5 DAYS BWINDI, LAKE BUNYONYI AND LAKE MBURO.
Day 1 Kampala – Bwindi
You will be picked up from your hotel then leave Kampala and head to the southwest of Uganda via Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara road. Stopover to view the equator at Nabusanke trading centre, take some photos and continue to Mbarara where you will have lunch. From there head to Bwindi impenetrable national park. Welcome to Bwindi where gorillas are the centre of attraction, a distinct feature for Uganda’s tourism. Bwindi national park, Mgahinga National Park alongside Rwanda’s Volcanoes Park and Congo’s Virunga Volcanoes are habitats to the only endangered mountain gorillas left in the whole world. Sleep and dine at Gorilla Forest Camp/Gorilla resort/Buhoma community Bandas/Buhoma Homestead.
Day 2: Mountain gorilla tracking
Take an early morning breakfast, head to the park office headquarters with packed lunch for an inevitable briefing ready to trek for the gorillas in the thick impenetrable forests. You get to spend an hour with the gorillas after having trekked for about 3-5 hours. If you are not so worn out in the evening, head for a brief nature walk to the Batwa community. Also available are curio shops, drinking joints, a children’s school among others. You can try the other option being Munyanja river trail, where you can see the waterfalls and an array of bird life or the Muzabajiro/ Ruhija trails which offer forest and grassland bird species plus more primates. Return to Gorilla Forest Camp/ Gorilla Resort/ Buhoma community Bandas/ Buhoma Homestead.
Day 3: Bwindi – Lake Bunyonyi.
After having that encounter with those mysterious mountain gorillas, say farewell to the impenetrable forest and head to Lake Bunyonyi. Lake Bunyonyi is another major tourist stopover that is undeniably amazing. The word Bunyonyi means “small birds” in direct translation which means that the lake is a must stopover for committed birders and besides that its serpentine shape and numerous islands other highlights one must look out for. When you reach do a canoe ride, check out several islands like Bwama Island good for birders or you could take a nature walk helping you to appreciate a variety of small birds. Sleep and dine at Arcadia Cottages/ Bunyonyi Overland Camp.
Day 4: Lake Bunyonyi – Lake Mburo.
after breakfast, head to Lake Mburo that is nearby and another beautiful Park. Lake Mburo national Park, a haven for “impalas” small antelopes and herbivorous are most concentrated in Lake Mburo of all the Ugandan national Parks. There is more to impalas, Kampala; the capital city of Uganda was named after this beautiful animal. Check out the lovely Kigezi highlands and other wild scenery on your way. When you reach the park, do a game drive and check out Uganda’s wildlife besides the mountain gorillas in Bwindi such as zebra, warthog, buffalo, klipspringer, eland, oribi and waterbuck. Better yet you can do the game drive on ATV quad bikes; they are much fun. Sleep and dine at Mantana Tented Camp/Rwonyo Tented Camp.
Day 5: Lake Mburo – Kampala.
Have breakfast and proceed for a morning boat trip on Lake Mburo where you will admire several other lakes like Kazuma, Lake Bwa besides Lake Mburo. Gaze at the huge hippos, crocodiles and buffaloes as they drink water. There are attractive birds to check out like Abyssinian ground hornbill, the crested crane (Uganda’s national emblem), saddle bill storks among others. After the boat trip, drive back to Kampala. You will stopover in Mbarara for lunch and take a last gaze at the equator in Masaka leaving you with everlasting memories of the Pearl of Africa, Uganda.
End of the Safari