21 Days Best of Uganda and Rwanda Road trip

This 21 days Road trip  takes you through national parks and other interesting places both in Uganda and Rwanda, The major highlights of the trip are the gentle giants ( gorillas) and the chimpanzees our closest cousins. Expect to see other wild life like the big five and bird species.

Day 1: Transfer to Jinja Town.

After breakfast, you will drive to Jinja to start your 20 day best of Uganda and Rwanda. You will also see lush tea and sugarcane plantations plus several roadside markets, you will stop at Ssezibwa falls and later for Lunch, and you will then have a boat ride to the source of the Nile.

Dinner and overnight at white water rafting camp

Day 2: White water Rafting and visit to crafts and down.

After an early breakfast you will transfer to the start point and taken through the does and don’t, the rafting experience has grades from which you can choose either to do a 3 grade raft or 5 grade raft. The experience is adrenaline driven and not for the fait hearted. You will be able to visit the craft shops as well, the community staying on the river side and then Jinja Town tour. You do have time to do also other optional activities in the area like Quad Bikes, Horseback riding, biking and nature trails. Dinner and overnight at White water Rafting camp

Day 3: Transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for overnight

Today you will drive to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola arriving in time for lunch and after lunch you go for  Rhino tracking. You can stay at like Ziwa Rhino camp close to the briefing center.

Day 4: Drive to Murchison Falls National Park and top of the falls.

Drive  to Murchison Falls National Park and  hike to the top of the falls which will give you beautiful views of these waterfalls. You will gaze at the Nile River which is the longest river in the world, it’s forced through a small gap which is just 7m wide and it flows 43 meters down making it look very beautiful to the viewers. overnight stay at Red chill rest camp.

Day 5: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise on the bottom of the falls.

After early morning breakfast, you will go for your early morning game drive that gives you chance for wild game that include lions, buffaloes, elephants, several antelopes, leopards and so much more. The delta region is also very rich with water animals such as hippos, crocodiles and the rare shoebill stock. At Murchison Falls National Park, it is nature that gives so the fact that wild animals graze and move naturally, seeing any animal will depend on your luck of the day. Afterword’s, you will drive back to your lodge for lunch and then head for the afternoon boat cruise to the base of the falls.

This boat cruise to the base of the falls is seen as the highlight of all activities at Murchison Falls National Park since many water and land animals can be sighted. Expect to see lots of Buffaloes, elephants, crocodiles, many water birds as you cruise up stream to the base of the falls where water squeezes itself into a narrow gorge to later explode as it flows down words. Return to the lodge for overnight.Red chill rest camp

Day 6: Transfer to Kibale National park

Today you will drive to Kibale Forest National Park via a visit and hiking of Nyakasura Caves to learn about the history and traditional values of the local community towards the stalactites and stalagmites then you will hike up the hills for sightseeing of the beautiful carter lakes. You will have a stop in Fort portal town for Lunch before proceeding to check-in at Chimpanzee Forest Guest House.

Day 7: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi walk

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Kibale National Park headquarters located at Kanyanchu. Here, you will join other trekkers for briefing before you proceed into the forest for chimpanzee trekking. You will be led by a well-trained and experienced ranger/guide who will take you for a guided primate walk inside Kibale Forest National Park. This forest provides an opportunity to visit one of the habituated communities of chimpanzees. You are allowed to spend an hour with these Great Apes while observing their behavior. You are allowed to take photographs. So make sure your cameras are nearby. Kibale National Park is also home to other 13 primate species which can also be spotted while trekking the Chimpanzees. Of course there are also numerous species of forest birds. In fact, this is another haven for bird lovers.

Day 8: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park and game drive

After breakfast, your will drive for 3-4 hours from Kibale National Park to Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will have an opportunity of passing through small towns while seeing several foothills of the magnificent Rwenzori Mountain. You will as well as cross the Equator at Kikorongo. Of course you will also see several small rivers that originate from the Rwenzori mountain ranges. You will head to the lodge for lunch or drive to Mweya for Lunch and then go for afternoon game drive to search for late grazers. Dinner and overnight at song bird camp

Day 9: Game drives and boat cruise on Kazinga channel

After an early morning cup of coffee, you will drive back to Kasenyi plains for a game viewing. It’s this time of the morning that the big cats are usually out to hunt for their prey. There will be high chances of spotting lions and or leopards on a hunt or feasting on their kill. Obviously, there is a guarantee that you will see buffaloes, hippos, and several species of antelopes, and many more. You may return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation and return later in the day drive to Mweya jetty for an afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. This two hour boat cruise is one of the highlights of Queen Elizabeth National Park. It provides you with an opportunity to view over 300 out of the 600 water bird species recorded here. There are also antelopes, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes and hippos which can be sighted while on the boat.

