, elephants, and lions among others. Also crocodiles and hippos will be seen along River Semliki. Dinner an Overnight at the lodge of your choice.

Meal Plan; Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Depart to Kampala

Have a tasty breakfast at the lodge and start your journey to Kampala with a stopover in Fort Portal for lunch. You will arrive in Kampala in the evening.

End of Safari

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SAFARI TO MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK (3 Days)

Tour Summary

Our 3-Day Safari will bring you to Uganda’s largest park known as Murchison Falls National Park. Situated in Northwestern Uganda on an area of 3,840 sq. km, it was founded in 1926 as a game reserve. An open expanse of Savannah grasslands and the Victoria Nile, Murchison Falls is home to over 451 bird species: the Great blue Turaco, Goliath heron, the Shoebill, and the dwarf kingfisher; 76 mammal species, Nile crocodiles and the majestic Murchison Falls. You will have a choice to enjoy our Uganda safari game drives, a boat cruise along the Nile River or both.

Activities involved;

• Visit to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

• Game drive

• Boat cruise along the River Nile

• Visit the top of the falls

Tour highlights

Day 1: Travel to Murchison Falls National Park

Day 2: Morning game drive and a boat cruise on the Nile

Day 3: Departure/Return to Kampala

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Travel to Murchison Falls National Park  

After an early breakfast, our driver guide will pick you up from your hotel at 7:00 am, he will also brief you about your 3 Days safari to Murchison falls and you will start your 6 hours journey to Murchison Falls National park. You will go through the Luwero, and later have a stopover at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino tracking; here you will find both black and white rhinos.

After tracking have another stop in Masindi where you will have lunch, after lunch proceed to the park, after making payments for park entry drive towards the top of the falls, here along the way you will see various animals such as warthogs, baboons among others. Being at the top of the falls is an amazing experience as you will watch the magnificent falls squeezing through the rocks in an 8m gorge. Take as many photos as you can. Later drive to the lodge, relax the whole evening, have dinner and an overnight.

Meal Plan; Lunch and Dinner

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Day 2: Morning game drive and a boat cruise along the Nile

On this day wake up early and have breakfast at 6:30 am, after your driver and the ranger guide will pick you up from the lodge to start your Game drive at 7:00 am. During the drive you will be in position to see very many animals such as lions, buffaloes, giraffes, elephants, antelopes, water bucks and birds among others. After the game drive at around 11:40 am, drive back to the lodge, relax/freshen up and have lunch as you prepare for the afternoon boat cruise.

On the boat you will be able to see various Nile crocodiles, hippos, buffaloes, elephants along the banks of the Nile as well as different beautiful birds some singing in the trees such as the bee eaters, the colored kingfishers, the shoe billed stork and many others. The boat ride will take you to the base/bottom of the Murchison Falls, when you reach here you will be able to see clearly the mighty waterfalls. You could opt to go for hiking to the top where you will meet your driver guide who will drive you back to the lodge. 

Have dinner and an Overnight.

Meal Plan; Full Board- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3: Departure/Return to Kampala

Enjoy your breakfast; thereafter proceed for another Game drive in the morning on your way back to Kampala. It will be a great time as you look out for various animal species though most of them will be seen in the grasslands feeding such as buffaloes, elephants, giraffes, lions, antelopes, not forgetting a number of bird species. Leave the park, have a stop in Masindi for lunch and continue with the journey reaching Kampala in the evening.

Meal Plan; Breakfast and Lunch

END OF SAFARI

Tour Includes;

• An English speaking full-time professional guide/driver 

• All park entry fees

• Accommodation- Full board while on safari

• Ziwa Rhino trekking fees

• Transport (in a 4 x 4 land cruiser)

• Boat cruise fees

• Ferry crossings

• Touring 

• Lunches enroute

• Ranger guide

• Bottled drinking water

Tour Excludes;

• Accommodation facilities while in Kampala hotels

• Any optional or extra activity not involved in the itinerary

• Visas

• International flights

• Other personal expenses like buying of crafts, cigars, souvenirs, tips, laundry services, and drinks

Extra/Optional activities;

