7 Days Birding & Murchison Falls
- 7 days / 6 night
- people: 20
- Murchison Falls
This safari will take visit the ziwarhinos, Murchison fall where you enjoy both the game drives and the launch trips offer an opportunity for one to come across distinct birdlife, including savannah forest birds, water birds and Albertine Rift endemics. The commonest species found in the plains include the Marabou Stork, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Secretary Birds, Black-bellied Bustards, Open-billed Storks and Widow Bird.
Closer to the river where there are more thickets and woodlands, the commonest bird varieties include the Swallow-tailed and Red-throated Bee-eaters. The riverbanks are also home to ducks, geese, stilts and plovers.
The park’s main birding attraction is the Shoebill.
Day 1: arrival at Entebbe Airport
Your tour guide/drive will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to hotel or lodge of your choice to rest as you wait for your marvelous and memorable safari to all Uganda national parks for the birding adventure. It depends on your time of arrival.
Accommodations
Medium-Range: Cassia Lodge
Meal Plan: Bed & Breakfast
Day 2: Drive to ZiwaRihno
After your morning breakfast at your lodge, you will be picked up by the guide so that you can start your journey to Murchison falls National Park. On your way you will have a stop and visit Ziwa Rhino sanctuary for rhino tracking. Ziwa rhino sanctuary boasts a bird count of no less than 300. On your arrival you be briefed and then start your nature walk as you look out for your favorite bird species. There four different bird trails within the sanctuary which cover Woodlands, Swamp and Savannah. Spend a night on the sanctuary.
Driving time 4 to 5hrs
Accommodation:
Mid-range: Amuka safari lodge
Meal Plan: Dinner
Day 3: Drive to Budongo Forest
Very early in morning you then go for one of the most sought after birds to be seen in Uganda is the Shoebill Stork. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary has these prehistoric looking birds nesting within our swamp. A 6am shoebil canoe safari on the swamp not only gives you the opportunity to find the Shoebill but to see the beautiful Uganda sunrise over Lugogo Swamp, Water birds are plentiful. Return at the lodge and have lunch.
You will then drive to Murchison falls National Park. You will then precede passing through the rain forest “budongo” which has got also some primate species, like chimpanzees, baboons and different types of monkeys. Here you will also get chances of some bird species along the way.
Driving hour: 3 to 4 hours
Accommodation
Mid-Range: Budongo Eco-Lodges
Meal Plan: Breakfast & Dinner
Day 4: Bird watching in Royal mile
After early breakfast, you will then head to one of Uganda’s best bird watching sites KaniyoPabidi and Rabongo forests which is ideal for educational tours and are a bird watchers paradise since they allocate a great opportunity to identify birds, you will continue to the Royal Mile for a full day walk within the forest trying to look out for bird species like, Brown Twin-spot, Cameroon Somber Greenbul, Cassin’s Hawk-Eagle, Crowned Eagle, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Forest Robin, Little Green Sunbird, Grey-headed Sunbird, Great Sparrow-hawk, Cassin’s Hawk-eagle, Crested Guinea-fowl, Tambourine Dove, Grey Parrot, African Emerald and Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoos, Yellowbill, White-throated Bee-eater, Yellow-throated Tinkerbird, Yellow-spotted Barbet and many other birds. The Royal Mile is so called because this has historically been a leisure spot for the traditional King.
In the late afternoon you will go back at your lodge, have dinner and relax.
Accommodation
Mid-Range: Budongo Eco-Lodges
Meal Plan: Breakfast & Dinner
Day 5: Game Drive & Boat Cruise
After your morning breakfast to warm up for the morning, you will go for a morning game drive with your guide and ranger helping in the search for various bird species including the Blue-naped bird headed Gonolek, Silver bird, Buff-bellied Warbler, Black-headed Batis, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver and the highly localized White-rumped Seedeater, White-crested Touraco, Double-toothed Barbet, Warbler, , Grey Kestrel, Red-winged Grey, Heuglin’s Francolin and many others. And on way, you will have an opportunity to see animals like; Rothschild Giraffe, Jackson Hartebeest, Elephant, Lions, Waterbucks giraffes, buffalos, and a variety of Savannah woodland birds. You will go back to the lodge at mid morning for lunch.
In the afternoon after your lunch, you will go for an afternoon boat cruise on the Victoria Nile. The boat ride takes you to the downstream of the delta where abundant water birds can be viewed. On the way you to the delta of the Nile, you will be able to see various animals like; hippos, crocodiles, and much other savannah wild life taking water. For the bird lovers, you will see lots of them; watch out for the legendary shoe Bill and many other bird species like Black-headed Gonolek, Spotted Dikkorp, yellow-throtedlongclaw, Kittlitz’s plover, Water and Senegal Thicknee, Blue naped and Soeckled mouse birds, Spur-Winged Plover, African wattled Lapwing, Purple -Backed Starlings, Crowned Lapwings and many other birds.
Accommodation
Mid-range:-Murchison River lodge
Meal Plan: –Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 6: birding at Delta Boat, PM Game drive
In the morning after your breakfast, you will have an early morning boat safari toward the Delta, This boat trip that takes down to Victoria Nile to where it merges into the Lake Albert, leads you through papyrus swamps filled with wildlife and various bird species mostly the common in the area is a Shoebill Stork but also with other species seen along the river banks like Secretary Bird, Abyssinian Roller and Ground Hornbill, Pied Kingfishers, Red-throated Bee-eaters, Goliath Heron, Saddle-billed Stork, Sacred Ibis, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Senegal Thick-knee, Water Thick-knee, Black-headed Lapwing, Long-toed Lapwing, Little Bittern, Osprey, Red-necked Falcon, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Vinaceous Dove and Grosbeak Weaver. This trip takes about 4-5 hours and is a must for bird lovers.
After lunch, you will enjoy afternoon game drive with a ranger in the search for various animal like; Elephants, Giraffe, Buffalo, Antelope, kobs (which are very common), and also you will be able to spot Lions or Leopards relaxing in trees during the sunshine
Accommodation
Mid-range:-Murchison River lodge.
Meal Plan: –Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 7: Top of the falls, theb drive back to Kampala
after your breakfast, you will drive by car and visit the top of the dramatic falls where water straggles to escape through a narrow gorge to the bottom forming a pool of water before it sets off for the long journey. You will also get in touch with various bird species on the trail to the top of the falls,you then continue to Kampala arriving early evening.
Driving time; 6 to 8 hours
End of Safari
The package includes:
- Ground transportation by 4WD Minivan
- Transfersand transfers to and from airport
- Accommodation & meals per program
- English speaking Driver/Guide
- Park Entrance fees
- Activities per itinerary
- Bottled water in safari cars
- Fuel & car
- Ranger fees (game drives)
- Ferry crossing fees
- Boat ride
The package excludes:
- Tips
- Laundry
- Souvenirs
- Personal drinks like sodas, beers, spirits, and cigarettes
- International Air ticket and related costs
- Personal Insurance covers
- Optional activities
- Meals not part of accommodations
- Phone calls
