14 days Kenya & Uganda wildlife and Gorilla tracking safari
Overview
14 days Kenya & Uganda wildlife and Gorilla tracking safari takes you through Kenya and Uganda viewing the wildlife and coming closer to the gentle giants known as the Gorillas.
Day 1: Arrival at Jomo Kenyatta international airport
your 14 days Kenya & Uganda wildlife and Gorilla tracking safari starts from the airport in Kenya and ends in Uganda. Arrival, head to Nairobi to spend the night at a nice hotel to relax after the journey and be ready for the adventure starting the next day. Depending on arrival time there can be traffic jam heading from the airport.
Accommodation: Hotel Mokka City
Meal Plan : Lunch and Dinner With Drinking water
Day 2 : Transfer to Masai Mara National Reserve
Masai Mara is one of East Africa’s most famous reserves, The Mara consists of undulating hills and great rolling grasslands that sustain some of the most varied wildlife in Africa, if not the world. Arrive in time for lunch at Afternoon game viewing, where lion, elephant, cheetah, giraffe, buffalo, wildebeest, gazelle and other plains game abound, not forgetting the hundreds of species of birds.
Accommodation: AA Lodge Mara
Meal Plan : All meals with Drinking water
Day 3: Full day game drive in Masai Mara
The whole day is dedicated to game spotting in this sprawling reserve. If we wake up with luck, we can watch a lion, cheetah or leopard hunting or feasting on its kill. Option of a visit to a Masai village. What an exhilarating experience!
Accommodation: AA Lodge Mara
Meal Plan : All meals with Drinking water
Day 4: Full day in Masai Mara with Masai cultural visit
Early morning wake up call. Tea, coffee and cookies will be served in the lodge, then set out for FULL day game drive in the reserve. This early morning time is usually the most popular game viewing time. During the early hours temperatures are low, thus providing a favorable atmosphere both for the game and the viewer. Lion, Cheetah and Leopard roam the vast grasslands in search for their next meal, it may be an unsuspecting impala or even a small one like the warthog…whatever the players, the spectacle of nature unfolding is always awe inspiring!
later in the afternoon, you will visit the Masai cultural group of people who live nearby the national park. You will get to learn about their life style and traditions. Then return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Hopefully this last day in Masai Mara is a great one of your Kenya & Uganda safari.
Accommodation: AA Lodge Mara
Meal Plan : All meals with Drinking water
Day 5: Transfer to Lake Nakuru National Park.
After breakfast we leave the area of Masai Mara and head towards Lake Nakuru national park, the second park of our Kenya & Uganda safari. It is an interesting drive letting you see the salt lakes and go through Naivasha area. In the afternoon we check in to the hotel.
Accommodation: Hotel Waterbuck
Meal Plan : All meals with Drinking water
Day 6: Early morning game drive in Lake Nakuru National Park and Transfer to Uganda.
This morning we enjoy a game drive in Nakuru national park. The park is famous for its millions of seasonal pink flamingos and other aquatic birds. Game drive until lunch around the lake, where rhinos, zebra, gazelle, buffalo, leopard, and waterbuck can easily and closely be spotted an excellent chance of spotting rhino, of which there is a healthy population here.
There is a stunning view from the top of the hills above the lake, and here we may see the Rock hyrax; this tiny creature is the elephant’s nearest relative!. Following a quick stop in Nakuru town, we then drive towards Eldoret, the fourth largest city in Kenya and we continue to the Ugandan border for an overnight across. The border crossing can be slow but we leave plenty of time, and it can be an interesting experience. Continue on to the town of Tororo to spend this first night in Uganda during your Kenya & Uganda safari.
Accommodation : Rock Classic Hotel
Meal Plan : All meals with Drinking water
Day 7: Transfer to Jinja and visit the source of the Nile
We drive further into Uganda the second country of the Kenya & Uganda safari, our target being the city of Jinja. Fruit markets will decorate the day’s drive. In Jinja the Victoria Nile meets Lake Victoria and the source of the mighty Nile is found. In the afternoon you go for a boat-ride to see the source of the Nile.
Accommodation: Brisk Hotel
Meal Plan : All meals with Drinking water
Day 8: Transfer to Kibale National Park.
After breakfast we drive with our target to have lunch in Fort portal, a punctuation of stopovers at in the far country side offer us chances of stretching, tea plantations along the drive ways as we check in late afternoon. A night in this forest gives you the calls from the nocturnal life plus famous Frog concerts in this forest area revealing a true pristine Africa.
Accommodation: Kibale Forest Camp
Meal Plan : All meals with Drinking water
Day 9: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk.
We shall have early morning breakfast and head straight the headquarters for the briefing from the guides as you start on the chimpanzee tracking expedition by 7:30 am. You will head into the forest and look for these intelligent creatures that share over 90% DNA with humans, which makes them very intelligent and behave almost like humans.
Meeting these animals will depend on the last nesting location of the previous night, and when you reach them you will be limited to one hour with them and continue with the adventure as you discover more of the secrets of the park. You will also view other primates especially monkeys floating in the trees and several bird species.
