The early morning adventure begins at the shores of Lake Victoria. In a simple wooded motorized boat, we will cruise across the vast expanse of a tiny portion of Africa’s largest lake to Mabamba Swamp. 

Mabamba Swamp is a large tract of marshlands with various channels through it, and it provides the perfect habitat for 260 bird species including Shoebill Storks. Stork-like, but related to pelicans, you don’t have to be a “birder” to be impressed with seeing a Shoebill. These prehistoric looking birds stand over 3ft tall!  There are only 5-8000 individuals remaining in Uganda and the surrounding countries. From this day forward, you will be the envy of every hardcore birder you meet if you tell them you saw a Shoebill.  Afternoon activities include a visit to the botanical garden and markets. Overnight at Papyrus Guest House. (BLD)

We start driving northwest to Murchison Falls National Park with a visit to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary (approximately 3 hours drive). The drive takes us through the famous Luwero triangle to the sanctuary in Nakasongola which is a privately-owned White Rhino breeding sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to the last rhinos in Uganda with a mission of restoring them in Uganda’s protected areas once the population reaches over 14 breeding individuals. Led by a ranger, you will trek on foot within the sanctuary to see white rhinos in their natural habitat. When you spot the rhinos, your ranger will teach about the individuals you are observing while you take in the fact that you are standing in the company of wild rhinos. 

After a hot lunch at the sanctuary, we will head toward Murchison Falls National Park. The duration of the drive is approximately 3 hours to the shores of the Nile Rive. Overnight at Pakuba Safari Lodge (BLD)

Today we our first game drive of the adventure. Named for the falls where the Victoria Nile surges through a narrow gap and cascades over a massive 141 feet drop, Murchison Falls is a small national park with big diversity of animals. In one photo, you could have 3 species of the big 5! — It will be your favorite game drive of the trip!

In the afternoon, a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls will reward you with eye-level viewing of hippos bathing in the Nile. You will see a variety of natural behaviors and hear them grunt, splash and snort as they hang out in hippo schools along the shoreline. Lurking close by are Nile Crocodiles hunting for unsuspecting wading birds and other wildlife that come to the water to cool off in the midday heat. 

Participants who want to stretch their legs can go for a hike to the top of the falls. Overnight at Pakuba Safari Lodge. (BLD)

Today will be broken up into a morning and afternoon game drive. There is so much to see here! Murchison has 76 mammal species including African Elephants, Cape Buffalo, and Rothschild’s Giraffe. Other game includes African antelopes like the leaf eared Oribi, Jacksons Hartebeest, Water and Bushbuck, the beautiful Uganda Kob, Bohor Reedbuck, and Common Duiker. The park is home to 450 species of birds like: Casqued Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Denham’s Bustard, large eagles like the Bateleur, Martial, Brown Snake among others and large flocks of vultures. Overnight at Pakuba Safari Lodge (BLD).

In the morning, we will take one last game drive through Murchison Falls. The Leopard is always the hardest to find, so that will probably be our target on this drive. Then we continue onward to Kibale Forest.  The drive is a long, 8 hours with stops, but interesting as you pass through small towns, green plantations and traditional homesteads. Overnight at Chimpanzee View Guesthouse.  (BLD)

 Early morning, we assemble at the park headquarters for the briefing before a ranger leads you into the magnificent forest. The Kibale Forest is a tropical forest where all human disturbances fade away and it’s just you and the sounds of nature.  The ranger will locate the chimps by listening to their pant-hooting calls, looking for the fresh nests where they spent the previous night, and the direction of their fresh knuckle imprints in the mud while leaving their nests. The other primates expected on the walk included the red colobus, black and white colobus and the red-tailed, Blue, L’hoest’s monkey and the Grey-cheeked Mangabey.  Overnight at Chimpanzee View Guesthouse. (BLD)

After a leisurely breakfast, we then start our drive further south of Uganda towards the Impenetrable Bwindi Forest National Park. Driving duration is 6 hours today including a game drive in Ishasha National Park.  Ishasha, is a remote and beautiful part of Africa, with a wonderful scenery. As it is always said, remote destinations still harbor the best wildlife! Proof of this is Queen Elizabeth National Park Ishasha Sector, the second largest in Uganda. It is host to wildlife among which on lucky days your guide will spot tree climbing lions in figs, acacia or Albysia trees! Nowhere in Africa do you stand a better chance of seeing this than in this Ishasha sector. 

