14 Day Pearls of Africa Luxury Safari Uganda

Explore and Discover the Pearls of Africa in the Pearl of Africa Luxury Safari in Uganda

14 Day Private Luxury Safari experiencing Uganda – Authentic Africa in style and comfort

14 days discovering the Pearls in the Pearl of Africa – Uganda while staying in some of Uganda’s finest lodges.  14 days of exploration, discovering, experiencing Uganda, Africa condensed into a small country. As all of our safari itineraries that we display on-line, they are not poured in concrete but awaiting your changes, your input, your choice of lodges since it is not our Safari, it is your African Dream Safari in the Pearl of Africa discovering the various Pearls that make up the Pearl of Africa – Uganda.  This is a fantastic romantic, honeymoon, luxury adventure safari in Uganda that is a once in a lifetime enriching and memorable experience.

Day 1:  Arrival in the Pearl of Africa  – Morning arrival at Entebbe airport and you are greeted and welcomed by our staff to Uganda.  We then proceed to take you to the dock where you board a boat for your journey to your private island – Bulago Island – one mile south of the equator and Pineapple Bay Resort to relax and be after your long journey to Uganda.  It is a 45 minute journey on the second largest lake in the world and the largest lake in Africa – Lake Victoria.

On the Island you are greeted with not only with a warm welcome, but a tropical island with sandy beaches, savannahs, forests, palm trees and all that in the landlocked country of Uganda.

Check into your fabulous private cottage and simply chill out and get in touch with tropical Africa at Pineapple Bay Resort – this is a wonderful place to spend your first day in Africa especially if you arrive here during your winter time and now are immersed by the rays of the warm equatorial sunshine.

Get settled in, take a dip in the pristine swimming pool and enjoy the day – you can fish off of the shore or by boat for the largest freshwater fish in Africa, the famed Nile Perch.

Lunch – your first delightful meal in Africa

Enjoy the afternoon on your private Island in the Sun – Bulago Island – your first day in Africa – in its Pearl Uganda.

Dinner – In a setting that is beyond your dreams at Pineapple Bay Resort.

Day 2:  Breakfast on Bulago Island and time to venture into the African Wild of Uganda as you take your boat ride to the mainland and continue by vehicle through Kampala to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where we check into Amuka Lodge which besides being a most wonderful luxury tented cottage lodge is a place for the excellent food served at mealtimes.  Get settled, relax, take a swim in the pool and get ready for a most adventurous day at the exclusive Amuka Lodge and Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

Lunch here which is much more than a meal but simply a culinary delight

During the afternoon at your pleasure after you take a swim at the pool – get  ready for your up-close encounter with the Rhinos – you have guides with and you get as close as thirty feed of the Rhinos which is quite a thrilling Adventure for you.  There are some great opportunities to photo during the Rhino Trek and of course personal enjoyment.

Enjoy a quiet evening in the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary along with another delightful meal for dinner.

Day 3:  Breakfast and a morning boat ride safari where you just might see Africa’s most sought after bird – the elusive and ancient looking Shoebill storks found in the swamps in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary along with many other water birds.

At around 10 am we continue our journey to Murchison Falls Park with a short drive to Chobe Safari Lodge, a 5 Star resort in the African Wild where there are various choices for you to enjoy such as rooms and suites in the lodge, Tents along the Nile, and even the presidential cottage with your own private lagoon – simply an amazing place to enjoy.

Settle into your room or tent and take in the sights and sounds before – the River Nile is rushing by below you, you can sit on your balcony or tent deck and simply take it all in along the River Nile.

Lunch at  Chobe Safari lodge is another culinary experience and is expertly prepared for your enjoyment.

During the afternoon relax, swim, or fish from the shore of the river for some Nile Perch or read a book.

Late afternoon choice of  guided nature walk or game drive –either with a Uganda Wildlife Ranger along for better enjoyment of the experience in the African Wild.  On both the nature walk or game drive you will encounter wildlife, birds, stunning scenery and more.

Dinner time in the African Bush in style and comfort.

Enjoy the African night sounds as you sit on the deck of your tented cottage.

