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UGANDA
THE PEARL SAMPLER:
SPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR MAMMALS , BIRD WATCHING AND HIKING THE SLOPES OF
Mt. RWENZORI.
Day 1: Pick up and drive to Entebbe Botanical garden, bird the
area and the neighboring lake Victoria shores. Bird the rest of the day
guided by your Bird Guide. Evening return. Meals and Accommodations on
this day are not part of the package.
Day 2: Morning pick and start a spectacular drive to
Murchison falls National Par arriving for Lunch After Lunch we will transfer
to the
Magnificent Top of the falls where the Mighty Nile is forced into a seven
Meter crevice to thunder 45 meters below in a series of cascades. The
Nile can be viewed at different, we will bird the surrounding grasslands
and woodlands, where we should encounter: Secretary-bird,
Black-chested Snake and Tawny Eagles, Red-throated Bee-eater, Sooty Chat,
Northern and Southern Red Bishops and flocks of noisy Helmeted Guinea
fowl. Overhead we have a chance of observing African White-backed Vulture
Bateleur, Walberg's Eagle and Black-shouldered Kite. A number of other
garden birds should also come our way to include: Yellow-throated Greenbul,
Red-winged Grey Warbler and
Purple-banded Sunbird…
Day 3 and 4: After an
early morning breakfast, embark on a half day game drive on the northern
bank of the river Nile. Escorted by game
ranger, you may opt for a game walk while trailing animals and studying
animal spoors. Game in this area include Giraffe, Elephant, Harte best,
Lion, Uganda Kob, Oribi and a variety of savannah and woodland birds.
After lunch, take a Nile Cruise for game viewing at close quarters.
This is a paradise of the Hippo and Crocodiles. Bird life should be
rewarding where the Rocky outcrops should attract Rock Pratincole, African
Pied Wagtail and mixed flocks of White-headed Sawing, Horus Swift and
Rufous-breasted Swallows. A nearby outlook is reliable for Palm nut
Vultures and African Harrier Hawks, when walking on a number of trails
here, we should encounter lots of other species to include: African
Pygmy Kingfisher, Heuglin's Robin Chat and Yellow-throated Leaf love.
During our stay we will also have an opportunity to visit the neighboring
Pabidi Forest where upon forest hikes should reward us with a number
of Primates,birds,butterflies and lots on unfamiliar plant species which
our guide will explain. Primates resident in this forest include l'
hoestes, red colobus, blues, red tailed monkeys and gray cheeked mangabeys.
The guide will provide detailed explanations, not only about primates,
but also on all the forest flora and fauna and will ensure that our
walk is both informative and enjoyable.
Day 5: Breakfast early enough,
then transfer to Kibale Forest. Kibale is one of Uganda's famous Ornithological
paradise, we should be able to locate Papyrus Gonolek, Yellow-billed
Barbet, Grey-capped and White-winged Warblers, Great Blue Turaco, Blue-headed
Coucal and Papyrus Canary. In the afternoon we will have another opportunity
of birding and tracking Chimpanzees and a number of other primates in
the
forest itself, our bird list should tick off Birds the Narina Trogon,
White-headed Wood hoopoe, Yellow-spotted Barbet and Black-capped Apalis.
By sheer lunch we may see the rare Grey Parrots and other very secretive
species that require degree of luck to find such as the Dusky and Olive
Long-tailed Cuckoos, Grey-throated Flycatcher, Thick-billed and Cassin's
Honey guides, Nathan's Francolin, Green-breasted and African Pittas.
Dinner and over night at Ndali Lodge.
Day 6: After breakfast, we will
checkout of our lodge with an intention o having a further opportunity
to visit Kibale forest for a half day Primate
walk in search of chimpanzees and some what other dodgy birds and primates
we might have missed the previous evening. On the walk, we may see the
Black and white colobus monkey, Red tailed monkey, Baboon, Grey cheeked
mangabeys and chimpanzee. Return to our lodge for a relaxed afternoon
in preparation for the next day's long drive to the Mountain Gorilla
home.
Day 7: Drive to Bwindi through
the western Corridor of Ishasha, Lunch Enroute. we will drive through
Africa's most spectacular scenery that should only be second to Switzerland.
The Late afternoon should see us in Bwindi. Bwindi Forest offers some
of the best forest birding in Africa. The campgrounds before the main
track attract Black Sawing, Pettit's Cuckoo-shrike, Black and White
and African Blue Flycatchers, Mackinnon's Fiscal, Luhder's Bush-shrike,
Mountain Greenbul, Black-billed Weaver, Variable Sunbird and Grey-crowned
Negrofinch. We will spend the rest of the evening at leisure in anticipation
for the following day which of course should make up our Safari highlight
as we track the Mountain Gorillas. Dinner and over night at the Bwindi
Tented Camp.
Day 8 and 9: After breakfast
and briefing by park ranger guides.
with our picnic lunches, we will start a 30 minutes – to 8 hours trek
to find the Mountain gorillas with opportunities of birding on the way.
