Uganda Birding and Wildlife Safari
17 Days 16 Night
Rates are per person (pp) and based on 2 people sharing 1 room
Excluding international flights (from/to your home country)
Overview
This 17 Days Uganda Birding and wildlife Safari is an exciting journey into the isolated jungles of Uganda taking you through central, south and northern Uganda, promising you an experience of different bird and wildlife species encounters like no other including gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park as well you will have a chance to see all the Big 5 animals. This 17 Days Uganda Birding and wildlife safari is a budget safari that is designed to allow every traveler interested in birding and seeing other wildlife including gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park.
Hightlights
- Safari takes place in South Western Uganda.
- Safari starts and ends in Entebbe (Uganda)
- You will visit Mabamba Swamp wetlands for spotting the famous Shoebill stork
- You’ll visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Northern part for Birding
- You’ll visit Kibale forest National Park for Birding and Chimp trekking
- You will visit Murchison falls National park for Birding and game viewing
- You will visit Ziwa Rhino sanctuary for Rhino tracking and birding
- You’ll visit Queen Elizabeth National Park for Birding and Game viewing
- You’ll visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park southern part for Gorilla tracking
- You will have stops along the way to spot some other bird species.
- Countryside road trip in an open-sided 4×4 vehicle & pop-up roof 4×4 vehicle for spotting birds
- A transfer from and back to the airport (or hotel) is included
- Additional accommodation before the tour departs and on the last day can be arranged for extra cost
Things To Consider
- Accommodation is Inclusive
- This safari is guided by the new normal covid post lock safari SOPs
- Small Group Safari: Max 6 People per group
- Tour Can Depart any day
- Tour can be customized
- Solo travelers can join this tour
- Gorilla and chimpanzee tracking permits are booked in advance and we will purchase them for you.
Detailed Itinerary
Arrival
- You’ll be picked up from the airport (or hotel)
- Accommodation before the tour departs can be arranged for extra cost
DAY 1: Arrival at Entebbe airport.
Upon arrival, you will be met by Encounter Africa Safari guide who will transfer you to your overnight Guest house. Depending on your arrival time, you may choose to take a boat excursion to Ngamba Island (optional and not included), visit the nearby Botanical gardens or Uganda Wildlife Education center for a short excursion tour and birding.
Drive time: Approximately 15 minutes
Lodge: Gorilla African Guest House
Meal Plan: Bed and breakfast
DAY 2: Drive to Mabamba Swamp for Birding.
After an early breakfast at the hotel, we will drive to Mabamba swamp, which is located on the shores of Lake Victoria, traditionally one of the few and best places to spot the rare and elusive shoebill stock in central Uganda.
The bird species that we expect to encounter here include the Goliath Herons, White faced whistling Duck, White-winged Warbler, Lesser Jacana, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Winding Cisticola, Yellow-backed, Golden-backed, Vieillot’s Black, Weyns’s and Orange weaver and Red-headed Lovebird among others. The birding at mabamba swamp, we normally use a canoe to maneuver through the thin pass in the swamp until we find the mabamba shoebill stock as well identify other bird species, which makes the whole activity exciting. After we will latter drive back to the guest house while birding on the way, arriving the hotel in the evening.
Lodge: Gorilla African Guest House
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Packed Lunch and dinner.
DAY 3: Drive to Lake Mburo National Park, Birding along en-route.
After breakfast, you will check out of the guest house and we will drive to Lake Mburo national park while birdingen-route, with stopovers at the Equator for photographs and equator experience and en-route lunch. We will proceed and make another stopover at Kaku swamp where we sometimes encounter species like the Black kite, the White-faced and Fulvous, whistling ducks, Common and Purple Swamphen, Lesser Moorhen, Hottentot Teals, Spur-winged and Egyptian Geese, Grey-crowned Cranes and Saddle-billed Storks, Grey wood Pecker, Dusky Blue, African Dusky, African Paradise, Red-bellied Paradise, Brown-throated Wattle-Eye, Arrow-marked, Black-lored and Brown Babblers, Lesser and Scaly-throated Honeyguide among others. You will then proceed on to Lake Mburo national park for overnight.
Drive time: approximately 5-6 hours
Lodge: Rwakobo Rock Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 4: Birding in Lake Mburo National Park and a Boat cruise on Lake Mburo.
