Unchartered Uganda

Duration: 13 days

Highlights: Kidepo Valley National Park, Kibale National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Jinja.

An itinerary that takes your guests to less traveled jewels in Uganda - Kidepo Valley National Park with the option of visiting Jinja - plus some of the more popular destinations including Bwindi and Kibale National Parks. 

Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrive Entebbe

You will arrive at Entebbe International Airport and after clearing customs and immigration formalities, you will be met by our representative and transferred to Protea Hotel for overnight.

The Protea Entebbe is located on the shores of beautiful Lake Victoria, giving its guests uninterrupted views across waters that stretch to distant horizons. Staying at Protea is delightfully easy; only five minutes from the international airport and close to several of the city’s most popular attractions. The views across Lake Victoria can be seen from almost all of the hotel’s 85 rooms – which include an executive, junior, and presidential suite. Guests can find plenty of space to relax at Protea too, either whilst having a drink on the terrace overlooking the lake, or dipping their toes into a swimming pool surrounded by well-manicured lawns. Those looking to burn off steam can always bench-press in the gym. The great service and food from the hotel’s trendy restaurant, Tides, further enhances guests’ experience at Protea, allowing them just to sit back and enjoy the view.

Overnight: Protea Entebbe

Meal Plan:

Day 2 - Fly to Kidepo National Park

Fly up to the remote Kidepo National Park. Arrive in time for lunch and an afternoon game drive.

The only lodge found within this pristine park, Apoka Lodge offers an exclusive experience second to none. Overlooking the Narus river, this lodge comprises ten expansive rooms with sitting areas, private balconies and even outdoor baths from where guests can view game at a distance. The swimming pool has been carved out of a big rock and is a great place to relax after a day in the bush.

Overnight: Apoka Lodge

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 3 & 4 - Kidepo National Park

After breakfast meet your driver guide at the hotel reception and go on a full day exploration of the park.

Kidepo Valley National Park is in the rugged, dry country between Uganda's borders with Kenya and the Sudan. Located in the northeast of Uganda, the park is sprawling savannah, dominated by the impressive massif of Mount Morungole and traversed by the Kidepo and Narus rivers.

Identified as a national park in 1962, Kidepo Valley is Uganda's most remote and least explored national park, but those who take the trouble, wrote one travel editor, 'are rewarded with phenomenal wildlife sightings and a level of exclusivity that can rarely be got at any cost in neighboring countries'. In 2016 Kidepo Valley National Park was listed by CNN as a world Best Destination and described as 'Africa as it used to be'.

Kidepo is home to almost 90 mammal species, 28 of which are not found in any other park in Uganda: striped hyena, aardwolf, caracal, cheetah, greater and lesser kudu, klipspringer, Bright’s gazelle and Chandler’s mountain reedbuck to name a few. The park is rich in birdlife - 475 species - and considered to have an outstanding population of birds of prey.

Overnight: Apoka Lodge

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 5 - Fly to Kibale National Park

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airstrip for your flight to the Kibale National Park. In the afternoon go for a walk around the crater or a swim in the crater lake.

It would be difficult to find a setting more unique than Kyaninga Lodge’s location; right on the edge of one of Uganda’s deepest crater lakes and at the foot of the Rwenzori Mountains. The lodge’s nine wooden cabins mimic the homely comfort and indulgence of ski chalets, yet juxtaposed against the African wilderness. Each is built of hand-carved logs and has a raised private deck so guests can appreciate the view within their own intimate space. The grounds of the Lodge are an extraordinary mix of the wild and the cultivated; guests can swim in the pool - paved with volcanic rock – or take a dip in Lake Kyaninga - one of the few lakes in Uganda where it is safe to swim. Guests can enjoy a game of tennis on the courts, of bowls on the lawn. From this fabulous setting, adventure awaits: tracking gorillas and hiking in the forests or kayaking on the river and watching the jungle slip by.

Overnight: Kyaninga Lodge

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 6 - Kibale National Park

Today you set out to track the habituated chimpanzees. This the highlight of visiting Kibale National Park and the habituated chimps are great fun to watch as they squabble and play in the trees. You can expect to see at least two or three other types of primates most probably the Grey-cheeked mangabey and Red-tailed monkey. Once you find the family you will have about an hour with them to observe their fascinating behavior.

Kibale National Park is an enchanting place and one of the most varied tracts of tropical forest in Uganda. At a little under 800 square kilometers (308 square miles) the park is a mix of lowland tropical rain forest, tropical deciduous forest and montane forest. All those trees means it's good monkey country: Kibale is famous for its thirteen resident primates including chimps, L'Hoest's monkeys with their white neck ruffs, Black and White colobus, Grey Cheeked Mangabeys and red colubus whose copper coloured backs gleam in the sunshine; the Forest is the last place in Uganda where large concentrations of Red Colobus can be found.

Overnight: Kyaninga Lodge

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 7 - Fly to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

You will catch the morning flight to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and arrive Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp in time for lunch.

