Birding and Wildlife holiday in Uganda (17 days wildlife exploration and bird watching)  Treasures of Budongo This is a specialized holiday that brings you the best of Uganda’s ‘Gifted by Nature’ Slogan. The holiday packs in some of Uganda’s finest and most diverse bird watching and other wildlife viewing sites, including Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks, Semliki, Kibale as well as Africa’s best Shoebill location, the Mabamba Wetland. We shall take you to the best destinations, sites and spots for birding, and the best accommodation facilities that have the best reputation in ecotourism. The lodges and the hotels that we use during this paticular holiday are simple and luxurious in nature, strategically located to optimize the birding potential. With the help of a superb network of site guides that meet our standards, our experienced tour leaders will attend to the needs of each participant; whether one is a novice birder or someone with years of field experience; we shall work towards the satisfaction of all. Prices 1 Person US$7720 2 Persons sharing accommodation: US$5500 PP 4 Persons sharing accommodaton: US$4400 PP 6 Persons and more (up to a maximum of 7) sharing accommodation: US$4100 PP Single room Supplement US$400 Leaders This holiday will be accompanied by Herbert Byaruhanga as a local bird guide. International tour leaders will enjoy this holiday with an offer of 10% discount on the charge per person. Accommodation and Meals Full board accommodations in comfortable lodges or tented camps, packed lunches, drinking water are included in this holiday. Chimpanzee tracking permits, boat hire ferry crossing fees, park entrance fees and services of all the guides and leaders are included in our prices. Not included: Flight charges, Insurance, drinks, tips, laundry and other items of a personal nature. Transport
 Our vehicles We shall use 8-seater 4WD Toyota land cruiser or omnibus with an open roof-hatch. To minimize the seat rotation system, create enough space for luggage and maximize the comfort of our clients, we shall seat a maximum of 7 people. With the help of the 5 window seats, there are equal opportunities for birding, viewing and photographing the wildlife for all the participants. Roads and Walkways Some of our journeys connecting to the protected areas will be long and sometimes bumpy taking us through typical Ugandan patchwork scenery of fertile farmlands, numerous papyrus swamps, and isolated pockets of woodlands and dense forests. Stops at some birding spots can be made to stretch legs and look at birds. As we take leisurely walks in the forests, some of the forest trails can be steep, muddy and uneven, so a good level of fitness is preferable if one is to get the most of this holiday. Weather There are variations in weather due to the typically equatorial climate of Uganda. We can expect short showers that do not last long enough to hamper the bird watching. Days are generally warm or hot and sunny; however, overcast conditions are frequent, particularly in the forest and mountain areas. Nights can be mild to warm, cooler at higher altitudes. Entry Requirements All the non-resident passport holders need a visa for Uganda, which can be obtained in advance or upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport at only US$50 Yellow fever vaccination is not mandatory for travel to Uganda but is strongly recommended. Malaria so far ranks the top killer disease in Uganda, so, we normally encourage our clients to take malaria prophylaxics and use insect repellants. Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival. Stay at Entebbe Resort Beach Hotelor Lindsay Cottages. Depending on the time of arrival, we may start our holiday with bird watching around Lake Victoria shores. Day 2 Mabamba Bay Today we visit Mabamba Village and its adjacent swamp, a labyrinth of channels and lagoons. The Swamp is about 52km from Kampala. The road to Mabamba winds its way through areas of secondary forest and agricultural land attracting Red-headed Lovebird, African Crowned-Hornbills, and a range of sunbirds including the Green-headed, Green, Red-chested, Collared, Marico and Scarlet-chested. We shall stop over at Mpigi Swamp to look out for the Papyrus Gonolek and the White-winged Warbler. The road ultimately ends at a papyrus reedbed adjoining Lake Victoria. On the hand paddled canoes, we explore a maze of channels and mudflats for the majestic Shoebill. We should have a very good chance of seeing this magnificent bird, although as in all wildlife watching sightings can never be guaranteed! Mabamba also offers a large selection of other species which might include African Pygmy Goose, the rare Lesser Jacana, Carruthers’ Cisticola, African Fish Eagle, Winding Cisticola, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, etc. The rare and elusive Statunga Antelope also occurs here but it is very shy and rarely seen. We also expect to encounter the Spot-necked