A safari around Lake Victoria

12 DAYS  LAKE VICTORIA SAFARI (KENYA – UGANDA)

Day 1: Arrive Nairobi

Upon arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, you will be met by our representative for transfer to your city hotel.

Day 2: Nairobi – Maasai Mara

After early breakfast travel to Maasai Mara Game Reserve, so named to mean the “spotted plains” in Maa language. This is home to the greatest concentration of large mammals and is widely recognized as Africa’s ultimate wildlife reserve. The park is the northern extension to the vast Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, famous for its annual migration of wildebeest. Transfer to the lodge with a game drive en route and after check-in enjoy hot lunch. Later in the evening enjoy a game viewing drive in this spectacular place of breathtaking sceneries, never-ending plains and the most abundant variety of wildlife remaining anywhere in the world. The landscape is made up of rolling savannahs dotted with patchy shrubs and bush thickets. 

Day 3 : Full day Maasai Mara

During your stay, you have the opportunity to explore this great reserve in depth. You may see elephant, giraffe, prides of lion, and thousands of impala, topi, grants and Thomson's gazelle. Birds are prolific including immigrants, 450 bird species have been recorded among them 57 birds of prey. The Mara is the scene of annual migration of millions of wildebeest up from the Serengeti plains in search of water and grasses.

Day 4: Maasai Mara - Kisumu  

Depart after early breakfast for a long drive via Bomet/Sotik to Mbita on Lake Victoria. This drive will take you across the floor of the Rift Valley and over the Ololoolo escarpment into the fertile Western highlands rich with tea and coffee plantations. Enjoy your picnic lunch enroute.

Check in and spend the rest of the evening at leisure within the lodge grounds enjoying the beautiful sundowner over Africa’s largest fresh water lake. 

Day 5: Kisumu – Ruma Nationalpark - Kisumu 

Enjoy assumptous breakfast followed by a drive to the nearby Ruma national Park, for a half day of game viewing.The park was created for purposes of conserving and protecting the endagered Roan antelope that is endemic to the area. After your lunch in the park, you can opt to have a boat transfer on the lake back to your lodge. Rest of the evening at leisure or fishing from the pier. 

Day 6: Kisumu – Jinja

After breakfast transfer to Mbita ferry point for a 45minute ferry ride across the lake to Lwanda kotieno on the Kisumu side. Exit the ferry and take the main Trans African highway for a 2 – 3hours drive towards the Kenya/Uganda border where you will change vehicles. Pass through the famed Bustima rain forest to Jinja – Source of the river Nile. Check in for lunch followed by an adrenaline filled afternoon of rafting and later a sunset cruise on the lake. 

Day 7: Jinja

Spend today touring the Bujagalli falls and bird watching around the mighty Nile River. Today you have the option to try out some of the numerous activities associated with the area like Bungee jumping, Quad biking, jet boating, Nile cruise, Kayaking, horseback trails. 

Day 8: Jinja – Murchison Falls Nationalpark

After an early breakfast, depart Jinja for a long drive northwards to Murchison Falls National park. Stop over at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and later lunch before continuing to Murchisons. Spend your evening at the lodge viewing the hippos, crocodiles, birds and a multitude of other animals coming down to drink on the southern shores of the mighty Nile river. 

The Murchison Falls, also referred to as the Kabarega Falls, is a waterfall found on the course of the great Nile. It actually breaks the stunning Victoria Nile, that flows across Uganda’s northern region from the vast Lake Victoria to the deep Lake Kyoga and continuing to the northern tip of Lake Albert within the western arm of the great East African Rift. right on the peak of the Murchison Falls, the waters of the Nile force their way through a small slit within the rocks, which is just 7 meters or 23 feet wide, and topples to 43 meters or 141 feet below with a thunderous roar forming a residual water stray that forms a beautiful rainbow; the view is very breathtaking! From here it then continues its westward into the stunning Lake Albert.

Day 9: Murchison Falls Nationalpark

Wake up to a spectacular sunrise followed by a hearty breakfast before heading out for a boat cruise. Presently the 3 hours boat trip upstream to observe the falls and other river bank wildlife is one of the most popular activities, the might of the river can only be felt when you listen to it’s thunderous sounds. Afternoon enjoy a gamedrive before returning to your lodge for a relaxed evening. 

Day 10: Murchison Falls Nationalpark – Ssesse Islands

Leave very early morning for Entebbe to arrive in time for light lunch and inorder to catch the ferry transfer at 1400hrs from Nakiwogo for the 3hours ferry ride to the lutoboka landing site from where you will be picked and transferred to your lodge. Check in and spend the evening watching the sunset. 

Ssese Islands is an archipelago of 84 islands on Lake Victoria famously known as one of the best getaway destinations in Uganda, these islands are believed to be the origin of Buganda Kingdom with the Basese people occupying most of these islands. Cultural enthusiasts have the opportunity to move around and interact with the locals. Find out the origins of  Buganda’s most feared warrior and all his conquests plus ways of living of the people on the island.  Learn about the famous damula tree used to make spears and can only be found on this island in Uganda. 

Day 11: Ssesse Islands

After your breakfast, you will be taken for a nature walk around the island and into Lutoboka Forest. Spend about 2 hours moving through the forest watching birds, primates plus a variety of tree species within the forest.   Transfer back to lodge for lunch on the beach. Spend the rest of the afternoon participate in ranging from fishing for the giant Nile Perch, quad biking, wind surfing and boating. Alternatively spend your time relaxing by the beach. 

Day 12: Sesse Islands – Entebbe –Nairobi

After an early break-fast, prepare for check out and enjoy a short drive to the ferry reaching there by 0800hrs  time for departure off the island. Bord the ferry and transfer back to Entebbe arriving by 11am at the Nakiwogo Landing site, enjoy a relaxed lunch before check in for your flight home. 

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