Albertine Rift Birding
(Rwanda-Uganda)
Day 1: Arrival
Arrive at Kigali (Kanombe) Airport, meet and greet by your guide and transfer to the hotel for overnight. Overnight at Hotel Intercontinental.
Day 02: Drive down Southwest to Nyungwe Forest.
Breakfast with your luggage, start the drive to Nyungwe with a lunch stop in Huye. After lunch, continue with the drive through hills and valleys to the forest where you will see more birds.
Dinner and overnight at Nyungwe Forest Lodge.
Day 03: Bird Nyungwe Forest
Breakfast and then bird Nyungwe forest. Look out for species like Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Turaco, Red-chested Owlet, Rwenzori Nightjar, Western Green Tinkerbird, Dwarf Honeyguide, Red-throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin-Chat, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Kivu ground thrush, Short-tailed Warbler, Mountain Masked Apalis, Grey-chested Illadopsis, Red-collared Mountain-Babbler, Strip-breasted Tit, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Blue-headed Sunbird, Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Lagden’s Bush-shrike among other birds. Dinner and overnight as before.
Day 04: Second day Bird Nyungwe Forest
After breakfast with your packed lunch, proceed for a whole day birding Nyungwe forest. Look out for species like Handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Turaco, Red-chested Owlet, Rwenzori Nightjar, Western Green Tinkerbird, Dwarf Honeyguide, Red-throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin-Chat, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Kivu ground thrush, Short-tailed Warbler, Mountain Masked Apalis, Grey-chested Illadopsis, Red-collared Mountain-Babbler, Strip-breasted Tit, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Blue-headed Sunbird, Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Lagden’s Bush-shrike among other birds.
Dinner and overnight as before.
Day 05: Transfer to Uganda
After breakfast, proceed for the drive to Uganda that has to be via Kigali, Ruhenjeri and finally Kisoro town, which is 10 kms from the border post
Dinner and overnight at Travellers Inn.
Day 06: Bird Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
After breakfast with your parked lunch, drive to Ntebeko Camp from where you will start your trek to probably the most scenic protected areas in Uganda. You will take the gorge trail that loops half way up Mt. Sabinyo, through a variety of montane habitats. Look out for birds like Dusky Turtle Dove, Rwenzori Turaco, Cape Robin-Chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Grassland Pipit, White-starred Robin, Mountain Yellow Warbler, White-napped Raven, Lagden’s Bush-Shrike, Bronze Sunbird, Yellow-crowned Canary, Streaky Seedeater and try the elusive Shelly’s Crimson-wing among other birds.
Dinner and overnight as before.
Day 07: To Ruhija
After breakfast, bird Echuya forest and then through to bird Ruhija with a stop over at the nearly finished papyrus swamp that lies along the out flow of Lake Bunyonyi to try birds like the Greater Swamp Warbler, Papyrus Yellow Warbler and Papyrus Canary that can be seen here with luck, Carruther’s Cisticola, try the Little Rush Warbler also, Fawn-breasted Waxbill among others birds. Continue with the drive to Ruhija looking out for birds like Handsome Francolin, Olive Pigeon, Western Green Tinkerbird, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, Dusky Blue Flycatcher, Mountain Masked Apalis, White-browed Crombec, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, Doherty’s Bush-shrike, Montane Oriole, White-napped Raven, Dusky Crimsonwing, Black-crowned Waxbill, Black-headed Waxbill among other birds.
Dinner and overnight at the Trekker's Haven.
Day 08: Bird Mubwindi Swamp
After breakfast, with your packed lunch bird the Mubwindi Swamp looking out for birds like Black-billed Turaco, Western Green Tinkerbird, Fine-banded Woodpecker, African Green-Broadbill, Mountain Greenbul, Yellow-streaked Greenbul, African Hill Babbler, Mountain Illadopsis, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Collared Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, Montane Sooty Boubou, Blue-headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird among other birds. Certainly one of the highlights of any birding trips in Uganda, this walk is physically challenging but, taken slowly it is quite manageable.
Dinner and overnight as before.
Day 09: Bird to Bwindi (Buhoma) via the Neck
After breakfast, start the drive to Bwindi (Buhoma) birding en-route looking for birds like Tambourine Dove, Black Bee-eater, Red-throated Wryneck, Mountain Wagtail, Toro Olive-Greenbul, White-starred Robin, Olive Thrush, Cassin’s-grey Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Chubb’s Cisticola, Banded Prinia, Mountain Masked Apalis, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Collared Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Grey Cuckoo-shrike, Sharpe’s Starling, Regal Sunbird, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Dusky Twinspot, Yellow Bishop, Black-throated Seedeater among other birds
Dinner and Overnight at The Gorilla Resort.
Day 10: Bird Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After an early breakfast, start birding Bwindi Impenetrable Forest but penetrable looking out for species like Africa Goshawk, Bar-tailed Trogon, Black Bee-Eater, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Tinkerbirds and Barbets, Woodpeckers, African Broadbill, assorted Greenbuls, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Red-throated Alethe, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Short tailed Warbler, Mountain Masked Apalis, Dusky Tit, Bocage’s Bush-shrike, Luhder’s Bush-shrike, Pink-footed Puffback, Petit’s Cuckooshrike, Starlings, Blue-headed Sunbird, Black-billed Weaver, Brown-capped weaver, Red-fronted Antpecker, Magpie Mannikin among other birds.
Dinner and Overnight as before.
Day 11: Bird as you transfer to Fort Portal
After breakfast with your parked lunch, bird as you head towards Fort Portal via Queen Elizabeth National Park. Look out for birds like Grey-headed Kingfisher, Lesser Striped Swallows, Zitting Cisticola, Babblers, Grey-backed Shrike, Common Fiscal, Starlings, Widowbirds among other birds.
Dinner and Overnight at the Mountains of the Moon Hotel. Full board
Day 12: Bird to Semuliki
After an early breakfast, bird to Semuliki National Park getting there in time to bird the trails around the hot springs. Transfer to Bundibugyo township where you will spend two nights.
Overnight at the Mountains of the Moon Hotel.
Day 13: Whole day birding Kirumia Trail
After breakfast, proceed for a whole day birding on the Kirumia trail. Look out for birds like White thighed Hornbill, Black-casqued wattled Hornbill, Piping Hornbill, White crested Hornbill, Red-billed dwarf Hornbill, Black dwarf Hornbill, Black Bee-eater, Blue-headed Crested-flycatcher, Crested Malimbe, Red-bellied Malimbe, Blue-billed Malimbe, Swamp palm Bulbul, if lucky Capuchin Babbler and you open your eyes wide, as you may be chanced with an African Piculet among other birds
Dinner and overnight as before.
Day 14: Bird your way to Entebbe
After breakfast, bird your way to Entebbe where you will spend your last night in Uganda.
Dinner and overnight at the The Boma.
Day 15: Transfer to Entebbe International Airport for Departure
After breakfast, transfer to Entebbe International Airport in time for the return flight.
P.O.Box P.O. Box 24015
Kampala, Uganda
+256 (0) 393238236
+256 (0) 772 468521
+256 (0) 772448209