The tracking starts at the area where the gorillas were the previous
day. After a full hour with the gorillas, we will return to our Camp.
The next day should be spent with optional forest
walks with birding and primate viewing.
If we choose to take the many tracks in the forest,
we should end up at a waterfall, this trail is a reliable site for Red-throated
Alethe, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher and
Kivu Ground Thrushes. Other species recorded the main track on recent
visits include Crested Guinea fowl, Black and Cinnamon-breasted Bee-eaters,
Bronze-napped Pigeon, Gabon and Elliot's Woodpeckers… Dinner and Overnight.
Day 10: After breakfast, transfer to Mbarara arriving
in time for
lunch at the Lakeview Hotel . Later head for Lake Mburo National Park.
We enter the park through the Nshara gate, we will then enjoy n afternoon
game drive along the Lakeshore track. This park, with its own eco system
of game trails and cleared walkways is so rewarding in both Big game
viewing, dry country birding and a taste of shore birds. The "Kigambara
Loop" offers interesting guided lakeside walks where herds of zebra,
Cape buffalo and eland, Oribi and Topi are easily approached. Along
with a game drive, many visitors enjoy a boat trip on Lake Mburo. Self-guided
nature trails are also available. Birdwatchers, will enjoy the more
than 250 species of birds found in Lake Mburo including Papyrus Gonolek,
Brown faced Lapwing. Carruther's Cisticola, the extraordinary White
winged Warbler and Bare-Faced-Go-Away bird. Return to Lake Mburo Tented
Camp for candlelit dinners and first class service, all under canvas
in the heart of the African Bush. In addition to un exhaustive array
of Mammals, the bird will also include: Dwarf Bittern, Yellow-billed
Duck, Nubian Woodpecker, Yellow-breasted Apalis, Spot-flanked and Black-collared
Barbets, yet the seasonal marshland in the park will offer African Open
bill, Sacred Ibis, Wattles Lapwing, and sometimes the African Water
Rail, Greater Painted-snipe, Three-banded Plover and the
Malachite Kingfisher may also be encountered.
Day 11: We will have the entire
day exploring the park. Dinner and over night at our Camp.
Day 12: We will drive out Lake
Mburo Park driving to Queen Elizabeth National Park. In the early afternoon
we will enjoy an enroute game viewing towards our Lodge. This afternoon
game drive may reward us with views of lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo,
hyena and a variety of antelope species. Queen Elizabeth National Park
's diverse eco-system of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps,
lakes and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife.
Game drives in this park, with the massive Rwenzoris Mountains in its
backdrop provides excellent opportunities to view a variety of African
Big Game. After the afternoon excitement of Big game viewing we will
check in at the Mweya Safari Lodge for Dinner and over night.
Day 13: During our stay in Queen
Elizabeth National Park, we will Enjoy the unique boat cruise on the
Kazinga Channel and into lake Edward. This trip passes through possibly
the highest concentration of hippos on the African continent and many
animals may be seen drinking at the water's edge. After the Boat cruise,
we will embark on a drive on the northerly parts of the park along the
Kasenyi track. This track should reward us with: African Moustache Warblers,
Trilling and Croaking Cisticolas, Marsh Tchagra, Fawn-breasted and Crimson-rumped
Waxbills. We will again have another opportunity to join in on an afternoon
Boat cruise. This lunch cruise offers an excellent platform for photography,
bird watching and game viewing. All meals and over night at the Mweya
Safari Lodge.
Day 14: We will check out our lodge, game viewing enroute
to the foothills of the mountains of the Moon. We will Check in at the
Margarita Hotel for Lunch and overnight. The rest of the day shall be
spent acclimatizing to the climate.
Day 15: Morning, transfer to Nyakalengija on to Ibanda
and start your
5-6 hour Climb into the Mountains. You will climb through the thick
vegetation arriving at the Nyabitaba Hut(2650metres) in the late evening
for dinner and overnight.
Day 16: Breakfast Early, then
start a morning hike through the Kurt
Sharfer Bridge to marvel at the Mobuku River Confluence. A Climb through
the Open Patches and Lobelia and the Heath Moss Forest before proceeding
up to the John Matte Hut for overnight.
Day 17: Descend John Matte to
Margheritta Hotel. Rest of the day at the Margheritta hotel.
Day 19: You will meet up with
your driver and transfer to Kampala or Entebbe. Depending on the time
available, we may visit the Mabamba swamp enroute to Kampala. The swamp
is particularly important as a new site where the Gigantic Shoe Bill
has been recorded recently. In addition we should see our last special
birds that should include: The African Marsh Harrier, African Pygmy
Goose, Black Crake, Purple Swamp hen, Allen's Gallinule, African and
more rarely Lesser Jacanas, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Winding and Carruther's
Cisticolas…We will then continue to Kampala or Entebbe. Accommodation
and Dinner not part of the package
END
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