Day 1: Pick up from the Airport or Hotel

On this day, you will meet our Kfir Adventures English Speaking guide who will warmly welcome you to Uganda the land gifted with nature and brief you before you embark on the 127km journey to Jinja. Drive through suburbs of Kampala the capital city and the largest kingdom in Uganda. Proceed with your drive through Mabira forest and on the highway, you will see famous markets for muchomo (Chicken + plantain), Mabira forest crafts, sugarcane plantations, sezibwa falls and many more. Arrive in Jinja and check in at Nile Village or Friends Guest house. Have lunch break and later in the Afternoon take a boat to the source of the Nile. At this point, water is not dramatic, you will see peaceful and spiritual spot where Lake Victoria stops and the Nile starts.

With the aid of the operator/guide, you will sight out otters and numerous birds like kingfishers, cormorants, African fish eagles, herons mention. This activity will take about 1 hour for a round. Drive to the kingdom’s palace (Igenge). This is the official palace of the Kyabazinga of Busoga (King Nadiope IV). Meet the palace guide for a guided adventure in the palace. Expect to see the ceremonial grounds, main white palace built in Egyptian style, throne, photos of the past Kyabazinga’s and many more. Have photo moments in the palace gardens for remembrance. Head back to the hotel via the market. This gives you an incite of the real African life, abundance of matooke, fruits, fresh fish, vegetables that signifies the rich soils of Uganda, taste luwombo and Malewa. Notably the “Kitenge + Gomesi” for Busoga highlights the cultural expression in Busoga. Retreat back to the lodge for refreshment, dinner and overnight.

Day 2:  Transfer to Sipi via Mbale

On this day, you will checkout of the rooms with all your luggage, have breakfast (6:00am is recommended). Catch up with your guide and hit the road for 260km journey to Sipi in Kapchorwa via Iganga and Budaka. Have a stopover at Kakunguli rock near Budak in Mbale. The rock is remembered I the history of Uganda because it was named after Semei Kakungulu, the Muganda general who built his fort in Budaka and around 1900 when he was sent by British to control Bukedi. While on top, it gives you a scenic view of flat eastern Uganda, rice fields and swamps. Pursue your drive with a luncheon and arrive at the lodge and check in at Rafiki lodge, Sipi valley resort. Crow’s nest, travelers lodge or similar.

After you have relaxed, you will head out for an evening coffee experience, this is not “watch coffee’, you do it by yourself. You will move with the farmer and pick the red ripe Bugishu arabica, pound it in a mortar just like how our grandmothers did, wash, peel the husk, dry on the mat and roast on open fire in a pan-traditional roastery with smoke everywhere. Grind it in the wooden mortar for 10 mins, resilience is required.  Brew and have it readily in your cup test and feel the power! This tour is accompanied by a traditional song at the end organized mostly by Sabinyo/Bagishu women group. Feel free to join the art and dance with the women for your health.

Walk back to your lodge for refreshment dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Sipi Upper-Middle hike

Rise up for your breakfast at 7:30am well dressed in sneakers with grip, long trousers, light rain jacket and cap. Meet your guide and embark on the hiking at 8:30am. Head out to the upper fall(75m) for 1.5km downhill. Have photo moments for about 15mins and proceed to the middle falls (85m) that covers a distance of 2.5km steep downhill to the valley. Walk through coffee and banana farms on muddy trails with village kids greeting “Mzungu”. Reach the big pool and swim for 10min if brave. Climb back uphill for 40 mins with a scenic view of the Karamoja plains far at Sipi view point to the trading center by 1:30pm and reach the lodge for your lunch break and chill ahead of your dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Mount Elgon Hike

