The Big Five Safari is Africa’s most popular adventure. A complete Big Five safari is only possible in Murchison Falls with an en route to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. The Big Five games include Lions, Leopards, Rhinos, Buffalos, and Elephants. Murchison Falls National Park is home to lions, leopards, buffalos, and elephants, combining with Ziwa, which is the only destination to track rhinos in their natural sanctuary. Visiting this park, you will be able to do: rhino tracking, game drives, boat cruises, visiting the top of the falls, spot fishing, and nature walks. The trip starts from Kampala to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, to Murchison Falls National Park, and back to Kampala.
Day 1: Transfer from Kampala to Murchison Falls
Upon reaching Entebbe airport or at your lodge or hotel, the car can be dropped off at your doorstep for pickup. Then embark on your drive to Murchison Falls National Park. En route to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola to track the only rhinos in their natural sanctuary in Uganda. The track can take about 2 hours, then refresh with lunch at Kabalega dinner and then drive to Murchison Falls National Park. It will be in the evening hours; check-in at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Luxury: Nile Safari Lodge
Mid-range: Pakuba Safari Lodge
Day 2: Explore Murchison Falls National Park (game drive and boat cruise)
Today you will be served an African touch breakfast or a continental breakfast as your order may wish. It’s advisable that on a self-drive, you get a ranger guide from UWA offices to guide you through the game drive. On a game drive via various driving trails, expect to watch herds of buffalos, elephants, various antelopes, zebras, towers of giraffes, warthogs, wild dogs, hyenas, prides of lions, and leopards, among many others. The drive continues through various trucks, and it’s crowned at the Delta Point, which hosts the highest concentration of animals in the park. For birders, there are several interesting bird species, and the shoebill is among them, which in most cases is found in the delta.
After three hours of driving, refresh with a special lunch, then take an afternoon boat cruise leading to watching the bottom of the Murchison Falls. The boat cruise takes about 3 hours and is packed with a lot of amazing scenery. Through various waterweeds hiding various species, there are stunning walls of eroded cliffs, various land mammals are scene grazing at the river banks, and various bird species also accompany the cruise. Reaching the bottom of how nature reacts to attempts, huge rapids force into a narrow gorge the humus-plumbed brownish waters that flow the Victoria Nile. One amazing moment is the thunderous roar of the rain. We will return to Paradise and then drive with a memory-filled evening to your lodge for an overnight and dinner.
Luxury: Nile Safari Lodge
Mid-range: Pakuba Safari Lodge
Day 3: Morning Spot Fishing and Community Visit
Equipped with your fishing tools, head to the Victoria Nile, set off on your private boat with a guide, and spend all your morning hours fishing. The spot fishing at Murchison Falls National Park is a catch and realize game, and the major catches are the Tilapia of the Nile. The best fishing spots are around the Para Peninsular and around the scenic delta. Then, after returning to your lodge for lunch and refreshments, you will visit some communities around the park. This is an opportunity to understand how the locals are co-working to ensure conservation and how they benefit. Stories, walks, traditional songs, and dances are the expectations when visiting the community.
Luxury: Nile Safari Lodge
Mid-range: Pakuba Safari Lodge
Day 4: Budongo Forest Morning Walk and Drive Back to Kampala
This morning, I will take a drive to Budongo Forest for a nature walk. Along the walk, you can encounter various primate species, several birds, and a cool, breathtaking ambiance. After, we will take a drive back to Kampala via Masindi, with lunch en route at Kabalega dinner. Will Kampala in the evening hours and can consider a car drop-off at Entebbe International Airport for your flight back home.