Whatever your photographic interest is on an African safari, our 12 days Uganda wildlife photography safari has photographer sorted. This long photography expedition covers amazing destinations in Uganda, the Pearl of Africa; including Murchison Falls National Park, Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo, Lake Bunyonyi and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Your photography safari in Uganda combines primate and wildlife hence guaranteeing you unusual wilderness experiences as you capture the best images of diverse animal species.
Details of your safari
Day 1: Entebbe to Murchison Falls with en-route visit to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
From Entebbe or Kampala, leave your hotel after briefing about your long wildlife photography safari in Uganda. Begin your journey to Murchison Falls National Park, Northwestern Uganda and this is expected to take you 6-7 hours along the Gulu highway.
En-route, you will have 2 hours to explore Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, and this includes Rhino tracking then proceed to enjoy lunch at the hotel in Masindi town. After, drive to Kichumbanyobo gate in the Southern side of Murchison Falls N/Park to clear and then proceed to check in at the lodge.
Day 2: Game drive, launch trip- full day at Murchison Falls N/Park
Early morning, wake up for tea or cup of coffee, then board a 4×4 safari vehicle for a long day wildlife photography expedition. You will be exploring the Northern game tracks of Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s biggest park with its land area stretching up to 3840sq.kms and this is a rich habitat to antelopes, the 4 of the big 5 game, warthogs, the Rothschild giraffes, etc. These and more plus diverse birds will be at your exposure and you will have variety to take pictures.
Return from a morning game drive combined with photo taking, enjoy a delicious lunch and after, head off for an afternoon boat cruise. A boat/launch cruise takes about 2-3 hours, and you will connect from Paraa side to the base of Murchison Falls. In between, animal species to capture great images include hippos, crocodiles, aquatic birds plus others as they roam at the river banks. Depending on the water levels, you will proceed with a hike to the top of the falls or return on a boat while taking more pictures of aquatic life.
Day 3: Full day wildlife photography in Murchison Falls NP
Leave early your lodge for a hot air balloon safari and this will reward you with the best aerial view of wildlife. After the hot air balloon tour, you will continue with a game drive to capture more images of giraffes, lions, leopards (for lucky guests), buffaloes, elephants, antelopes, birds etc. Get back for lunch, and in the evening, there is an option of a boat cruise to the base of the falls (second time) and don’t forget to capture pictures of Murchison Falls while at its bottom.
Day 4: Photography safari to Kibale National Park
From Murchison Falls N. Park to Kibale National Park, the top chimpanzee trekking destination in Uganda, East Africa. Your journey will cover between 7 and 8 hours, with scenic view of breathtaking rift valley escarpment en-route. Lunch to be enjoyed while at Fort Portal city and relaxation in the evening at the lodge in Kibale.
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking & Photo tour to Queen Elizabeth N.P
Chimpanzee trekking adventure in Kibale will start at Kanyanchu as soon as briefing on rules or guidelines, allocation of park guides is done. Actual journey to find chimpanzees begins at 8:00am and you will be accompanied by a guide, and this will take 2-4 hours, inclusive of 1 hour of photography and exploring about chimpanzee daily lifestyles, habits, etc.
Kibale is a rich natural rainforest, hosting up to 13 primate species including 1500 chimpanzees, plus many other to be spotted today such as l’hoest, colobus monkeys, baboons, red tailed, red colobus, mangabeys, etc. After a magical encounter, return for lunch and later, head off for Queen Elizabeth National Park your next photography safari destination, also Uganda’s 2nd largest park.
Day 6: Full day game drive, boat cruise
Explore Uganda’s 2nd biggest park -Queen Elizabeth N/Park on an early morning game drive along Kasenyi Plains/Sector/track. For 2-4 hours, you will have the best of game viewing and photography of diverse antelopes, big game especially lions, buffaloes, elephants, leopards; spotted hyenas, birds and more.
In the afternoon when you are done with lunch and some refreshments, head off to Kazinga channel, a long natural channel that connects two Lakes in this park; Lake Edward and Lake George. Your interest as a photographer today will include capturing great images of swimming hippos, the basking Crocodiles, aquatic birds, plus many other wildlife such as elephants, buffaloes along the shores.
Day 7: Ishasha sector to photograph tree climbing lions +Bwindi
After breakfast, you will leave Queen Elizabeth N. Park for Bwindi National Park, but with an en-route guided game drive along Ishasha sector. This is the Southern sector, and it is popular for the tree climbing lion watching, topis, and other wildlife like buffaloes, elephants, birds. Have a bush lunch and continue to Bwindi to check in at the gorilla lodge for overnight stay.
Day 8: Gorilla trekking
Enjoy a hefty breakfast, after, proceed to Bwindi Park offices to meet the official for briefing about gorilla trekking rules and to be assigned to a habituated family. This is a 331sq.kms rainforest park, a home to 459 endangered mountain gorillas and houses over 20 gorilla groups. Your group of 8pax will visit one gorilla family today either in Buhoma, Rushaga, Nkuringo or Ruhija sector.
Expected time to spend in the forest will be 2-6 and this includes an hour of a close encounter and photo taking. If time allows, you will have great entertainment from cultural dances, music performance while at Batwa community.
Day 9: Gorilla trekking & Bunyonyi
Wake up early for breakfast, after, proceed for briefing and to be assigned to a different gorilla family to visit (marking the second gorilla trekking experience). After tracking gorillas, have lunch, relax and you will check out then transfer to have a relaxed evening at the shores of Lake Bunyonyi. Bunyonyi has 29 islands distributed allover it and it is Uganda’s deepest Lake, located in Kabale Southwestern side of the country.
Day 10: Lake Bunyonyi & Lake Mburo N/P
Have an early breakfast, after, embark on a boat ride to visit one of the 29 islands on Lake Bunyonyi. This freshwater Lake is also endowed with many birds which you won’t miss spotting. After a boat ride, return to meet the driver guide and you will transfer to Lake Mburo N. Park, a rich natural habitat with zebras, buffaloes, impalas, elands, 350 birds, giraffes, warthogs, etc.
Day 11: Full day photography Lake Mburo NP
Enjoy full day in Lake Mburo National Park, Western Uganda and today, you will begin with a game drive. Possible sights during the morning game drive include the common elands, waterbucks, impalas, zebras, the Rothschild giraffes, buffaloes, topis, oribis, reedbucks, birds and others. Get back to the booked accommodation for lunch and in the afternoon, set off for a 2-3 hours’ boat cruise on Lake Mburo. The possible sights on a boat cruise include hippos, crocodiles and birds.
Day 12: Departure
Enjoy a hefty breakfast, after, set off for a guided nature walk or horseback riding to immerse yourself into the wilderness. Capture sight of diverse wildlife including zebras, elands, birds and after, return to the lodge for depart back to Kampala/Entebbe with en-route stopover at Equator crossing.
End of safari