• Bird watching

• Sport fishing

• Trekking Chimpanzees in Budongo Forest -Kaniyo Pabidi Forest

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Lake Bunyonyi is found in the South Western part of Uganda lying between Kisoro and Kabale and is close to the Rwandan border. It is Uganda’s deepest lake with a varying depth between 44m and 900m, a width of 7km and 25km long. With this Lake Bunyonyi is also said to be the second deepest lake in Africa lying on an altitude of about 1962meters above sea level. The name Bunyonyi means “place of many little birds”. Commonly known for its fresh waters, moderate temperatures and ever changing climate that is mostly cool in the mornings and evenings, let alone the scenery that is characterized by the flourishing green terraced hills and the breathtaking 29 Islands that are scattered transversely in the central part of the water.

It is approximately a 7 hours’ drive from Kampala to Bunyonyi and around 2 hours if one is traveling from Kigali; Rwanda’s capital city. Lake Bunyonyi also appears on the Uganda’s fifty thousand shilling note. The Lake is among Uganda’s few lakes that are Bilharzia free and safe for swimming. While here there is a lot one can do and enjoy, in other words, Lake Bunyonyi is a place a tourist should not miss out on while on a Ugandan safari.

ACTIVITIES.

It is the ideal hideaway and there are thousands of things you ought to do besides ogling at the magnificent landscapes from the sloppy hilltops. Only be sure to spend a night or two because this exquisiteness cannot be restricted to just a day.

Bird watching

What is Bunyonyi without birds? The name alone, Bunyonyi, calls it a place of little birds. It has an enormous assemblage of bird species which makes bird watching a key activity. This lake is home to over 200 species of birds that have been recorded. Cruising into the Nyombi swamp will enable you to see a collection of assorted bird species. These comprise of the home based species as well as those that have crossed over from International borders particularly during winter seasons in those countries. Some of the birds you get to see include; the herons, weaver birds, the grey crowned cranes, egrets, Levillant Cuckoo and the Slender-lledbaglafetch among countless others.

Swimming

Putting aside the fact that Bunyonyi has fresh waters that are serene and lucid, it is also a lake free of Bilharzia; a human disease caused by parasitic worms, which makes the water safe for swimming. Another assuring advantage for the swimmers out there is that it is free of any kind of dangerous wildlife like the man eating crocodiles and hippopotamus. However, all good things come with a caution or even still, a price to pay especially to the inexperienced swimmers out there, beware of the depth lest you be trapped under.

Canoeing and boat rides

Another activity you can do is take time off to explore the Islands one by one, getting to know the story behind each one of them take for example the Akampene (Punishment Island) where the Kiga brought their unmarried girls whom they found pregnant, these would be forsaken and left for dead. You can make a selection of renting your own canoe or opting for a guided tour on a motorized and or non-motorized canoe. The choice is yours! Alternatively, the night rides are said to be more spectacular and fascinating for the reason that the waving waters, the alluring sound of the crickets and singing night-time birds make the journey nonetheless electrifying.

Community walks

There is beauty in knowing about a place but the true beauty is in getting to know about the people living there because these are the heartbeat of that place and who knows how life without them would be like. Check out the many settlements and get insights about the lifestyle and cultures of the locals who will probably be easy to identify by their kangas (multi-colored wear). What’s more, you can visit the Batwa, a tribe of pygmies who are the original inhabitants of the country. These survive on inviting tourists into their community because they are facing the consequences of dispossession of their land by the government to build the Echuya Forest Reserve. Here they get to perform traditional folk songs and dances for their guests.

Hiking and Nature walks

For the spectacular enthralling tranquil, local guides can be hired to lead you to explore through the highlands of Kigezi or even on the islands while on foot where you are sure to have yourself a stunning sight of the landscapes and a variety of wildlife like the zebras, monkeys, forest tree plantations and otters that can be spotted in the waters among others. You can also go hiking through the ancient Echuya Forest with an expert tour guide.

