9 Days Wilderness Camping Self Drive Safari in Uganda Detailed itinerary Safari

Day 1 of the 9 Days Wilderness Camping Self Drive Safari in Uganda: Transfer from Kampala to Fort Portal. Visit the Amabere g’ Nnyinamwiru Caves, hike the Fort Portal Crater Lake Hike and transfer to Kibale National Park

Take breakfast at your place of stay in Kampala before embarking on the drive in the company of your driver guide to Fort Portal 300km about 5 hours’ drive from Kampala. You drive along the impressive countryside landscapes of Mubende including the scenic Inselbergs. The small towns en route including Mpigi, Mityana, Mubende, Kyegegwa and Kyenjonjo offers you sights of the rural towns of Uganda. You arrive in Fort Portal town for lunch after which you connect to the Fort Portal Crater Area for amazing scenic views. You tour the Amabere g’ Nnyinamwiru Caves which are ancient historical feature that locals believe to be breasts of Nnyinamwiru – the daughter of Bukuku a self-enthroned King of Bachwezi. Nyinamwiru had been denied a chance to breast feed her son Ndahura as her father had been told that the offspring of Nyinamwiru will take over his throne. Though Bukuku worked tooth and nail to prevent the over throw, it was destined to happen and Ndahura became a famous Muchwezi ruler who is credited to have expanded the Chwezi Empire to the areas on northern Tanzania, Rwanda and east of DR Congo while using Uganda as the center. It is rewarding to listen to such stories being told by the locals themselves. You retreat from the caves and embark on the hike to the Fort Portal Crater Lake field where you summit the famous Kyeganywa hill to gain remarkable views of the craters including the empty hollows and those that have been filled with water to form lakes including Lake Saaka, Lake Kigere and Lake Bikere. The summit of the hill offers scenic views of the area and distant views of Rwenzori Mountains beyond. Retreat from the activity and connect to Fort Portal town from where you will drive 26km to Kibale National Park for relaxation, dinner and overnight

Accommodation: Camping at Primate Lodge Campsite / Kanyanchu River Camp

Day 2 of the 9 Days Wilderness Camping Self Drive Safari in Uganda: Do Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Semliki National Park in the afternoon

After breakfast, embark on the chimpanzee trekking encounter in Kibale National Park. You gather at Kanyanchu tourism Center for briefing at 8am by the Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers after which you head to the prehistoric forest in search of your closest cousin. Kibale National Park offers great flora concentration with 351 Species of trees some of which are 200 years old and over 55m tall. The park also supports 70 species of mammals and 13 species of Primates among which include the common chimpanzee, Black and white colobus and red tailed monkey. The 375 Species of birds thieve in the park including the impressive western green tinker bird, two species of pittas (African and green-breasted), olive long-tailed cuckoo, African grey parrot and the endemic ground thrush (Turdus kibalensis). Thus makes the search for the chimpanzees beyond the ordinary. Upon encountering the chimps, you have an opportunity to see them munch fruit, hunt, patrol, copulate, young ones playing, make pant hooting calls among other interesting aspects for one full hour. The exciting moments with the chimps will leave you with no other option but to be active with your cameras to make a reserve of remarkable photos that will always take you back to the memories of this wonderful moment. Retreat from the activity and connect to the starting point where you connect with your company guide, settle for your packed lunch after which you connect to Semliki National Park 78km 2 – 3 hours’ drive passing through Fprt Portal before being welcomed by the magical Rwenzori Mountains towering to 5,109m above sea level. Arrive in the evening for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Wild Camping

Day 3 of the 9 Days Wilderness Camping Self Drive Safari in Uganda: Primates Trek in the Semuliki Valley National Park

Embark on the primate walk in Semliki Forest to explore a range of primates including Chimpanzees, Grey cheeked mangabey, Olive Baboons, Black and whote Colobus Monkeys, Blue and red tailed monkey, Central African Red colobus, De Brazza monkey, Dent’s Mona Monkey and Vervet monkeys. It is a full day exploration in the forest with sights of birds and impressive flora of Semliki forest. Retire for overnight.

Accommodation: Wild Camping

Day 4 of the 9 Days Wilderness Camping Self Drive Safari in Uganda: Transfer from Semliki National Park to Queen Elizabeth NP

Take the morning breakfast and transfer to Queen Elizabeth following a picturesque road along Rwenzori Mountains – renowned as “Mountain of the Moon”. Enjoy a game drive along the way to Mweya Safari Lodge. After lunch at the Lodge, go for a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel for its excellent birding and game viewing. The 2 hour boat cruise departs Mweya jetty at 2pm and offers sights of Nile crocodiles and Hippos not forgetting a range of water birds and wild game drinking on the channel shores such as Buffaloes and Elephants.

Accommodation: Wild Camping

Day 5 of the 9 Days Wilderness Camping Self Drive Safari in Uganda: Do morning wild game viewing and afternoon Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge

Early morning before breakfast you will embark on a morning game drive in search of predators such as leopards, lions, jackals, and hyenas; grazers like elephants, Buffaloes, Waterbuck, Uganda Kobs among others in the savannah landscapes of Kasenyi. You will return to the lodge for relaxation and carry your packed lunch to transfer to Kyambura Game Reserve for chimpanzee trekking. Trekking chimpanzees in this 100m deep gorge marked with lush green mature tropical forest thriving below sea level is very rewarding. It involves hiking the steep slopes of the gorge and upon encountering the chimpanzees you have one hour of unlimited experience with them where you can take pictures and share light moments with them before retreating to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight

Accommodation: Wild Camping

Day 6 of the 9 Days Wilderness Camping Self Drive Safari in Uganda: Transfer from Queen Elizabeth NP to Bwindi National Park via Ishasha

 

After breakfast, with packed lunch, transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park via Ishasha Southern Sector of QENP in search of tree-climbing lions. Proceed to Bwindi and arrive in the evening for relaxation, dinner and overnight

Accommodation: Wild Camping

Day 7 of the 9 Days Wilderness Camping Self Drive Safari in Uganda: Gorilla Trekking and relax at the lodge

Wake up early in the morning for your breakfast. With packed lunch, walk to the park headquarters for a briefing and at 8.00am local time embark on a mountain gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Viewing the mountain gorillas grumbling amongst themselves, and the silver back – the head of the gorilla family thumping his chest, sends a chill up one’s spine. Retire back to the Camp for relaxation, dinner and overnight

Accommodation: Wild Camping

Day 8 of the 9 Days Wilderness Camping Self Drive Safari in Uganda: Transfer to Bwindi to Lake Bunyonyi

After a morning breakfast, drive through the picturesque mountainous terrain – the “Switzerland of Africa” – the Kigezi Highlands and arrive at Bunyonyi Overland Camp for your lunch. After your lunch enjoy a boat ride to “Punishment” Island – where the traditional Bakiga people would abandon girls impregnated out of a wedlock to die of hunger or risk swimming back to their homes and drown along the way. For birders, the islands excellent birding experience.

Accommodation: Resort Camping

Day 9 of the 9 Days Wilderness Camping Self Drive Safari in Uganda: Transfer to Kampala with a lunch stop at Igongo Cultural Center and Uganda Equator crossing

Take an early breakfast and transfer back to Kampala with lunch at Igongo Cultural Center 12km past Mbarara town. Make a stop-over at the Equator for photography and then proceed to Kampala arriving in the evening to mark the end of the tour.

End of the 9 Days Wilderness Camping Self Drive Safari in Uganda