After your breakfast, with our parked lunch, we shall start our game drive/birding in Lake Mburo national park. This is one of the IBAs in Uganda, protecting more than 350 bird species, with specialties that includes; the Spot-franked, Double-toothed, Red-faced and Crested Barbets, Western-banded and Brown Snake-eagles, Trilling, Red-faced and TaboraCisticolas, Crested and Coqui Francolins, Chin-spot Batis, Broad- billed and Lilac-breasted Roller, Brown-chested Lapwing, Bare-faced Go-away Bird, Brown Parot, Bateleur, and Emerald-spotted wood dove among others. We latter drive towards Rwonyo, and the lake side for our picnic lunch and later go for the boat cruise on lake Mburo. Here we expect species like; the White-faced and Fulvous whistling ducks, White-backed and Black-crowned Night Herons, African Finfoot, African Darter, Rufous-bellied Heron, Papyrus Gonolek, Papyrus Yellow Warbler, Greater and Lesser Swamp Warbler, Common and Purple Swamphen, Lesser Moorhen, Spur-winged and Egyptian Geese, Grey-crowned Cranes, African Water Rail and Allen’s Gallinule among others. We later drive back to our lodge while birding on the way.
Lodge: Rwakobo Rock Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 5: Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park Norther part of the park, birding along en-route.
After breakfast at the lodge you will drive to Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park, you will have opportunities to stop along the way the way to spot some bird species as well as sightseeing, This journey takes you through the beautiful green rolling hills of southern Uganda with banana and tea plantations and good scenic views. Lunch will be served en route and you will arrive in Bwindi in the evening.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Lodge:Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge.
Drive time: 6-7 hours
DAY 6: Gorilla tracking experience and Transfer to Ruhija sector for overnight.
After your early morning breakfast, your guide will drive you to Ruhija Park headquarters for briefing and joining others for gorilla trekking. You will start your trek which can take from 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on the location of mountain gorillas on that particular day. Once you have found them, you will be around one hour of observation and photography before returning back to the park headquarters for certificate and drive to Ruhija sector for overnight at Broad Bill Forest Camp orBakiga Lodge.
Main Destination: Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest
Accommodation: Broad Bill Forest Camp or Bakiga Lodge
Meals: All Meals Included
Drinks: Drinking Water
DAY 7: Birding in Mubwindi Swamp.
After breakfast at the Lodge we will go for birding at Mubwindi swamp, we will spend the entire day birding at this area. The 4km trail to Mubwindi Swamp is the best place for some of the most difficult to find of all rift endemics including Grauer’s (African Green) Broadbill, the beautiful Regal Sunbird, and Archer’s Robin-Chat. Mubwindi Swamp is also home to Dwarf Honeyguide, Stripe-breasted Tit, Ruwenzori Apalis, African Hill Babbler (sometimes treated as a separate species from Ruwenzori Hill Babbler), the rare and localized Grauer’s Scrub-Warbler. Some of the many species we have a chance of seeing here include Black Goshawk, Augur Buzzard, Crowned Hawk-Eagle, Handsome Francolin, Olive (Rameron) Pigeon, Bronze-winged Pigeon, Black-billed, Ruwenzori, and Ross’s Turacco, African, Barred Long-tailed, and African Emerald Cuckoos, Red-chested Owlet, Narina and Bar-tailed Trogons, Black and Cinnamon-chested Bee-eaters, Blue-throated Roller, White-headed Woodhoopoe, Gray-throated, Double-toothed, and Yellow-spotted Barbets, Western and Yellow-rumpedTinkerbird, Thick-billed and Dwarf Honeyguides, Rufous-necked Wryneck, Tullberg’s, Speckle-breasted, Elliot’s, and Olive Woodpeckers, African Broadbill, Rock Martin, Black Saw-wing, Gray and Petit’s Cuckoo-Shrike, Ansorge’s, Kakamega and Cabanis’ Greenbuls, White-tailed Ant-Thrush, Kivu Ground-Thrush, Olive and Mountain Thrushes, Red-throated Alethe, Chubb’s Cisticola, Banded Prinia, Ruwenzori, Black-throated, and Black-faced Apalis, Olive-green Camaroptera, Grauer’s Warbler, Cinnamon and Black-faced Bracken-Warblers, Mountain Yellow Warbler, White-browed Crombec, Short-tailed Warbler, Red-faced Woodland-Warbler, White-eyed Slaty- Flycatcher, Yellow-eyed Black-Flycatcher, Sooty Flycatcher, Chapin’s Flycatcher, White-starred Robin, White-bellied and Archer’s Robin-Chats, Ruwenzori Batis, White-tailed, and African Blue-Flycatchers, Pale-breasted, Mountain, and Gray-chested Illadopses, Ruwenzori Hill Babbler, Gray-headed, Western Violet-backed, Green, Green-headed, Blue-headed, Green-throated, Stuhlmann’s, Northern Double-collared, and Regal Sunbirds, Mackinnon’s Shrike, Ludher’s, Gray-green, Many-colored, and Lagden’s Bush-shrikes, Velvet-mantled Drongo, Slender-billed, Waller’s, Narrow-tailed, Stuhlmann’s, and Sharpe’s Starlings, Black-billed, Strange, and Brown-capped Weavers, Jameson’s and Woodhouse’s Ant-peckers, and Red-faced and Dusky Crimson-wings.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Packed Lunch and Dinner.
