28 november - 09 december 2021
Dear fellow endurist & adventurer (star),
Of all the motorcycle trips I have made in 20 years, this country is without a doubt the most varied and exciting country. Endless slopes through banana, tea and sugar cane plantations take us to green rainforests and parks full of game games (big five and hundreds of species of animals & birds)!
The country is bisected by the equator and has a rainy season from March to October, which means there is an enormous vegetation for humans & animals. In addition, the land is dotted with enormous lakes from which the source of the Nile originated and when seas determine the boundaries of this enormous green land!
The aim of this 12-day trip is to make a discovery trip with our enduro motorcycle (or with the jeep for the passengers) through this country, making time to see the “Highlights” of Uganda.
The following activities will be included in the program, these are either included in the budget or proposed as options:
RAIDS:
Daily stages from 150 to 280 km on mostly smooth running slopes and sometimes some tarmac. The slopes consist of 95% “Terre rouge” slopes (Rang Rang), this is red tamped gravel on which you can ride smoothly. We recommend to drive carefully through the villages, besides the capricious course (wells, mud, tracks, loose stones, etc…) there are many small children everywhere on the slopes!
In addition, you see those “BoraBora’s” driving everywhere; these are Chinese 125cc 4T moped knives that are used as national means of transport (usually with 3 people on one moped!). All routes will be available for download to your GPS (GPX or GPR) and we suggest riding in small groups given the dusty track if it has not rained at night.
ASSISTANCE:
As in 2018 (Senegal), the group of endurists will be closely followed by an assistance jeep: this pick-up will be driven by our Bas and he will be accompanied by a medical assistant who has the medical cases of Doctor Pierets. Space is therefore provided in the 4x4 for driver & motorcycle if an accident occurs and the person cannot continue driving.
Lodging:
Given the nature of the tourism (safari trips), all lodges consist of “Lodges” that are beautifully situated in the parks, sometimes with a beautiful view of a lake. These lodges are comfortably furnished, have sanitary facilities and dinners are always served in the local restaurant. Some stays consist of “Tent Camps”; these are large tents with outdoor sanitary facilities (toilet & shower & sink) and are usually for 2 persons.
Due to the limited number of places in some lodges, we will be obliged to use every bed! This means that sometimes there are 2 twins or 2 doubles or also 4 singles in one room; there it is made do with available rooms. Keep in mind that in many places the internet does not work or works poorly; the preparation of food is very hygienic and delicious with many local ingredients.
Park visits and game drives:
As mentioned, this is a country full of beautiful natural elements, very clean and very green due to its tropical rainforest. We drive through these parks very often, also with the motorbikes which is very exceptional in Africa; in these parks you will see a lot of wild animals: baboons, spider monkeys, zebras, impalas, buffalos, herds etc… and an abundance of birds! We also plan a tour by motorcycle & jeep through a landscape with huge extinct craters full of water as well as a visit to the source of the Nile.
We also provide 2 "rest days" on which the following activities will be offered and which are a MUST in Uganda:
Murchison Falls Park
We take the motorboat down the “Victoria Nile” and spot all kinds of animals along the banks (The Big Five is here!) And we sail up to the waterfalls of Murchison !! We stay in a beautiful lodge for two days and enjoy a visit to the chimpanzee families, our distant congeners….
GORILLA Trekking Bwindi Park
Personally, I think this is a “once in your lifetime” attraction: in small groups of max. 8 people, a local guide will search for a gorilla family deep in the bush; this tour is quite physical and takes a whole day. This activity is NOT included in the budget and can therefore be chosen freely; a permit costs about 700 $ per person and for those who prefer not to do this trek, we provide a loop stage of about 90 kilometers (for motorbike & jeep).
This trip is certainly more in function of "spotting animals" & enjoying the landscape, but the endurists will also have their liking with a 2,000 km of slopes. That is why I choose to have our own bikes transferred again because we think it is important to be able to drive & navigate with our own bikes! This edition will therefore be slightly more “touristy” and therefore the budget will be slightly higher than Senegal 2018; but you get a lot more experience for it!
BUDGET
At the moment I cannot exactly determine the budget, as there are still some lodgings that are not yet fixed because the slopes still have to be explored further by my friend Philippe who lives there and is also an endurist. Endurists are around € 2,000 (with their own motorbikes) and for passengers around € 1,550 (based on rental jeeps with 3 people). This includes all accommodations on the basis of ½ board (with welcome drink!), The transport h / t of the motorbikes & spare parts; all roadbooks on GPX; technical & medical assistance; fairy entrance to parks (except Gorilla Trekking) and Africa!
Greetings, Ferre & Bas