Top 5 Safari Destinations in Uganda
Top five Safari destinations in Uganda
Kibale Park National park
Lake Mburo National Park Murchison Falls National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks
Protecting part of the remaining half of the world’s mountain gorillas within its tropical rainforests, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is on Uganda’s southwest with DRC and Rwanda. Attracting the most notable number of leisure visitors into Uganda, the 331 sq km stretch of tropical forest is the top attraction.
To which the park derives its name, this rich expanse of emerald vegetation and stunning landscape spans over the Albertine Rift Valley highlands made of dense impenetrable tropical forest. Originally part of the larger vast Virunga forest torn off by past human communities, the park is today a small lush rainforest surrounded by steep agricultural slopes and human communities.
Rich mosaic of montane ecosystems comprising evergreen and bamboo forests, open grassland, swamp, and heath is preserved by Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Although it harbors 150 mammal species, most of which are tiny woodland critters, its most well-known residents are the mountain gorillas. Though seldom seen, bushbuck, duiker and forest buffalo, chimpanzee, black and white colobus monkeys also make this rainforest home. Forest elephants wander its ground.
Bwindi National Park has 350 known bird species, 14 of which are unique to Uganda and 23 of which are Albertine regionally endemic (80% of Albertine endemics).
Following the mountain gorillas is the most well-known pastime in this rainforest park. Nineteen gorilla groups housed in the park are ready for gorilla trekking expeditions that start every morning and provide a unique experience with the mountain animals.
Beginning from any of the four sectors in Bwindi (Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushaga, and Ruhija sectors), just outside the park, professional guides and rangers lead small groups of visitors to each gorilla family and let them spend at least one hour savoring the once-in-a-lifetime moment with the gorillas.
The gorilla habituation experience—where small groups of visitors spend a day with researchers tending to a wild gorilla family—is the other most popular activity in Bwindi. For high adrenaline explorers, it is the most intensive experience; it also more than doubles the gorilla trekking permit fee.
A gorilla permit costing $800 per person daily lets you enjoy guided gorilla treking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. And the habituation experience runs $1500 a person day.
Outside the park, throughout the four sectors, are a fantastic range of campers and hotels for all types of guests. Bwindi is clearly a top safari location in Uganda for a luxury visitor looking for exotic comfort and the backpack budget adventurer.
Processing the gorilla permit, lodging, and transportation and food, Katland arranges gorilla trekking trips in Bwindi to let you enjoy seeing the gorillas.
Toping the list of the top 5 locations in Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park also provides a great range of other climbs outside gorilla trekking, thereby allowing one to spend many days in the park.
For leisure trips going to the gorilla walk or after the experience, visitors may explore the neighboring breathtaking Lake Bunyonyi and Lake Mutanda. At each one of the lakes you may visit a local village group, paddle to the little islands, or have a boat trip.
Less people go on the difficult day hikes to Mount Muhabura and Mount Sabinyo or Mount Mgahinga, which is well-known for its lovely crater lake.
For all kinds of enthusiasts, the park offers hiking, canoeing, mountain biking, and village cultural experiences.
A wonderful piece we would advise reading to learn more about the gorilla habitats in Uganda is where to view mountain gorillas.2. Elizabeth National Park, Queen’s
The most well-known safari in Uganda is Queen Elizabeth National Park, the second biggest and most biodiverse park there is.
Right above Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and below Kibale Forest with the commanding Rwenzori Mountains in the background, the park runs along Uganda’s southwestern safari circuit.
By situated on 1,978 square kilometers (764 sq mi), open savannah plains, marshes, swamps, crater lakes, tropical woods, and woodland, Queen Elizabeth supports a great variety of unusual plant and animal species. One of Uganda’s most biodiverse safari locations, it contains around 700 bird species as well as roughly 95 animal species—including 10 primate species and 20 predators.
The safari game drives and boat safaris on the Kazinga Channel that bring guests to some of Africa’s most famous celebrities are the most satisfying attractions in this well-known safari resort.
On a wildlife drive, you may easily see the elephant, buffalo, many antelope species, leopard, hyena, hippo, and the amazing Ishasha tree-climbing lions. A boat tour on Kazinga Channel will bring you near to the hippos, crocodiles, and other creatures that gather on the shoreline for a drink.
Among Uganda’s most enjoyable forest treks is a stroll over the Apes’ valley, Kyambura Gorge. A group of habituated chimpanzees found in this canyon will grab your attention and carry you back into prehistoric times.
The tree-climbing lions are a unique and amazing sight seen by most travellers. Most tour companies from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park incorporate the slow drive over the Ishasha area to most safari packages.
Among East Africa’s most well-known locations among both residents and visitors, Queen Elizabeth National Park also boasts of more than 700 bird species.
On the same trip, you may easily visit Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable, Kibale Forest, and Lake Mburo National Parks to mix savannah game with primate fun. One cannot find somewhere else in Africa an experience like this.