The gloriously named Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is aptly named: 'bwindi' means darkness and this densely tangled green wilderness is deeply shaded, steeply rising - the elevation soars from just over 1 000 meters to almost 3 000 - and so rugged and tightly packed, that it's only accessible on foot. Located in south-western Uganda, it is one of the richest, oldest and most diverse rainforests in the region, 25 000 years old boasting over 400 plant species. Within its 330 square kilometers (127 square miles) live 120 species of mammals, 348 species of birds, and 220 species of butterflies.

In the afternoon you may have the time to head out on a community walk which will give you real feel for the singular nature of this place. Walk through tea plantations, have a go at brewing local banana beer, visit the local hospital and speak to the traditional medicine man and then cap it all off with a dance performance by the Batwa pygmies. On the way you could also experience some of the AK Philanthropy Projects which includes the Bwindi Community Hospital & Nursing School, the Ebenezer Primary School and the Women’s Bicycle Enterprise.

Overnight: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 8 - Gorilla Tracking

After an early breakfast this morning, you will receive a briefing from your gorilla tracking guide. Tracking commences every morning from the park headquarters at 8:30.

The gorillas you will track belong to one of the 'habituated' family groups in Northern Bwindi. For several years each group has undergone an extremely delicate process that has gradually made them used to the presence of humans. Experienced guides will accompany the tracking, many of whom have been involved in the habituation process themselves. Once the gorillas are located, the group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. A look into the deep and expressive brown eyes of these giants is surely one of the most unforgettable wildlife encounters that Africa has to offer.

Bwindi is home to over 400 mountain gorillas - half the world's population - some habituated so guests can observe them: standing quietly aside, you can watch these enormous animals getting on with the business of living: feeding, playing, watching you back. They aren't the only primates, they share the forest with almost a dozen other species including chimpanzees.

Overnight: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 9 - Gorilla Tracking

Today you can either choose to go on a second gorilla track or you can opt for one of the other activities available in the area.

One option is a full learning about the Batwa Pygmy Tribe on a full day excursion into the forest.

Bwindi National Park is home to mountain gorillas, diverse flora, and amazing birdlife. But people don't often know that it has been the home to the Batwa pygmies for many years. They have been described as the original 'keepers of the forest'. In 2001, the lives of the Batwa people changed forever when the forest became a national park and world heritage site to protect the endangered mountain gorillas. The Batwa people were evicted from the park and became refugees. Their life skills were not useful in the modern world and they began to suffer. As a result, in 2001, medical missionaries Dr. Scott and Carol Kellermann came to their aid to establish programs that improved the conditions and lives of the Batwa people. These projects are now managed and operated by the Batwa Development Program (BDP). Visitors of the forest can learn about their rich heritage and culture by hiking with a Batwa guide, visiting their homestead, and learning about their hunting techniques.

Or you could take a bird walk. Bwindi boasts over 300 bird species, including 24 that are endemic to these highlands straddling Uganda, Rwanda and the Congo – the “Albertine Rift Endemics”. There are also over 200 species of butterflies found in the park. A local expert will guide you on this fascinating walk.

Overnight: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 10 - Fly to Entebbe

Fly back to Entebbe and a day room has been booked to freshen up before the flight.

OPTIONAL EXTENSION: You will drive from Entebbe to Jinja which is at the confluence of the Nile River and Lake Victoria. Arrive in the afternoon in time for sundowners and dinner.

Jinja Town is best known as the source of the mighty Nile, the world’s longest river, which winds its way through Uganda, Sudan and Egypt before disgorging its waters into the Mediterranean Sea. In recent times however the town has come to be recognized as one of the best white-water rafting locations in the world. Apart from rafting, guests can also go bungee jumping, horse riding and quad biking.

Overnight: Wildwaters Lodge

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 11 & 12 - Jinja

Jinja is all about adventure and you have the next two days to experience it all!

Jinja is home to the source of the Nile and true adventure starts with white water rafting down this immense body of water. Rafting is available year-round (with the water temperature staying a comfortable 27°C degrees). The Nile rapids are graded, giving guests the opportunity to select how calm / adventurous they would like to be when rafting down the Nile. Choose between half or full day rafting trips based on your level of comfort. Our commitment to quality and safety will ensure guests have an experience of a lifetime. You won’t be disappointed in this activity if adventure is what you truly seek.

In the afternoons you can relax and enjoy the wonderful lodge facilities, or you can explore the surrounding area on ATV’s / quadbikes. This activity gives you the best opportunity to explore Ugandan rural life. No previous experience driving a vehicle is necessary. Quad biking can run between one to four hours depending on your preference. One important tip that must be noted is that this activity is for those who aren't afraid to get dirty as red soil and mud is part of the terrain. Trips are tailored to suit the riders' needs to provide the best possible adventure during your stay in Jinja!

Overnight: Wild Waters Lodge

Meal Plan: B,L,D

Day 13 - Depart

After breakfast, you will drive back to Entebbe and catch your international flight home.

Overnight:

Meal Plan: B