Bed and Breakfast
- On arrival at Entebbe International Airport, our representative will transfer you to the hotel in Kampala for the overnight in BB, Cassia Lodge / Kampala Onomo Hotel.
Day2 – River Nile – Ssezibwa Falls – Mount Elgon / Kapchorwa
Full Board.
- After breakfast, early morning at 7,30 leave Kampala to Jinja the capital town of the Basoga, where you find the legendary source of the Nile from Lake Victoria.
- A stop over is made at Ssezibwa Falls, where the legend narrates of the presence of the spirits of the traditional religion, including spirit of water (Mukasa), of hunting (Ddungu), of the rainbow (Musoke) and fertility.
- Lunch en route in Jinja in a restaurant.
- We organize the visit to the source of River Nile from Lake Victoria. A boat excursion will reach up to the point of the source.
- In the evening arrive in Mbale and proceed for dinner and overnight at Home of Friends Guest House.
- Supplement Sipi Heritage Lodge.
Note: the distance covered today is 280 km and 5 hours and half drive on average on tarmac roads.
Day 3 – Sipi Falls trekking – Coffee tour
Full Board.
- Early morning you go for the trekking through the Sipi Falls from Mount Elgon. The vegetation is superb with banana and coffee plantations and view of the Karamoja valley. The Sipi river creates about four sets of incredible waterfalls as it descends down the valley.
- Lunch in a restaurant or at the lodge.
- In the afternoon, we organize the coffee tour in this area that is renowned for the best quality coffee in Uganda, the Arabica Bugisu of the mountains’ slopes. We will visit the coffee farmers and their cooperative to understand closer the coffee business.
- In the evening relax at the lodge and we may organize the storytelling about the culture of the Sabiny people around the camp fire.
- Dinner and overnight at Home of Friends Guest House.
- Supplement Sipi Heritage Lodge.
Day 4 – Mount Elgon / Kapchorwa – Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve
Full Board.
- Early morning if you are fit and like some fresh air, we organize for you the “Run Kapchorwa” from Home of Friends Guest House. You follow a sunrise training route of the champions, jogging for about half an hour. This is the area where the Ugandan runner champions come from and it may be possible to meet any along the routes of their training. In alternative to the run, we can organize the circuit in mountain bike.
- After breakfast, proceed to Pian Upe Game Reserve for game drive and nature walk to visit some interesting site of rock paintings. With 2.788 square kilometers, Pian Upe is the second largest reserve in Uganda after Murchison Falls National Park. This is a semi-arid alberated savannah with euphorbia’s and acacias. Wildlife reintroduction has been managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority with the target to make it a national park. Among the wildlife in Pian Upe, we mention the lions, leopards, cheetah, the reintroduced giraffes, spotted hyenas, zebras, Uganda kobs, antelope hartebeest, waterbuck, eland, oribi, buffaloes, topi and the only roan antelopes in Uganda.
- We organize packed lunch for the day.
- The trip proceeds to Moroto for dinner and overnight at Kara Tunga Safari Camp.
Note: the distance covered today is about 180 km and 4 hours drive on average on murram roads. In case accommodation becomes available in Pian Upe Reserve, we will update this overnight.
POSSIBLE EXTENSIONToday is possible to add the extension of the Mount Elgon Trekking.
Day 5 – Community tourism: Matheniko & Tepeth
Full Board.
- After breakfast, drive to the communities who inhabit the mountains surrounding Moroto, the Tepeth. These are the original inhabitants of Karamoja, who were raided by other Karimojong tribes and seek refuge on the slopes of the mountains, where are found their traditional manyattas. You will have a direct experience of the daily life in Karamoja and you will bring with you the appreciation gift for the community.
- Lunch at the hotel.
- In the afternoon visit the communities of the Matheniko of the plains. These are semi-nomadic people and cattle keepers, also known in the past for their raiding the cattle of the neighboring tribes. Their lifestyle is slowly changing to residential agriculturalists. Visit the typical homestead or “manyatta” to view the style of life. The Matheniko also can perform their traditional dances or “edonja” as they dress on their traditional clothes.
- Dinner and overnight at Kara Tunga Safari Camp.
Day 6 – Mount Moroto Reserve
Full Board.
- After breakfast, you take a day nature walk along one of the trails of Mount Moroto forest reserve, to enjoy beautiful landscapes, unique vegetation and panoramas. Mount Moroto offers a number of nature trails and there is also a biosphere site of UNESCO, the “Elpas Forest”.
- Have a packed lunch for the day.
- In the evening, we can visit Moroto town, the market and the local historical museum.
- Dinner and overnight at Kara Tunga Safari Camp.
Day 7 – Community Tourism: Jie, & Dodoth – Kidepo Valley National Park
Full Board.
