20 days of birding safari in Uganda, birding allows tour Uganda and enjoys birding watching in all major birding destinations in Uganda in details. Standing with 1057 bird species, Uganda features 11% of the word’s bird species and 50% of Africa’s bird count.
20 days Uganda birding safari takes you to Mabira virgin forest with 312 species, ziwa Rhino sanctuary with 250 bird species, Budongo forest with over 360 bird species including the endemic yellow tooted flycatcher and Illadopsis Puvelli, Murchison falls national park with 451 species of birds with the sight of the rare shoebill stork, Kibale national park with 375 species of birds with the endemic Kibale ground Trush, Bigodi wetland sanctuary with 138 species of birds including the famous great blue Turacco, queen Elizabeth national park with over 600 species of birds making the habitant with many bird species in east Africa and second in Africa, Bwindi forest national park with 360 species of birds including the endemic red faced barbet, Entebbe botanical garden, Lutembe bay and the famous Mabamba swamp. It is an adventure birding encounters for all seasoned worlds birders
DETAILED ITINERARY
Arrival day
Our representative will be eagerly waiting for you at Entebbe international airport or any one of Uganda border post in Mutukula, Busia, Malamba, and Elegu. You will be picked and dropped to agreed place of accommodation for overnight, dinner and overnight on your first day
DAY 1: PICK UP FROM PLACE OF ACCOMMODATION AND TRANSFER TO MABIRA
Wake up early in the morning with served breakfast then meet your safari guide that will take you through around Kampala city and Mukono town passing via Nambole national stadium and Namanve industry area and then drive through sugar cane plantation for sugar with the scenic views and mabira forests with the cool conditions
The forest is the ranked as one of the most ornithological sites in Uganda with 300 species like hornbill, great blue Turraco ,African pita, sunbirds, African grey parrot
Mabira forest is one of the two places in east Africa where tit hylia has been recorded and the rare bird is seen here regularly. You will have picnic lunch in the forest, you settle for relaxation, dinner and overnight
ACCOMMODATION:
Luxury: rainforest lodge
Budget/basic: griffin falls forest camp
DAY 2: FULL DAY BIRDING IN MABIRA FOREST
Wake up early in the morning, take breakfast and meet your drive guide who will take you to the briefing point and you will immediately start your birding in the mabira forest where you will have chance to meet good number of species of birding its nice experience birding in the forest you can bird in different ways like indentifying bird by sound earrings or using binoculars to up in the long trees and also by indentifying different shelters of birds and you will able also to see birds like great blue Turacco ,sunbirds, hornbills, African pita, different prey birds
You will have lunch in the forest and then after lunch you will continue with birding in the forest up to griffin fall
Return to the lodge for dinner and accommodation
Luxury: rainforest lodge
Budget/basic: griffin falls forest camp
DAY 3: TRANSFERS TO BUDONGO FOREST ENROUTE TRACK BIRDING AT ZIWA SACTUARY RHINO
In the morning after early breakfast, drive northwest to Budongo forest reserve with in Masindi town. This route offers you impressive views of the flat landscape of central Uganda before making a stop at Ziwa Rhino sanctuary to view white rhinos and birds
The savannah thickets also features counts of birds over 250 species of birds and expert guides will enable you spot range of birds including broad billed, blue spotted dove, booted eagale,abyssinial ground hornbill, African blue flycatcher
Have lunch at the sanctuary and transfer to Masindi and Budongo forest in the evening
ACCOMMODATION:
LUXURY: MASINDI HOTEL
MIDRANGE: NEW COURT VIEW HOTEL
BUDGET/BASIC: bandas at Busingiro eco tourism site forest camping
DAY 4: FULL DAY BIRDING IN BUDONGO FOREST RESERVE BUSINGIRO AREA
After breakfast at exactly 06:30 am, you will start your full day birding in Uganda in the forest starting with the royal mile area of the forest.
