1 Day Explore Entebbe City
1 Day Explore Entebbe City : Entebbe was the capital of Uganda during the colonial era and it derives its name from a Luganda phrase “Entebbe za mugala”. This literally meaning the headquarters “seat”, basically named so because it was the place where the Banda chief sat to adjudicate legal cases. Entebbe is also best known to Europeans as the home of Entebbe International Airport, the main Airport of Uganda which was officially opened on 10th November 1951.
The Airport has long been the main port of entry and arrival for international arrivals to Uganda for about as long as the country has been receiving international visitors. As a matter of fact, in 1913, Sir Frederick Treves arrived at Entebbe from the ports of Mwanza and Kisumu and described it as “the prettiest and most charming town of the lake”. Otherwise, this tour will take you to some of the most attractive places in Entebbe. These include; Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC), the Botanical gardens and the Mabamba swamp.
Detailed Itinerary
Mabamba Swamp
After having your morning breakfast, you will be picked by our representative. Later, head to Nakiwogo dock where you will take a boat ride to Mabamba swamp. The swamp is basically one of the best places in Uganda to spot the highly sought-after shoe bill in its natural habitat. As you navigate the swamp, pay attention on both sides since you will not only spot the shoebill but also other different wildlife like the sitatunga.
Other bird species to spot include; white-winged warble, blue swallow, black-headed weaver. Papyrus gonolek, swamp flycatcher, pigmy goose, grosbeak weaver, northern brown-throated weaver. Clarke’s weaver, palm-nut vulture, papyrus yellow warbler, blue breasted bee-eater. Goliath heron, African fish eagle, long tailed cormorant, yellow billed duck, malachite kingfisher, etc.
Uganda Wildlife Education Centre
After lunch, you will head to Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Center which is located in Entebbe. It was founded in 1952 to accommodate confiscated and injured wildlife and to look after orphan animals confiscated from smugglers. This Center is where wildlife education is combined with leisure. Here you will not only observe the exciting indigenous species, but also have a comprehensive interactive interpretation and briefings on them. While here, you will across animals in their cages. Some of these include; zebras, lions, tigers.
Leopards, elephants, buffalos, water bucks, giraffes. Warthogs, impalas, Jackson’s hartebeests. Cheetahs, caracals, rhinos, elands, civet cats, etc. Also watch out for reptiles like the rock pythons, carbon vipers, black mambas, Jameson’s mamba, etc. This place also harbors primates like the chimpanzees, black and white colobus, DeBraza monkey, red tailed monkeys as well as vervet monkeys. You will also come across different bird species like the turacos, kingfishers, robin chats, herons. Finches, starlings, thrushes, bee-eaters, sunbirds, goose, flycatchers, peacocks, the rare shoebill, etc. If you are interested in botany you will also find live collections of traditional medicinal plants.
End of Tour
Activities
- Visit Uganda Wildlife Education Centre
- Shoebill tracking at Mabamba swamp
Optional activities
Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary
Cruising to Ngamba Island which is surrounded by the fresh waters of Lake Victoria. Additionally, it is a home of 49 chimpanzees, 20 male and 29 are female. Amongst these, 46 are orphaned and the 3 were luckily born on this Island. You will also have a chance to clearly observe and feed these playful apes. Above all, listening to the sound and observing how the chimpanzees call out for food, is quite an amazing experience. If you are keen enough, you will notice that the boat engine will use more energy in order to sail past the Equator line crossing. You will also see the Chimpanzee clinic and they will also explain to you the different foods given to the chimps.
Uganda Reptile Village
Here will come across 50 reptiles with 20 different species on display from cobras, boomslangs, skinks, monitor lizards, tortoises as well as the Gaboon Viper. In fact, you will enjoy the thrilling experience of watching these slow but fun animals when they are feeding on their vegetables. You will also enjoy adventurous activities like sport fishing as well as canoe cruising in the man-made river stream which is three kilometers.
Visit to the Botanical Gardens
The gardens is an attractively laid-out mix of indigenous forest, cultivation and horticulture, and a highly attractive destination to bird watchers. The gardens also offer an excellent introduction to Uganda’s birds. Some of these include; slender-billed weaver, red-chested sunbird, gonolek, grey-capped warbler, great blue turaco, etc. In addition, vervet and black and white colobus monkeys can also be sighted here.
Lutembe Bay
This small wetland located on the eastern side of the Kampala–Entebbe road is notable for seasonal Palaearctic over 26 species and Afro-tropical over 16 migrants. Over 109 waterbird species have been recorded here and these include squacco heron, shoebill, papyrus gonolex, African skimmer, etc. Over 24 regionally threatened species have also been recorded here such as slender billed gull, greater cormorant, winged black terns, northern brown-throated weaver and much more.
Entebbe Golf Club
The open expanse of the 18-hole golf course sloping towards Lake Victoria is Entebbe’s most distinctive feature on the drive towards the airport. This golf course also remains green throughout the year because of the cool weather from the lake and good rains throughout the year. Golfers should try for early morning or late afternoon starts to avoid the heat of the day.
Includes
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation including fuel
- All activities (included in the itinerary)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Bottled drinking water
- Entry fees
Excludes
- International flights
- Personal items
- Meals
- Tips
