THE GRAND TOUR -30 Days( Tanzania and Uganda )
WELCOME TO THE GRAND TOUR.THIS TOUR TAKES US TO EXPLORE THE SOUTHERN TANZANIA SITES OF RARITIES AND ENDEMICS AND PASSES THROUGH THE USAMBARA MOUNTAINS FOR THE USAMBARA MOUNTAIN FOREST SPECIALITIES AS WELL AS ENDEMIC SITES,THEN CIRCLES TANZANIA’S FAMOUS NORTHERN WILDLIFE DESTINATIONS AND FINISHING WITH THE MOUNTAIN GORILLAS AND THE SHOE BILL STORK SITES IN UGANDA.
Day 1: Fly in Dar-es Salaam Airport, meet and Transfer to a Beach Hotel for Dinner and over night.
Day 2: Drive Dar es Salaam to Mikumi National Park,birding on the way to .Over night Genesis Motel.
Day 3: Day birding & big game viewing in Mikumi National Park.
Day 4: Drive to the Kilombero flood plains for the Endemic Kilombero weaver and the un named Cisticola. Overnight Udzugwa Mountain View Lodge.
Day 5: Morning Forest birding around Udzungwa Mountain Forest ,Drive on to Mikumi,Arrive at Genesis Mikumi Lodge for lunch .Rest of the afternoon in Mikumi National Park. overnight Genesis Mikumi Lodge.
Day 6: Early Morning drive to Kilosa area doing to Miombo woodland specialities. Return to Genesis Lodge for lunch. After lunch drive to Morogoro Town for dinner and overnight at Kolu Hill Hotel at the foot of the Uluguru ranges.
Day 7: Drive Morogoro to East Usambara Mountain arriving in the afternoon and birding the lower Mountain forest and the tea plantations for the Usambara Endemics and specialities at Amani Information Centre Rest House.
Day 8: Full day Birding East Usambaras Mountain forest.Over Night at Amani information Centre Rest House.
Day 9: Another day in Amani,birding the endemics and Specialties
Day 10: After breakfast we transfer to the West Usambara Mountain forests afternoon birding in the area. overnight at Muller’s Mountain Lodge.
Day 11: Full day Birding the West Usambara Mountain Forest for the more Usambara endemics and specialities. Overnight at Muller’s Mountain Lodge.
Day 12: Drive out of the Usambaras to the South Pare Mountains, birding for dry country specialties.
Day 13: Drive to Arusha stopping skirting the slopes of Mountain Kilimanjaro into Arusha . Over night
Day 14: Drive to Tarangire acacias,birding and evening drive to Lake Manyara for Over night.
Day 15: Morning in Lake Manyara National Park,and afternoon drive to Ngorongoro.
Day 16: Day Tour of Ngorongoro Crater.
Day 17: Drive to Serengeti
Day 18: Day Birding & Big game viewing on the Serengeti and on to Spekebay Lodge on lake Victoria.
Day 19: Cross the border into Kenya and over night at Kisumu .
Day 20: Drive into Uganda and onto to Entebbe for the night.
Day 21: The day will be spent birding the Entebbe area with the exploration of Entebbe Botanical gardens, Lake Victoria shores at the Entebbe pier, Entebbe wildlife Education Centre.
Day 22: Dawn drive to the Shoe bill swamp,afternoon drive to Mbarara for over night.
Day 23: Drive to theGorilla forest.
Day 24: This day marks one of out highlights on the trip,Gorilla Tracking , return to camp, rest and evening bird around the waterfalls area in the Forest. . Bird life may include western Honey Buzzard, Cassin’s hawk , Blue Quail, Scarce swift, Broad billed Roller, Black wood hoopoe , Green backed wood pecker, White winged warbler, Yellow browed camaroptera and the African sooty flycatcher and many western Forest species.Over night at your Camp.
Day 25: Depart Bwindi Gorilla forest to Mweya in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Lunch at Mweya safari lodge. PM Boat Cruise on Kazinga channel expecting to spot a variety of Birds along the river and the Swamp Beds. Dinner and overnight Mweya safari lodge.
Day 26: Morning optional birding around the Mweya Lodge grounds. Breakfast and depart for Budongo Forest. Over night Masindi.
Day 27: Morning in Budongo and afternoon drive to Murchison Falls National Park.
Day 28: Morning boat cruise expecting to spot the gigantic Shoe bill stork- another trip highlight , the Red throated Bee eater,compact weaver and PiacPiac will be a common sight.
Day 29: Another day exploring Murchison Falls National Park.
Day 30: Transfer to Kampala for an evening Flight out of Entebbe International Airport.