Day 1: Arrival, birding the botanical gardens.
On arrival you will be received by our representative, your driver/guide, who will brief you about your birding safari. You will then transfer to your accommodation to refresh a bit, have lunch (depending on the time of your flight) and later in the afternoon go birding in the botanical gardens in Entebbe. Dinner and overnight stay at Lake Victoria view guest hotel
Day 2: Transfer to Semliki National Park.
After breakfast, you will check out of the hotel and transfer to Semiliki national park, with birding stopovers and lunch en-route. You arrive at the park in the afternoon and check in to the service of semiliki safari lodge and later go birding along the main road. This park is one of Uganda’s birding hot spots and we expect you to enjoy the evening with specialties that include; Orange-cheecked Waxbills, Magpie Mannikins, Grant’s Bluebill, Black-bellied Seed-eater, African Dusky, Grey-throated, and Blue-headed Crested-flycatcher, Dusky Tit, Capuchin Babbler, Yellow-bellied and Jameson’s Wattle-eye, Ituri Batis, White-browed Crombec, Abyssinian and Oberlaender’s Ground-Thrush, Swamp-palm Bulbul, and Leaf-love among others. We go to for dinner and over night at semiliki safari lodge, Semliki national park.
Day 3: Whole day birding Kirumya Trail – Semliki National Park
After an early morning breakfast we go for a whole day birding along the Kirumya trail, in this Forest which is the Eastern limit to some of the Guinea/Congo biome species. Some of the specialties that we expect to encounter here include; the Red-billed Dwarf, Black-casqued Wattled, Black-dwarf, Piping, White-thighed and White-crested Hornbill, African piculet, Forest Robin, Zenker’s Honeyguide, Black-throated Coucal, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, Rufous-sided broadbill, Nkurengu rail, Shining-blue, White-bellied, Chocolate-backed, African Dwarf and African Pygmy Kingfisher, African Emarald, Dusky Long-tailed, Barred Long-tailed, Yellow-throated and African Cuckoo, White-naped and Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Nahan’s and Forest Francolin, Long-tailed Hawk, Chestnut-flanked Goshawk, Rufous-breasted and Red-thighed Sparrowhawk, Hartlaub’s Duck, Brown-chested and Fire-crested Alethe, Woodhouse’s Antpecker, Red-bellied and Blue-billed Malimbe, Swamp Palm Bulbul, Forest Scrub-robin, Green-tailed Bristlebill, Leaf-love, Pale-fronted and Chestnut-breasted Negrofinches, Black-winged Oriole, Spot-breasted and African Green Ibis among others. We come back to our lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: Birding Sebitoli site – Kibale National Park.
After breakfast, with our packed lunch, we check out and start birding towards Sebitoli sector, which is believed to be the best birding site in Kibale Forest. Specials in this park include Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, African black-duck, Joyful, Cabanis, Toro Olive and Cameroon Sombre Greenbuls, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Superb, Little Green, Grey-headed, Green-throated, Blue-throated and Tiny Sunbird, Green Twinsport, Brown and Scaly-breasted Illadopsis, Blue-shouldered Robinchat, Green-breasted and African pitta, White-throated and Yellow whiskered Greenbul, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Red-capped Robinchat, Dusky Tit, Dark-backed Weaver, Velvet-mantled Drongo, Bocage’s Bush-shrike, Pink-footed Puff Back, Ludher’s Bush-shrike. We later drive on and check in to the service of Ruboni community camp dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Whole day birding Rwenzori National Park.
After breakfast, with packed lunch, leave for Rwenzori National Park. Special birds of the day include purple breasted sunbird, Abyssinian, Red faced, Shelly’s(feared to be getting extinct) and Dusky crimson wing, Green-backed and Dusky Twinspot, White-collared Oliveback, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Woodhouse’s antipecker, stripe breasted tit, forest flycatcher, Grey apalis, Ayres and cassin’s hawk eagle, Olive-green and Yellow-browed Camaroptera among others. We go back to the camp for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
After breakfast, we transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth national park. This is the sector where the famous tree climbing lions can be seen, but this really depends on the luck of the day. Time allowing after arrival in Bwindi, go for birding along the Munyaga trail. We also look out for species like; the Sulphur-breasted Bush-shrike, White-headed Barbet, African Golden Oriole, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Yellow-fronted Canary, Ayre’s Hawk-eagle, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Black Bee-eater, (Western) Bronze-naped Pigeon, Red-chested Owlet, Tullberg’s Woodpecker, Elliot’s Woodpecker, African Broadbill, Western Green Tinkerbird, African Green Broadbill, Lagdens Bush Shrike, Petit’s Cuckoo-shrike, Grey Cuckoo-shrike, Archer’s Ground Robin, Toro Olive-Greenbul, Ansorge’s Greenbul, Equatorial Akalat, White-bellied Robin-chat, Olive Thrush, White-tailed Ant-Thrush, Grauer’s Rush-warbler, Short-tailed Warbler, Neumann’s Warbler and Red faced Woodland-Warbler. We later continue to Bwindi and check in to the service of Buhoma Community Camp, for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 7: Whole day birding in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
