Where can I have a photography safari in Uganda

For a successful photography experience during a Uganda safari, you need to make a choice of the locations you are most interested in Uganda. Uganda is a country endowed with nature and when traveling for a photo shoot during a Uganda safari, you may select from the different destinations around the country. It is best to set a niche and have a theme for the photographing safari in Uganda before making your booking.

Most Popular Safaris

3 Day Gorilla Trekking safari

8 day Uganda safari via Kigali

5 days gorillas and chimp safari

8 days gorilla tracking tour

19 day best of Uganda safari

15 days Uganda Rwanda safari

18 day Uganda Ultimate Safari

16 day primate game and culture

11 days gorilla tracking safari

5 days gorilla and Nile river source

17 day Uganda birding and wildlife

Some of the Uganda locations to stage a photographing moment include within the Uganda National Parks, along water bodies in Uganda, Rocky ground of Kigezi sub area, Market places in Uganda, Source of River Nile, photo studios and many others.

It is best to carry own equipment when traveling for a photographing safari in Uganda because finding those that may match your standards in Uganda is quite hard especially if the shoot is a commercial reason.

At Encounter African Safaris, we may help with trying to find some of the important photographing items that you need but may be in close resemblance to what you need from those who equipment on ground. This doesn’t guarantee that it may perform to the best of what you want to achieve most of the time.

Where to Do A Photographing Safari in Uganda

Uganda National Parks

For nature enthusiast with a plan to take photos in the wilderness with less disturbance, the Uganda National Parks may be that ideal choice. Uganda has 10 National Parks include Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Semiliki National Park, Rwenzori National Park, Elgon National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park.

Each of these Uganda National Parks has varied vegetation, topography and inhabitants which may interest you as a photographer.

Note that for any outdoor photographing experience in the Uganda National Parks, you need to be in company of a ranger and the park management must be notified. This is especially of your purpose for taking the Uganda safari is photographing purposes.

Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park has some of the unique water spots in Uganda with the Murchison Falls as the highlight. Murchison Falls is where the best part of the River Nile course happens as the river first races over a bed of underlying rocks for about 80 kilometers creating white rapids, pushes through the 6 meters wide gorge to furiously burst out and cascade the 43 meters high cliff. 

When taking a photoshoot from this point, you capture a beautiful backdrop of the Murchison Falls. By hiking to the top of the falls where the actual drama is generated, there is a point where photographers get to capture the most electrifying moments at the falls.

In company of a ranger guide, photographers may state their location within the park where they can capture some of the wild animals that are residents of Murchison Falls National Park. Having a good camera with great lenses is an added advantage as you get to zoom even far ranging animals instead of going off track. Murchison Falls National Park residents animals including giraffes, herds of buffaloes,  Wwaterbucks, reedbucks, oribi, elephants, hartebeests, Uganda kobs, lions, leopards, warthogs and others. During the launch cruise photographers may capture a number of wild animal photos and an array obirds from this stretch of River Nile as they regularly move here to quench thirst and take a bath.

Chimpanzees in Kaniyo Pabidi forest offer great moments to take primates photos since they are habituated to have at least an hour before humans.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Stretching on the floor of the Rift Valley is Queen Elizabeth National Park with its plain Savannah vegetation. The blue Rwenzori ranges that stretches from the rift valley plains overlook the floor off the    park creating a great background for wildlife photography while on safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

By taking a game drive in the Kasenyi grassland track, chances of encountering lions in action are more open as they prey on Uganda kobs that are common residents here. The launch trip on Kazinga channel never disappoints as the shoreline is often flock by birds, watch out for the usual suspects the hippos and crocodiles, and some animals that move down from the rift valley plains. Booking a private launch trip for the photographing safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park is the best choice.

Chimpanzee trekking while on photography safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park is not a bad idea for a primates’ photoshoot.

The crater lakes are is breathtaking and a great location in the park where you can capture photos of both wet and dry crater of Queen Elizab   eth National Park.

Embark on a Forest walk in Maramagambo forest in Queen Elizabeth National Park with its rich fauna and flora which you can capture from a more closer range.

Kidepo Valley National Park

For a Uganda safari destination within a semi-arid environment, Kidepo Valley National Park is that ideal choice. This is the furthest Uganda National Park situated in North Eastern corner in the country but has very unique locations and content.

Kidepo Valley National Park has wildlife that is rare absent from other Uganda National Parks and reserves. The Narus valley is one of the spots in the park where wild animal normally congregate especially during the extremely dry season when most rivers and other water sources in the park dry up. During the game drive, most drivers spend more time in the areas around the Narus valley where chances of spotting animals are more possible.

Game drives in Kidepo Valley National Park are quieter because of less or no traffic in the park so capturing the best photos moments of the wild animals with no hope of distraction are more possible. There is a high degree of solitude in Kidepo Valley National Park.

Some of the animals of Kidepo Valley National Park including lion, leopards, cheetahs, striped hyenas, aardwolf, herd of elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, bushbucks, bat eared fox. More that 463 bird species have been identified as residents of Kidepo Valley National Park including the ostriches, Abyssinian ground hornbill, Karamoja Apalises, Verreaux’s eagle, secretary birds, Egyptian vultures, Egyptian pygimy falcon and others.

