Top destinations to go when on Uganda Safari Adventure
With its small size, Uganda has 10 national parks with various adventure activities proving the genuine African experience. The national parks are managed by Uganda Wildlife Authority and stand to be the main motive for a grander percentage of tourist influx into the country.
Deciding to reach one of the parks is applauded for the incredible weather, landscapes, eco-biodiversity, and the world’s praised hospitable people. Thought of Uganda safari adventure! You can either have a guided tour or self-drive. A guided tour involves exploring Uganda under the leadership of a driver guide whereas a Self-drive safari consists of booking a car rental in Uganda to explore the different tourist attractions on your own without a local guide.
There are lots of destinations to visit on a Uganda safari adventure but the following has a cutting edge over the others.
Murchison Falls National Park
Famously known for its magnificent roaring Murchison Falls, which are arguably called to be the world’s most powerful falls and abundance of wildlife species. Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s largest protected area covering an area of 3840sq.km.
The park hosts the lowest spot of elevation in Uganda 621m above sea level at the summit junction of Victoria Nile River and Lake Albert at the delta point which forms the further Albert Nile that continues northwards.
At Murchison, delta point is known for being the spot for the highest concentration of wildlife within the park. Murchison Falls National Park is located in the northern region of the country, it’s currently the most visited park in Uganda due to its untamed displays.
Among which the most catching reflections include visiting the top of the falls to marvel at how these rapids form thunderous roars as they force into the described “dead point,” the narrow gorge.
And also, a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls rewards with sights of the rapids proceeding through the rough alienated rocks, taking a game drive brings about watching various wildlife which includes some of the listed Big Five.
Watch the largest numbers of Rothschild Giraffes in Uganda, Zebras, herds of elephants, buffalos, antelope species, pride of lions, leopards, hyenas, and over 400 bird species are counted here with the marabou stork.
Hippos, crocodiles, monitor lizards, and several aquatic life among many others are mainly encountered along either a game drive tour through various adventure tracks made in the park or along the boat scenic boat cruise that lead to the bottom of the falls.
An adventure to Murchison Falls National Park continues to Budongo tropical forest stretching the conservation area’s southern section. The forest is also another famous destination for incredible chimpanzee tracking and nature walks in the country.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
In far southwestern Uganda, in the Kigezi region Kisoro district, is this backdrop undulating tropics of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park that is mainly famous for the incredible gorilla trekking adventures.
When on a safari to Uganda, the tropical volcanos of Bwindi Impenetrable might be your next adventure destination. The park is mainly named for being the world’s best center to trace the biological antique claims of man originating from the apes.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park hosts about half of the remaining mountain gorillas in the world. This was the first forest to offer a gorilla trekking experience after the first group of gorillas was fully habituated and opened for trekking by 1999. Today, there are more than 17 habituated gorilla families ready for trekking.
The park has four trekking sectors of Buhoma which also hosts the headquarters of the park on the northern end, the Rujia sector on the Northeast, the Rushaga sector southwest, and the Nkuringo sector in the southern section. It’s in most cases upon trekkers to dictate the sector they would be interested to trek the gorillas from.
The biodiversity and unique landscape, Bwindi Impenetrable was named a UNESCO world heritage site. Besides the gorillas, this volcanic tropic is home to some primate species, several birds, and a rich cultural center for the Batwa pygmy people who were once evicted from the forest for the sake of gorilla conservation.
Among the adventure activities done at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park include; gorilla trekking, gorilla habituation, the only place where this is offered, bird watching, Batwa cultural trail experience, and mountain biking. Community visits, nature walks, and many others.
Kidepo Valley National Park
CNN named the park to be the ‘remotest park in Africa’, indeed it’s the remotest in Uganda when considered using a road network. It’s termed by UWA as “the true African wildness,” the real sounds of nature, the primitive African people, and wider landscape views describe the treasures behind taking a safari adventure to Kidepo Valley National Park.
The park is the farthest tourist destination reach in Uganda, and a drive here means about 10 hours on the road.
It’s currently becoming one of the famous parks to visit in Uganda, but for distance and insecurity reasons many tourists would not bother taking adventure to the far end of the Pearl of Africa.
Kidepo Valley National Park is located in the northeast sharing bounds with Uganda and South Sudan. The park is bisected by the Narus Valley and the Kidepo Valley which host huge concentrations of wildlife.
