Our trip recap: searching for primates in Uganda

I borrowed 27fifi’s (https://voyageforum.com/forum/ouganda-20-jours-decouverte-authenticite-d9853336/) classification for accommodations and activities, which I’ll be using, and I’d like to thank them for it. ****TOPISSIME (Top-notch) ***Very good **Good *Meh

J1-J2 Night at Rwakobo lodge* – Our room was far away in the middle of the forest, very basic with no view, even though the lodge has many rooms with stunning views of the plain. No luck for us. Lake Mburo National Park** – We enjoyed the walking safari among giraffes and zebras with a park guide. The boat tour allowed us to spot some birds.

J3-J4 Night at Birdnest overseas** – A lovely hotel with quality meals, including the famous lake crayfish (a local specialty). Lake Bunyonyi*** – A boat and walking tour of the lake: a beautiful discovery, especially the hike offering panoramic views of the many islands. We met locals, including some children.

Night at Lake Mutanda lodge** – We arrived late and left early the next morning, so we didn’t get to enjoy it much.

J5 Hike to see the golden monkeys (Golden monkeys)** – A mixed experience. We were in a group of about fifteen people with several guides and rangers. To reach the forest where the golden monkeys live, it’s a 1.5–2-hour hike and climb. The pace was too fast for my wife, who had a vasovagal episode and couldn’t enjoy it. The golden monkeys are only seen in the trees, moving quickly, making photography difficult. Night at Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla lodge**** – A high-end lodge with excellent services. Our room had a beautiful terrace view. The meals were very good.

J6 Gorilla trekking**** – A magical moment I was a bit nervous about, as I’d heard stories of exhausting hours-long hikes. After the bad experience the day before and not being in great shape, my wife didn’t join me. In practice, I was placed in a group with six others who also claimed to be in “mediocre” physical condition, and we were assigned the Nkuringo gorilla group. This family of 14 was at the forest’s edge. After a 20-minute walk (yes, you read that right—20 minutes!), we entered the forest and met the trackers. The Nkuringo group was just a 5-minute walk away. Wow, what luck! No effort (compared to the day before) and we were in contact with this very calm and peaceful group of gorillas. We had an easy hour of observation. What a magical moment. A very young gorilla really stood out with its playful antics. Night again at Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla lodge****

J7 Queen Elizabeth National Park*** – The southern part of the park is currently not recommended (due to the risk of attacks near the DRC border), so we couldn’t see the Ishasha area, famous for its tree-climbing lions. Still, we saw lions, hyenas, elephants, and even spotted a leopard up close. Lots of herbivores. Night at Twin lakes safari lodge** – The lodge and its view are lovely. There’s a beautiful infinity pool overlooking Queen Elizabeth Park. However, the food was very average. I remember, among other things, a paid picnic box that was almost empty.

J8 Boat ride on the Kazinga Channel*** – We had a great time, seeing elephants, buffaloes, and hippos all in one place. Lots of birds to observe. Night again at Twin lakes safari lodge**

J9 Hike around Crater Lake** – We didn’t realize when we started this walk that it would be a 3-hour hike with a guide. He introduced us to locals: one woman showed us the steps (roasting, grinding) to turn coffee beans into a cup of coffee, and another was planting. Night at Isunga lodge*** – A lovely lodge with excellent food (the best of our trip). Be careful if you have limited mobility—the rooms are staggered along the hillside. Our first room was almost the farthest from the restaurant at the top. After asking, they offered us a more accessible room. Thanks to them.

J10 Hike to see the chimpanzees in Kibale Forest**** – A moment shared with my wife this time. About ten groups of ten people each were formed at the start. Each group had a guide (a female guide for us) and one or two rangers. After an hour of walking through dense forest, we came across a group of chimpanzees, rather scattered (nothing like the still, grouped gorillas). They moved through the forest, making contact easy and allowing for photos. Toward the end of our hour with the chimps, an incident occurred. A chimpanzee walking ahead of the group suddenly turned around and ran back in a panic. Our guide and rangers immediately understood there was danger. We were told not to move and to stay with the guide while the two rangers moved forward. A few moments later, we jumped as we heard several gunshots. The guide explained there was a forest elephant. These are known to be dangerous at times because they’re not used to humans and tend to charge. Another round of gunshots told us the stubborn elephant hadn’t changed direction. About ten minutes later, everything calmed down. Our return was much quieter. Hike in Bigodi swamp* – How to get scammed? You buy two tickets for a guided tour of this swamp, rich in different monkey species and birds, then set off with a guide. Ten minutes later, she explains that we’ll actually just walk around the swamp without going in because it’s impassable—the paths and even the bridges are flooded. We paid but didn’t see much. Just a few monkeys. Night again at Isunga lodge***

J11 Walking with rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary**** – A fantastic experience where you walk among several very calm rhinos, more interested in eating than in your presence. Of course, you still keep a safe distance (no reckless behavior). Night at Murchison River Lodge** – Again, we weren’t lucky enough to be lodged where there’s a beautiful view (the Nile, no less!) but instead behind the lodge in a clearing with no view. The accommodation is certainly quality, but a room with a Nile view would’ve been nicer. Maybe a misunderstanding with our agency about the reservations???

