murchison falls to PNV-quickly??!!
 

hello
looking to get from Murchison falls to PNV pretty quick as i have decided to do my chimp walk in murchison (so no need to stop at kibale right??), not sure if i need to see QE park as i am heading to southern africa as well later on and can see the same things elsewhere that i can at QE??!!, and my gorilla trek is in PNV instead of bwindi.

so as you can see i can pretty much head straight from murchison falls to PNV...soo does anyone know if you can fly? what the cost is?

what would i be missing if i flew (other then QE, kibale, bwindi??)

thanks!
Cheryl

Cheryl-

I'm planning my first trip so I can offer no first hand knowledge. I can pass along some info from Great Lakes Safaris, my operator, to give you some ideas. In my initial planning, I was considering driving from Mweya in QENP to PNV through the Ishasha region. I was told it was a long day but doable.

Our current itinerary involves driving from Entebbe to Kisoro/Mgahinga and this too is a full day of driving. We are also driving from Kihihi (1 hr N of Bwindi) to Kibale w/ a stop in QENP for a 2 hr boat launch and this too is a full day. My operator offered a charter flight from Entebbe to Kisoro, and the cost was $1500 total for the two of us. I don't know how many ways you're splitting things, but it may be cheaper to drive back to EBB and fly to KGL on Rwandair express. Kayak.com says the flight is $217 but it is unclear if it runs more than three days a week.

What exactly will you be seeing in Southern Africa? The veterans of this board can better answer what you'll be missing if you tell them exactly what you're already slated to see.

In my case, I didn't feel the need to spend a ton of time in QENP because we're going to be in the Masai Mara a few days later. Having said that, I did make it a priority to do the Kazinga Channel boat cruise. There is an old post by thit_cho which said he enjoyed the launch cruise but didn't think it was quite as good as the ones he'd done on the Chobe River in Botswana.

-Matt

Cheryl

Matt makes some good points, but is wrong about the flight from EBB to KGL. If you are going to drive back to EBB to get this flight you might as drive to PNV.

It would be a very long day in a vehicle from Murchisons to PNV but through interesting lush cultivated countryside. The surrounding when driving was one of the things I enjoyed about Uganda.

I wasn't wowed by game viewing at QEII as like you I have seen better plains game etc elsewhere. I did enjoy the boat cruise, but probably wouldn't go there just for that.

Internal flights in Uganda are typically very expensive and although we use them for clients elsewhere it's not an arrangement we often make in Uganda (they proved v expensive the few times I have asked). I'm not even sure if it can be done across the border to PNV as I don't know where you would clear customs without flying Murchisons to EBB to KGL to PNV.

I'm sure someone will know

Are you budget concious as it will be a lot to fly?

Richard

I don't think there's scheduled air service to Murchison Falls so you would need to charter. I don't know what the cost is. Or you could drive back to Entebbe and fly to Kigali. From Kigali, I believe it's 2-3 hours drive to PNV.

Matt,
Have you finalized your Uganda itinerary?

Patty-

I think we've wrapped things up for Uganda in the past week or so (I thought we were all set with everything but now I'm contemplating that extra day in Arusha). Here's the Uganda plan:

Day 1: Arrive evening from AMS, O/N Olympia Budget Hotel.

Day 2: Long drive to Kisoro (Mgahinga lodging is closed in '06)

Day 3: AM Golden Monkey trek in Mgahinga (1/5th PNV cost), then afternoon drive to Buhoma/Bwindi

Day 4: Trekking M group, followed by 1 hr drive to Kihihi, O/N Savannah lodge

Day 5: Drive to QENP, 11am launch trip then continue to Kibale

Day 6: Full day Chimp Habituation, O/N Kibale tree house banda

Day 7: Morning Bigodi swamp walk, then drive to Entebbe. O/N Sophie's Motel.

Day 8: Morning Flight to NBO, then on to Lake Nakuru.

thanks everyone, great info.

has anyone actually been to murchison??
i read about dangers in north uganda, wondering if its safe as female solo traveller heading up that direction for a few days?