|
|
|
|
|
Uganda
Saturday 9 - Saturday 23 July 2005 (15 days) |
© David Dennis/Nature Portfolio  Mountain Gorillas |
A fabulous tour, packed with highlights - from boat trips through the papyrus swamps in search of Shoebill and a chance to trek for Gorillas, to one of the world's most awesome natural spectacles - Murchison Falls. Join us for the best of Uganda, in the company of a guide with more than 18 years experience of African birding.Uganda, a small African country straddling the Equator, is one of the birding gems of the 'Dark Continent'. With over 1,000 species recorded, it has the highest concentration of birds in Africa and is the most accessible place to see the legendary Shoebill, one of the world's most bizarre birds. The misty peaks and fern-laden forests of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda's birding hotspot, are an apt setting in which to search for a host of exciting Central African forest species, including many endemics. Furthermore, these mountains offer what is perhaps the greatest of all wildlife experiences on Earth: the opportunity to come face to face with one of our closest relatives, the Mountain Gorilla, in its natural habitat. Other highlights not to be missed include the spectacular White Nile plunging down a rocky gorge at famous Murchison Falls, mammal-watching in the Parks, our boat trips at Mabamba Swamp and at Murchison and Queen Elizabeth National Parks, and the primates and superb forest birds at Kibale and Budongo Forests. We will be doing two trips on river and floodplains to maximise our chances of Shoebill. Uganda is one of the friendliest and safest of African countries to visit at the moment. With the devastating period of its political past long behind, Uganda is in an active state of regrowth and renewal and this is evident in the positive attitude of the people. The rejuvenation of the tourism industry here has been nothing short of phenomenal in recent years and all the prime birdwatching and wildlife areas now have rebuilt roads and comfortable lodgings. This splendid tour combines Uganda's beautiful forests with surrounding savanna and wetlands to offer an incredibly rich and attractively diverse mix of species. Accommodation is of a high standard, varying from top-end lodges in magnificent settings to comfortable tented camps, lodges and hotels. Callan Cohen has more than 18 years experience of African birding. He led our 2004 tour to Namibia and has birded extensively across East Africa, including a total of three months in the field in Uganda. Special note: Early booking is advised for this tour in order to guarantee Gorilla permits, which are strictly limited. It may occasionally be necessary to change the running order of the stated itinerary depending upon the number and availability of permits. Itinerary Days 1 - 2 We take an evening flight from London to Entebbe, arriving next morning. The view as our aircraft descends into Entebbe is spectacular, with the vast waters of Lake Victoria stretching away beneath us, fringed by patches of grassland and forest. We'll be met on arrival by Callan and, having checked into our hotel, spend the first afternoon birding locally, where we can expect to see a great diversity of water and forest-edge birds. Black-and-white-casqued Hornbills fly between the larger trees and those two unmistakable raptors, Palmnut Vulture and Long-crested Eagle, can be seen around town. Pink-backed Pelican, Slender-billed Weaver and Pied Kingfisher are just a few of the waterside birds we should see, and the lovely African Hobby regularly hunts in the vicinity of our hotel. Overnight Entebbe Day 3 After some early morning birding in Entebbe, we head to nearby Mabamba Swamp. Here we will charter dug-out canoes and head deep into the papyrus swamps in search of the one bird which epitomises Uganda - the enigmatic Shoebill. Swamp Flycatchers and Malachite Kingfishers fly up as we head along the narrow channels, and Black Crakes scurry about the edges of the reeds. If we are lucky, we will encounter a lone Shoebill, standing grey and silent, unmoving with its steely glare, on the edge of one of the waterways. Blue-cheeked Bee-eaters hawk overhead and we should also be treated to a fine array of herons. After lunch, we leave Entebbe and set off towards Murchison Falls National Park, with stops along the way to look for species such as the sociable Piapiac. We arrive in the late afternoon at Murchison Falls National Park, where we shall enjoy a two-night stay. Overnight Murchison Falls National Park Day 4 Open