This 11-day birding safari showcases many of Uganda’s 1000+ birding highlights (while keeping driving distances to a minimum). Within 24-hours of touching down in Uganda, you are likely to add the iconic Shoebill to your life list. From here we take you to visit to four of Uganda’s most popular National Parks, where you will be delighted by birds like the Cassin’s Hawk Eagle, Red-faced barbet, Lesser Kestrel, Spot-flanked barbet, Black Bee eater as well as a fabulous selection of primates and wildlife. The tour takes you to Mabamba Swamp, Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth, Kibale Forest and Murchison Falls National Parks
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe airport
Day 2: Birding at Mabamba Swamp – near Entebbe
Day 3: Transfer to Lake Mburo
Day 4: Birdwatching at Lake Mburo
One of our company representatives will pick you from the airport and transfer you to your hotel. If time allows depending on your arrival time and energy, we will visit Entebbe Botanical Gardens, where you may see some bird species like Black and White-casqued Hornbill, Great Blue Turacos, numerous Weaver species and Red-tailed monkeys.
After an early breakfast, we will take the drive to the boat to Mabamba Swamp on the shores of Lake Victoria. Here we will do birding the entire day, most of the birding is done from a wooden canoe that guides you through narrow papyrus-lined water channels. This is one of the best places in Uganda to see the rare Shoebill. Also look out for Blue Breasted Bee-eater, Papyrus gonolek, white-faced whistling duck, African water rail, Goliath herons, spur winged and Pygmy Geese.
Today we set off for Lake Mburo National Park, stopping for lunch en route. Birding in Lake Mburo begins as you turn off the main road at Nshara Gate. More than 313 bird species have been recorded in this reserve. We will receive at the hotel, check and have lunch then after set off for an evening game drive. Look out for Burchell’s Zebra, the comical Warthogs, Rothschild’s giraffe and hippo. Birding highlights include lilac-breasted roller, red-faced barbet, Rufous-bellied heron, green-capped Eremomela, long tailed Cisticola, Greater and Lesser Swamp Warbler, White winged Warbler and white backed night heron.
The highlight of this morning is a walking safari (nature walk) on which you might expect to see Bare-faced Go away bird, Verreaux’s Eagle Owl, Yellow-billed Oxpecker and Lead-coloured flycatcher. After lunch we will take a boat on the lake where we will see hippos and a variety of waterbirds, Wattled Plover, Black-bellied bustard, and Temminck’s Courser. From the boat, we will take our time to slowly drive back to the lodge and an (optional) late evening game drive along the Zebra Track.
After breakfast we head out for a game drive in search of elephants and predators such as lions in the Kasenyi Plains and also rewarding bird watching. In the afternoon, we will have lunch and set aside the afternoon for a launch cruise on the Kazinga Channel, which joins Lakes Edward and George. This is one of the highlights of our African safari. Birds to look out for include Great Snipe, African Fish Eagle, Pallid Harrier, Gull-billed Tern, Lesser Kestrel, Shoebill, Fawn-breasted Waxbill, Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike, dark capped yellow warbler, red headed bluebill, African Finfoot and the Eurasian golden oriole. You can also expect to see a good number of hippos, elephants, Nile crocodiles, monitor lizards, Uganda Kobs, waterbuck and warthogs on this unforgettable launch cruise. Return to the lodge in the evening.
After breakfast, check out of the lodge and transfer to Kibale Forest National Park, home to Uganda’s biggest concentration of primates. Chimp trekking is the most common attraction here. We arrive in Kibale, check in at the hotel and after lunch, We will report for briefing at the park headquarters and set off for chimp trekking for approximately 4 to 5 hours depending on where the chimpanzees have decided to habit. Check out more primates like the olive baboons, the rare L’Hoest’s, golden monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, colubus red, blue, black, white monkeys and also a variety of birds.
After an early breakfast, we shall drive to the birding site at Sebitoli, on the eastern edge of Kibale Forest, one of the best birding spots in the National Park. (Birding on the main road can also be very rewarding).
After lunch in the afternoon, we shall drive to the other side of Kibale Forest to Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary. ‘Kibale specials’ include Joyful and Cabanis Greenbuls, Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Bocage’s Bush-shrike, Toro Olive and Cameroon Sombre Greenbuls, Green Twinspot, Brown and Scaly-breasted Illadopsis, Ludher’s Bush-shrike, Green-breasted Pitta, Green-throated and Blue-throated Brown Sunbird, Green-headed Sunbird, Brown-capped Weaver, Velvet-mantled Drongo, Pink-footed Puff back.
After a leisurely breakfast, we shall depart for Murchison Falls National Park, which is becoming well-known internationally as one of the best sites in Africa for seeing the endangered Shoebill. We shall stopover in the historic town of Masindi for lunch then continue our journey. Inside the park, we will visit the Top of the Falls for a spectacular view of the River Nile dropping 43 metres as it forces its way through a 7 metre gorge. Also look out for birds like the Rock Pratincole and the African Skimmer, white faced whistling duck and Red shouldered, Cuckoo-shrike, Bat Hawk and numerous species of Nightjar on the way to your lodge.
After a cup of tea or coffee, we shall depart for an early morning birding game drive. Have your binoculars ready for the spotted birds like morning thrush, Denham’s Bustard, Pallid Harrier, Lesser kestrel, swallow tailed Bee eater and wildlife including elephant, Rothschild’s giraffe, lion and leopard. Return to the lodge for lunch and after, embark on a launch cruise to the bottom of the Falls. As you cruise up the historic River Nile, watch out for hippos, crocodiles and breathtaking birdlife such as the Shoebill, African Spoonbill, dazzling Red-throated Bee eaters, Wire-tailed Swallow, White-crowned Plover, Rock Pratincole, Goliath heron, Malachite kingfisher, Wattled plover, Common Drongo and Pel’s Fishing Owl.
After breakfast we will go for an additional game drive and also we have time enough to look for birds we could have missed the previous day. Return to the lodge mid-morning to check out of the hotel and we proceed to Kampala. The tour will end when our driver returns you to your drop-off point.
