14 Days Ultimate Uganda Culture And Wildlife Safari Northern Uganda
This trip is designed not for the normal tourists but for those seeking for authentic African Culture and Community experiences. It is meant to bring you closer to the people of Uganda and the African Culture through immersive cultural experiences, one on one interactions with the people, typical African homestead visits, and rich culinary exploration. You shall travel via red earth dirt roads taking you deep into the rural villages of Central and Northern Uganda that still uphold their authentic African values.
This trip is a unique blend of Authentic African Culture experiences, wildlife viewing in Uganda’s biggest and oldest National park, hiking, long but timed and fun drives on Africa’s red earth dirt roads and mesmerizing organic and locally prepared culinary experiences!
Brief Travel plan
Day 1: Pick up from Airport, and transfer to Accommodation in Kampala
Day 2: Check out for transfer to Ewaffe Cultural Village in Naggalama Mukono
Day 3: Ewaffe Cultural Village
Day 4: Transfer to Bombo and Visit the Nubian Village – Experience the Rich Nubian culture first hand.
Day 5: Nubian Village
Day 6: Transfer to Murchison falls National Park via Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Day 7: Chimp trekking in Budongo Forest and River Nile Boat cruise
Day 8: Early Morning game drive in Murchison (Bush breakfast) and Alur Community experience.
Day 9: Checkout for transfer to Kaabong in North Eastern Uganda, first visit the top of Murchison falls.
Day 10: IK cultural experience, an escarpment walk through the IK villages and afternoon transfer to Moroto district.
Day 11: Karamajong cultural experience and Cattle keepers’ experience
Day 12: Transfer to Sipi Falls in Kapchorwa
Day 13: Coffee tour and Wanale hill hike
Day 14: Transfer to Kampala/ Entebbe international airport for your flight back home.
Package Includes:
- Ground transport for 2 vans to and from all mentioned destinations, mentioned meal plan, all mentioned activities, 13 night’s accommodation is shown setting unless otherwise, entrance fees at mentioned destinations, Guiding fees, Drinking water in Transit and Meet and Greet
Package excludes:
- Air ticket fees, Laundry fees, Tourist Visas, Shopping fees, extra day’s accommodation, any activity outside the travel plan, tips, extra stay, alcoholic beverages and personal expenses of any nature.
What to carry:
Light clothing, Sun screen and sun glasses, enough clothing for 14 days, camera for photography and other personal amenities
Note: Be cautious and respectful to the different cultures and groups of people you meet during your tour!
You shall be visiting Local Schools in Communities that you visit, feel free to carry anything you can donate to them and you live an impact in their lives
We can arrange for CSR- Cooperate social responsibility allowing you to volunteer in some of the communities’ projects after the Safari
Camping Gear can be sourced from here upon request
Details
This trip is designed not for the normal tourists but for those seeking for authentic African Culture and Community experiences. It is meant to bring you closer to the people of Uganda and the African Culture through immersive cultural experiences, one on one interactions with the people, typical African homestead visits, and rich culinary exploration. You shall travel via red earth dirt roads taking you deep into the rural villages of Central and Northern Uganda that still uphold their authentic African values.
This trip is a unique blend of Authentic African Culture experiences, wildlife viewing in Uganda’s biggest and oldest National park, hiking, long but timed and fun drives on Africa’s red earth dirt roads and mesmerizing organic and locally prepared culinary experiences!
Brief Travel plan
Day 1: Pick up from Airport, and transfer to Accommodation in Kampala
Day 2: Check out for transfer to Ewaffe Cultural Village in Naggalama Mukono
Day 3: Ewaffe Cultural Village
Day 4: Transfer to Bombo and Visit the Nubian Village – Experience the Rich Nubian culture first hand.
Day 5: Nubian Village
Day 6: Transfer to Murchison falls National Park via Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Day 7: Chimp trekking in Budongo Forest and River Nile Boat cruise
Day 8: Early Morning game drive in Murchison (Bush breakfast) and Alur Community experience.
Day 9: Checkout for transfer to Kaabong in North Eastern Uganda, first visit the top of Murchison falls.
Day 10: IK cultural experience, an escarpment walk through the IK villages and afternoon transfer to Moroto district.
Day 11: Karamajong cultural experience and Cattle keepers’ experience
Day 12: Transfer to Sipi Falls in Kapchorwa
Day 13: Coffee tour and Wanale hill hike
Day 14: Transfer to Kampala/ Entebbe international airport for your flight back home.
Day 1: Pick up from Airport, Shopping and transfer to Accommodation in Kampala
- The first day of your trip shall be for pickup from Entebbe international airport to Kampala, where you are to spend the night.
- You shall have a meet and greet with your guide, and with your van at hand, transfer to Kampala. Depending on time of arrival, you can do shopping in a suitable mall, with the help of your driver guide.
