Itinerary for Uganda

Hi All,

I need some suggestions for putting together a 4 weeks itinerary, and maybe could be helpful for some other travellers.

We wish to travel as much as possible by public transport, but we can also rent a car with driver if really needed.

We have the permit for the Nshongi for the first of Sept.

Itinerary

Date - What - Sleep in

08-Aug - all day in Entebbe (arrive at 3,30 AM) - Entebbe
09-Aug - Wake up early and move to Jinjia. - Jinjia
10-Aug - Visit of Jinjia - Jinjia
11-Aug - Travel to Sipi Falls. - Sipi Falls
12-Aug - Sipi Falls exploration. Return to Mbale by shared mini bus taxi. - Mbale or Kampala
13-Aug - Take bus to Kampala, day in Kampala - Kampala - Red Chilli
14-Aug - Red Chilli tour - leave for Murchison Falls - Murchinson Falls
15-Aug - Red Chilli tour - Murchinson Falls - Murchinson Falls
16-Aug - Red Chilli tour - Murchinson Falls plus Visit to Rhino Sanctuary - Masindi or Kampala??
17-Aug - Take bus to Fort Portal and shared taxi to Crater lakes - not sure where
18-Aug - Crater lakes visit - Fort Portal
19-Aug - Crater lakes visit - Fort Portal
20-Aug - Crater lakes visit - Fort Portal
21-Aug - Move to Kasese and then to Katurungu - Katunguru
22-Aug - QE national Park: at 6,30 depart from accomodation to proceed to Mweya to do the 09.00am launch trip on the Kazinga Channel. Game drive the peninsular from sunrise prior to starting the boat trip. After the boat trip 2 hours proceed to Katunguru Junction and down the Ishasha road 3 hours from Mweya to Ishasha. Game drive the Ishasha sector in search of tree climbing lions - Kihihi
23-Aug - From Kahihi to lake Bunyoniy - ??
24-Aug - From Kahihi to lake Bunyoniy - ??
25-Aug - Lake Bunyonyi - Lake Bunyonyi
26-Aug - Lake Bunyonyi. - Lake Bunyony
27-Aug - Transport to Kisoro, with change in Kabale - Kisoro
28-Aug - wake up early and proceed to Mgahinga National Park for Golden Monkey tracking - Kisoro
29-Aug - volcano climb of Mount Sabinyo - Kisoro
30-Aug - Batwa visit - Kisoro
31-Aug - from Kisoro to Lake Mutanda - canoeing and go to Rubuguri - Somewhere around Nshongi Group
01-Sep - Proceed to Rushaga. Gorilla tracking Nshongi group. - Somewhere around Nshongi Group
02-Sep - Don’t know what do today… Mudbwindi swamp or back to Kampala?? -
03-Sep - Travel day to Kampala or Entebbe.. 11 hours - Kampala
04-Sep - Kampala move to Entebbe before night - Entebbe
05-Sep - Transfer to airport at 02.30 am -
--------------

My trouble are:

1) Jinjia, how many days? 2 days are too much I we don't do rafting?
2) QENP: Can I do everithing in 1 day renting a car with driver for the whole day?
3) QENP: How can I reach lake Bunyonyi from Kihihi? How long will I take?
4) 28/8 - 1/9: do you think is makeable, or the day of the gorilla tracking I will be too tired because of the previous day trekking? Is Mount Sabinyio hard to climb?
5) 2 Sept: I have a free day, what can I do? just relax (where?) or visit something around? what do you suggest? I saw there are Mudbwindi swamp, do they worth a visit?

Is there anything missing or clearly not do-able?

thank you

Hi you might want to spend a bit more time in and around Mbale. [I'm biased -I'm out there a couple of times a year on climate change resilience work.]
They grow the best coffee - arabica, not the usual robusta type and you can go and see it on the bush - or buy it of course!

Salem is a great place to stay for a night or two - out of town [but get a boda boda] where a German group have been running an orphanage, hospital, and environmental projects for years, getting funds in part from those who stay in the part-westernised African huts. V secure, great vegetarian cooking and bar, running [cold] water and western loos. They have a web site - Salem Uganda. Worth a try to see if they have spaces.
The Mount Elgon National Park has an office just out of the main town centre some good walks and treks no big animals but amazing views over the plains.

Hope its useful - have an amazing time

My first reaction was that if you're doing most of this (except national parks) on public transport then its going to be an incredibly tiring trip. Uganda is a small country and easy to get around by public transport but it is SLOW and uncomfortable. With this itinerary you'll see a lot of the country but mainly out of the window of the bus. August 13th for example, you won't have an awful lot of time in Kampala in daylight if you don't leave Mbale til midday. Apart from long distance buses (e.g. Kampala to Kigali) transport doesn't leave on a set timetable and you can sometimes sit waiting for a bus to fill up for almost as long as the journey takes....just something to think about.

Besides that, it sounds amazing but maybe just a bit too jam packed. You might want to take a day or two to just chill out and soak up Ugandan culture. Have a great time in this gorgeous country!