Cultural Heritage and Historical beliefs

You cannot say you have been to Bunyonyi if you haven’t found your way to any of the black smith sites. Here, you can have souvenirs made for you by the gifted locals who use it as a way to earn a living. Also get a chance to see the way the locals make their farm equipment from the hoes to the machetes and many more. In addition, you can get to stopover at the Bakiga Cultural Museum, a replica of a complete Bakiga homestead built in 2002 by Festo Karwemera a known elder of Kabale and a famous fighter for the language and culture of the Bakiga. There is also a village called Bufuka where tourists are welcome to experience the cultures of the Bakiga and the Batwa. While there, they can get to join in on the proceedings of the locals like weaving, dancing and singing. There are also some shrines and local medicine men on the hills of Kagalama that will further reveal to detail more about the historical beliefs of the local people.

Detailed Itinerary 

Day 1-Travel from Kampala to Lake Bunyonyi

Have breakfast at your hotel in Kampala and then set off to Southwestern Uganda for the lifetime experience in Lake Bunyonyi. Along the way stop over at the equator and take enough photos. Proceed to Mbarara town where you will have lunch before heading to Kabale. When you reach Kabale town, continue to Lake Bunyonyi in the evening.

Check in at the lodge of your choice, have dinner and an overnight.

Day 2- Tour around Lake Bunyonyi (Canoe/boat cruise, bird watching, sightseeing and community walks)

Have an early breakfast, and then visit the Abaheesi and Batwa communities, interact with them; it is surely a good time spent here. Have lunch at the resort and in the evening have a boat cruise on the lake where you will get chance to view various birds, beautiful landscape including some of the 29 islands. If you don’t go for a boat cruise you could opt for cycling around the area.

Return to the lodge, have dinner and have an overnight.

Day 3- Travel back to Kampala

Have breakfast, and have the last glance of the stunning landscape, you could also have a nature walk around the area. Then drive to Kampala stopping in Mbarara town for lunch. You will arrive in Kampala in the evening which marks the end of your tour around the beautiful lake Bunyonyi

End of Safari

Tour inclusions; Chimpanzee trekking permits, Transportation, Accommodation-Full board, English speaking tour guide/driver, all tour activities, Drinking water.

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SAFARI TO QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK (3 Days)

Tour overview 

Our 3-day Safari will take you to Uganda’s most visited National Park- Queen Elizabeth National Park found in the Western part of the country, approximately 376 km from Kampala, it covers an area 1,978 sq.km. It is classified with various ecosystems such as the dazzling lakes, Kazinga Channel, extensive savannah, humid forests and lush wetlands. The park is home to about 100 mammal species, around 606 bird species: you will see big numbers of antelopes, crocodiles, hippos, elephants, buffaloes during game drives through the park and on a boat cruise along the Kazinga channel which bisects the park. The park is also home to Climbing lions that are found in the Ishasha Sector, Chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge and also various birds and monkeys in the Maramagambo forest.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Travel from Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Wake up early, enjoy a morning breakfast from the hotel after which you will be picked from there by your guide at 6:30 am who will brief you and you embark on the 6 hours’ journey to Queen Elizabeth. Along the way you will have few stopovers at the Equator, here you will take enough photographs and in Mbarara town for your lunch. Thereafter proceed to the Park as you drive through the spectacular landscape characterized with open grasslands, Ankole long horned cattle, tea plantations, the Rift Valley Escarpment and various woodlands. Reach the park in late afternoon and have a game drive as you drive to your lodge. Have dinner and there spend an Overnight.

Meal Plan; Lunch &Dinner

Day 2: Morning Game drive and afternoon Boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel

Begin your day with a delicious cup of coffee/tea before getting on with the game drive on different trails in the park including that along the Kasenyi trail. Along the Kasenyi trail there is a great opportunity of seeing various animals like water bucks, Uganda Kobs, elephants, buffaloes, lions, warthogs as well as various birds. After the drive, go back and have breakfast and also lunch at your lodge. Later during the afternoon, you will take pleasure in cruising on a 2 hours’ boat cruise along Kazinga channel that connects Lake George and Lake Edward, while on the boat you will see a good number of animals like Hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, warthogs, elephants, kobs among others and also a collection of birds like the malachite kingfishers, pink backed pelicans, on the banks and in trees. Have Dinner and Overnight at your lodge.