- Meal plan: To be arranged depending on time of arrival but usually dinner
- Accommodation: In Kampala: Budget: Bush pig backpackers.
Day 2: Check out for transfer to Ewaffe Cultural Village in Naggalama Mukono
- After a delicious breakfast at the accommodation, you shall checkout for transfer to Ewaffe Cultural Village in Naggalama Mukono, found along Jinja-Kayunga Highway.
Ewaffe Cultural Village is just an hour’s drive from Kampala depending on traffic. On arrival, you are welcomed by the Kiganda traditional dancers and you’re free to join in on the fun, served with a smoothing banana juice known as “Omubiisi” sweet and tender with its natural sugars and an organic fresh fruit feast! After a heartwarming welcome to the establishment, you start on the engaging activities offered at the destination
First, get to learn how the “Omubiisi” drink is made locally as you engage in its making too, have a medicinal farm tour on Ewaffe’s Herbal Medicinal trail, “get to know how we Africans treat and treated ourselves without modern day tablets”.
- From the farm tour, engage in local culinary exploration where you are to learn the art of making the “Luwombo dish” which is fascinating because sauce like chicken and Groundnuts is prepared and cooked in a fresh Banana leaf!
Lunch can be at the facility, offering a delicious Luwombo along with lots of other organic foods, prepared locally and a fascinating dish yourself shall have learnt to prepare.
After lunch, you engage in Bark cloth making. Bark cloth known as “Olubugo” is an important part of the Kiganda culture and has been with the local Muganda for many centuries, from burial rites, inheritance and wear, but did you know it’s made from a tree bark? After bark cloth making, have time to engage in craft making.
Later on in the evening, you setup camp where you are to spend the night and a campfire at the establishment. During the campfire, you can have a Ssenga and Kojja talk taking you through the marriage rituals and rites for a Muganda man and woman, roast fresh organic maize on the fire and delicious organic coffee ground and made locally. When done with the above, you can rest for the night in the setup tents or opt for a homestay.
- Meal plan: Full board (Breakfast Lunch – Special “Luwombo Lunch” and dinner)
- Accommodation: Homestay/Camping at Ewaffe Cultural Village
Day 3: Ewaffe Cultural Village
- The third day is dedicated to having more of Ewaffe Cultural Village. You wake up early and head for fishing done locally with a hook and worm as bait in one of the local ponds here. From the fishing, you head back to Ewaffe with your fish catch to have a delicious breakfast in a typical African homestead setting.
- After breakfast, you can have a well experience. This is fetching water from a local water source in a pot and it’s coupled with a brief community walk.
The community walk and well experience shall bring you back to the facility in time for a mouthwatering local and organic lunch feast. Have your lunch as you relax from the community walk.
- After you’ve had your delicious lunch and refreshed, you can head for a hike to the neighboring Namamonde hills. Travelling to and from the hills will be coupled with local farm and homestead visits surrounding Ewaffe cultural village.
- You are to have a campfire at night with a vibrant ancient African storytelling session, Nyama choma (Meat roasting) and local coffee. Later on, retire at the establishment in either Tents or a homestay setting.
- Meal plan: Full board (Breakfast, Lunch – Special “Luwombo Lunch” and dinner)
- Accommodation: Homestay/Camping at Ewaffe Cultural Village
Day 4: Transfer to Bombo and Visit the Nubian Village – Experience the Rich Nubian culture first hand.
- Breakfast shall be served at Ewaffe Cultural Village. When done, you bid farewell and prepare for transfer to the Nubian Village found in Bombo. The drive from Naggalama-Mukono where Ewaffe cultural village is to Bombo can take approximately 1 – 2 hours depending on traffic via Gayaza – Kasangati – Matugga and up to Bombo via Kampala-Gulu Highway.
- The Nubians are a very interesting ethnic group of people with an African Islamic Culture. On arrival to the establishment, Meet your Nubian hosts with a traditional greeting "Asalaam Aleikum". Enjoy a Nubian-style breakfast (brunch) having gurusa (thick pancake), siliwaiwai and an organic fresh fruits feast.
- After the welcoming gestures and remarks, proceed for a village walk. Stroll through Bombo's villages learning about Nubian history, migration patterns, and their settlement in Uganda. You are to have lunch in a typical Nubian homestead setting with interactive cooking demos, teaching you how Nubian Dishes are prepared along with other cultural immersive activities.
After the village walk, return, freshen up and enjoy the rest of the evening beside a campfire with authentic African storytelling sessions about the Nubian culture with the Nubian elders. The stories shall give you a better understanding of Ancient Africa and Uganda, in light of Nubian Culture.
