Safari in Uganda

Man’s closest living relatives are Chimpanzees which share 98% of human genes. Throughout Africa they are found in 21 countries however they are better sighted in Uganda due to their dense populations. Kibale forest is very good for chimpanzee tracking trips however Uganda safari chimps can also be sighted in Budongo forest in Murchison Falls national park and also in Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park.

This is by far Uganda’s most scenic and visited game reserve. A massive variety of habitats including the savanna grassland mixed with various kinds of trees and grassy plains as well as different swamps and volcanic features which include volcanic cones and deep craters and tropical rainforest give the park its distinctive look. Queen Elizabeth National park is an ideal place to sight large game, go bird watching on the Kazinga channel, and track chimpanzees in the Kyambura Gorge as well as the famous tree climbing lions in Ishasha.

Though remote, Kidepo valley national park is a true nugget of Uganda’s nature with great savanna landscapes and rising mountains in its background. It covers an area of 1,442km2 with an altitude of 900-2750m. The population of visitors here per day (an average of six visitors daily) is not high and it is likely to be the only park left in the continent where you can have the opportunity to have the park to yourself.

This is one of Uganda’s smallest wildlife parks although very rich in wild game. Plentiful of bird life flourishes here with more than 315 different bird species, a rich animal life including 68 different mammals like impala, leopards, buffalo, jackals and hyenas to see on a Uganda safari. Aside all this, it is only here that you will find zebras.

Sipi falls is arguably the most gorgeous chain of waterfalls in Uganda sitting in the foothills of Mt. Elgon as they overlook a vast plain. The falls have three levels all with unspeakable beauty although the 95m main drop attracts more visitors to this place and more to that, Sipi’s lodging looks out over it. Spending a night or two in this spectacular but peaceful place is an encounter you cannot afford to miss.

his is at most the loveliest lake in Uganda. The lake contains 29 islands and most of these are inhabited and terraced for agriculture. Enjoy seeing school children paddle dug-out canoes through the misty morning as crested cranes fly overhead in the wake of the morning.

Aside being the chief reservoir of the Nile, it is also the largest lake in Africa and the second world largest fresh water lake. In the center; great plateau there is a shallow depression in which Lake Victoria fills with its waters and this stretches between the Eastern and western rift valleys.

Lying just north of Kisoro, this scenic lake makes a relaxing base from which you can explore the area as well as track the famous mountain gorillas in the nearby Bwindi Impenetrable forest. The misty Virunga ranges in the background, papyrus swamp with plentiful opportunities of Uganda safari hikes, bird watching and a range of water activities all to yourself leave you envying the inhabitants of this place.

Arguably the most biologically diverse area on earth, with half of only surviving population of endangered mountain gorillas in the world, Bwindi impenetrable forest is a must go destination once in Africa. This Africa’s treasure was recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site mainly for its biological significance.

Located near the town of Fort Portal in the Western part of Uganda, east of the Rwenzori Mountains. The evergreen rain forest covers 766km2 and an altitude ranging between 110 and 1600m. This forest is one of the few remaining expanses that contain both montane and lowland forests forming a never-ending forest with Queen Elizabeth national park.

This impressive range of mountains is located on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its highest snowcapped peak Margherita stands at a height of 5109m. It stretches to about 110km in length. This UNESCO world heritage site includes an astonishing range of landscapes, from the bizarre afro-alpine moorland to the thick tropical rainforest on the lower slopes and lastly the glaciers at the highest reaches.

This park lies on the border between Kenya and Uganda. Mountain Elgon by far has the largest surface area any extinct volcano in the world has with a caldera that covers over 40km2 at its top. This is the second-highest mountain in Uganda after mountain Rwenzori and its highest peak Wagagai sits at a height of 4,321m.

This is a lush archipelago of 84 islands sitting along the north-western shore of Lake Victoria. The stunning white sand beaches make Ssese island a great place to kick back, relax to a good book read after your Uganda safari. You can enjoy a good canoe ride but you are advised against swimming due to the risks of bilharzia and the occasional visits of hippos or crocodiles.

The parks span to a 220sqkm of valley floor that constitute a link between the heights of the huge steaming jungles of central Africa and East Africa. Intriguing wildlife as well as Sulphur hot springs that can be spotted on a short day walk all call this home.