Organizing a flying safari to Mweya and Kibale Forest National Park.
For those interested in visiting Queen Elizabeth National Park for wildlife viewing, boat cruise on Kazinga channel, and community visits among other activities and Kibale Forest National Park for Chimpanzee Trekking by a domestic flight, planning a flying safari to Mweya and Kibale Forest National Park is Depending on your schedule, you will first visit Kibale Forest National Park or Mweya, Queen Elizabeth National Park for the aforementioned activities. You will travel to Mweya or Kasese Airport from where you will begin your safari.
What should one do and see on a flying safari to Mweya and Kibale Forest National Park?
Those interested in primates are free to trek chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge either in the morning or afternoon. Our Mweya sector and Kibale Forest National Park Safari will take you to the Northern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park popularly known as Mweya for wildlife viewing and game drives.
You will also have time to do a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel. From Mweya you will visit Kibale Forest National park for Chimpanzee trekking having time as well to complete the Bigodi wetland walk and a community walk in both parks you may also choose birding considering the fact they are one of the best areas for birding in Uganda.
Drives in the Mweya Sector Game
Rich in wildlife, the Mweya section of Queen Elizabeth National Park will reveal large quantities of Uganda’s unusual Euphorbia, also known as “candelabra,” tree. Your trip as you see the animals is beautifully framed by the many neighboring crater lakes and mountain ranges. Large herds on Buffaloes, Elephants, Uganda Kobs, Antelopes, waterbucks, Topis, and depending on your luck that day you will also witness the lions and leopards.
Boat Cruise in the Kazinga Channel
Along the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park, relax on a slow boat tour. On the coast you might see families of warthogs, herds of elephant, buffalos and antelopes, large numbers of hippos, and crocodiles tanning.
Many birds, including some migratory species traveling south to warmer conditions, find refuge on Kazinga’s coastlines. The trip offers also a breathtaking view of the lovely Mweya Peninsula and small fishing village life along the banks.
Cultural Quest
You could visit Lake Katwe on your Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari and see how the nearby people are making their livelihood from park resources. It also explains why Queen Elizabeth National Park was ranked among the Parks where human activities coexist with wildlife.
For those who wish to visit the nearby communities, we have the Kasoga community experience project whereby the local community will share with you the hard experience of living near the park and how they have managed to co-exist peacefully with wildlife you will also enjoy the cultural encounters and traditional dances.
Tracker for chimps in Kyambura Gorge
Among the main operations carried out in Queen Elizabeth National Park are chimps’ tracking. This is carried out within Kyambura Gorge inside the Park. Based on the schedule and time of the activities, we may book you the permits and arrange this trip for you after morning and afternoon chimpanzee tracking.
You will need extra time to spend at Queen Elizabeth National Park and have a fantastic unforgettable experience if you like to participate in all the described events. Send us an email; we will then provide all the information and customize this for your need.
For those who enjoy Birding safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park, it is among Uganda’s best birding locations with over 700 bird species including; Albertine rift endemic birds, water birds, and savannah birds most of which can be seen on the boat ride on Kazinga Channel and during game drives in the park.
Among the birds listed below are Collared pratincole, Palm-nut vulture, Pel’s fishing-owl, Rare Swamp flycatcher, Gray-crowned crane (Uganda’s National bird), Giant Kingfisher, Giant Heron, Shoebill stork, Abyssinian Ground Hornbills, Nightjars, Marabou stork, Black-headed Lapwing, Back-bellied Bustard, Swamp Flycatcher, Giant Heron, African Jacana, Secretary Bird among others.
Trekking with chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National Park
Your group will be accompanied early morning into the forest by seasoned guides, researchers, and trackers to see wild chimpanzees and numerous other kinds of primates in their natural environment. For one hour, you will be within meters of these fascinating and very sociable apes partaking in their daily life and seeing their daily routines; they will also take you through the whole monitoring procedure.
Our closest relatives, chimps are rather rare—only around 5000 survive in Uganda. Given their great mobility as they hunt food across the forest, tracking chimpanzees may be somewhat taxing. Chimpanzees are wild creatures as well, hence we cannot guarantee sightings even though viewing success rates are above 80%.
Bigodi Wetland Walk and Community Walk
Bigodi wetland walk takes place at the Bigodi wetland sanctuary in Magombe swamp, the swamp is an array of attractions with prime attractions being the primates and birds, primate species include the red colobus monkey, baboon, black & white colobus monkey, blue monkey grey cheeked, mangabey, vervet monkey, red-tailed monkey, and the L’Hoest monkey.
