Jungle bells, jungle bells, jungle all the way!! It’s been a busy year, so why not switch up Christmas too, and dive headfirst into the green ambience of the majestic Ugandan rainforest. Here we will celebrate the festivities surrounded by tumbling waterfalls, rhinos, hippos and chimpanzees…. because unfortunately, Rudolph and the other reindeers will be otherwise engaged.
Murchison Falls National Park, located in the Ugandan countryside, is home to the renowned Rabonga Forest, Nile River, and an abundance of wildlife. Its most iconic feature is the spectacular Murchison Falls, where the Nile squeezes through a narrow, 7-meter-wide gorge before plunging around 300 cubic meters per second of water 43 meters down into Lake Albert, creating a breathtaking natural spectacle. This powerful turbulence, right at your feet, is a hypnotizing view, awarding visitors with incredible photo opportunities.
The abundance of water in the area attracts scores of animals, from the hippos and Nile crocodiles that lurk in the rivers and lakes, to the land-based wildlife that come in search of a drink of water while trying to cool off from the heat. Here you can expect sightings of buffalos, antelopes, regal Ankole cows and an atlas of birds, including the African Eagle, kingfisher, heron, egret, fish eagle and so much more.
We’ll also see how species under threat are being conserved, visiting Uganda’s population of rare white rhinos and an island colony of our friends the river chimpanzees.
Ready for Christmas on the wild side?
Let’s go!
Day 1: Departure – Rhino Sanctuary – Masindi
Meeting at T2 at 03.30 am, for a flight 05.30. Arrival, immigration, coffee stop before we head into the wild, then jump in the cars and drive north-west into the plains of Nakasongola, to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Ziwa is the last refuge of Uganda’s white rhino, previously hunted to near-extinction during more turbulent times. The sanctuary’s relocation and breeding program has successfully increased numbers to a population of 15 white rhinos, and we’ll track them on foot with local rangers.
Tonight we’ll stay at the historic Masindi Hotel, a colonial structure built in 1923 by The East Africa Railways and Harbours Company. It once served as a gateway to the “hinterland of Africa”, where goods and produce from Northern Congo and Southern Sudan found their way to European markets. If we’re lucky, we’ll spot some shoebill storks in the area, one of the strangest and most sinister looking birds on the planet.
Day 2: Game Drive & Murchison Falls
Early start for an exciting day! After breakfast we’ll get our nature fix with a game drive through Murchison Falls National Park, where the rolling savannah gives way to the marshy Nile Delta, keeping our eyes peeled for big cats, giraffes, buffalo, hyena and other wildlife.
From there we head straight to Murchison Falls, where we’ll trek along the cascades from above and below and get as close as we can to the churning of the most powerful waterfall in the world. Enveloped by mist, we’ll be awed by the roaring and rumbling of this extraordinary natural wonder.
After a picnic lunch we’ll set off on a safari boat cruise around the bottom of the falls and along the West Nile, with more wildlife sightings, from hippos and crocodiles to antelopes and elephants, along the way. Overnight in Masindi.
Day 3: Jinja
An early breakfast before we start our drive east towards Jinja. The area is home to dams and falls with white-water rapids, and is regarded as the adventure capital of East Africa. There, on the shores of Lake Victoria, we will find the source of the Nile, and have the option of exploring the waters by kayak. Overnight in Jinja.
Day 4: Chimpanzees and Departure
Today we will enjoy a close encounter with some adorable primates – our closest cousins, the chimpanzee! After breakfast we’ll hit the road back towards Entebbe, stopping in the afternoon to take a boat cruise to Ngamba Chimpanzee Island, where these lively and social creatures await. We’ll observe their playful behavior and learn more about their habitat and social structures. Our return will see us cross the equator as we glide through Lake Victoria’s serene waters.
We’ll then head back to the airport for our late evening flight, saying goodbye to this gem of Africa and going home with heads full of unforgettable memories.
Duration: 4 Days
Activities: Jungle trekking, safari game rides, boating.
Grade: Easy – available for everyone.
Cost: 5940 AED all incl. flights by Flydubai until DEC 07th.
Accommodation & Meals: Double sharing lodges, meals included except restaurant meals in Entebbe.
Specifically Excluded: Visa expenses, insurance, meals in Entebbe.
Visa: All nationalities entitled for E-visa.
Note: YELLOW FEVER Vaccination Certificates is mandatory to enter Uganda.
See yah in the jungle x
Trekkup Crew
Whatsapp 050 4848238 /
aW5mbyB8IHRyZWtrdXAgISBjb20=
[Find all trekkups at linktr.ee/trekkup](
https://linktr.ee/trekkup)
You may also like the following events from Trekkup Dubai:
- This Thursday, 11th December, 10:00 pm, Tribal Frontier feat. Shipbreaking Yards | Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh in Ajman
- Next Friday, 19th December, 08:30 pm, Yurts in the Snow | Christmas with Nomads, Kyrgyzstan in Dubai
- This month, 27th December, 08:30 am, Timor, Leste Go! feat. Mt. Ramelau | NYE in East Timor (via Bali) in Dubai
Also check out other
Trips & Adventurous Activities in Dubai,
Meetups in Dubai.
