Uganda “The Pearl of Africa” may not be as famous as other East Africa Countries but its undoubtedly one of Africa’s most stirring destinations. It has grown into one of Africa’s most coveted travel sojourns. It is one of only three countries in the world where it is possible to join the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat without fences and is home to the highest number of them.
Major tourist destinations in Uganda:
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Gorillas are the main attraction of this popular national park. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to more than 40% of the world’s remaining 1,060 mountain gorillas. More than 25 family groups here can each be tracked by up to eight visitors daily.
Queen Elizabeth National Park – It is difficult to know where to start when it comes to singing the praises of this biodiverse national park. Perhaps the obvious place is the Kazinga Channel, where herds of thirsty buffalo and elephant gather alongside resident pods of hippo below the snowcapped Rwenzori Mountains. Queen Elizabeth NP’s attractions include the jungle-lined crater lakes of Maramagambo Forest, tree-climbing lions on the Ishasha Plains, and daily chimp trekking excursions in the bordering Kyambura Gorge and Kalinzu Forest.
Kibale National Park is the most straightforward place in Africa to track chimpanzees, humankind’s closest genetic relatives. Kibale National Park is the best place to do this if you want to be reasonably sure of a sighting, though other sites such as Kalinzu Forest Reserve, Budongo Forest and Kyambura Gorge are cheaper and not as busy.
Murchison Falls National Park – Uganda’s largest national park, “the most important object on the entire course of the White Nile”. Thrilling boat trips to the base of this spectacular waterfall confirm this assessment, while also providing great wildlife viewing. You should see plenty of hippos, crocs and waterbirds from the boat, along with elephant, buffalo and various antelope. Elsewhere, lion and Rothschild’s giraffe are regulars on game drives north of the Nile River, while boat trips to the delta where the river enters Lake Albert routinely offer excellent shoebill sightings.
Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch is the only place in Uganda where rhinos can be seen today. Even better, it is one of the few places anywhere that offers visitors the opportunity to track these prehistoric-looking giants on foot, with sightings being almost guaranteed.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park – is sometimes dismissed as the second-best place in Uganda to visit mountain gorillas. This is a grossly unfair assessment. True, there’s only one gorilla group that can be visited in Mgahinga, so permit numbers are very limited. But this is also one of the most enjoyable groups to visit, since it contains three hefty silverbacks and tends to inhabit more open bamboo forest than its counterparts in Bwindi. It is the only place in Uganda to track the beautiful bamboo-guzzling golden monkey. And the location on the forested slopes of the Virunga volcanoes, three of which can be climbed on challenging day hikes, is absolutely sensational.
Kidepo Valley National Park – Uganda’s most remote national park and lies in the far northeast, In Kidepo Valley National Park, animals you’re likely to see include thousand-strong herds of buffalo, and large numbers of elephant and Rothschild’s giraffe, along with plains zebra, patas monkey and a variety of antelope. Kidepo is the only place in Uganda where lion, leopard and cheetah might all be encountered. A long bird checklist includes East Africa’s only wild population of the striking rose-ringed parakeet.
Jinja and the Upper Nile – situated on Lake Victoria, this attractive town overlooks the scenic outlet where the Nile River, the world’s longest, starts its long journey north to the Mediterranean Sea via the Sahara Desert. For adrenaline junkies, the Nile River immediately upriver of Jinja offers thrilling white-water rafting on Grade 5 rapids, as well as kayaking, bungee jumping and quad biking.
Lakes Bunyonyi and Mutanda – situated in the same southwestern highlands that harbor Uganda’s gorillas, Lakes Bunyonyi and Mutanda have much in common. Both comprise submerged river valleys dammed naturally by lava flows from the volcanic Virunga Mountains. Scenically, both are enclosed by steep terraced slopes and studded with wooded islands.
Mabamba Swamp – Entebbe is only a short drive or boat ride from Mabamba Swamp, a bird-watcher’s paradise run as a community ecotourism project. Mabamba heads the list of best places to visit in Uganda to see the shoebill. This is a bizarre slate-gray bird that feeds on lungfish and claps together its massive clog-shaped bill like castanets when agitated. Other iconic birds likely to be seen on wobbly canoe trips into Mabamba Swamp range from African fish eagle and palm-nut vulture to the tall goliath heron and lily-trotting African jacana.
Mount Elgon – is an extinct volcano located on Uganda eastern border. The mountain boasts numerous interesting features including gorges, ancient caves, water falls and hot springs. Birdlife is abundant on the mountain although various wildlife may also be encountered
Semuliki National Park is the only park in Uganda to be composed primarily of tropical lowland forest. The forest is very dense and quite flat, creating a startling contrast to the rugged Rwenzori Mountains nearby. The Semliki River attracts many animals. The park is home to eight species of primate, 400 birds and 300 butterfly species. Elephant, buffalo, leopard, civet, bushbaby and flying squirrels are also found.