2 Day Birding Safari – Mabamba Swamp and Lutembe Bay
Mabamba Swamp – In Search of the Shoebill
Begin your birding safari with an early departure from Entebbe or Kampala towards Mabamba Wetland, a vast papyrus wetland on the shores of Lake Victoria and one of Uganda’s best-known destinations for Shoebill encounters.
On arrival, take to the water in a traditional motorized canoe and enter the narrow papyrus channels. Moving slowly through the wetland allows you to search the open channels, papyrus edges and floating vegetation for birds while keeping disturbance to a minimum.
The Shoebill is the main target, and your birding guide will carefully scan suitable habitat and listen for calls and movement. When a bird is located, time is allowed for observation and photography rather than rushing from one sighting to the next.
Mabamba also supports a variety of wetland and papyrus specialists. Depending on conditions and season, you may encounter African Jacana, Lesser Jacana, Papyrus Gonolek, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, African Pygmy Goose, Malachite Kingfisher and Carruthers’s Cisticola, among other species.
After the canoe excursion, return to shore for lunch before continuing to Entebbe for an overnight stay. The afternoon can be kept relaxed, or additional birding can be arranged depending on the day's sightings and your interests.
Safari Activities
- Shoebill tracking
- Mabamba canoe birding
- Papyrus birding
- Bird photography
- Wetland species observation
- Transfer to Entebbe
Accommodation
PAPYRUS GUEST HOUSE
Meals
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Lutembe Bay – Wetlands, Migrants and Woodland Birds
Start early at Lutembe Bay, an important wetland on the northern shore of Lake Victoria and a significant site for waterbirds and Palearctic migrants.
The character of the birding here is different from Mabamba. Instead of focusing primarily on one target species, the morning is about working through the wetland carefully and watching for concentrations of birds along the shoreline, shallow water and surrounding vegetation.
Depending on the season and water levels, the area can produce a variety of gulls, terns, herons, lapwings, waders and other wetland species. Possible sightings include Grey-headed Gull, Black-headed Gull, Black Heron, White-winged Tern, Whiskered Tern, Gull-billed Tern, Spur-winged Goose, Long-toed Lapwing, as well as various sandpipers and plovers.
After exploring Lutembe Bay, continue to Entebbe Botanical Gardens for a change of habitat. The mature trees, forest edges and gardens attract a different range of species and provide an opportunity to look for woodland birds, turacos, weavers, sunbirds, flycatchers and other smaller species.
Possible sightings include Great Blue Turaco, Ross’s Turaco, African Grey Parrot, Green Hylia, Black-headed Weaver, Orange Weaver, Golden-backed Weaver, woodland kingfishers and a variety of sunbirds and flycatchers.
The safari concludes in Entebbe in the afternoon with drop-off at your hotel or Entebbe International Airport.
Safari Activities
- Lutembe Bay birding
- Migratory birding
- Waterbird observation
- Entebbe Botanical Gardens birding
- Woodland birding
- Bird photography
- Airport or hotel drop-off
Meals
Breakfast · Lunch
Included
- All ground transportation in a safari vehicle
- Professional English-speaking birding guide
- Canoe excursion at Mabamba Swamp
- Boat birding at Lutembe Bay
- All site and community access fees
- Bottled drinking water during activities
Not Included
- Accommodation and meals (unless requested as an add-on)
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses and gratuities
- Alcoholic and soft drinks