Hi hilarypont,
thank you for your suggestion, I've checked the website of Salem and I've sent them an email for have more informations.

The place seem very nice from the picture.

How many days do you think I should spend in my travel Kampala -> Sipi Falls -> Mbale -> Kampala?

At the moment I thought 2, but if it worth I could spend 1 day more.

Charbackhome
where do you suggest I should be more "slow"? the 13th I think you are right, do you see any other day?

If you don't like rafting , You can do Kayaking of Bungee jumping. More about Bungee visit http://www.uganda-visit-and-travel-guide.com/bungee-jumping.html

Its like you will enjoy Uganda to the fullest. Uganda is a beautiful country and with a full month , I'm sure you will live to tell other travellers how you journey in Uganda was

In you itinerary, i didn't see the journey from Fortportal to Kibale forest national Park. This park is the best where to see all types of Primates in Uganda save for the Gorillas. Make
sure its included as quick as possible. More information about Kibale Forest National Park here is a page http://www.uganda-visit-and-travel-guide.com/kibale-forest-national-park.html

I dint see a safari to Semliki National Park and Semiliki Game reserve. This is a place where you will see the the boundary of the East African Rift Valley and the Pygmies in Uganda. These parks are found in Bundibugyo district. They are a must visit if you are to stay in Fortportal town for 3 nights. More information about Semliki at http://www.uganda-visit-and-travel-guide.com/semliki-national-park.html

About queen Elizabeth national park, all you need is a driver and one day cannot be enough because you need a ride on a motor boat along the Kazinga Channel, a visit to Kyambura Gorge for the primates and a visit to Bats Monkey . Can you do this all in one day? A minimum of 2 days is required more about Mweya and Queen Elizabeth national Park visit http://www.uganda-visit-and-travel-guide.com/elizabeth-national-park.html

How to reach Bunyonyi from Kihihi? Its a hectic journey but full of safari attractions. You will join Kisoro road from Kihihi through Mafuga Forest Reserve and make sure you reserve one day to rest before you go for gorilla tracking more about gorillas at http://www.uganda-visit-and-travel-guide.com/gorillas.html

On your rest day, you can visit Kisoro town at http://www.uganda-visit-and-travel-guide.com/kisoro-district.html

By the way I'm a Ugandan and i Love Uganda

Wish you a Safe Safari in the Pearl of Africa

Twino,
thank you very much for your answers.

I'm not going to Kibale, because I'm not sure I'll have the time for it and because I will need to buy a permit in UWA in Kampala. Because I want to be flexible I don't know exactly when I will be in Fort Portal or Kibale.

I didn't put the Semliki NP because I thought to visit the pigmey near Kisoro, do you think it is better here in Semliki?

About QENP I think you are right and I need to stay one day more,
About Kyambura Gorge, there is the same problem of Kibale, I need a permit in advance.

How to reach Bunyonyi from Kihihi. The way you described can I do it with public transport or shared taxi? Or do I need to rent a car with driver? I would prefer the first one. Do you think I can make it in one full day? Or do I need 2 or more?

Regarding Kihihi-Bunyonyi: it's doable with public transport. We hired a car+driver from Fort Portal to QENP (2 nights) and Ishasha (1 night): the car dropped us off at Kihihi after an early morning game drive in Ishasha. I can't remember how many public taxi-buses we took (maybe 2?) from Kihihi, but we arrived in Bunyonyi without problems in the afternoon.

Are you sure you need a permit in advance for Kyambura Gorge? We went there in 2007 and I'm sure we didn't arrange the permits from Kampala. I'm not sure if we arranged the permits from the office in QENP or maybe the company in Fort Portal arranged it for us when we rented the car. Maybe things have changed, though.

Ciao

Crampo,
thank you very much for your answer, from Kihihi and lake Bunyionyi I've planned 2 days, because I wasn't sure how long it will take, your answer is very helpful, and I can think to stay one day more in lake bunyiony.

Do you remember if you had to change the bus in Kabale?

About the permit in Kibale, this is what I was told, but I didn't find this info in the guide.

ciao

This is what I remember: we took a shared taxi from Kihihi, then we changed someplace between Kihihi and Kabale because I remember arriving there with a very crowded matatu. From Kabale to Bunyonyi I think that we took a taxi.

If I were you, I would add one more day for QENP-Ishasha instead of Bunyoni: 2 full days in Bunyoni could be enough. Also I suggest to hire a car from Fort Portal for 2-3 nights If you can afford it: it was the most expensive part of our trip but it was worth it.

Invidia!

Ciao

Crampo,
you are right, but I'm in a very low-budget and rent a car in QENP is very expensive, so we will try to stay less than we can (unfortunatly)

Grazie per l'invida, but I think your trip was great too

Do you think if I rent a car in Fort Portal for take me for 2 days in QENP and leave me in Kihihi, will be less expensive than rent it directly outside the gate?
Actually I was hoping to meet some other turists there and maybe share the costs of the car, but I don't know if it is makable