7 Days Western Uganda Wildlife Highlights

Begin the panoramic drive north-west through the famous Luwero Triangle and Masindi Town to arrive in Murchison Falls National Park in time for a picnic lunch at the spectacularly situated site located at the top of Murchison Falls.

Here is your chance to see the beauty of the Nile perfected! Marvel at the immensely powerful falls, caused by the 50 metre-wide Nile being funnelled into a 7 metre-wide cleft in the rocks. Dropping 40 metres with a thunderous roar, the falls create a beautiful rainbow and an impressive plume of spray-they were once described as the most spectacular thing to happen to the Nile along its 6700-kilometre length.

Begin the day by crossing the placid Victoria Nile to enjoy a game drive on the northern side of the river. A guide will help you to spot elephant, lion, African buffalo, Rothschild's giraffe, hartebeest, waterbuck, oribi, bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, hyena and, for the lucky ones, leopard.

After a packed picnic lunch, climb aboard for a boat safari up the Victoria Nile to the base of the falls, stopping just tens of metres from the "Devil's Cauldron". On the 17km route up the river, marvel at the toothsome hippos and the fearsome crocodiles while looking out for other animals along the banks of the river such as elephant, waterbuck and Uganda kob.

This area is also a zone for many bird species including Goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant and the rare Shoebill stork.

Spend the day driving south, via Hoima, through verdant countryside, passing by traditional homesteads and farms to arrive in Fort Portal. Fort Portal rests in the shadow of the fabled “Mountains of the Moon”.

Spend a full day searching for chimpanzees and 10 other primate species, including l' Hoest’s, red colobus, blue, and red-tailed monkeys and grey-cheeked mangabeys. The walk is both informative and enjoyable, with a guide providing detailed explanations on the primates, as well as other forest fauna and flora.

Proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park, following the mystical Rwenzori Mountain range for much of the journey. A game drive en-route may be rewarded with views of lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo, hyena and a variety of antelope species. After lunch, enjoy the unique 2-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel and into Lake Edward.

This launch cruise offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing, passing through one of the highest concentration of hippos. As well, many animals may be seen drinking at the water's edge, including buffalo and elephants. The prolific bird life is colourful and stupendous with well over 550 resident species.

This day will include two game drives, offering the chance to view Queen Elizabeth National Park's diverse eco-systems of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters, and home to an incredible abundance of wildlife.

Game drives in this park, with the massive Rwenzori Mountains as a backdrop, provide an excellent opportunity to see lion, leopard, giant forest hog, African buffalo, elephants, defassa waterbuck, Uganda kob, topi and bushbuck. Combined with the boat trip up the Kazinga Channel, these two game drives are memorable methods of discovering a vast array of wildlife.

The day begins with an early morning departure to Maramagambo Forest, where visitors can climb through the tropical forest and possibly catch a glimpse of a variety of primates, including chimpanzees. Visit the bat caves and the “ Blue Lake”.