Uganda Wildlife Adventures

Uganda is located in East Africa and is nicknamed the Pearl of Africa because of its beautiful landscape, wildlife, lakes, rivers, culture, birds, and other eye-catching adventures. Uganda is among the best tourist destinations in Africa with over 10 national parks with each exhibiting unique activities. These parks include Kidepo Valley National Park which is located in the northeastern region of Uganda on the border of Kenya and South Sudan. Murchison Falls National Park is the largest national park in the country and accommodates the strongest waterfalls in the world. Kibale Forest National Park “the primate capital of the world” in the western region harbors the largest chimpanzee population in the world.

Semuliki National Park which is adjacent to Kibale Forest National Park is famous for having Sempaya hot springs the female hot springs amidst other wildlife species which will interest you. Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s popular savanna national park and the second largest after Murchison Falls National Park. Queen Elizabeth National Park is famous for hosting tree-climbing lions and is the only park in the country with these tree-climbing lions. The beautiful landscape of endless savannah grass and woodland plains of the park is worth checking out. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the backbone of Uganda’s tourism and for one to enjoy an African safari in Uganda, they have to take on a gorilla trekking experience in the park.

Bwindi National Park is the world’s best gorilla destination as it harbors more than half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas with over 50 gorilla families. However, only 24 families are habituated and available for trekking and are scattered in the four sectors of the park.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s smallest national park hosting over 100 individual endangered mountain gorillas. The park also boasts of harboring the rare golden monkeys and is the only place in the country to spot them. Visiting Mgahinga where “silver meets gold” on an African safari will offer visitors an opportunity to spot both mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is also an important area for birding as it hosts about 200 bird species. Lake Mburo National Park is the smallest savannah national park in Uganda. It is famous for harboring large herds of zebras, impalas, and elands which are so rare in other parks. Lake Mburo is the closest national park to Kampala compared to other parks.

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks is the major activity in Uganda. Trekking offers visitors a one-on-one moment with the endangered mountain gorillas for a maximum of one hour. The visitors will get to watch the gorillas as they feed, rest, and roam around the forest on their daily chores. Uganda’s safari adventure takes you deep into the jungles for other thrilling safari activities. For instance, game drives in Murchison Falls National Park where you are assured of encountering Africa’s Big 5, leopards, lions, buffaloes, elephants, and rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

Another beautiful tourism adventure is chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park. This is also combined with the Bigodi wetland visit which is home to many primates and birds. These include the Rwenzori turaco and shoebills among other birds which will please you and make your safari a memorable one. A boat cruise on Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park is another magical adventure that will expose visitors to the beautiful calm water that joins Lakes Edward and George. Visitors will be able to spot several wildlife species that lie astride the lake shore. The fascinating scenes of seeing elephants, buffaloes, and hippos sharing a swimming pool as the crocodiles gaze at them will leave visitors with unforgettable memories. 

Uganda has diverse cultures that are so entertaining for example the Batwa tribe which is one of the oldest tribes in Africa neighbors Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks. This tribe is famous for being the most primitive and they have lived in the forests since time immemorial, thus they have a lot of interesting stories about their ancient history. The Batwa community walk is always combined with gorilla trekking as a supplement to end your day with touches of laughter on your face. There are other captivating tourist activities in Uganda such as white water rafting in Jinja on the River Nile, and bungee jumping.

Hiking trips in Uganda are so fascinating especially if you are a group. Mountains that are hiked in Uganda include Rwenzori located borders Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mountain Elgon on the border of Uganda and Kenya, Mountain Moroto in eastern Uganda, bordering Uganda and Kenya, and Mountain Morungole in Kidepo Valley National Park. On top of Mountain Morungole, there is a tribe called the Ik which is so interesting with tales of their ancient history, songs, dances, and names among others.

Uganda is made of endless tourist activities which begin right from the city centers to the lakes and rivers down to the valleys and up to the mountains. The thick forests and savanna plain grass and woodlands also offer stunning attractions and each destination provides different activities to satisfy your visit to Uganda.

What is the best time to do a Wildlife adventure in Uganda?

Uganda can be visited throughout the year depending on your desired tour activity. However, it is always advisable to take your safari during the dry season which happens from June to September and December to February. During these months, wildlife activities such as game drives, gorilla trekking, and chimpanzee trekking are at their peak. This is because in this period the bush is a little bit weathered, and fruits will be at their ready season as well. You will also be able to stretch your eyes for a long distance and you will have high chances to spot more wildlife because of the clear short vegetation.