Packed lunch on route.

Late afternoon, check in at our lodge. For those who wish, we can offer a late game drive which will produce close encounters of more wildlife in this section of the park.

Overnight at Ishasha Jungle Lodge. (BLD) 

After breakfast, we start with a game drive which will give us more chances of seeing the tree climbing lions and bigger opportunities of seeing the leopard this morning before setting off to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. On the drive we will find game coupled with stopovers to look out for interesting savannah birds; These may include Black Lored and Arrow-marked Babbler, ovambo Sparrow Hawk, African Cuckoo Hawk, Stout, Wing snapping, Zitting, and Trilling Cisticolas, Violet-backed Starling, Brown and Banded Snake Eagle, Holub’s Golden Weaver, Lesser and Greater Honeyguide, Grassland and Plain Backed Pipit, Fork-tailed Drongo, Blue-naped Mousebird and many more. After this, we shall continue and drive to Bwindi. Overnight at Bakiga Lodge. (BLD)

 This will be a day to remember! Like chimp trekking, a ranger will provide a safety and orientation briefing before the group is assigned a troop to visit. The ranger and scouts will lead groups of visitors with porters into the forest in search of habituated Mountain Gorillas. Habituated troops are used to people observing and are less likely to become territorial when approached. When sighted, your expected to stay 21 feet from the gorillas, however, many times, gorillas have moved close to their human observers, and even touched them. Time spent observing the troop is limited to 1 hour. It is a phenomenal experience to watch wild Mountain Gorillas as they forage and care for their young, and as the babies trundle down the hills and in the grasses for fun!! 

Packed lunch on the trail.

Evening, return to the hotel for relaxation, depending on how you feel, an evening community walk is always rewarding to learn how the people living near the gorillas go about their daily lives. Overnight at Bakiga Lodge (BLD).

  After a morning breakfast we head North West to Lake Mburo National Park (approximately 5 hours). Packed lunch on route.

Via a boat cruise, we will have more opportunities for wildlife viewing and photography including schools of hippos, crocodiles, different bird species and large mammals like the Cape Buffaloes, Zebras, Topi, Impala, Water and Bushbuck, Oribi the giant Eland, among others. If we are lucky, this is a good spot for the Leopard and Hyaenas. After dark, there will be time for a late drive in search of some nocturnal species. Overnight stay at Rwakobo Rock Lodge. (BLD)

Early morning game drive as we depart Lake Mburo National park, we may spot some zebra, buffaloes, Impalas and many others in the open acacia woods. Continue to Entebbe with a stopover at the equator and the royal drum makers in Mpigi time allowing. Packed lunch en route. (BL)

Flights depart after 5:30PM

 Paul Tamwenya is probably one of the most interesting people you will ever meet in your life. Not only is he an expert at wildlife ID and behavior, he is sensitive to the needs of his clients. Great care and detail go into his safaris to ensure each person is having their best experience. Paul is the principal guide for his safari company which he created in 2009, and the founder of a non-profit called Birds of a Feather which helps the children from his hometown by providing school supplies and environmental education. Paul is a graduate of tourism management with more than 12 years experience guiding wildlife and birding tours in Uganda. He also provides guide training and is an inspirational speaker. 

I started offering this adventure after my first visit to Uganda in 2018. Like many of you, I had dreamed about seeing gorillas in the wild and there are only three countries in Africa that tourists can experience this. I went to Uganda specifically for the gorillas, but I fell in love with all that is Africa! The animals, the parks, the people.... it will change your life. Setting foot on African soil will feel like a huge milestone in your life, and once you experience this place you will want to come back over and over again. I look forward to sharing this extraordinary adventure with you in 2021.

Tara is the Founder & CEO of Green Edventures Tours. She has 20 years of experience curating and facilitating educational adventures in the Americas, the Caribbean, Africa, and Iceland. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in Natural Resource Management with an emphasis in Environmental Education/Interpretation. Tara has worked for notable educational, scientific, and conservation organizations and institutions such as the John G. Shedd Aquarium, Chicago’s Museum of Science & Industry, USDA Forest Service in the Chugach National Forest in Alaska, and Wild Studies in the Bahamas. Tara is a PADI Open Water Diver, Advanced Diver, Rescue Diver and has specialty certifications as Underwater Naturalist, Deep Diver, Multi-Level diver and Night Diver. She holds current Wilderness First Aid & CPR Certifications.