Bordering both Kenya and Tanzania, Uganda – one of Africa’s best safari destinations – is possibly the most strategically located country, in safari terms, in East Africa. The majestic-sounding place names alone give a clue as to the magnificence of the Pearl of Africa. Here’s what the best Uganda safaris entail.
A Uganda safari will likely begin in its bustling, energetic capital, Kampala. From there you can reach all the country’s key locations, including the immense Lake Victoria and its much smaller counterpart, the primate-viewing hotspot of Lake Mutanda. On the shores of Lake Victoria you’ll find Entebbe, the seat of power in Uganda where her president resides.
Uganda’s top drawcard is undoubtedly Bwindi Impenetrable National Park; the dense bamboo groves of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest are home to half the world’s remaining population of endangered mountain gorilla, and gorilla trekking is a bucket-list experience par excellence.
The White Nile rises in Uganda, as do the brooding Rwenzori Mountains. From Murchison Falls National Park, a fantastic safari experience is to take a cruise along the Nile to the impressive Murchison Falls themselves, or to the Victoria Nile Delta.
The rugged savannah of Kidepo Valley National Park allows you to get truly remote. And while enjoying your safari in the Kidepo Valley you might encounter the Karamojong people, the fascinating semi-nomadic pastoralists who eke out a living in the country’s arid northeast.
Other wildlife areas, such as Queen Elizabeth National Park, offer open savannah game drives and walking safaris in contrast to Bwindi’s forest walks. Here you can go chimp trekking and look for tree-climbing lion.
In addition to game viewing, Uganda’s position straddling the equator means that the birding is superb, as you might expect in a country that features the iconic crowned crane on its national flag.