Lodge: Broadbill Tented Forest Camp or Bakiga Lodge.
DAY 8: Birding to Buhoma through “The Neck”
Today we will go for birding to Buhoma section through “The Neck”. The Neck (where the forest narrows) offers excellent forest birding. Key species that we will look for there include many of the Albertine Rift Endemics that we may not have seen earlier. These include Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Nightjar, Dwarf Honeyguide, African Green Broadbill, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Red-throated Alethe, Yellow-eyed Black-Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Short-tailed Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Mountain Masked Apalis, Collared Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, Blue-headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Strange Weaver, DuskyCrimsonwing. A few other species we may encounter as well include Ayres’s Hawk-Eagle, Fine-banded and Cardinal Woodpeckers, Willcocks’s Honeyguide, KakamegaGreenbul, Red-tailed Greenbul, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, Mountain Wagtail, Cassin’s Flycatcher, Equatorial Akalat, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Dusky Tit, Chestnut Wattle-eye, Red-headed Malimbe, Dusky Twinspot, Cape Wagtail, Brown-backed Scrub Robin, Mackinnon’s Fiscal, and Western Citril.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Lodge: Buhoma Community Rest Camp.
DAY 9: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National park, en-route birding.
This morning you will depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park, be prepared for some incredible scenery along the way as well as spotting some birds. You will arrive in time for Lunch at the lodge and game drive in the plains of Kasenyi in search for savannah wildlife including spotting bird different birds like the Red Chested, Diederik, and Klaas’s Cuckoo, Short-toed, Black-chested and Brown Snake-eagles, African white-backed, among others and savannah animals that may include herds of buffaloes, antelopes, elephants and if lucky, some wild cats such as lions and leopard.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Lodge: Elephant Hab\Buffalo Resort.
Drive time: 4-5 hours.
DAY 10: Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park – Boat cruise.
The day begins early with an early morning breakfast, then with our parked lunch, we start our birding/game drive through the kasenyi plains. The park has more than 612 bird species recorded and this is said to be the highest concentration of bird life as compared to any nature reserve in the World. Here we expect sightings of bird species like; the Red Chested, Diederik, and Klaas’s Cuckoo, Short-toed, Black-chested and Brown Snake-eagles, African white-backed, Ruppel’s Griffon, Lappet-faced and Hooded Vultures, African Marsh, Eurasian Marsh, Pallid and Montagu’s Harrier, Wahlberg’s, Tawny, Long-crested and Martial Eagles, African Crake, Harlequin and Blue Quail, Common Button-quail, European Roller, Rufous-naped, White-tailed and Flappet Lark, Winding, Wing-snapping, Croaking, Trilling and Stout Cisticola,Temminck’s Courser, Vereaux’s Eagle-owl, Black-crowned Tchagra and Collared Pratincole among others. We drive towards Mweya peninsular, have our picnic lunch and then go for a boat cruise on Kazinga channel for yet another but deferent view of wildlife and birds. We then drive back to our lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Lodge: Elephant Hab\Buffalo Resort.
DAY 11: Drive to Kibale forest National park, en-route birding at Maramagambo Forest.
