Day 1: Arrival in Uganda
You arrive at Entebbe airport, located on a peninsula that juts out into the largest fresh-water lake in Africa, where a representative/guide from Uzuri Uganda Safaris will welcome you and transfer you to either Eureka Place Hotel for Budget, Cassia Lodge for Mid-range/Luxury in Kampala for overnight stay.
Meal Plan: No meals inclusive
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
After breakfast, at 8.00am, you depart Kampala headed to Murchison Falls National Park via the Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary where rhinos that got wiped out in the Ugandan wild are being bred before they are re-introduced back in the Uganda national parks. When you arrive at the Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary, a guide and armed rangers will guide you to where the rhinos are. Once you have spotted the rhinos, you will stay in their presence for a while. You will enjoy lunch within the Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary after, which you will return to your vehicle to complete your transfer to Murchison Falls National Park. On arrival, you will check-in at either Red Chilli Rest Camp for Budget, Murchison River Lodge for Mid-range and Paara Safari Lodge for Luxury.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3: Game Drive + boat safari to bottom of falls
Up at 6.00am, enjoy breakfast and head out for a game drive for a chance to view the glorious day-break from across the open savannah, birds and dotted woodland as well as riverine vegetation along the Nile. As you explore the park, you will also be able to see game ranging from lion, buffalo, elephant, the endangered Rothschild giraffes, antelope and a lot more. At between 10 -11 am, you will return to the lodge for relaxation. After lunch, at 2.00pm, you will head out for the boat launch to the bottom of the powerful Murchison Falls. This three-hour boat cruise where you get to see huge numbers of Nile crocodiles, hippos, birds and other animals that come to the river for a drink climaxes at the edge of the rift valley escarpment at which point you will get off the boat and trek (there are steps that lead up to the top) to the top of the falls (wear sports shoes while on the boat for ease of trekking to the top). Having worked up a sweat, once at the top, get bathed in the misty spray that the Nile creates as it forces itself into the 7-metre cleft to create the famous Murchison Falls. Your guide will be waiting up top to transfer you back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Chimps in Budongo & drive to Gulu
After your breakfast this morning, head to Budongo Forest Reserve, part of the Murchison Falls National Park conservation area, for chimpanzee tracking/trekking. Wear your light hiking shoes/boots and long trousers/shirts/blouses. You will be taken on a guided walk in search of the habituated chimpanzee family. Carry your binoculars and also look out for some birds as Budongo is a critical birding place for the Uganda birding safaris. After your chimpanzee trek, you commence your transfer to Gulu town for an overnight stay with lunch en route. Dinner and overnight at Gulu Churchill Courts Hotel.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Drive to Kidepo Valley National Park
After breakfast you will head to Kidepo Valley National park via Kitgum town. On arrival you will check into the new Kidepo Savannah Lodge. After check-in, you will have lunch and rest. At about 5pm, you will head out on an evening game drive along the Narus River Valley. The valley is a rolling grassland plain enclosed by distant mountains. The valley has permanent water, and for much of the year the park’s wildlife drinks here. On this drive, you will view Elephants, herds of Buffaloes, Jackals, and Jackson’s Hartebeest, Klipspringer and Lions plus many other mammals. Later return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6: Morning and Evening Game Drives
You will wake up to nature’s sounds and given the remoteness of the park, count on hearing the sounds of an authentic African morning. You will take a sunrise game-drive in and around Apoka Valley. You will then return to the lodge for breakfast after which you will embark on a mid-morning game-adventure that will take you to the Kanangorok hot springs. Here, the so-called Big Five can be seen wandering around including Ostrich. The semi-arid section of the park is home to hot springs and the majestic Ostriches. This section also commands amazing scenery with savannah grassland and mountains from across the South Sudan border in the distance. Return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, you can relax and wait for the sun to go down. In the evening, you can opt for a walk with an armed ranger guide near your accommodation or stay-in and see the sun set across the mountainous backdrop. Dinner and overnight at Kidepo Savannah Lodge.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7: Community visit with the Karamajong people
After breakfast, with your packed lunch, you will visit the Lorokul Cultural Group and explore the fascinating, ancient culture of the Karamojong. You will also visit the traditional homesteads (Manyaata) of the Karamojong to sample local dishes and hear stories of this remote tribe that has just started accepting traits of modernism. After interacting with the locals and learning a few things about this cattle-keeper people, you will return to your lodge where you have the rest of the day to yourself. In the evening, you can choose to stay relaxed at the lodge or go out for an evening game drive. Dinner and overnight at Kidepo Savannah Lodge.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8: Drive to Gulu
This morning, after your breakfast you bid farewell to Kidepo Valley National Park and drive to Gulu. You arrive in Gulu in the middle of the day and check-in at Gulu Churchill Courts Hotel. You will enjoy lunch and have the rest of the day to yourself.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9: Visit Fort Patiko
Also known as explorer Sir Samuel Baker’s fort, Fort Patiko is located about 40 kilometres north of Gulu town. Patiko is a beauty – mountains and hills grace the place that was born out of slave trade in the 1800s by Arab slave traders. Take a tour of the place and listen to the Fort’s gruesome past. Slaves were a key trading item for the Arabs and were captured from northern Uganda, Gondokoro in Sudan and other areas. Ocecu Hill, where the fort is located became a sorting ground for slaves. Healthy-looking ones were forced to trek from Patiko, through Sudan across the Red Sea and sold in Egypt. Later, return to Gulu Churchill Courts Hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Drive to Entebbe & Departure
Wake up at leisure and enjoy your breakfast. After breakfast, check-out and commence your drive to Entebbe via Kampala. You will have lunch en-route. Depending on the time of your flight out of Uganda, you can make a stop at the African Crafts Village in Kampala for a chance to buy some crafts, coffee and a souvenir. After, you will continue to Entebbe – arriving in time for you to check-in for your flight home.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch
Package Includes:
- Accommodation in standard rooms as described above (or similar) according to the option chosen
- On the ground transport and game-drives in a 4×4 Safari land cruiser with pop-up roofs
- Game-drives, excursions and sight-seeing activities (if any) as described above
- Activities (if any) as outlined in detailed itinerary
- Transfers as indicated in the itinerary
- Meals as indicated in the itinerary
- Services of an English speaking driver guide
- Relevant park entrance fees
- Chimpanzee Permits
- Bottled water whilst on safari (One-litre per person per day)
Not included:
- Personal expenses such travel and medical insurance, excess baggage fee, communication charges that include, emails, faxes and phone calls beverages including water, soft drinks luxury champagne, spirits or meals not included in the itinerary
- Gratuity for Porterage / waiters at hotels, camps and airports
- Gratuity for your professional driver guide
- Cost of obtaining Visas ($50)
- Any optional tours or excursions not mentioned in the itinerary
- Travel Insurance
- International or domestic airfare unless specified above
