Murchison Falls is best described as the “jewel in Uganda’s crown”! Enjoy the game drives, the Rhino Sanctuary, boat rides, see pods of hippo, crocodiles, vast numbers of exotic birds and butterflies and myriad wildlife coming to the water to drink. View the awesome falls and experience massive rush of the waters and its thunder. The green and shady Kibale forest in the spectacular Great Rift Valley is the setting for chimpanzee tracking. The forest hosts 12 primate species, tropical birds and butterflies. Marvel at the over 300 bird species and different kinds of butterflies. Watch the chimpanzees play in the forest canopy. Head out for big game viewing in crater-dotted foothills beneath the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains, looking for elephants, lions, leopards, and the Kob, “Uganda's special antelope”.
Day 1
Arrive at the Entebbe International airport where you will be welcomed by your Equatorial Wild safaris guide and transferred by private vehicle to Murchison Falls. Drive through the famous Luwero triangle. Take a stop over at Masindi hotel for lunch. We will continue through the park stopping at the top of the falls which is a fantastic sight. Here the Nile, the longest river in the world, is forced through a narrow gap in the rock (only 7 meters wide), before ferociously plunging down 43 meters. From here we will continue on, taking a ferry across the river to Paraa Safari Lodge. Game viewing on the way is very good; look out for hippos, elephants, buffalos and many other animals, seen grazing on the banks of the river.
Dinner and overnight (Budget, medium and Luxury accommodation available)
Day 2
After breakfast, we will go for a morning Chimpanzee tracking in Kaniyo Pabidi Forest. This is an undisturbed area of natural forest within Budongo Forest Reserve where you can walk beneath mature mahogany and iron wood trees. Chimpanzee tracking is the most famous activity. You will certainly see many forest birds, including the chocolates-backed Kingfisher, the white-thigh hornbill and puvel's illadopsis found nowhere else in East Africa.
We will drive back to the lodge for lunch before taking an afternoon boat trip to the foot of Murchison Falls. This boat trip along the Nile is often cited as being the highlight of a trip to Murchison since it allows you to get up-close and personal with the animals. Along this stretch of the river, there are reported to be around 4,000 hippos in addition to some enormous Nile crocodiles. The bird life is stunning with brightly colored kingfishers and bee-eaters darting along the riverbanks. If lucky, you may see the rare and prehistoric looking shoebill, which is a cross between the dodo and a dinosaur! The boat takes you to the base of the falls which only adds to their impressiveness. You will be back at the campsite/ lodge to rest before the dawn of a new day.
Day 3
After break fast, we will depart with our packed lunch to Kibale National park. We will pass close to Lake Albert. On a clear day, the view on the top of the Albert rift is spectacular. We will arrive at Fort portal town in the late afternoon. Tonight you will sleep in Kibale Primate Lodge or Ndali Lodge or Rwenzori View guest house prior to your chimpanzee tracking in the morning.
Dinner and overnight (Budget, medium and Luxury accommodation available)
Day 4
A relatively early morning start, to report to the ranger station in Kibale National Park at 08.00am to track habituated chimps – these delightful apes, more closely related to humans than to any other living creature, are tremendous fun to watch as they squabble and play in fruiting trees. The incredibly diverse forest is home to over 13 species of primates including red Colobus monkey, the rare L’Hoest, blue monkey, grey mangabey, pottos, black faced vervet monkeys, baboons and also bushbabies. A network of shady forest trails provides much to delight botanists and butterfly lovers, while birders are in for a treat with 335 species recorded including the endemic Prirogrine’s ground thrush. The elusive forest elephant, smaller and hairier that its savannah counterpart, moves seasonally into the developed part of the park, while other terrestrial mammals include buffalo, giant forest hog and a half dozen antelope species.
After this wonderful experience, we will depart to Kampala arriving in the late evening.
Day 5 Departure
After breakfast, depending on your departure time, your Equatorial Wild Safaris guide will pick you up from your hotel and transfer you to Entebbe International Airport to arrive just in time for your scheduled flight.
Rates will Include:
One Chimpanzee tracking permit per person, airport transfers, itinerary meals and accommodation, transportation, water, coffee or tea while on safari, park entrance fees, services of an English speaking driver/guide, boat trips, game drives, other itinerary activities and any government taxies/levies.
Rates will exclude:
Air fare, Bar Bills, Phone calls, Personal insurance, Laundry and other services of personal nature and driver’s/guide’s tips.
Note: Safaris / Holidays can be arranged for any number of people above six.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for rates, tailor made safaris and general inquires.
Yours- EWS Team
