Uganda

Uganda is The Pearl of Africa – endowed with lush green vegetation, breathtaking landscapes, ancient cultures, amazing array of natural beauty and a pleasant equatorial weather – making it a favourable all-year-round safari destination. Uganda, though popular for its incredible mountain gorilla and chimpanzee trekking experiences in its ancient tropical rainforests, the bulk of country’s natural beauty and untamed cultural heritage remain largely untouched and unspoilt offering authentic African safari expereince.

Uganda: Country Overview

Lying along the Equator, Uganda is indeed Africa condensed together, with a diversity of natural beauty and a rich cultural heritage making it one of the most beautiful safari destinations in Africa. The country’s pleasant equatorial temperature is tempered with high altitude that averages about 1000m. Uganda’s natural beauty include Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest freshwater lake also the source of the ancient river Nile. The towering Rwenzoris (the mountains of the moon) running along Uganda’s western frontier are the continents highest mountain ranges rising up to 5010m on Margherita peak. Elsewhere, Uganda is characterized with agricultural farms stocked with coffee, tea and matooke (plantain), open water and marshes, ancient tropical rain forests, lakes and rivers, and lush green landscapes.

Culturally, Uganda is the most diverse country with over 56 tribes speaking close to 30 languages in between them boasting a rich cultural heritage.

Equator Crossing Line in Uganda

Quick Country Facts

  • Area size: 236000 km 2
  • Altitude range: Average 600-1500m
  • Wet season:  March-May, Sept-Nov
  • Population: 42m (2020est.)
  • Capital City: Kampala
  • Geography – Africa condensed!

6 Top Things to do on a Uganda Safari

1. Trek along the Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzee on your Ugandan Safari

Uganda is premier destination for primates trekking experiences notably upclose the endangered mountain gorilla (G.b.beringei) and the chimpanzee in their mist-filled rain forests homes. A trek along these two man’s closest cousins is often dubbed a lifetime adventure. Uganda protects half of the global population of the endangered mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla NP. Chimpanzee occur in various forests in Uganda but Kibale Forest NP also known as the primates capital with up 13 species of primates is a prime location for trek expereince. The smaller golden monkey (C. n. kandti) is restricted to bamboo slopes on Mgahinga NP. Other pretty smaller primates include the Uganda red colobus monkey (P.o.tephrosceles), a sub-specie race of the central Africa red colobus monkey and Uganda mangabey (L.a.ugandae) also a recent split of Grey-cheeked mangabey.

A trek expereince along these top primates in Uganda is offered under two programs namely; ordinary and habituation expereince that both occur differ in price and duration one spends with gorillas and chimpanzee.

Read on our detailed blog to discover the pro and cons on such experiences to guide you on your next Uganda primates tour.

2. Take a Classic Birding Safari in Uganda

Uganda is arguably Africa’s best birding destination, with a checklist of 1080 species across a plethora of habitats. The country lies at the heart of equatorial Africa and at the confluence of the continents’ biomes classified as Afro tropical highlands, Guinea-Congo Forest species, Lake Victoria basin, Somali-Masai, Sudan and Guinea savanna habitats. These habitats host quality specialists unique to them among them the 24 Albertine Endemics. Out of this avian diversity, Uganda host only two endemic – the Fox’s Weaver (Ploceus spekeiodes) and Karamoja Apalis (Apalis karamojae)

Uganda’s top birding hotspots are highly accessible through quality road network and serviced with top accommodation plans suitable to all budgets. The country’s bird guides rank among the best on the continent making birding here a rewarding experience. Read on our detailed Planning Guide to a Uganda Birding Tour 

3. Take a Wildlife Safari Experience in Uganda

Uganda wilderness national parks offer the most rewarding and personal wildlife safari expereince getting you up-close to plethora of game including Africa’s Big 5 list. The country’s national parks and wildlife reserves protect a wide range of habitats from expansive open water lakes and rivers, wetlands, savanna woodlands and grasslands, mountain ranges and tropical rainforests fully stocked with diverse wildlife. This uniqueness of habitats and the low-volume of visitors makes a wildlife experience exclusive and authentic as you come up-close to a fascinating list of iconic African Wildlife.

With up to 340 mammal’s species in Uganda any wildlife enthusiast is in treat to discover a wide range from terrestrial to aquatic and avian diversity. Uganda’s uncrowded parks provide a typical wilderness safari experience including:

  • Untamed Game Drives

Enjoy the Authentic Untamed Game Drives in a less crowded and remote National Parks to track down their residents including Elephants, Cape Buffalo, Rothschild Giraffe, several Antelopes. Get close to Climbing Lions, the elusive Leopard, Hyena and Jackals watch the interactions, behavior and sounds in a company of enthusiastic Guides to gain insights into the ever-shrinking Eco-system of these animals. In these wild places here;

  • Take a Boat Cruise Safari

Several of Uganda’s national parks protect expansive open waterways where a boat experience offers an exclusive wildlife safari cruises to get close to diverse game. While in Murchison Falls NP, also Uganda’s biggest national park, take a Nile river Cruise to the delta point for excellent birdlife while an upstream voyage brings you to the mighty Murchison Falls. Wildlife on the Nile banks includes floats of Nile Crocodile and Nile monitor but Elephants, Giraffes and spectacular birdlife occur. Down in Queen Elizabeth National Park, a cruise on the hippo-invested Kazinga Channel gets you up-close to skools of Hippos and a diversity of avian life plus Elephant, Buffalo, Nile Crocodile and more. At L. Mburo National Park get close to the Nile crocodile and rare bird specials including African Fish eagle, Pied Kingfisher, Striated Heron and the elusive African Finfoot. On a lazy holiday escape to the Sesse islands within L. Victoria, wind down your evenings on sunset cruises to spice up you time here.

