ITINERARY

Day 1 – Arrival in Bujumbura                                                                                     After arrival, there is a short drive to the hotel in central town. Bujumbura lies at the north eastern corner of Lake Tanganyika and grew from a small village to become the capital of Burundi. Its centre is a colonial town with a large market, the national stadium, a large mosque, and a cathedral. During the day we climb to the “Belvedere” on the top of the hill, a dominating point of the town offering a unique view onto Lake Tanganyika, visit the mausoleum of Prince Louis Rwagasore, a hero of the independence of Burundi, drive ten kilometers south to stop at a historical spot, the commemorating stone of the place where the famous explorers Stanley and Livingstone rested during their attempt to find the source of the Nile.                              Overnight on the lakeshore

Day 2 – Bujumbura – Rusizi Natural Reserve – Nya-Ngezi Escarpment – Bukavu                       Leave early morning for the Nature Reserve of the Rusizi River. Its delta extends over 500 ha of vegetation made of Phragmites Mauritianus. It is a natural shelter for a few families of antelopes and hippopotami that come here in quest of grazing land.  

At the end of the track if you are lucky enough you may meet with a few crocodiles fast asleep on the golden sand of the river banks. At Gatumba we cross into Congo and drive through the grass plains where the Banyamulenge herders graze the longhorn cattle. A steep track escalades the Nya-Ngezi escarpment with fantastic views on the Rusizi River. Via several colourful villages we drive toward Bukavu, the administrative centre of Sud-Kivu province and reach the southern shores of Lake Kivu.                                                                                                                            Overnight on the lakeshore

 

Day 3 – Kahuzi-Biega NP – Eastern Lowland Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla graueri)                             The Kahuzi-Biega National Park is a World Heritage Site encompassing a vast area of primary tropical forest dominated by two spectacular extinct volcanoes, Kahuzi and Biega, the park has a diverse and abundant fauna. Some of the last groups of eastern lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla graueri) consisting of some few 250 individuals living here at between 2,100 and 2,400 m above sea-level. Eastern lowland gorillas have black coats, and the males develop silver backs as they mature. With the help of a ranger and trackers, we approach this rare primate. The walk can take several hours, but coming across the group in its particular habitat is an inspiring moment. Overnight on the lakeshore

 

photo by Kim Gjerstad

Day 4 – Bukavu – Lake Kivu – Goma                                                                                               In the morning, we transfer to the busy port of Bukavu to have a boat ride on Lake Kivu to Goma. En route to the north, enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the calm and pristine waters and the ragged shore of Africa’s highest lake, an extraordinarily beautiful inland sea enclosed by steep green terraced hills, lush plantain fields and remaining relics of misty rainforest to offer sweeping views over hundreds of small islands.                                                                                                  Overnight on the lakeshore

Day 5 – Volcanoes National Park - Mountain Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei)                            Leave Goma early toward Bukima, one of the outposts of the Virunga National Park, to track the mountain gorilla. As the first light of dawn breaks through the curtain of mist clinging to the summits of Karisimbi, Bisoke, Sabyinyo, Gahinga and Muhabura, we make our way into the Virunga National Park. Tracking the gorillas through the unique vegetation can take several hours of challenging walking in wet and muddy conditions. To see a gorilla, the trek will have been worth the hardship.                                                                                                                                        Overnight near the park

Day 6 – Nyiragongo – Ishasha – Queen Elisabeth National Park                                               The road winds along several majestic volcano cones, one of which is the still active Nyiragongo. People are very friendly. After Kiwanja, the big villages and green fields give place to the grass savanna of the park. Ishasha River marks the border between the 2 countries. Cross into Uganda and arrive in Queen Elisabeth National Park.                                                                                        Overnight in the Park

 

 

Days 7/8 – Queen Elisabeth National Park                                                                                 Two full days of game viewing, the southern sector of Ishasha is famous for its tree-climbing lions. The concentration of game, with large herds of Uganda cobs, topi and buffalo, is found in the savannah highlands and at the Lake Edward flats, where the number of elephants is on the rise. Along the Ishasha River bird life is rich and abundant. In the northern sector, with the Rwenzoris as a majestic backdrop, with a bit of luck, you might catch a glimpse of the rare Shoebill Stork during the especially rewarding launch cruise along the Kazinga Channel. Daily walks in the park are very exciting. First we follow the Ishasha River with its groups of hippopotamus; and later in the Maramagambo forest to see bats and butterflies. There are birds everywhere.           Overnight in the Park