After breakfast, with our packed lunch, we check out of the lodge and drive to Maramagambo Forest for birding/nature walk in the forest. During the walk, we expect to encounter different bird species that includes; the Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Chestnut Wattle Eye, African Dusky, African Paradise, Red-bellied Paradise and Bedford’s Flycatchers, African Golden oriole, Red headed blue bill, Bat hawks, Sulphur-breasted bush shrike, Brown-eared woodpecker, Fawn breasted Waxbill, Yellow-rumped, Yellow-fronted and Speckled Tinkerbirds, African Moustached, Garden,Willow and Dark-caped Yellow Warbler among others. We also expect to encounter different primate species like the Black and white Colobus monkey. Later in the afternoon we drive to Kibale Forest National Park, arriving in the evening and check in to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Lodge: Chimpanzee Forest Guest House.
DAY 12: Birding in Kibale Forest National Park /Bigodi swamp.
After an early breakfast, we start our day birding in Kibale forest. The forest protects more than 300 bird species, so we will expect to encounter specialties that includes; Green-breasted Pitta, Red-chested Owlet, Scally-breasted, Pale-breasted and Brown Illadopsis, Red-caped and Blue-shouldered Robin-chat, Fire-crested and Brown-chested Alethe, Forest Robin, Buff-spotted, Brown-eared and Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Red-winged Francolin, Black-billed Turaco, White-naped and Afep Pigeon, Red-tailed Ant-thrush, Rufous Flycatcher-Thrush, Yellow-whiskered, Cabanis’s, Yellow-throated, Red-tailed and Little Greenbul, Red-tailed Bristlebill, Yellow-spotted, Hairy-breasted and Yellow-billed Barbet among others. We come back to the lodge, have lunch and latter go to Bigodi swamp for a nature walk/birding. This is located some 4kms from Kibale national park visitors’ centre. Here we expect to see species like; the Buff-spotted Woodpecker, Great-blue Turaco, White-naped pigeon, White-tail Ant-Thrush, White spotted Flufftail, Slender-billed, Cameroon Sombre, Joyful and Toro olive Greenbul among others. We go back to the Lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Lodge: Chimpanzee Forest Guest House.
DAY 13: Birding from Kibale Forest – Murchison Falls
After breakfast, with our packed lunch, we start birding as we transfer towards Murchison falls National Park, through the tea plantations for sightseeing of Fort portal and home steads of Kagadi and Hoima. We will make stopovers at some spots birding as we drive on, arriving the park in the evening for overnight.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Lodge: Pakuba safari Lodge or Kabalega wilderness Camp
Drive time: 6-7 hours
DAY 14: Birding towards the Delta, Murchison Falls N.P.
After an early morning breakfast, with our packed lunch, we will cross the Nile by the ferry to the northern sector of the park and start our game drive/ birding towards the Delta, in search for the specialties that include; Swallow-tailed, Madagascar, Northern Carmine, Blue-breasted and Red-throated Bee-eaters, Sooty and White-fronted black Chat, Crested and Heuglin’s Francolin, Silverbird, Rufous Sparrow, White-browed and Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-weaver, Vitelline Masked, and Speckle-fronted Weaver, Red-winged Pytilia, Zitting, Black-backed, Croaking, Siffling, Whistling, Rattling and Foxy Cisticola, Double-toothed, White-headed and Black-billed Barbets, Northern, Black-winged and Black Bishop, Nubian, Cadinal and Grey Woodpecker, Black-bellied and Denham’s Bustard, Black-billed and Blue-spotted Wood-dove, Tambourine and Namaqua Dove, Yellow-billed Oxpecker and African Golden Oriole, Long-toed lapwing, Goliath Heron, Water thick-knee, Abyssinian Ground-hornbill, and the rare Shoebill among others. We go back to our camp/lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Lodge: Pakuba safari Lodge or Kabalega wilderness Lodge
DAY 15: Nile Delta & Top of the falls, Murchison Falls N.P.
After breakfast, we shall take a boat trip, birding towards the Delta and the specialities here include the Papyrus Gonolek, White-winged Warbler, White rumped canary, Carmine Bee eater, Sacred Ibis, Pied Kingfisher, Red throated Bee eaters, Saddle billed stock, Red necked Falcon, Osprey, Bruce’s Green pigeon, Vinaceous dove, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Shoebill, Fulvous whistling Duck, White crested Turaco, Silver bird, Grosbeak Weaver, Goliath and Purple Heron among others. We also expect to encounter a variety of mammals including the Elephants, Buffaloes, Hartbeasts, Giraffe, Cobs, Oribis, Hyenas,Lions and Leopards among others. We go back to the camp, have lunch and later in the afternoon we go for a boat cruise upstream to the bottom of Murchison falls. We come back to the lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight.
