NEW! Uganda
Great African birding, plus Mountain Gorillas, Chimpanzees and big game
Sat 2 April – Fri 15 April 2011
Price £4295pp single supplement £450 Deposit £300
Uganda is perhaps the most attractive destination in East Africa at the moment for the wildlife enthusiast. Straddling the Equator and sharing a long land border with Kenya, the country is friendly, and regeneration of the economy over recent years has included investment in the tourism infrastructure, with good quality accommodation and improved travel. Although Uganda is certainly less wildlife-rich than Kenya, its wealth of birds and mammals are more than enough to make a holiday here thoroughly absorbing.
Uganda boasts around 1080 birds, and on this carefully prepared holiday you should see around 300 species including the impressive Shoebill, as well as many of the specialities of central Africa and many of the key endemics. Large mammals of interest include Lion, Hippo, Elephant and Nile Crocodile, though perhaps the highlight will be the tempting opportunity to see both Mountain Gorilla and Chimpanzee.
Our journey takes us to key birding places including Lake Mburu, Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Parks and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, on this comprehensive tour of all important habitats. We also enjoy four boat trips, giving us exceptional views of birds and animals with minimum effort, a very important part of this holiday. At Mabamba on our second day we quietly approach Shoebill and other species in canoes, the following day we again take to the water to search for the elusive African Finfoot, and at Kazinga Channel later in the holiday big game seen during our boat trip should include Hippo, Nile Crocodile and a wealth of migrating birds. Our final boat trip is perhaps the most spectacular, as we float on the Victoria Nile, below the Murchison Falls.
As usual with Heatherlea, this non-intensive tour seeks to avoid trekking and strenuous hikes to see wildlife. We have specifically removed a couple of walks which require intensive birding, preferring instead to find a wide range of wildlife at our own pace. We must point out however that tracking to see gorillas and chimps involves walking to whichever part of the forest is favoured by these animals at the time of our visit, and this will be outside our control. We have excellent chances of seeing both large primates, and it is possible to spend up to an hour with the Gorillas, depending on our luck with their location.
Itinerary
Day 1
Arrive at Entebbe International Airport and transfer to the newly refurbished Windsor Lake Hotel, Entebbe for our first night’s accommodation. The transfer journey is only 4km from the airport and if daylight allows, our birding will begin in the 9 acre botanical garden grounds.
Day 2
We leave Entebbe and head for Mabamba Swamp, birding en route and connecting with species such as Vieillot’s Black Bishop and African Black-headed Oriole. Mabamba Swamp is an internationally important designated wetland, famous for it’s recently discovered population of Shoebill. One of the main targets of our trip, we will look for this enigmatic stork species from hand paddled canoes in the swamp channels. Special birds here include White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Blue-headed Coucal, Swamp Flycatcher, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Malachite Kingfisher as well as wetland species such as Goliath Heron, Black Crake, African Purple Swamphen, African Water-rail, Lesser and African Jacanas, and the attractive and diminutive African Pygmy Goose.
After a morning at the swamp we transfer to Lake Mburo for lunch, birding en route, arriving at the Lake Mburo National Park for an evening game drive to see Eland, Zebra, Topi and Impala, as well as keeping our bird list moving along nicely. Overnight at Mantana, a high quality tented camp, which is part of a locally-run sustainable tourism venture, and promises to be a highlight of the trip.
Day 3
We awake in our classic camp in the grand African safari tradition, set in one of Uganda's most picturesque game parks. This retreat provides the only luxury accommodation in Lake Mburo National Park, and is set in a commanding hill-top position overlooking Lake Mburo and its surrounding eco-systems. The mosaic of habitats here includes dry hillsides, rocky outcrops, bushy thickets, open and wooded savannahs, forests, lakes, and swamps, giving us a wealth of opportunity to explore for wildlife.
We start with a morning game drive from Mantana Tented Camp in comfortable Safari land cruisers. We should again see a wide selection of mammals, adding Water Buffalo and perhaps Hippo to our burgeoning list. On the birding front we hope to see Red-faced Barbet, Bare-faced Go-away-bird and Tabora (Long-tailed) Cisticola. After our game drive and breakfast we take a boat ride in search of elusive African Finfoot and many other species.
With comfort and enjoyment in mind, we stay a second night in this excellent camp rather than rush to our next destination. Overnight Mantana Tented Camp.
Day 4
A travelling day with a good deal of birding for Ugandan speciality species. We drive to Ruhizha, we bird the bamboo zone en-route for Handsome Francolin, White-starred Robin, Red-throated Alethe, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, several sunbirds and Dusky Crimsonwing. In the late afternoon we arrive at Trekkers Cavern where we stay for the night, birding around the camp for a range of species including Dusky Twinspot, Luhder’s Bushshrike, Rwenzori Batis, Magpie Manikin and Stripe-breasted Tit. In the evening we take a night drive in search of specialities such as African Woodowl and Rwenzori Nightjar, and if we are lucky may see African Civet. Overnight at Trekkers Tavern.
Day 5
Today is perhaps the centrepiece of the holiday, as we concentrate on of nature’s genuine ‘must do’ experiences. An early morning trek into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park with experienced guides will lead us to a family of Mountain Gorillas. There are three main family groups in this area, all of which are known to and monitored by park rangers. These families are wild animals, but usually are accessible to adventurous wildlife enthusiasts. We work closely with the park staff, who will decide where we should best go to see these magnificent animals. Your chances of seeing Gorillas are very high, and tracking them through the dense mountain forest is a magical experience. Hopefully we will spend up to an hour with the gorillas, though sometimes they are elusive and tracking can take up to a full day. Overnight at Trekkers Tavern.
