5 Days Queen Elizabeth and Lake Bunyonyi Safari
5 Days Queen Elizabeth and Lake Bunyonyi Safari will start and end in Kampala. The safari will take you to Queen Elizabeth national park which is the second largest national park located in western Uganda. The national park is one of the top birding areas in Uganda with different bird species ranging from migratory birds, water birds among others which will be viewed during the game drive in Kasenyi plains and boat cruise on Kazinga channel. The safari will also take you to Lake Bunyonyi the deepest lake in Uganda which known for harboring different bird species like cormorants, egrets, herons, sunbirds, bee-eaters among others.
Highlights of the 5 days Queen Elizabeth and Lake Bunyonyi birding safari
- Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Kampala
- Day 2: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park-evening game drive
- Day 3: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
- Day 4: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
- Day 5: Departure to Kampala
Detailed itinerary
Day 1 of the 5 days Queen Elizabeth and Lake Bunyonyi birding safari
Arrival and transfer to a hotel in Kampala, depending on the time of arrival on the first day of the 5 days safari you will be welcomed by our representative who will brief you about the safari and then transfer to a hotel in Kampala for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
After breakfast on the second day of the 5 days Queen Elizabeth and Lake Bunyonyi birding safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to start the journey to Queen Elizabeth national park in western Uganda. The journey to the park takes about 7 hours drive using Mbarara-Masaka road and on the way you will have a stopover at the Equator where you will buy souvenirs, take photos and then proceed with another stopover at Igongo cultural centre. After lunch you will continue the journey with spectacular views of beautiful scenery, views of Rwenzori mountain ranges, crater lakes, tea plantations among others. Upon arrival you will go for an evening game drive in Mweya peninsular where you will be able to see bird species like red chested sunbird, swamp nightjar, grey headed kingfisher, African mourning dove, slender tailed nightjar, little bee-eater, capped lark, yellow backed weaver, Nubian woodpecker, black headed gonolek among others. After the evening game drive you will drive to check into the lodge, have dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive, after an early breakfast on the third day of the 5 days Queen Elizabeth and Lake Bunyonyi birding safari you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kasenyi plains for a morning game drive. During the game drive you will be able to view different bird species like African white backed vulture, crowed plover, rufous napped lark, grey kestrel, martial eagle, palm-nut vulture, long created eagle, black crowned Tchagra, grey capped warbler, pin tailed whydah among others. You will also view animals like elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, warthogs, waterbucks, bushbucks grazing in the open savannah plains, lions, leopards among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise, after lunch you will go for an amazing boat ride on Kazinga channel a 40kilometre long water channel that connects lake Edward and lake George. During the boat cruise you will have great views of water bodies like pink backed pelicans, yellow billed stork, African skimmer, malachite kingfisher, pied kingfisher, great and long tailed cormorants, saddle billed stork, black crake, African jacana, African darter among others. You will also be able to view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water and other animals like buffaloes, elephants, antelopes along the shores. After the boat cruise you will return to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
After breakfast on the fourth day of the 5 days safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Lake Bunyonyi which is the second deepest lake in African after Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania. Lake Bunyonyi is locally translated as a place of little birds hence one of the best birding areas. The journey takes about 6 hours drive and filled with breathtaking views of beautiful scenery, Kigezi hills, terraced farmlands among others. Upon arrival you will have lunch and then go for an adventurous canoe ride on Lake Bunyonyi where you will be able to view bird species like slender billed baglafetch, African kingfisher, African harrier hawk, hadada ibis, black heron, pin tailed whyder, golden backed weaver, grey shrike, cardinal woodpecker, levillant cuckoo, grey crowned crane among others. During canoeing you will get an opportunity to explore the some of the 29 islands on the lake for example the punishment island, view terraced farmlands, traditional homesteads among others. After the boat ride you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Departure to Kampala
On the last day of the 5 days Queen Elizabeth and Lake Bunyonyi birding safari, you will have a relaxed breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kampala. You will have en-route lunch in Mbarara town and upon arrival you will be dropped off at Entebbe airport for your departure flight or drop off at the hotel depending on your schedule.
End of 5 days Queen Elizabeth and Lake Bunyonyi birding safari
Tour includes
- Park entrance fees
- Boat cruise fee
- Canoeing on Lake Bunyonyi
- Professional English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Ground transfers (in a 4WD vehicle)
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled water
Tour excludes
- International air flight tickets
- Visas
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Personal insurance
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
