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UGANDA OVERVIEW
Uganda is an incredible safari destination. Situated among the "Mountains of the Moon", it offers the full gammit of primates, predators and plains-game. In our experience it is moreso a second or third time safari destination.
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Best months
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mid December - February
mid June - mid October
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Epic suggests
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9 - 11 days / 8 - 10 nights
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There are four protected areas in Uganda that are regularly visited by safari-goers:
- Murchison Falls National Park - situated on the shores of Lake Albert, approximately 300 km northwest of Kampala, Murchison Falls is Uganda's largest National Park at 3,840 km². At the dramatic Murchison Falls, the Nile, the world's longest river, explodes through a narrow, 7m cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43m below. In the lush grasslands north of the Nile, elephant, buffalo, giraffe and a variety of antelope are regularly encountered. In the southeast, the Rabongo Forest is home to chimpanzees and other rainforest creatures while the River Nile itself hosts one of Africa's densest hippo and crocodile populations, and a dazzling variety of water-birds, including the world's most accessible wild population of the rare shoebill stork.
- Kibale National Park - Uganda’s primate paradise! Here 776 km² of moist evergreen rain forest is home to the highest concentration of primates in the world – 13 species, including the localised Red Colobus as well as L'Hoest's Monkey. The elusive forest elephant, smaller and hairier than its bush counterpart, moves seasonally into the park whileother mammals include buffalo, giant forest hog, leopard, and antelope species. Bird life is prolific with 335 species including hornbills, pittas, turacos, the endemic Pirogrine's ground thrush and African Grey Parrots. The park’s principal attraction however remains the opportunity to track the 500 habituated chimpanzees and this is the main activity that visitors undertake.
- Queen Elizabeth National Park - Uganda’s most popular savannah park, is located in western Uganda. The 1,978 km² of open savannah, rainforest, dense papyrus swamps and brooding crater lakes extends from Lake George in the northeast to Lake Edward in the southwest and includes Maramagambo Forest and the Kazinga Channel that connects the two lakes. It is home to an incredible array of wildlife including almost 100 species of mammals, and over 600 bird species. Much of the best game viewing is in the northern Mweya Peninsula which boasts a beautiful waterfront setting in the shadow of the Ruwenzori’s.
- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park - Bwindi is a name synonymous with the mountain gorilla. Located on the confluence of the border of Uganda, Rwanda and the Congo, Bwindi and Mgahinga is a magnificent verdant swathe of ancient rainforest - one of the few in Africa to have flourished throughout the last Ice Age. Housing between one third and a half of the remaining mountain gorilla population (estimated at a mere 700) the experience offered in Bwindi for many is life-changing. Looking deep into the expressive brown eyes of these gentle giants is surely the most exciting and poignant wildlife encounters on earth.
For a complete east Africa experience, combine with a traditional safari in:
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