Day 11: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable forest

Drive from Queen Elizabeth National Park through ishasha sector where by chance you will see tree climbing lions and other wild life, proceed to Bwindi impenetrable forest reaching there in the evening for dinner and overnight Ride for a woman camp

 

Day 12: Gorilla trekking

After breakfast, you will transfer to the park headquarters to join other trekkers to be allocated a Gorilla family that you will trek. Of course the park staff will first give you a full briefing concerning the Dos and Don’ts while with the gorillas. This trek may take between 30 minutes to three quarters of the day, depending on where the Mountain Gorillas will be found. Once you find the gorillas, you will be allowed to spend one hour to observe them and take photographs. Although this time may seem too short a time, the experience you get will be worth it. Return to the lodge for relaxation followed by a visit to the local community for performances and dances at the lodge.

Day 13: Early Morning Hiking of Mt. Sabinyo

Today, you will start your day with a short drive to the footsteps of Mountain Sabinyo and hike to the top, a Virunga Volcano that you can only access its summit from the park. Rising up, the mountain lies at 3,645 meters (11,959 ft), marks the intersection of the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Uganda.

The hike to the top and down the mountain is a one day experience which makes it something most can do for those who wish to hike. Basically would involve 4 hours climbing and another 4 hours to get down the mountain but depends on the pace and weather conditions. Walking sticks are provided for free meanwhile the porters are available for hire. You will go through vegetation ranges from the bamboo zone between 2400 – 2800m. After ascending to its park, have some rest and your packed lunch. Start descending the mountain. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight Rugigana campsite.

Day 14: Cross border at Chanika to Volcanoes National park

Cross border from Chanika and drive to volcanoes , in the afternoon go for diana fossey Museium and  visit the Ibwiwachu cultural village, they perform cultural activities like singing, dance

Day 15: Transfer to lake Kivu

Today we leave to the shore of Lake Kivu  with an afternoon excursion around the lake. A sunset boat ride on Lake Kivu is an unforgettable experience accompanied by wonderful music and incredible scenery. The boat leaves in the late afternoon from Tam Tam Beach and heads to the lake. From the boat you have a great view of the surrounding Rift Valley and the volcanoes in the Congo. As the sun sets and you enjoy your drink, singing fishermen pass by in canoes as they head to Lake Kivu for a night of fishing. Drinks, a life jacket, and a guide are included in the sunset boat ride on Lake Kivu. Dinner and overnight at Maravilla Kivu Eco Resort

Day16: Transfer to Nyungwe

Drive to nyungwe forest national park as you observe lake Kivu on that scenic drive reaching there in time for dinner and overnight at Uwinka Campsite

Day 17: canopy walk

After break fast, you will go for canopy walk where you expect to see some birds and other animal while above. The Canopy walkis an exhilarating experience done in Nyungwe National Park on a suspended bridge 70m high above the great Nyungwe forest and this walk is guided walk on a 160 m long walkway that takes about 2 hours on this suspended bridge.

Day 18: Transfer to Kigali

After breakfast, you will drive to Kigali and reach there in time to visit the fire house which is the area where the plane that was carrying president Habyarima was brought down, that late sparked the famous 1994 Rwanda genocide. You will also visit the Gisozi geocide museum where you will learn more about what transpired during April 1994 genocide that claimed 1000s of lives.

Day 19:  Transfer to Akgera

Have breakfast and check out of the lodge and transfer to Akagera national park where you will check in at the lodge for lunch. After lunch, you set out for an evening game drive. The game drive will take us to the northern part of the park where most of the animals prefer to inhabit. Look out for the Zebras, Giraffes and Impalas which are usually scattered along the game tracks. Accommodation: Akagera Safari camp

Day 20: Game drive and Boat cruise

Akagera National Park is a Savannah Park with Elephants, Hippos, Buffaloes and Lions. After an early breakfast we take a game drive in search of these animals, the game drive will take us to the northern part of the park where most of the animals prefer to inhabit. Look out for the Zebras, Giraffes and Impalas which are usually scattered along the game tracks. Return to the lodge for lunch and you will take a boat safari on Lake Ihema for a beautiful mid-morning breeze and some sighting of birds and wildlife. Accommodation: Akagera Safari camp

Day 21: Departure.

After breakfast you will bid farewell to the lodge  then proceed to the airport to catch your onward international flight out ending your 21 Day Best Of Uganda and Rwanda. Your flight can  either be in Entebbe or Kigali