DAY 16: Birding towards Budongo Forest.
After breakfast, with our packed lunch, we check out of the lodge and proceed on to Budongo forest for a half day Nature walk at Kaniyo-Pabidi. During the walk you will also be able to see different bird species like the Puvel’sIlladopsis, Sooty, Forest, African-shrike and Yellow footed flycatcher, White crested Turaco, African-crowned Eagle, Blue-breasted, African-dwarf and Chocolate-backed Kingfisher among others.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Lodge: Budongo Eco-Lodge
DAY 17: Transfer back to Entebbe International airport birding en-route.
Drive back to Entebbe international Airport and depending on your flight time, via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino tracking as well during the walk you may also be able to see some other bird species including shoebill stork, Abdim’s Stork, Blue spotted dove, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Booted eagle, African Black Crake, Broad billed Roller, African Black-headed Oriole, Bronze Manikini. After you will proceed to Entebbe, you may decide to have dinner and relax at the Lodge in Entebbe depending on your flight departure time, marking the end of your 17 days Uganda Birding Safari.
Drive time: 5-6 hours
End of Tour
- Additional accommodation can be arranged for extra cost
- You’ll be dropped off at the airport (or hotel)
COST PER PERSON SHARING
| Persons | Date | Price per person |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Person | Any date | USD7330.00 |
| 2 Persons | Any date | USD5960.00 |
| 3 Persons | Any date | USD5490.00 |
| 4 Persons | Any date | USD5260.00 |
| 5 Persons | Any date | USD5120.00 |
| 6 Persons | Any date | USD5020.00 |
Cost Includes
- Airport transfers on first and last day,
- Transport in a 4×4 safari vehicle
- Services of an English speaking driver guide
- Fuel for the whole trip
- Accommodation and meal plan as per the itinerary
- All park entrance fees
- Drinking water while in the vehicle
Cost excludes
- Gorilla permit at USD600.00 per person per trek(we book it for you)
- Pre and post tour accommodation in Entebbe or Kampala
- International airfares
- Uganda Visa (USD50.00 which can be paid on arrival at the Airport
- Items of personal nature such as tips, drinks, and laundry
Route Map
STANDARD: 4X4 SAFARI VAN
Our standard mode of transport is by road and we use 4×4 Safari Vans customized for game viewing and photography. Each safari van comes with a professionally trained driver guide and fuel for the whole safari. Our Safari vans have viewing hatches and each client is entitled to a window seat. Our Vans can take up to eight people. We also have 4×4 Super Customs very comfortable and stable on the road. These carry up to 5 people with their luggage. We also have 4×4 RAV 4 for a group of two people
UPGRADE: 4X4 LUXURY SAFARI LANDCRUISER
We have luxury latest Land cruisers each driven by professionally trained driver guides and fuel. They have pop-up roofs for proper game viewing and photography. They come with a small fridge for cooling your drinking water while on safari (which is always included while IN THE VEHICLE). They have inverters for charging small gadgets such as your smartphones and cameras. They can seat five to a maximum of seven people and each client is guaranteed of a window seat.
New Normal Travel Guidelines (SOPs)
At Encounter Africa Safaris our core value is to provide you with an authentic safari experience during these new and changing times when the whole world is alert about the ongoing pandemic of the Coronavirus. Encounter Africa Safari Travel SOPS have been put in place to ensure the wellbeing, safety and health of our clients and as such guidelines and measures have been put in place as we return to the new normal post covid-19. All these are in line with advice, guidelines and procedures for a post covid-19 traveler put in place by WHO, UNWTO, UWA, AUTO, UTB and Civil Aviation.
General recommendations for personal hygiene, cough etiquette and keeping a distance of at least one meter from persons showing symptoms remain particularly important for all travelers and even those without symptoms. These include:
- Perform hand hygiene frequently, particularly after contact with respiratory secretions. Hand hygiene includes either cleaning hands with soap and water or with an alcohol-based hand rub. Alcohol-based hand rubs are preferred and are not easily soiled. All travelers are advised to carry with.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a flexed elbow or paper tissue when coughing or sneezing and disposing immediately of the tissue and performing hand hygiene; the recommended type of mask is the N95.
- Refrain from touching mouth, eyes and nose, in general areas of the face.