J12 Game drive in Murchison Falls National Park*** – Two great safaris with many animal sightings (birds, mammals, monkeys). Boat ride to Murchison Falls*** – A very interesting tour with two highlights: discovering wildlife along the riverbanks and approaching the falls. Night again at Murchison River Lodge**

J13 Hike to Murchison Falls*** – Worth doing to experience the power of the falls and get a free shower in the process. Night at Chobe Lodge by the Nile*** – A magical setting by the Nile, this time with a room overlooking the legendary river. This lodge has a long history, having been partially destroyed during the civil war. It’s been renovated since and offers good-quality services.

J14 Night at Adere Lodge** – A reasonably priced lodge in Kidepo National Park. Since we were the only guests and they were closing after our stay for several weeks, we felt like we were getting the last of the fridge and food supplies. The meals were notably unappealing. Fortunately, the staff was very friendly.

J15 and J16 Safaris in Kidepo Valley National Park** – A bit disappointing. To reach this park in the far north of Uganda, near the South Sudan border, we had to endure hours of rough roads. The park has an incredible concentration of buffaloes. A few other mammals were spotted. We saw a lion hiding behind a rock. And that’s it. Fortunately, the park itself is very beautiful, with many mountains and hills. Nights at Adere Lodge**

J17 We endured a very, very, very long and grueling 17-hour car journey (instead of the expected 8 hours) between Kidepo and Sipi Falls. Between breakdowns, closed roads, rough tracks, and various mishaps, this day will stay in our memories for a long time. Highlight of this apocalyptic day: the beauty of the Karamoja region in northeastern Uganda, which is among the poorest on the African continent. A striking contrast. Night at Lacam Lodge** – Rustic but well-located near one of the three Sipi Falls. Best breakfast of our trip.

J18 Visit to Sipi Falls** – Actually, exhausted from the nightmarish journey the day before, we settled for seeing the waterfall near Lacam Lodge. The surroundings are very pretty. Night at Haven Lodge** – A well-placed lodge near the Nile.

J19 Night at Latitude 0**** – One of the most beautiful boutique hotels we’ve ever stayed in. While Kampala isn’t a dream city, this hotel is in a preserved neighborhood on one of the city’s hills, offering a lovely view. The interior decor is stunning.

J20 Discovering shoebills in Mabamba Swamp**** – The perfect activity to end this rich stay in Uganda. I’d dreamed of seeing them, and I did. This mythical bird, with its beak straight out of a *Jurassic Park* movie, was a highlight. A high-speed boat ride on Lake Victoria took us to Mabamba Swamp in 30–40 minutes. We were taken on a dugout canoe, similar to Botswana’s mokoros. Ten minutes later, we spotted our first shoebill, then a second one a little later. The two shoebills came together, and we observed them for 45 minutes, cameras and video recorders going wild. End of the trip. See you soon for the video.

Thanks for this beautiful and thorough travel journal. Loads of info!

Clearly—and I don’t remember if I mentioned this here or on Le Routard—but heading northeast just for Kidepo isn’t worth it, in my opinion. The park is actually quite small, and animal density is pretty hit-or-miss. It’s a less-visited park, so it’s probably less organized for spotting wildlife. While the landscapes are stunning, when it comes to animals, depending on the season, you might barely see anything.

On the other hand, it’s *totally* worth going northeast mainly for the Karamoja region—the sheer majesty of the landscapes (especially the track between Kidepo and Kaabong, and then the vast plains where you might get lucky and spot some wildlife). It’s great to have a bit of time to visit a manyatta and/or a kraal, or even for a hike on Mount Moroto or around Kaabong or elsewhere in the area. It’s absolutely gorgeous pretty much everywhere, with a huge diversity of landscapes *and* cultures in a region that’s not even that big.

Anyway, thanks again for the info and the detailed account of your trip

Thanks Rotsaka, and I totally agree—if we had to do it over, we wouldn’t go to Kidepo. It’s way too far for uncertain wildlife sightings. Especially since we’re not behind on animal encounters, having been lucky enough to explore plenty of other parks across several countries in Southern and East Africa.

I’ll also share a quick recap soon (before our video drops) on how the agency Mpolampola handled the organization. Good, but...

