Uganda
Uganda is a landlocked country, and it is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the southwest by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. Famously called the “Pearl of Africa” by Winston Churchill, it is home to one of the most diverse and concentrated ranges of African fauna including the highly endangered mountain gorilla and the endangered common chimpanzee.
Uganda has a reputation as ‘Africa’s friendliest Country’, with a tradition of hospitality. When you visit, you will experience Ugandan’s warmness of heart, enjoy the amazing cuisine with a constant supply of organic fresh vegetable and fruits., and learn about their rich cultural heritage. Coupled with amazing features of attractions, Uganda is an irresistible country, which is a great safari destination winning numerous accolades from the international travel media. You will be blown away by the different scenery and landscapes offered by this country.
At Heritage Explorers Uganda, we are here to plan your dream safari to Uganda so that you can experience this beautiful scenery. Some of the amazing tourist attractions include:
Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo National Park is located between Masaka District and Mbarara district in the Western part of Uganda. It lies in a rain shadow between Lake Victoria and the Rwenzori Mountains, and it is the only National Park that contains an entire lake, which brings its size to 256 km2. The vegetation in the park is mainly acacia tree savannah.
The wildlife here includes herds of Impala, the Topi, Eland, Burchells Zebra, and Buffalo. There are also over 357 bird species in the park which may include open water birds, lakeshore and papyrus swamp birds, seasonal swamp birds, woodland birds, grassland birds and forest birds. Examples include Pink-backed pelican, Darter, White pelican, Yellow-billed duck, Long-tailed cormorant, White winged black tern and Greater cormorant, Fish eagle, pied kingfisher and many more.
Activities in Lake Mburo National Park include Wildlife viewing when on game drives, Sport fishing and boat trips on the lake, birding, and guided walks in the park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is situated astride the equator in the Western Rift Valley Southwest of Uganda. The park is 1,978 km2 in area and is divided into different sections. There is the Mweya peninsular which is mainly covered by thick dense vegetation, and the Ishaha sector which is a vast low-lying savannah plain and the crater lakes region.
Wildlife in the park includes buffalo, the Uganda Kob, Lions, Hippos, Crocodiles, Elephants, Waterbuck, Warthog, and Leopards, the rare Giant Forest Hog and chimpanzees found in Kyambura gorge. This park has the largest recorded number of bird species in Uganda. There are over 568 species recorded since it is a stopover site for a big number of European migrant bird species. Some species include Lesser Kestel, Gull billed Tern, Pallid Harrier, Great Snipe, Fish Eagles, and the Shoebill stock and many more.
Activities in the park include Game Viewing, Bird watching and Boat rides along Kazinga Channel, guided walks in the national park and Maramagambo forest, chimp tracking in Kyambura Gorge and village walks.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the newest national parks in Uganda that was gazetted in 1991 to conserve the rarest Mountain Gorillas. It is a rainforest with an area of 331 km2 and is in Southwestern Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable Park has over 5 families of Mountain Gorillas and three different sectors where gorilla tracking can be done. There are the Buhoma sector, the Nkuringo sector and the Ruhija sector which is home to one of the families called the Bitukura group that was founded in July 2008.
Bwindi is home to about one half of the world’s population of the endangered Mountain Gorillas, which is the main attraction in this park. Other animals in the park include the chimpanzee, Black and white Colobus monkey, buffalo, giant forest hog, elephants, bush pig and many species of birds. Bwindi is also one of the best birding locations in East Africa with species like the Yellow Eyed Black flycatcher, Black Bee Eater, Black Billed Turaco, Kivu Ground Trush and many more.
Activities at Bwindi National Park include Gorilla Trekking, Primate walks, Bird Watching, Nature walks along Munyaga River & community visits or village walks.
Kibale National Park
Kibale National Park is in Fort portal district, southwest of Uganda and is mainly well known for its Chimpanzees. The park mainly contains lowland tropical rainforest, montane forest, and mixed tropical deciduous forest. It covers an area of 766km2.
Kibale National Park has over 12 different species of primates, and some of these include the red-tailed monkey, chimpanzee, white and Colobus monkey, Olive baboon, blue monkey, White cheeked mangabeys and some nocturnal primates like the bush baby. There are over 325 species of birds. Some of these are the Buff-spotted Woodpecker, Black-billed Turaco, White-naped pigeon, Great blue Turaco, White spotted crake, Green breasted pitta, Toro olive Greenbul and many more. Most of these bird species are found in the Bigodi swamp sanctuary. There are also 144 species of butterflies.
