4 Days Shoebill Watching Birding Tour
4 Days Shoebill Watching Birding Tour
SINGLE AND GROUP TOURSThis tour takes you to explore two Important Bird Areas for the opportunity to sight the famous prehistoric Shoebill stork and a range of wetland birds at Mabamba swamp. Takers will also experience lovely boat rides and a nature walk to see a number of forest birds at Nkima lodge. On a visit to L. Mburo NP – an Important Bird Area, visitors will find a mix of several sought-after savanna and wetland birds including the Crested Barbet, the Red-faced Barbet, the Blue-breasted Kingfisher, the Papyrus Gonolek, Lappet-faced Vulture and others.
Tour Includes
Your Itinerary
This tour starts and ends in Uganda's thronging capital city Kampala. An airport pick up and drop off may be arranged.
Day 1: Transfer to Mabamba (2 hours) (50 km)
This tour begins with a pick up from your hotel in Kampala in the early morning of Day 1. Your guide will take you a 2.5 hour drive to Mabamba swamp on the Northern shores of L. Victoria in Mpigi. At Mabamba, your guide will arrange a 2-hour Boat ride to find the shoebill among other 260 bird species recorded at the site including the African swamphen, the Squacco heron, the purple heron and many more. After the boat ride, you will proceed for lunch at Nkima lodge after which you will enjoy a nature walk in Nkima forest for more neat birding. You can also expect to see a number of primates, pythons and butterflies filling the forest aura with color.
Accommodation: Mid-range: Nkima Lodge
Day 2: Transfer to L. Mburo (4 hours) (240 km).
After a good night's rest, you will head out for a morning birding session in the Nkima forest expecting sights such as the Blue Malkoha, Red-bellied Flycatcher, White-spotted Flufftail and others. After morning birding, your guide will pick you up in the mid-morning for a 5-hour drive to L. Mburo National Park some 231 km away from Kampala. On your way to L. Mburo, you will pass by the Equator in Masaka for lunch, crafts and photo moments.
Accommodation: Mid-range: Mihingo Lodge
Luxury: Kigambira Safari lodge
Day 3: Full-day Birding & Game Drive.
L. Mburo is one of the best birding places in East Africa allowing visitors to see most savannah-dwelling birds in its acacia woodland home to the Red-faced Barbet, Double-collared Barbet, Crested Barbet, African Fish Eagle, Papyrus Gonolek and many more. On day 3, your guide will pick you from your hotel/lodge in the early morning to head out for birding along the Eland track expecting the Yellow-throated Longclaw, Meyer's parrot, Bare-faced Go-away bird among others. In the mid-morning, your guide will transfer you to Rubanga forest where you can expect the Papyrus Gonolek, Blue-breasted Kingfisher and many more. After combing Rubanga forest, your guide shall transfer you to Rwonyo for lunch after which you'll go on a boat ride to see the native hippos, crocodiles, the African finfoot, and Pied Kingfisher and listen to the amazing whispers of the wild. You will then return to your lodge to rest and prepare for a night game drive later.
Day 4: Transfer to Kampala (5 hours) (240km)
On day 4, you will start your day with morning birding at a local farm; Rwenjeru Agro-tourism Demonstration and training farm. At the farm, you will also learn about the transformation of the Ankole society into a modern farming community that has birthed the city of Mbarara. After the farm tour, you will then transfer to Igongo Cultural Centre to have lunch, a museum tour and a hike to the Eclipse monument to marvel at the local ancient cultures of the Banyankole, Bahororo, Bakiga and Banywarwanda showcased at the Igongo. Later in the day, we will transfer you back to Kampala via Masaka.
Tour Excludes
Phone: +256 774 618769
Email: info@kutamanisafaris.com