This royal mile is referred to as the country’s premier forest birding locality home and number of species such as western black headed oriole and purple headed starling bandes, snake eagle, crowned and African pied hornbill and bat howl seen at dust, white tingled hornbill, yellow billed barbets, the chocolate baked blue Beasted and Africa dwarf kingfisher and the green bulls. You will have picnic lunch in the forest and retreat in the evening to your lodge for relaxation dinner and overnight
DAY 5: HALF DAY AT KANIGO PABIDI AND TRANSFER TO MURCHISION FALLS AND VISIT TOP OF FALLS
After breakfast, you will transfer to the Kanigo Pabidi sector of the forest for more birding. This area also offers you chance to see chimpanzee on your way to Murchison Falls national park. This forest you will see rare birds like green breasted pita, African wood, Africa scops, owls. You will drive towards top of the falls where the Nile projects its beauty. Here the Nile is transformed into explosive foam of thunderous wide water funnels sharped through a narrow cliff in the rift valley escarpments offering most inspiring sights of its kind in east Africa
Here you will have chance of viewing birds like pels fishing owl, chest nut crowned, and red winged grew warble and then connect to the lodge for relaxation dinner and overnight
Luxury: Para safari lodge
Midrange: Pakuba safari lodge
Budgeted: heritage safari lodge
DAY 6: BIRDING ALONG THE NILE (BOAT CRUISE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FALLS
Wake up early in the morning with served breakfast prepared for early morning birding along the Nile with the boat cruise where you will have chance to view a lot of fish eating birds like Egyptian geese, goliath heron, pied king fisher African Bart weavers, African skimmer and return to the lodge for lunch and then afternoon boat ride at the delta area of the sunset with possibilities of viewing the rare shoebill and other bird species seen
Accommodation
Luxury: Para safari lodge
Midrange: Pakuba safari lodge
Budgeted: heritage safari lodge
DAY 7 BIRDING IN THE UGANDAS SAVANNAH LAND SCAPES OF MURCHISION FALLS NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast you will be transferred to the northern game viewing circuit traversing the whistling thorn acacia where you have possibilities of encountering birds like speckle fronted weaker, proceed across the air strip and go through the Victoria Nile track that leads down the edge of the Victoria Nile delta on the reaching the Nile, check out the edges of the papyrus for the resident shoe bile stork, blue belled bee- eater, and swamp flycatcher and then after head towards the Albert Nile to see the white billed barbet and black scimitar bill get back to the lodge for relaxation , dinner and overnight
DAY 8 BIRDING IN UGANDA, KABONGO FOREST TRANSFER TO HOIMA
Kabongo forest spreads over 4km2 of the landscape and offers impressive bird views most especially the forest birds and walk offers you impressive views of primates include the black and white Columbus monkeys, baboon among, the river Warungo also presents impressive encounters, retire from the activity and embark on the transfer to Hoima driving along the scenic Albert rift valley escapements with magical views
Accommodation: Kontiko hotel Hoima
DAY 9: TRANSFER TO KIBALE FROM HOIMA
After breakfast we will depart Hoima heading towards Kibale forest national park passing via Kyenjojo and fort portal town rest in the shadow of the tabled mountain of the moon and famous for having many tea plantations, from this lovely town we will continue to Kibale national park while passing to the region of crate lakes. Here you will explore some small lakes before heading to kibale forest national park or primates
Dinner and overnight
Luxury: Ndali
Midrange: chimpanzee tourist guest house
Budgeted: Rwenzori view guest house
DAY 10: BIRDING WATCHING IN KIBALE FOREST AND ADJACENT BIGODI WETLAND SANCTUARY
After breakfast continue with your birding tour in Uganda by having a guided birding in the Kanyachu areas where you will look out for birds like grey parrot, the African Goshock, the masked Apalis, the majestic crowned eagle etc . You will a picnic lunch in the forest and afternoon head to Bigodi swamp wetland sanctuary through Magombe swamp where you will see birds like brown headed Tachangra, papyrus Gonolek, mosque swallow and papyrus canary settle relax and overnight
Luxury: Ndali
Midrange: chimpanzee tourist guest house
Budgeted: Rwenzori view guest house
DAY 11: TRANSFER TO QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK AND BIRD IN THE MWEYA PENINSULA
After break transfer to Mweya and drive for 3 hours (157km2) and have lunch at the peninsula under taking birding includes species like Diaderick, cuckoo, African morning dove, ruptured, red Chested sun bird, swamp fly Cather, grey headed king fisher pygmy king fisher , Nubain wood peaken , blue nested mouse bird, then after transfer to Katwe sanctuary in the evening at lake munyanyange for the evening birding where you will meet seasonal flamingos that are seen between October you will have nice lesson and experience about this migratory birds and then continue to shores of lake Edward in Katwe where you will encounter different bird species like Egyptian geese , spur wigged plover, yellow wagtail , cattle egret’s etc
