Views, views and more views: the guest areas are all carefully positioned to maximise the expansive views across the Delta to the distant silhouettes of Delta tree lines. The inviting guest sitting area boasts a spacious reading section – perfect for afternoon relaxation. The elevated dining area extends onto a shady veranda which in turn leads onto an open-air boma where candlelit dinners are served beneath the stars. Our well-stocked Signature Shop offers a range of chic outdoor gear, African art and jewellery.
Arrive Entebbe, meet and greet and transfer to Hotel No. 5 (15 min transfer). Entebbe is a peaceful, leafy town about 35 kms from the bustling Kampala. Hotel No. 5 sits in lush gardens and offers well-appointed rooms, spacious shared guest areas and a sparkling pool. The hotel features local art.
Overnight at Hotel No. 5 (B&B)
Rest this morning or visit the Botanical Gardens on a guided walking tour, and at 11 am transfer to Entebbe Airport for your flight to Murchison Falls Pakuba Airstrip. Upon landing, you will be met by your driver guide and transferred to the lodge for check in and lunch.
Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest national park, with an area of 3840km². It lies in the core of the Murchison Falls Conservation Area. This impressive park protects a swath of untamed African savannah bisected by the mighty River Nile. At the dramatic Murchison Falls, the world’s longest river explodes through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley Escarpment and plunges into a frothing pool 43m below! The park is predominantly rolling, lush grasslands and boats the highest density of wildlife in Uganda, which is found on the open plans north of the Nile. The Nile has one of Africa’s densest hippo and crocodile populations, and a dazzling variety of water birds including one of the world’s most accessible wild population of the rare
shoebill.
We’ll cross the Nile and arrive at your luxury safari lodge with a view out over the Nile. This afternoon drive to the top of the falls. A short drive on a curvy road leads to the top of the Murchison Falls. From there, you can hear the thunder and feel the spray as the water is forced through the narrow channel of rock before it explodes into the falls below. Views from the top are stunning and this excursion offers excellent photo ops.
Overnight at Nile Safari Lodge (BLD, standard drinks) deluxe banda
Nile Safari Lodge affords a mesmerizing view of the River Nile from its location on the river’s Southern bank. Fully rebuilt in 2019, its six bandas, one family banda and one honeymoon suite include indoor monsoon showers, outdoor showers, freestanding soaking tubs, ceiling fans and large verandahs on which to relax and watch the river. The honeymoon banda also boasts a private plunge pool and a king-sized star bed. The family banda accommodates up to nine guests (with use of the day bed) and has its own private swimming pool and great room for relaxing with fully catered in-suite dining options.
Today, explore the wonders of this magnificent park by private safari 4×4 and a private boat. Early this morning enjoy a boat trip to the Nile delta. This boat trip takes us down the Victoria Nile to the delta where the Nile meets Lake Albert. The trip is 4-5 hours long and is a must for bird and wildlife enthusiasts – you’ll have a chance to spot the rare shoebill. Currently water levels on the Nile are very high and sightings have decreased in frequency, but chances are good.
After the boat trip, head deep into the plains on a game drive. Murchison Falls NP is arguable the best wildlife reserve in the country and is one of the most accessible places in Uganda to see the Nubian giraffes. During a typical game drive you can expect to see large numbers of a variety of antelope species, including the bush buck, waterbuck, Thomson’s gazelle and dik dik. Plus, the park is home to lion and leopard.
Larger herbivores such as Nubian (Rothschild) giraffe and elephants are present in great numbers. In fact, MFNP has the largest population of Nubian giraffe in Africa and the park is a base for conservation and research efforts on their behalf. Huge herds of buffalo are a common sight, and primates, such as the baboon and patas monkey, are consistently spotted.
Overnight Nile Safari Lodge (BLD, standard drinks), deluxe banda
This morning cross the Nile by boat (if desired, or by road) and game drive in search of lions, leopard, Kob, giraffe and more.
This afternoon, venture out on the Nile for a private boat trip to the Base of the Falls. The boat trip is a highlight of any visit to the park. Cruising down the Nile provides a great opportunity to observe the animals closely as they come to the water’s edge to drink. The Nile supports the largest concentration of hippos and crocodiles in Africa as well as an impressive array of water birds. The views of the falls as you approach by boat are spectacular. The launch trip lasts about three hours and is done in the afternoon when the light is at its best.
