There are a variety of Uganda fly in safaris to different national parks such Murchison Falls National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park among other national parks. But you can opt to go for 5 days fly in safaris in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Murchison Falls National Park and your safari will be as described in this article.
5 Day Uganda Fly-in Safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Murchison Falls National Park is a rewarding Gorilla trekking and wildlife tour in Uganda’s most visited national parks. Bwindi Forest is a perfect Uganda Gorilla Safari destination and Murchison Falls is the world’s most powerful waterfalls. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Murchison Falls National Park are far apart from each other and therefore transfers are done by chartered flights. The flight transfers start from and end at Entebbe International Airport. They may be quite costly but worth it.
The 5 Days Uganda Fly-in Safari tour comprises activities like mountain gorilla trekking at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and a game drive, boat cruise, and hike to the top of the falls at Murchison Falls National Park. Mountain Gorilla trekking is one of the popular Uganda safari activities and the Bwindi Forest offers such a remarkable experience. It’s such a wonderful moment spending several hours hiking through a tropical jungle in search of mountain gorillas and spending 1 hour in their presence.
Depending on your suitable time of departure, you will take a flight by Aero link Uganda to Kihihi airstrip or any other airstrip close to Bwindi Forest. Flight can be early morning, mid-morning, or in the afternoon. From the airstrip, your driver-guide will be there to pick you up for a transfer to a booked hotel. The transfer will be done by a 4×4 safari vehicle. You will have lunch at Buhoma Lodge and spend the evening in relaxation as your waiting for dinner.
Early in the morning, your hotel will provide you with breakfast such that you get ready for the transfer to the park headquarters. After breakfast, you will go for a briefing about gorilla trekking guidelines and the briefing will be led by the park rangers. It is at this time when the allocation of a gorilla family for each 8 members to trek is done. If you have any specific needs or are unable to hike for further distances communicate during briefing such that you are allocated a close family.
After the briefing, you will receive your trekking stick and head to the forest for the experience. Trekking to and from depends on where the gorillas spent their previous night, the nearer they are the easier to see them and vice versa. However, when you meet the family, you are allowed to spend only 1 hour seeing them in their natural habitats. You can take this opportunity to enjoy the experience and record memories using your non flash photography camera. After the one hour you trek back to the park headquarters where you receive a congratulatory certificate and be driven to your hotel by driver. Later you will return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, you can relax as well as preparing for the next day’s journey.
In the morning after taking breakfast, you will go for mountain biking. Mountain biking in Bwindi is typically conducted according to guided rules and regulations at the park headquarters in Buhoma and the ride starts in the morning from the Buhoma sector. Mountain biking at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is carried out in and around Bwindi impenetrable forest and it’s offered by a women organization called Ride 4 a woman organization. Therefore, through your renting of a mountain bike for a ride, you’ll be supporting the local community as well as the women who are part of this organization. This is one of the activities you can think of when coming for your Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Tour. Your ride will last for about 2-3hours and on your way you will see some wildlife such as the black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, bushbucks, squirrels, duikers and chimpanzees. Later return to the lodge to get ready to be transferred to Murchison Falls National Park.
After checking out, you will be transferred by 4×4 vehicle to the airstrip for a flight to Pakuba airstrip in Murchison Falls National Park. From Pakuba airstrip, you will be picked up and transferred to a booked hotel (Pakuba Lodge) where you have lunch and spend the rest of the evening in relaxation while waiting for dinner.
Wake up on a cup of coffee and then proceed for a morning game drive (Murchison Falls National Park). During the game drive, you explore an array of wildlife and these may include Elephants, Buffaloes, Leopards, warthogs, lions, baboons, and several bird species. The game drive takes about 2-4 hours with several chances to spot and photograph wildlife in the wilderness. After the game drive, you will be driven back to the hotel for relaxation and lunch.
After having lunch, you will undertake a boat cruise to the bottom of the mighty Murchison Falls. The falls are so powerful and mesmerizing to watch as they form a great fall 23 feet below after squeezing through a 7-meter gorge. The boat takes you a few feet below the powerful falls. From the bottom, you get off the boat for an adventurous hike to the top of the falls. It lasts about 45 minutes to 1 hour to see one of the greatest falls. On the boat cruise, you will come across hippos and crocodiles. From the top of the falls, you will meet your driver-guide for an evening drive back to the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Depending on the time of departure for your scheduled flight, after checking out, you will be transferred from the hotel to the airstrip for a flight to Entebbe International Airport. Your flight from Murchison Falls National Park to Entebbe International will mark the end of your 5 days fly-in Uganda safari. Upon your arrival at the airport, you will catch up with your flight back home.