You will return to the lodge for overnight and dinner
Luxury: Mweya safari lodge
Midrange: Engazi game lodge
Budgeted: Pumba safari lodge
DAY 12: BIRDING IN QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
Wake up early morning with breakfast prepared for the whole day birding in Queen Elizabeth the habitant with the highest number of bird
species like glossy And sacred ibis and common sepaclo heron , in the Kikorongo area, the Kasenyi tracking passing through the plauindsin large number of stork in seasons as well as raptures or birders. These include martial eagle and brown snaked eagle. You will break for lunch. Boat cruise after lunch along Kazinga channel and you will have chance of meeting both residents’ birds and non residents’ birds along the Kazinga channel
DAY 13: TRANSFER TO BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast at exactly 06:30am drive through Ishasha sector towards Buhoma Bwindi national park. Ishasha sector is commonly known for the unique climbing lions which might also be spotted along the way, the sector is also rich birders heaven and you can spot different birds
Accommodation and meals
Silver back: luxury
Budgeted: Buhoma community rest camp
DAY 14: BIRDING IN BUHOMA SECTOR
You will wake up early in the morning like 06:30 with served breakfast and packed lunch to go for birding in Buhoma sector and have chance to meet different bird species like slender billed sterling, white billed robin chats, chested bee eater, and black and white shirker etc and then after noon your will bird along the main track as you slope down to the lodge
Accommodation and meals
Silver or Buhoma community camp
Wake up early in the morning at exactly 06:30 am with breakfast
DAY 15 UNDER TAKE GORILLA TREKKING IN BWINDI
Have breakfast and have packed lunch to meet your guide who will drive you to the briefing point at Buhoma visitation centre and meet the ranger guide who will give you tips about the gentle apes of Bwindi. It will take two three hours to four hours trek k and be allowed only one hour to be with silver back and the gentle apes
Meals and accommodation
Luxury: silver back safari lodge
Budgeted: Buhoma community rest camp
DAY 16: BIRDING IN RUHINJA
Wake up early in the morning and driver to Ruhija sector where you will be welcomed by the ranger guides who will take you for birding and have chance to see birds like African shrive flycatcher, grey throated barbet and many others.
Meals and accommodations.
Luxury: Ruhinja gorilla safari lodge
Budgeted: broad bill forest camp
DAY 17 TRANSFER TO LAKE MBURO NATIONAL
You will wake up early morning with served breakfast and start your journey at exactly 06:30am to Lake Mburo national park and the drive takes around 4 hours to 5 hours. You will have lunch stopover in mbarara at buffalo resort hotel along the bypass way of mbarara and then proceed to lake for afternoon and evening birding in the park where you will species like long tailed starling, black billed busted, cattle egrets and many more
Accommodation and meals will be at
Luxury: kigambira safari lodge
Budgeted: eagles nest safari camp
DAY 18 BIRDING ALONG THE WAY IN LAKE MBURO NATIONAL AND WAY TO KAMPALA
You will take lake side track and kigambira loop towards Kampala and have chances of meeting birds like green caped Eremomela, austral migrant, black cuckoo etc then after embark on our journey back to Kampala crossing Ugandan equator line at kayebwe.
Luxury: hotel African
Budgeted: airport view hotel
DAY 19 BIRDING ALONG ENTEBBE BOTANICAL GARDEN AND LUTEMBE BAY WETLAND
Early in the morning like at 06:30 am after breakfast drive to the botanical garden and have chances of exploring birds like red chested sun bird, golden baved weaver, black weaver mention but few and then after lunch embark on birding at Lutembe bay wetland that consist of birds like white winged terns, broad billed sandpipers great Knut and many more.
All Meals and accommodations.
Luxury: Lake Victoria Serena
Budgeted: airport guest house
DAY 20 BIRDING IN MAMBAMBA
Wake up early in the morning at exactly 06:30 am and drive to Nakiwongo landing site in Entebbe where you will cross with the ferry and then continue with the drive to Mambaba swamp that takes around 30 minutes to the swamp. You will be able to see the rare shoebil stork, redcap, white winged warbler, papyrus Gonolek etc
DEPARTURE DAY
You will have relaxed breakfast and check out of the lodge depending on your departure/flight time. You will be picked and transferred at Entebbe airport or declared border post for departure
Thank you for traveling with African skimmer tours: End of the safari