Tour Ref: TOU\GC004
No. of days: 12
Departure: Daily
No. of Participants: Minimum of 1 pax
Transport: 4-wheel-drive Safari Toyota Land Cruiser/Super custom/Vans
Driver/Guide: English Speaking
Trip Summary
Day 1 Arrival – Lake Mburo National Park-Boat Ride
Day 2 Lake Mburo Game Drive-Evening Walking Safari in the park
Day 3: Morning Horse Ride in the Park and later transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
DAY 4: Boat Ride, Pygmy and Birding
Day 5: Canoeing and Hiking around Lake Bunyonyi Safaris Limited.
Day 6: Gorilla tracking & Hiking in the forest (optional)
DAY 7: To Kisoro-Lake Mutanda
DAY 8: Mount Sabinyo Hike
Day 9: Batwa Cultural Trail/Cave Trail
Day 10: Echuya Forest, Bambo Forest Pygmies-Lake Bunyonyi
Day 11; Ingongo Cultural Museum-Kampala
Day 12: Departure
Day 1 Arrival- Lake Mburo National Park-Boat Ride
Arrival and transfer to Lake Mburo National Park via Mpabire drum makers and the Uganda equator for pictures and crafts. This park is unique, with wooded acacia savanna and a variety of antelopes. Lake Mburo Park is home to 9 lakes. The swamps in the lakes team with rare birds, hippos and crocodiles.
After check in at your hotel, you will have lunch and in the afternoon, enjoy a boat ride (depending on the arrival time) with a ranger guide to see a variety of birds. You will also see hippos and crocodiles. The park has hardly any carnivores and is ideal for walking safaris which you can in the evening after a boat ride. Overnight at your lodge. Meal Plan: Lunch and dinner. Transit Time 3-4 Hours. Overnight at Mburo Safari Lodge (FB)
Day 2 Lake Mburo Game Drive-Evening Walking Safari in the park
6 00 am: Enjoy an early morning game drive before dawn to see the animals, namely the Zebras, antelope, topi, buffalos and impala. Return to the lodge for breakfast and Lunch. In the evening, set off for the evening walking safari in the park in the company of UWA armed ranger guide. The walk takes 2 to 3 hours and you will move through water halls and rocky areas past herds of cattle that graze around the park and other wild life like buffalos, elands and warthogs. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner. Overnight at Mburo Safari Lodge (FB
Day 3: Morning Horse Ride in the Park and later transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
After an early Breakfast, depart for horse riding in the park. This is the most relaxing and peaceful way of viewing the game and getting closer to the animals. You will expect to see buffalos, warthog, topi, impala, duiker, bushbuck, waterbuck and zebra while on horseback. You at times see zebras come closer to see their strange relative that gives you the best experience.
You will return to the lodge for lunch after which you will drive through the park and continue to Lake Bunyonyi and on arrival, you will check in at Bunyonyi Safaris Resort for Dinner and overnight stay. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner. Transit Time 4-5 Hours
DAY 4: Boat Ride, Pygmy and Birding
After breakfast, transfer to the historical leper’s asylum of the 1950’s and punishment island among other islands before proceeding on a boat ride to visit the local pygmies and be part of ‘local life’. In the afternoon take a self-guided bird walk in the vicinity of the lodge. The lodge offers spectacular views to the nearby Mgahinga ranges. Meal Plan – Breakfast, Lunch and dinner. Dinner and overnight at Bunyonyi Safaris Resort (FB)
Day 5: Canoeing and Hiking around Lake Bunyonyi.
8:00am breakfast and 8:30 depart for the full day canoe trekking on Lake Bunyonyi and Hiking in the hills around Bunyonyi. You will get to your canoes with packed lunch and drinking water and start the trek via Kavumo Island with a short stop to watch a number of birds like Pied Kingfishers and great comrants as they fish.
Continue to Habukomi peninsular which is a resting place for the Pelicans, take pictures and continue to Bwambari where you will dock and start your hike through the villages and gardens. You will have a rest on the top of the hill and then have your lunch before you start descending back to the valley. You will proceed via Buchuranuko Island translated in English as “upside down island”. The guide will give you the interesting history behind this island, take pictures and continue to the hotel arriving in the evening for your dinner and overnight stay. Overnight at Bunyonyi Safaris Resort (FB)
Day 6: Gorilla tracking & Hiking in the forest (OPTIONAL ACTIVITY NOT INCLUDED IN THE COST)
5 30am: Breakfast.