Have your hot breakfast and head to Kapchorwa (2050m entrance gate), together with your porters. Payments will be conducted and assigned an armed ranger. Embark on the hiking for 5-6hours through closed canopy montane forest with encounters like black and white colobus monkeys, baboons, blue monkeys, waterbucks, giant forest hogs, bush bucks, black collared apalis, Jackson’s francolin, hartlaub’s, Turaco etc. Enjoy the cooler temperatures produced by anigeria trees (over 300years), bamboo zone, Podocarpus, Elgon olives. Your guide will help you sight out herbal trees like prunus Africana (prostrate medicine). Chebonet falls (close) and Kajeri falls (a distance) will be viewed in the course. Proceed to Tutum cave (2667m) above sea level. Tutum itself is a huge cave camp that fits 20 tents with a fire place. It is an amazing place to have an overnight in the once a hideout for cattle rustlers. Pitch your tents inside cave leaving the fireplace in the middle. Potters collect firewood from the nearby forest for born fire to generate warm at night since it is usually cold. Conduct a 5mins walk to the view point to see Kenya side, Suam and Karamoja plains. Retreat back to your residential for refreshment and local dinner. In the evening at 6:30-7:00pm, sit quietly at cave mouth and experience bats flying right over your hands as they go to the forest to feed on the wild fruits. Before you take a nap, listen to the stories from your guide, how the Karamojong and Pokot used the cave to hide stolen cows from Uganda and Kenya. Not only that, but also the Mau-mau fighters used to hide in the same cave back in 60’s-80’s

Day 5: Tutum camp to Kajeri Camp 3383

On this day, you will raise up for your breakfast at 8:00am-8:30am. Embark on the 17km trekking to the next Kajeri camp(3383m) above sea level with a beautiful scenery of the terrain characterized by bamboo forest and the open heath zone. This trail gives a notable variation of vegetation cover shifting from montane forest to giant lobelia and groundsels to the beautiful open plains of Kenya, with an amazing afternoon mist, wildlife like monkeys, duikers, birds.

Reach Kajeri camp located in the moorland for your lunch. After chilling, your guide will take you out for acclimatization walk of about 15-20mins around the camp ridge for photogenic view of Kajeri valley, Sipi falls far below and Kenya side, with an amazing sunset if it is not cloudy. Giant lobelia, groundsels, alphine chats, Jackson’s francolin, hyrax around the rocks and so on will be seen.

Fire will be set around your camp by your guide/porters for a rest, hydration, eating carbs and stretch. Gaze at the sky for the insane stars if the weather is clear, its outstanding.

Day 6: Shift from Kajeri to Mude Cave camp

This day you will raise up early at 6:00am for your breakfast, grab your packed lunch and commence on the 6-8hours hike to Mude cave camp. No reception or shops(3500-4000m). Trail through steep up moorland/heath and boggy with some afternoon rains and thick mist and caldera. Stroll with some breaks recommended by the guide as the altitude hits hard with the changes in the weather patterns(cols/windy) From 0-5 degrees Celsius-wind chilled, encircled in the alpines like giant lobelias, elgonesis, giant groundsel/senecio up to 4M, everlasting flowers. You will feel like you are in another planet. Very photogenic but exposed with no trees for shelter. If the weather clears, you will have a scenic view of Sipi river Jorge, mubiyi peak, caldera rim, rock sculptures including “world cup rock”

Upon arrival to Mude cave camp, you will check in at the cave inside the Elgon caldera but sleep in at the tents just outside cave. Swap immediately with dry clothes, heat yourself with warm tea/soup and conduct a short acclimatization walk or explore Mude cave its self(optional). Fire will be set by porters inside the cave for you to warm up and have dinner before you slumber. Lookout for the stargazing! If it’s clear, you will see the best stars of the whole trek, take a sleep, rest your body and save energy for summit push.

Day 7:  Mude cave camp to Wagagai (4321m)

On this day, you will wake up early (3:30-4:00am), have a cup of hot tea or coffee and carry snacks for the summit. Your guide will ensure all gears are put in place, follow the headlamp lights as the place will be dark and cold. Climb to Jackson’s pool(4050m) for 1.5hrs in moorland, flat, frost on ground surrounded by giant lobelia, groundsels. Reach Wagagai(4321m) between 5:30am-6:30am. Breathing gets hard as you rock scramble in cold winds. Your guide will give you the summit book for signing to prove that you reached and also for legacy and join the people who climbed from 1911 to today. Have a view of Jackson’s pool below, Kenya in the East. Mbale lights from far, crater and caldera as you undertake coffee/tea and snacks. Take photos of Wagagai(4321m), Uganda flag with frozen hands. Very cold winds (-5 to 5 degrees Celsius) with short breath. Spend 15-30 mins only and leave since it’s too cold to stay longer. You will descend back to Mude camp for a full breakfast, pack and leave Mude camp to Kajeri camp. Arrive at 3:30-4:30pm before dark for a late lunch or early dinner, refreshment, relaxation and overnight.

