UGANDA
Uganda is one of Africa’s most outstanding birding destinations. With its wide-variety of habitats including breathtaking forests, world-famous waterfalls, awesome savanna and high-altitude grasslands this is one of the must-see destinations on our planet. The “jewel in the crown” must certainly be Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park which is one of the best places in the world to see Gorillas, and this will be high on our list of targets on this spectacular trip. Of course there will be many other things to look for including African Green Broadbill and a bunch of Albertine Rift Endemics. In Kibale we will look for Chimpanzees and the rare Green-breasted Pitta as well as a host of other superb species. And don't forget the amazing Shoebill which is another must-see bird that we will have a great opportunity to find, with our best opportunity from a boat as we slowly explore narrow channels and streams in the marhes
We begin in Entebbe for a gentle introduction to this very special country's avifauna with species such as African Grey Parrot, Great Blue Turaco, African Emerald Cuckoo, Green-throated Sunbird and Golden-Backed Weaver. Moving on to Kibale National Park for White-winged Warbler and Papyrus Gonolek, we can also spend some time with a fascinating group of Chimpanzees here. Crossing Queen Elizabeth Country Park there are chances of seeing Lions, as well as a wide variety of savannah species before reaching Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Seeing Gorillas up close and personal will be a lifetime long-treasured memory and is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And the birds here are amazing with African Green Broadbill, Petit's Cuckoo-Shrike, Grey-chested Illadopsis, Red-throated Alethe, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Many-coloured and Lühder’s Bush-Shrikes, Ruwenzori Batis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Dusky Crimsonwing, White-browed Crombec, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Willcock’s Honeyguide, Dusky Twinspot and maybe the curious and attractive Woodhouse's Antpecker plus so much more! Lake Mburo and Mabamba Swamp will provide a fitting finale to an action-packed African adventure.
Friday 7th - Sunday 16th July 2023
KEY SPECIES
Here are just a few of the key species we will be targetting on this tour:
- Mountain Gorilla
- African Green Broadbill
- Shoebill
- Black-billed Turaco
- Papyrus Gonolek
- Doherty's Bushshrike
- Blue-breasted Bee-Eater
- Afep Pigeon
- Blue-throated Roller
- Red-chested Owlet
- Brown-chested Plover
- Grauer's Warbler
- Chimpanzee
- Green-breasted Pitta
- Black Bee-eater
- Dusky Crimsonwing
- White-winged Warbler
- Red-throated Alethe
- Orange Weaver
- Great Blue Turaco
- Regal Sunbird
- Purple-breasted Sunbird
- Grauer's Rush Warbler
- Ruwenzori Batis
Leaders: Paul Tamwenya and Nick Bray
Ground Price 2023: £3175.00 - Entebbe/Entebbe
Airfare: £650.00 - £725.00 - UK/UK
Single supplement: £400.00
Deposit: £500.00
Group size: Minimum for tour to go ahead 4, and a maximum of 10 with 2 leaders
Included in cost: Full-board accommodation in twin or double en-suite rooms (according to availability), all meals from dinner on 6th July to lunch on 15th July, drinking water from van cool box, transport in exclusive 4x4 Land Cruisers which accommodate 6 guests, all boat excursions mentioned herein, all park and reserve entry fees, and services of all local driver-guides and leaders
Not included: International airfare, insurance, entry visa fee and departure tax, drinks, tips, laundry and items of a personal nature. Plus:
• Gorilla permit (subject to availability), which is USD 700 per person.
• Chimpanzee permit (subject to availability), which is USD 200 per person.
Early booking recommended! You will need us to book you a permit if you intend looking for Gorillas or Chimpanzees.
PLEASE LET US KNOWN STRAIGHT AWAY IF YOU WANT TO DO EITHER OF THESE TWO TREKS.
Accommodation: Ranges from standard to good, food is generally of a high standard and mostly buffet-style.
Tour Code: On this tour we will be looking for a variety of bird species that include many Albertine Rift Endemics as well as some very sought-after mammals such as Mountain Gorilla and Chimpanzees. The days can be long as it is important to be out at dawn and again out until dusk, as this is when most species are at their most active. but we shall endeavor to rest in the middle of the day or use this time to travel to our next destination. Each vehicle will hold up to 6 passengers, driver and a guide. The walking in most areas will be on well-defined mostly level tracks but at Ruhija the trek for Mountain Gorillas can take us away from forest trails and into areas that may be steep, slippery or thickly vegetated. Good walking boots and rain gear are essential in case of the off-chance of unseasonal showers.
Covid 19: To join this tour you will need to be doubly vaccinated.
We do ask that you take a test at home before flying to Uganda, even though proof of a negative test IS NOT a requirement for entry at present - this is liable to change. Social distancing in a birding group is rather impossible, so our policy for this particular tour will be to conduct it in the usual social setting. We would advise you to wear masks when coming into contact with anyone outside of our bubble - although we envisage this scenario will be kept to a minimum. Each one of us needs to adopt a safety-first mentality throughout our time together and whilst travelling to/from Entebbe. We understand masks are not everyone's favourite thing but for the foreseeable future they are going to be part of every birders kit, so please wear them if it make syou feel more comfortable. Saying that, most of our time will be spent in the outdoors and we deem a birding tour to be much safer than more 'normal' holidays! The vehicle we use every day will also be sterilized every day and hand gel will be made available to all.
All costs arising from any Covid-19-related issues are NOT included in the Zoothera Birding tour fee, and the individual tour participant is responsible for all of these payments. These include, but are not restricted to, payment for Covid treatment/medical fees on tour, transport and accommodation in case of quarantine, and the costs of any Covid tests needed for the tour, either before, during, or after the tour. Zoothera Birding will facilitate all arrangements in terms of ensuring that participants are safe and given rapid access to the best locally available medical treatment, but costs are to be borne solely by the tour participant. If anyone in the group shows some of the common symptons of Covid, they will need to obtain a PCR test locally and will have to isolate from the rest of the group - at their own expense.
