Uganda
Uganda is a land of contrasts. In half a day, you can drive from mist-shrouded volcanic mountains to hot hazy savannah, dappled with wildlife. Serene undulating hills of tea plantations, lush but ordered, give way to tangled jungle and rainforest with the musical accompaniment of chaotic, cacophonous birdlife.
Uganda is alive with these contrasts: the tiniest sunbirds, iridescent in the morning light, the massive lumbering yet silent elephant disappearing like a vapor behind the trees, the chimpanzees crashing about the forest canopy, and the lugubrious gorilla chewing thoughtfully in the bamboo thicket. There are the Nile, twisting its way north like a shimmering ribbon, through arid semi-desert scattered about with rocky kopjes, snow-capped peaks, tropical sandy freshwater beaches, and smiling faces everywhere. It’s all here, a feast for all the senses.
Called as the “pearl of Africa”, Uganda is a landlocked gem with the Lake Victoria, one of the world's largest lakes. It is also the starting point of the mighty river Nile and home to the snow-capped Rwenzori mountains and the dense rain forests of central Africa. These diverse landscapes have some of the best birding in Africa and are home to an unusually high number of rare wildlife species, including more than half the world’s mountain gorillas.
Gorilla tracking through the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is an obvious highlight to any Uganda safari. However, Uganda is not a one-hit wonder. The awe-inspiring Murchison falls on the Nile, the endless savannah in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and the vast arid park in Kidepo valley offer fascinating varied safari experiences with good populations of lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, giraffe, as well as chimpanzees and the incredible shoe bill stock.
Kibale National Park
The Kibale-Fort Portal area is one of Uganda’s most rewarding destinations to explore. The park is home to 13 species of primates including the red colobus, chimpanzees, and L'Hoest's monkeys as well as 70 mammal species. This park has one of the greatest primate densities in the world.
Botanists and butterfly lovers will also enjoy the network of shaded forest trails and with no less than 375 different recorded bird species. It is a bird lover’s paradise. For those who are extremely fortunate, you may get to see the elusive forest elephant. The park is also home to other forest dwellers including buffalo, giant forest hog, and antelope.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is understandably Uganda’s most popular tourist destination. The park’s diverse ecosystems, which include sprawling savanna, shady, humid forests, sparkling lakes, and fertile wetlands, make it the ideal habitat for classic big game, ten primate species including chimpanzees, and over 600 species of birds.
Set against the backdrop of the jagged Rwenzori Mountains, the park’s magnificent vistas include dozens of enormous craters carved dramatically into rolling green hills, panoramic views of the Kazinga Channel with its banks lined with hippos, buffalo, and elephants, and the endless Ishasha plains, whose fig trees hide lions ready to pounce on herds of unsuspecting Uganda Kob.
As well as its outstanding wildlife attractions, Queen Elizabeth National Park has a fascinating cultural history. There are many opportunities for visitors to meet the local communities and enjoy storytelling, dance, music, and more. The gazetting of the park has ensured the conservation of its ecosystems, which in turn benefits the surrounding communities.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP) is in south-western Uganda. The park is part of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and is situated along the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) border next to the Virunga National Park and on the edge of the Albertine Rift. Composed of 331 square kilometers (128 square miles) of both montane and lowland forest, it is accessible only on foot. BINP is a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization-designated World Heritage Site.
Species diversity is a feature of the park. It provides habitat for 120 species of mammals, 348 species of birds, 220 species of butterflies, 27 species of frogs, chameleons, geckos, and many endangered species. Floristically, the park is among the most diverse forests in East Africa, with more than 1,000 flowering plant species, including 163 species of trees and 104 species of ferns. In particular, the area shares in the high levels of endemism of the Albertine Rift.
The park is a sanctuary for colobus monkeys, chimpanzees, and many birds such as hornbills and turacos. It is most notable for the 340 Bwindi gorillas, half of the world's population of the critically endangered mountain gorillas.
