12 DAY ULTIMATE UGANDA SKY SAFARI (LUXURY)

Welcome to Uganda, The Pearl of Africa.

On arrival we have a meet and greet service awaiting you.  They will assist you through immigration and on to your Aerolink Uganda flight Kidepo National Park.

Your flight departs 12:30pm  and arrives at 2:45pm at Kidepo Valley Airstrip where you will be met by the Apoka Safari Lodge staff who will kindly greet and transfer you on the short trip to your lodge for check in and briefing. 

Attached to this itinerary in the "Additional Details" tab is a full list of inclusive and optional activities for your 3 night stay at Apoka Safari Lodge.

We have set out in this itinerary what we would recommend each day for your convenience, however the choices are yours to make so you are in control dependent  on how you feel and favorable conditions.

2 INCLUSIVE OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES EACH DAY

• Game Drive: morning or afternoon 
• Game Drive: Hot Springs 
• Walking Safari: Morning / Afternoon

4 OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES (Paid for at the lodge)

• Night Game Drive
• Lorukul Cultural Village Visit
• Ik Village Visit (whole day)

RECOMMENDED DAY 1

Game Drive: morning: 

• Conducted in Kidepo Valley National Park by an experienced Lodge Guide
• Duration is approximately 3 hours
• Afternoon game drive generally starts at 4:30pm. 

 Dinner and overnight at Apoka Safari Lodge.

This morning wake up to the wide savannah plains of Kidepo Valley with the Mt. Morungole mountains as the backdrop.

After breakfast it's your choice from the Apoka Safari Lodge activities guide.  We recommend:

Game Drive: Hot Springs  (inclusive)

• Conducted in Kidepo Valley National Park by an experienced Lodge Guide & UWA Ranger Guide
• Duration is approximately 5 – 6 hours (44 kilometres |2 hours away)
• The game drive to the Hot Springs generally starts at 06h30
• The location offers a small spring, but the game viewing and birding is fantastic. Ostrich and other endemic species are commonly found here. 

Lorukul Village Visit  (inclusive)

• Conducted by vehicle to the village and then a walking tour of the village
• A mini game drive is conducted on the return journey
• This forms part of the two rate-inclusive game activities per day – no additional game drive offered
• Duration is approximately 3-4 hours
• The tour usually departs at 15h30
• Cost: Lodge: (to be paid directly [in cash] to Apoka Lodge) ▪     $30 per person ▪     Proceeds go towards funding projects at the village 

Today you again have a choice of activities from the Apoka Safari Lodge Activities Guide.

If your fitness is good we highly recommend the IK Tribe climb as this is one of Africa's unique tribal visits due to it's remoteness.  The Ik are Uganda's smallest tribe and the original inhabitants of this land.  This is not and inclusive activity so the fee below is paid to the lodge.

Morungole Mountain Climbing to the IK Tribe

• A full day trip to the Ik people, located on top of Mount Morungole
• This is a unique and authentic experience visiting one of Africa’s most remote tribes
• This activity replaces the two rate-inclusive game activities per day – no additional game activity offered
• Duration is a full day.
• The vehicle departs for the 1.5 hour drive to the base at 6am in the morning and returns to the Lodge at around 18h00
• Cost: Lodge: $130 per person (to be paid directly [in cash] to Apoka Lodge)
• Cost includes Lodge Vehicle & Guide | UWA fees | UPDF fees | Ik Tribe fees
• NOTE: This trip is suitable for those who are fit only. The hike is tough: approximately 4 hours from base to the tribe & 4 hours back. Hiking is up/down a steep, narrow incline 

This morning you have time for a final inclusive egame drive or walking safari, or simply relax and enjoy the lodge facilities and scenery.

Have lunch and check out as we transfer you to the nearby airstrip at around 2pm where we once more board an Aerolink flight, this time to the famous Murchison Falls National Park.

We will arrive around 4pm where your private driver/guide will be waiting to greet you and transfer you to your nearby lodge for check in and freshen up before dinner overlooking the mighty River Nile and then overnight.

Today is a brilliant day of unique exploring of Murchison Falls National Park.

Start with an early breakfast as we leave for a unique Shoebill and Birding boat launch tour towards the Lake Albert Delta area.  Murchison Falls has incredible birding including the dinosaur looking Shoebill Stork, Colorful HoneyEaters, African Fish Eages, Ugandan Crested Crane and much more.

Returning to shore mid morning your driver/guide will be waiting to take you on a game drive looking for the Big 5 before returning for lunch at your accommodation.

At 2:00pm we head off to the nearby Paraa Ferry Terminal where we have a special Murchison Falls Boat Cruise organised.  The cruise leaves at 2:30pm and makes it way up the mighty Nile towards the base of Murchison Falls themselves.  There will be plenty of hippos, crocodiles, birding and great scenery.

Return in the late afternoon to your lodge to refresh, have dinner and overnight.

This morning awake, have breakfast in readiness for a morning game drive looking for the big 5.  

We will start by taking the  short ferry ride across the Nile and head in to the northern part of Murchison which has more savannah area perfect for spotting big and small game.

We will return to your lodge for lunch at midday and then head off to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, about 1 hour south of Murchison Fall National Park.  We will arrive just before 2:30pm in time for a special walking safari with the white rhinos.  You will get the opportunity to watch these endangered, magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. As these rhino are free to move around on 7 000 hectares of land.