- Meal plan: Full board (Breakfast Lunch –prepared locally within the Nubian Community and Dinner)
- Accommodation: Overnight stay at the Homestay
Day 5: Nubian Village
- In the morning, start the day with the Nubian family, make breakfast together in an Authentic Nubian Homestead setting. After engage in guided community walk through Makina road and visit Uganda’s First Mosque Explore the historic Bombo Mosque (built in 1906), a key landmark for Ugandan Muslims.
- From the community walk, Return to the village and engage in lunch preparation, sit down for a communal meal featuring luguma sasi (millet porridge), mulkiya, spiced rice and pondu (Cassava leaves) which after you shall enjoy as you have a Nubian lunch feast together with the local Nubians, bringing you closer to Africa.
Later on after lunch, you can engage in hands-on Cultural Workshops together with the Nubians.
- Try on traditional Nubian attires Gurbabas, toubs (colorful wraps) as well as Suk –Suk (beads), Learn how to make woven crafts with local artisans and perhaps, you can keep one Nubian dressing as a souvenir for your visit. You can also explore Kayanja village, take photos, or relax with a spiced coffee ceremony for the evening.
- From Kayanja Village, you refresh and light the campfire in preparation for vibrant Nubian culture entertainment and Supper.
The Doluka Dance: Be mesmerized by the energetic Nubian drumming and dance as you sip coffee by the campfire—join in if you dare!
- There shall also be storytelling, and savoring homemade supper with dishes like firinda, kisra and date desserts.
- Meal plan: Full board (Breakfast Lunch –prepared locally within the Nubian Community and Dinner)
- Accommodation: Overnight stay at the Homestay
Day 6: Transfer to Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary up to Murchison falls National Park.
- On the sixth day of your safari, you start to witness some of Uganda’s mesmerizing wildlife beginning the white rhinos at Zziwa Rhino sanctuary in Nakasongola.
After breakfast in the Nubian Village, you bid farewell to your hosts and then embark on your journey to Nakasongola via Kampala-Gulu highway. You can have stopovers in at Markets for road side shopping, fuel stations for refreshments as you take on the 2hr drive to Zziwa depending on traffic.
On arrival to the establishment, engage in a 1-2hrs rhino trekking session that comes along with sights of other interesting wildlife and birds that call this beautiful gem their home!
Trek, and when done, proceed with your trip to Murchison falls National Park, having a stopover in Masindi town for lunch.
- Meal plan: Full board (Breakfast, Lunch in Masindi and Dinner in Murchison falls national park)
- Accommodation: Pakuba Safari lodge/Murchison River lodge
- Budget option: Murchison Giraffe Camp/Red Chill Rest Camp
Day 7: Chimp trekking in Budongo Forest and River Nile Boat cruise
- On the seventh day of your stay in Uganda, you begin the day with breakfast at the lodge and then you move out for a memorable chimp trekking experience in Uganda’s Budongo Forest. Here, there over 600 individuals of Chimps, our closest relatives with 98% of our DNA. A chimp trekking experience has memories like no other and it will surely make you appreciate the Pearl of Africa.
- From the chimp trekking, you head back to your lodges for lunch and a bit of refreshment.
- After lunch, the evening shall be for a wondrous boat cruise on the Nile River that takes you close to the bottom of Murchison falls. The boat cruise comes along with sightings of some of Uganda’s unique aquatic life, like, Nile crocodiles, hippopotamus, birds like kingfishers, water thicknee among several other lazy grazers along the banks of the longest river in the world, the mighty Nile River!
From the boat cruise, you head back to your lodges for dinner and night stay.
- Meal plan: Full board (Breakfast, Lunch in Murchison and Dinner)
- Accommodation: Pakuba Safari lodge/Murchison River lodge
- Budget option: Murchison Giraffe Camp/Red Chill Rest Camp
Day 8: Early Morning game drive in Murchison (Bush breakfast) and Alur Community experience.
- You wake up early, refresh and head out for a game drive in Uganda’s biggest game park. She is home to over 70 mammal species, and over 500 bird species!
What’s a trip in pearl of Africa without a glimpse on her wildlife? During the game drive, expect to spot among others; giraffes, waterbucks, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, Impalas, Elephants and on a lucky day, the big cats. Lions and leopard roaming freely in their natural habitats.
Breakfast shall be packed, and you shall have it within the wilderness as you observe the wildlife graze and roam.
From the game drive, you drive to Mubako Village, North West of the park for an engaging community experience with the Alur people. Engage in preparing the lunch meal that you shall be having, community walk, a homestead visit, local brew tasting, visit a craft shop, storytelling sessions, cultural performances and dances with the melodious sound of the Adungu! Have lunch served in local setting and proceed with the rest of the activities.
- When done, you head back to your lodges in Murchison for dinner and night stay.