6 00am: Transfer to the park headquarters for briefing from park ranger guides.
8:00am: Start the gorilla tracking. This may take between 2 hours to 8 hours and 1 full hour in company of these primates will be enough experience. Picnic lunch in the forest. Return to Bunyonyi Safaris Resort for overnight. If the weather allows, you will have a campfire dinner by the lakeside. Our local harpist will entertain you to song and traditional harp music. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Overnight at Bunyonyi Safaris Resort (FB)
DAY 7: To Kisoro-Lake Mutanda
Transfer to Kisoro near the Mgahinga Park; stop over at the viewing platform at the magnificent Kanaba gorge that gives you a wider view of the Virungas, which are Muhabura, Sambinyo and Gahinga. Proceed to Kisoro arriving at your lodge for Lunch. In the evening, you will visit the nearby Lake Mutanda that is within the volcanic ranges. It a fresh water lake with dotted islands. Later transfer back to Kisoro for your overnight stay at Kisoro Travelers’ Hotel (FB). Meal Plan – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Transit Time 2-3 Hours
DAY 8: Mount Sabinyo Hike
After breakfast, transfer to the foot of the Mt. Sabinyo ‘old man’s teeth’; like an old man, time has eroded Mt. Sabinyo’s Crown. Hike through the ridge along the eastern side of the climb to peak. It takes about eight hours to cover the 14km round trip following a steep ridge up to the peak. You will go past spectacular drops into gorges of Rwanda and Uganda and achieve a dual experience; finally you are guaranteed to get your hands dirty en-route to peak 111. Once on top, you will be in Rwanda, DRC and Uganda at the same time. Return for dinner and overnight at Kisoro Travelers’ Hotel (FB). Meal Plan – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9: Batwa Cultural Trail/Cave Trail
After breakfast, depart for adventurous trail to discover the ways the indigenous “Batwa” pygmies lived in old age setting. Local guides will take you through the 8km gentle trail in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, demonstrating their traditional ways of life along the way, including hunting, gathering honey, fire making and fetching water using the bamboo as their major tool. The trail culminates with a moving performance in the Garama Cave, an important spiritual and cultural site for the Batwa. The cave is 342m in length and 14m deep, and is now inhabited only by bats. Later in the evening, you will leave the park and head to Kisoro town for your overnight stay at Kisoro Travelers’ Hotel (FB) Meal Plan – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 10: Echuya Forest, Bambo Forest Pygmies-Lake Bunyonyi
Early Breakfast, and after transfer to Lake Bunyonyi with stopovers at Echuya Forest that is rich in primates and Bird life. Look out for the Papyrus Yellow Warbler and Papyrus Canary, if you are lucky as well as Carruther’s Cisticola, Little Rush Warbler and Fawn-breasted Waxbill among other birds. Picnic lunch and later transfer to the Bamboo forest where another group of Batwa was resettled after the forest was gazzeted, you will spend some time with these pygmies who still practice their old traditions, they will dance and sing for you in their local language. In the evening you will continue to Lake Bunyonyi and on arrival, you will check in for your overnight stay at Bunyonyi Safaris Resort (FB) Meal Plan – Breakfast, picnic Lunch and Dinner. Transit Time 3-4 Hours
Day 11; Ingongo Cultural Museum-Kampala
Depart Bunyonyi after breakfast and proceed to Kampala via Ingongo Culture Museum that demonstrates traditional cultures for western Uganda and the way people used to leave. The demonstrations comprises of political, religious and cultural traditions. Lunch will be at the cultural center and after you continue to Kampala arriving later in the evening and check in at Cassia Lodge for your overnight stay. Meal Plan – Breakfast and Lunch. Transit Time 6-7 Hours
Day 12: Departure
You will have breakfast and later transfer to the Airport for your return flight
NB: Gorilla tracking is optional & not included in the cost and its $600 per permit subject to availability
The price quoted will include:
Cost excludes: Personal expenses, Gorilla permit, air ticket, visas, tips and alcoholic beverages and others not mentioned above
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