You may have packed lunch or transfer back to the lodge to have lunch and relax a bit as you wait for the evening activity.
Later in the evening you will head to the southern part of Kibale national park for an amazing birding experience. Bigodi swamp is located just 6km from Kanyanchu visitors center and it is such a fascinating area where you can find over 200 bird species including the famous shoebill which may be seen during guided walks along the boardwalk trail and viewing other various primates. Bigodi Swamp Walk is a 5-km, three-hour tour through this protected forest on the outskirts of Bigodi Trading Center. Later you’ll head back to the lodge for relaxation and overnight stay.
Accommodation: Kibale Forest Camp
Meal Plan : All meals with Drinking water
Day 10: Crater lakes exploration and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
After breakfast you go for a crater lake exploration walk with beautiful nature. Then we drive further southwards with the Rwenzori ranges (Longest in Africa) in View or Drive through the Crater lakes in the Hills through to sample out the surprising Diversity of Savannah trees and wild life! Lunch in Kasese or at the lodge depending on time. Stop over at the equator and continue through the park to the lodge at the edge of Queen Elizabeth national park.
Accommodation: Twin Lakes Safari Lodge
Meal Plan : All meals with Drinking water
Day 11: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise.
On this day, after your breakfast, you will head to the northern section of the park “Kasenyi planes” where you will interface with the amazing wildlife in the park. expect top see a number of animals like the African elephant, African buffalo, Ugandan kob, hippopotamus, topi, waterbuck, warthog, giant forest hog, spotted hyena and when early, you may see the leopards and lions.
After this game drive, you will proceed to the to Mweya peninsular at Kazinga channel where you will have more of the beautiful wildlife. A boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel will offer you one of the greatest wildlife experiences in Africa and Uganda in particular. Prepare to see countless hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, elephants, water birds and many of the other park animals drinking from the channel. You will return to the lodge with a short evening game drive as you end your day with a sunset view while resting at your accommodation.
Accommodation: Twin Lakes Safari Lodge
Meal Plan : All meals with Drinking water
Tree climbing lions on your game drive through the Ishasha sector.
Day 12: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Ishasha for the tree climbing lions
After breakfast, you will transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National park passing through Ishasha sector, in the southern sector of the park, with higher chances of spotting tree climbing lions and other different wildlife species such Topis, kobs and others.
Ishasha is one of only two places in Africa where you can see tree-climbing lions together with Lake Manyara in Tanzania and they spend almost the whole day in tree branches resting from a day hunt and also escaping from the hot ground during the dry season.
Upon arrival in Bwindi, you will check in at your lodge for relaxation and overnight stay as you wait for Gorilla tracking the following day.
Accommodation: Gorilla Mist Lodge.
Meal Plan : All meals with Drinking water
Day 13: Gorilla trekking and Batwa cultural experience
On this adventurous day, you wake up on an early morning breakfast and report to Bwindi Park headquarters for a short briefing with the leader tracker/ ranger guide before you start on your day activity. From here you will head into the montane forest for an encounter with the mountain gorillas.
Always watch out for their voices and listen to them grumble and the young as they swing from tree to tree, and marvel at the sheer size of the dominant male; the silverback.
It is an extraordinary feeling sitting in the dense rain forest knowing you are with a few of the last remaining mountain gorillas. The beauty of this rainforest is spectacular and it offers a dramatic steeply forested landscape which is incredibly dense, but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails allowing access to tourists.
Gorilla Habituation
You will look for these endangered species and finding them will depending on the last nesting location of the previous night. The time taken to track the gorillas can be range from 4 to 7 hours or beyond. Once you locate a gorilla group, you will be allowed only one hour in their presence. The thrill of spending time observing these gentle and endangered giants is an awesome, exciting and one in a life experience to be long savored.
Later, you will have a community visit to the Batwa group that are the first people to live in these forest and still reside there regardless of the many years of civilization. You will be amazed by their traditional dance, homes, dress-code and way of life. You will then return back to the lodge for dinner and rest till the following day.
Accommodation: Gorilla Mist Lodge.
Meal Plan : All meals with Drinking water
Day 14: Transfer to Kampala/ Entebbe to catch flight
On this day, you will have a relaxed breakfast at your lodge and drive through the hills of Kabale as you live this beautiful part of the world heading to kampala/ Entebbe International Airport. You will have a stop over in Mbarara for lunch and also stop over at the Equator line that separates the earth into two different parts i.e, the North and Southern hemisphere. You will take some pictures and buy some souvenirs, then finally drive straight to Kampala/ Entebbe International Airport for your flight back home.
End of your 14 days Kenya & Uganda wildlife and Gorilla tracking safari
Includes:
- Park fees (For non-residents)
- All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Round-trip airport transfer
- Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
- Drinking water (On all days)
- Border crossing
Excludes:
- International flights (From/to home)
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
- Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
- Some meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
- Personal Items such as- Visas, Medical Insurance