Otter in one of the channels that we shall paddle through. Overnight in Kampala or Lindsay Cottages Day 3, 4 & 5 Queen Elizabeth National Park After an early morning breakfast we shall begin our 7 – 8 hour drive to the renowned Queen Elizabeth National Park, birdwatching along the way. Spanning the equator is the vast Queen Elizabeth National Park boasting impressive crater lake scenery, expansive grasslands, papyrus swamps and tropical forests, huge herds of elephant and buffalo, lions, leopards, and a diverse array of birds. It contains Uganda’s best game populations as well as some of Uganda’s best birdwatching, an incredible bird list of 610 species and an overwhelming record of 296 species in a single day, the highest in Africa! The boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, which links Lakes George and Edward, is one of the most productive birding excursions on the planet. We shall check into Mweya Safari Lodge located on the Peninsula that separates the Kazinga Channel from Lake Edward. We shall stay here for 3 nights. If we have time, some late afternoon birding might produce African Morning Dove, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Black-headed Gonolek, Slender-billed, Yellow-backed and Lesser-masked Weavers, Pin-tailed Whydah and Black-winged Pranticole. One morning, we will make an early start for a bird and game drive towards the Kasenyi trail and Shoebill wetland. The drive takes through a productive area of grassy plains, which support large flocks of a variety of stork species including the Spectacular Saddle-billed and Woolly necked Storks. Other species include the Bateleur, Grey Kestrel, Lappet-faced, Ruppell’s Griffon, White-backed and Palm-nut Vultures, African Crake, Black Coucal, Common button, Harlequin and Black-rumped Quails, Red necked Spurfowl, Rufous-naped and Flappet Larks. Common mammals include Uganda Kobs, Lion, Warthog, Bush buck, Deffassa Waterbuck, Spotted Hyena, Leopard and many others. In the afternoon we will take a launch tour of the Kazinga Channel which is a natural magnet for herds of Elephant, Giant Forest Hog, Buffalo, and the abundant Hippopotamus. Birding here is excellent with great photographic opportunities. We might be blessed with congregations of African Skimmers, Great-white and Pink-backed Pelicans, Great and Long-tailed Cormorants, Open-billed Stork, African Skimmer, White-faced Whistling Duck, Marsh, Wood and Common Sandpipers, Malachite Kingfisher, African Jacana, African Wattled Plover, etc Another morning, we shall bird to Maramagambo Forest following the main trail. We shall visit the Blue Lake and Bat Cave where we expect to see a Rock Python that found refuge in the Cave, and feasts on the Bats for breakfast, lunch and supper! Special birds of this Forest include Narina Trogon, Rufous Flycatcher Thrush, White tailed Ant-thrush, Black Bee-eater, Grey-headed Kingfisher and White-breasted Negrofinch. Late in the afternoon we will visit the spectacular Kyambura Gorge: a unique, deep and isolated chasm in the plains, where dense riverine forest offers a good selection of forest birds like the Red-fronted Tinkerbird, the beautiful and sought-after Black Bee-eater, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Grey woodpecker, etc. Day 6 & 7 Rwenzori Mountains National Park The Rwenzoris are believed to be the legendary snow-capped Mountains of the Moon, described by Ptolemy in AD150. Reaching an elevation of 5,109m, it is also Africa's tallest mountain range, exceeded in altitude only by the free-standing Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro. There are a variety of birds and large mammals inhabiting the lower slopes, but the Rwenzoris are even more outstanding for their magnificent scenery and varied vegetation. With a record of 217 bird species in the park, 18 restricted-range species and Albertine endemics, the park rates as second best in Uganda to BINP which has 24 restricted range species. A few specialties include some rare and spectacular birds like the Rwenzori Turaco, Bamboo Warbler, Golden-winged Sunbird, Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird and Stuhlmann’s Double-collared Olive-back. Depending on the current information from the local guides, we shall explore one of the trails that lead through rainforest rattling with monkeys and birds, for our first day; we may choose to go back the next day and comb the area. For the two nights, we shall be sleeping in Kasese town. Day 8 & 9 Semliki National Park This is one of Uganda’s newest national parks, rated as one of the richest areas for both flora and fauna in Africa (especially for birds). Semliki National Park is situated in the remote corner of extreme west of Uganda, in Bundibugyo District. It lies on Uganda-Democratic Republic of Congo border within the western arm of the East African Rift Valley. The park is an eastern extension of the vast Ituri Forest and forms part of the forest continuum during the