Further mammals include chimpanzees, Sitatunga, mongooses, bush pigs, otters and bushbucks. Bird species we could so anticipate to come across particularly like Green-breasted Pitta, Red-chested Owlet, Scally-breasted, Pale-breasted and Brown Illadopsis. Fire-crested and Brown-chested Alethe, Forest Robin, Buff-spotted, Brown-eared, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Red-caped and Blue-shouldered Robin-chat, Rufous Flycatcher; Red-winged Francolin, Black-billed Turaco, White-naped and Afep Pigeon; Red-tailed Ant-thrush.
Along with the local villages where you will have cultural interactions like local dances, local way of life, local juices, and delicacies among others, you will also stroll among them.
Flying safari entrance to Mweya and Kibale Forest National Park
The quickest way to reach Queen Elizabeth and Kibale Forest National parks is via aircraft to Mweya or Kasese Airport; the journey only takes around one hour and fifteen minutes.
Flying to Kasese Airport or Mweya Airstrip or Kihihi Airport will provide you entry to both parks; depending on the availability of the domestic aircraft operator and the route you want to follow, With an approximate time from the airstrips to Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kibale Forest National Park being 1-2 hours from Kasese Airstrip, 45 minutes from Mweya Airstrip (this depends on the Lodge you are staying at), then the long one is 3-4 hours drive from Kihihi Airport.
All the mentioned airstrips you will need to drive a short distance to access the parks. Flying to Mweya Airstrip and Kasese Airport can greatly help you to reach the park sooner than when you travel to Kihihi. Starting from either Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi Airfield, all flights will rely on the operator you have booked to determine which location you will be starting your trip to Queen Elizabeth National Park from.
Arranging a flying safari to Kibale Forest National Park and Mweya
We can schedule and arrange for you a flying safari to Mweya and Kibale Forest National Park. Once we confirm availability, we will provisionally book for you while we wait for you to confirm and make payment. First, we will need you to let us know your intended trip dates so we may share with the local airline operators.
If you wish privacy on your flight, you can choose to book any time you wish to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kibale Forest National Park; alternatively, charter flights can land in small Air Fields, so reducing the drive time from the airfield to your Lodge. Among the main local carriers operating flights to Mweya and Kasese are flying Uganda and Aero Link Uganda.
journey rates vary depending the route you want to travel; USD283 for a one-way journey and USD472 for a return flight. One of our guides or cars will wait to move you to your Lodge and also take you for game drives and other activities immediately upon arrival at the airport.
Where would one stay on a flying safari to Kibale Forest National Park and Mweya?
We advise you at least spend a night in either Entebbe/Kampala before the start day and at the end of your safari, this will help you catch up with the flight depart and return times then as well avoid the risk of missing the flight in case of uncertainty like loss of your luggage, missed connecting flight to Entebbe among others. Your flying safari to Mweya Queen Elizabeth National Park
From affordable, mid-range to luxury, lodges in Queen Elizabeth National Park span Budget alternatives include Pumba Safari Lodge, Elephant Hab Lodge among others rates vary from 90 to 100 dollars a night per person, mid-range options include Buffalo Safari Lodge, Bush Lodge, among others costs range from 100 to 300 dollars a night and then Among the luxury choices, Kyambura Gorge Lodge, Mazike Safari Lodge, Katara Lodge, and Mweya Safari Lodge each run between 300 and 400 dollars a night per person.
In Kibale Forest National Park, lodges fall from cheap, mid-range to luxury. Budget alternatives are from 90 to 100 dollars a night per person; mid-range options include Kibale Forest Camp, Primate Lodge among others rates ranging from 100 to 300 dollars a night and then Among the luxury choices are Ndali Lodge, Papaya Lake Lodge, Kyaniga Lodge; daily rates go between three hundred and four hundred dollars per person.
When should a flying safari be planned for Mweya and Kibale Forest National Park?
People relate dry seasons to be the ideal time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kibale Forest National Park as Uganda is crossed by the equator and has a changing equatorial kind of climate with two rainy seasons. This is true; the heavy rains that make the paths too slippery makes driving across the park for wildlife viewing difficult.
This same is true during chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park during the rainy season; the forest cover becomes thicker and the viewing of the chimps is not best compared to drier months. The ideal time for planning a flying safari to Mweya and Kibale Forest National Park is December to February and then June to October, which is rather dry than March to May and with this it is easier to game drives and good for wildlife sightings as well as good for chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National park.
About Safari Experiences in Katland
Originally providing incredible experiences to Uganda and Rwanda, Katland safaris began in 2011 and now provide safaris to Tanzania, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Our magic in creating real experience comes from the fact that we have gradually established a team combined with youthful and vibrant personnel supervised by highly experienced senior managers and directors who are Ugandans and enthusiastic about what they do. Should contact be made, one of our employees will assist in providing reliable and fast information. On trip Advisor and safari reservations, Katland Safaris is very well regarded and evaluated.