Day 8: Kajeri Camp(3835m)-Tatum camp(2667m)

On this day, you will raise up and have your breakfast, with all your belongings packed, embark on the trail at 9:00am, you will undertake a 12km bamboo forest at slow pace with sticks and arrive at the camp at around 1:00pm for your hot lunch and rest. This is what everyone does, you have done the hardest part. Actually, Elgon punishes on the way up. Actually, while at Kajeri, you just need water in small sips and electrolytes. Feet up in warm water if they have and massage with Vaseline. Rest ahead of tomorrow’s transfer.

Day 9: Transfer from Tutum Cave Camp(2667m) to the lodge(1800m)

You will wake up and have your breakfast, get all your belongings and embark on the foggy trail at 8:00am, walk through bamboo forest to Kapkwai gate and receive your trekking certificate as a souvenir, Arrive at your lodge by midday for a refreshment and hot lunch. Have a leisure stay, dinner and overnight.

Day 10: Transfer to pian upe

Checkout of your lodge with all your luggage, have breakfast, meet your safari guide and depart at 8:00am. Drive through busy towns of Kapchorwa, Kween with spectacular view of Mt. Elgon and the surrounding coffee growing highlands, local communities, purse the drive on Moroto road with lunch enroute. Arrive at pian upe, pay admission fees and check in at the camp or Karamoja overland camp.

Afternoon game drive

Embark on the afternoon game drive in the open plains of pian-upe. The reserve was named after 2 tribes (Karamoja clan pian & Kalenjin people). its 2^nd largest protected reserve in Uganda(2788km) after Murchison falls national park, gazetted in 1964. It’s the least visited protected area with unique and most untouched wildest, beautiful landscape with black cotton plains, inselbergs, salt springs and culture makes it unique. Notably, roan antelope which extinct everywhere else in Uganda.

Your safari guide will also help you sight out a concentration of cheetah’s, grant’s gazelle, ostrich, giraffes, buffalos. Pian upe has 242bird species recorded including fox’s weaver-Uganda’s only endemic bird. Superb starling, secretary bird, white headed-buffalo weaver, Jackson’s hornbill etc. will be sighted.

Head back to the camp, freshen yourself, have dinner and overnight.

Day 11: Morning game drive and transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park

Rise up early (6:00am is recommended), with all your packs and meet your safari guide. Pick up your breakfast and head back to the savannah. Traverse through a diverse vegetation cover ranging from acacia-combretum savannah in flat plains, wooded/bushland savannah to semi desert savannah encountering numerous wildlife such as cheeta’s, buffaloes, giraffes, roan, elands, topis and many more. Expect bird life such as ostriches, secretary bird, fox’s, weaver, starlings etc.

At around 11:00am, embark on the 317km journey to Kidepo through Moroto, Kotido and Kabong, encountering tribe museum of 5 different Karamojong groups such as Pian and Pokot, who live in small manyattas, beaded necklaces and pastoralists. The ik/Dodoth tribe that are endangered in Uganda, they mostly live in Mt. Morungole. Continue with the drive through open cattle markets, striking bare rocks and wildlife. Arrive in Kidepo before it’s dark and check in at Kidepo savannah lodge, Apoka safari lodge or UWA banda’s.  Refreshen yourself, relax, have dinner and overnight.

Day 12: Morning game drive and cultural visit

This day you will wake up early (5:30am) for your breakfast, catch up with your guide and head out at 6:00am to Kalokudo gate for admission into the park. Kidepo Valley is one of the Africa’s fundamental wilderness, offering favorite big game, elephants, giraffes, Zebras, Eland, lions, hyenas, cheetah, wild dogs and many more. Beautiful scenery of the grassland that extends in all directions with Africa’s largest herd of cape buffaloes.

With over 475 bird species, your guide will help you sight out birds like ostrich, secretary bird, Abyssinian roller, Kori bustard, carmine bee-eater, little green bee-eater. Raptors like; pygmy falcon, martial eagle, tawny eagle, Egyptian vulture, black-breasted barbet(endemic) etc.  Keep looking on Katurum rocks/lion rock as lions like using it as a tower to scan their prey, get cold wind since Kidepo is hot, and also ambushing. Your guide will also check on the other main spots like Katurum airstrip and Namamu kweny valley for cheetahs, elephants, zebras, hartebeest etc. Return to the lodge and chill ahead of your lunch break.