- Postponing travel plans in cases of illness, and avoiding contact with people suffering from acute respiratory infections, hence social distance of at least one meter apart and if you are not sure of your health then postpone travel until you feel
On arrival at the airport or any entry point
- Mandatory temperature screening using non-contact infra-red thermometers at the key tourism gates at the Airport.
- Clients are required to have tested for the Virus prior to travel dates and should carry with medical documents supported by medical evidence and consistent with health best practices.
- A non-contact system (digital travel) has been introduced at the Airport for clients to check in and out and at visa points, you will be attended to by someone behind a glass shield and they will also wear face masks and protectors to maintain as little contact as possible.
- It’s now a must for all travel bags to be wrapped in plastic bags for travelers who are checking in at the Airport.
- Mandatory hand washing / sanitizing at all entrances of the Airport for all travelers and staff.
- Face masks are a must for all travelers, the recommended mask is an N95.
- Tours should not exceed more than 4 in a group to maintain social distancing and walk marks in place around the airport.
In the vehicle while traveling.
- Regular communication of safety protocols and responsibilities to clients, and to keep them informed and reminded to stay vigilant while enjoying.
- Onboard sanitizing tissues and/or fluids to clients (travelers) and staff (driver guides and the like) will be available and we encourage you to use them.
- Making stops along the way for gas, food, or bathroom breaks can put you and your traveling companions in close contact with other people and surfaces. Hence we will minimize the stops and set designated stopping areas that we prove to be safe for our health and we will encourage a takeaway food system to seating in hotels during stops. We rather encourage picnic eating along the way.
- Cleaning all surfaces more frequently, using products and disinfectants that meet requirements with special attention to high-touch surfaces like vehicle door knobs, picnic boxes, hand rests, refrigerators, etc.
- Redesigning all processes towards a more digital and touchless approach in all possible touch-points. Like cashless payment points as money has been found to spread the virus.
- Reduce the number of objects on board. Limit luggage quantities while traveling to only what is enough for your tour.
At the lodge.
Encounter Africa Safaris is working with only those lodges that have proven to uphold the health of our clients first and practicing as per the guidelines of WHO as below;
- Our partner hotels, lodges and restaurants are those that have increased the frequency of cleaning in common areas and contact surfaces and rooms. The lodges have also gone further to put hand sanitizers in both the common room and in bedrooms.
- Social distancing is a must in lodges we use of at least one meter which is the standard around the world.
- Upon arrival standard safety protocols will be outlined and how the lodge is practicing them to prevent spread of the virus in case a person is found to be sick.
- Our partner hotels and lodges keep spare rooms for possible sick or quarantine guests that are suspected to have the virus and later inform authorities about it.
- The hotels and lodges we use have implemented contactless check-in and provide guests with a hygiene welcome kit where possible (this may include gloves, masks, and sanitizers).
- Where possible temperature will be taken using a contactless infra-red thermometer as a basic standard for checking the common symptom of covid-19.
- The partner lodges have adopted new services such as room service or picnic takeaway to reduce convergence in the common dining area at the lodge and also you are encouraged to avoid buffets while ordering for meals as these attract many people.
- Our partners lodges and hotels foster flexibility in all their operations, such as those that can amend bookings if clients are not able to make it at suggested times and those that can keep credit for the client until when they are fit to travel.
At the national parks.
- All Staff and visitors shall wear the right face masks that have been prescribed by Ministry of Health (Visitors will carry their own masks an N95).
- Staff of Uganda Wildlife Authority will inform the visitor of the general government approved covid operational guidelines. They will explain to the visitor the UWA safety COVID measures (DOs and DONTs) during their tour and stay within the protected areas.
- The tourists shall be required to provide a certificate that shows that they are COVID negative, either provided by our Ministry of Health or the relevant authority from the country most recently visited.
- Temperature screening will be done at the key tourism gates of the different National Park. Those with temperatures above 37.6 degrees Celsius shall not be allowed into the protected areas and shall be advised to seek medical help through the mechanisms set up by authorities to get to the nearest quarantine location.
- Every tourist shall have wash and disinfect their hands at all entry points to the protected areas. Sanitary alcohol sanitizer dispensers as well as hand washing facilities with soap shall be installed at all entry points.
