10 Day BIRDING SAFARI

DAY ONE: Arrive at Entebbe International Airport then transfer to your Hotel. Depending on arrival time, birding can be done around Uganda wildlife Education Centre (UWEC), Botanical gardens and Lutembe beach around Entebbe area. Meals and overnight at Imperial Resort Beach Hotel, Botanical Beach Hotel and Windsor Lake Victoria Hotel (High end/luxurious accommodation),The Boma Guest House, Airport View Hotel, Airport Guest House(Medium class accommodation) or Fraba Tourist Campsite & Hostel (Low budget/basic accommodation)

DAY TWO: Begin the day with an early breakfast then drive to Mabamba swamp for the Shoebill Stork, Black crake, yellow billed duck, swamp fly catcher, Africa marsh harrier, long toed lapwing, Blue headed coucal etc and other water birds. After canoe boat from Mabamba, drive to Lake Mburo National Park for Lunch and birding enroute.Famous birds in the savannah park include: Rufous-bellied Heron, Lesser Jacana, Lesser Moorhen and a variety of water birds including shoe bill. Dinner and over night at Mihingo Lodge (High end/luxurious accommodation), or Mantana Tented Camp (Medium class accommodation) or at the Rwonyo Rest Camp Bandas (Low budget/basic accommodation).

DAY THREE: Morning birding and wildlife viewing in the park which is an is an extension of the Tanzanian Plains with big herds of Zebra, Impala, Eland , Warthogs, buffalo and other savannah species. For birders, this is one of the best places to find African Fin foot, Papyrus, Bush Shrike bird, Brown-chested Plover, Red-faced Barbet etc. After lunch, go for a boat ride in search for the African Fin foot and shoebill .Later in the evening, drive to Mbarara for a night rest at Agip Motel or Lake view hotel Mbarara.

DAY FOUR: Drive to Kisoro via Kabale .Make a stop for birding at Lake Kyahasi near Kisoro.Common species you may encounter include: Common Moorhen, Southern Porchard, Lesser Jacana, Red Knobbed Coot and the Dark-capped Yellow Warbler e.t.c Overnight at Travelers Rest Hotel, Kisoro Tourist Hotel or Virunga Hotel.

DAY FIVE: Today morning, we prepare to ascend the Bird Gorge trail and bamboo Zone on Mt. Sabinyo for Rwenzori Turaco, Crowned hornbill, black kite, Shelly's Crimson wing, crowned crane and Kivu ground Thrush .The Mountain is also famous for bushbucks and threatened golden monkey. Overnight at Travelers Rest Hotel, Kisoro Tourist Hotel or Virunga Hotel.

DAY SIX: Morning drive to Ruhija, Bwindi national park birding the Bamboo for the Handsome Francolin White-starred Robin, Red-throated Alethe, Dusky Crimson wing Grauer's Warbler and many other birds overnight Institute Guest House.

DAY SEVEN: Trek to Mubwindi swamp for the Green Broadbill, Grauer's Rush Warbler, Purple-breasted, Blue headed and Regal Sunbirds evening drive to Bwindi Park Headquarters. Dinner and over night at either Gorilla Forest Camp Uganda safari lodge/ Mantana Tented Camp (High end/luxurious accommodation), or Lake Kitandara's Tented Camp/ Buhoma Homestead (Medium class accommodation) or the Community Bandas (Low budget/basic accommodation).

DAY EIGHT: After an early breakfasts, birding in Buhoma jungle for beautiful Francolin, Red-chested owlet, Rufous-chested Fluff tail, Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Neumann's Warbler and many other birds including rare plants. Lunch, Dinner and over night at either Gorilla Forest Camp Uganda safari lodge/ Mantana Tented Camp (High end/luxurious accommodation), or Lake Kitandara's Tented Camp/ Buhoma Homestead (Medium class accommodation) or the Community Bandas (Low budget/basic accommodation).

DAY NINE: This day, clients interested in Gorilla tracking can track the Gorillas which may last between 3-6 hrs. In case you are not interested in gorilla trek, we drive to Queen Elizabeth National park via Ishasha birding enroute, arriving for an afternoon boat ride on Kazinga channel connecting Lake Edward and George. This trip passes through possibly the highest concentration of hippos. This launch cruise offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing.  The prolific bird life is colorful and stupendous with well over 550 resident species.  Dinner and overnight at spectacular Mweya Lodge perched right on the edge of the escarpment overlooking the Ugandan Great Lakes or Jacana safari Lodge (High end/luxurious accommodation), King fisher Lodge Kichwamba/Hill top Camp (Medium class accommodation) or the Mweya Hostel (Low budget/basic accommodation)

DAY TEN: Dawn game drives today in Uganda's best park.  Queen Elizabeth National Park's diverse eco-system of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife.  Game drives in this park, with the massive Rwenzoris as a backdrop provides excellent opportunities to see lion, leopard, giant forest hog, Cape buffalo, elephants, defassa waterbuck, Uganda Kob, Topi and bush buck. After the game drive, return to Kampala, then Entebbe, with lunch enroute and stop over at Equator Uganda before your evening departures home. End of Safari.

Another Birding Option

Straddling the road to Jinja, a two hour's drive from Kampala, Mabira forest supports over 300 bird species many of which are difficult to see elsewhere in Uganda and close to 218 butterfly spicies. An excellent Trail System allows access to both undisturbed primary and good secondary forest. Managed by the Forestry department with input from local community, Mabira Forest was opened to the public in 1996. The revenue generated from ecotourism is shared between the forestry department and the local community.
One of Mabira's strengths lies in the large number of birds which may be seen from the visitor's centre. Flowering trees in the clearing attract a variety of sunbirds such as green, Little Olive, Blue throated brown, Green throated, olive bellied and superb sunbirds. Other forest edge species her include speckle -breasted Woodpecker, Black throated Apalis, African blue Flycatcher and Grey-crowned Negro finch. Forest Ribon, Snowy headed Robin-Chat, Grey capped warbler, Black and white Flycatcher, Dusky Tit and common Wattle Eye occur around the Campsite where Buff-spotted Fluff tail and African wood owl may be heard in the evenings.

The beautiful Primary forest south of the main Kampala-Jinja road is a prime birding area harbouring a number of species that avoid secondary forest.

This birding safari takes you to Mabira forest, a tropical rain forest in central Uganda for the search of forest birds secluded in this largest forest block in the Central part of Uganda. Other safari activities include Forest walks, butterfly viewing, primate watching (monkeys) etc. The Forest offers camping, picnics and hiking activities.

MABIRA BIRDING SAFARI ITINERARY

DAY 1: Kampala - Mabira Forest
After breakfast, you will drive towards eastern Uganda and get to Mabira Forest reserve- the largest remaining reserve in Central Uganda. On arrival, you will check in the Lodge and have lunch. Later in the afternoon you will go for an afternoon birding in the forest. Expect birds like the Weyn's weaver Nahan's francolin, great blue Turaco, pretty tit hylia, Leaf love, African grey parrot, and many more. Dinner and overnight at the peaceful eco lodge called The Mabira Rain Forest Lodge.

DAY 2: Birding safari in Mabira Forest
Have a cup of coffee and go for the early morning birding. You will bird for the whole day to drive back to Kampala in the evening. You will reach Kampala in the late evening. Dinner and overnight at Emin Pasha/ Serena Hotel / Capitol Palace Hotel, Hotel Africana, Grand Imperial, Sheraton, The Common Wealth Resort Munyonyo and many more.