Western Uganda receives far few tourists than the Kruger National or Serenget National Parks, but it surpasses all other safari destinations for sheer biodiversity. Here, where the East African savanna meets the West African rainforest, a handful of superb national parks promises visitors close-up encounters with some of Africa’s most iconic wildlife. In the south of the region is the dense mountain rainforest of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which protects about half the world’s remaining gorillas. Further north is the Kibale Forest National Park, one of Africa’s top chimp-tracking destinations. Its dense canopy is also home to the continent’s highest concentration of monkeys, including the acrobatic red colobus and black-and-white colobus. On the Rift Valley floor between Bwindi and Kibale lies Queen Elizabeth National Park where savannah, forest and aquatic habitats converge to create a riot of biodiversity attested to by a bird checklist of 600-plus species. Boat trips on the Kazinga Channel with the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains looming high on the horizon bring nature-lovers face to face with hippos, buffalos, elephants, pelicans and waterfowl while the fringing woodland is one of the most reliable places on earth to spot giant forest hogs. The Ishasha Plains are justly renowned for their tree-climbing lions, while elsewhere patches of dense forest enclose saline crater lakes tinged pink by thousands of flamingoes. Somerset Tours & Travel now invite you to join us on the trip of a lifetime to Uganda, the Pearl of Africa.
Our tour departs South Africa on 08 July 2025 and flies on Uganda Airways to Entebbe, beautifully situated on Lake Victoria. We will spend 2 nights here before heading to Kibale, visiting Mbamba Swamp en route. Kibale boasts an incredible 13 primate species, including our closest relative, the Chimpanzee and excellent forest birding of over 300 species. We will spend 2 nights here with fabulous birding and optional chimp-trekking opportunities.
From Kibale, the tour proceeds to Queen Elizabeth National Park for 2 nights. Here birding, game-drives and a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel which joins connects Lake George in the northeast to Lake Edward in the southwest are the order of the day. With 95 mammal species, 600 bird species and dramatic volcanic features, this park is a must-visit!
Our next stop on the itinerary is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. It was declared a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site in 1994. Most famously, Bwindi is home to more than half the world’s population of Mountain Gorillas. We will spend 4 nights here with birding experiences in the Ruhija sector and the Umubwindi Swamp, game drives and the option of Gorilla trekking. A trek through the thick and dark rainforests of Bwindi in search of the great apes definitely ranks among one of the world’s premier wildlife encounters!
At the end of the tour we will spend 1 night at Lake Mburu National Park with time to explore the park and take a boat trip on Lake Mburu before returning to Entebbe, crossing the Equator en route, for our return flights home.
Lyn Mair will be leading the group from South Africa and professional English-speaking naturalist & birding guide extraordinaire, Marc Cronje, will be escorting the group together with a local guide, throughout Uganda. This will be a unique and unforgettable experience for every member of the group.
Space on this tour is limited to 6 guests. If you have any queries, or would like to secure your reservation or register your interest in this tour, please do not hesitate to contact Liz on telephone +27 (0)21 786-2598 or cell +27 (0)83 357 4855 or email info@somersettours.co.za. We look forward to booking your place on this unique tour to “The Pearl of Africa”.