- There will be regular disinfecting of common areas with heavy tourist contact before, during and after visiting hours. These include information counters, service desks, waiting areas, park offices and toilets. Toilets in particular should be cleaned at least every 2 hours
- Where applicable, transparent screens will be fitted at all, park gate counters. The staff manning the gate will only allow visitors who have the prescribed face masks and who have washed/ sanitized to enter the park
Tourist vehicles and boats within the national parks
- The National guidelines issued by MoH shall be enforced by tourists while in visiting the National Parks i.e
- Saloon cars – 3 persons (This does not include the guide, where one is requested and paid for)
- Buses, mini buses and omnibuses – Half capacity
- Overlanders – Half capacity
- Concessionaire delivery vehicles, pick-ups and lories – 2 persons
- Private boats and launches – Half capacity
- Tour operator game drive vehicles and UWA owned game drive vehicles – 6 persons
- Social distancing should be observed within the vehicles
- Tour operators and service providers will be regularly reminded to disinfect their cars regularly
- UWA owned vehicles will be washed every day before use and disinfected daily through spray pumps
- Every protected area shall provide a safe location where this spraying can be done, and where they tour operators can also park their cars to disinfect them
- All tour operators shall be encouraged to provide their drivers with an alcohol rub/hand sanitizer for frequently or alternatively wear gloves. Caution should however be taken to remove this sanitizer whenever the car is parked
- All other precautionary measures have to be enforced ie washing hands, social distancing and cautiously using masks
Key Tourism Activities
Briefing of tourists
- Before engaging in any tourism activities, the tourists shall be given the usual briefing regarding the activities they are about to engage in. In addition to this, the guides shall remind the tourists about the risk / looming dangers of covid and brief them on the general preventative measures government has instituted and the measure they will be expected to abide by while in the Protected Areas, and remind them that it’s both for their safety and that of the wildlife.
- These guidelines and measures shall also be printed and displayed in key visible areas within the park such as the briefing areas, the gates, the information centres, the canteens, to mention but a few.
Gorilla and Chimpanzee Tracking
- The existing gorilla and chimpanzee tracking rules and guidelines (see annex) will remain in force to prevent any human to animal transmissions. These include
- 8 and 6 tourists will be allowed to track the gorillas and chimpanzees respectively
- The tourists must keep 7m away from the gorillas and chimpanzees
- Tourists who during the briefing are observed to be overly coughing shall not be allowed to track
- Tourists who during the briefing are observed to be sick shall not be allowed to track. These include tourists with signs flu, and those who report to have diarrhoea and stomach upsets, malaria etc
- While the forests are dense and don’t have any specific trails for tracking, the assigned UWA guides shall try as humanly possible to ensure that there is social distancing among the tourists while the tracking takes place
- The tourists shall be encouraged to carry light equipment to minimise the need for potters while they undertake the tracking. This will be communicated to potential tourists through the tour operators and other fora
- Due to the reported side effects of putting on masks for long periods and in high altitudes, the number of breaks during the tracking shall be doubled to give tourists time to breathe fresh air.
- During these breaks, social distancing should be observed
Game Drives
- The regular park rules shall apply
- The vehicle guidelines above shall also apply
- Where a guide is requested, the guide shall sit at the front and shall continuously remind the tourists about the need to social distance
- Masks shall be worn at all time
- Where a tourists gets side effects due to putting on a mask for a long time, the tourist shall inform the guide who will find a safe and secure place to park the vehicle and allow for the tourists to get fresh air while maintaining social distance
Boat Cruises
- The regular park rules shall apply
- The boat and launches guidelines above shall also apply
- The UWA owned boats must be cleaned and disinfected every day before any boat cruise activity
- The concessionaire shall also be required to clean and disinfect their boats every day before any boat activities
- The guide shall enforce social distancing while on the boat.
- Masks shall be worn at all time while on the boat
- Where a tourists gets side effects due to putting on a mask for a long time, the tourist shall inform the guide who will find space within the boat for this client to get some fresh air for a few minutes. This shall be away from the other tourists
Anticipated travel needs for anyone traveling post Covid-19
- Bring enough of your medicine to last you for the entire trip.
- Pack enough alcohol-based hand sanitizer (at least 60% alcohol) and keep it within easy to reach.
- Bring a cloth face covering to wear in public places. Mask N95 is recommended while traveling to Uganda.
- Prepare food and water for your trip where possible and avoid eating at places providing buffets.
- Limit the number of people you get in contact with while on safari.
For more information about safety and healthy responses and updates on Covid-19 in Uganda and East Africa, do not hesitate to contact Encounter Africa Safaris
