Uganda, Africa

Destination	Uganda
Suitability	Animal lovers and adventurers
Dates	5th Dec - 16th Dec 2008 6th Feb – 17th Feb 2009 4th June - 15th June 2009 4th Sept - 15th Sept 2009 5th Dec - 16th Dec 2009
Number of places	8 per trip
Cost (per person)	Minimum of two people sharing a tent: £1,400 Four people or more sharing a tent: £1,250 Single tent supplement: £128

General Information

This is a camping program/safari for individuals interested in camping and viewing the beauty of western Uganda. It boasts chimp trekking, gorilla trekking and game viewing. Uganda is located in east-central Africa, situated north and northwest of Lake Victoria. It is a landlocked country bordered by Sudan on the North, Kenya on the east, Tanzania on the South, Rwanda on the southwest and Congo on the northwest.

The greater part of Uganda consists of a plateau about 1219m in height. Along the western border of the Ruwenzori Mountains reaching heights of over 4877m, while on the eastern frontier Mount Elgon rises to 4322m. By contrast, the Western Rift Valley, which runs from north to south through the western half of the country, is as low as 914m on the floor of Lake Edward and Lake George and 610m on the flow of Lake Albert. The White Nile River has its source in Lake Victoria. Uganda takes its name from the Buganda kingdom, which encompasses a portion of the south of the country including the capital Kampala.

Whilst in Uganda you will travel with Agence Jobogo Tours (AJ Tours), a company with lots of experience in this part of Uganda. AJ Tours are committed to provide the discerning adventurer an in-depth exposure to the beauties of Uganda. Their mission is to provide the ‘home away from home’ feel of ease and comfort whilst giving guests the unforgettable experience of savouring and enjoying a safari experience in some of Africa’s most spectacular landscapes and being with some of Africa’s most remarkable creatures. The Primate Experience with Chimpanzees and both Lowland and Highland Gorillas are their speciality and are the ultimate wonder and awe of wildlife encounters They also work hand in hand with a number of projects for helping the poor people in the villages of Kasenyi in Kasese District. They have assisted with funding for building a school for orphans in Kasenyi. The project is called Keiser Initiative of Uganda. They also assist and donate to the local populations of Bwindi and Karangara Kiruhura District. Miss Joy, one of the partners, has introduced a poultry farm in Karangara and has built classrooms at Buhoma Primary school.

Suggested items to bring along are clothes that are friendly for wildlife observation, good walking shoes, a few long-sleeve shirts, slippers, a sweater for cool evenings, sun protection: hat, sunglasses, sun cream, photography equipment (eg. longer lens can be very useful, reserve batteries, films), binoculars and a torch for dark nights.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe Airport.
On arrival at Entebbe airport you will be received by AJ tours and the travel team. Here you will be transferred to Nabinonya beach for an overnight stay. If you arrive in the morning, you may choose an activity/ day excursion that you will do outside the safari plan. This will enable you to keep busy that whole day before the safari departure on the following day.

Optional activities/ day excursion include; a visit to Ngamba Island (Chimp sanctuary), visit to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, visit the Botanical Gardens, visit to Mabira Forest reserve (Nature walk and birding).
Accommodation: Nabinonya Campsite.

Day 2: Kampala - Transfer to Kibale National Park.
After breakfast, you will drive to Kibale National Park via Mubende with a stop over at Fort Portal Town. Departure will be at 8.00 am. You will have lunch in Fort Portal town. After lunch we proceed to Kibale Forest National Park. An overnight is planned at Kibale NP. Overnight at Kibale Campsite.
Accommodation: Kibale Campsite.

Day 3: Kibale NP – Queen Elizabeth NP (Mweya).
After breakfast you will depart to the forest searching for chimpanzees. Here your guides will brief you of all the activities to can be done in the forest. The forest is a paradise for many species of birds, chimps, baboons and white Colobus monkeys. After chimp trekking you return to the camp for lunch. After lunch you will be transferred to Queen Elizabeth National Park (Mweya). Overnight will be at Mweya Campsite.

Activities: Chimp trekking, bird watching and other small primates, natures walk
Accommodation: Mweya Campsite.

Day 4: Mweya Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Early morning you will go for a morning game drive since it is the most favorable time for game viewing. Among the many activities available, there are a visit to the Kob mating ground where a large number of the Uganda Kobs converge, a visit of Kasenyi village and the schools. In this area you will enjoy a wide range of animals including lions, kobs, elephants, buffalos, warthogs, bushbuck and waterbuck. You will return to the campsite for Lunch.

After lunch you will go for a launch trip to Kazinga channel. The Kazinga Channel is a natural channel of 36 km long between Lake George and Lake Edward. You will hopefully be able to see elephants, hippo, Nile crocodile and many water birds. The water birds are plentiful along the channel: African skimmers, African fish eagles, cormorants, saddle-billed storks, pelicans, etc. The Kazinga Channel divides Queen Elizabeth in a northern (Mweya) and southern part (Maramagambo, Kyambura, and Ishasha).

Activities: Game viewing, boat trip and visit of school.
Accommodation: Mweya Campsite.

Day 5: Transfer to Ishasha (QENP)
You will wake up early in the morning and have breakfast before being transferred to Ishasha. After lunch, you will go for an evening game drive to search for tree climbing lions. We focus particularly on the trees where lions like to rest. You can also relax on the bank of the river viewing the hippos.

