Gorillas & The Nile Savannah
Fly-in to Murchison Falls National Park to track chimps in Budongo Forest & explore the mighty river Nile on a water safari! Then fly-in to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to trek through pristine rainforest & track mountain gorillas as they forage, play & socialise in a close-knit family group!
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Itinerary - Gorillas & The Nile Savannah [TACP2-004]
Day One
Welcome to the Nile
Take to the skies and fly from Kajjansi airfield to fly to Pakuba airstrip.
Estimated journey time: 1 hr
Explore the Buligi game tracks which crisscross the savannah between the branches of the Victoria and Albert Nile in the northern sector of the park. These game circuits offer the highest density of wildlife viewing anywhere in the park. The landscape in the park is stunning offering views over the savannah, as you wind your way through Acacia scrub and grasslands dotted with palm trees. Your driver guide will help you track down specific wildlife such as Rothschild giraffes, lions, hippos, elephants, herds of buffalo, Jackson’s hartebeest, bushbucks, Uganda kob, warthog, waterbuck and if you're lucky, you'll spot the elusive leopard. Towards the end of your game drive you’ll be able to stop off at the hippo pool on the Victoria Nile delta where you’ll see the hippos wallowing in the shallows and calling to each other across the water.
Estimated excursion time: 3 hrs.
Once the heat of the day recedes, unwind on a water safari to the thundering base of Murchison Falls waterfall. Complete with a selection of sundowner drinks and snacks, this is the perfect way to relax on the river Nile! Also known as Kabalega Falls, this waterfall is the most iconic feature in the park and the river cruise offers fantastic wildlife viewing. As you meander upstream you’ll search for buffalo, waterbuck, elephants and Uganda kob, which can also be viewed cooling off on the riverbanks. A multitude of birds can be spotted including the Red-throated and Northern-carmine Bee-eaters nesting on the Nyamusika cliffs, treating you to an aerobatic performance and colourful display. On reaching the base of the falls you’ll marvel at the spectacle of the White Nile surging through a 7 metre wide gap in the rock face, cutting through Fajao Gorge and falling 43 meters into the river below. Before cruising back downstream with the glow of the sunset lighting up the surrounding savannah landscape, with the sounds of hippo calls echoing across the river.
Estimated excursion time: 3 hrs
Meals included: Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Murchison River Lodge, thatched cottage.
Day Two
Chimpanzee Tracking
Drive from Murchison Falls National Park to Budongo Forest.
Estimated journey time: 1 hr 30 mins.
Today you will be tracking the chimps in Kaniyo-Pabidi, part of the larger Budongo Forest reserve located in the southern sector of Murchison Falls National Park. This is one of the largest natural rainforests still surviving in Uganda, which covers 825 square km in total. This is thanks to its protection as a royal hunting forest by the King of Bunyoro, until it was gazetted as a reserve in 1932 from when the National Forest Authority has continued its protection. The forest is still home to a vast range of species such as the 280 butterfly varieties, 9 species of mammals and 465 species of plants, including the Mahogany trees which can grow up to 80 meters in height. Of course the forest is also home to nine species of primate, so watch out for the grey-cheeked mangabeys, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys and olive baboons, on your trek through the rainforest. You will begin your tracking by meeting your ranger / guide for a briefing on tracking the chimpanzees in the rainforest at the forest trailhead. You will then enter the forest along a maintained network of paths. This rainforest is home to more than 600 chimps, of which a family of 80 individuals has been habituated to allow tourism visits, with an 80% successful tracking rate. Depending on where the chimps are, you should take around three hours to complete the tracking, allowing a 1 hour walk into and then out of the forest. Once you've found the group amongst the dense rainforest, spend an intimate hour with them, watching them play, eat, socialise and display their prowess. After spending your time observing the chimpanzee family you will make your way back out of the rainforest to meet your driver / guide.
Estimated excursion time: 2-3 hrs.
