Although smaller than its East African neighbors, Uganda offers an incredible all-round and wholesome African wilderness safari experience throughout its national parks and reserves. The less-crowded national parks are characterized by open water, expansive wetlands and swamps, tropical forests, savanna grasslands and extensive wooded grasslands fully stocked with the popular Africa’s Big 5 and an array of other species. These parks are well serviced by a great road network and a wide range amenities enabling adventurers to explore variety of experiences.
Major Highlights on a Uganda Wildlife Safari Drive
A game drive experience on a Uganda wildlife safari is a major highlight getting one up-close and personal to local wildlife varieties while in the comfort of a 4WD open-roofed game vehicle. Game include the African Big5 listers; Savanna Elephants, Rhino, Cape Buffalo, Nubian (formerly Rothchild) Giraffe, Bush Pig and Warthog (the later notoriously known for feeding on its knees and running with narrow tail raised up), Hippos, Plain Zebra, the charismatic Patas and Vervet Monkeys, curious Olive Baboon troops and various Antelope species. This array of herbivores is tamed by prides of Lions, including the unique Climbing Lion prides of Ishasha, the elusive Leopard, Spotted Hyena with its iconic laugh, Jackals, among other small invertebrates. A host of the plain’s carrion cleaners including vultures, eagles and other grassland and woodland restricted bird species occur.
Experiential and right-paced Guided Game Drives
Our Untamed guided game drives are well paced and gentle, intended to give one ample time in the wild as much as we can, to connect to mother nature with its varied mix of flora and fauna. On the drive, our interpretive guides share insights on diverse animal social structure, point out behavior patterns and their mode of interaction and reaction with each other in their natural habitats. As you cover ground, the guide will make several stops, explaining vegetational types, point out various tracks, trails and other markings left by local wild residents, bird sights and their chipping sounds and giving one a chance to appreciate, enjoy and take in serene and inspirational scenery and landscapes.
Take personal time for yourself, capture those sunsets and sunrises or sink into nature’s loneliness and remoteness of these Uganda’s wild places away from the busy world. Enjoy the clear open skies and reflect as you drive through woodlands, open savanna and close to water edges in these expansive wild places.
Best time for Game drive Experience on a Uganda Safari
While the African wildness is totally unpredictable, a knowledgeable guide with both local experience and animal behavior is an asset to enhance the experience. The guide ensures that one has a fruitful and well planned game drive safari taking in a few considerations like local weather patterns that influence local seasonal migrations, salt licks, water places, local mating grounds for “lekking species” where predators love to stalk. Knowledge of animal social structure, behavior and foraging time improves your sightings and experience in Ugandan savanna wildness.
Drives are often tailored along the social and diverse behavior of local species for example, among the cats, Lions are the most social, living in prides and are most active at night engaging in hunting and territory patrol among other activities. An early morning drive will therefore increase chances to encounter the now-stomach-full prides resting from their busy nights, but as the sun gets hotter, they retire to nearby thick woodland and rocks for a shade.
Leopards on the other hand are elusive and shy, mainly solitary and would be encountered lounging up in thick-leaved trees in woodlands. Smaller carnivores like serval cats and mongoose species are usually seen on the drives too. The cunning spotted hyenas are also very busy at night only encountered very early and evening returning or leaving their dens from/to a hunt.
Late evening drives, when the air is cool is another great time to track carnivores as they regroup, strategize and getting ready for a night-long activities that include among others hunting, territory marking, patrol and defense. Small carnivores like genets are encountered late in the evenings heading out for a hunt.
Herbivores and browsers including elephants, zebra, rhino, buffalos and other grazers are active during the morning and evening when grass is fresh, heading out to water points to quench the African hot sun in the mid-morning to afternoon and returning to their feeding grounds in the evenings.
That said; regardless of one’s interest “anytime is a safari time” in Uganda’s savanna parks.
What to Park for a Wildlife safari in Uganda
Uganda’s savanna parks are diverse with varied vegetational types and landscapes, that host a great diversity. Most of these parks lie within rift valley floors, rain shadows areas, and semi-arid environments with maximum daily temps between 300-320 C so necessary preparation of mind and tools is a necessity to improve your sightings and also your comfort.
On heading out for a game-drive experience park or bring along a;
- Binocular, to bring those distant objects close.
- Camera, to catch those memorial encounters.
- Dress lightly, nature color blending browses and pants are advised.
- Hat, for the hot and windy conditions.
- Sun scream
- Shades/glasses to shield your eyes from the strong ultra violet sun lights.
- Easy and comfortable shoes/opens, unless you have a combination of a walking safari plan.
- Drink lots of water to avoid dehydration, it gets hot on the plains!
- Lastly, stay within park rules, this is for the safety of all. It’s WILD out there!
Where to go for a Wildlife Safari in Uganda
Uganda’s savannas parks offer diverse wild experiences from game drives, boat cruises experience, wildness camping and wilderness walks suitable for one’s interest.
Below are the best parks noted for utmost wildlife experience;
- Murchison Falls National Park; Uganda’s biggest protected park is popular for large herds of giraffes, lion prides and a boat cruise up stream to the mighty Murchison Falls.
- Queen Elizabeth National Park, most notable for Climbing lions of Ishasha and the boat cruise on the hippo-fested Kazinga Channel.
- L. Mburo National Park also Uganda’s smallest savanna park is popular for nature walks and boat cruise safari.
- Kidepo Valley National Park, this is undoubtedly Uganda’s true wilderness park popular for its stunning landscapes, wildness camping options, nature walks along stunning dry river beds, herds of buffalo, elephants and large prides of lions.
- And with plenty of time on your hands, explore the less visited reserves for an intimate time in the wilderness, with options varying from walking, camping and birdwatching.
- Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, expansive savanna plains and woodlands.
- Toro Semliki Wildlife Reserve, walking birding safari favorite park.
- Katonga Wildlife Reserve