POPULAR UGANDA SAFARI DESTINATIONS
Uganda Holidays
Many people refer to Uganda as the ‘real’ Africa and it is easy to see why. Stunning scenery, friendly people, primates and fantastic wildlife plus amazing activities combine to make Uganda holidays an exciting prospect for adventure travellers. The country is also a gateway to Rwanda – home of the majestic yet endangered mountain gorillas.
One of the main attractions of Uganda is its incredible wildlife. The country is home to numerous national parks, including the renowned Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, where visitors can embark on an awe-inspiring gorilla trekking adventure. Here, you can come face to face with endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, observing their behaviour in close proximity. Kibale National Park is a great place to go in search of chimpanzees while Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to elusive tree-climbing lions.
Places to visit while on a safari to Uganda
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
The reason Bwindi would have been ranked #1 among the top ten locations in Uganda is that it is home to the mountain gorillas, the most valuable forest treasures in the world. On the other hand, it received the third place since locals don’t find it as appealing as foreign visitors do. And the main reason for this is that it’s the most costly destination in Uganda. The indigenous term “Mubwindi,” which meaning “place of darkness,” is whence the name Bwindi originates. The dense canopy of the forest covers the forest floors, making it difficult for humans to navigate and fostering a fierce competition for light among the plants. Hence, the impenetrable forest known as Bwindi
Murchison Falls National Park.
Situated on the banks of Lake Albert in northwest Uganda, Murchison Falls National Park is ranked second among our top ten locations in Uganda. It is well-known for the thunderous Murchison Falls, the strongest waterfall in the world, where the Victoria Nile River squirts 300 cubic metres of water out of a small opening measuring only 7 metres.
Often seen in swampy places, the peculiar-looking Shoebill or Whale-headed Stork is one of the most sought-after bird sightings in Murchison. If you’re lucky, the Paraa boat safari may let you to see the Shoebill, but the best places to observe them are in Mabamba Swamp, the papyrus delta created by the Victoria Nile when the river empties into Lake Albert.
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary completes Uganda’s renowned Big 5 game animal list (Lion, Elephant, Leopard, Cape buffalo, and Rhino) thanks to the wildlife collection at Murchison Falls. Sadly for those who enjoy safaris, the White Rhino, which is the fifth species and resides in the adjacent Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
Queen Elizabeth National Park.
There aren’t many reserves in the world with the same level of wetlands, rich forests, savannah grasslands, bushland, and wildlife as this one. The most visited place in Uganda both people and animals is the picturesque Queen Elizabeth National Park, which spans 1978 square kilometres.
In Uganda, the most well-known safari destinations safeguard the greatest quantity of wildlife. Hippos cooling down in the Kazinga Channel, elephant parades, lion prides, leopards, hyenas, Uganda Kobs, and the chimpanzee group in the Kyambura Gorge forest are just a few of the amazing sights to behold during a safari.
The park is beautifully situated on the floor of a rift valley between Lakes Edward and George, and it is easily accessible. 95 mammal and 612 bird species can be found in these diverse environments, which represent the rift valley vegetative patchwork that enticed our hominid ancestors to migrate from forests to grasslands.
Highlights of our Uganda Tours
- Track Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Observe Chimpanzees in Kibale Forest
- Take a Game Drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park
- See the Splendour of Murchison Falls
The main tourist spots in Uganda are becoming more and more popular with individuals and small groups of travelers. This is because the country still has a manageable amount of tourists compared to its well-known, massive safari neighbors, Kenya and Tanzania
Kibale National Park.
You will be greeted by the scents of musty primates, endemic flowers, and fresh dew as soon as you enter Kibale Forest. The tweets of foreign birds and the distant hoots of red colobus are the alien sounds that screech against your eardrums. You can picture the unexpected residents of this old tropical forest by listening to the sound of forest elephants breaking trees along their path in the distance. Your forest camp or cottage may have tracks around it left by unexpected visitors to let you know that someone is there even when you’re not. Nature lovers visit Kibale forests to observe a variety of forests birds and monitor chimpanzees and other twelve primate species (the largest concentration on the continent) who seek refuge within the park. The forest has a strong and enigmatic attraction.
The guided chimpanzee tracking trip from Kanyanchu is the most popular safari activity in Kibale National Park. However, the guided walking path through the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is equally as popular and is probably better for general monkey watching. It’s also one of the best birding trails in the nation.
Jinja, Source of the Nile.
One of the biggest towns in Uganda, Jinja is located about 80 kilometres east of Kampala and offers stunning views of the Nile’s source, Lake Victoria. Due to its immense appeal to both domestic and foreign tourists, Jinja is included in our list of the top 10 places to visit in Uganda. And what draws tourists to Jinja is not the town’s moderate level of appeal but rather the source of the powerful river.
The exhilarating sequence of grade-five rapids beneath Bujagali Falls, which draws thrill-seeking travelers, has become maybe Uganda’s most well-liked tourist destination, possibly even exceeding the southwestern mountain gorillas. Numerous exhilarating experiences are focused in a narrow radius around the rapids. It’s among the most breathtaking places on Earth to go whitewater rafting. Standing on the slopes from where Speke initially discovered the geographical Holy Grail that, less than ten years before, had driven an infatuated (and utterly misguided) Livingstone to a frenzied death close to Lake Bangweulu in Zambia is also quite poignant.
Lake Bunyonyi.
The unique sceneries of Lake Bunyonyi draw both domestic and foreign tourists, earning it a spot on our list of the top 10 places to visit in Uganda. Bunyonyi is a mystical place, ringed by steep terraced hills and dotted with at least twenty little islets. For many years, people have been taking this day trip from Kabale. The rise of inexpensive and other campsites and resorts surrounding the little fishing community of Rutinda (also known as Kyabahinga) and neighboring islands has contributed to the lake’s increased popularity in recent years.
The local name Bunyonyi, which means “little birds,” alludes to the numerous weaver colonies that sag along the coast. Grey-crowned cranes, African harrier hawks, and a variety of herons and egrets are among the larger species that are also represented. Levillant cuckoo, white-tailed monad, slender-billed baglafetch, cardinal woodpecker, and African kingfisher are among the other birds that are frequently sighted.
The lake is huge and asymmetrical, with many islands and well-manicured mountains surrounding it, resembling portions of Nepal. Activities like as hiking, cycling, and canoeing are abundant in the area.