5 days Uganda camping safari is a 4nights/5 days camping safari in Uganda tour offering a life-changing mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and a wonderful wildlife game viewing tour in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Starting and ending in Kampala, your 5 days camping tour in Uganda takes you southwest with stops at the Equator crossing Kayabwe for photoshoots and Igongo Cultural Centre for a traditional lunch before reaching the scenic Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda’s most popular and biologically diverse game reserve inhabited by 95 mammal species and 610 species of birds.
Undertake thrilling game drives in search of ‘Queen’s’ famous tree-climbing lions as well as other big game like the ground-dwelling Lions, Leopards, Hyenas, Elephants, Buffalos, Hippos, Uganda Kobs, Topis, Giant Forest Hogs, Waterbucks, Bushbucks, Warthogs and more. You’ll also cruise on the Kazinga Channel to view the world’s densest concentration of Hippo and Nile Crocodiles.
Next, move to the great Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Forest for a memorable trekking adventure to meet the gentle and shy mountain gorillas – the world’s most endangered, impressive, and biggest primates. End your amazing 5 days Uganda camping safari with a relaxation tour on Lake Bunyonyi – a place of little birds – which is a magical, stunningly beautiful lake, dotted with 29 emerald islands and framed by lush, green-terraced hills that reach a height of (2,200 – 2,478m).
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Boat cruise on Kazinga Channel
Search for tree-climbing lions in Ishasha Sector
Boat cruise on Lake Bunyonyi
Traditional lunch at Igongo Cultural Centre
The Uganda Equator Experience
Day 1 & 2: Equator, Queen Elizabeth National Park & Igongo Cultural Center
Day 3: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 4: Lake Bunyonyi
Day 5: Drive back to Kampala
Day 1: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Make stops at the Equator crossing Kayabwe & Igongo Cultural Center for a traditional lunch.
Day 2: Morning game drive in Kasenyi & afternoon boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel.
Day 3: Transfer from Queen Elizabeth Park to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with a game drive in the Ishasha sector in search of tree climbing lions.
Day 4: Do gorilla trekking in the Bwindi & transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for an evening boat cruise & relaxation.
Day 5: Drive from Lake Bunyonyi back to Kampala city.
After breakfast at your place of stay in Kampala, you get into your comfortable safari vehicle in the company of your guide at 6:30 and drive to the southwest of Uganda to Queen Elizabeth National Park 417km about 7 hours’ drive.
You make a stop at Uganda Equator Crossing Kayabwe after driving 77km from Kampala and have time to explore this significant geographical site – the Sun’s way and the point of separation between the northern and southern hemispheres. A well-interpreted water experiment is performed to show the separation of these two poles.
The place also features rewarding photographing opportunities where you take photos with one leg in the northern hemisphere and another in the southern hemisphere. Continue on the drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park making another stop at Igongo Cultural Center for an amazing traditional lunch where you enjoy local foods organically produced and freshly served. You can also take an optional tour to the Erijukiro Museum which features a range of artifacts of the tribes of southwestern Uganda.
Embark on the drive past Mbarara town and enjoying the views of Bunyaruguru Crater and the lush Kalinzu forest. You can make a stop at the crater field for sightseen and photo taking. Arrive in Queen Elizabeth National Park in the evening for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
The highlight of the day: – The Uganda Equator experience and traditional lunch at Igongo Cultural Centre.
Luxury/Upmarket: – Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury Safari Tents)/Ishasha Wilderness Camp
Midrange/Standard: – Kasenyi Safari Camp/Bush Lodge (self-contained tents)
Budget/Basic: – Bush Lodge (non -self-contained tents)/Camping at Twin Lakes Campsite
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Have an early morning breakfast at around 6.00 am. After breakfast, embark on a 3-4 hours game drive in the classic savannah plains of the Kasenyi sector. This section of the park, aside from the fantastic wildlife, is also the prettiest in the park, especially in the golden light of the morning. Look for lions, buffalos, elephants, leopards, hyenas, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, giant forest hogs, Uganda kobs, Hippos, and various smaller creatures.
Though the major attraction for you is of course the mammals, birding within Queen Elizabeth National Park is wonderful. You spend some time ticking a good number of special species such as Grey-crowned crane, Red-throated spurfowl, Yellow-throated longclaw, White-backed vulture, White-headed vulture, African Skimmer, Long-crested Eagle, Black-bellied Bustard, and Brown Snake Eagle, to name just a few. Return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch.