What a joy to read all these travel journals—I’ll admit I’d really missed them. Looking forward to the video! 😇

Hi there,

I promised I’d share feedback on Mpolampola agency, which we entrusted with organizing our trip to Uganda. I contacted Paul, the manager, back in January 2023—18 months ago—to plan the itinerary with a driver-guide from his agency. Choosing Mpolampola wasn’t random. This agency and Paul, its manager, were frequently mentioned in the Uganda section by several forum members. Throughout 2023, we built the itinerary together. We made the various payments and eagerly awaited our departure at the end of August.

Finally, the trip. We were greeted at the airport by Wycliff, who turned out to be an excellent driver-guide and accompanied us for the first two weeks. For personal reasons, Wycliff was replaced by Moses for the last week, who was also excellent.

So why a post about Mpolampola agency, which I’d describe as “Good, but...”?

What was perfect: - Our two driver-guides, Wycliff and Moses, who were not only highly professional but also very friendly - The booking of activities

What wasn’t perfect: - We would’ve appreciated if Paul had told us while planning that completing a full circuit of Uganda in 19 days was quite a challenge. Our itinerary was too ambitious because we didn’t know Uganda or its roads (how to put it?)—a bit tougher than the ones we’d driven on in South Africa or Namibia. The advice was lacking, but you could also say that travel journals and forum feedback might have hinted at that. We had three legs of around ten hours each, including one *epic* 17-hour drive. We left Kidepo at 7 AM and arrived at Sipi Falls at midnight—straight to bed without dinner!!! - But the main issue was the recurring breakdowns. Three in total, leaving us stranded on the side of the road while Wycliff or Moses did their best to fix a leaking radiator that caused the vehicle to overheat. The last breakdown even required a vehicle change.

So, would we recommend Mpolampola agency to others wanting to visit Uganda? Yes, of course—but make sure to clearly communicate your expectations, like daily travel times, any health concerns (especially for primate treks, which aren’t always easy), and your preferences for room types (we were sometimes surprised to get rooms without a view, which seemed like the cheaper options).

In a few days, I’ll post our video online. Have a great day! Loïc

Hi there,

Well, I’ve finally finished editing the video of our amazing Ugandan adventure. This new video has been added to my YouTube channel, which is mostly dedicated to our African travels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-Kl-1cxB1A Feel free to ask any questions—I’ll be happy to answer them!

Thanks so much for sharing this, Loic! 🙂 I’ll watch the video today with great pleasure.

Hey Loic, 🙂

Thanks again for the video we watched together tonight! I instantly fell in love with Chobe and added it to my notes right away.

A few quick questions: - Was your guide French-speaking? - Is the face mask mandatory for gorillas but not for chimpanzees? - For Murchison Falls, does the choice or location of lodges matter for safaris, walking tours, or boat trips? How does it work for lodges inside the park? Is there a curfew to arrive? Can you access them at night? I’m not quite picturing it

Pierre

Hi Pierre, and thanks for your comments! We had two guides over the 3 weeks who took turns. Neither spoke French, only English. You're right—the guides and rangers are less strict in Kibale Forest when meeting chimpanzees than they are for gorillas in Bwindi National Park. Yet there’s no real justification for this difference in treatment. Just a reminder: the mask’s purpose is to prevent the transmission of our respiratory viruses from humans to primates and thus avoid infecting them. Murchison Falls National Park is huge. It stretches on both sides of the Victoria Nile from its entry into Lake Albert to about a hundred kilometers upstream, but the lodges are mainly clustered in the West, near the park entrance (Paraa) and the falls. We initially chose a lodge in this area, allowing us to do safaris, boat rides, and hikes to the falls (accessible by car first). Then we spent a night on the East side of the park, a few hours’ drive away at Chobe Lodge by the Nile. Gorgeous view of the river. For the first lodge, we arrived at night (around 8:30 PM) because it’s a road, not a track, that crosses the park. However, I don’t know the park’s closing time, but from what I recall, it was at least 6 PM. Had a wonderful day! Loïc

Thanks Loïc for this travel feedback 🙂... sometimes a bit hectic! 17 hours on the road—so looong! ... for the driver too! I think most people usually plan a stopover between Kidepo and Sipi Falls (e.g., Moroto). When Paul sent us the itinerary (back in 2018), the driving times were listed and pretty reliable... but hey, breakdowns can’t be predicted! He was our guide, and he was really great—I don’t know if he’s still doing it.

Haven’t had time to watch the video yet... but I’ll get to it soon 😉

Thanks Muriel for the comments. Paul had clearly marked the travel times on the road book, but he hadn’t included breakdown times (humor). We loved Uganda, but if we were to do it again, we wouldn’t go all the way to Kidepo—it’s far (though it’s beautiful!). Otherwise, we wouldn’t change a thing. Now we’ll wait until 2026 for our next trips to Africa. Nothing planned for 2025. Tomorrow, we’re heading to the stunning Montier-en-Der festival, a hotspot for wildlife photography.

