14Days-Explore Rwanda & Uganda

Today you will go for city tour in Kigali the Capital City of Rwanda where you will visit the Gisozi genocide memorial site giving you the history of genocide in Rwanda, Kimilonko Market, Belgium memorial site and then Richard kandt historical museum. After Lunch, you will continue to Ntarama and Nyamata Genocide memorial sites which are outside Kigali town.

You will then drive for 3 hours to Kisoro in Uganda through Cyanika border. You will go through the Immigration office for clearing before proceeding to Uganda. You will head to Traveller’s Rest Camp for dinner and overnight.

At 8am you willtake on the Batwa Cultural Trail in Mgahinga Gorilla Park in Uganda. This cultural experience will help you explore the interesting and existing lifestyle of Uganda’s unique Batwa local people the traditional inhabitants who occupy the forest by the park. The Batwa people(pygmies)mainly depended on the forest to for a living through extracting resources from the forest.

The experience comes along with different unique demonstrations on how the Batwa used to extract local herbs that were used for healing different diseases ,the batwa traditional ways of fetching water using a locally bamboo made “mugs” and also demonstrations on how the batwa used to construct huts out of grass.

The highly rewarding cultural tour ends with staged, authentic cultural performance organized by the Batwa community at the gate of the Garama cave which was highly regarded as ceremonial place for the cultural leaders of the Batwa community.

Then proceed to Lake Mutanda for the boat ride.

Lake Mutanda is surrounded by several islands including the punishment Island which you will visit. The Island is and was an isolated place where girls who got pregnant before marriage were abandoned with no food at all and they ended up starving to death. Actually todate there is proof of human bodies. If time allows, you will also ride to another Island for a village walk into the local community. You will then ride back to your lodge for dinner and Overnight at either Chameleon Hill Lodge or Ichumbi Safari Lodge. (BLD)

This morning you will have to wake up very early to get ready for Gorilla tracking one of the most exciting wildlife experiences on earth. You will drive to the reception for registration at 7.30am, then briefly will follow at 8am and the Gorilla tracking will start at 8.30am. There are now only 650 left in the world! Expect to adventurously track through the Impenetrable Forest before you encounter any gorillas which is definitely worthwhile as you observe them closely while they eat, play with the young ones, rest and act like Humans. A unique and inspiring experience which one can’t miss! The Gorilla is a shy and peaceful animal and it is an unforgettable experience to watch and photograph them as they interact. There are always Park Guides with who you interpret the flora and fauna and the lifestyle of the Gorillas. Tracking the gorillas will last for a few hours to a whole day depending on how far the gorilla group you are tracking is. When you get to the Gorilla Family, you will take 1 hour with them which is a very memorable experience. Dinner and Overnight at either Chameleon Hill Lodge or Ichumbi Safari Lodge. (BLD)

You will drive to Ishasha the Southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park the home of the tree climbing lions. You will have an route game drive in Ishasha for the tree climbing Lions.Dinner andovernight at Enjojo Lodge.

After breakfast, you will have a morning game drive in Ishasha searching for the tree climbing lions then  transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park the second largest national park in Uganda following the mystical Rwenzori Mountain Range. Dinner and overnight at Katara Lodge/Kyangabi Crater Resort/Park View Safari Lodge/Ihamba Safari Lodge.

You will start your morning game drive at 6.30amwhich isthe best time for the game drive since its cool and its when the animals are coming out of their nests. While game viewing you will go through different tracks like Janet track, Kaguta Track though Kasenyi to the North Kazinga Plainswhere you have an excellent opportunity to see lion, leopard, giant forest hog, cape buffalo, elephant, defassa waterbuck, Uganda Kob, topi, bushbuck and different bird species with the help of the guide.  This excellent game viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park will take between 3 to 4 hours drive. You will then proceed for lunch.