Meal Plan; Breakfast, Lunch &Dinner

Day 3: Departure to Kampala

With the superb memories of the past two days, you will enjoy a heavy and tasty breakfast. Then check out of the lodge, you could choose to have a primate walk in the Park or not. Enjoy your lunch still along the way, also have a stopover at the equator or Mpambire drum Centre where you will see how drums are made by the locals and also be in position to buy some souvenirs, proceed to Kampala, where you will be dropped off at your hotel in the evening.

End of Safari 

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SAFARI TO MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK (3 Days)

Tour Summary

Our 3-Day Safari will bring you to Uganda’s largest park known as Murchison Falls National Park. Situated in Northwestern Uganda on an area of 3,840 sq. km, it was founded in 1926 as a game reserve. An open expanse of Savannah grasslands and the Victoria Nile, Murchison Falls is home to over 451 bird species: the Great blue Turaco, Goliath heron, the Shoebill, and the dwarf kingfisher; 76 mammal species, Nile crocodiles and the majestic Murchison Falls. You will have a choice to enjoy our Uganda safari game drives, a boat cruise along the Nile River or both.

Activities involved;

• Visit to      the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
• Game      drive
• Boat      cruise along the River Nile
• Visit      the top of the falls[TS1] 

Tour highlights

Day 1: Travel to Murchison Falls National Park

Day 2: Morning game drive and a boat cruise on the Nile

Day 3: Departure/Return to Kampala

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Travel to Murchison Falls National Park 

After an early breakfast, our driver guide will pick you up from your hotel at 7:00 am, he will also brief you about your 3 Days safari to Murchison falls and you will start your 6 hours journey to  Murchison Falls National park. You will go through the Luwero, and later have a stopover at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino tracking; here you will find both black and white rhinos.

After tracking have another stop in Masindi where you will have lunch, after lunch proceed to the park, after making payments for park entry drive towards the top of the falls, here along the way you will see various animals such as warthogs, baboons among others. Being at the top of the falls is an amazing experience as you will watch the magnificent falls squeezing through the rocks in an 8m gorge. Take as many photos as you can. Later drive to the lodge, relax the whole evening, have dinner and an overnight.

Meal Plan; Lunch and Dinner

Day 2: Morning game drive and a boat cruise along the Nile

On this day wake up early and have breakfast at 6:30 am, after your driver and the ranger guide will pick you up from the lodge to start your Game drive at 7:00 am. During the drive you will be in position to see very many animals such as lions, buffaloes, giraffes, elephants, antelopes, water bucks and birds among others. After the game drive at around 11:40 am, drive back to the lodge, relax/freshen up and have lunch as you prepare for the afternoon boat cruise.

On the boat you will be able to see various Nile crocodiles, hippos, buffaloes, elephants along the banks of the Nile as well as different beautiful birds some singing in the trees such as the bee eaters, the colored kingfishers, the shoe billed stork and many others. The boat ride will take you to the base/bottom of the Murchison Falls, when you reach here you will be able to see clearly the mighty waterfalls. You could opt to go for hiking to the top where you will meet your driver guide who will drive you back to the lodge. 

Have dinner and an Overnight.

Meal Plan; Full Board- Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3: Departure/Return to Kampala

Enjoy your breakfast; thereafter proceed for another Game drive in the morning on your way back to Kampala. It will be a great time as you look out for various animal species though most of them will be seen in the grasslands feeding such as buffaloes, elephants, giraffes, lions, antelopes, not forgetting a number of bird species. Leave the park, have a stop in Masindi for lunch and continue with the journey reaching Kampala in the evening.

Meal Plan; Breakfast and Lunch

END OF SAFARI

Tour Includes;

• An      English speaking full-time professional guide/driver 
• All  park entry fees
• Accommodation-      Full board while on safari
• Ziwa  Rhino trekking fees
• Transport   (in a 4 x 4 land cruiser)
• Boat  cruise fees
• Ferry crossings
• Touring      
• Lunches in route
• Ranger guide
• Bottled  drinking water

Tour Excludes;

• Accommodation facilities while in Kampala hotels
• Any  optional or extra activity not involved in the itinerary
• Visas
• International flights
• Other  personal expenses like buying of crafts, cigars, souvenirs, tips, laundry services, and drinks

Extra/Optional activities;

• Bird  watching
• Sport fishing
• Trekking Chimpanzees in Budongo Forest -Kaniyo Pabidi Forests