Best of Uganda 8- Days / 2015
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GREAT LAKES SAFARIS LTD Where the journey into the wild begins…! BEST OF UGANDA 8- DAYS / 2015 Chimp tracking in Kibale NP • Boat safari to the Queen Elizabeth National Park• • Unforgettable Hot Air Ballooning and Game- viewing drives in Queen Elizabeth NP • • •Accommodation in intimate safari lodges• Your Safari in brief: Date Destination Accommodation Nights Category Day 1 Kampala Kampala Serena Hotel 1 Deluxe room Day 2 Kibale Forest NP Primate Lodge Kibale 2 Luxury Cottage Day 3 Day 4 2 Queen Elizabeth NP Mweya Safari Lodge Standard room Day 5 Day 6 Entebbe 2 Lake Victoria Serena Deluxe room Day 7 Day 8 DEPART GREAT LAKES SAFARIS LTD Where the journey into the wild begins…! DAY 1: ARRIVAL/ KAMPALA (40 km / 1 Hour) Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by a Great Lakes Safaris’ representative and drive for about 40 km/ 1 hour to your hotel for dinner on own account and overnight at your hotel. Hotel Serena, Kampala – Standard Room Meal Plan: Full Board DAY 2: Kibale Forest National Park is an KAMPALA - KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK (400km /7- 8 hours extensive Biodiversity National Enjoy a hearty breakfast and depart Kampala with your guide and head Park in South Uganda and also to Kibale National Park, with (packed) lunch en route. Kibale rests in known as the “Primate Paradise” has one of the greatest variety the shadow of the fabled ‘Mountains of the Moon’ and is famous for and concentration of primates in the many tea plantations. In the evening we will join an optional night Africa including our famous forest walk and go in search of the bush babies, pottos and other cousin, the Chimpanzee, the red nocturnal animals. After, return to the lodge for delicious hot dinner colobus, vervet, L’Hoest’s, blac- and a well-deserved rest. and- white colobus and the olive baboon. Not forgetting the array Primate Lodge Kibale– Luxury Forest Cottage of unique birds, forest elephants (smaller and hairier than the Meal Plan: Full Board more familiar savannah elephant) and much more. Primate Lodge Kibale’s principal edge is the location, right next door to the starting point for Chimpanzee tracking excursion as well as the incredible Chimpanzee Habituation, really, two of the most genuinely breathtaking wildlife experiences on the planet! Accommodation in Luxury Forest Cottages, the mid-level Forest Cottages or for the more adventurous guest the Sky Tree house. Webiste: www.ugandalodges.com GREAT LAKES SAFARIS LTD Where the journey into the wild begins…! DAY 3: KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK (Activity Time: 3- 4 Hours) After breakfast, transfer to the Park offices to meet your Chimpanzee tracking Guide/Ranger. Following a pre-tracking briefing, you drive to the trailhead for the start of an unforgettable adventure – hiking in the footsteps of the big habituated family of chimpanzees, over 120 strong, that has made Kibale the foremost tourism destination in Uganda. En-route, your guide will enthrall you with stories and facts about the forest and her other inhabitants including other primates and birds - the blue breasted kingfisher, black billed Turaco, a variety of Greenbuls, white napped pigeons, Narina’s Trogon, Pied Hornbill, Purple headed and Chestnut winged Starlings, white headed wood hoopoe, Petit's cuckoo shrike, and many more. Upon sighting the chimpanzees, you will stay with them for one unforgettable hour as they go about their daily life – growling, grooming, barking, feeding, taking care of their young; agilely climbing up trees and dropping off like thuds before disappearing like they were spirits all over and around you – it can be a bit tense sometimes but you do have a ranger and they are habituated for exactly that purpose, but it certainly is one unforgettable wildlife encounter/experience and the hour is always over too soon. Afterwards, you hike back to the trailhead to re-join your Driver/guide and drive back to the lodge for a welcome shower and lunch. We then transfer to Bigodi Swamp for another, totally different nature walk. The Bigodi Swamp Walk is an initiative of the local community and is known for its rich diversity of birds and primates. Primate Lodge Kibale – Luxury Forest Cottage Meal Plan: Full Board DAY 4: KIBALE FOREST NP - QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK (200 km /3 Hours) GREAT LAKES SAFARIS LTD Where the journey into the wild begins…! After breakfast we calmly drive back towards Fort Portal while we pass the crater lakes area, a beautiful landscape with small lakes and rolling hills. From Fort Portal we continue to Queen Elizabeth National Park. We shall arrive in time for lunch and relax before going on an exciting game drive in search of wildlife, including warthogs, buffaloes, waterbucks and elephants and so much more. Mweya Safari Lodge –Standard Room Meal Plan: Full Board Mweya Safari Lodge has a prime location with views over the Kazinga Channel. The lodge is located on a peninsula within the spectacular national park. All rooms have balconies, overlooking the Kazinga Channel and Lake Edward, private bathrooms and electricity. Other features include a beautiful swimming pool, a poolside bar, safari bar, souvenir shop and restaurant serving global cuisine. DAY 5: QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK The day begins early when we start with a morning game drive and head to the mating ground of the Uganda Kobs. We search for lions, elephants, buffaloes and other wild animals in their natural habitat. Alternatively you can decide to experience a unique Hot Air Balloon Safari, followed by a bush breakfast and game drive (pre-booking required). In the afternoon we take on a scenic boar cruise along the Kazinga Channel, a natural and pre-historic canal that joins Lakes Edward and Lake George. 33 kilometres long and 2 to 3 kms at its widest points, the Kazinga channel, formed by tectonic activity millions of years ago during the formation of the rift valleys. On a scheduled 2 hrs boat ride over a 12 to 14 kms stretch of the channel, guests are almost always guaranteed excellent wildlife sightings including, multitudes of hippopotamus (possibly the world’s highest concentration), Nile crocodiles, wallowing buffaloes on its reedy banks, elephants, multitudes of birds including many endemics as well as hundreds of other plains game that come to it for water all day long. Return to the lodge early evening to relax and enjoy a hot dinner and a good night’s rest. Mweya Safari Lodge –Standard Room Meal Plan: Full Board GREAT LAKES SAFARIS LTD Where the journey into the wild begins…! Optional: Hot Air Ballooning in Queen Elizabeth National Park Arise at dawn and transfer to the park gate to meet your ballooning crew and drive to the launch site by the first light. With coffee on site, witness the gigantic balloon being inflated. You will attend a safety briefing before being invited to get on board for a smooth ascension to a bird’s view position. View the Kasenyi plains, the famed mating grounds of the Uganda Kobs, and a haunt for the predators. Enjoy the aerial views of the Kazinga Channel, the Mweya Peninsula and Lake George as well as far down towards Ishasha. Queen Elizabeth is truly famous for magnificent topography and milliard species of wild game, flowers, plants and birds. The one hour long flight at different altitudes culminates with an amazing wilderness. Afterwards you are joined by your regular driver/guide and able to enjoy more game viewing en route back to your lodge where you will have time to relax before lunch and your planned afternoon activity. All in all, an unforgettable African experience that we highly recommend! NB: Children below 7 years old or under 4 feet (1.20 meters) tall are only carried on parents request and at the discretion of the operator. Booking in advance required. DAY 6: QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK – KAMPALA - ENTEBBE (470km /8 hours) After an early breakfast, we bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth NP and drive back to Entebbe via Kampala. Enroute have a lunch stopover in Mbarara and then continue, after Masaka town we will stop at the Equator for Tea/Coffee break and buying souvenirs. We will arrive at your hotel Lake Victoria Serena in time for check in and dinner (on own account). Lake Victoria Serena, Entebbe – Standard Room Meal Plan: Full Board GREAT LAKES SAFARIS LTD Where the journey into the wild begins…! Serena Lake Victoria Styled to replicate the lines of a classically rustic Roman villa, Serena Lake Victoria Resort is the latest addition to the Serena East Africa Portfolio. It was opened in October 2009 and is located at the shores of Lake Victoria, at a 20-30 minutes drive from Entebbe International Airport. Spaced amongst the rose gardens you will find clusters of pastel-pained villas with a choice of rooms and suites, all with panoramic lake views. Other facilities include an all-day brasserie, several terrace and cocktail bars and Spa. Webiste: www.serenahotels.com DAY 7: ENTEBBE (DAY AT LEISURE) After breakfast, spend the day at leisure at Lake Victoria Serena. Enjoy (Optional activities on site) like Sundowner Boat cruise, Golfing and Swimming. Dinner and overnight at Lake Victoria Serena, Entebbe. DAY 8: DEPART Enriched with an experience of a lifetime and unforgettable memories today marks the end of your Safari with Great Lakes Safaris. BON VOYAGE, AND HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN!! . *** END OF GREAT LAKES SAFARIS SERVICES *** GREAT LAKES SAFARIS LTD Where the journey into the wild begins…! TOUR PRICE IN USD Nett & Non-Commissionable: Valid in 15th November 2015 – 15th December 2015 General Tour Package Price: Per person sharing in