Day 4:  Breakfast at Chobe Safari Lodge and we off for the short drive to Paraa Lodge o the drive being our morning game drive with lots of Rothschild Giraffes, Elephants, Buffaloes, antelopes of various kinds, savannah birds and much more.  The safari vehicle has a pop-up roof so you can stand and have an excellent unobstructed view of the wildlife.

Bottled water is available in the vehicle for your consumption and enjoyment.

Murchison Falls Park is an excellent park for a variety of wildlife, scenery such as the Borassus palm tree studded savannah, the River Nile and of course Murchison Falls itself – the most powerful waterfall in the world.

We check into Paraa Lodge where once again it is a matter of choices of standard room, suite, room with AC, or the Queen’s cottage.

Get settled into your room and later enjoy dinner at your leisure.

There is a swimming pool for you at the lodge and even from the pool you have a view of the River Nile.

Lunch is a treat as you sit on the veranda enjoying your meal, in the distance the vastness of the African Wild, up close the Nile below you – it simply can’t get any better than this.

Enjoy  the afternoon – toward the late afternoon we will be taking  game drive cross the savannah with its palm trees which is totally different than the rest of the savannahs of East Africa.  Hopefully we will get to see some lions, a leopard here or there, large herds of Rothschild Giraffes, Buffaloes, antelopes, Savannah Birds – there is lots to see for you and to make sure that there is not much that you might miss we have a Uganda Wildlife Authority Ranger on board the vehicle – your driver guide will slow down, stop – turn off the engine so that you do not miss a thing while on the game drive.

Enjoy dinner and the sunset over the Nile

Day 5: Breakfast – you can have it before or after the morning game drive – there is nothing like a sunrise game drive over the savannah – at times as the sun rises it burns off the morning mist and things become clear once again.

Lunch at Paraa Lodge

Afternoon Boat Safari up the River Nile, moving closely to the bank of the river in order to get some up-close shots of elephant herds,buffaloes, antelopes, the huge Nile Crocodiles found here, pods, of hippos, water birds, monitor lizards and much more.

At the bottom of the falls disembark and enjoy the guided walk along the most powerful waterfall in the world – Murchison Falls – you will be cooled off by the spray that comes across the path at times.

At the top of the falls be greeted by your driver guide and after a walk around it is back to Paraa Lodge for the evening and dinner after an enjoyable day in the savannah and on the River Nile.

Dinner and a nocturnal game drives where hopefully we will spot some predators on the prowl

Day 6:  An early breakfast and the longest drive our safari (journey) thus far.  We cross the Nile by ferry at 7 am and head for the Kibale Rainforest where the West African Rainforest meets East Africa and the Primate Capital of East Africa.

Fortunately this is  a scenic drive and we will break it up with lunch along way and our today’s destination is well worth the unfortunate long drive.

We arrive at Kyaninga lodge late in the afternoon at Kyaninga Lodge, perched high on a ridge overlooking a pristine crater lake, you have views all around including the Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon.

Get settled into your luxurious log cabin cottage with a splendid balcony that gives you some simply incredible views a around.

There is a swimming pool, beautiful gardens that  attract various birds, and if you are up to it, you can even play some tennis on a lawn court.

Dinner at Kyaninga Lodge and it just might be good to have it as the sun set s for a special treat.

Day 7:  Breakfast and it is off for an encounter with our closest relatives the chimpanzees.  It is best to take a light daypack, one liter of water, your camera equipment and a good set of binoculars, wear some jeans or long trousers, long-sleeved shirt, light hiking boots, a hat.

Chimpanzee Tracking is normally about 3 1/2 hours in length and a most memorable time for you.  You do have the choice here to either track chimpanzees or to participate in all day chimpanzee habituation experience where you are with researchers and others who are in the process of habituating the chimpanzees.  Both chimpanzee habituation or chimpanzee tracking must be well planned in advance.

There are many other primates that you might see during chimp tracking, normally between 5 to 7 other species, plus a wide variety – one thing you will find quite striking is the vegetation of the park, striking different from other areas of Uganda and East Africa.