Cultural tour

After your lunch, take 10 mins walk to Lorokul manyatta or Apoka Village. Meet the village guide who will take you at the entrance hut, Elders welcome you with very high jumping dance as you clap. You will be let inside the tidy compound swept by women everyday circled by 15-20 huts all facing center, smell of smoke and cow dung is normal for them.

You will crawl into a 60cm high door with no window but only fire. You will subsequently see the 3 zones that includes fireplace center with no chimney, bed side made of raised mud and cow skin, then storage chamber that contains milk gourds, sorghum baskets on top. Women will also demonstrate grinding, milk shaking in gourd and bead stringing. While elders sit on small stools telling stories of cattle raiding, kids will be staring at you, touching your watch, hair just to show how friendly they are.

You can also move around outside the huts but inside the fence for the baby goats, chicken, tools like spears leaning on huts and many more. It’s not all about photography here but also learning how these people survived 300 years in harshest desert in Uganda without aid. Head back to the lodge for a relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 13: Morning game drive and transfer to Gulu

On this day, you’ll raise up early again(5:30am), have your breakfast and meet your guide at 6:00am. Head out to the south towards Katurum rock for a safari of about 3hrs. This is perfect timing for the four of the African big five. Look out for lions, leopards, elephants and buffaloes. This safari gives you a summary of the enchanting Kidepo Valley National Park and its significance in the ecosystem. Retreat back to the lodge, check out of the room with all your luggage.

Transfer to Gulu

Embark on 229km journey to Gulu city via Kitgum road. While on the road, you will basically go through 2 big cultural zones ranging from Dodoth (in Karamoja sub-tribe) in Karenga to Acholi in towns of Acholi bur, Palabek, Palwoch etc, with lots of thatched huts, music on radios, bicycles everywhere, mango trees, oranges giving you a beautiful transition from dry savannah with cattle to green farm land. Language change from Ngakarimojong to Acholi/Luo.

Proceed to fort Patiko, a fort that was built in 1872 at ocecu hill as a collection center of slaves from northern Uganda basically Acholi people. It’s another heartbreaking historical site to many Ugandans, the khartoumers from Sudan made slaves dig 16ft wide 15ft deep trench to stop escape. Healthy slaves were sent via Sudan to Egypt, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran and weak ones executed on rocks on the same spot. The site is remembered in the history of Uganda because it was a “a gate of no return”, slaves passed were not seen again founded by Sir Samuel Baker,1872-88 occupied by Emin and Gordon. Pursue the drive for 33km to Gulu city, Check in at Bomah hotel, hotel Judith or Acholi inn hotel for lunch and relaxation.

At 7pm-9pm probably after dinner, the hotel organizes a troup to perform “Larakaraka” (courtship dance), this is the best time when it is cool. You can sit outside with a drink and enjoy cultural rythmatic sound from drums and adungu. It’s not just dancing, it’s a whole conversation. Lyrics praise girls walk, smile, hard work +family. The girl praises man’s bravery. Man plays a thumb piano (Adungu), sings to show he’s interested and the girl answers with the hip moves. If she moves close, she says yes and if she turns away, she says no.

Retreat to your room and rest ahead of tomorrow’s journey.

Day 14: Rhino trekking and transfer to Kampala/ Entebbe

On this day, you will wake up for your hot breakfast at 7:00am, pack all your luggage in the car and hit the road for 179km to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. At the entrance, you will be given a welcome juice, you will sign in as your guide pays for the admission into the sanctuary. You will be allocated a ranger guide who will give you the rules and regulations before you embark on the white rhino trekking on foot. Walk to the Rhinos following fresh footprints+ dung, encountering them sleeping under trees or grazing and maintaining a distance of 6-10 meters.

This activity lasts for 1.5-2hrs. Walk back to the visitor information office and have lunch. Proceed with the drive for 3-4hrs to Kampala or Entebbe and be dropped at your pre-booked hotel or airport. End of safari.

Essential items for the safari

• Passport
• Rain gear
• long sleeved shirts/blouse
• Waterproof hiking boats and light sneakers
• long trousers
• head lamp
• power bank
• Sun hat
• Warm and light clothes
• Rain Jackets
• Camera and extra batteries
• sun glasses
• Insect repellants
• Pair of binoculars
• Warm and light clothes
• toiletries
• other things of personal effect