UgandaFrom exciting national parks to gorilla trekking

After breakfast, you will set off by car towards Lake Mburo National Park. The journey will take around four hours, with a stop at the equator. Get out of the car and stand in two hemispheres at the same time – it's a rare opportunity! The park is the smallest in Uganda, but it has an enormous variety of wildlife, including zebras, leopards, antelopes, buffalos, oribis, impalas, hyenas, hippos, and a rich bird life with 350 species. Lake Mburo is connected to 13 other lakes by wetlands, five of which are within the park boundaries. A lush forest stretches all around.

Your accommodation is built on wooden stilts on private lodge grounds in pleasant seclusion. Each residence surprises with a different view, either of a tranquil lake, the shady forest, or across rocks into the wonderfully exotic expanse. You don't even have to leave the grounds for exciting wildlife viewing; just lie by the pool and look down at the waterhole. Take a boat trip to see hippos, buffalos, and crocodiles, observe colorful kingfishers and many other water-loving animals, including the prehistoric-looking shoebill.

Now it's on to the famous Bwindi National Park, about a five-hour drive away from the two nature reserves. Here, the mighty gorillas await you, and you can encounter them on an extensive tracking tour. The excursion begins where the animals took their rest the day before; the guide follows the tracks along the volcanic slopes with you. Once you have discovered "your" gorilla family, you position yourself close by and observe these fascinating animals in their natural habitat.

It is not without reason that Bwindi National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site; it is one of Africa's most species-rich ecosystems with more than 90 mammal species, including 11 primates, 346 bird species, 202 butterfly species, and many other, sometimes rare, endemic species. The mountain gorilla population consists of approximately 340 animals, representing about half of the total global population. Take long walks in the forest with your local guide and visit the Batwa people for deep insights into their culture. The bird watching in Bwindi Park is phenomenal – and your luxury tented camp is located right in the misty heart of the rainforest, right where life unfolds.

Continue your journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park, passing through many small villages surrounded by plantations in unspoiled African countryside. The reserve is Uganda's most popular savannah park, with almost 2,000 square kilometers of open savannah, rainforest, papyrus swamps, and crater lakes. Nearly 100 species of mammals call this magnificent wilderness home, including elephants, lions, giant forest hogs, Uganda waterbucks, playful chimpanzees, and more than 600 species of birds. The climbing lions, whose males have black manes, have become famous: a unique feature found nowhere else. Your modern safari lodge offers sweeping views of the savanna, the distant Moon Mountains, and the dreamy Kyambura Gorge.

Fancy a trip to this very gorge, where numerous wild animals gather around the Kazinga Channel? We also invite you to experience the preparation of delicious Ugandan coffee specialties at the local community café. Or you can go on a game drive to see four of the BIG 5, right in the heart of nature.

Continue your round trip towards Kibale National Park. On the way, enjoy the view of the snow-capped Ruwenzori Mountains, also known as the Mountains of the Moon, whose highest peak exceeds 5,000 meters. The reserve is also located at a considerable altitude, between 1,100 and 1,600 meters, and is considered a primate paradise. A total of 13 species live in 700 square kilometers of misty rainforest, including the rare red colobus monkey and Hoest's monkey. The comparatively small, hairy forest elephant also finds a peaceful home here. However, the main attraction is the chimpanzees, with around 500 animals roaming their natural habitat.

An experienced tour guide will accompany you on your trekking tour, providing you with fascinating background information not only about the lively monkeys themselves, but also about the surrounding flora and fauna.

Enjoy the view of the crater lakes surrounding your lodge and visit the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. This conservation project is dedicated to preserving a valuable wetland area.

Murchison Falls is the largest of Uganda's national parks. Reach Lake Albert in the west of the reserve, drive along it, past numerous villages and plantations. Observe everyday African life and stop for lunch in Hoima. Look forward to encountering the BIG 5 around your safari lodge, as this is the only place in the country where all five giants can be found.

At the dramatic Murchison Falls, the world's longest river, the Nile, plunges through a narrow gorge. An exciting game drive takes you into the wilderness early in the morning, following the tracks of predators returning from their nightly hunt. On this safari, you can expect to see an enormous variety of animals, from bushbucks and giraffes to cute bushbabies. Your guide knows them all by name. On a barge trip, you will get to know the Nile from the water. You will experience a fascinating frontal view of the waterfalls and the Devil's Cauldron at their feet. Would you like to hike to the Top of the Falls and experience the Nile in all its glory – or learn archery? Then you've come to the right place.

The journey continues to Kidepo National Park, on the southern border with Sudan. You will have lunch in Gulu and arrive at Apoka Safari Lodge in the evening, which is perched on a huge inselberg in the middle of the reserve. From there, you can enjoy a breathtaking 360-degree panoramic view! Discover an endless list of animals on a game drive, either in an open Land Cruiser or on foot. However, you can also see many wildlife creatures from your private veranda or while relaxing in your outdoor bathtub.

Kidepo National Park is the only park in Uganda where zebras and giraffes live together. Not only the animals, but also the people have their own special charm. Accept the invitation to visit the Karamojong village to learn more about the way of life of the locals. Perhaps end the day with a sundowner in the shade of a fig tree.

Set off on one last African adventure! Enjoy a delicious lunch in Gulu on your way to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, then settle in at Amuka Safari Lodge. Your home for the night is located in a pristine forest in the heart of the reserve. Ziwa was founded in 1998 to protect rhinos, and it is the only place where you can track these colossal creatures on foot.

Later, your driver will take you to Kampala, where you will visit the Kasubi Tombs, the burial site of the kings of Buganda on a hill in the capital. Here, history, religion, and culture come together in a wonderful blend. From Entebbe Airport, you will fly home, taking Uganda with you in your heart.