Reasons To Visit Uganda For A Safari Holiday

Reasons to visit Uganda for a safari holiday. Uganda is a gem in the jewelry of Africa'sAfrica's tourism. Indeed, the name Pearl of Africa is apt for it. The beauty of Uganda starts from its friendly people, the exceptional fauna, especially the natural forests that are some of the few leftovers in the world. Bwindi forest hosts the mountain gorillas, Uganda's foremost tourist attraction.

Most Popular Safaris

3 day Uganda gorilla tracking

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5 day Uganda gorillas and wildlife

5 day gorilla habituation and chimps

5 days gorillas and game safari

5 days gorilla trekking Rwanda

Although Uganda has no coastline, its water bodies give a home to an array of aquatic life like crocodiles, hippos, water vipers, and fish, to mention but a few.

While on safari in Uganda, you must take advantage of the wide range of wildlife in the country's famous national parks, like Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, and others.

When you take a game drive in the game parks of Uganda, you may encounter animals like lions, leopards, herds of elephants, cape buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, impalas, and warthogs, to mention but a few.

From the misty primeval Bwindi ImpenetrableImpenetrable National Park in the southwestern corner to the semi-arid Kidepo Valley National Park in North Western corner of Uganda, there is a lot to keep your eyes hocked and mind yarning for more on Uganda safari.

It would be best if you had some reasonable time on an African safari holiday to soak into the best tourist attractions of Uganda.

Why Visit Uganda For A Safari Holiday?

Uganda has lovely attractions ranging from unique primates to various game in the wildlife parks to stunning sceneries and friendly people.

Uganda National Parks

The environment in the national parks of Uganda favors the survival of a variety of fauna and flora. Although some game is common to all national parks, some can only be seen in particular parks. 

Uganda has 10 National Parks. Some. Some of them you can visit include:

Uganda National Game Parks

Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park lies stride Victoria Nile. The best game drives in this park are on the northern banks, especially the Buligi track. During early morning or late afternoon game drive, you may get to spot animals like lions, waterbucks, bushbucks, giraffes, cape buffaloes, hartebeest, herds of elephants, oribi, warthogs, to mention but a few.

Murchison Falls Falls is the star point of the park where the River Nile squeezes through a 6 meters wide bend to burst out vigorously and form a cloudy appearance. During a launch trip to Murchison Falls Falls, you enjoy several riverine animals and birds that flock to the banks.

Taking a hike to the top of the falls gives you a clearer view of the River Nile that runs 80 kilometers over a bed of rocks before pushing through the narrow bed, bursting out vigorously, and cascading down a 43 meters high rift valley cliff.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is a biosphere reserve on the rift valley floor. Rwenzori rangers stand beautifully to form a backdrop for this park. When you take a game drive through the various tracks in the pack, especially the Kasenyi and Northern Kazinga, chances of spotting lions on duty are high because of the Uganda kobs that love hanging out in these areas.

In the Ishasha area of Queen Elizabeth National Park, you have a chance to spot tree-climbing lions, topis, cape buffaloes, rare leopards, and several others.

A launch trip on the Kazinga channel is spectacular as you get chances to enjoy most of the beauties on the rift valley floor. Look to the banks for birds that flock to shore, including foreign migrants. In the Kazinga, channel waters have serried crocodiles, a school of hippos, and the shores often graced by thirsty wild animals. You may watch the sunset on a clear day as night slowly chips in.

Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is the stopover point for all national parks in the western part of Uganda. From Entebbe airport, Lake Mburo National Park is the closest Uganda National Park you can get to in about 3 hours, covering a distance of 228 kilometers.

During a game drive through the different tracks in this park, like the impala track, zebra track, Ruroko track, and others, you may get to spot wild animals like Burchell zebras, impalas, elephants, defassa waterbucks, bushbucks, oribi, klipspringer to mention but a few.

When you take a boat trip on Lake Mburo National Park from the jetty at the lake site close to Rwonyo, you enjoy the cool breeze off Lake Mburo. Look out for a fantastic variety of birds that grace the vegetation around the LakeshoreLakeshore.

Uganda Gorilla Safari Parks

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi's impenetrable national park is home to the only leftover mountain gorillas in the world, with almost half as residents. At the moment, Bwindi forest is home to about 18 gorilla trekking families open to public booking, and these live in four areas into which the park is subdivided. The four areas into which the park is divided include:

• The Buhoma area in the North.
• The Ruhija area in the East.
• Rushaga and Nkuringo areas in the South.

Two gorilla families in the southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are so far open for gorilla habituation experience.

Bwindi forest is a hot destination for keen birders as, at the moment, over 350 bird species have been recorded as residents, including Albertine rift endemics. The Mubwindi swamp in Ruhijah is the birder's haven.

Mgahinga National Park

Mgahinga national park is the smallest Uganda National Park covering an area of about 33.7 square kilometers. It is home to only one gorilla family called Nyakagezi. This gorilla family was known to wander into Rwanda, so the gorilla permits for Mgahinga were purchased on mountain gorilla availability.

In terms of scenery, Mgahinga National Park still has virgin vegetation because it is less visited. Its topography comprises three extinct volcanoes: Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Muhavura, and Mountain Sabyinyo.

More primates are residents of this park, including Golden Monkeys, Blue Monkeys, Grey Cheeked Mangabey, Red Tailed Monkeys, Olive Baboons, and Others.

Chimpanzee Trekking In Uganda

Kibale National Park

Kibale National Park is a tropical rainforest rainforest situated in Western Uganda. This park hosts the most significant number of chimpanzees in Uganda, with the current population being about 1500 chimpanzees.

