Bike Tour
Day One: Arrival in Uganda
Upon your arrival at Entebbe Airport, you will be met by your driver-guide and be transported to your first accommodation. Here, you can relax from the long flight and adjust a little bit to Uganda, its climate, and its people.
Your program today includes:
* Pickup at Entebbe Airport and transfer to your accommodation
* A night’s stay Cycad Guesthouse
Day Two: Cycling - Mabamba Swamp to Busi Island
we will hop on our bikes and cycle from Mabamba Swamp to Busi Island. In the dense papyrus swamp, we may find a bird that looks like a pelican, a flamingo, and a goose mixed into one unique creature – the shoebill!
These fascinating creatures reside at an untouched edge of the lake. In the past, shoebills were almost extinct. They were considered to bring bad luck, and whenever a shoebill was seen, the curious bird was killed. Since people can now earn money by observing them, this view has changed and the number of these birds are increasing from year to year. With a little luck, you will observe one of the more relaxed birds and his exciting hunting behavior, without disturbing him.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking guide
* Breakfast, lunch, & dinner
Day Three: Cycling to Lyantonde
Today, we will cycle to Lyantonde. Lyantonde is a town that lies along the road connecting Kampala, Uganda’s capitol city, to Kigali, Rwanda’s capitol city.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking guide
* Breakfast, lunch, & dinner
* A night’s stay at Mpogo Safari Lodge
Day Four: Cycling to Lake Mburo
Today, we will cycle to Lake Mburo National Park. This park consists of mainly wetlands and savannah, so mammal and bird sightings can be abundant. In the savannah, we can find impressive buffalos, zebras, elands, Uganda giraffes, and topi herds, and as far as birds–blue-napped mousebirds, teardrop and red-faced barbets, rosy turacos, Nubian woodpeckers, and more.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking guide
* Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
* A night’s stay at Arcadia Cottages
Day Five: Morning cycling and afternoon boat ride in Lake Mburo National Park
Now you will have the chance to explore the fulness of what Lake Mburo has to offer, as you go for a morning bike ride with a ranger. In the afternoon, you will have the option of getting up close to the aquatic life with a boat ride.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking guide
* Breakfast, lunch, & dinner
* Lake Mburo bike tour
* A night’s stay at Arcadia Cottages
Day Six: Cycle or drive to Lake Bunyonyi
Today, you will either cycle or drive to Lake Bunyonyi, depending on your preference. Situated in the Southwest of Uganda, this lake is known for its lush terraced hills that are inhabited by over 200 different bird species.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking guide
* Breakfast, lunch, & dinner
* A night’s stay at Bunyonyi Eco Resort
Day Seven: Cycling around Lake Bunyonyi and boat excursion
Today, you will explore the wealth of Lake Bunyonyi. You will begin on your bike as you move around the coastline of the scenic lake. Then, you will have a chance to rest your legs as you explore the lake up-close from a boat.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking guide
* Breakfast, lunch, & dinner
* Boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi
* A night’s stay at Bunyonyi Eco Resort
Day Eight: Boat to Muko & uphill cycle to Ruhija
Today, you will take a boat to Muko, which is situated near the border to Rwanda. From there, you will make your uphill climb to Ruhija, which is located in the eastern part of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. The forest is one of the most biologically diverse regions on the planet, and it is the famed home of the largest mountain gorilla population in the wild, whose guests we look forward to being tomorrow.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking guide
* Breakfast, lunch, & dinner
* A night’s stay at Bakiga Lodge
Day Nine: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
The time has finally come for gorilla trekking–a highlight of the tour. You will need sturdy shoes and long clothes, as you will fight your way through the jungle to get to the gorillas. The experienced ranger who will accompany you plays a key role in this excursion, as he explains to you how to behave when facing the gorillas and a few other important things before you start. Through the dense undergrowth you make your way to the imposing apes. The gorillas in their natural environment are something very special. Of course the animals are used to people by now, but they behave in a very relaxed way – as if we were not there. They give you an intimate insight into their lives and an unforgettable experience as you take in their world.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking guide
* Gorilla trekking
* Breakfast, lunch, & dinner
* A night’s stay at Bakiga Lodge
Day Ten: Cycle/drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Today, we will do a combination of cycling and driving the long distance to Queen Elizabeth National Park. QENP has something for every type of nature lover–the Kasenyi plains, the Kyambura Gorge, a.k.a. “the lost world”, and the Kazinga Channel, which is a natural channel that connects Lake Edward and Lake George, are some of the highlights. In these habitats, you can observe lions, elephants, crowned cranes, chimpanzees, fish eagles, hippos, crocodiles, and more.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking guide
* Breakfast, lunch, & dinner
* A night’s stay at Parkview Safari Lodge
Day Eleven: Game safari and boat trip along the Kazinga Channel
Day Eleven: Game safari and boat trip along the Kazinga Channel
The Kasenyi Plains in Queen Elizabeth National Park are known as “the vast open savannah grassland” and, for nature lovers, it’s an absolute highlight that’s not to be missed if you are in QENP. It’s a unique habitat for animals, and it even includes a lion population. Elephants and Uganda’s heraldic animal, the crowned crane, are at home here as well. Today is a resting day for your legs, as you relax in an open Jeep for a game drive to observe as many of these wonderful creatures as possible.
