9 Day Fly-In Uganda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari Adventure

Upon arrival in Uganda at Entebbe International Airport, located on a peninsula that juts out into Lake Victoria, Africa’s biggest fresh water lake, you will be welcomed and greeted by your driver/guide. He will be standing at the Arrivals Hall holding a placard with your name so you cannot miss him. You will then be transferred to the hotel/ guest house you have chosen and check-in for dinner and overnight stay. Your driver/ guide will brief you about your safari at some stage (either before dinner or first thing after breakfast the next day).

For those that arrive early in the day – there are optional activities around Entebbe especially if you intend to stay active and not rest after long overseas flights. You can visit the Entebbe Botanical Gardens or head out to trawl Mabamba bay for a chance to see the prehistoric and mythical shoebill. Or, your guide will be on hand to take you to the local markets or one of the malls to shop for some essentials.

After breakfast, a representative from the hotel will be at hand to transfer you to the airport for your morning Aerolink flight to either Kihihi or Kisoro airstrips in the vicinity of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park/Mgahinga Gorilla National Park – the home of the Mountain Gorillas. At the airstrip (Kihihi or Kisoro), you will be received by your driver/guide. From the airstrip, you will be transferred to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. On arrival, you will check-in at the lodge you have chosen and can have a late lunch. To prepare best for the thrilling gorilla trekking experience tomorrow, it’s advisable to have the rest of the day to yourselves as you rest and relax from all the flying. At dinner, your guide will give you a detailed brief on what to expect and what tomorrow will look like.

After breakfast, with your packed lunch, lots of water in your rucksack, your guide will take you to the Buhoma sector HQ before 8:00am for registration and briefing by Uganda Wildlife Authority staff. Once the formalities of what to do and not to do while tracking the gentle giants are communicated, you will head to the trail-head of the gorilla family you have been allocated. At the trail-head, you will commence the trek, pushing your way through the undergrowth, to track the gorillas. (the trek can last from half an hour to 8 hours – a reasonable degree of fitness is required as well as a sturdy pair of walking shoes). When you finally locate the family that you are tracking, take in everything as you watch the gorillas go about their day – feeding on the green leaves, bamboo shoots, wild celery, stinging nettle and wild fruit. If there are juvenile gorillas, enjoy them play about and take it all in. Take lots of pictures (and a selfie if you happen to have a gorilla in your selfie frame) and video as the one-hour will be over before you know it. It is an extraordinary feeling being in the presence of these majestic apes, sitting/standing in the dense rainforest with the knowledge that you are in the presence of the few remaining wild mountain gorillas. After the mandatory one hour is up, the rangers will lead you back to the starting point/trail-head where you will find your driver/guide. Once back at the trail-head, your driver/guide will be waiting to take you back to the park HQ where you receive your tracking certificates (evidence of your contribution to the conservation of the majestic gorillas). From here, you will be taken back to your lodge for a hot lunch. After lunch, relax and you have the rest of the day to yourselves. Now is a good time to look back on your awe-inspiring encounter with the gorillas through the lens of your camera. Later, dinner and overnight at the lodge.

What to bring for gorilla tracking/trekking: light but sturdy hiking shoes, light rain jacket, daypack, 2 litres of water, gardening gloves, long trousers either jeans/khakis, long-sleeved shirt/blouse, wide-brimmed hat, sun glasses, insect repellent and an energy bar.

Optional Activities: Meet the Batwa pygmies in a cultural experience

After breakfast, commence the drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Ishasha sector. On arrival in the Ishasha sector, go on a game drive in the evening to explore the area. On the drive, keep your gaze trained on the horizon as you search for the iconic tree-climbing lions that inhabit this unique region. If you are lucky to find them, marvel at the sight of these majestic predators perched atop ancient sycamore fig trees or acacia trees, surveying their kingdom with regal poise. There are about 4 Prides of lions in the area numbering more than 40 in total. Look out for the males with their black mane, which is a notable attribute. Also, there are about 1000+ elephants present in the area and you normally see large herds. There are Topi (savannah relatives of the world-famous Wildebeest) and Uganda Kob antelopes in large numbers. The drive is a fantastic opportunity to take lots of pictures. After you have explored Ishasha, you will continue your drive to arrive in Mweya – the northern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. You check-in at the lodge you have chosen. Later, dinner and overnight stay.

Begin your day with the anticipation of thrilling wildlife encounters as you embark on a morning game drive through the picturesque landscapes of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Wake up early to savor a hearty breakfast or opt to take it on the go as you venture into the Kasenyi track, renowned for its rich biodiversity. In this open savannah, keep your eyes peeled for sightings of buffaloes, majestic lions, graceful elephants, and a myriad of avian species that call this park home.

Queen Elizabeth National Park stands out for its lush greenery, even during the dry season, a testament to its unique landscape shaped by ancient volcanic activity. Traverse through this remarkable terrain, marveling at the vast crater lakes, sprawling grasslands, and dense woodlands that dot the park.