In the afternoon, transfer to Mweya Jetty for another astonishing activity planned; the 2-hour boat trip on the 40 Kazinga channel which flows between Lakes George and Edward. One of the world’s densest concentrations of hippo lives here, as well as large numbers of elephants, crocodiles, and water birds like African Open-billed, Yellow-billed, and Saddle-billed Storks; Water Thick-knee and Pelicans. Retire from the activity and do a game drive along the channel track as you connect to the lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
The highlight of the day: – An amazing wild boat cruise along the spectacular Kazinga Channel.
Luxury/Upmarket: – Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury Safari Tents)/Ishasha Wilderness Camp
Midrange/Standard: – Kasenyi Safari Camp/Bush Lodge (self-contained tents)
Budget/Basic: – Bush Lodge (non -self-contained tents)/Camping at Twin Lakes Campsite
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Enjoy a good breakfast at around 8.30 am. After breakfast, set off on a 4-7 hours’ drive south to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Before leaving Queen Elizabeth Park, undertake a short game drive in the Ishasha Plains in search of the plain’s well know tree-climbing lions. After seeing these mystifying creatures, depart the park and continue on the drive through the rolling hills of southwestern Uganda as you make your way to the lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park despite a forbidding name is a tropical rainforest wonderland. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, this 321 km² park is breathtakingly beautiful. Its rugged landscape features dense jungle, sparkling mountain streams, cascading waterfalls, deep valleys, and steep ridges.
However, Bwindi is world-renowned for excellent gorilla trekking opportunities, harboring nearly half of the Mountain Gorillas on Earth, about 459 individuals on the last count. Besides the magnificent mountain gorillas, there are other drawcards in the ‘impenetrable forest including more than 120 mammal species, 10 species of primates, and over 350 bird species including the rare and gorgeous African green broadbill.
The highlight of the day: – The rare tree-climbing Lions in the Ishasha sector.
Luxury/Upmarket: – Gorilla Forest Camp/Nkuringo Gorilla Camp
Midrange/Standard: – Gorilla Mist Camp/Nkuringo Gorilla Camp/Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
Budget/Basic: – Buhoma Community Rest Camp/Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive Distance & time: – Approx. 130-220km or 4-7 hours
Today, experience what some people define as a life-changing experience; trekking the endangered Mountain gorillas of Bwindi of Impenetrable Forest! You wake up at around 6.00 am for a hearty breakfast after which you pack your lunch and embark on a short drive to the respective park headquarter where you meet the expert local ranger guides.
At 8.00 am, the guides give an informative briefing on how the gorilla trekking experience is conducted. Next, embark on a trek to find the gorillas. A gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is relatively difficult and needs some stamina. It usually takes 2- 6 hours and may reach altitudes of almost 2000m above sea level. The dense forest also can sometimes be wet, muddy, and uncomfortable, but the sheer thrill in coming across a habituated family group of gorillas, dominated by a giant male Silverback, more than outweighs any difficulty.
An adult male can weigh up to 220kg and reach 6 ft. in height but mountain gorillas are calm and gentle; watching their movements are like seeing a mirror image of yourself. Contact time with gorillas is limited to 1 hour but coming face to face with a family of mountain gorillas is indeed a life-changing experience that will be imprinted on your mind forever.
Retreat from the activity and return to the starting point and transfer to the starting point to embark on the transfer to Lake Bunyonyi. Drive through fascinating Kigezi Highlands which locals apply terracing methods to cultivate their slopes deriving impressive scenic landscape. On arrival, undertake a relaxing evening boat cruise on this Africa’s second deepest lake which is dotted with 29 magical highlands. Retire from the activity for relaxation, dinner, and overnight
The highlight of the day: – Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Luxury/ Upmarket: – Birdnest @Bunyonyi Resort
Mid-range/ Moderate: – Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort/Lake Bunyonyi Eco Resort
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive distance & time: – Approx. 55-85 km or 1-3 hours
Activities & Services of the day:-
Have your breakfast at around 8.00 am and then embark on a 437km (about 7 hours) drive back to Kampala city. You pass through the magical Kigezi Highlands covered with mist in the morning before continuing through impressive south western Uganda landscapes of Ntungamo with extensive banana plantations and cattle farms.
A lunch stop will be made at Igongo Cultural Center and another can still be made at the Equator crossing Kayabwe to get yourself memorabilia to carry back home.
The highlight of the day: – The scenic drive through the fascinating highlands of Kigezi.
Meal Plan: – Breakfast & Lunch
Drive distance & time: – 437km or 7 hours
End of the Day 1 of the 5 Days Uganda Camping Safari
Cate
Samuel
Robert
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