  • Take a Nature Walks or go for Wild Camping

On your Ugandan wildlife safari, spice up your adventure experience by taking a guided nature walk or a biking tour in the wilderness up-close to Africa’s iconic game. Here, you will be accompanied by highly knowledgeable guides to learn more about the birdlife, several plant life and the whole ecosystems. On foot you get a different perspective as you learn to interpret tracks, markings, sights and sounds of this wild ecosystem. In selected national parks these nature walk safaris get you close to herds of giraffe, topi, zebra, impala and rare eland plus a host of birdlife in their own backyard to learn and experience various habits and adaptations.

  • Track the Rhino on Foot

The best highlight on a Uganda safari is a guided nature walk along the endangered rhino at the 302km high-security complex of Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. In Uganda, the rhino was declared extinct due to hunting spree in 70’s and early 80’s during the country’s dark times but now here at Ziwa sanctuary, a breeding program is underway to restock this once abundant species in its former savanna home range. On a guided walk led by ranger guides, you get up-close to the southern white rhino crushes as they roam about the woodlands, gaining insights on its social behavior and its ecological importance.

4. Go on adventure – Raft the Nile, Hike the Ruwenzori’s and several other Volcanic Mountains

For thrill adventurers seeking to test/stretch their limits, the Grade 5 white water rapids on river Nile at Jinja offers the ultimate rafting challenge! Depending on one’s time and ability, daily challenge programs to dare the Nile include both a full-day or a half-day challenge option. Other world-class challenges here on the Nile include, kayaking, tubing and bungee jumping.

Along the eastern frontier of the country, the free-standing volcanic Mount Elgon boasts the biggest Caldera stretching some 8km and a great hiking experience programs from daily to multi day hikes up to the summit. The 3 volcanic peaks of Muhavura, Sabyinyo, and Gahinga that lie in Mgahinga Gorilla NP on the south-west tip of Uganda offer daily hiking alternatives to adventurers with little time. The scenic island dotted lakes in the highlands of Kigezi region including Lake Bunyonyi and Lake Mutanda are often used as a base to explore the gorilla parks but also offer leisure adventure options from canoeing excursions and hiking options.

The ultimate adventure is to explore the Mountains of the Moon or Rwenzori Mountains, Africa’s highest mountain ranges and third highest mountain peak in on the continent towering some 5010m asl. These mountain ranges offer the most rewarding and toughest hiking challenges to adventures anywhere on the continent. The far north-eastern region is rugged, scrubby with scattered granite inselbergs, a testament of earth eruptions that shaped the region’s landscape but variety of game and incredible birdlife flourish in this amazing part of Uganda; a true African Wildness!

5. Take a Kampala City Tour

Explore the vibrant and multi-cultural city of Kampala, Uganda’s economic and administrative capital. This century old city began when the British elected their colonial flag atop the newly constructed fort on old Kampala hill to declare Uganda as a protectorate. From that humble outpost the city now hosts over 2.5m people and stretches over 190 km 2, outgrowing the original historical 7-hills that made up the city by independence time. Kampala is a melting pot of diversity from business, political, cultural and religious classes earning it a name “the city that never sleeps”. Explore Kampala’s nightlife and experience a cultural diversity as different ancient and modern traditions is expressed through music, dance, drama and food.

6. Take a Cultural Safari Experience and Enjoy an Amazing Hospitality

Uganda’s over 40m Ugandans belong to the 4 main Africa’s ethnic groups of the Bantu in south, west and east, Nilotic’s more in the north and northwest, Nilo-Hamites and the Hamites more in the eastern extending into the north east. Together these groups protect diverse cultures norms and traditions. Explore their warm hospitality, enjoy the local traditions and experience the diverse harmony, taste the local dishes and freshness of our produce on your cultural experience. Feel at home as you enjoy our people’s friendliness, hospitality on various community visits and share in laughter, dance to ancient folk songs, on your inspiring Ugandan experience.

Getting to Uganda

Uganda’s has several entry points including its only international airport Entebbe that lies 40 km south of Kampala City. Overland crossings include on the eastern border with Kenya; Malaba and Busia crossings, in the south coming from Tanzania; Mutukula crossing and south west from Rwanda; Katuna, Mirama and Bunagana border crossings points.

Getting Around Uganda

Uganda is a highly connected country and all the diverse national parks lie close to 5-hours’ drive from each other, with the exceptional of the remote Kidepo Valley National Park that lies in the far North-East of Kampala where a 9hour drive is required but again that’s why it has remained a True African Wildness! The road network connecting these attractions has greatly improved reducing driving hours but while in these parks a 4WD is recommended for tracks tend to be challenging in rainy season. Great accommodation classes service these parks and attractions to suit each budget.

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