Drive from Budongo Forest to Murchison Falls National Park.
Estimated journey time: 1 hr 30 mins.
Explore the Buligi game tracks which crisscross the savannah between the branches of the Victoria and Albert Nile in the northern sector of the park. These game circuits offer the highest density of wildlife viewing anywhere in the park. The landscape in the park is stunning offering views over the savannah, as you wind your way through Acacia scrub and grasslands dotted with palm trees. Your driver guide will help you track down specific wildlife such as Rothschild giraffes, lions, hippos, elephants, herds of buffalo, Jackson’s hartebeest, bushbucks, Uganda kob, warthog, waterbuck and if you're lucky, you'll spot the elusive leopard. Towards the end of your game drive you’ll be able to stop off at the hippo pool on the Victoria Nile delta where you’ll see the hippos wallowing in the shallows and calling to each other across the water.
Estimated excursion time: 3 hrs.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Murchison River Lodge, thatched cottage.
Day Three
Meet the Locals
Take to the skies from the Pakuba airstrip to fly to Kihihi airstrip.
Estimated journey time: 1 hr 50 mins to 2 hrs 10 mins.
Transfer from Kihihi town to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Estimated journey time: 1hr 30 mins.
Meet up with your guide to explore the area around Buhoma village. You’ll be visiting some of the local handicraft shops where the local craftspeople are making a variety of crafts including fabrics, beeswax candles and hand carved wooden ornaments, a great place to pick up an authentic souvenir from your travels. Your guide can help with what is authentic. You will then walk on to meet the neighbouring community of Batwa where they’ll give you a demonstration of traditional songs and dances, giving you an insight into their former life in the rainforests and glimpse into their culture. You will meet other local residents of Buhoma including a traditional healer who will share with you their secret use of medicinal plants and learn how the locally produced bananas are used to make a variety of juices, gins and beers, you can even try and taste if you choose.
Estimated excursion time: 3 hrs
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Mahogany Springs Lodge, deluxe suite.
Day Four
Gorillas in the Mist
Experience Uganda’s greatest natural wonder, an intimate meeting with one of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’s gorilla families! Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is an incredibly important conservation site as it protects around 460 mountain gorillas, roughly half of the population left in the wild. Dating back over 25,000 years, Bwindi is one of Uganda’s most biologically diverse and most ancient rainforests, with an amazing 400 species of plants present and 350 species of birds, including 23 Rift Valley endemic species recorded. The rangers accompanying you will be able to identify the local plants, birds and wildlife as well as the general ecosystem of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park as you trek. This morning you will rise early and your driver / guide will escort you to the trailhead into the rainforest. Here you will receive an orientation on tracking the gorillas from the Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers who will then guide you through the dense forest. The trek length varies, depending on where the gorillas spent the night, ranging from thirty minutes to seven hours. Once you find these incredible creatures you will spend one hour with them. We think you’ll agree - to experience this unique family feed, socialise, nurse their young, patrol and display their prowess - is the most magical experience you can see in nature. After tracking you will make your way back to the edge of the rainforest where you’ll meet your driver guide.
Estimated excursion time: 2 - 8 hrs (including 1 hr viewing).
Unwind in comfort at your upmarket lodge, with views towards the rainforest and mosaic of farmland spreading out from the park boundaries. Take a stroll through tropical gardens to spot birds and monkeys, find a quiet spot to relax by the rushing river waters, enjoy a drink on the lodges terrace, or relax your body with a massage from the onsite masseuse.
Estimated excursion time: Remainder of the day.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Mahogany Springs, deluxe suite.
Day Five
Journey Home
Drive from Buhoma, Bwindi Impenetrable NP to Kihihi airstrip.
Estimated journey time: 1 hr 30 mins.
Take to the skies and fly from Kihihi airstrip to Kajjansi airfield.
Estimated journey time: 1 hr 20 mins.
Meals included: Breakfast, Packed Lunch.
Accommodation: Not included.
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