Kidepo valley displays a unique wildlife scale viewing that continues through the endless landscape. Main adventures at Kidepo include; game drive being the major rewarding safari adventure with various wildlife views among which include herds of elephants, buffalos, several antelopes, zebras towers of giraffes, warthogs, foxes, wild dogs, pride of lions, and leopards.
For special wild encounters, there is a night game drive which often comes with chances of spotting pride actively hunting, expect also to watch the special number of bird species of about 400 species including ostrich, and secretary birds among others.
Kidepo Valley National Park is surrounded by communities of local people who have vowed against civilization letting the lousily said statement among other regions in Uganda “we shall not wait for the Karamajongs to develop.” The people are Karamoja have various clans and every community you visit have varying ways of life.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
The most famous national park in Uganda, the park was named Queen Elizabeth commemorating the visit of the UK Queen Elizabeth’s first visit to Uganda on 23rd April 1954.
The park is located in western Uganda, stretching through districts of Kamwenge, Rubirizi, Kasese, and Rukingiri, it’s likely a 400km road drive from Kampala Uganda’s capital.
Queen Elizabeth is famous for abundant wildlife, including elephants, buffalos, Uganda Kobs, hippos, topis, waterbucks, warthogs, forest giant hogs, mongoose, lions, leopards spotted hyenas, and chimpanzees among others, the park in a unique way hosts the largest concentration of bird species about 600 species are recorded only at Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Queen Elizabeth is one park is the longest list of adventure activities in which one can engage. These activities include the game drive which is done at Kasenyi for a variety of wildlife viewing, the boat cruise done along the Kazinga channel, tree climbing lions done at Ishasha sector, chimpanzee tracking at Kyambura gorge, bird watching, community visits, visiting Lake Katwe salt mine, Mongoose tracking, lion experiential demands for an enough of your time to exhaust the park.
Kibale National Park
Interminably held in the impeccable forest to track chimpanzees! Or even watching the highest number of primate species! Well, Kibale National Park is the answer to fill your safari gapes particularly concerning primates.
The tropical forest is described as the world’s world capital with about 13 primate species which are recorded and chimpanzees are the premier. Though there are various forests to watch chimpanzees from in Uganda and East Africa at large, a load of about 1500 stature the forest boasts and guarantee a special encounter with the species.
Chimpanzees at Kibale National Park are fully habituated to ensure a close-up encounter, and only here where tourists have a chance to take part in the special chimpanzee habituation process which proceeds for not less than 2 years on a particular chimpanzee community, also tourist can have a full day of following up the chimpanzees and have about 4 hours after finding these human closest relatives.
While at Kibale alongside chimps tracking, there is visiting Bigodi village and sanctuary, nature walks, primate tracking, and other primates including Mangebay, red-tailed colobus, L’Hoest’s Grey-cheeked monkeys, and white and black colobus among others, other encounters are the forest elephants, forest buffalos, bushbucks, and about 300 bird species.
Lake Mburo National Park
This is the closest park from Kampala spread to around 180km about 4 hour’s drive. Lake Mburo National Park is the second smallest savannah park in the country that hold the whispers of wonders.
With a variety of bird species, the morning melodies are guaranteed to enjoy. The golden savannah park is formed with chains of Lakes where Lake Mburo is the main plus the other 12 basins.
This small park is an incredible park for adventure, taking a safari here expect to do a game drive, boat rides, bird watching, mountain biking, and nature walks due to the lack of the largest animals the elephants, night game drives are perfect here for spotting leopards actively hunting, wild horse riding, quad biking, and wild camping.
The golden savannahs are decorated with herds of zebra highest number in Uganda, impalas, giraffes, buffalos, Uganda kobs, leopards, hyenas, and warthogs among others.
Mount Rwenzori National Park
Once determined to trudge the highest heights of the Pearl of Africa, you got to trek Mount Rwenzori, Africa’s third highest peak. Rwenzori has proved to avail the most exciting and challenging hiking trail for hiking challengers which is far better than the experience of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Mount Rwenzori is located in western Uganda in the Kasese district and extends to share borders with the Virunga Conservation Areas of DR Congo. Trekking trails here range from hours to a day 6-7 for the long trail leading to Margarita peak.
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