6 Day Kidepo Valley NP & Murchison Falls NP Budget Tour
Overview
The 6 Day Combination of Murchison Falls NP & Kidepo Valley NP budget tours is well crafted to give an opportunity to a traveller on a low budget to go trek the Chimps at Budongo Forest which is a home to 6 habituated families, Explore the wonders of Murchison falls from the top view point of the falls & on a boat cruise upstream the river, enjoy the game drives in the Murchison Falls NP as well as kidepo valley NP. You will windup with the token of Rhino Tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
Included/Excluded
- Park fees (For non-residents)
- Chimp permits (One per person, non-resident)
- All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation (Unless as upgrade)
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
- Bottled Drinking (As specified in the day-by-day section)
- International flights (From/to home)
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
- Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
- Some meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
Tour Plan
Day 01; Entebbe/Kampala – Chimp Trekking Budongo Forest – Murchison Falls National Park
You will be picked up by your driver guide from your hotel and drive northwards Budongo reserve for chimpanzee trekking. The guide will explain to you each and every detail of concerning your trip along the way.
Upon your arrival at Pabidi, have lunch at any lodge/restaurant of your choice as you prepare to go for Chimpanzee tracking. As you track you will be guided by the ranger guides who are skilled and knowledgeable about these primates, during this you will also be able to see various tree species like the mahogany, monkeys like vervet, olive monkeys, snakes and birds can also be spotted. Afterwards you will proceed to the famous Murchison falls to get the better experience of Victoria Nile forcing herself into a narrow clevise before pouring her water into a 43 meter deep. You will then head to paraa making the end of your first day of the trip. Overnight at Red Chilli Hideaway. Uppgrade available at Paraa Safari Lodge, Bakers Lodge, Pakuba Safari Lodge, Murchison River Lodge.
Day 02; Game Drives & Boat Trip Murchison Falls National Park
On this day wake up early and have breakfast, you will go for the game drive. During the drive you will be in position to see very many animals such as lions, buffaloes, giraffes, elephants, antelopes, water bucks and birds among others. After the game drive at around 11:40 am, drive back to the lodge, relax/freshen up and have lunch as you prepare for the afternoon boat cruise.
On the boat you will be able to see various Nile crocodiles, hippos, buffaloes, elephants along the banks of the Nile as well as different beautiful birds some singing in the trees such as the bee eaters, the colored kingfishers, the shoe billed stork and many others. The boat ride will take you to the base/bottom of the Murchison Falls, when you reach here you will be able to see clearly the mighty waterfalls. You could opt to go for hiking to the top where you will meet your driver guide who will drive you back to the lodge. Overnight at Fort Murchison Tent Budget. Upgrade available at Paraa Safari Lodge, Bakers Lodge, Pakuba Safari Lodge, Murchison River Lodge.
Day 03; Murchison Falls National Park – Kidepo Valley National Park
After an early morning breakfast, you will start your journey to Kidepo Valley National Park. On arrival in Kidepo Valley National Park, if time allows you will begin with an evening game drive. Kidepo Valley National Park harbors a lot of wildlife that can’t be found elsewhere in Uganda making it one of the best places for wildlife viewing in the country. This national park is still virgin and has a lot to offer to tourists. Overnight at Apoka Uwa Bandas Budget. Upgrade available at Kidepo Savannah Lodge Midrange, Apoka Safari Lodge Luxury.
Day 04; Wildlife Safari/Game Viewing Kidepo Valley National Park
After an early morning breakfast, we set off for a 2 to 3 hours morning game drive to Kidepo Valley National Park as we search for lions, the extinct cheetahs and leopards. After the morning game drive, we shall return to the safari bandas/Lodge for another breakfast then relax as we wait for the afternoon activity. In the afternoon, we briefly visit the Karamojong for a cultural trail and have another evening game drive that is packed with lots of wildlife. Overnight at Apoka Uwa Bandas Budget. Upgrade available at Kidepo Savannah Lodge Midrange, Apoka Safari Lodge Luxury
Day 05; Kidepo Valley National Park – Gulu City
After an early morning breakfast, we set off for a farewell 2 to 3 hours morning game drive to Kidepo Valley National Park as we try again for our last chance to spot lions, the extinct cheetahs and leopards. After the morning game drive, we will embark on the journey driving t/o Gulu. it's quite a pleasant stop, with friendly locals, a relaxed feel and nice spots to hang out. The largest town in northern Uganda, it was one of the hardest hit during the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) conflict. Overnight at Churchill Courts or Acholi Inn. Upgrade available
Day 06; Gulu City – Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – Kampala/Entebbe
After an early morning breakfast we will embark on the journey to Kampala/Entebbe, we will do stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino Tracking and thereafter proceed to Kampal/Entebbe marking the End of your 6 Day Kidepo Valley National Park & Murchison Falls National Park Budget Tour. Your guide driver will drop you at your desired location in Kampala or Entebbe or he will drop you at the airport for your outbound departure time.
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Communication via WhatsApp to make arrangements went very smooth with Aron being quick and clear in his responses.
