Best of Uganda Photo Safari

Today is an arrival day in the Uganda capital for the start of our African photo safari. You will be met at the airport by your guide , who will escort you to your lovely guesthouse via a short drive (5 – 10 minutes, depending on traffic) away. Later you will meet at the hotel for dinner where the guide will discuss the exciting upcoming tour with you.

After breakfast we will head out for our primary photographic target, the legendary Shoebill. We will set off through small rural villages and homesteads to Mabamba, which is a large wetland connected to Lake Victoria. This extensive papyrus swamp is home to a few pairs of Shoebill, Uganda’s most famous avian resident and most birders prime attraction to the nation. 

We will commission motorised canoes from the nearby fishing village and search the maze of channels in an attempt to find and photograph this iconic bird.

In the afternoon we will board our flight to Kihihi where we will be transferred to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for our next leg of the journey; 3 days of trekking Mountain Gorillas.

Our morning drive takes us from Swiss lakes to Swiss Army. At the once-secret Swiss army bunker at Fortress Fürigen, we’ll see part of the massive defense system designed to keep Switzerland strong and neutral. Afterward, a short drive into the countryside brings us to the charming Alpine village of Engelberg, our picturesque home for the next two days. We’ll settle into our lodge then head out for an orientation walk. Our stroll through the village will end at the Engelberg Abbey, a Benedictine monastery with its own cheese-making operation. You’ll have free time to wander back before dinner together. Sleep in Engelberg (2 nights). Bus: 1 hr. Walking: light.

Depending on where our allocated Gorilla family are located, our treks will vary in length and ease from one trek to the next. Upon reaching the Gorillas, we will spend an hour with these gentle giants which is, without a doubt, one of the most exciting and emotional wildlife experiences on Earth.

Although the Gorilla families are habituated, they are still wild and sightings cannot be guaranteed. However, there is a 99% success rate of meeting a Gorilla group when trekking in Uganda

Today we make our way to the remote southern section of the Queen Elizabeth National Park, where we will spend the next three nights. 

This variation in landscape provides ample opportunities to capture the diversity that makes this ecosystem so desirable to its wildlife.

Photographic targets include Leopard, Spotted Hyena, African Buffalo (this form sometimes known as Lake Chad Buffalo), Uganda Bushbuck, Hippo, impressive Defassa Waterbuck, Olive Baboon and comical Warthog. Uganda Kob form some impressive leks, fleet-footed Topi scan the grasslands for competitors, and African Elephants stroll through the plentiful savannas, browsing the nutritious Acacia’s that dot the area. 

One of the star attractions of the Ishasha area is its “tree climbing Lions”, and while these animals are still very much typical Lions, they spend a large portion of the day resting in trees, a behavioural trait seen more commonly in the Leopard. 

The Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park is the place to search for the tree climbing lions often to be seen in the vicinity of the camp which is situated just off the Northern circuit game viewing track. The lions also favour the large fig trees on the Southern circuit game viewing track and this offers alternative game viewing routes. 

On early morning and late afternoon game drives, we may explore the area’s game routes in search of the different species. The area is still pristine and untouched with only a handful of game vehicles found around the area at any time. 

Being the only camp within this section of the park, it offers flexibility of timings for drives allowing us to maximise our game sightings in this area. 

We have two full-days in the wondrous forest of Kibale searching for our closest living relative – the Chimpanzee!

In the morning we will embark on a dedicated Chimpanzee trek in search of these great apes. They are often noisy and, when we manage to come across a troop, their thrilling whoops, shrieks and grunts are likely to betray their presence long before we see and photograph them!

We will spend full days with the Chimpanzees so that we can document the lives of this fascinating primate, returning to the lodge in the evening for dinners and well-deserved sleep!

Today sadly marks the end of our Uganda’s Great Apes and Wildlife Photo Tour! After a scrumptious breakfast at the lodge and farewell to the wonderful lodge and staff, we will transfer to Entebbe International Airport. Here we will say our farewells, but not goodbyes, as you either board your connecting flight back home or transfer to a hotel for the evening.