Birds of the Pearl tour

Upon arrival at Entebbe international airport, your guide will be waiting to transfer you to your booked accommodation for the night.

Overnight at: Hotel Number Five (Bed & Breakfast)

After an early breakfast, drive Nakiwogo landing site where you will board a motorised boat Mabamba Wetland located on the fringes of the 2nd biggest fresh water body in the world – Lake Victoria, to search for the incredible Shoebill stock. Mabamba is also home to a variety of water birds including; African Jacanas, Yellow-billed Duck Long-toed plover, African Fish Eagle, White-winged Terns, Purple Herons, Long-toed Lapwing, African Pied Wagtail, Saddle billed Stork, Cape wagtail, etc.  In the evening if time allows, you have an opportunity to go bird watching in the Botanical gardens or simply relax at your accommodation for dinner and overnight.

Overnight at: Hotel Number Five (Bed & Breakfast)

After breakfast, you will drive to Budongo forest, part of Murchison falls national park and also home to various primates including Chimpanzees. In the company of a guide, you will look out for some exotic bird species including; Nahan’s francolin, Grey and Yellow longbills, Ituri Batis, Yellow-footed Flycatcher, Chocolate backed Kingfisher and many others. Budongo forest boasts over 360 bird species.

Overnight at: Budongo Eco –Lodge (Bed & Breakfast)

After an early breakfast, transfer to Murchison falls national park with some stops in key areas along the way. You will drive to the Top of the waterfalls to have a view of the falls from the top and continue birding to your lodge.

Overnight at: Pakuba Safari Lodge (Bed & Breakfast)

Today you will be birding both in the car and on the boat in Murchison, home to over 450 bird species!  After breakfast, head out towards the Delta, where you might see birds including a Shoebill, Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans, Saddle-billed stork, Open-billed stork.  More birds will include the little and Dwarf Bitterns, African Water Rail, Allen’s Gallinule, Night Heron, Black Heron, and so much more!

After the experience on the boat, you transfer by car in search of more birds such as the Secretary Bird, Northern Carmine and Red-throated Bee-eaters, Giant, Pied, Stripped, Chestnut-bellied, Blue-breasted, Woodland and the Ethiopian, Angola, Red-rumped and Rufous-chested Swallow, along which you will also encounter several animals from elephants, cape buffaloes and giraffes to mention a few.

Overnight at: Pakuba Safari Lodge (Bed & Breakfast)

Transfer to Kibale forest early in the morning via Butiaba Escarpment for a short birding session, where you might see birds like: Black-billed Barbet, Whin chat, Flappet Lark, Little weaver, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Lesser blue-eared Starling, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow Weaver, Grey-winged Pythilia, Buff-bellied Warbler, Northern Crombec, and Cinnamon-breasted Warbler, Continue to kibale forest, home to 13 primate species and over 370 bird species.

Overnight at: Kibale Forest Camp (Bed & Breakfast)

Have an early morning breakfast and head out into the forest with your packed lunch focusing at sighting difficult to sight birds like the Green breasted Pitta but do not ignore the other species that call kibale home including;, Yellow-throated Nicator, White-headed Wood hoopoe, Red Headed malimbe, Dusky-blue Flycatcher, western bronze-napped Pigeon, and other animals, expect to meet several species of primates during your search.

Overnight at: Kibale Forest Camp (Bed & Breakfast)

You have an opportunity to trek the chimpanzees deep in Kibale forest for an experience of a life time after an early breakfast and being dropped off to the briefing point by your guide. In the afternoon continue birding in the Bigodi wetland sanctuary, a community initiative conserving the buffer zone to the forest. 

Overnight at: Kibale Forest Camp (Bed & Breakfast)

Today after breakfast we bird our way to Semuliki national park for an experience, searching for central African species found only here in East Africa. We shall have several stopovers birding nearby forest patches and swampy areas for different bird species.