It’s interesting to read the trending post we created about booking your gorilla permit.3. Kibale Park National Authority
Complementing Queen Elizabeth National Park on the shore of Lake Gorge, Kibale National Park also rests on the safari circuit in southwest Uganda. One of the few surviving lowland and montane rainforests, the 766 square kilometers (296 sq mi) park
With 13 primate species ranging from over 1500 chimpanzees to the uncommon L’Hoest’s monkey, the endangered red colobus monkey, Kibale Forest boasts the largest concentration of primates in Africa. Its tree canopies swing.
With visitors wishing to see our primitive relatives in their natural habitat, which conveniently positions Kibale in the top 5 safari locations in Uganda, chimps trekking in Kibale Forest is rather popular. Daily guided trips into the bush are set out by visitors in search of a habituated family, spend wonderful times with the chimpanzees as forage and interact in their natural habitat.
Though the main draws in this top safari location are habituated chimpanzee tribes, the park has the best birding paths and great nature walking paths. Among the more than three hundred bird species in the park are the black bee-eater, tiny greenbul, crowned eagle, African pitta, yellow-rumped tinkerbirds, and great blue turaco. After your chimpanzee excursion, go out on the Bigodi Swampy paths and you will find wild nirvana.
If you like observing the natural environment, Kibale forest is an amazing safari site. On a slow-paced climb, you could see an amazing variety of butterfly species as well as some of the most vivid reptiles and glittering amphibians.
One may easily spend at least a week savoring the wonders of the pure rainforest among the many activities in Kibale. You may stroll around the many crater lakes scattered on the western and northern borders of the park if you do not go primate tracking.
One wonders at the breathtaking vistas of large tea estates around the park’s boundaries. Visitors may also climb the Rwenzori Mountains and see the sky naturally from above.
Usually included into Uganda’s gorilla trekking safari packages, Kibale National Park adds chimpanzee tracking to the thrilling mountain gorilla encounter. One may easily mix Kibale with Murchison Falls National Parks and Queen Elizabeth.
Murchison Falls National Park
With the most strong waterfall in the world, Murchison Falls National Park is among the top five safari sites in Uganda and draws a lot of visitors to this wildlife park. About 3000 buckets of water are driving through a small area of about 23 feet broad under extreme pressure.
The water then falls forty-three meters before emptying on a calm Victoria Nile into Lake Albert to provide a waterbed for hippos, crocodiles, and a huge waterhole for the vast savannah wildlife of the park.
The biggest tourist site in Uganda is Murchison Falls. The Victoria Nile divides the park to provide northern and southern game paths for observing animals. Every day searches for the amazing savannah players—including the big five African safari animals—morning and late evening game drives start out.
There are perhaps 450 bird species and 70 animal species in the park. On Murchison game drives, Buffalo and elephant are quite prevalent. Given their plentiful food, lions are shockingly simple to see. The legendary Rothschild’s giraffe is more common in Murchison than anyplace else in Africa; the Victoria Nile is swamped by crocodiles and hippo schools.
Usually occupying last or first place on most Uganda safari packages, Murchison Falls stands on the northern edge of the western Uganda safari circuit. Usually it is combined with Kibale Forest or with its competitor savannah park in the far northeastern corner.
Lake Mburo National Park
Easy access and a long path buffer between Entebbe and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park make Lake Mburo National Park our top 5 safari options in Uganda.
Thought of as the smallest park in Uganda, Mburo is bursting with amazing scenery, forest galleries, forests, marshes, and an astonishing array of species and birds not seen anywhere else in the nation.
The 370 square kilometer park has the biggest Zebras population as well as most leopard concentration in Uganda. Among parks in Uganda, this one has klipspringer, impala, and eland antelope populations. Other often seen on wide grasslands include buffalo, many antelope species, warthog, hyena, and bushpig.
The biggest of the 14 lakes in the region, Lake Mburo offers peaceful boat safaris to see hippos, crocodiles, and an amazing abundance of waterbirds, including the fish eagles and the extremely uncommon African finfoot, and white-backed heron.
Apart from few modest wildlife drives, Lake Mburo National area is the only savannah safari area in Uganda offering horseback and walking safaris. Mburo lacks lions and elephants, hence guests may venture out and see wild animals on foot or horseback rides offered by Mihingo Lodge.
Before traveling another three hundred kilometers to Bwindi or on the way back from the gorillas, most gorilla trekking tours will include Lake Mburo for an overnight stay.
When should one go to Uganda?
Anytime of year, you may visit Uganda’s top five sites. The two dry seasons, December to February and June to September, when the paths are drier, are the ideal times to visit Uganda for gorilla trekking, however.
The optimum time to visit Kibale if you want to view chimpanzee tribes is during the two rainy seasons, February to June and September to November. During the wet seasons, there is sufficient of fruit and vegetation for the chimpanzees to occupy conveniently located areas rather than in the dry seasons. Trackers have difficulty locating chimpanzees foraging in the deeper forest areas during the dry seasons.
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