savanna woodland dominates Murchison Falls National Park, offering excellent game viewing and a wealth of woodland birds, while the thicker vegetation beside the Nile is good for Spotted Palm-thrush, Black-headed Gonolek, Beautiful Sunbird and Silverbird. Taking a boat trip along the river is one of the best ways of seeing both the waterbirds and mammals of the area, including Uganda Kob, Hippopotamus, African Elephant and Giraffe, along with plenty of Nile Crocodiles. If we are lucky, we might see Leopard, too. Shoebill can be quite reliable on the trip down to the delta, while the trip down to the impressive Murchison Falls themselves is excellent for Rock Pratincole and the gorgeous Red-throated Bee-eater. A thunderous roar greets one's approach to the spectacular falls, where the White Nile river squeezes itself through a gap barely ten metres wide and plunges on its way to Lake Albert. It makes a truly awesome sight - and sound - one that will surely dwell in your memory forever. Overnight Murchison Falls National Park Days 5 - 6 After some further birding around our lodge this morning, we continue south through the National Park and on to Kanyiyo Pabidi, part of Budongo Forest. With luck we may see the localised Puvell's Illadopsis amongst a host of other forest specialities. Arriving at our next hotel, in Masindi, we'll find that the large garden offers great birding, with Red-headed Lovebird one of many delights that await us. Budongo is one of the richest forests in this part of Africa. We will spend the morning slowly walking along the Royal Mile, a wide track that allows excellent views of forest birds in the trees above. The bird parties here can be especially productive and include canopy dwellers such as Ituri Batis, Forest Flycatcher, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher and Yellow-billed Barbet. White-spotted Flufftail and Nahan's Francolin call from the forest floor and we could spot an African Dwarf Kingfisher sitting quietly along the forest edge. Cultivated areas outside the forest can be exceptionally good too, with seed-eaters such as Black-crowned Waxbills and Brown Twinspots in the herbage, and White-thighed Hornbills sitting out in exposed fruiting trees. Two nights Masindi Day 7 Today will be quite a long day as we make our way south towards Kibale National Park. There will be time to enjoy several birding stops along the way, however, with chances of the stunning Ross's Turaco. Our accommodation tonight is a comfortable but rather simple hotel, wonderfully situated on the edge of a crater lake close to Kibale National Park. Overnight Kibale Day 8 Kibale National Park has the highest diversity of primates of any forest in the world and we shall hope to encounter at least a few of these monkeys today. Species we should see include Red Colobus, Blue Monkey and Grey-cheeked Mangabey. Though we should have to be exceptionally fortunate, Kibale is also one of the best spots in Uganda to see Chimpanzees. Kibale's trails are well-maintained and flutter with butterflies of a myriad striking colours. The birdlife is very rich, too. Flocks of noisy African Grey Parrots greet the dawn as we watch for the likes of African Emerald Cuckoo, Black-billed and Great Blue Turacos, Narina Trogon, Hairy-breasted Barbet and Lühder's Bush-shrike, while specialities of this area include Joyful Greenbul and Masked Apalis. We might even spot the rare White-naped Pigeon sitting out here in the early morning. Nearby, Bigodi wetland is a splendid spot to seek forest-edge species as the trees are rather more patchy. Red-headed Bluebill, Snowy-crowned Robin-chat, Little Greenbul and Western Citril are common here. In the afternoon, we'll make the short drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, renowned as having one of the highest diversities of bird life of any park in Africa. Overnight Queen Elizabeth National Park Day 9 The open country habitat in Queen Elizabeth National Park provides a good foil to our forest birding yesterday, with opportunities to look for species such as White-backed and Rüppell's Griffon Vultures, Martial Eagle, Black-bellied Bustard, Red-necked Spurfowl, Banded Martin, Stout and Trilling Cisticolas, Rüppell's Glossy Starling and Red-chested Sunbird. At night, Slender-tailed and African White-tailed Nightjars may be drawn to feed around the lights of the lodge. For most visitors to the Park, however, the highlight of their visit will be a boat trip on the Kasinga Channel, which bisects the park as it flows between Lakes Edward and George. Birds