- After breakfast, leave Moroto to Kotido passing through the areas of herdsmen with their cattle. Near Kotido are found the Jie villages, a small Karamojong ethnic tribe. The Jie are well recognized by the marks in their faces according to their culture. It is possible to take photographs of this unique experience.
- Lunch en route.
- Drive to the lowland plains near Loyoro to encounter the Dodoth communities. Pastoralists in the tradition, the Dodoth will explain about the cattle keeping and tell about their history.
- In the evening proceed to Kidepo Valley National Park, for dinner and overnight at Kidepo Savannah Lodge / Zebra Lodge / Katurum Lodge.
- Upgrade: Apoka Safari Lodge / Adere Safari Lodge
Note: the distance covered today is about 260 km and 5 hours drive on average on murram roads
Day 8 – Kidepo Valley National Park
Full Board.
- After breakfast go for photographic game drives along the trails of the national park. Especially, expect to explore the region of the river Narus valley. Kidepo contains one of the most exciting faunas of any Ugandan parks, with over 80 species of mammals several of which restricted only to Kidepo, like cheetah, striped hyena and caracal. The bird list boasts over 465 species.
- Full board and overnight at Kidepo Savannah Lodge / Zebra Lodge / Katurum Lodge.
- Upgrade: Apoka Safari Lodge / Adere Safari Lodge.
Day 9 – Kidepo Valley National Park - Gulu
Full Board.
- After breakfast go for other photographic game drive in Kidepo.
- Early lunch at the lodge or lunch en route in restaurant.
- The journey proceeds through the Acholiland to Gulu.
- Dinner and overnight in Gulu, at Palm Garden Gulu / African Roots Guest House Gulu.
Note: the distance covered today is 230 km and 5 hours drive on average on murram and tarmac roads.
Day 10 – Gulu - Entebbe
Half Board.
- After breakfast, end of the program with return back to Kampala and transfer to Entebbe International Airport for afternoon or evening flights.
- Optional: visit Ziwa rhinos reserve.
- Lunch en route.
Note: the distance covered today is 380 km and 5 hours and half drive on average on tarmac roads
EXTENSIONS:
Mount Elgon Trekking 3 days 3 nights
Introduction:
Mount Elgon is an extinct volcano with the largest surface area in the world (50 km by 80km) and a caldera which covers over 40km at the top of the mountain. The highest peak is Wagagai, 4.321 m. It lies at the border with Kenya in Eastern Uganda and is protected within the Mount Elgon National Park boundaries shared with Kenya. It is home to the Bagisu and the Sabiny people and the area is well known for the high cultivation of good Arabic coffee. While ascending the peaks, you meet four different vegetation zones: the montane forest, the bamboo forest, the heath zone and moorland zone, where you can find some endemic species of plants like giant Lobelia Elgonensis, particular groundsels and everlasting flowers.
Day 4 - Hike to Hunwick’s Camp 2,882m.
Full Board
Meet the guides at basecamp for briefing. Day one is a 7.4km walk with an altitude gain from Base Camp above Bugiboni village at 1,720m to the Sasa River Camp at 2,882m giving an altitude gain of 1,162 metres and 4 to 5 hours walk. The trek crosses through coffee plantations to the Gasawa steel ladders with some steep sections above the ladders. It then flattens out to pass through the community where the main source of income is coffee, onions, potatoes and maize. As you climb up get fantastic views of the valley below. The park entrance is at Kilulwasi, Bumagagula which is 2.6km from Base Camp, with a 240-metre steep climb inside the park. Once on top, the views of the valley and communities below are awesome. After a short rest, it is a gradual climb through beautiful Montane Forest to the lunch spot 600m above the ladders where you can take a break before continuing to the Dirigana River through Giant Ferns shaded by towering Podacarpus trees. Once you cross the river you have a gentle climb up to the Mukoola Ridge and fantastic views. The camp is set up on the Mukoola Ridge at 2,882 metres and offers views of Masaba Peak which is an icon of Mt Elgon.
Overnight stay at: Hunwick’s Camp at 2,882m
Day 5 - Hike to Sasa River Camp at 2,872m.
Full Board
Early morning you continue to climb above the camp for about one kilometre through the beautiful montane forest perched atop a four hundred metre cliff often with clouds and fog coming from below and where on a clear day you get incredible views. You then descend down through the forest to the Dirigana River where you follow along the river for about one and a half kilometres before crossing. The rote follows climbing to Sasa River Camp for the night.
Overnight stay at: Sasa River Camp at 2,872metres
Day 6 - Hike down to the basecamp 1720m
Descend down through the Montane Forest to Base Camp. Trekkers start arriving at the basecamp from 11:30am on wards. Transfer for the overnight in Kapchorwa at Home of Friends Guest House.