It's  a  2 hour return drive mainly through the southern area Murchison Falls National Park before arriving for dinner and overnight at your accommodation.

This morning there is time for a last game drive, or you can relax at your accommodation.

We will take an early lunch and head off to the nearby airstrip in time to catch our Aerolink flight which departs at 1:15pm for Queen Elizabeth National Park.  Normally an eight hour ground transfer this flight will have you there at 2:15pm right in the heart of Queen Elizabeth.

You will be met by your private driver/guide and immediately begin a game drive of this magnificent park.  Queen Elizabeth has a world a big and small game, but is famous especially for it's Elephants and variety of experiences.

At 4:30 we have a special Kazinga Channel boat cruise organised.  Kazinga Channel links Lake Victoria and Lake Edward and is thought to have the highest density of Hippos in Africa.  Plenty of birdlife, water buffalo crocodiles and more on this amazing boat cruise.

After the cruise we head to the Kyambura sector for check, dinner and overnight at your accommodation overlooking the park.

This morning we head off after and early breakfast just after 7am to the Mongoose Tracking Experience in the heart of the park.  Mongoose tracking is done on foot with the tour guide leading the walk through the tracks in Mweya Peninsular. It will help you learn about the mongoose behavior.  You will also be able to see birds and warthogs during this activity. This will help you get out of the car and make your legs do some walking as you enjoy mongoose tracking activity in Queen Elizabeth national park. 

We return late morning to refresh and have lunch at the lodge.

After lunch we head off to Kalinzue Central Forest Reserve which borders Queen Elizabeth National Park.  Here a group of researchers has set up here to study the 200 chimpanzees, 70 of which are habituated for trekking.  After a briefing by the rangers then trekking through the forest you will get to spend an hour with our closest animal relative, observing their habits and interactions.

After the trek return to your accommodation to refresh, dinner and overnight.

Kanshenyi Plains Lions Experiential

Breakfast at leisure, check out of your accommodation and later you will proceed with the morning game drive as  we have organised for you lions tracking experiential in this part of the park. Seeing these lions in Northern part of this park is usually a 50/50 chance but we guarantee seeing them as we organize an experience that includes the park tracking system and expert doctor who comes with his tracking gadgets.

Later you will drive in about 2 hours to the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park with en route game drive. During this drive you won't miss the stunning scenery and superb bird life and butterflies in this southern remote section.  We shall proceed with the afternoon  game drive in Ishasha sector. This region is also well known for Bird life, herds of elephants, buffaloes and antelopes are regularly spotted. Vervet monkeys, baboons, black- and white colobus have become residents to this region of Queen Elizabeth.

Ishasha is only one of the two places in the world where tree-climbing lions are found, the other being in Lake Manyara.  Whilst all lions can climb trees these two prides are the only ones found to spend a majority of their time in trees.  Seeing tree-climbing lions is usually a 50/50 chance however its really rare to miss them. you will do your afternoon game drive in this region as you search for the popular and rare tree climbing lions. 

Ishasha is also home to great population of Topis, not found anywhere else in this National Park. On the river you may spot hippos and the Ugandan national bird the Crested Crane.  

You will retire at your accommodation  for a freshen up and relaxation with the lodge facilities.

Dinner and Overnight at your accommodation

After breakfast this morning there is time for a final game drive of Ishasha which is well known for it's herds of topis, eland and waterbuck.  

Late morning we will begin the 2 hour transfer through typical Ugandan farmlands and countryside as we change ecosystems as we arrive in the Buhoma region of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and your accommodation for lunch.

The afternoon is yours to relax or take an optional local activity or trek if you like.  All in preparation for your exciting Mountain Gorilla trek tomorrow.

Dinner and overnight at your accommodation in Buhoma.

Today is the day for your rare Mountain Gorilla Trek!!!

After an early breakfast we will leave your accommodation around 7am for the Buhoma Park Headquarters where the rangers will provide a briefing on the trek  rules and Mountain Gorilla Behavior before assigning groups to a specific Gorilla group.  It's a good idea to hire a porter for $15 USD who are invaluable to assist you during difficult parts of the trek and carry your backpack.

Then it's time to hike in to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest  in  search of your group.  The trek in total can be between 2-6 hours depending on the movements of Gorillas.  Once you approach them you will get to observe these magnificent creatures for an entire hour often at close quarters.  It's often described as one of the great animal encounters experiences in the world.

On return you can swap stories of your experience with fellow dinners for lunch back at your lodge.

The afternoon is yours to relax or take up an optional local activity before dinner and overnight at your lodge.

After breakfast this morning we have a special cultural experience planned with the Batwa people of Bwindi.

The Batwa where the original inhabitants of this forested area and are thought to have a lineage of 5000 years.  They have been displaced since the early 1990's, however they maintain their story and traditions through this very authentic and interesting tour experience.  Many of the members present still remember their days as forest dwellers.  Their short stature is thought to be an evolutionary development to forest living. 

After the Batwa we will quickly return to your lodge to freshen up and depart with a packed lunch for the 90 minute transfer to your departing flight at Kihihi airstrip.  Your flight leaves Khihi at 3pm, arriving at Entebbe International Airport at 4:15pm.

We wish you a safe onward journey and emotional memories that last long after you return home.