At 2pm, you will go an afternoonunique 2-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel into Lake Edward which will start from the penicular to Lake Edward and offers excellent platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing. There are three boats (7 seater which can be hired privately and at anytime, 14 seater and 40 seater) occupancy depends on the number of people available for the activity. The excellent boat cruise will end at 4pm then you will proceed to the Lodge for Dinner and overnight at Katara Lodge/Kyangabi Crater Resort/Park View Safari Lodge/Ihamba Safari Lodge.

You will then transfer to Fort Portal or Kibale Forest National Park the home of the chimpanzees arriving in the evening at the lodge. In the evening after dinner, the guide will brief you on the activities that will take place on the following day program. Dinner and overnight at Mountains of the moon Hotel/Kibale Safari Lodge/Primate Lodge(Cottages).

Early morning go for chimpanzee tracking which will start from Kanyanchu River Camp at 8.00am. This will give you an opportunity to see primates including l’hoestes, red colobus, blue red tailed and gray cheeked mangabey. The guide who will give you detailed information on primates, forest, flora and fauna. After lunch, you will go for the community bigodi swamp. Dinner and overnight at Mountains of the moon Hotel/Kibale Safari Lodge/Primate Lodge(Cottages).

You will then transfer to Hoima passing through different landscape, plantations and homesteads. Dinner and overnight at Kontiki Hotel.

Drive northwest to Murchison Falls National Park the largest National park in Uganda which is well known for its magical Murchison Falls. You will have a stopover for lunch in Masindi then continue to the top of the Falls where you can see the Nile’s beauty perfected! Marvel at the Nile, compressing from up to one km squeezed through a 7-metre canyon dropping 150 metres with a thunderous roar, creating a beautiful rainbow. Dinner andOvernight at Pakuba Safari Lodge/Kabalega Wilderness Camp.

At 6.15am you will have quick breakfast at the lodge, then proceed to the park for the morning game drive. Its better to have the game drive in the morning hours because its when the animals are active, the temperatures are cool and the sun isnt yet out. 6.30am will be the best time to start the morning game drive on the northern bank of the Nile where most of the wildlife is concentrated. While on the game drive you through different tracks which are Victoria track, Queens track, Pakuba Track and Albert track in search of the game. Because of different types of vegetation ranging from Savannah woodland, Savannah grassland and  Forest  that cover Murchison Falls National Park act habitats for over 76 mammal species and about 450 bird species, you will have chance to spot different wildlife like Rothschild’s giraffe, Lions elephants, cape buffalos, waterbucks, hartebeests, bushbucks, if you are lucky the leopard. The game drive in the park will take between 4 to 5 hours before heading back to the Lodge for lunch.

After a tasty lunch at 2.00pm, you will go for a boat cruise on the Nile taking you to the base of the falls stopping just tens of meters from the ‘Devil’s Cauldron’. The boat ride will take 3 hours it start at 2.30pm and end at 5.30 pm. There are three boats (7 seater which can be hired privately and at anytime, 14 seater and 40 seater) on the Nile, you will use a boat depending on the number of people available for the cruise.  While on the boat cruise, you will spot the hippos, crocodiles and over the 17km stretch you may see waterbuck, elephant and Uganda Kob. You will also have an opportunity to view many bird species like the rare shoebill stork, goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant and many more. At 5.30pm, you will drive back to your lodge.Dinner andOvernight at Pakuba Safari Lodge/Kabalega Wilderness Camp.

After breakfast you will transfer to Murchison Falls National Park to Kampala with a stopover after 2 hours drive at Ziwa Sanctuary the home of the Rhinos. You will have a briefing before you track the Rhinos on foot and when you get to the Rhinos, you will spend 1 hour with them before proceeding for 2-3 hours to Kampala for an overnight at Forest Cottages. BB

After breakfast, you will explore Kampala city. You will visit different historical, religious and cultural site in Kampala likeBahai Temple, King’s Lake (Kabaka’s Lake), King’s palace, Uganda Museum, Gadhaffi Mosque, Namugongo Shrine, Namirembe Cathdral, Owino Market, Kasubi Tombs,  And you will also have chance to taste our tasty local dishes including the rolex which has become popular.

You will then transfer to the airport to catch your flight back home.