For cultural photography depicting the life of the Africans, choosing Karamajong homestead as the location may be a great choice. Have a chance to be part of their day today life and may try out some of there daily activities including milking, grazing the cattle and others. The dance style of the people of Karamoja is contagious you just say jump and they say how high.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

The photographing safari experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is chance to be with the only leftovers mountain gorillas in the world. To have more time with a gorilla family, gorilla habituation experience may offer the best chances since four hours are allowed with these primates. Note that during gorilla habituation experience, the mountain gorillas are semi-habituated.

If you choose gorilla trekking time, only one hour is allowed with the fully habituated gorilla family. If you are destined for a commercial gorilla photographing safari, there are some clearances you need to make with the Uganda wildlife Authority as permission.

Other than the mountain gorillas, there are chances of photographing other inhabitants in Bwindi forest including black and white colobus, vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, red tailed monkeys, L’hoest, wild chimpanzees and others. More than 350 bird species are residents of Bwindi forest including Albertine rift endemics. The scenic beauty of the Bwindi serried canopy is magnificent to take as a nature photographer

Note that there is poor vision in dense Bwindi forest because of its thickness yet less sunlight is allowed through to the ground to create make better photos. When with the mountain gorillas, no flashlight from the camera is permitted as this may scare them

Mgahinga National Park

Mgahinga National Park is still one of the untamed wildlife habitants in Uganda because it is less visited. The park is home to one gorilla family called Nyakagezi at the moment but you need a gorilla permit and photographing permit especially of the activity is aimed for commercial purposes first to have access to these primates.

 Mgahinga National Park is home to the golden monkey safaris and these too can be included in what to photograph while in this park. Golden monkeys are a unique specie of monkeys with a larger body compared to the normal monkeys. They live in large troops of over 100 golden monkeys under the leadership of an Alpha male.

The three towering volcanic mountains in Mgahinga National Park including Mountain Sabyinyo, Muhavura and  Gahinga are stunning and hiking to the top of any while taking photographs provides a great location especially for landscape photography. There is need to hire a porter to help with lifting some of the equipment you carry along the way.

Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is the only park in Uganda with a large lake in its middle. Lake Mburo National Park is the herbivore destination in Uganda although some sightings of carnivores have been made but rarely. During the game drive in Lake Mburo National Park, you may come across animals including waterbucks, elephants, buffaloes, zebras, giraffes, elands, statungas, reedbucks and others.

A wide range of birds over 315 species have been registered as residents of Lake Mburo National Park Some of the birds include shoebill, Tabora cisticola, saddle billed stork, African fin foot, brown chested wattled plover, Abyssinian  ground thrush, Acacia woodland bird species and others. During the boat trip on Lake Mburo, you may get the chance to see some of these birds.

Mountain Elgon National Park

The Sipi falls from the Sipi River are the highlight for photography safari in Mountain Elgon National Park. This block mountain at 4321 meters above sea level is situated on the border of Uganda and Kenya. Hiking the mountain Elgon as a photographer may give you chance to unique flora that is rarely seeing closer to the ground.

Mountain Rwenzori National Park

Mountain Rwenzori is the height mountain in Uganda with its peak as Magheritah at 5100 meters above sea level. A hiking safari up Mountain Rwenzori may take about 7 days return trip and photographers may take more especially if you have to make regular stops to take photographs.

The Rwenzori National Park is situated on the base of this mountain where some animals sightings are made including forest elephants, giant forest hogs, waterbucks, bushbucks and others.

A number of bird species including Albertine rift endemics are residents of Mountain Rwenzori National Park.

Itanda Falls On River Nile

The Itanda falls are exciting white water rapids on River Nile in Buikwe district. White water rafting is the main activity around these falls where tourists peddle through these tides on a tube boat. There is no need to have experience, as on ground there are professional instructor to take you through all that is necessary. Photographers may use this chance to capture the flow of these vigorous tides and how people navigate them.

Source for River Nile

The point where River Nile separates from Lake Victoria is dramatic a great photographing location. There is a mystery line that marks the calm Lake Victoria water and the rushing River Nile water. The birds that flock the banks of River Nile are amazing. The lush vegetation that forms part of the bank of River Nile is refreshing and may make part of the nature photographer’s collection.

Entebbe Beaches

Even though they are not developed to the world standards, the beaches along Lake Victoria may provide a great location for photographer. The rock overlooking lake Victoria offer great scenery where to position yourself in case of a photoshoot. Before using some of the locations at the beaches of Entebbe, seek permission for the management of these areas so that you are not taken as a trespasser.

The Old Owen Fall Dam

The Owen Falls dam was one of the first hydropower generating dams in Uganda, Even though its old, from some of its locations one can capture great photographs with a backdrop of Lake Victoiria. Seeing permission from the authorities that manage this Dam before proceeding with any activity.

Get in touch with us for more information.