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“The Pearl of Africa” - Uganda offers a unique diversity of wildlife, natural beauty, and friendly inhabitants that all combine to make the country one of Africa’s hidden gems. This tour includes the obvious attractions of trekking in indigenous forests to see wild Gorilla’s and Chimpanzee’s, as well as exploring vast water-ways, mystical villages hidden in mist, and the lesser known sights of Tree Climbing Lions, huge pods of Hippopotamus, and of course the endless variety of plains animals.

This tour endeavors to explore the scenic beauty of Uganda, its people, and its wildlife. We will cover approx 2000km, some of it on extremely bad roads but the rewards are unequalled.

Weather, road, and other local conditions will influence the route chosen on each tour and we may run the tour in reverse if required, clients should be flexible in this regard. Clients should be equipped with an open mind and a spontaneous disposition in order to best enjoy the superb offerings of Uganda. (Clients fly into / out of Entebbe airport and transfer to Jinja. Transfers and pre tour nights can be booked through Drifters at Adrift Camp. Meals are available.)

DAY 1: JINJA - LAKE MBURO NAT. PARK (Sunday)
Departing Jinja at 08h00, we make our way through the vibrant capital city – Kampala before starting our journey west. On our route today we will visit the drum market, a fruit market, and we will stop at the Equator.

This afternoon we enter the Lake Mburo National Park, known for its plains game and large Hippo population – we camp the night on the Lake shore.D

DAY 2: BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST (Monday)
We start the day with a game drive / walk and then exit the park to travel through a landscape of rolling hill’s littered with banana plantations and herds of impressive long-horned Ankole cattle. This afternoon we travel on rough mountain roads, passing remote villages – often shrouded in mist, toward the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Our camp for the night is at the edge of the forest.
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DAY 3 + 4: BWINDI GORILLA TREK (Tuesday + Wed)
On one of these days we will partake in what is undoubtedly the highlight of the tour – Gorilla Trekking! We split up into small groups and with local guides, trek up into the forest to locate and spend time with a family of these few remaining wild Mountain Gorillas.

As the Gorilla permits are limited we will allow two days for all of the group to partake, should all permits be available on day 4 we would visit Lake Bunyoni on Day 3. Whilst not Gorilla trekking we will enjoy village walks and will spend time searching for the magnificent birds inhabiting the fringe of the forest.
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DAY 5 +6: QUEEN ELISABETH NAT. PARK - ISHASHA (Thurs + Fri)
Leaving the mountains and forests behind us, we drop down to the grasslands of the Queen Elisabeth National Park, here we will spend two nights camping at a remote camp. Besides abundant mammal, reptile, and bird species, Ishasha is renowned for its huge tree climbing Lions. We will game drive extensively searching the tall fig tress for Lion, and the savannah for other game.
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DAY 7: Q. E. NAT. PARK – CHIMPANZEE’S (Saturday)
Packing up early, we travel across the Park and through the Maramagambo Forest where we hope to encounter wild Chimpanzee and an amazing variety of birdlife. Arriving at Kyambura Gorge this afternoon, we hike down into the Gorge with a local guide and hope to spend some time with a habituated family of wild Chimpanzee. (Because visitors are limited some of our group may do this activity the following morning.) Tonight we camp in the Park.
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DAY 8: RWENZORI MOUNTAINS (Sunday)
This morning we will explore the Park further before continuing north to the Rwenzori – “Mountains of the Moon”. After setting up camp at a local community center, we will enjoy a lengthy walk through numerous rural villages and up into the forest to the Rwenzori lookout point. Rising some 5000 meters above sea level, the slopes of these mountains are covered in tropical forest and yet the peaks are often snow-capped, a bewildering sight considering their proximity to the Equator.
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DAY 9: MURCHISON FALLS NAT. PARK (Monday)
An early start, we leave the Mountains behind us and descend into the luminous green tea plantations surrounding Fort Portal. We cover vast distance today and mostly on rough roads. Our destination tonight is the Kaniyo-Pabidi camp in Murchison Falls National Park, this camp is managed by the Jane Goodall Institute and clients may opt for a second trek with the Chimpanzee’s here. (Own expense).
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DAY 10: MURCHISON FALLS / VICTORIA NILE (Tuesday)
Our first stop today is above the Murchison Falls, a narrow gap though which the Nile River falls 40m into the Rift Valley. We will spend some time here exploring the Fall’s. Next we travel downstream where we board a boat that carries our group and equipment on a game cruise down the Nile to our campsite near the junction of the Victoria and Albert Nile. We will wild camp tonight in a big game area. (At times it may not be possible to travel by boat – we will then drive by road.)
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DAY 11: ZIWA RHINO SANCTUARY (Wednesday)
A leisurely morning, we will enjoy the Delta before returning to our vehicle. This afternoon we exit the Park and travel to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, a project established to reintroduce Rhino into their original habitat in protected areas. Camp the night.
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DAY 12: JINJA (Thursday)
This morning, clients who wish to may partake in tracking Rhino on foot through the thick bush (own expense). After packing up camp for the last time, we set off for Jinja where we spend our last night in relative comfort at Adrift camp. Tonight we enjoy an own expense dinner at the restaurant to celebrate our adventures.
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DAY 13: JINJA (Friday)
Tour ends this morning after breakfast, however the Nile River offers some of the wildest one day White Water Rafting in the world – a day’s adventure not to be missed. From the Adrift camp clients are also able to spend a day working in a local community project. Both of these activities are optional and own expense. We advise those that wish to enjoy either or those who simply wish to relax at the “Source of the Nile” to book an extra night at the camp with us.
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IF NECESSARY, WE MAY RUN THIS ITINERARY IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION
For this tour, an open and flexible mind is essential to deal with the detours, delays and other inconveniences encountered in Africa.
We may on occasion run this itinerary in the reverse direction.
A sleeping bag, towel and pillow are required for this tour.
Visas are required by most nationalities for Uganda and clients are responsible for obtaining these. Precautions against malaria are advisable and Yellow Fever inoculations are required.
A small daypack is advisable for the treks. The recommended currency for this tour is the US Dollar, in small denominations – all currency notes should be dated 2000 or later.
Our price includes all transport, accommodation, entry fees and permits, one Gorilla trek and one Chimpanzee trek, game drives and walks, group equipment, professional guides and most meals. Alcohol, soft drinks, curios, tips, visas, taxes, and optional excursions are for the client’s own expense. Before departure clients will be required to enter into an agreement agreeing to our booking conditions and general information.

Clients wishing to extend their East Africa experience may wish to travel by road or fly to Nairobi on the Saturday to join our 12 Day East Africa tour.

Airport transfers Entebbe – Jinja or Jinja – Entebbe can be booked through Drifters at a rate of E60 net per person one-way.

Pre and post tour nights at Adrift River Camp in Jinja can be booked through Drifters at a sharing rate of E40 net per person B+B.
Due to limited availability, clients will be booked on a sharing basis.
Please note that at this camp clients will use sleeping bags linen is not provided

Optional Activities

• 2nd Chimp Trek (Kaniyo-Pabidi)
• Rhino tracking on foot
• Pygmy Village Visit
• Nile White Water Rafting
• Bungee Jumping