Uganda, the renowned ‘Pearl of Africa,’ is an excellent tourism destination that is highly praised for its diverse wildlife, cultures, and landscapes among others.Uganda is a landlocked country, sharing its borders with South Sudan to the north, Kenya to the east, Tanzania to the south, Rwanda to the southwest, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west. Visitors to Uganda have their high expectations met with plenty of natural wonders, like the dense tropical forests, vast savannahs, swamps, tranquil lakes and rivers, imposing mountains, valleys, and plateaus among others.
Camping safaris in Uganda
This is a popular choice for adventurous travelers who want to feel the wilderness. Camping safaris are a great way to experience the wilderness as you stay in tents. This gives you a feeling of sleeping with the wildlife species in their natural environment. Most of the accommodation facilities in Uganda offer camping sites. Camping gear is often provided however clients can carry theirs. Camping gear may include the following.
- Sleeping bag
- Tent
- First aid box
- Raincoat
- Camera and Photography Gear
- Waterproof hiking boots
- Long-sleeved shirts/t-shirts
- Insect repellent
- Energy-giving snacks
- Trousers
- Accessories like sunscreen, sunglasses, caps, etc.
Other tourist activities to do in Uganda
Gorilla trekking
This is done in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks which harbor more than half of the world’s gorilla population. Trekking gorillas in Bwindi can be done in different sectors of the park the Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo gorilla sectors. There are different trekking trails in all the sectors and each trail has its characteristics and difficulty. Before heading out for hours of trekking, you are first briefed at the headquarters on the dos and don’ts, and what to expect along the trek. Departing from one of the four trailheads of the forest you go in a group of 8 trekkers for a guided hike into the forest in search of the gorillas. The group is limited to 8 to keep the gorillas safe from pathogens but to make sure that there is easy sighting of the gorillas.
The high altitude and testing terrain make the journey tiresome but rewards. There is communication between the trackers within the forest and the guides on where the gorillas are depending on where they spend the previous night. Once contact is made there is usually a silent wait within the dense forest as the gorillas get closer. When they do emerge seeing the gorillas in their natural habitat is truly a breathtaking experience. The silence is broken by the rustling of the leaves as the gorillas wander and play, whistles, and whoops of thousands of animal species for miles around. Once sighting is made you have an hour with the gorillas.
Game drives
Visitors on Uganda wildlife safaris have extraordinary opportunities to access the countless wildlife species the country has to offer. Game drives are generally guided tours through Uganda’s wildlife national parks and reserves to watch and photograph wildlife in their natural homes while on a safari vehicle. These safaris take you to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Semuliki National Park, and Semuliki Wildlife Reserve among others.
The game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park starts at 6:30 am with a guide to the peninsular where chances of sighting these animals are high. Expect to see lions as they hunt for prey, and other animals like antelopes, and kobs feeding. Game drives are best done in Kasenyi Plain and the peninsula Ishasha sector. Queen Elizabeth National Park offers night game drives as well where tourists explore the park at night with spotlight torches to view nocturnal animals which become active at night. Game drives can be done using 4WD vehicles with pop-up roofs to view different animals. Murchison Falls National Park also offers incredible scenes of wildlife species on a game drive topping it all off with a visit to the falls.
Chimpanzee trekking
This involves traversing the dense forest canopies in search of chimpanzee primates. Upon locating the chimpanzees, visitors are given an hour in the presence of these playful primates. Visitors can track habituated chimpanzee groups in its lush tropical rainforests. Enroute, visitors can enjoy the sights of other 12 primate species including L’hoests monkeys, red colobus monkeys, olive baboons, and vervet monkeys among others. Places to have a chimpanzee trekking experience include Kibale National Park, Kyambura Gorge, and Budongo Forest Reserve among others.
Boat cruise safaris Boat cruises offer visitors a unique opportunity to explore Uganda’s tranquil and abundant waterways including the Nile River, Kazinga Channel, Lake Victoria, Lake Bunyonyi, and Lake Mburo among others. Visitors on a boat cruise can also get breathtaking views of other wildlife species on the picturesque river banks and lake shores. These wildlife species include crocodiles, hippos, buffaloes, elephants, and numerous bird species.