8 days best of Uganda and Masai Mara safari is the best seller safari that will combine the magnificent experience of mountain gorillas of Uganda and the exceptional wildlife in Masai Mara of Kenya with both thrill and adventure which makes it the best of both worlds. Uganda is known for having more than half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas with 22 families habituated in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National Park while Masai Mara is world renowned wildlife reserve located in the southwestern Kenya contiguous with the Tanzanian Serengeti National Park and is famous for its diverse wildlife with the Big Five fully catered for plus close proximity to parks like Nairobi national park, Hell’s gate national park, Longonot national park and Ruma national park. Mara is hosts great migrations of herds of wildebeests, zebras and other herbivores which normally happens from July- October. Expect to see lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, buffaloes, cheetahs, giraffes, hippos, zebras, antelopes, bushbucks, duikers, golden cats, forest hogs, civets, jackals; Primates like mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, syke’s monkeys; Birds like turacos, ground hornbills, rufous-bellied herons, kingfishers, hamerkops, mouse birds, bustards, black-bee eaters, regal sunbirds, bushshrikes, mountain orioles and more. The trip will start from Kampala and end in Kenya.
Day 1: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
You will get to your agreed point and will be met by a driver guide from Glory Summit Tours who will also brief you on how your trip will be after which you will set off for Bwindi which will take 8-9 hours. During the journey you will make one stop at the Igongo Cultural Center for lunch and also learn a little bit about the Ankole culture after which you will continue to Bwindi and arrive in time for dinner and check in the lodge for the night.
Day 2: Gorilla trekking and Batwa community tour
You will wake up early and have breakfast and head to the briefing spot by 7:30am where you shall be given the guidelines and safety precautions to be followed by a guide to ensure a smooth trek before you head into the forest to experience it. Depending on the targeted Gorilla families given to you to trek, the trekking will take between 30 minutes-6hours, it’s in this time that you shall get to see the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, how they live, care for each other, care for their young, how and when they eat, all this will be done with a guide and armed ranger on route with you. During the trek you will be given water and a snack for when you need it. When done with the trekking, you will go back to your lodge and freshen up then have lunch. There after you will visit the Batwa people for a community tour. With the help of a local guide, you will be involved in different community activities like music, dance and drama, crafting and honey harvesting. Story telling will also be key as a way to learn the Batwa people’s history and what makes them an interesting group people. You will the return to the lodge, have dinner and end the day.
Day 3: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
You will wake up in time for breakfast and checkout, after which you will exit the park for Lake Bunyonyi which will take about 3-4hours. During this time you will enjoy the green scenic views and also have some picture moments as beautiful views must be captured for memories. You will get to your lodge at Lake Bunyonyi in time for lunch, after which you will check and rest. Enjoy the cool breeze of the Lake, relax as you watch some birds like pied kingfisher, malachite kingfisher, herons, bronzy sunbird, black crake, common stone chat, great cormorant, black-headed weaver, fly catcher and many more. In the evening you will enjoy the sunset, after which you will have dinner and rest for night.
Day 4: Transfer to Kampala
You will wake up to a beautiful breakfast, and then check out of the lodge and prepare for your departure for Kampala and this will take about 9hours. You will have one stop over at the equator, for lunch, picture taking moments and exploring the craft village after which you will continue to Kampala. Once in Kampala you will check into a lodging for the night, have your dinner and rest at will.
Day 5: Transfer to Nairobi
After your breakfast, you will check out of your lodging and head to Entebbe International Airport and catch a flight to Nairobi which will take an hour. Once you have landed, you will head to Nairobi city center and check into a lodging for the night, rest as you wait for an early lunch, after which you will proceed to the Nairobi national park which is a short drive from the city center for an afternoon game drive to explore the park’s diverse ecosystems and spot its inhabitants. Experienced guides lead the game drives and provide information about the wildlife, ecology, and conservation efforts in the park. Expect to see the endangered black rhinos as the park is known for its populations of the black rhinos, and it provides a chance to see these magnificent creatures up close, lions, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, rhinos, cheetahs, hippos, and various antelope species. When done, you will head back to your lodging, have dinner and retire for the night.
Day 6: Transfer to Masai Mara
You will check out of your lodging after breakfast and prepare to exit Nairobi city for Masai Mara which will take about 6hours, on arrival you will check into your hotel and have lunch as you rest waiting for the evening game drive. Expect to see animals like lions, leopards, hyenas, jackals, zebras, giraffes, antelopes, topi as the cool temperatures bring out the predators which might give you an opportunity to witness a kill or some animals scavenging. At sunset you will head back to your lodging for dinner and retire at will as you enjoy the night skies above the Mara.
Day 7: Full day in Masai Mara
You can never have enough of the Mara and every new day has a new adventure and new experience. So after your breakfast you will head back for a morning game drive which will give you a chance to see more animals than the previous evening including the Big Five including the endangered black rhinos, expect to see lions, rhinos, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, gazelles, hippos, hartebeests, zebras, impalas, giraffes and more with birds like ostriches, guinea fowls, turacos, hornbills, herons, fin-foots, king fishers and more. After the drive, you will set camp for a lunch picnic as you watch more animals and birds. Once lunch is done, you will continue to the Masai village for a tour of the community that lives within the Mara. Here you will engage with the Masai people with a local guide who are mobile pastoralists with a unique culture not known or found anywhere else in the world. Through cultural dances, milking their cows, getting fresh blood from animals, making of their local houses and many more activities will give you an insight in who they are intimately. You will also enjoy the sunset, then head back to your lodging, freshen up and have dinner. Then sit by the fire as you enjoy the clear beautiful skies and retire at will.
Day 8: Checkout and departure
You will check out of your lodging, have breakfast and exit the Mara for Nairobi. You will enjoy a game drive as you exit and your drive will be about 5-6hours, with a stopover for lunch and some picture moments then proceed to Nairobi and drop off will be at an agreed point or the airport marking the end of the beautiful safari combining lots of adventure.