Hi Loïc,

I just watched your video, which brought back some really fond memories... and made me want to go back to Uganda to explore the eastern and northern parts I haven’t seen yet (Sipi Falls and Kidepo do look absolutely stunning). Those baby gorillas are still just as adorable I was surprised by how dry Mburo was—is that normal for this season? (It almost looks like parts of it have burned.) By the way, there’s a bridge that lets you access MFNP from the south, right? (Thanks, Total! ... or 😕) About the rhinos at the Rhino Sanctuary, I heard they were planning to reintroduce some into MFNP once the population was large enough—do you know how that project’s going? Anyway, great job on the editing! I really loved the early photos of monkeys and birds too.

Hi Muriel, For Lake Mburo, there were indeed controlled burns.

Apparently, there’s a bridge that allows access to Murchison Falls National Park from the south, right? I don’t know because the only bridge we took near Total’s work area was the one at Paraa.

Regarding the rhinos at the Rhino Sanctuary, there was talk of reintroducing them into Murchison Falls National Park once their numbers were sufficient. Do you know where this project stands? They told us it’s still too early, but it’s still being considered.

Otherwise, we went this weekend—like we do every year for the past 10 years—to the Montier-en-Der Festival, a major hub for world-renowned wildlife photography. What a treat! Have a great weekend, Loïc

Thanks Loïc for these details.

the only bridge used near Total’s work zone is the one at Paraa.

I was indeed talking about that bridge. Before Total, the only way to cross was by ferry.

The Montier-en-Der Festival—I really need to start seriously considering going; it sounds amazing!

Have a great day.

Hi there, I'm trying to access the mpolampola website, but the page no longer exists. Do you know if the agency is still operating? Thanks

Hi Serge,

I just noticed their website isn’t working either. No explanation??? Here’s the email to reach Paul Ssenkungu, the manager of this agency: mpolampola@yahoo.com He always replied to my emails, though sometimes it took a few days. Happy trip planning for Uganda!

Loïc

Hi Loïc. A huge thanks for this valuable info. Have a great Sunday

Hi Serge,

Have you heard from Paul at Mpolampola agency? Is the trip prep still on? Have a great day! Loïc

Hi Simon, No luck, unfortunately—still no reply to my email. The trip’s still in the planning stages. I’m getting more and more tempted by a road trip. I’ve reached out to Self Drive Uganda and Road Trip Africa. The lack of road signs and the sketchy GPS accuracy are making me a bit nervous, though... When visiting the national parks, is it possible to hire a guide, and do you happen to know the price? Have a great day, Serge

Hello Loïc,

Thanks for sharing your trip recap 🙂 and thanks for your reviews of the different spots and accommodations. And thanks for the video too 🙂🙂

All of this is really helpful for planning my trip to Uganda—I’m hoping to go in December/January. The trip was originally planned for December 2020. We’d organized everything through Paul’s agency. Five years later, we figured it was finally time to go! This time, though, we’ll be doing a self-drive trip instead of going through an agency.

Quick question: how was your flight with Rwandair? They offer way cheaper prices than other airlines.

Have a great weekend, Pascale

Hi Pascale, The trip with Rwandair was perfectly fine and, for me, on par with other African airlines like Ethiopian Airlines or Kenya Airways. I recommend it. I’ll be following your upcoming trip to Uganda with interest. It’s a beautiful country, but be careful not to be too ambitious—we made that mistake. Happy planning, Loïc

Hi Loic,

I’ll post an update (even though I’ve got a bunch of travel journals to document 🤪). We’ve got 20 full days there, and I’m really torn about whether to go all the way to Kidepo or not. Based on your experience, I’m a bit put off and might stick to the western half of the country.

In the end, we found flight tickets with Brussels Airlines that were just as competitive as RwandAir.

Have a great weekend, Pascale

Hi there, Here are the rates for the parks managed by UWA. UWA-Conservation-Tariff-July-2024-June-2026.pdf Roughly speaking, if you want to go self-drive, you can hire a guide/ranger, and it’ll cost up to $25 for the most expensive parks. In my opinion, it’s a great way to explore the parks and Uganda. As for the roads, it really depends on you and your comfort level/experience. I think it’s doable, but keep in mind that Ugandan roads are among the most accident-prone in the world, so extreme caution and no night driving. The biggest hassle is Kampala—you’ll manage, but it’s absolute chaos with some crazy traffic jams. Google Maps or any other app is usually enough to get by. In Uganda (as elsewhere), it’s best to take your time. Plenty of areas deserve a few days or more. A week in Fort Portal/Kasese doesn’t seem excessive to me, same for Karamoja. Happy planning