Two chimpanzee trekking sessions happen in Kibale National Park in the morning, starting at 0800 hours and afternoon at 1500 hours. This park also offers a chimpanzee habituation experience where you escort a team of researchers and follow a semi-habituated semi-habituated chimpanzee troop to get them accustomed to human presence without altering their nature.

This park is a primate haven with about 15 other primates as residents that is black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, potto, bush babies, olive baboons, and others.

Over 325 birdbird species are residents of Kibale National Park, including Albertine Endemics Like Purple-Breasted Sunbird, Black Bee Eater, Yellow Spotted Nicator, Abyssinian Ground Thrush, Crowned Eagle, Blue Headed Sunbird, and others.

Kaniyo Pabidi Forest In Murchison Falls National

AboutAbout, 8 kilometers from the Kichumbanyombo gate of Murchison Falls Falls National Park is the Kaniyo Pabidi forest. This is home to a community of chimpanzees. You can trek the chimpanzees in this forest in the morning and afternoon.

Kaniyo Pabidi forest is home to some of Uganda's leftover fully grown mahogany trees where chimpanzees and other primates spend the day.

Kyambura Gorge In Queen Elizabeth National Park

Kyambura GorgeGorge is 100 meters deep gorge eroded by River Kyambura as it flows towards the Kazinga channel. The incline of this gorge is forested, creating a home for a community of chimpanzees and several other primates.

Two chimpanzee trekking sessions are conducted each day, that is, morning and afternoon sessions.

Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary

Ngamba chimpanzee sanctuary lies in Lake Victoria and is home to rescued chimpanzees. These chimpanzees are rescued from snares, orphaned, abandoned, and cannot return to their communities.

This sanctuary was created to educate visitors, local communities, and the general public about conserving the chimpanzees and their habitats.

It would be best if you got on the boat to Koome Island, where chimpanzees live. You can support the work of giving these chimpanzees a home by taking a day visit or overnight stay at Ngamba Island.

Birding In Uganda

Uganda is a birder haven in Africa where no country can rival its bird list of over 1000 bird species. You can traverse the best Uganda birding destinations with an experienced birding guide and an excellent itinerary. 

Some UgandaUganda birding destinations Include Mabamba Swamp, Botanical Gardens, Kibale National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Bunyonyi, Musambwa Island, and others.

Some of the birds you may spot in Uganda include Shoe Bill Stork, Handsome FrancolinFrancolin, Saddle Bill Stork, Mountain Masked And Chestnut-Throated Apalises, Rwenzori Batis, Collared Apalis, WesternWestern Green Tinkerbird, and Several others.

White Water Rafting In Uganda

On River Nile, you can enjoy white water rafting at Itanda FallsFalls on River Nile. Experience is optional, as instructors are in place to take you through the necessary procedures of going through the tides.

Keep peddling as instructed to get the full thrill. There are different levels at these falls, and it is up to you to suggest where to stop.

If you are uninterested, you can gogo tubing on River Nile or kayaking.

Visit The Source Of River Nile

Uganda is the only source of River Nile in the world, which starts at a point in Jinja. It would be best if you sailed to get there using the canoes at the pier. At this point, River Nile water vigorously departs as Lake Victoria water slowly flows away. The drama at this point is amazing as River Nile and Lake Victoria water separate.

Bungee Jumping

Bungee jumping to touch River Nile is thrilling but may stimulate some adrenaline for those afraid of heights. A rope securely holds you and lets you down to touch River Nile.

Sport fishing in Uganda

You can do sport fishing from the freshwater lakes of Uganda, but you need a fishing permit from Uganda Wildlife Authority. One needs to carry own fishing equipment and lures. You can also hire a boat and boat captain to participate in sport fishing.

Some fish species you may catch include tilapia, Nile perch, catfish, lungfish, and other types.

Mountaineering In Uganda

You can do mountain climbing in Uganda when you organize your mountaineering adventure in Uganda. Climbing Mountain Rwenzori is amazing when you get to the top, glacier, topped. The Rwenzori Mountain is about 5109 meters high, and Magheritah is its highest peak.

You can also hike Mountain Elgon, which is an extinct volcano. This hike gives you a chance to enjoy the wonderful views around mountain Elgon, the Sipi Falls Falls, stunning vegetation zones, and so much more.

You can do excursion mountaineering adventures on Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Sabyinyo, and Mountain Muhavura. The Ndali Volcanic CraterCrater area also offers the chance for tourists to enjoy the beautiful crater lakes from the top of some of the surrounding highlands. You need to hire a ranger guide.

Cultural safaris in Uganda 

Uganda is a multicultural country where you can enjoy the local life of a number of people. Who believe in kingdoms and chiefdoms. When in Uganda, you may engage with kingdoms like Buganda KingdomKingdom in central Uganda, Busoga Kingdom in Eastern Uganda, Bunyoro and Tooro KingdomKingdom in western Uganda, and a number of chiefdoms in Northern Uganda.

Uganda has a number of tribes with different languages, cultural dances, folk tales, performances, and so much more. Ethnologists have a lot to discover and write about Uganda's cultural beliefs. 

Visit Uganda Wildlife Education Center

Uganda wildlife education center is the former Entebbe Zoo, but currently, animals are kept in exhibits with an environment similar to that in the wilderness where they are commonly seen.

This center is like a summary of Uganda's wild animals. You can do a self-guided tour or a guided tour in the center.

 Some of the animals you may get to see include lions, leopards, crocodiles, cape buffaloes, antelopes, chimpanzees, an elephant, cheetah, wild cat and so much more.

A visit to Uganda Wildlife Education Center may be your last destination as you wait for your departure flight at Entebbe Zoo.

Contact us for more information about a safari holiday in Uganda.