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1 Day Mabamba Swamp Tour – Uganda Birding, Shoebill
1 Day Mabamba Swamp Tour Overview
This 1 Day Mabamba Swamp Tour takes you to Mabamba bay to watch shoebill Entebbe, Uganda. Mabamba Bay is a marsh along the edge of Lake Victoria, northwest of the Entebbe peninsula. It is a Ramsar-listed wetland of international importance and one of Uganda‘s 33 key bird sites. The shoebill stork, the blue swallow, and the papyrus gonolek are the main species that highlight a bird-watching excursion in Mabamba bay.
The 1-day Mabamba swamp tour is one of the most popular short Uganda birding tours packages for many avid birders on a Uganda safari. It is perfectly tailored for the best bird-watching experience, with opportunities to sight a diversity of avifaunal species that make Uganda a bird-lovers dream destination. It is home to 260 bird species, including Uganda’s most sought-after bird, the shoebill stork! Your bird-watching expedition allows you to enjoy an excellent sighting of the elusive shoebill in Mabamba bay.
This papyrus swamp, located about 57km from the capital, Kampala, and an hour’s drive from Entebbe, is characterized by small channels of marsh-filled water and lagoons. It occupies a massive 16,500 hectares along the edge of Lake Victoria.
Mabamba Swamp can be accessed by quite a number of routes. The easiest is via the Nakiwogo landing site in Entebbe, where you take a 10-minute ferry crossing to the Kasanje landing site before driving for another 20 minutes to Mabamba. You’ll be passing through cultivations and open fields, offering excellent views of plenty of garden birds.
Quick Safari Details
Country: Uganda.
Departure/End City: Entebbe/Kampala.
Destinations: Mabamba swamp.
Group Type: Private.
Number of People: Tailored.
Availability: Year-Round.
Dates: Open.
Duration: 1 Day.
Cancellation Policy: Up to 90 days.
Activities: Bird watching and boat cruise.
Price: Request a quote.
Safari Highlights
- Shoebill boat rides
- Bird watching.
- Scenic view of Lake Victoria and Mabamba Swamp.
- Photography.
1 Day Mabamba Swamp Tour Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Shoebill boat tour.
After an early morning breakfast, you will ride west of Entebbe with your guide for about an hour, arriving early to take your boat ride. Keeping an eye out for this prehistoric-like bird in a boat is quite an impressive experience! You will ride around in a sizable motorized wooden fishing boat with an expert guide who is familiar with where to find the shoebills in this vast swamp, riding through a maze of trails cutting through the thick marshes.
Shoebills like Mabamba because there is plenty of fish, thanks to the local fishermen who are passionate about protecting this precious wetland area.
Rediscover the beauty of other birds.
While on the boat searching for shoebills, it is not uncommon for other species to cross your path, such as the blue swallow, Papyrus gonolek, pallid harrier, pigmy goose, swamp flycatcher, lesser jacana, grosbeak weaver, black-headed weaver, white-winged warbler, northern brown-throated weaver, Viellot’s weaver, Clarke’s weaver, palm-nut vulture, and Carruther’s cisticola. Carry a good camera and pair of binoculars to boost your birding experience.
No accommodation.
Meals: Lunch.
End of the 1 Day Mabamba Swamp Tour Uganda.
Safari Includes
- Transfers in 4WD.
- Lunch.
- Local guide.
- Fees & permits
- Photography and touring.
- Bottled drinking water.
- English speaking guide/driver.
- All activities in the travel plan except the optional ones.
Safari Excludes
- Visa & Travel insurance
- Emergency medical bills
- Trip cancellation insurance
- International flights
- Airport taxes
- All meals and drinks not specified
- Tips and gratuities
- Items of a personal nature
Start planning a dream safari with us. You can book this safari itinerary, create one from scratch with the help of an African safari expert, or customize one of our suggested tours to suit your travel preferences.
Important Notes for the 1 Day Mabamba Swamp Tour, Uganda
- The 1 Day Mabamba Swamp Tour is limited to a maximum of six travelers per vehicle, and a 30% deposit is due upon confirmation.
- Travelers with special needs may be required to pay an extra fee for necessary facilitation.
- Dinner and accommodations before and after the trip are not included in the overall tour cost.
- This 1 Day Mabamba Swamp Tour is tailor-made and can be customized to your own style of travel. You can set your own dates (subject to availability) and choose your accommodation facilities with our guidance.
- Due to the uncertainty of travel during these times, you can postpone your trip up to 12 months ahead (considering accommodation availability) and have a minimum of 30 days to cancel.
Tips for the 1 Day Mabamba Swamp Tour
- Do not forget your water-proof hiking shoes or closed shoes.
- Rain poncho during the rainy season.
- Binoculars.
- Camera with an additional battery and charger.
- Birding pack
- Field guidebook.
- Sun hat.
- Sunscreen.
- Insect repellent.