Lunch and then an afternoon guided walk at Bigodi Wetlands which is most fascinating place for birders where you can see the large blue Turaco and Brown Parrots.  It is also home to the semi-aquatic Sitatunga Antelope, it is a most interesting place, a jungle swamp where you can see primates scurrying through the trees, hundreds of different species of colorful butterflies and more.

Dinner at the Kyaninga Lodge and a well deserved rest for a quiet evening at the lodge.

Day 8:  Breakfast and we are off for Queen Elizabeth Park and its tapestry of Natural wonders – a short drive of 2 1/2 hours and before checking in we take the scenic 27 kilometer Explosion Crater Drive where you will see various explosion craters, some as lakes, others covered by Savannah Grass or woodland.  It is the highest point of the park from where you have expansive views of the Western Rift Escarpment – Lake George and Lake Edwards and the savannah.  One of the craters was recently featured by National Geographic on-line.

For the drive we have a Uganda Wildlife Authority Ranger on board to give you detailed background information that will enhance this drive.  In regards to wildlife, often elephants and buffaloes are seen along this route, but one takes it primarily for the scenery and the scenery is simply stunning.

We check into Mweya Safari Lodge but not just any room but one of the luxury tents overlooking the Kazinga channel. From the deck of your cottage see some wildlife such as elephants, hippos, warthogs pass by and lots of water birds.  Your tented cottage (depending on availability) is simply delightful and enjoyable.

Lunch overlooking the Kazinga Channel. There is a great swimming pool for you to use and even from the water you have a great view of the famed Kazinga Channel.

Relax for a while and we take game drive here where instead of Borassus Palm Trees you will find Candelabra Euphoria Trees that were planted by the pastoralists many years ago to fence in their cattle.

Lions, Leopards, Elephants,Warthogs, Bushpigs, Giant Forest Hogs, Buffaloes, antelopes are seen here on game drives – the vehicle allows you to stand and take great photos, you can even use a bean bag for better support of your camera.

A game drive is normally about three hours in length – however it all depends on you and your wishes – some like to stay longer and take in more, others like to take their time when they are watching a pride of lions for example – you are in charge.

We return to Mweya Safari Lodge and your tented cottage

Dinner at Mweya Safari Lodge.

Day 9:  Breakfast or morning game drive first – the choice is yours.  Each game drive is quite different and a different track is taken for each one.

Alternative choice:  Chimpanzee Tracking in the Kyambura Gorge.  This would be the second time that you track Chimpanzees and Kyambura Gorge is an amazing valley to do so in.

There is time to relax and be – to journal, bask in the sun or swim in the pool.

3 pm:  Boat Safari on the Kazinga Channel – the boat moves rather slowly from the Mweya area toward Lake Edward and you can see Elephant, Buffalo Herds, Antelopes, Monitor Lizards, Crocodiles, there are also hundreds of water birds from Pelicans to Cormorants.  It is simply an amazing boat safari and one of the highlights of any visit to Queen Elizabeth Park in Uganda.

Enjoy your time and a restful evening at your tented cottage at Mweya Safari Lodge at Queen Elizabeth Park.

Day 10:  Breakfast and we move to the unvisited portion of Queen Elizabeth Park called Ishasha – it is a 2 1/2 hour drive.

We check into Ishasha Wilderness Tented Camp overlooking the Ntungwe River. Get comfortable in your luxury tent in the African Wild.

Lunch along the Ntungwe River, while eating lunch you can often see elephants, hippos and other wildlife while enjoying your food.

After lunch we take a game drive and our focus are the tree climbing lions of Ishasha.  Ishasha is the best place in East African lions to watch the lions sleep the day way up in the fig trees.  Whether this is a cultural habit or an avoidance the insect has never been shown, the main thing remains that Ishasha is the best place for tree – climbing lions in East Africa.

Not only will we see tree-climbing lions but leopards, elephant herds, buffalo herds, Topi antelopes along with other species and often you will not find many other vehicles in the Ishasha area of Queen Elizabeth Park.