are abundant and from our launch we should enjoy a fine array of wetland species - from Goliath Heron, Yellow-billed Stork and Sacred Ibis to Water Thick-knee, Plain Martin and the peculiar African Skimmer - while the fringing vegetation is also home to the gaudy Papyrus Gonolek. Snorting Hippos are numerous, too. Other mammals to watch for beside the Channel include African Elephant, African Buffalo and Marsh Mongoose, but most unusual is the Giant Forest Hog - this is the best place in Africa to see it. Overnight Queen Elizabeth National Park Days 10 - 13 Wending our way slowly south through Queen Elizabeth National Park, we should arrive at our next destination, Buhoma - the main gorilla-tracking base for the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park - in the afternoon. Our lodgings here are another treat in store, for Buhoma is a luxury, permanent tented facility - all with private facilities, of course. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, nestled in the Kigezi uplands, is arguably Uganda's prime birding area. Spanning an unbroken swathe of forest, from the lowlands at Buhoma to the lofty highlands at Ruhiza, and stretching away towards the Congo border, we are assured of a truly memorable few days. Here, pitta-like Short-tailed Warblers skulking in the mossy undergrowth will prove distracting while tracking Mountain Gorillas, African Grey Parrots squawk overhead and groups of Chimpanzees shriek from deep within the forest. Black-faced Rufous Warblers call from the forest edge and Red-throated Alethes lurk in the hidden depths, while Black and Cinnamon-chested Bee-eaters, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatchers and Narrow-tailed Starlings frequent the verdant canopy. The bird list here is both long and alluring, and others we may see include Cassin's Hawk-eagle, Yellow-throated Tinkerbird, Elliot's Woodpecker, Blue-throated Roller, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Equatorial Akalat and Chestnut Wattle-eye. During our extended stay in the Park, those who have booked to take the Gorilla trekking option will be able to join a small party led by one of the Park's specialist tracker-guides in a quest to find these wonderful creatures. Treks can involve spending between three and ten hours in the field, where the going can be steep and rough - but, if successful, the rewards are immense, for a close encounter with this 'gentle giant' ape is an experience never to be forgotten! Note that the number of Gorilla permits is strictly limited and on a first come, first served basis so these must be requested and paid for at the time of booking. We will of course hope to all do the Gorilla-trekking on the same day, but we might have to split up depending upon numbers and the availability of permits. Four nights at Buhoma Day 14 Bidding a reluctant farewell to the Impenetrable Forest today, we make the rather long trek from Bwindi back to Entebbe. Journey time permitting, we will pause amid the savanna on the edge of Lake Mburo National Park, with a chance to look for Bare-faced Go-away-bird as our tour draws to a close. Overnight Entebbe Day 15 Our flight leaves Entebbe this morning, with arrival back in London later the same day. Accommodation in comfortable twin and single rooms at good hotels, lodges and tented camps throughout, and all with private facilities. Meals : All included. Some lunches will be picnics. Walking : Easy, except for optional Gorilla tracking at Bwindi, which is variable and more demanding according to where the animals happen to be (see main text). For safety, due to the presence of wild animals, little walking is possible away from the lodges within most of the National Parks. Sturdy walking shoes advised. Transport is by minibus or long wheelbase 4WD landrover. |
|
Leaders : Callan Cohen & Graham Clark with local guides
Numbers : Maximum 12 clients Price: £ 3,395 Single supp.: £ 250 Deposit: £ 300 per person Gorilla permit fee: (optional, but payable in full at time of booking) Add to deposit: £ 200 The prices are per person, and is fully inclusive of scheduled return flights London-Entebbe, with meals on-board as appropriate, all accommodation, meals, surface transport (inc. boat trips as described), entry fees to parks, tips to local drivers/guides, airport taxes, bird & mammal checklist & services of the leader/s. The price excludes travel insurance, drinks and other personal expenses, and optional permit fee for Gorilla tracking. This trip will be operated in conjunction with Limosa Holidays. |
 |