Overnight Nile Safari Lodge (BLD, standard drinks), deluxe banda
This morning enjoy leisure time overlooking the Nile before your mid-day flight to the Kasese airstrip – the entry point to the Queen Elizabeth National Park and the Great African Rift Valley and continue. Meet your private safari vehicle and driver guide and continue to the lodge (approx 45 mins). The park lies in a fertile, equatorial valley and is Uganda’s most popular and accessible savannah reserve, with a total area of 1978km². Within its boundaries there are grassy savannahs, leafy rainforests, dense papyrus swamps and natural volcanic crater lakes. As a result, it has one of the highest biodiversity ratings of any game reserve in the world, including a total of 95 recorded mammal species and more than 610 species of birds.
Late afternoon at leisure or enjoy a visit with the Women’s Coffee Co-op, a project supported by your stay at the lodge.
Overnight at Kyambura Gorge Lodge (BLD), standard banda inclusive of spa treatments, drinks (except French Champagne) and lodge based activities
The Kyambura Women’s Coffee Cooperative is a community-based initiative designed to provide vocational training to women and an alternative, but sustainable, source of income.
Eleven local women and their families are actively involved in the cooperative. At least 30% of the group is HIV positive and many are widowed. They tend to over 1,500 Arabica and Robusta coffee plants in 100 acres of rejuvenated VSPT land, and process the coffee by hand at a communal processing plant. Members of the cooperative commit to growing coffee organically, without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers.
The luxurious Kyambura Gorge Lodge is set overlooking the lush Kyambura Gorge and Queen Elizabeth National Park…with the Mountains of the Moon in the distance. The former coffee storehouse was completely refurbished starting in 2018 and each of the eight stylish guest bandas reflects the local building style with artisan touches and private balconies. Four are deluxe bandas offering spacious suites with prime views of the Gorge. A personal attendant is offered with each banda, as well as en suite hot/cold water showers and flushing toilets, 240v lighting, charging stations and mosquito nets.
The main lodge features unique decor and ample areas to relax – indoors and out -with a beverage, catch up on your safari journal or read your favorite book. WiFi is available in the main areas. The full service spa is available to guests. The recently upgraded swimming pool is the ideal spot to cool off on a hot Queen Elizabeth afternoon all while enjoying the panoramic views. The lodge provides convenient access to the Kyambura Gorge hike, game drives in QENP and boat launches on the Kazinga Channel. Lodge-based community conservation activities include the Kyambura Women’s Coffee Co-op, the Kyambura Gorge Buffer Zone Walk, the Tree Nursery and Reforestation Project, the Bee-Keeping Training Project and more.
This morning you have the option (must be pre-booked) of hiking into the Kyambura Gorge in search of the ‘Lost Chimps of Kyambura’. The hike is challenging, but not as difficult as gorilla trekking in Bwindi. As you descend into the Gorge, you’ll be surrounded by dense forest and birdsong. While success rates for viewing the chimps hover around 60%, the gorge provides opportunities to spot hippo, a variety of monkeys, birds and antelope. It is a special environment and worth the effort!
Return to the lodge to freshen up and enjoy lunch before your late afternoon private boat launch on the Kazinga Channel (2hrs). The launch trip is a highlight on any safari in Uganda and provides a chance to sit back, relax and enjoy the fresh river breeze while observing a wide variety of birdlife and animals.
Those species commonly seen along the riverbank are elephants, buffalo, crocodiles, hippo, waterbuck and Ugandan kob. On occasion, visitors will also see giant forest hog, leopard and lion. The waterbirds in the area are plentiful; in particular, water thick-knee, yellow-billed stork, various plovers, white pink-backed Pelicans and white-bellied cormorants, with 560+ recorded species and a record of 296 bird species seen in one 24-hour period. You will also view some of the largest concentrations of hippos in the world. Return to the lodge for sundowners and dinner.
Overnight at Kyambura Gorge Lodge (BLD, inclusive), standard banda inclusive of spa treatments, drinks (except French Champagne) and lodge-based activities
This morning join the Uganda Carnivore Project (UCP) for a morning tracking lions in the northern Kasenyi plains of Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP).
The Uganda Carnivore Program is devoted to the research and conservation of Uganda’s large carnivores, including lions, leopards, and hyenas. Previously active in many of Uganda’s national parks, today it is focused on the northern sector of QENP. They collaborate closely with the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and Makerere University.
UCP has two primary focuses, first, scientific research and monitoring of resident carnivores and, second, community-based wildlife conservation with the goal to develop a collaborative, holistic plan to reduce deadly instances of human wildlife-conflict with communities around the park.
