Day 1 : Entebe to Lake Mburo NP Included highlights : Equator Included meals : Dinner Accommodation : Camping Today the adventure starts with a briefing before breakfast and a quick “get to know” session before we depart. Our journey today will take us through the bustling city of Kampala and across the Equator for the first time and on to Lake Mburo National Park. We will stop at the equator for lunch and also to witness the phenomenon of the Coriolis effect in person. The existence of Lake Mburo National Park had a very “rocky” start. It was gazetted as a controlled hunting area in 1933 and in 1963 it’s status was upgraded to a game reserve and later in 1983 it was declared a “National Park”. This decision was politically motivated by the Obote regime during the “Ugandan Bush war”. The park is home to a list of mammal species including Bushbuck, African Buffalo, Hippopotamus and Hyenas. Bird species are very diverse and there are more than 300 different species to be found in the park.

Included highlights : Early morning gamedrive Included meals : Breakfast and Lunch. Accommodation : Camping With a quick coffee and a light breakfast snack we depart on an early morning gamedrive through Lake Mburo National Park. This park is known for it’s abundance of plains game as well as large hippo pods that reside in and around the lake. When we return we will enjoy a hearty breakfast before we depart to Lake Bunyoni. Lake Bunyoni (“Place of many birds”) is situated at “The Great African Rift Valley” in the south-western corner of Uganda close to the borders of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The depth of this lake is still somewhat controversial, and the reports vary from 40m deep to 900m deep. Here we will soak up the breath-taking views of the surrounding area, explore the lake by boat and if we’re lucky, we could see all the “Virunga volcano’s” stretching across tree countries. Tonight we will enjoy dinner at a lakeside restaurant and get a small taste of the local culture surrounding the lake.

Included highlights : Gorilla trekking, village walk Included meals : Breakfast, Lunch and dinner Accommodation : Camping After a relaxed breakfast we will pack up camp and head towards Bwindi Impenetrable forest. The anticipation will be exceedingly high as we approach the forest and as the time gets closer to what is without doubt one of the highlights of the tour. Gorilla trekking! For most it is an absolute “once in a lifetime” opportunity and rightfully so. It is an unforgettable experience! The drive into the forest is nothing short of spectacular and it always feels somewhat surreal. The scenery wants you to stop around every corner, on top of every ridge and at each crossing of every valley. We will stop at a view point for lunch before we head on to “Rubuguri”, a small village right next to the forest where we will be camping for the next two nights. Other than the Gorillas, there is also enough time at our disposal to stretch our legs in the surrounding beauty of the forest, village walks and get acquainted with the local villagers. Tonight after dinner we will brief everyone on the next morning’s trek and hopefully manage to get the excitement low enough to get a good nights rest.

Included highlights : Gorilla trekking, village walk Included meals : Breakfast, lunch and dinner Accommodation : Camping We will start early this morning and head out towards the forest where we will be greeted by the rangers and UWA staff before the trek starts. The Gorilla groups that will be trekked are all habituated and the professional staff from UWA will undoubtedly play a very big role in todays experience. It takes roughly two years to get the Gorillas to become habituated by means of slowly introducing human presence. This ensures a very “up close and personal” experience for all who ventures into the forest to visit these gentle giants. Tonight, everyone can sit around the campfire and dwell on the days experience whilst enjoying a delicious dinner.

Included highlights : Afternoon gamedrive Included meals : Breakfast, lunch and dinner Accommodation : *Wild Camping* Today the tour will continue through some of the most scenic roads Uganda has to offer. As we descend towards Queen Elisabeth National Park the landscape will change dramatically. We will stop along the way to fill our bellies before we continue to the park. The area known as Ishasha will be ours to explore for the next two days. Ishasha is known for its unique, majestic tree climbing lions which frequent this area but there are tons of other species to be found here including a very diverse bird population, massive hippo pods, forest elephants and so much more. After we have set up camp on the banks of the Ishasha river, we will go out and explore the immediate area on gamedrive and return late that afternoon to light the campfire and enjoy another excellent meal whilst listening to the sounds of the bush.

