Discover Uganda Travel Hack
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DISCOVER UGANDA YOUR COMPLETE ITINERARY FROM DAY 1 TO DAY 13 Do You HINTS TIPS Know INFO AND JUICY What to DETAILS Pack? THE ALL IN ONE A COMPLETE GUIDE TO YOUR TRAVEL PROJECTS HACK D I S C O V E R U G A N D A | T H E U L T I M A T E T R A V E L G U I D E Hey there! Firstly, on behalf of everybody at Bamboo, I would like to offer you our thanks for choosing to experience this incredible part of the world with us. We guarantee you an amazing time and we’re all very much looking forward to meeting you in Uganda soon. I imagine that right now you’re very excited about your upcoming adventure and this little guide has been put together to help you understand more about what will be happening, what to expect, how to plan and more. We guarantee your time with us will be unforgettable from start to end. Bamboo is growing as our style of 'travel' has proven to be the 'way' to travel. You are now a part of this journey and we welcome you with open arms and hearts. This growing experience is down to people like you, so do get stuck in, become part of our way of life, live every moment and take nothing for granted. Peace, Love & Bamboo Mark (& the other Panda, Colin) Follow me on Instagram to join our Bamboo journey @markbamboo highlights of your tour SCENERY Amazing lake views ADRENALINE White water rafting on the Nile LIONS World famous tree-climbing lions EXPLORATION Safari in two incredible locations LEARN Lessons in traditional art making GIVE Help out in small village communities DANCE Get a crash course in traditional African dance DAY 1 (SUN) DAY 2 (MON) ENTEBBE LUGAZI This is it; the moment that you’ve been Also known as ‘Kawolo’ by the locals, you will waiting for. Your plane is finally descending venture east to Lugazi, Buikwe District. Not a town into Uganda! Arrive before 3PM and you will be on many people’s radar, be prepared to witness met at Entebbe International Airport with a the real Uganda, far from the tourist path. warm welcome by our one of our amazing team and driver, after which we will whisk you off on With a chance to learn about the background of the 3- hour journey to Mukono Town before we the Lugacraft Community Development get you checked into your hotel. Organisation from the founder himself, you will be familiarized with the Lugacraft’s mission, which, in At last, you can rest up, relax and calm those their own words, is “to facilitate access to a better excited butterflies in your stomach. A traditional life for disadvantaged youth, children and women Ugandan meal served for dinner will immerse through training them in life-changing skills.” you into the Ugandan culture from the start! This is a great opportunity for you to meet your fellow We'll be in the garden with one group of ladies travellers who have arrived already and settle and then have lunch and a traditional basket weaving last minute nerves over a nice, cold beer. lesson with another women's group about 5 minutes away. Meals Included: Dinner Those of you with green fingers can lend a hand in the women’s communal garden and the day will be topped off with the moment highly anticipated by all travellers; make sure you pack your dancing shoes ready for a traditional Ugandan dance class! Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Please note: The traditional dance lessons coincide with school holidays (January, May, August and December). DAY 3 (TUES) K ABEMBE A short drive away from Mukono Town will take you to the stunning agricultural landscape of Kabembe, Mukono District. Here you will be greeted by the Balamu Community Outreach team who are building energy efficient clay stoves for local residents. This is an innovative program that supports conservation and public health improvement. Each stove is built with materials found only in the garden. When in use, the firewood needed for each meal is reduced by 90%. Cooking smoke is also funneled out of the kitchen, saving the chef's lungs! Come ready to get dirty and have fun in the mud with our community members! Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner DAY 4 (WED) MAYINDO Get ready to join in on a day-in-the-life of the Ugandan Woman as you visit Hopeline Organization in Mayindo, Buikwe District. Just a short 45 minute drive away from your hotel, you'll enjoy a rousing welcome (the kind that makes you shake your tail feathers!). After a warm introduction you'll get into some chores: fetching water and gather firewood the traditional Ugandan way. After a joyful and filling lunch, you'll get a Kabalagala cooking lesson. The ladies make and sell these traditional banana pancakes to earn quick cash for immediate household needs. If there's time after all this - we'll settle into a beading circle and learn yet another way these amazing women make their living in rural Uganda. You'll learn that life in Uganda is tough, but so joyful when you have your girls by your side! Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner DAY 5 (THURS) DAY 7 (SAT) NAJJEMBE JINJA Finally, let your inner teacher free! Travelling Choices, choices, choices! Today is jam-packed full into the jungle of the Buikwe District to the of exciting optional activities. You will have the Christian Heritage Centre, you will be able to choice of an adrenaline-fueled whitewater rafting meet, connect and play with the children at this experience on the River Nile, or the more relaxed school. A primary school that strives to ‘provide option of spending the day craft shopping at the a high quality education to local children who source of the River Nile. might not otherwise be able to access such’, you will be able to spend time making arts and Whitewater Rafting crafts with the children or having a kick around It’s time to break out that swimming costume as in the yard outside. The children here will be so we head off to the River Nile! The second longest grateful and happy to see you, and delighted to river in the world, the River Nile is home to Ripon become friends. falls and the best whitewater rafting track you’re likely to experience, as you spend the day The day will be kicked off with a talk from the speeding down the world-famous river. And to Christian Heritage Centre’s founder, and you will top it all off, enjoy a fully catered lunch on a small witness a rousing performance from the school island in the middle of the river. choir; one that will make you love the children of Uganda even more! Craft Shopping Or maybe today is better for relaxing those hard- Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. at-work muscles? How about spending the day shopping for local crafts at the source of the River Nile? After you’ve bought a few souvenirs for the family, we’ll then take you on a gentle guided DAY 6 (FRI) boat ride to the Source of the Nile and Lake MABIRA RAINFOREST Victoria, learning about the history and geography of the area. An early start will lead to a hike through the spectacular Mabira Forest. With Later today we'll drive to Kampala (3.5 hrs) to breathtaking views, and an abundance of spend the night there before tomorrow's wildlife beautiful wildlife to spot, you’ll feel like an extra adventures! Dinner is not included but the hotel in ‘The Jungle Book’ as you trek through the restaurant offers an array of tasty treats! exquisite scenery, just with less talking bears! Please let us know which activity you would Top the day off by feeling the wind through like to experience before arrival. your hair as you speed through the trees on an exhilarating zipline across the treetops; get Meals Included: Breakfast for both groups, lunch ready for that sky-high selfie! included for those who are rafting. An afternoon off allows you time to relax, reflect on your previous projects and finally catch that tan you’ve been trying to get since you arrived, before we take an hour drive to your accommodation in Jinja in the evening. Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. itinerary DAY 8 (SUN) LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK Spanning over 40,075 kilometres in total, you can tick visiting the equator off your bucket list as you spend a morning jumping across the equator line. Don't worry, we'll stop for coffee and the obligatory photos! Following this, you head west a few hours to DAY 9 (MON) Lake Mburo National Park, where you can enjoy LAKE MBURO NATIONAL a relaxing boat cruise along the shore of the Lake. Kick back, relax and grab some Instagram PARK worthy photos; don’t forget our hashtag, Track warthogs, topi, impalas, duikers, bushbucks, #WeAreBamboo waterbucks, giraffes and zebras as you take on a 4-hour walking safari through Lake Mburo In the evening, the time has come for your first National Park! game drive. Despite the fact that Lake Mburo is only a small game park, it’s home to over 200 Remember your hiking boots! different species of animal. The afternoon can be spent relaxing and Think of it as a ‘Where’s Wally’ game with an watching the wildlife pass by from the window of array of animals to find, including hippos, your lodge accommodation.