 

 

Day 9 – Queen Elizabeth - Kibale National Park                                                                     Spend the morning on game drives or relax at the swimming pool. After lunch we cross the Equator. The landscape becomes more tortuous as we reach the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, whose snow-capped peaks we can see in the distance. Leave the main road and on a bumpy track reach your hotel for the night.                                                                                        Overnight near the Park

Day 10 – Chimpanzees of Kibale National Park – Birds of Bigodi Swamp                             Kibale Forest offers very good Chimpanzee tracking, top bird watching and great scenery. Its total of 13 species of primate is the highest in Uganda and provides a haven for the Red Colobus. As with Gorilla Tracking, following chimpanzees is hard work – the terrain is often up or down steep slopes through thick vegetation. Chimps are extremely mobile and agile. The Bigodi Swamp is a papyrus and tree filled swamp that is home to several species of monkey including the rare L’Hoest’s monkey and an abundance of birds such as the Great Blue Turaco, Grey Parrots, and Papyrus Gonolek.                                                                                                                                  Overnight near the park

photo by the Science Museum of Brussels

Day 11 – Kasese – Mtongwe – Virunga National Park– Ishango                                                     We leave Uganda at Mtongwe and cross into Congo. Contouring the south of the Ruwenzori, the arduous track leads into the expansive plains of the northern sector of the Virunga National Park. Some Uganda cobs graze on the neighbouring hills as we drive toward Ishango, where nature offers us one of its most beautiful scenery: the undulating outflow of River Semliki from Lake Edward. Here the famous Ishango bone was excavated, the oldest known object containing logical carvings, dating back to more than 20,000 years.                                                                   Overnight under canvas

photo by Kim Gjerstad

Days 12/13 – Beni – River Ituri – Mambasa – Epulu                                                                      A steep escarpment brings us to the busy town of Beni where we take a short stop. The track leads westwards through coffee fields, few villages. Progressively the vegetation gets more and more dense: crossing River Ituri we enter into the Congolese rainforest, one of the most important centers of plant and animal diversity. Green is omnipresent, sunlight can be scarce. Here and there a few huts attest to the presence of man. These communities rarely threaten the integrity of the Ituri; rather their activities generally enrich the overall composition of the forest by providing pockets of secondary vegetation. The trading post of Mambasa lies at the junction of 3 roads; going westwards we pass through old oil palm plantations. The few people are friendly and welcome the foreigners. Passing Nia-Nia, the road leads to the huge Congo basin harboring the Okapi Wildlife Reserve of Epulu                                                                                                     Overnight under canvas

photos by Kim Gjerstad

Days 14/15 – Epulu – Okapi - Ituri Forest – Bambuti Pygmies                                                     The reserve is home to many okapis. Found only in the Congo, the okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is a shy and reclusive forest dweller and is the only living relative of the giraffe. Its unusual coloration and markings, including stripes resembling a zebra, provide camouflage in the dense rainforest and protect it from predators. To observe it in its natural distribution area one has to reach the Epulu Conservation and Research Centre, on the Epulu River. This facility dates back to 1928 when the camp was founded by American anthropologist Patrick Putnam as a capture station, where wild okapis were captured and sent to American and European zoos. It still serves that function today, albeit with very different methodology. Okapis are captured, and then bred in captivity, and then only these offspring are sent to zoos, as it has been found that they have a much higher chance of survival. Even so, very few are now exported — only the minimum number necessary to ensure genetic viability of the captive population. The centre also carries out much important research and conservation work. Actually about 23 okapis graze in the vast enclosures under huge specimen of the two African mahogany tree species on the banks of the wild and cool River Epulu.

photos by Kim Gjerstad

The Bambuti live in villages that are categorized as bands. Each hut houses a family unit. At the start of the dry season, they leave the village to enter the forest and set up a series of camps. This way the Bambuti are able to utilize more land area for maximum foraging. These villages are solitary and separated from other groups of people. Their houses are small, circular, and very temporary. The walls of the structures are poles that are placed in the ground. At the top of the poles a vine is woven to keep them together. Large leaves are also used in the construction of the huts.