During the early-morning activity on the Kasenyi plains, a UCP researcher will join you in your safari vehicle (this is not a private excursion and we cannot guarantee the researcher in your vehicle as other vehicles may be participating) and use radio-telemetry to track and locate the collared lions being researched. Within QENP, vehicles must stay on the designated tracks. But one of the distinct advantages of the lion tracking activity is the ability to drive off-road in search of the lion and affords the privilege of essentially a private lion observation experience.
After the morning tracking lions and leopard, continue with a packed lunch through the southern Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth NP in search of the famous tree climbing lions. Continue on to Buhoma town on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Your luxury lodge sits along the river facing a thick swath of forest. The park headquarters, where you will be briefed for your gorilla trek the following day, is just moments away.
Overnight at Bwindi Lodge (BLD, inclusive), standard banda inclusive of spa treatments, drinks (except French Champagne) and lodge based activities
The ten stone and thatched bandas – 2 deluxe and 8 standard – are scattered through the forested setting along the river at the edge of Buhoma town. A series of narrow stone pathways leads to each banda where guests will find luxurious, crisp linens, beautiful Ugandan textiles and artisan details, cozy sitting areas (perfect for savoring a cup of the lodge’s home-grown coffee), and thoughtfully designed bathrooms with steaming-hot showers.
Guests can relax in the main lodge by the roaring fire watching the mist rise from the forests of Bwindi, put their feet up with a book and a Scotch in the library (where they will also find historic photos and book documenting the founder’s story) or enjoy a fireside massage in the spa banda after gorilla trekking.
Delicious meals are carefully prepared, locally sourced and seasonal. High tea is served daily and sundowners can be enjoyed overlooking the forest or at the nearby Bwindi Bar, a cafe and job training project supported by the lodge. A staff member can walk with guests to the cafe where they can enjoy complimentary tea, coffee and beer or wine, in addition to sampling the famous Ugandan “rolex!”
Bwindi forest is a magnificent luxuriant swathe across the steep ridges of the Albertine Rife Valley, this ancient rainforest – one of the few in Africa to have flourished throughout the last Ice Age – is regarded to be one of the most biologically diverse forests in Africa. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park has at least 90 mammal species, including 11 primates and is ranked as one of the best in Uganda for forest birding, with 23 highly localized Albertine Rift endemics. Bwindi is renowned for its mountain gorilla population, slightly more than half the world’s mountain gorilla population is resident in Bwindi: an estimated 480 individuals living in over 15 groups. Looking deep into the expressive brown eyes of these gentle giants is an extremely special privilege and an encounter unparalleled in most likely the whole of Africa. (Trekking Buhoma groups approx. 5-45 min from lodge)
After breakfast take a short drive to Park Headquarters and meet with excellent local guides and trackers who will give a talk on the etiquette of gorilla trekking. We then hike into the forest where the gorillas were seen the night before and track from that point (or if the family has slept far from the HQ, transfer to the trekking point by vehicle before entering the forest). The trekking can take from 1 to 6 hours and climb to altitudes of 7,500 feet. The terrain is rough and at times muddy. Although the hike is physically demanding the beauty of the forest and surrounding scenery make the trekking worthwhile. Once the gorillas are located all fatigue is forgotten, as the experience is often described as being the most profound natural history experience in the world. Picnic lunches are provided and it is important to take plenty of water. Cameras/lenses with good low light capabilities and lots of memory cards and back-up batteries are highly recommended. It can rain at a few minutes notice; hence waterproof clothing is a good essential including zip lock/dry bags for cameras and gear.
Overnight at Bwindi Lodge (BLD, inclusive), standard banda inclusive of spa treatments, drinks (except French Champagne) and lodge based activities
Day at leisure at Bwindi Lodge (or opt for a second gorilla trek). Your stay includes guided visits to a nearby tea processing co-op, the Bwindi Community Hospital, the River Walk trail (can also be self-guided) and the Bwindi Bar, a nearby cafe that is a job training center supported by your stay at the lodge – it is the perfect place for a cup of Ugandan coffee or a cold beer. You may opt to enjoy a spa treatment (settle directly). Additionally, should you wish to spend more time in the forest, a waterfall hike is available (pre-book, additional cost). Your driver guide and vehicle are available for you, as well.
Overnight at Bwindi Lodge (BLD, inclusive), standard banda inclusive of spa treatments, drinks (except French Champagne) and lodge based activities
This morning, depart the lodge at 7:30 am for the drive to Kihihi airstrip (approx. 1.5 hrs) for your scheduled flight back to the Entebbe airport, transfer 15 mins to Hotel No. 5 for lunch and an evening room (available until 9 pm) to rest and relax before your flight home. Private airport transfer for your departure from Entebbe.
Evening room at No. 5 (BL), luxury room