Activities at Kibale National Park include, Chimp Trekking, Nocturnal walks, Bird Watching, Butterfly viewing, Nature walks, Farm tourism and Village walks around the local communities.
Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park is located 303km from Kampala via Masindi town in the Northwest part of Uganda. This park was gazetted in 1952 by the Ministry of Tourism and covers an area of 3840km2. The park has quite a variety of wildlife which may include the Uganda Kob, Elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, hippos, crocodiles, and several antelopes. There are also some leopards which may be seen in the delta area. There are some bird species which may include the rear Shoebill, Red Fronted Bee eater, Silverbird, Blue mantled Coucal, Long-toed lapwing, Goliath Heron, Water thick-knees, Secretary Bird, Ground hornbill, and many more.
Some of the common activities that you will find at this park are Game Viewing which is the most common activity in the park, Bird watching, Sport fishing, and Boat Cruise along the River Nile. There is also Chimp tracking and forest walks in the nearby Budongo forest and Rabongo Forest.
Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo Valley National Park is located on the Northern border of Uganda that is shared by both Kenya and Sudan and covers an area of 1442km2. The park has different sections which include the Narus valley in the Southwest of the park, Napore-Nyagia mountain range in the western park. The southern boundary is made up of Lotukei Mountains and Morungole ranges. There are over 80 species of mammals recorded in the park. Of these, there is the Rothschild Giraffe and Burchell’s Zebra that are only found in Kidepo Valley National Park. There are also lions, elephants, buffalo, leopard, cheetah & Ostrich.
The main activities at the park are Game Viewing (done during the day & at night), Birding & walking safaris.
Semliki National Park
Semliki National Park is in a forest area at the base of the Rwenzori Mountains in the Western part of Uganda, sharing the border with the DRC. This is the only park in Uganda covered by tropical lowland forest, bamboo forest, wetlands, and grasslands. The park has the Semliki River, which is an attraction of the elephants and buffaloes.
The main activity here is birding. There are over 400 species of birds recorded in this park. Some of these include the 4 Hornbill species (Wattled Casque, Red Dwarf, Black Dwarf and White crested.) These you will not see anywhere in Uganda. There is also Game Viewing, Boat trips on Lake Albert, and Primate Walks which are done on a small scale.
The Rwenzori Mountains
The Rwenzori, commonly known as the “Mountains of the Moon” lie on Uganda’s western border with the Democratic Republic of Congo and are 48km in width and 120km in length. This is a mountain range that was created by faulting, which involves the uplift of the earth crust through tectonic movement. The mountain range has six peaks at its centre, and they all have permanent snow. Of these six, three are glaciers, and the highest of these peaks is called Mt. Margherita, which rises 5102 meters above sea level. The main activities carried out here include mainly Mountain climbing and bird watching.
Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon lies on the border between Kenya and Uganda and is said to have the largest surface area of any extinct volcano in the world and a caldera which covers over 40km2 at the top of the mountain. The highest peak, Wagagai, sits at 4,321m and is the second highest in Uganda (after Rwenzori) and the eighth highest in Africa, though millions of years ago it was the continent’s tallest. In the Mt Elgon National Park, there is plenty of wildlife and the duiker is more commonly seen. But lucky visitors may catch a glimpse of leopard, buffalo, hyena, or elephant. Birdwatchers will enjoy the endangered Lammergeier vultures, Jackson’s francolin, and white-starred forest robin.
Day hiking and hiking to the top of the Mountain are common activities in this area. Mt Elgon is considered a good alternative compared to climbing Rwenzori in Uganda or Kilimanjaro in Tanzania since it offers a milder climate, lower elevation, and much more reasonable prices. The full trekking circuit to the peaks takes five days to complete, following either Sasa or Sipi trails. At Heritage Explorers Uganda, we organize Mt Elgon Hiking trips starting from Sipi Falls.
At Heritage Explorers, we will arrange your African holiday safari to Uganda according to your interests. Are you interested in Gorilla tracking & Chimp trekking, wildlife tours, Birding safaris, Culture and community safaris, Photography, Water rafting, Mountain Hiking/mountaineering, or Forest Hikes? Do you prefer a ‘calm’ safari or an adventurous safari? Whatever it is, you will find it here!
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