Enjoy your dinner in the African Wild

Day 11: Breakfast – the tree climbing lions are usually not found up in the trees before 8 am in the morning.

People come from all over the world wanting to see the tree climbing lions of Ishasha and then see all the other natural wonders found here and if you drive long the swamps you have a good chance seeing the Shoebill Stork in search of some lungfish.

Ishasha is a place out of the ordinary and not to be missed during your time in Uganda.

After the game drive we have lunch once more at Ishasha Wilderness Tented Camp and then we take the short drive to the Buhoma area of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

Once reaching Buhoma we check into Buhoma Lodge an upmarket sister lodge to Ishasha Wilderness Tented Camp and here you have fabulous tented cottages to enjoy with splendid views of the ancient Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

Optional this afternoon:  Take a guided village walk, or village bike ride and see life in a village in Africa, craft making such as baskets, food harvesting and preparation, beer brewing, gin making (waragi), a visit with a traditional healer explaining his ways of gathering herbs, roots, barks, leaves, berries from the forest and what ailments are cured or alleviated by them.

Dinner at Buhoma Lodge and enjoy a cool evening in the ancient forest.  A hot water bottle for sleeping comfort will be provided for you.

Day 12:  Breakfast and your long awaited day of the gorilla visit begins.  You will need a daypack, take the packed lunch provided by the lodge, 2 liters of bottled water, for clothing you will need jeans, long-sleeved shirt, rain-jacket, light hiking boots, hat, gardening gloves to pull yourself up on vines or branches, hat.  We give you a porter to make your load lighter on the trek and we suggest you purchase a walking stick – buy a carved one and keep it as a memory of this day.

The trek takes about 5 hours and you spend one hour with the gorillas – certainly an amazing experience that you will never forget.

Do you always see the gorillas?  The answer is 99% yes, there is a lot that takes place behind the scenes to make the gorilla trek a success and that is a team of early trackers that goes ahead and finds the group.

After the trek you just might want to relax, a cold drink, and reflect on your adventure today in the ancient forest of Bwindi.

Dinner at Buhoma Lodge

Day 13:  Breakfast and we head for Lake Mburo and Mihingo Safari Lodge, one of the best luxury tented cottage camps in Uganda, a kind of celebratory lodge for your last night in the African Wild.

Check into Mihingo Lodge and enjoy your tented cottage where even the bathroom has a splendid view- your cottage is a tasteful blend of the things one enjoys with an African touch.  The views before you are simply incredible and this tent is a far cry from going camping in the days of your youth, it is luxury, class and ultimate comfort.

Lunch at Mihingo Lodge and you can see wildlife below at the watering hole.

Mihingo Lodge is simply a classy place in the African Wild of Uganda, from your tented cottage in a private setting to the swimming pool overlooking the park below – you will enjoy your last day in the African Wild.

During the afternoon we take a boat safari on Lake Mburo where we might see some otters, crocodiles, hippos, mammals such as Zebras, Antelopes, Buffaloes coming to water.

Dinner – and evening where you go to sleep to the sounds of the African night in Uganda.

Day 14:  Breakfast and three hour horseback safari that is guided across the rolling hilled savannah, zebras, buffaloes, antelopes including the large Eland Antelope.

Lunch at Mihingo Lodge

Depart for Entebbe – but we first stop at the equator – we reach Entebbe in the late afternoon.

Lodging depending on your departure time can be arranged such as a day-room, also at the beginning of the Safari lodging can be arranged at Entebbe if you arrive in the evening or night.

Lodging can be changed to fit your wishes during this 14 day safari in Uganda.

Safari includes all activities listed except where it says optional, it includes gorilla and chimpanzee permits, Toyota Land-Cruiser adapted for safari use, English speaking driver, bottled water in vehicle,  all lodging and food, it does not include drinks such as alcohol, sodas, at lodges, nor laundry.

Enjoy 14 days in Uganda on a luxury Pearls of Africa safari…from Kampala…jon

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If I have ever seen magic, it has been in Africa.” John Hemingway, African Journeys

Written by: Jon Blanc From Kampala -Uganda