After the guided morning game drive, return to your lodge for a hot lunch. After, you will embark on a boat cruise along the Kazinga channel – a major highlight of the safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The channel is a natural waterway, linking lakes Edward and George. It boasts one of Africa’s highest concentrations of hippos (there are 1,500 hippos found along the channel), providing a mesmerizing spectacle of these aquatic giants. Glide along the tranquil waters, accompanied by the symphony of birdcalls and the occasional splash of a crocodile, as you soak in the serene beauty of the surroundings. On the boat cruise, hippos frolic and yawn wide, elephants and buffalo drink their fill at the channel’s banks. The boat trip is a front-row seat to nature’s spectacle. The boat cruise promises to be a highlight of your journey, offering unparalleled opportunities for wildlife viewing and birdwatching. From the boat cruise, if time allows continue on an evening game drive culminating into a return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast, depart for the Kihihi airstrip from where you will fly back to Entebbe Airport on an 8.25am flight – arriving back at Entebbe in the mid-morning (11.25am). At Entebbe, connect to the onward flight to Murchison Falls National Park. Your flight departs at 12.00midday and arrives at 13.15Hrs. On arrival, your driver/guide will welcome you and transfer you to Paraa Safari Lodge. You check-in and enjoy lunch. After lunch, you can relax ahead of a night game drive. At 6.00pm, you enjoy an early dinner. After dinner, head out for a night game drive – lasting 3-hours. When night falls on the savannah plains, it’s a whole other wild affair as a whole new set of animals take over the action. Big cat action is in overdrive at this time. Also, experience the sounds of the African bush after dark as crickets chirp, strange noises come out of thickets and night howlers make their calls. This drive packs a punch most of the times as the park really comes alive with Lions, leopards, civets, genet, hyenas all stalk prey. Other animals out on a night include bush babies, porcupines, hippos (they tend to feed at night), night jar. For the night game rive in Murchison Falls, you see incredible moonlight views on the Albert-Nile among other night wonders. After what we believe will have been an experience that will live with you for a long time, you will return to Paraa Safari Lodge for overnight stay.

Game in Murchison Falls National Park is among the best in Uganda, garnished with wonderful birdlife that makes the park a wildlife and birders’ paradise. The park is home to 76 mammal species including herds of buffalo, elephants that are scattered in the savannah woodland areas. The park is also home to a good number of camouflage leopards as well as a good number of lion prides. The park is also known for the endangered Rothschild’s Giraffe. On the Nile’s banks and in the pools, you find hippos and crocodiles. Today, rise as the African sun rises and head out for a game drive – view the glorious day-break from across the open savannah, birds and dotted woodland as well as riverine vegetation along the Nile. You explore the area and are in search for game ranging from lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, giraffes and marvel at the graceful grazers like oribi, Jackson’s hartebeest, bushbuck and a lot of antelopes. Back at the lodge, enjoy lunch and then head out for one of Uganda’s under-stated adventures – a 3-hour boat trip on the Nile to the bottom of the powerful Murchison Falls. On the banks of the Nile, be on the look-out for hundreds of hippos, sunbathing crocodiles and prolific birdlife dotting the shore and atop the trees. At the climax, see and experience the mighty River Nile explode through a narrow gorge, plunging 40 metres below in a thunderous cascade. The climax is at the edge of the rift valley escarpment at which point you will get off the boat and trek 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 create 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 night stay.

Optional Activities: Boat trip to the Delta

After lunch, you go in search of the habituated chimpanzee family that calls this forest home. It is a large family and you will encounter them either atop trees or on the ground. Your guide will explain to you more about the animals and plant species that you encounter on your way. Also, look out for other primates like the Black and White Colobus Monkeys, Red-tailed Monkeys, different types of birds etc. Chimp tracking can be experienced daily with two viewing times per day – so you will take the afternoon slot. The walk in search of the chimps takes 2 to 4 hours, depending on their movement. Once you find the chimps, you will stay in their presence for one hour as you watch them feed, play and groom one another. Once the hour is up, you will come back to the starting point where your driver/guide will be waiting to return to Paraa where you check-in at Paraa Safari Lodge. At the lodge, refresh and enjoy an early dinner. After dinner, head out for a night game drive – lasting 3-hours. When night falls on the savannah plains, it’s a whole other wild affair as a whole new set of animals take over the action. Big cat action is in overdrive at this time. Also, experience the sounds of the African bush after dark as crickets chirp, strange noises come out of thickets and night howlers make their calls. This drive packs a punch most of the times as the park really comes alive with Lions, leopards, civets, genet, hyenas all stalk prey. Other animals out on a night include bush babies, porcupines, hippos (they tend to feed at night), night jar. For the night game rive in Murchison Falls, you see incredible moonlight views on the Albert-Nile among other night wonders. After what we believe will have been an experience that will live with you for a long time, you will return to Paraa Safari Lodge for overnight stay.

After breakfast this morning, check-out at the lodge and visit the top of Murchison Falls where the Nile creates a misty spray and rainbows as it falls over an escarpment/ gorge – forcing itself into a 7-metre cleft to create the famous falls. Take your time by taking lots of Instagram moments as the views are incredible. At the appropriate time, you will start for Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary where you will track the endangered white rhinoceros. The rhino sanctuary is not part of Murchison Falls National Park but can easily be visited on the way to or from Murchison Falls National Park. You witness the remarkable efforts of conservationists to protect and rehabilitate these majestic creatures. Once abundant in Uganda’s wild places, rhinos faced a dire threat from poaching and were wiped out. The sanctuary is a project aimed at their rebirth and so far it is a success. At Zziwa you will stretch your legs on a nature walk to go find the rhinos in the company of a guide and armed ranger. Once you encounter these endangered White rhinos, view them at close quarters (as close as the rangers will allow) and can take photos and videos to your fill. You are able to walk from one group of rhinos to the next in the open spaces of the sanctuary. When you spot the rhinos, you will stay in their presence experiencing them. After an enlightening encounter with rhinos, enjoy lunch somewhere en-route and continue to Entebbe. You should be in Entebbe by 16.00Hrs. If you are checking-in for your international flight home right away, you are dropped off at the airport in time for you to check-in. If your flight is later this evening, a Day Room will have been arranged for you at one of our partner Guest Houses in Entebbe for you to refresh and repack ahead of your check-in. At the appropriate time, you will be dropped off at the airport in time for you to check-in for your onward flight home to bring to an end what we believe will have been a wonderful game and apes safari in Uganda – whose memories will live with you for a long time.