At the park exit, accessible only by a small narrow strip of land in the middle of the papyrus reeds on the huge delta, is the village home of the Waseko fishermen. Here the people live in tune with the rhythm of their spoils in the waterways with their changing currents at the mercy of the floodwaters and the wind. Water is omnipresent. On the market place there is an incredible display of merchandise for sale, often to Congolese smugglers. Freshly caught fish is smoked on large open metal racks. Moving into the eastern part of the Rift Valley we come to Lake Albert and its coastal fringes where flocks of small zebu are tended by the proud Alur herdsmen, while their women tend the fields of cassava and cotton or rebuild the thatch on their spacious huts. At Butiaba, previously an extremely active lakeside port, a narrow tongue of land flanked by Borassus palm trees pushes into the lake to the warm water. What an idyllic spot! Further on the road negotiates the cliffs of the escarpment and crosses the fertile agricultural area growing sweet potatoes and tobacco. Accommodation in Hoima

The meanders of the great river Nile and its impressive waterfalls, the grasses of the plains and tree-covered hills, the indigenous rainforest and the Borassus palm trees, the lake shores and the marshlands of the delta, make this park one of wild natural beauty. Murchison Falls It is a place whose fauna makes it increasingly more important to conservationists. At Kanyo Pabidi, as we enter the Budongo forest we get our first glimpse of the chimpanzees. The Kabalega Waterfalls are undeniably one of the most remarkable sights in the park. They were named after a Munyoro chief who put up fierce resistance to the European explorers and the Sudanese slave traders looking for the source of the White Nile. Here the river makes a path across a narrow gorge and unleashes hundreds of gallons of water over the edge of a 43m high precipice. Further on the Nile will quietly rejoin the vast waters of Lake Albert. What a striking contrast. We take to the water in a boat to get a closer look at the waterfalls and to enjoy a unique opportunity to observe the thousands of vibrantly coloured birds, herds of buffalo at the water’s edge and crocodiles sunbathing on the riverbanks. The Ugandan Cob is the most commonly seen antelope; the Hartebeest and Oribi are also common. Among the thousands of birds, we must mention the Abyssinian Hornbill and the rare Shoebill Stork. We also cross the Nile by boat to the lakeside area, watering hole for elephant and Rothschild Giraffe.Accommodation in the Park

This magnificent park in the middle of the Rift Valley encompasses Lake Edward and Lake George, which are joined by the natural waterway of the Kazinga Canal, which we explore by boat. Extinct volcanoes, crater lakes, marshes and savannah grassland support the different eco-systems within the park. More than 500 different species of birds have been counted, a great number of them in the shallows or following buffalo and elephant. On the hills invaded by euphorbia, large herds of Ugandan Cob, Topi and Forest Hog are commonly seen. The huge fig trees of the Kyambura Gorge provide a safe refuge for families of Chimpanzee. Accommodation in the park

Here the grass-covered hills are pastures for the remarkable flocks belonging to the Banyankole tribe. The enclosed valleys are filled with a mixture of banana and coffee plantations. Once past Kabale the busy commercial centre, the countryside offers us an unbelievable palette of green, from the blue-green of the eucalyptus trees which divide this tapestry into a multitude of tiny pieces, and the deep green of the cypress trees that line the slopes, to the light green of the paddy fields at the bottom of the sheltered valleys. As we come round the bend in the dirt road we are afforded the most magnificent view of the whole volcano chain of the Virunga Mountains. At Kisoro, the lava road splits and we head towards the Rwandan border. Accommodation near to the Volcanoes National Park

Enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the lakeshore or a refreshing early morning swim. After a wholesome breakfast, leave the gleaming waters of Lake Kivu and journey back to Kigali, through the beautiful countryside of the ‘Land of a Thousand Hills’. Transfer to the airport.