Later, you will board a boat and cruise along the Kazinga Channel. Watching the African wildlife from the waters of this 32-kilometer long natural channel is an extraordinary experience. In addition to hippos and crocodiles, you can see all kinds of animals drinking and playing. Baby elephants especially love bathing in the channel and run excitedly back and forth. Also, the bird world seems to change completely, as you suddenly see birds like kingfishers, ospreys, and nesting bee-eaters.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking guide
* Breakfast, lunch, & dinner
* Game safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park
* Boat trip on the Kazinga Channel
* A night’s stay at Parkview Safari Lodge
Day Twelve: Drive to Bella Vista and cycle to the “Top of the World”
Today, we will drive to Lodge Bella Vista, a scenic point 40km from Fort Portal. It is located in the midst of a series of Crater Lakes–specifically overlooking Nyamiteza Crater Lake–and provides you with a beautiful first look at the Rwenzori Mountains, also known as the “Mountains of the Moon”.
From there, we will board our bikes and cycle to the “Top of the World”–the highest point in Kibale. On the relatively easy ride up, you will pass villages, lush orchards, plantations of various sorts, and the Mahoma Falls. Once you reach the top, you will enjoy incredible views of the Rwenzori Mountains, the lake district, and Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking guide
* Breakfast, lunch, & dinner
* A night’s stay at Mountains of the Moon Hotel
Day Thirteen: Tour of Fort Portal and school visit
Fort Portal is the home of Semuliki National Park, which is a preserved jungle. North of the city center, it contains trails that lead you to the Sempaya Hot Springs. The vegetation cover of the park is stunning and ranges from plain open grassland to tropical rainforest. In the valleys of the Rwenzori Mountains is where these hot springs are found. To the locals, this place is believed to have supernatural power, with waters so hot they can boil an egg.
After taking in some of what Fort Portal has to offer, we will visit a local school so you can get to know the people of this beautiful country you’ve experienced a bit better through some of its most important and abundant citizens–the children! They will receive you with joy, as they always love having visitors. Did you know Uganda was ranked the most welcoming country in the world?
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking guide
* Breakfast, lunch, & dinner
* School experience
* A night’s stay at Mountains of the Moon Hotel
Day Fourteen: Transfer to Entebbe for return flight
Today, you will be transported to Entebbe Airport for your return flight. We will bid you a fond farewell as you board your flight with a lifetime of stories about your adventurous bike tour through the Pearl of Africa.
Your program today includes:
* Qualified, English-speaking guide
* Airport transfer
End of the Tour
Note: accommodations and activities are booked
Included in the price are:
-A fully fuelled 5-passenger van with rooftop bike rack
-English-speaking driver
-Bike guide
-Gorilla permit (see note below)*
-3 mountain bikes & a spare bike
-Park entrance fees
-Boat trip along the Kazinga Channel
-Airport transfers
-All meals & water during the trip
-Fees for biking at Lake Mburo with the ranger
-All boat transfers
-Game safari in open Jeep
Services not included:
-Flights (international/domestic)
-Travel insurance
-Personal expenses
-Tips
-Other expenses not covered in the included services
