Uganda is one of the most beautiful safari destinations in Africa, with lush green vegetation, breathtaking landscapes, ancient cultures, friendliest people and amazing array of plant and animal species. This rich country is Africa condensed together. Blessed with a pleasant equatorial weather; it’s an all-year-round safari destination.
Country Overview
Although most popular for its incredible mountain gorilla and chimpanzee tracking experiences in its ancient tropical rainforests, Uganda’s less-crowded wilderness savanna national parks are well stocked with healthy game ranging from rhinos, climbing lion prides, giraffe towers and more. The country’s varied and rich biodiversity hosts 50% of Africa’s bird species, a checklist of more than 1080 bird species including the bizarre Shoebill and several range restricted endemics making this small country a true birders’ paradise.
Equator Crossing Line in Uganda
Quick Country Facts
- Area size: 236000km2
- Altitude range: Average 600-1500m
- Wet season: March-May, Sept-Nov
- Population: 42m (2020est.)
- Capital City: Kampala
- Geography – Africa condensed!
Early adventurers were mesmerized with Uganda’s beauty and baptized her the Pearl of Africa and for good reason indeed! Here, the equatorial temperature is tempered with high altitude that averages about 1000m. The ancient river Nile starts its record world’s longest trek here from Africa’s largest in-land sea, L. Victoria that sits in the central south of this little country. Further across the country, lush green landscape is characterized with agricultural farms stocked with coffee, tea and matooke (plantain), open water and marshes, ancient tropical rain forests full of primates mostly endangered. The whole western border lies within the Albertine Rift where violent tectonic forces shaped the landscape leaving notable landmarks including the Rwenzori Mountains ranges featuring Africa’s 3rd highest peak Margherita at 5010m.
The south-west is characterized by highlands including the gorilla rainforests of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, the volcanic montane ranges of Mgahinga Gorilla NP and numerous island-dotted highland lakes. The north is dotted with savanna grasslands and woodland associations ranging from semi-arid scrub and thorn bush typical of the horn of Africa vegetation fully stocked with biodiversity.
6 Highlights on a Uganda Safari
1. Take a Primate Safari Experience
Trek to the Mountain Gorillas, Chimpanzee and more on your Ugandan Safari!
Uganda’s tropical rainforests is a home to several primates including the endangered eastern mountain gorilla (G.b.beringei) that occur in the mist-filled rain forests along the Albertine Rift of Bwindi and Mgahinga NP. The charismatic eastern chimpanzee (P. t. schweinfurthi) troops inhabit several mid-altitudes in the west but at the prime location of Kibale Forest it occurs along other 12 species of smaller primates. The smaller golden monkey (C. n. kandti) is restricted to bamboo slopes on Mgahinga NP along one habituated mountain gorilla group. 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. On primate experience, one is able to choose to go for either an ordinary tracking activity where one spends up to an hour with the apes or go for an extended habituation experience where you get to spend longer time along with the researchers studying these apes.
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 one endemic – the Fox’s Weaver (Ploceus spekeiodes).
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’s wild national parks are some of the last typical African wilderness areas in the region and offers a great wildlife experience. Great network of roads and world-class amenities around these wild places make them far easier to visit and experience even to a traveler with limited time.
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. Although Uganda doesn’t compare to its two eastern neighbors in terms of wildlife stocks, the country’s uncrowded parks provide a typical wilderness safari experience and diversity not found anywhere else in the region. These experiences include:
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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;
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Take a Boat Cruise Safari
Several of Uganda’s national parks protect expansive open water ways 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 Fin foot. 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.
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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 eco-system. 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.
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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 Rwenzori’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 L.Bunyonyi and 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 regions 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 190km2, 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 folksongs, on your inspiring Ugandan experience.
Getting to Uganda
Uganda’s has several entry points including its only international airport Entebbe that lies 40km 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.