Overnight at: Nyati Game Lodge (Full Board)

Semuliki is home to about 440 bird species, 23 Albertine rift endemics, 35 Guinea – Congo forest species and a variety of forest, migratory birds, making it one of the best birding destinations in Uganda and East Africa, Spend the whole day birding in Semuliki forest for central African species of Congo’s Ituri forest. You also have an opportunity to visit Semuliki’s most iconic feature, the Sempaya hot springs.

Overnight at: Nyati Game Lodge (Full Board)

Today after an early breakfast we start the trip to Queen Elizabeth national park birding along the way with several stop overs, arriving at your lodge later that afternoon. Have some rest and prepare to start the next day very early for a whole days birding.

Overnight at: Bush Lodge (Bed & Breakfast)

This morning, we shall bird to Maramagambo Forest following the main trail. Visit the Blue Lake and Bat Cave where we expect to see African Rock Python that found refuge in the Cave, and feasts on the Bats! Special birds of this Forest include Narina Trogon, Rufous Flycatcher Thrush; White tailed Ant-thrush, Black Bee-eater, Grey-headed Kingfisher and White-breasted Negrofinch. Return to your accommodation for relaxation.

Overnight at: Bush Lodge (Bed & Breakfast)

After a relaxed breakfast, transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, through Ishasha, Famous for the tree climbing lions. You will arrive in the late afternoon and retire to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight.

Overnight at: Haven Lodge (Bed & Breakfast)

After breakfast, head out for a Mountain Gorilla trekking experience, this is a life opportunity and highly recommended. You will be transferred to the briefing point by your tour guide, where you will be allocated different groups and different gorilla families to track. Once you find the apes, you will spend one whole hour viewing and observing them as they go about their daily life.

Overnight at: Haven Lodge Buhoma (Bed & Breakfast)

Today after an early breakfast, we get back into the forest for birding taking different trails as advised by the site guide. Look out for;   Brown-capped Weaver, Dusky Crimsonwing, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Magpie Mannikin, Yellow-crowned Canary, Stuhlmann’s Starling, Narrow-tailed Starling, Waller’s Starling, Montane Oriole, African Golden Oriole, Strange Weaver, Thick-billed Seedeater, Streaky Seedeater, African Green Broadbill, Oriole Finches,  among others

Overnight at: Haven Lodge Buhoma (Bed & Breakfast)

After breakfast, return to the forest for another birding expedition, searching for more bird to top your sighting list, before transferring to Kisoro, birding along the way.

Overnight at: Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge (Bed & Breakfast)

You can choose between Golden monkey tracking or Birding before transferring to Lake Bunyonyi. Mgahinga gorilla national park is home to over 180 bird species recorded including some Albertine rift endemics. Some of the bird species to look out for include the Rwenzori Turaco, Dwarf Honey guide, Kivu Ground Thrush, Rwenzori Double-collared, Regal and the Purple-breasted Sunbirds, Archer`s Robin chat, cinnamon Bracken and Mountain Yellow Warblers, the Dusky and much Sought after Shelley’s Crimson-wing and many more.

Later drive to Lake Bunyonyi, believed to be the second deepest lake in Africa and one of the most beautiful places in western Uganda in the afternoon. It is also one of the few places in the country where it is considered safe to swim as it is bilharzia free. ‘Bunyonyi’ does mean small birds, expect to see plenty of them during your stay here!

Overnight at: Birdnest (Bed & Breakfast)

Today will be dedicated to relaxation, however, you can choose to explore the communities around this lake and also do some birding during a boat cruise to explore some of the lake’s 29 islands.

Overnight at: Birdnest (Bed & Breakfast)

After breakfast, head out for a brief birding walk around the lake. Before transferring back to Entebbe.

Overnight at: Hotel Number Five (Bed & Breakfast)

Have a relaxed breakfast and you can go out souvenir shopping depending on your flight time before being dropped off at the airport in time for your scheduled flight back home to consequently end of the tour.

Departure (Breakfast)