Day 6
A travelling and birding day as we transfer to Buhoma, a forested area within the birding ‘the Neck’ en-route, where we may have a chance to see Cassin’s Hawk Eagle, Black Bee-eaters, Bronze-napped Pigeon, Many-coloured Bush-shrike, Cassin’s Grey Flycatcher and a variety of Albertine rift endemics. We may up to 100 species during this and also the following day. Overnight Kitandara camp. A bit more about this day please.
Day 7
In the morning we do some birding along the Buhoma main trail in search of Handsome Francolin, Rufous-chested Fluff-tail, Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Red-chested Owlet, Neumann’s Warbler, Pale-breasted Illadopsis, White-tailed Flycatcher and many others. This is African forest birding at its best. Overnight Kitandara Camp.
Day 8
We drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park birding en route, then visit the Ishasha sector of the Park for a game drive in search of tree climbing Lions. Ishasha has a large population of these lions, which climb into Acacia and big Fig Trees to escape the heat and spend most of the day sleeping.
We also look for a variety of savanna birds including Broad-tailed Warbler and a number of raptors, before spending the night at Mweya Safari Lodge. Mweya is a great upmarket lodge, with one particular highlight being up to five species of weaver fighting for your breakfast!
Day 9
Morning game drive through the Kasenyi track and Kob mating grounds in search of more savanna birds including Temminck’s Courser, Martial Eagle, Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture and perhaps Secretary Bird. We have another chance to see mammals including Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Hyena, Giant Forest Hog and other game. In the afternoon we enjoy a boat ride on Kazinga Channel, believed to host the largest concentration of Hippos in Africa, a variety of migrant birds and Crocodiles. Overnight Mweya Safari Lodge.
Day 10
A mainly travelling day with regular birding stops as we drive to Fort Portal birding en route in the Crater area for Giant Kingfisher and Yellow-bellied Waxbill to mention but two. We stay overnight at Primate Lodge cottages, a very nice base from which to explore the surrounding forest.
Day 11
After an early morning breakfast, we walk to Kibaale NP, home to the greatest variety and highest concentration of primates in the world. Thirteen different species have been identified here. We go Chimp tracking, again with the assistance of experienced park rangers. Tracking Chimps differs from tracking Gorilla in that the animals make more noise (making them easier to locate), and are much more mobile. As we cover their home territory in search of the Chimps, we should also have plenty of birding opportunities. Our chances of seeing chimps in Kibaale are between 80% and 90%.
During this red-letter day, we should also see a variety of other primates too, which may include Grey-cheeked Mangabey, Vervet, L’Hoerst and Red-tailed Monkeys, Olive Baboon, Red, Black and White Colobus Monkeys, plus a chance to bird the forest in search of Green-breasted Pitta, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Many-coloured Bushshrike, and many more. In the afternoon we take a walk in Bigodi Wetland, a community run swamp nature reserve, for the Papyrus endemics and a variety of primates. Late evening we take a nocturnal walk in Kibaale Forest where we have a chance to see Bushbabies, Galagos and a variety of other nocturnal wildlife. We will overnight again at the Primate Lodge cottages.
Day 12
After breakfast we drive to Murchison Falls NP, birding the forest west of Fort Portal en-route in search of Joyful Greenbul, Cassin’s Grey Flycatcher, African Black Duck, Four-coloured Bushshrike and a variety of forest birds. We might also see Foxy Cisticola, Cliff Chat, Western Violet-backed Sunbird, and a variety of other birds. This is a transfer day, with relatively little birding. We stay overnight at Paraa Lodge, an upmarket lodge.
Day 13
In the morning we cross by ferry for a game drive for Shoebill and other water birds. We travel once more by comfortable Safari Land Cruisers. Animals might include Lion, Leopard, Giraffe, Oribis, Hartebeest and Elephant. Birds here include stunning Carmine Bee-eater, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill and many others.
In the afternoon we take a boat ride to the bottom of the Murchison Falls, on the Victoria Nile River. At the top of these spectacular falls, the whole of the 50 meters wide Nile River forces its way through a gap in the rocks only 7metres wide, tumbling 43metres towards Lake Albert. The immense force of the water and the views of the falls are awe inspiring, and this is a magical trip through beautiful scenery. Here we have a chance to see a variety of water birds, schools of Hippos, and Crocodiles. In the evening we will drive to the top of the falls, where we may have a chance to see Pel’s Fishing Owl, Rock Pratincole and Bat Hawk. Depending upon circumstances we may bird till late to see nightjars. Our last full day wildlife watching will end again at Paraa Lodge.
Day 14
In the early morning we drive to Kampala via Kaniyo Pabidi, birding in search for Puvel’s Illadopsis and a chance of Rufous-sided Broadbill and a variety of forest birds. All good things must come to an end and we transfer to the airport for our flight.
Please note, your holiday price includes payment for Gorilla watching permits at a charge of US$ 500 per person.
Please note: all itineraries are given as a guide only. Actual
holiday content may vary according to the judgement of your guide, and
elements beyond our control (eg weather).
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