One Wild Week in Underrated Uganda

My partner, his brother and I have just returned from an incredible week in Uganda and for anyone who is interested in seeing endangered mountain gorillas, elephants, giraffes, zebras, hippos, crocodiles, lions and so much more all for under ￡1500, here’s how we did it. 

On 12th May towards the end of the rainy season we flew just under 14 hours from London to Entebbe via Brussels and Rwanda. Flights cost ￡375 with RwandAir, flying overnight and arriving the next morning. 

On arrival we picked up a Toyota Landcruiser which we hired from 4x4 Uganda for $70 per day. They provided a brilliant service and a really reliable vehicle which was perfect for Uganda’s sunny safaris, bumpy roads and flooded bridges. 

Day 1

We drove roughly 7 hours to Wildtracks Overland Camp in Queen Elizabeth Park and had dinner when we got there around 7pm. The location was ideal, thatched cottages were big and comfortable although the crickets, millipedes and geckos thought so too. The food was basic but it was a great location for the next day’s activities. 

Day 2

Got up for breakfast at 6am and left the camp at 6.30 when the sun started to rise. Took packed lunch from every place we stayed as cafes in the parks are few and far between. Purchased national park permits for $40 per person per day and picked up a map of Queen Elizabeth. We self drove along paths and quickly saw herds of elephants, water buffaloes, warthogs and deer all 10 meters or so from the jeep. 

At 12.30pm we met our host from Wildtracks Overland Camp who introduced us to two local guides who took us on a river cruise down the Kazinga Channel. Words cannot describe the magic of this trip. For $25 each, we were the only guests on the boat, drifting up the channel seeing hundreds of hippos just 2 or 3 meters away. We turned the engine off as we approached a bank with 40 elephants including a few playful babies and over 20 water buffaloes bathing in the water. We also saw the most incredible birds including several species of kingfisher and eagle. 

Day 3

In search of leopards, we drove around new parts of the park and met plenty of baboons before driving south for a painfully bumpy and slow 8 hours to Enjojo Lodge in Ishasha, still part of Queen Elizabeth Park. This luxury lodge was so peaceful, the rooms including an outdoor shower in the forest and private fire pit were perfect and the food was by far the best we ate on the whole trip. Elephants and monkeys roam around the grounds and the staff were really friendly. 

Day 4

We followed a guided tour into Ishasha and within 10 minutes were parked under a tree hosting a family of lions. Two cubs played while the male lion slept slumped over a branch until the female jumped down from the tree and passed casually within a meter of our open vehicle. Even if we hadn’t followed the professional guide, there are a small number of paths and clusters of lion trees shown on the map so a self drive yields a good chance of seeing the big cats. 

Day 5

We drove 6 hours down to Rushaga Gorilla Camp in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest ready for the original reason for our trip; trekking to find mountain gorillas. Set 2400m above sea level, having a beer and sitting by the fire at Rushaga was so relaxing. This was the first and last time we saw other tourists on the whole holiday. 

Day 6

Gorilla trekking permits need to be arranged ahead of your journey by sending your passport details and $650 to a local tour operator or your accommodation. At 7am we met for a briefing and to our delight, were introduced to a guide and two escorts who would be taking us and us alone, on our adventure. Groups who were part of tours hiked or walked depending on ability, in groups of up to 8. 

We asked for a long and challenging trek (they can be flat and as short as 1.5 hours). It was hard work but so worth it. We climbed up and through the steep and dense forest for about 2 hours before we came to a family of 18 habituated mountain gorillas. After an hour of observing and photographing these gorgeous gorillas, we headed back, covering about 15km all together. 

Day 7

Ecstatic to be back on tarmac for the first time since day 1, we drove 4 easy hours to Lake Mburu national park where giraffes have recently been re-introduced to join large numbers of zebras. Within 30 minutes of driving through the park, we saw giraffes in the distance and took a path on the map that looked like it would take us closer to them. Moments later we turned the engine off as 8 giraffes wondered across the road a few meters ahead, barely bothering to look up over from their leafy lunches. 

After an hour in the park, we drove the remaining 4 hours to Entebbe where we stayed in a basic guest house before an early morning flight back to London. 

I cannot recommend this trip enough. Uganda is biodiverse, beautiful and barely travelled, with just 15,000 Brits visiting each year. For an absolute bargain you can book a life changing and luxury adventure. Your gorilla permit fee also makes a vital contribution to the conservation of just 1000 critically endangered mountain gorillas left in the world. For more information on any of the above, feel free to send me a message.