Activities: Game viewing.
Accommodation: Ishasha Campsite.

Day 6: Ishasha – Transfer to Bwindi.
After breakfast you will explore Ishasha for more wild life viewing. This will allow you the opportunity to view a variety of wild animals. These include elephants, herds of buffalos, kobs and topis. Near the swamps of the southern circuit you might even see leopard. We continue on to the northern circuit to concentrate more on the climbing lions in case you missed them last evening. After an initial scouting expedition, you will return to the camp for lunch. In the afternoon you will be transferred to Bwindi.

Activities: Game viewing.
Accommodation: Bwindi Community Campsite.

Day 7: Gorilla Trekking or Forest Walk or Bird Watching - Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP is a natural rain forest that has stunning scenery for trekkers. Gorilla trekking costs $500 and needs to be paid in advance due to booking restrictions at the park. If you have chosen this option you will be required to report to the Park headquarters for briefing for Gorilla trekking at 7.00 am. Gorilla trekking is unpredictable, it can take from 2 to 8 hours depending on the gorilla group you have been given. A good level of physical fitness is recommended for this trek due to the changeable nature of the trek. For conservation purposes, time spent with the gorillas is limited to one hour. A ranger will brief you on how to behave with the gorillas. You will go with a picnic lunch when trekking the gorillas. Please note it cannot be guaranteed that gorillas will be seen on this trek however given the conditions it is highly likely.
Alternatively, you can go for a forest and village walk or bird watching. If time allows, you will also be able to visit the local schools.

Optional activities: Gorilla trekking or a forest walk with bird watching.
Accommodation: Buhoma Community Campsite.

Day 8: Bwindi - Visit the Buhoma Community Medical centre, the school and the Conservation Through Public Health project (CTPH)
After breakfast, you will visit Buhoma Primary school, CTPH and the medical centre. In the afternoon, you will visit Karangara Community School and the surrounding villages. Overnight at Buhoma Community Camp.

Activities: Visit Buhoma Community Medical centre, school and CTPH.
Accommodation: Buhoma Community Campsite.

Day 9: Bwindi – Transfer to Lake Mburo NP
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Lake Mburo National Park in Mbarara. This journey takes about 4 hours. You will have a picnic lunch on the way. In the afternoon you will relax at the camp and enjoy the striking scenery of the national park. Overnight will be foreseen at Lake Mburo NP Camp.

Activities: Game viewing.
Accommodation: Lake Mburo Campsite.

Day 10: Lake Mburo NP – Transfer to Kampala.
In the morning you will have breakfast and go for a morning game drive. Here you will be able to see zebra, buffalo, elephant and a wide variety of other wild animals. After lunch, you will proceed to Kampala. An overnight has been planned at Nabinonya Beach Campsite.

Activities: Game viewing.
Accommodation: Nabinonya Beach Campsite.

Day 11: Departure.
For flights departing in the morning, you will be transferred to Entebbe Airport for departure. However, those having evening flights, will do a Kampala city tour, Kasubi Tombs and the craft markets.

Activities: Kampala city visit, crafts markets and the cultural sites.

Important Points to note:

Gorilla permits must be booked 6 months in advance.
We always advise our clients to bring soft or leather bags for easy transfers.
Minimum age for gorilla trekking is 15 years old.
We advise you to carry enough money (about $500) to meet your personal expenses while here on safari.
Tips are always given as a way of appreciating for the service provided. It is always given to the tour leader who compiles it from the whole group.
This safari can be extended to Murchison Falls NP and Rwanda for further experiences in a different environment especially gorilla trekking and cultural setting of Rwandese Communities.
We can also organise revised itineraries for families according to their interests.

Cost

The cost of this trip is £1,400 per applicant. This includes airport transfers, camping accommodation, all meals, mineral water, the services of a driver/guide and the logistics team, all park and entry fees, all activities as per the itinerary: chimp trekking at Kibale, game drives at Mweya, boat trip on the Kazinga channel, visit of Kasenyi fishing village, game drives in Ishasha, game drives in Lake Mburo NP, Kampala visit.

It does not include personal expenses, visas or flights. All drinks except mineral water and other personal expenditures like tips and donations are not included in the cost. Gorilla permits are not included. These cost $500 and needs to be paid in advance due to booking restrictions.

Minimum of 2 people sharing tent: £ 1,400
Minimum of 4 people sharing tent: £ 1,250
Single tent supplement: £ 128

Applicants will be required to pay a £500 non-refundable deposit at the time of booking.

Flights

Flights will be to Entebbe International Airport, the main international airport in Uganda. Flights are expected to cost around £400-£600 depending on availability. Applicants will be met on arrival by a VetAdventure representative. You will be responsible for transport to and from the airport in the UK. You will be responsible for booking your own flights, if you have any queries please feel free to contact Mhairi on mhairi@wvs.org.uk.

Insurance

We recommend that you book travel insurance prior to your trip. VetAdventure frequently use Go Walkabout Insurance (www.go-walkabout.co.uk).

Health

Please check with your local doctor or travel clinic for details of which vaccinations are required for travel in this area . More information can be found at www.netdoctor.co.uk/travel, just click on the "Country Guide". You may need to allow several weeks before travel in order for immunisations to be effective so don't leave this to the last minute.

How to Apply

Please e-mail the office directly and we will send you a booking form. Please let us know in advance if you have any special dietary requirements. If you have any other queries please email bookings@vetadventure.com