5 Days-4 Nights Gorilla -Lake Bunyonyi- Queen Elizabeth NP- Culture safari
Day 1- Cultural Diversity Day
Day 1: Depart Kampala at 6.00 AM for the 6 7- hour drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The journey takes you through the cool undulating tea plantations along Fort Portal town also known as Uganda’s tourism town. You then descend into the rift valley with glimpses of the mighty snow-capped Rwenzori Mountain range in the distance through Kasese town.
Stop over at the basket making/ honey production for a cultural treat
Arrive at Queen Elizabeth National Park where you will have lunch. Queen Elizabeth National Park located in southwestern Uganda is home to the world famous tree climbing lions.
Optional (Evening game drive/ boat cruise) – Dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge.
Day 2- Game drive and boat cruise
After an early morning breakfast, your driver will take you to Kasenyi- the open savannah grassland and. Kasenyi is the stereotypical African landscape and is the most popular area to search for big cats in the early morning and late afternoon.
Here, you will see large herds of Ugandan Kob grazing which attracts predators. If you are lucky you will find the big game feeding on them including lions creating a captivating sight of game hunting and survival. There is also a large concentration of hippopotamus, crocodiles as well as herds of elephants, buffalo, and other wildlife that come to drink from the river. The Kazinga also attracts a tremendous variety of bird species including the African Eagle, Open-Billed Stork, and Pied Kingfishers
After your packed lunch, depart the lodge for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Day 3- Encounter with the Mountain Gorillas
It is D-day!
Preparations begin quite early with a quick breakfast to enable you catch up with the group. The hiking and tracking is both beautiful, tiresome and adventurous.
The terrain can be treacherous and muddy while the tracking can take anywhere from two hours to eight hours. But it is all worth it as you come face to face with these dinosaurs of the wild described as the amazing gentle giants.
The gentle habits of these incredible creatures defy their size. You will be guided on how to behave in their presence as well as how to capture your lifetime memorable photos while in their presence. You are restricted to only one hour with the gorillas because of safety and habituation reasons. But again, it is all worth it.
You may also see other primates as well as monkeys, butterflies birds and the incredible mist covered terrain. After tracking, depart for Bunyonyi
Optional (Afternoon sightseeing of the fascinating landscapes/ village walk/swim in the Lake. Overnight at Acadia Lodges in Lake Bunyoni
Day 4: Punishment Island
Visit Lake Bunyonyi- home of Punishment Island
Head to Lake Bunyonyi, a place that some travelers have with tears described as the most beautiful on earth. The hilly landscape, the about 30 islands connected like dots in the Garden of Eden should leave you breathless!
You can choose to take a local boat ride to “Punishment Island” and see where myth has it that non virgins were left to die several decades ago as punishment. Listen to tale of this place as you savour the scenery, the beauty of the most beautiful place on earth.
Depart Lake Bunyonyi for overnight in Kabale/ Mbarara Town
Day 5- Equator/ Igongo cultural centre
Depart for Kampala. Stop over at the Equator/ Igongo Cultural centre (mixture of history, culture/ view of the world in two hemispheres.
Transfer to Kampala and onwards to Entebbe
Overnight at Entebbe. If you have time you can visit the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC)/ Ngamba Island (Optional) depending on your flight.
End of safari!
Safari Highlights
- Encounter the Mountain gorillas.
- Sight the Tree climbing lions
- Local culture (basket making, honey harvesting and local dances
- Wildlife (hippos, crocodiles, birds.
- Site the Rwenzori Mountains, Africa’s third highest mountain.