photo by Kim Gjerstad

The Bambuti are primarily hunter-gatherers, foraging for food in the forest. They have a vast knowledge of the forest and the foods it yields. Crabs, shellfish, ants, larvae, snails, pigs, antelopes, monkeys, fish, honey, wild yams, berries, fruits, roots, leaves, and cola nuts are some of the assortment of food that the Bambuti collect. Other food sources yielded by the forest are animals for meat consumption, root plants, palm trees, and bananas; and in some seasons, wild honey. Yams, legumes, beans, peanuts, hibiscus, amaranth, and gourds are also consumed. The Bambuti use large nets, traps, and bows and arrows to hunt game. Women and children sometimes help out by trying to drive the animals into the nets. Both sexes gather and forage. Each band has its own hunting ground, although boundaries are hard to maintain. We should be able to follow such a group into the forest where, possibly taking our tents and camp near to their bands, we spend the night around the camp fire, listening to their endless hunting stories while they smoke their cannabis water pipes.                                                                               Overnight under canvas

Days 16/17 – Epulu – Komanda – Bunia - Nioka – Mahagi                                                            Back again on the road through the forest we drive eastwards. Crossing River Ituri again, we arrive at the crossroads of Komanda and enter progressively the grass savannah. After Bunia, the track leads to huge villages living from gold mining. The highlands between Nioka and Mahagi feed a dense population of Bantu agriculturists. We stop at colourful market places in friendly villages.                                                                                                                                               Overnight under canvas

photo by Kim Gjerstad

Day 18 – Mahagi – Nebi – Murchison NP                                                                                         Originally home to the proud Alur tribe grazing their small zebu cows, the rich region of Mahagi is today a mixture of most of the eastern tribes of Congo, trading with the fishers of Lake Albert, the northern corner of DRC, even with southern Sudan. At the Mahagi border post we leave this huge African territory and enter western Uganda. The region of Nebi is famous for its cotton and cassava. At Pakwach we meet the mighty Albert Nile before entering Murchison National Park and camp, for the last time, on the banks of the Nile.                                                                                Overnight under canvas

Days 19/20 – Murchison NP – Kabalega Falls – Budongo Forest – Masindi                                  The meanderings of the great river Nile and its impressive waterfalls, the grasses of the plains and tree-covered hills, the indigenous rainforest and the borassus palm trees, the lake shores and the marshlands of the delta, where the Nile quietly rejoins the vast waters of Lake Albert, make this park one of wild natural beauty. It is a place whose fauna makes it increasingly important to conservationists. The Ugandan cob is the most commonly seen antelope; the hartebeest and oribi are also common. The lakeside area is the watering hole for elephant and Rothschild giraffe. Among the thousands of birds, we must mention the Abyssinian hornbill and the rare shoebill stork. We take to the water in a boat to enjoy a unique opportunity to observe the thousands of vibrantly coloured birds, herds of buffalo at the water’s edge and crocodiles sunbathing on the riverbanks and to get a closer look at the waterfalls. Further on, we cross to the southern bank. What a striking contrast, Kabalega Waterfalls being undeniably one of the most remarkable sights in the park. They were named after a Munyoro chief who put up fierce resistance to the European explorers and the Sudanese slave traders looking for the source of the White Nile. Here, the river makes a path across a narrow gorge and unleashes hundreds of gallons of water over the edge of a 50m high precipice. At Kanyo Pabidi, in the middle of the Budongo forest, we get our last glimpse of the chimpanzees.                                                                                                                        Overnights 1x in the park 1x in Masindi

Day 21 – Masindi – Kampala – Entebbe                                                                                           We will take it easy this morning in the wooden restaurant of this historic hotel. Drive via expansive grasslands and plantations of maize and cassava which slowly give way to other crops such as yams and fields of banana trees, producing the famous matoke. Visit Kampala and drive along the shore of Africa’s biggest lake, Lake Victoria, to Entebbe.                                     Overnight in Kampala or Entebbe

Day 22 – Departure                                                                                                                           Transfer to the airport. End of our services.                                                                          

We provide igloo type tents with linen covered foam mattresses. In order to be flexible during the safari, these tents are of the light type. They assure a good protection. Clients should bring their own sleeping bag. Water buckets are provided. We provide tables, folding chairs, lights, full camping kitchen and cooking equipment. Where possible meals are prepared on the camp fire. Otherwise gas cooker.

 

Representation of the Okapi by Sir Harry Johnston

(Proceedings of the Zoological Society, 1901)

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