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Uganda Itinerary Review

Posted by (Idaho) on

Help! I'm very torn between two companies and itineraries for a Uganda trip for Jan/Feb 2025. We are hoping to focus on gorilla treks/habituation experiences but also wanting some time doing a traditional safari (elephants, lions, etc).

Below I have listed the itineraries in the format of day, place, lodging and a simplified list of things we would be doing. The actual itineraries have much greater detail of course. Ellington definitely has an additional 3 days but I am worried about these long transfer times. The Wild Source added bush flights to get us to our destinations faster. Any itinerary critiques, suggestions or company preference would be much appreciated!

First itinerary from The Wild Source:
Day 1 (Jan 26) Entebbe Karibu Entebbe

Day 2 (Jan 27) Kibale NP: Primate Lodge transfer bush flight (1.5 hrs) / 2.5 hrs drive

Day 3 (Jan 28) Kibale NP: Primate Lodge chimp trek Tinka lunch
Day 4 (Jan 29) Queen E NP: Kyambura Gorge Lodge transfer (3 hrs) / game drive

Day 5 (Jan 30) Queen E NP: Kyambura Gorge Lodge Lion tracking Carnivore Project boat tour
Day 6 (Jan 31) Queen E NP: Ishasha wilderness camp Transfer (2 hrs) tree climbing lion game drive

Day 7 (Feb 1) Bwindi: chameleon hill lodge transfer (bush flight)

Day 8 (Feb 2) Bwindi: chameleon hill lodge gorilla trek

Day 9 (Feb 3) Bwindi: chameleon hill lodge gorilla habituation experience
Day 10 (Feb 4) Entebbe: transfer bush flight

Second Itinerary from Ellington Safaris:
Day 1 Entebbe No. 5 Boutique Hotel

Day 2 Etebbe- ZZiqa- Murchison Falls NP: Nile Safari Lodge transfer/ rhino sanctuary (2-3 hrs / 3-4 hrs) game drive
Day 3 Murchison Falls NP: Nile Safari Lodge game drive boat cruise Nile river
Day 4 Murchison Falls NP: Nile Safari Lodge brunch on the falls game drive
Day 5 Murchison - Kibale Forest NP: Turaco Treetops transfer (8 hrs) / tea plantation

Day 6 Kibale Forest: Turaco Treetops: chimp habituation experience

Day 7 Kibale Forest - Queen Elizabeth NP: Elephant Plains Lodge transfer (3 hrs) evening Game drive
Day 8 Queen Elizabeth NP: Elephant Plains Lodge game drive boat cruise
Day 9 Queen Elizabeth Np - Lake Mutanda: Chameleon Hill Lodge game drive/ transfer (8hrs)
Day 10 Lake Mutanda/Bwindi NP: Chameleon Hill Lodge gorilla habituation experience

Day 11 Lake Mutanda/ Mgahinga Gorilla NP: Chameleon Hill Lodge Golden monkey tracking

Day 12 Lake Mutanda- Lake Mburo NP: Mihingo Lodge transfer (5hrs)
Day 13 Lake Mburo NP - Entebbe: game walk/ transfer (5 hrs) depart

Posted by
756 posts

Can't comment on your itinerary, but when we did a safari last summer in Tanzania we took the bush flights between parks. Driving would have eaten up a whole day that meant less time in the parks. I noticed your Ellington itinerary has several very long transfer days driving.

Posted by
4656 posts

I've only done driving safaris and have no issue with long drive days. They are not like a freeway drive at home with nothing to see or stop for. The drive from Bwindi to Queen E is through park so you may be game viewing along the way. Otherwise, you get to watch rural life, go through village and perhaps catch a glimpse of the locals. If you have no interest in the local society of the country, then fly.

Posted by
1600 posts

I can only comment on a couple of things since I didn't do the Gorilla part and limited my trip to Murchison Falls and QE Natl Park. The distance between the parks while maybe not v large, the roads are not the greatest and hence the time to travel between them was going to be over 9-10 hours. Hence, I decided to overnight in Fort Portal to break the journey and I believe stopped in the Kibale forest to see the chimps (though, it may have been a different forest). As noted in the other thread, my trip was in 2017

My tendency would be to go with option 2 since it covers more ground and you see different NPs. While the drive times are large this is to be expected in Africa and you would have some of this if you were trying to do the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara, etc. in Tanzania. There will almost always be some level of discomfort while on safari in Africa and it depends on if you are willing to put up with this. Additionally, as noted by MariaF, if you travel by land, you get a glimpse of how the locals live their lives - folks transporting large bunches of bananas on the back of a bicycle. I was surprised by how many bananas are grown in Uganda.

I will add that I did enjoy Murchison Falls NP. It has lots of Barroso palms. We got to see 3 leopards and also tons of Rothschild's giraffes. Also, don't miss out on the afternoon boat rides - a great relaxing way to wildlife watch.

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