- Meal plan: Full board (Breakfast, Lunch in Alur community and Dinner in Murchison)
- Accommodation: Mid-range option: Pakuba Safari lodge/Murchison River lodge
- Budget option: Murchison Giraffe Camp/Red Chill Rest Camp
Day 9: Checkout for transfer to Kaabong in North Eastern Uganda – Visit the top of Murchison falls.
- You are to have breakfast at the lodge and then checkout for transfer to the furthest tip of North Eastern Uganda, in Kaabong district which is in the famous Karamoja region.
You can pass by the top of Murchison falls National Park for a memorable experience at the top of the strongest water falls in the world! Here, the Nile River, the longest river in the world squeezes its self through a 7m gorge! You have time to photography, and then proceed with your trip.
- It is a 7-8hrs drive to Kaabong via Gulu-Kitgum highway, then to the red earth dirt road via remote villages like Naam Okoro, Orom, Karenga, and up to Timu Eco camp perched on the East African rift escarpment with magnificent views of the surrounding Manyattas (Local huts) and the vast plains of the East African Savannah.
- Arrival will late evening, and the night shall be spent at Timu Eco-camp long with dinner.
- Meal plan: Full Board (Breakfast in Murchison, Lunch in Kitgum and Dinner in Kaabong)
- Accommodation: Timu Eco-camp.
Day 10: IK cultural experience and an escarpment walk through the IK villages
- The day shall begin with a delicious breakfast at the camp. When done with refreshment and breakfast, you head out to the IK community for an engaging cultural immersion experience with one of the oldest ethnic groups in Africa, and surprisingly, they still uphold their ancient and traditional ways of life. Engage in the vast activities, including fun storytelling sessions, marriage ritual ceremony demos, cultural performances, local brew tasting among several others.
Have a stroll through the Ik villages and the beautiful escarpment for breathtaking views of the pearl of Africa. Head back to the camp in time for lunch, have a bit of relaxation from the hot sun and then check out for transfer to Moroto district via yet other red earth dirt roads, through remote villages that reflect ancient Africa.
- The drive is 4-5hrs depending on pace though arrival will be late evening counting stopovers.
Accommodation will be in Moroto, and it shall in a Village homestay setting. This means you get to sleep in a tradition Karamajong hut together with a host family, share dinner and a cup of tea plus engaging story sessions about their daily ways of life.
- Meal plan: Full board (Breakfast Lunch and dinner)
- Accommodation: Village homestay setting
Day 11: Karamajong cultural experience and Cattle keepers’ experience
- Have breakfast at “home” and then head out to spend a day with the people of the community where you shall have spent the night! Have fun filled cultural dancing sessions with them, taste their local drink, listen to fun filled stories, support their craft businesses among several other fun activities
- Head back to your hut for lunch and in the evening, have a cattle keepers experience while dressed like a Karamajong! Get to learn how they keep their animals alive in the hot weather, rituals associated to the cattle and perhaps find out why, owning huge herds is a sign of prestige in Karamajong culture.
Head to the camp in time for dinner and refreshment.
- Meal plan: Full board (Breakfast, Lunch and dinner)
- Accommodation: Karatunga Safari Camp
Day 12: Transfer to Sipi Falls in Kapchorwa
- Have breakfast at the camp, refresh and check out for a full day drive from Moroto to Kapchorwa via Mbale Moroto road for visit to the land of the Arabica coffee and the Sabiny people found close to mountain Elgon, the world’s largest volcanic base.
- Lunch will be Enroute and arrival to Sipi falls in the late evening leaving you with time to check into your lodges and rest for the night.
- Meal plan: Full board (Breakfast, Lunch and dinner)
- Mid-range option – Lacum lodge
- Budget option – Casa Sipi falls lodge
Day 13: Coffee tour and Wanale hill hike
- Have breakfast at the lodge and warm up for a memorable and unique experience that takes you the stages of Arabica coffee production from farm to cup. This place is chief producer of Arabica coffee grown on the foot hills of Mountain Elgon in Uganda and they are happy to show how they grow and process the coffee organically and locally. You shall get to taste the coffee too!
From the coffee tour, head to your lodge for lunch and a bit of refreshment. Later on, brace for a scenic hike to Wanale Hill for magnificent views of the three waterfalls and Mt. Elgon national park plains. The hike takes your through caves, waterfalls and thick vegetation that define Uganda as the pearl of Africa!
- Return to your lodges in time for dinner and night stay.
- Meal plan: Full board (Breakfast, Lunch and dinner)
- Mid-range option – Lacum lodge
- Budget option – Casa Sipi falls lodge
Day 14: Transfer to Kampala/ Entebbe international airport for your flight back home.
- Bid Farewell, The last day of your safari shall be for transfer to Kampala/ Entebbe for your flight back home
- Meal plan: Half board (Breakfast at Sipi)
Trip Cost Per person (FNR):
Minimum number of PAX: 3 Persons
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