Overview

Uganda is a birding haven for keen birders. 5-Day Uganda Birding Safari takes you to see different many bird species. Uganda boasts of more than ten thousand bird species including the endangered shoebill stork. This five-day safari will highlight the most crucial sites to spot most of the sought-after birds. These include the pitta, the African finfoot, to mention but a few.

Day 1: Arrival at the Airport

On arrival, you shall be welcomed by your driver-guide.  He will drive you to Mabamba wetlands where we will be paddled in a canoe through the swamp looking for the mighty shoebill. Also, other birds like white-winged warbler, Carruthers cisticola, papyrus gonolek, saddle-billed stork, African pygmy goose, lesser jacana, common squacco, purple and goliath herons, yellow-billed egret, white-faced whistling duck, yellow-billed duck, Hottentot teal, African fish eagle, black crake, African jacana, long-toed plover, grey-headed gull, gull-billed and white-winged terns, malachite and pied kingfishers, blue-breasted bee-eater, cape wagtail, swamp flycatcher, winding cisticola, red-chested sunbird, fan-tailed widowbird, Senegal plover, Madagascar bee-eater, grey-rumped swallow. Later transfer to Masindi. Dinner and overnight at Masindi hotel.

Main Destination: Masindi (Town)

Accommodation: Masindi Hotel.

Mid-range hotel located in or near Masindi

Meals & Drinks:

All meals included.

Non-alcoholic drinks

Day 2: Birding the Royal Mile

After breakfast, proceed to bird at Royale mile for the new birds, coming back in time for lunch. After lunch, drive back for afternoon birding. Look out for species like Cassin’s hawk-eagle, Nahan’s francolin, black-collared lovebird, Cassin’s and sabine’s spine tails. Also there is chocolate-backed, blue breasted and African dwarf kingfishers. There is also piping hornbill, red-sided broadbill,  and green-breasted pitta. There is also spotted greenbul, fire-crested alethe, black-capped apalis. Not forgetting the brown-crowned eremomela, grey and yellow longbills. You will also find lemon-bellied crombec, yellow-footed flycatcher, Ituri batis, and Jameson’s wattle-eye. Also, there is chestnut-capped flycatcher, brown twinspot and grey-headed olive-back. Dinner and also overnight at Budongo Eco-Lodge.

Main Destination: Budongo Forest (Chimps)

Accommodation: Budongo Eco Lodge.

Budget lodge located inside Budongo Forest

Meals & Drinks:

All meals included

Non-alcoholic drinks.

Day 3: Birding in Kaniyo Pabidi – Murchison Falls NP

Bird Kaniyo Pabidi in search of the Puvell’s Illadopsis and many other bird species and later transfer to Murchison Falls National Park. Murchison Falls is one of the Ugandan parks that boasts the largest numbers of the Big Five, like elephants, giraffes, lions, and buffalo, as well as a lot of other game. Dinner and also overnight at Murchison River Lodge.

Main Destination: Murchison Falls National Park

Accommodation: Murchison River Lodge.

Mid-range lodge located just outside Murchison Falls NP

Meals & Drinks:

All meals included

Non-alcoholic drinks

Day 4: Morning game drive, afternoon boat trip to the bottom of the Falls

After breakfast, we will head for a game drive around the park where a large number of games will be viewed like giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, impalas, and many more.

Our key species in Murchison will be shoebill, secretary bird, bat hawk, red-necked falcon, Heuglin’s francolin, Denham’s bustard. There is also the Senegal thick-knee, rock pratincole, black-headed plover, African skimmer, bruce’s green pegion. Also, there is vinaceous dove, white-crested turaco, long-tailed/pennant-winged and standard winged nightjars. The red-throated, swallow-tailed and carmine bee-eaters, Abyssinian roller, black scimitarbill, Abyssinian ground hornbill are also available. There is black-billed barbet, brown-backed woodpecker, and also spotted morning thrush. Also, white-fronted black chat, silver bird, singing, foxy and black-backed cisticolas. Later return to the lodge. Dinner and overnight as above.

Main Destination: Murchison Falls National Park.

Accommodation: Murchison River Lodge.

Mid-range lodge located just outside Murchison Falls NP

Meals & Drinks:

All meals included.

Non-alcoholic drinks

Day 5: Morning top of the falls, afternoon transfer back to the airport

After early morning breakfast, we shall drive to the top of the falls birding en route to have a glance at the mighty waters of the falls. Later you will drive back to Entebbe for your evening return flight, and have lunch on the way.

Main Destination: Murchison Falls National Park

Accommodation: No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)

Non-alcoholic drinks.

End of tour

Included

• 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
• Roundtrip airport transfer.
• Also Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
• Drinks (As specified in the day-by-day section).

Excluded

• 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.)
• The government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fee.

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