While it lacks the recognition name like its neighboring Kenya and Tanzania, Uganda is one of the best places to enjoy an ecotour. This relatively small country lies astride the Equator and it is one of the few places on earth where travelers can visit the endangered mountain gorillas.
Uganda has a network of ten national parks that protect amazing wildlife. Though its parks are overshadowed by the neighboring Serengeti and Kruger Park, Uganda’s national parks having all the animals, minus the crowds is one of the greatest pullers of visitors to this lovely country. On your holiday through Uganda, you will enjoy game viewing in non crowded parks and experience the best out of your lifetime trip.
Visit the Mountain Gorillas
Uganda’s national parks protects a wide range of flora and fauna. However the most popular attraction to the country are the endangered mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park. Mountain gorillas are the largest primates and they are found only in Uganda plus the neighboring Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest hosts nearly half of the remaining world population of the endangered gorillas. Many travellers go for a Uganda gorilla safari to this park located in south western Uganda.
Murchison Falls National Park
The popular Murchison Falls National Park is one of Uganda’s largest parks where you can follow up your morning game drive with a cruise on the Nile to the base of the falls – the perfect way to view elephants, buffalo, crocodiles and loads of hippos while you relax with a beer on the boat. Murchison Falls is one of the top visited national parks in Uganda. Many travelers taking a Uganda gorilla safari visit this park and the park’s diversity is very rewarding; from the Scenic Murchison Falls formed by the Mighty River Nile to amazing habitats that include savanna grasslands, wetlands, tropical rain forests.
See it all at Murchison Falls National Park
You can see it all at Murchison Falls National Park, which is a four-hour drive northwest of the capital city of Kampala. Bisected by the Nile River, Murchison Falls boasts 76 species of mammals and 451 species of birds. The park is home to iconic African game such as elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes and giraffes, as well as river-loving animals like crocodiles and hippopotamuses. The dramatic falls, created by a remnant rift that plunges water 150 feet down the valley wall, provide a picture perfect photo opportunity.
Catch a glimpse of the southern white rhino at Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch
Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch is home to 15 southern white rhinoceroses and is the only place in Uganda to see this majestic creature. The ranch, a collaborative effort between the Uganda Wildlife Authority and Rhino Fund Uganda, serves as a sanctuary where the animals can live and breed in a protected environment. In addition to the rhinos, more than 40 species of mammals, reptiles, and birds call Ziwa home. Those who visit leave invigorated by the power of conservation and the work the ranch is doing to protect its residents for generations to come.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
After the Murchison Falls tour, head to Queen Elizabeth National Park for a better chance of spotting the elusive leopard or otherwise the only tree-climbing lions in the whole of East Africa.
Go Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Bird is the word at Queen Elizabeth National Park in southwestern Uganda, where more than 660 different species of birds can be found – more than any other park on the eastern half of the continent. Here, you will have a chance to see some of Africa’s most sensational birds such as the Shoebill, African Broadbill, Martial Eagle, Black-rumped Buttonquail, African Skimmer and Pink-backed Pelican.
Kidepo Valley National Park
Few tourists make it as far north as Kidepo Valley National Park since it’s a long drive, but those who do are rewarded with not only the best selection of animals, but some of the most spectacular scenery in Uganda.
Kidepo is everything! She presents countless species of wildlife in a park unpopulated by safari vans. Lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, giraffes, buffalo, ostriches and many other bird species, antelopes, name it; and then there’s the stunning landscape guarded by authentic local communities with fascinating cultures.
The truth is this park is wild, so you must be on your guard and very careful not to wander off alone, but the park management deploys armed rangers all around the park to ensure that tourists are safe and get the very best experience here.
Kidepo Valley National Park is Uganda’s most virgin area and yet one of Africa’s best National Parks according to CNN International and Australian based travel guide, Lonely Planet.
Conclusion
And if you’re hoping to have a date with the big five Big Five, add Ziwa Sanctuary to the list of places you will have to visit, as this will provide an opportunity to get up close to the white rhino, which are tracked on foot.