climatic upheavals of the Pleistocene. The Park is about 50km from Fort Portal town which will take us two to three hours drive on the rough road towards Bundibugyo. Semliki Forest represents the only example of Congo-Basin vegetation in Uganda. A large number of Guinea-Congo biome species reach their eastern limits here, which is one of the richest for forest birds in the country. Key species here include: Piping Hornbill, Capuchin Babbler, Blue-headed Crested Flycatcher, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, Black-wattled Hornbill, Nkulengu Rail, Congo Serpent Eagle, Long-tailed Hawk, Crested and Red-billed Malimbe. We shall go birding along the way and reach Semliki late in the afternoon. We Check into Semliki Lodge. In the evening we bird in the savanna looking for nightjars and owls. The next day we shall start after an early morning breakfast, carry packed lunch and head for a full day birding in the forest. Overnight at Atako Country Resort. Day 10 & 11 Kibale Forest National Park This forested National Park protects a diverse array of primates from the minuscule, nocturnal Demidoff’s Galago to our closest living relative, the Chimpanzee. Here we will take expeditions to observe the Chimps and many other species of primates and birds. This day we shall have a chance of birding the main road or one of the trails in the forest. We might come across the African Emerald Cuckoo, Purple-headed Starling, Black-billed Turaco, Yellow-billed Barbet, Grey-throated Barbet, Blue-throated Roller, Narrow-tailed Starling, Western Black-headed Oriole, Yellow-throated and Yellow-rumped Tinkerbirds. Choice of accommodation here is Ndali Lodge / Mantana Tented Camp. The next day, we wake up very early and assemble for briefing and thereafter enter the forest to look for our cousins, the Chimps. The activity takes 1 to 5 hours. In the afternoon, we may choose to go to Bigodi Wetland or take one of the trails in the Park to look for the stunning Green-breasted Pitta, Fire-crested Alethe, Scaly-breasted Illadopsis, colourful butterflies and other species of primates. Day 12 & 13 Murchison Falls National Park Today we leave early for Murchison Falls National Park. This is a rather longer drive but there are a few birding spots. The name of the park was derived from the incredible Murchison Falls, where the Nile is forced through a 6-meter gap, forming the most powerful water surge on the planet. A boat cruise on the calmer stretches will allow us to watch and photograph the birds and the animals which throng the banks, and we can expect to find one of the world’s most peculiar bird, the Shoebill. We will also explore the park’s broad-leaved woodland, dry grasslands, and forests, including nocturnal expeditions to find the unrivaled Standard-winged Nightjar. We will be staying in the magnificent Paraa Safari Lodge. The next day we shall start early with packed lunch and take a boat trip birding to the bottom of the falls. Later this morning, we continue birding to the delta on a game drive. We relax later in the day and may opt for an evening drive for nightjars. Day 14 & 15 Budongo Forest Budongo Forest Reserve is part of Murchison Falls Conservation Area and is the largest natural forest in Uganda and East Africa as a whole. It lies on the escarpment northeast of Lake Albert. It consists of a medium-altitude, moist, semi-deciduous forest, with areas of savanna and woodland. The reserve occupies gently undulating terrain, with a general slope north-northwest towards the Rift Valley. Specialties in Budongo Forest include among others; Sabine’s spine tail, Cassin’s Spine-tail(rare), Pygmy Crakes, Kingfishers (Chocolate-backed, Blue-breasted, African Dwarf), White-spotted Fluff tail, Ituri Batis, Puvell’s Illadopsis, Brown Twin-spot, Cameroon Somber Greenbill, Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle, Crowned Eagle, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Forest Robin, Little Green Sunbird, Grey-headed Sunbird, Olive Green Camaroptera We shall start after an early breakfast at Paraa and bird on the way to Budongo Forest. We go birding along the escarpment overlooking Lake Albert. We stay at Masindi Hotel, about 30 Km away from the forest, the nearest good accommodation. The next day, we have a full day birding on the Royal Mile, a dazzling forestry track rated as one of the premier forest birding sites in Africa; we will make an acquaintance with the first of many central African forest birds. Skulking Alethes and Illadopses sing from the undergrowth and we will work through mixed-species flocks of Greenbuls, Eremomelas, Crombecs, and Longbills, certainly first rate forest birding. Day 16 Travel to Kampala / Entebbe. Today, we may choose to wind up our wildlife and birding holiday birding in Entebbe botanical gardens or visit Uganda Wildlife Education Centre. Overnight stay in Entebbe. Day 17 End of holiday / Departure
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