10 DAYS OF LUXURY GRAVEL ADVENTURE IN UGANDA

Welcome to the Pearl of Africa, as Uganda is known. Our experienced drivers will be waiting for you at the airport to transfer you, your bike and your other luggage safely to your guesthouse in Entebbe. There you can sit back, relax and get used to the African atmosphere. Meals are not included today.

We will depart early in the morning to drive our luxury safari vehicle from Entebbe to Fort Portal (approximately 5 hours). Lunch will be at the famous Kyaninga Lodge, beautifully situated on the edge of one of Uganda's most beautiful crater lakes. After lunch, we will take a beautiful 40 kilometer bike ride at the foot of Uganda's largest mountain range, the majestic Rwenzori Mountains. If we are lucky, we may even see the snow-capped peaks in the distance. En route, we'll have plenty of time to stop for breathtaking panoramic views of one of the many crater lakes in this region. Don't want to stop and take a picture? No worries, we'll spend the night in luxury cottages also located on the shore of another beautiful crater lake. Today's breakfast, lunch and dinner are all included.

Today's hike involves an initial downhill descent, then a fairly flat road to the northern entrance of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The route will take us through Uganda's central crater lake area: a beautiful environment that will steal your heart. The first half of the trip is on wide dirt roads and small fire roads. The next section will be on asphalt where you will have a good chance of spotting wildlife on the side of the road. The last section will be through the park and will be done in our vehicles. Our lodge is located in the middle of the park, in the southern hemisphere, as we will be crossing the equator just before our arrival. We spend the night in luxurious rooms with animals coming in and out of camp and the sounds of hippos and hyenas accompanying our dinner by starlight. All meals are provided.

We will begin today's adventure with a boat safari on the Kazinga Channel. The early start increases the chances of spotting a large number of wildlife drinking on the banks of the river. You may even see hippos returning from their nightly grazing sessions on land. The canal is home to the largest concentration of these wonderful animals in the world. In addition, it attracts a wide variety of birds and is home to many Nile crocodiles. After two hours, it's time to switch from boat to bike. Today's exciting cycling route takes us directly through the heart of Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to 95 species of mammals and over 500 species of birds. We ride on a flat, wide gravel road through the savannah and have the chance to see wildlife such as buffalo, elephants, several types of antelope.

A wonderful change of scenery today, as we leave behind the flat savannah and climb towards the rainforest. Along the way we will pass through some beautiful tea plantations. Expect a challenging route with just under 1,000 meters of ascent to reach Buhoma, the gorilla tracking capital of the world. But before reaching the rainforest, we will cross some tea plantations. The high altitude is indeed ideal for the cultivation of these plants. All meals will be provided today and our lunch will be in the middle of one of these tea plantations. An incredible experience! We will spend the night in one of the few lodges inside Bwindi Impenetrable Park. You will be able to hear the gorillas as if they were sitting next to you.

This day will be a life-changing experience for you. That's how many people describe a visit to the endangered mountain gorillas in the impenetrable Bwindi Park. Leaving in small groups, you will travel through the dense forest of Bwindi to find one of the families found only in this corner of the world. You will be accompanied by experienced rangers who know the forest and the gorilla families and can therefore lead you there quickly and effortlessly. But gorillas don't stay in one place for long, so you may have to walk up some hills and slide down some slopes for a while (sometimes even up to 4 hours) before you can find them. Once your group has found the gorilla family, you are only allowed to stay with them for an hour, in order to limit human influence as much as possible. Lunch will be provided in your backpack and after the hike, a 2-hour drive will take you to Ruhija, where you will stay in a super luxurious lodge in the middle of the park. Breakfast and dinner are of course part of today's program.

We will go straight through the impenetrable Bwindi forest to get back to civilization. Although we are descending more than we are climbing, we still have to face some significant hills today. Once out of the forest, we will see impressive terraced fields where the locals grow various crops. Don't miss the Bunyonyi lake in the distance, dotted with islands. Meaning "place of little birds", the lake is said to be the second deepest in Africa and has 29 islands of all shapes and sizes. We will have lunch on the shores of the lake and then go for a 20 kilometer bike ride along the lake shore. We will stay in a beautiful lodge overlooking the lake. You will wake up to the mysterious Bunyonyi mist floating on the lake as the fishermen return to the market to sell their night's catch. All meals are included.

Today a rest- and transfer day. After a hearty breakfast we will jump in our vehicles on our way to Lake Mburo National Park. Just after we have passed the city of Mbarara we will have lunch at Igongo Cultural Centre, a location devoted to the promotion of the Ankole tribe. If you feel like it, you can visit the small museum in half an hour. Quickly after leaving our lunch place you will reach Lake Mburo National Park. Our lodge is located very closely to the park entrance on the top of an ancient granite rock and is frequently visited by wild animals. Relax and overlook the park and its wildlife from your private luxury cabin. Rather do something active, then join a walking safari, horseback riding in the park or participate in an optional night game drive. Today all meals are catered for.

Wake up and have breakfast while looking out over the park. Early in the morning, there is a good chance that animals have approached the lodge to graze. After breakfast, we'll take a bike tour inside the park. Expect to see zebras, antelopes and buffaloes on the road and, with any luck, you will ride between a group of giraffes that were released in the park a few years ago. We will make short stops at the hippo pool and the Kazuma viewpoint. In the afternoon we will take the paved road back to Entebbe for a 4 hour drive. For the second time we will cross the equator and make a short stop.

Depending on your flight departure time, you can do some sightseeing in Entebbe or even Kampala. Walk the beaches of Lake Victoria or visit the zoo or botanical garden in one of Uganda's greenest and most peaceful cities. Or visit the capital's highlights, such as the Uganda Mosque, Idi Amin's torture chambers, Owino Market and Banange Brewery. Whatever activities you plan, we'll make sure you get to the international airport in time to catch your flight.