There are lots of thinng to do while on holiday in Uganda. From gorilla trekking to traditional wildlife safaris in savanna parks, there are different adventure activities that will impress you and at the end of your tour you will agree with Sir Winston Churchill who visited the country in 1902 that uganda is “the Pearl of Africa”!
Uganda is a microcosm of Africa. Few countries on this earth are comparable to Uganda when it comes to spectacular sights, fascinating wildlife and an array of exotic flavors and smells. You can take a fantastic Uganda and discover the abundance of incredible holiday activities.
Here are our top 10 things to do in Uganda
Uganda has got variety of tourist activities that can be enjoyed by the tourists and these have attracted many of the guests to come to Uganda. Some of the tourist activities include;
Gorilla Trekking
Gorilla trekking is the highlight of most safaris in Uganda. The famed Bwindi National Park offers travelers with an opportunity to look into the pensive eyes of the endangered mountain gorillas on a gorilla trekking tour in Africa! The park is part of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, located just on the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. As the name Bwindi implies, the forest is dense forest that’s only penetrable by foot. The park is a recognised UNESCO World Heritage Site hosting nearly half of the total remaining population of the mountain gorillas.
Chimpanzee Tracking
Looking to see chimpanzees in the wild? Are you a primate lover? Take a safari to Uganda and track the trails of wild chimpanzees in various forests such as Kibale Forest, Budongo Forest, Kaniyo Pabidi, Kaliznu Forest, Kyambura Gorge and more. In addition to that there are 13 other primates that are recorded to exist in Uganda including the cheeky swinging monkeys.
Chimpanzee trekking is also an exciting activity in Uganda and it provides a unique experience to the tourists. It’s very magical as well as exciting and Uganda has got 4950 chimps remaining in the wild and some of these are being conserved in the zoo, and others in the forests as well as sanctuaries. This is an exceptional experience of meeting these chimps eye to eye, since you can spend time with them and also observe them as they feed, care for the young ones and also as they climb from one tree to another. The chimpanzee can be trekked in Kibale National park, Queen Elizabeth national park in Kyambura Gorge and also in Budongo forest near Murchison falls National Park. Chimpanzee habituation can also be carried out from Ngamba Island sanctuary that is located on Lake Victoria. Kibale national park has got the most number of chimpanzees and over 13 different primate species including the chimpanzees, monkeys like the L’Hoest Monkey, vervet monkey, and red tailed monkey.
White Water Rafting
A rafting trip in Uganda might not be the first thing you think of when you imagine your Uganda travels, but those who experience rafting in Nalubale often count it as one of the highlights of their trip. It’s often challenging, but companies in the region offer safety boats to ensure you stay in one piece and have the rafting trip of a lifetime.
Mountain Climbing
Mountain climbing in Uganda is also one of the adventurous activities in Uganda, the activity is mostly done on Mountain Rwenzori located in western Uganda on the border of Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. The mountain extends an expanse of 988km and was also named after Mountain Ruwenzori known as the mountain of the moon. This mountain also stands on 5109m high and is one of the highest mountain ranges in Africa second to Mountain Kilimanjaro and Mountain Kenya. It has also got 6 peaks which include; Mt Stanley, Mt Baker, Mt Speke, Mt Emin, Mt Savoia and Mt Margherita which is the highest of all. This mountain is not a volcanic mountain though it has got an ancient quartzite and the Gnesis. It’s also located close to the equator and it has got many icy peaks that are seen miles away in different parts of western Uganda.
The Rwenzori National park doesn’t offer treks for the faint-hearted. The mountain ranges are tough but climbers will be rewarded with some of the most scintillating scenery on the planet.
With the diversity of rich plant-life, prodigious waterfalls and stunning glaciers, Rwenzori National Park lists an unrivaled amount of beautiful scenery.
Bird Watching
Uganda is famously known as a bird watching paradise since it has got half of the bird species that are found in Africa, and this has made it the best birding destinations in Africa and the world at large. With its vegetation of the tropical rain forest and savannah in the east, the country is among the countries in the world with unique bird watching sites like Queen Elizabeth National park with over 600 bird species, these are over 100 African forest birds and some of these include; Black and white casqued Hornbill, green broadbill, great blue turaco, Black and white casqued Hornbill, and the 23 endemic bird species with in the rift valley of East Africa. It’s only in Uganda where you can view the shoe bill stork which is one of the large ancient looking bird that lives in the swamps and it’s prominent for the clog shaped bill.
There are many birding spots in Uganda and some of these include; Bwindi impenetrable National park which has many of the albertine Rift endemics and they total to 320 bird species. Queen Elizabeth National park with over 600 bird species, Kibale National Park with 35 bird species and Bigodi wetland which has 38 bird species, Mabamba swamp in Entebbe to view the shoebill, Ssemliki National park with 400 bird species commonly for the Congo Basin Endemics, Murchison falls national park with 45 bird species, Echuya forest Reserve which has 150 species, Mgahinga National park with 115 species, Lake Bisena found in the eastern part of the country and lastly the Nile River in Jinja with 60 bird species.
Big Game Safaris
Wildlife safaris in Uganda are also carried out in many different parts of the country. Uganda is a very exceptional and attractive safari destination that is filled with lots of wildlife species. Uganda is located on the equator along the shores of Lake Victoria, it has got prolific wildlife that attracts many tourists who come to experience the wonderful gift of nature in the country. Tourists get a chance to view many animals with in their habitats which is so rewarding and this can be enjoyed throughout the year. The wildlife species can be seen in the National parks and the game reserve and these a perfect destinations for the holiday makers. Wild species found here include; zebras, kobs, elephants, hippos, buffaloes, forest hops, sitatungas, and birds. These wildlife species also increase year by year which provides an opportunity to the tourists to be able to view all the animals on a particular safari.
Boat Safaris
There are also many lakes in Uganda that attract tourists and the most common one being Lake Bunyonyi that lies in south western Uganda between Kibale and Kisoro just next to Rwanda. It’s also located 1,962m above sea level. This lake is free form Bilhazia and it’s so safe for swimming. This lake is close to towns of Kyevu and Muke town. It has got many islands including; Bushara , Punishment, Kyahungwe , Bwana, Nyuyeera and Bucaranuka Island. The lake is referred to as Panorama which leads to the lord of the rings. You can also swim, have a canoe ride, and do bird watching and the batwa villages. This lake is a place where many Ugandans come and unwind and it’s a wonderful place to view the volcanic eruptions.
The other activities to be enjoyed include; white water rafting, bungee jumping, mainly carried out on the source of the Nile in Jinja, Horseback riding, boat cruises on the lakes and rivers, game viewing, nature walks, guided forest walks, and many more to be enjoyed on your safari to Uganda.