5 Days Ziwa Rhino trekking and Murchison falls park Safari and Bwindi Gorillas
5 Days Ziwa Rhino trekking and Murchison falls park Safari and Bwindi Gorillas : This 5 Days Wildlife and Primates Safari takes you to Uganda’s largest savannah national parks for wildlife viewing in Murchison falls national park which is the largest Ugandan national park enriched with the Big four Game and the most powerful falls in the world. Murchison falls national park is one of the famous safari parks in Uganda and is known for spectacular Murchison waterfalls- the world’s strongest waterfall.
It is Uganda’s largest conservation area covering about 3840 square Kilometres it includes Karuma and Bugunju wildlife reserves and Budongo eco-forest. A safari to Murchison falls is an opportunity to explore a diversity of habitats including palm-dotted and wooded savannah, River Nile, Albert-Nile delta wetland and tropical forests.
Murchison falls is bisected by River Nile home to hippos and Nile crocodiles. The park hosts 75 mammals and 451 species of birds. It offers classic African wildlife viewing safari all year round but the dry season from December to February and June to September is the best time to visit the park.
The park is divided into 2 sectors; the southern sector which include Budongo forest and the northern sector which is the park’s tourism hub. The south is separated from the north by River Nile and the ferry is used to cross vehicles and luggage to and from both sectors. There are plentiful activities in northern sector of Murchison falls national park including game drives, boat cruises on river Nile, hot air balloon safari, bird watching, top of the falls hike, community walks.
The big 4 mammals; lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo can be spotted as well as other mammals like Rothschild’s giraffe, hippos, warthogs, hyena including several antelopes such as Jackson’s hartebeest, waterbuck, bushbuck. In addition to big wildlife viewing, visiting Budongo forest in the south of the park provide opportunities for tracking African wild chimpanzees and spotting other primates including colobus monkeys, red tailed monkey and patas monkeys. A honeymoon loop trail has also been opened for honeymooners in the south of the park.
Gorilla trekking is a life fulfilling experience while relaxing in an enchanting forest luxury lodge overlooking the Bwindi forest with dense vegetation and great sounds of primates and birds over the montane forest, terraced hills and rolling volcanic slopes. The mountain gorillas’ presence in this part of the world has transformed the edges of Africa’s oldest rainforest into a luxury getaway spot. Bwindi impenetrable national park forest is located in the southwestern part of Uganda close to Rwanda-Uganda border at the edge of the Rift Valley.
Bwindi forest is one of Uganda’s oldest national park with diverse rainforest of over 25,000 years ago and contains about 400 plant species. Bwindi Impenetrable national park inhabits half of the remaining endangered mountain gorillas in the world with half of the remaining gorilla in the world.
Highlights
- Day 1: Transfer to Murchison falls national park – Boat cruise
- Day 2: Morning game drive – Ziwa rhino tracking and transfer Kampala
- Day 3: Fly to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
- Day 4: Gorilla trekking experience
- Day 5: Fly back to Entebbe
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Murchison falls national park – Boat cruise
As early as 6am, you will be picked up at your hotel by our company representative to embark on your journey to Murchison falls national park. Arrive in the park early afternoon with lunch en route.
Later afternoon at 2 pm, go for a launch cruise on the along the Nile which will give you an exciting panoramic view at the bottom of the mighty Murchison falls. Along the cruise, you will encounter crocodiles, hippos, and birds on the river banks like kingfisher, cormorants and bee-eater. You will spend take viewing the falls at the bottom while taking pictures then later return to meet your drive and connect back to your lodge and a relaxed evening. Or after viewing the bottom of the falls, you have an option of hiking to the top of the falls and later meet your driver at the top to return to the lodge.
Accommodation and Meals: Paraa Safari lodge for luxury/Pakuba Safari lodge for mid-range/Heritage Safari lodge for budget
Day 2: Game drive & transfer back to Kampala
After an early breakfast at the lodge, you will go for a morning game drive as early as 6 am. The activity takes about 3-5 hours depending on animals available, and you will find animals including elephants, Rothschild giraffes, buffaloes, lions, Hartebeest, Uganda Kobs, Oribis and waterbucks. On a good day you will encounter the leopards.
After the game drive, if you missed out on the top of the falls on the previous day, you will first connect there before driving out of the park. Depending on the time you will either have lunch at the lodge or in Masindi town before you proceed to Kampala/Entebbe, arriving late evening, dinner and overnight stay at Protea Entebbe Hotel for Luxury/Best Western Garden Hotel for mid-range/Via Via Guesthouse for budget
Day 3: Fly to Bwindi impenetrable national park
After breakfast, you will be dropped off at Entebbe airport for your onward domestic connecting flight to Bwindi Impenetrable national park. Aero-link Uganda limited operates daily flights from Entebbe to Bwindi Impenetrable national park, it’s a 2 hours flight landing in Kihihi airstrip. There, you will meet your other safari guide waiting to transfer you to your booked accommodation where you will have late lunch after check-in. Spend the rest of your evening relaxing at your lodge. Dinner will be served before you sleep.
- Luxury option: Mahogany springs lodge/Buhoma lodge
- Mid-range option: Buhoma Haven lodge
- Budget option: Buhoma Community Rest Camp
Day 4: Gorilla trekking experience
After breakfast at the lodge, head to the park headquarters with your trekking gears and packed lunch; meet with other trekkers for briefing about gorilla trekking. After you are allocated a group in groups of 8 people, head into the forest for your trek. Gorilla trekking takes 2 to 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorilla family being visited. These primates roam the park freely and there is no way of telling where they will be for a particular. On finding them, you will be allowed 1 hour to view and take photos of these gentle primates before you descend back to meet your driver/guide and transfer back to your lodge.
The time after trekking can be spent on a village/community Batwa tour or relaxing off at the lodge as you unwind with a glass of wine with the memories of your gorilla experience in Bwindi. Dinner and overnight booked lodge as above
Day 5: Fly back to Entebbe
After breakfast and checking-out of the lodge, meet your safari guide and drive back to the Kihihi airstrip for your return flight back to Entebbe. End of the tour