Included highlights : Full day gamedrive. Included meals : Breakfast, lunch and dinner Accommodation : *Wild Camping* As the sun breaks over the horizon we will have a quick morning coffee before we head out for the first time today in search of Ishasha’s infamous tree climbing lions. We will explore the area extensively today and only return back to the camp during midday for lunch and a short break before we head out on another gamedrive for the afternoon. As it is tradition on tour, the campfire will be burning high whilst we enjoy dinner before we retire to bed for the night.

Included highlights : Equator, Kyambura Gorge Chipmanzee trek Included meals : Breakfast and Lunch Accommodation : Lodge Another day of highlights awaits us today. We will leave the grasslands of Queen Elisabeth National Park behind us and head out for another trek to find the wild Chimpanzees of Uganda. These animals are a must see in real life and they are absolutely astonishing to watch. After the trek we will continue to our lodge where we will soak up all the creature comforts that the facilities has to offer. Tonight we will enjoy dinner at the lodge restaurant.

Included highlights : Budongo forest Included meals : Breakfast and Lunch Accommodation : Lodge Today we have a long journey ahead of us as we head towards Budongo Forest, Murchison Falls National Park. Here there will be an added opportunity to trek the chimpanzees the following morning before we go out to view the Murchison falls. Dinner will be at the lodge restaurant tonight and you will have the opportunity to book your morning activity.

Included highlights : Murchison Falls, mighty Nile river Included meals : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Optional Chimpanzee trekking also available Accommodation : Camping We will head out to view the Murchison falls this morning after breakfast and keep our eyes open for the chance to come across some of the wildlife that’s in the area. At our camp we will have the chance to unwind and enjoy the view of the Nile river which flows majestically in front of the lodge whilst enjoying a cold beverage.

Included highlights : Morning gamedrive, afternoon boat cruise to the Murchison Falls Included meals : Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Accommodation : Camping This morning we will start early to go for a long gamedrive on the other side of the river. We will cross the river on a ferry and search the area for wildlife. Murchison Falls National Park is home to yet more diverse fauna and flora and the “delta” is one of the very few places where one can find the endangered Shoebill stork. After lunch next to the river we will go for a relaxing sunset boat cruise to the mighty Murchison falls with an ice cold beer in hand.

Included highlights : Rhino trekking Included meals : Breakfast and Lunch Accommodation : Camping One of Africa’s fastest dwindling mammal species is the Rhinoceros. As we leave the park this morning we will visit a natural sanctuary dedicated to the protection of this species. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and their staff has dedicated their daily efforts and lives to the survival of the species. It is vital for us to create awareness with all our guests that conservation needs the influence from tourism to be sustainable. We applaud the dedication these people have and happily support them as far as we possibly can. The sanctuary will take you on a trek this afternoon to see these giants of the bush that depend on us for survival.

Included highlights : Source of the Nile Included meals : Breakfast and Lunch Accommodation : Camping After a relaxed breakfast we will head towards the adventurous town of Jinja. Here you will have the opportunity to get your adrenaline pumping with the various activities the town has to offer like river rafting on the Nile, bungee jumping and lots more. Once we arrive at the camp we will book your activities and also make use of the camp’s facilities.

Included highlights : Afternoon boat cruise on the Nile river Included meals : Breakfast Optional activities : River rafting, Canoeing, Bungee jumping and much more Accommodation : Camping After a full day of adventure we regroup to relax on a boat cruise on the Nile river. This will be the last night of the tour and we will go out to a local restaurant for dinner where you will be spoilt for choice. After dinner we will go for a night out in town and experience the night life of this small town.

After the journey we have just completed we will sadly have to say goodbye. For those whom wish to stay longer in Jinja, you are welcome to book extra accommodation through us or alternatively your transfers to Entebbe. “All roads do eventually come to an end, but the journey has only just begun!”