Aron drove us most of the time, but we also had a ride with driver Barnice. Every time they were in time, most of the times even early to make sure we could leave whenever we wanted. The service was more than just a private taxi service: Aron told us many interesting things about Uganda and let us taste some local food. That really made our trip more colourful and interesting.They know a lot of good places all over the country, like restaurants and accomodation. Although we organized our trip by ourselves, that was still an advantage. Above that, Aron uses his business in Uganda to help other Ugandans as well.
We would definitely recommend to travel with Safari 2 Gorilla Tours.
Jon Peters
USA
In my iniitial email to him I had explained that I'm Kenyan and would be travelling to Rwanda from Nairobi, Kenya. As an east African citizen I thought this information was useful in terms of national park fees and so on; little did I know that it would affect my whole Gorilla trek experience.
I'd settled the balance of my invoice in November 2019 and Aron emailed to confirm full payment. I never heard from Aron again except when I emailed him to find out the arrangements for when I arrived in Rwanda. At the time I didn't think much of it as I'd read so many glowing reviews of Aron and his tour company; his attentive nature, professionalism and general good nature. A fortnight or so before my arrival I'd still not heard from him so I emailed to find out the itinerary for when I arrived in Rwanda - nothing. Just a curt response confirming that he had the number for my hotel and presumably (Aron did not confirm) that he would call me at my hotel to arrange a time to pick me up from my hotel.
I arrived at the hotel, following a 10 hour flight from London on Friday, 24 January to find there was no message was left by Aron advising when I'd be picked up the following day. On Saturday, 25 January at about 9 am the receptionist knocked on my door to inform me that a driver had arrived to pick me up and drive me to Uganda. As I'd not had any advance information of this arrangement I was not ready; i hadn't showered or eaten breakfast. And so we did not set off until gone 10 am. This was the first poor service i'd received.
I'd paid for a 3-day Gorilla trek etc which included on the first day a visit to the Rwanda Genocide memorial. When the driver set off we'd been driving and passed a sign to the memorial site, after almost an hour I asked if we were still going to the memoial site, and only then did the driver inform me that due to the late departure he had decided to postpone the visit to the memorial until the return leg of my three day trip. The second poor service i'd received.
Bwindi national park is in Uganda and so I was driven through Rwanda to Uganda via a land border, an eight hour journey that ordinarily shouldn't have taken that long. The third poor service.
During the drive Aron maintained constant communication with the driver - whose name escapes me - and not once did he ask the driver to pass the phone to me so that he could speak to me. By that I mean even welcoming me, asking me how my trip was, finding out if there was anything I needed, any issues or problems with the trip I'd paid for. The fourth poor service I received
When we arrived at Rushaga camp each visitor at dinner was assigned a table with the name of their guide on it; stupidly I immediately thought Ohhh so Aron had sent a driver to pick me up from Rwanda and that now I was going to meet him! How wrong i was. When i sat down expecting to meet Aron who should turn up? but the driver! Cheekily I asked if he was Aron and offended he curtly replied no!. When i asked what happend to Aron he informed me that Aron had been in constant communication throughout the day! When I asked why Aron hadn't even said hello or welcomed me he just said that Aron was on another tour. At that moment I realised what was happening and why. In Aron's eyes I was a black African tourist that yes, had paid for the same service and support that my white counterparts had received but due to his low perception of me and fellow black Africans I did not warrant the same service, attention, or even respect. I did not speak to the driver again for the rest of the evening. I was surrounded by fellow travellers that were accompanied by guides who made them feel welcome, valued and respected; they sat together sharing stories from their travels whilst I and the driver sat silently. Even as I tried to get the driver to understand how insulted and disrespected I felt he just didn't get it. A part of me feels if i was white he wouldn't have found it so hard understanding how poorly I'd been treated. But as a black African what reason did I have to complain? The fifth poor service I'd received
On the second day i was due to visit Mgahinga national park almost a two hour drive away. As debrief started at 8 am we arranged to leave Rushaga Gorilla camp by 6 am; arranging to meet for breakfast at 05:30 am. 06:00 am the driver was nowhere to be found. Finally at 06:30 he appears in the dinning room feigning an alarm malfunction. I had to demand an apology from him. The sixth poor service i'd received.
We arrived at the national park at 08:25. I was the only black tourist and when I asked the guide to summarise the debrief he audibly commented that as I'd arrived late he'd not be able to repeat it for me. Cynically I felt that If I was white he'd problably have ignored the fact that the driver had got me to the debrief late and still gone through the key points. The seventh poor sevice I'd received.
I could go on and on but I won't. I think you get the gist. I never once spoke to Aron, met him or communicated with him during my time in Rwanda and Uganda. I left Rwanda on Tuesday, 28 January 2020 and have delayed posting this review until now to see whether or not I'd hear from Aron. I haven't and I know I never will.
I would never recommend this company to anyone regardless of who you are. I pity and despise racists and would never support a business that openly discriminates against black Africans.
Would absolutely recommend Safari 2 Gorilla Tours! Thanks Aaron and Martin for an unforgetable trip!
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