After breakfast, we go birding towards the water fall trail in the Buhoma area of Bwindi Impenetrable national park. Bwindi Impenetrable national park, lies along the Albertine rift valley and is believed to be Uganda’s number one birdwatching spot. It is home to over 23 localized Albertine Rift endemics. Here we expect to encouter specialities that includes; Black-faced Rufous, Grauer’s and Short-tailed Warbler, Banded Prinia, Black-faced, Black-throated and Mountain Masked Apalis, Red-throated Alethe, Chinspot and Rwenzori Batis, African Hill-babbler, Pale-breasted and Mountain Illadopsis, Stripe-breasted and Dusky Tit, Blue-throated Brown, Northern Double-collared, Rwenzori Double-collared, Blue-headed and Regal Sunbird, Mackinnon’s Fiscal, Mountain-black and Sooty Boubou, Pink-footed and Northern Paffback, Many-coloured, Doherty’s, Grey-headed and Bocage’s Bush-shrike, Brown-caped, Black-billed and Strange Weaver, Stuhlmann’s, Narrow-tailed and Waller’s Starling, Black and White Shrike, White-bellied Crested, Chapin’s, Dusky-blue, Yellow-eyed Black, Ashy Flycatcher, White-bellied Robin-chat and Equatorial Akalat among others. We come back to our camp in the evening for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 8: Gorilla Trekking, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
The park’s headquarters are at Buhoma, and it is from here that we will set out on our gorilla trek. A great deal will depend upon where the Mountain Gorillas are, as to how far one has to trek, but one should expect to be in the forest most of the day. You will be allowed an hour with the gorillas and it is sure to be a very rewarding experience. Overnight at Gorilla Forest Camp or Buhoma Community Camp.
Day 9: Birding to Ruhiija, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Key species include: Mountain Wagtail, Red-tailed and Shelley’s Greenbul, Cassin’s Grey Flycatcher, African Black Duck, Banded Prinia, Grey-throated Barbet, Common, Mountain and Augur Buzzard, Tree Pipit, Chin-spot Batis, Black-billed Turaco, Fine-banded Woodpecker, Dwarf Honeyguide, Red-tailed, Yellow-streaked and Mountain Greenbul, Black Bee-eater and Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Many-coloured, Doherty’s and Grey-headed Bush Shrike, Ayres’s Hawk-eagle, Bar-tailed and Narina Trogon, Oriole Finch, Honeyguide Greenbul, Red-throated Alethe, Gray Apalis, African Shrike-flycatcher and Red-headed Malimbe and Dusky Twinspot among others. We later check in the service of Trekkers’ Tervan for dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Whole day Birding to Mubwindi Swamp, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
After breakfast we head for a whole day birding to the Mubwindi Swamp. This 4km trail to Mubwindi Swamp drops from 2350m to 2050m and is the best place for some of the most difficult to find of all rift endemics including Grauer’s Warbler, African Black and Scarce Swift, Handsome Francolin, African Green Broadbill the beautiful Regal Sunbird and Blue-headed Sunbird, Archer’s Robin-Chat. Mubwindi Swamp is home to Dwarf Honeyguide, Stripe-breasted Tit, Ruwenzori Apalis and African Hill Babbler sometimes treated as a separate species Rwenzori Hill Babbler, the rare and localized Grauer’s Scrub-Warbler and Carruthers’ Cisticola, including very difficult to see species Fraser’s Eagle-Owl, African Green Broadbill, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Blue headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Grauer’s Broadbills, Archer’s Robin-chat, Eastern Mountain-greenbul, Strange Weaver, Black-headed Waxbill, Bar-tailed Trogon, White-headed Woodhoopoe, Waller’s Starling, Stuhlmann’s Starling, Ludher’s Bushshrike, Handsome Francolin and Montane Nightjar
Day 11: Birding on the way to Lake Mburo national park.
After breakfast, with our parked lunch, we start birding along the way to Lake Mburo national park, passing through the terraces (as the renowned art of farming in this area) of Kabale and the rolling hills of Mbarara. We will have a lunch stopover at Mbarara and proceed on to enter the park with a mini game drive/birding, arriving in the evening and check in to service of Rwakobo Rock for dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Birding around Lake Mburo National Park – Boat cruise
After breakfast we start our game drive/birding around lake Mburo national park. We will have lunch and also go for the boat cruise in the afternoon on lake Mburo. Some the specialities that we expect here include; the Red-faced and Crested Barbet, Emarald-spotted Wood-Dove, Scaly-throated Honeyguide, Red-headed Weaver, Long-tailed Cisticola, Short-toed and Brown Snake-Eagle, African Finfoot, Coque Francolin, Black-crowned and White-backed Night-Heron, Papyrus Gonolek, Lilac-breasted Roller and Brown-Chested Lapwing among others. We go back to the lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Day 13: Early morning Nature walk/ departure.
The day begins early as we go for a nature walk/birding along the showers of lake Mburo, in search of the night dweller and what we might have missed the previous day. We also expect to encounter wildlife that may include; the Zebras, Impalas, Clipspringers, Buffaloes, Topis, Warthogs, Reedbucks and Leopards among others. We come back to the lodge for breakfast, check out and transfer to the airport for your flight home.