About Uganda
About Uganda : Uganda is one of the African countries that you will assuredly fall in love with upon arrival at the Airport. Uganda is famously known as the Pearl of Africa due to extraordinary breathtaking natural wonders that was seen and appreciated by Winston Churchill who travelled in Africa and ended up rewarding her with such beautiful undoubted terminology . The Pearl of Africa is such an endowed country hosting almost half of the remaining mountain gorillas species in world, she features spectacular wildlife like the big five, colorful birds including the notable rare shoebill stork and many more which are hard to find elsewhere on this planet, amazing mountains like mountain Elgon, mountain Rwenzori -harboring highest peaks in the whole of Africa and blessed with snow through out the year. Besides all those, Uganda is blessed with very beautiful, loving and welcoming people who above all have different interesting cultures according to the tribes they belong to. Surprisingly, this is the only country that has more than 30 tribes and you will love it.
Location of Uganda
The Pearl of Africa is found in East Africa boarded by DR. Congo in the east, Kenya in the west, Tanzania as well as Rwanda. She is a small country situated in the heart of great lakes and that is; Lake Victoria, lake Edward and lake Albert, although Uganda is a landlocked country, there is a lot of intriguing attractions her motherland that offer travelers long lasting memories on an African safari.
Best time to visit Uganda
Uganda experiences a tropical climate therefore favoring all the tourists throughout the year. The tropical climate is divided into two that is the wet and the dry season however the best time to come to uganda is during dry season and that happens in the months of December to February and from June to August. During the dry season, little or no showers are expected and the roads are dry which makes it easy to even reach the remote areas. However, in the wet season uganda receives heavy showers that make it hard for navigation due to slippery muddy roads especially when it comes to remote areas. The season happens to occur in months of May, mid-October, full November, January and February though the northern part of uganda is hotter compared to other regions. The wet season can be a good option for some travelers who would not like overcrowding in the national parks, lodges and tour operators as well lower their prices and offer discounted Uganda safari packages therefore in this season can be great ideal for budget travelers who would love to tour around Uganda. Interestingly, the wet season is a great time for all the bird lovers to enjoy due to a variety of food for birds and many flowering plants that attract birds therefore in this season, bird lovers will get an opportunity to view many fascinating colorful birds without trekking for so long.
Ugandan food/ cuisines
There are many delicious kinds of food in uganda and most of them have starch like Pearl millet which is mostly liked by those of the north, matooke which is commonly enjoyed by the Buganda, Ugali mixed with water to make porridge for babies during breakfast. Other meals include sweet potatoes, yams, cassava commonly added to the main meal to supplement your diet. There are also various sauces like beans (fresh and dry), meat, peas as well, as ground nuts, vegetables include cabbages, Sukuma wic, Nakatti and many more. Irish potatoes and rice are also delicious meals though can only be afforded by wealthier citizens.
Religion and culture
The Pearl of Africa is home to several ethnic groups and the commonest is the Bantu group who settled in west, east and central. The largest ethnics group is the Buganda tribe living in and dominating the central region, they speak Luganda as their language. Different ethnic groups have different cultures, traditions, norms, taboos, dances and wears this has helped them to keep discipline and know their limits plus giving respect to others. Uganda has over 40 languages spoken including English, Luganda, Swahili that are commonly spoken.
On the religious side, Christianity is the most dominant compared to other religions and it takes 85.2% followed by Muslims who are 12%, you will also come across some few Sikhs and Hindus.
Tourism background
Tourism and travel started sometime back when the early Christian missionaries and explores visited Africa in so many countries with Uganda inclusive. Therefore, Winston Churchill ended up concluding that Uganda is truly the “Pearl of Africa”. many other explorers also traveled to Uganda and some of these include; Henry Stanley, Sir Samuel Baker and his wife Florence Baker and many more who traveled with special reasons Africa. These tourists encountered various breathtaking natural wonders with beautiful – welcoming people blessed with interesting cultures.
The tourism industry was interrupted in the 1970s due to political instabilities that prevailed by then however, when the political environment of Uganda stabilized in 1980s, the tourism industry was boosted again and more investments came in. The rapid development of tourism in Uganda has been uplifted by the famous safari parks namely; Bwindi impenetrable national park, queen Elizabeth national park and Murchison falls national park.
Activities and main tourist attractions in Uganda
Uganda hosts a variety of spectacular eye catching attractions and intriguing activities you will definitely enjoy on your Uganda safari. Interesting things to do on a Uganda safari are commonly focused on the fascinating landscapes, the amazing wildlife, cultures in various parts of the country and history. Below are the outstanding activities and attractions you can enjoy on a Uganda safari;
Bird watching
For nature and bird lovers, this has become one of the interesting activities in uganda. There are over 1050 species of birds all scattered in different destinations where you can go and enjoy birding. Get an opportunity to enjoy this memorable and adventurous activity in the 10 national parks that are popular sites for birding experience in the Pearl of Africa with, other amazing places are; mabamba bay wetland where you sight many colorful bird species, namely; the rare shoebill, saddle billed stork, African green broad bill, marabou stork, the crested crane among others.
Boat cruise
Boat cruise is one of the breath taking activities done in different places featuring vast fresh water bodies, you can enjoy the activity on the second deepest lake in Africa-lake Bunyonyi, river Nile or the Victoria Nile, lake Mburo, Lake Victoria, on Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national park. While on a boat cruise adventure, grab a chance to view various stunning wildlife like buffaloes, hippos, elephants and many more as they are taking water. You as well view many colorful bird species.
Adventure water sport activities
Uganda hosts many water bodies due to the fact that she is located in the heart of the great lakes region. This favors a lot of adventure sport activities for the travelers and they include kayaking, bungee jumping, tubing, white water rafting among others best done on the source of river in Jinja. Sport fishing is also one of the extremely interesting adventure activities you can groove on while on a uganda safari.
Murchison falls national park
Murchison falls national park is the largest and oldest safari park in uganda hosting various fabulous attractions and activities for tourists to enjoy on their uganda safari. The park is home to the mighty- magical Murchison waterfalls. The park was established in 1952, it is home to over 450 colorful bird species like the rare shoebill stork, 76 mammals including both large and small mammal species. Activities a traveler can enjoy in Murchison falls national park are; boat cruise on the Victoria Nile, wildlife viewing where you will get to see fascinating animals like the big five, chimpanzee trekking in Budongo forest, a guided nature walks/ hikes, birding among others.
Ngamba island
The attractive island is a popular home to the endangered orphan chimpanzees that have been saved from the poachers, it paramount to note that there about 29 female chimpanzees and 20 males surviving here, therefore altogether they are about 49 chimpanzees, the island has only three chimpanzees individuals that were born here so the rest are regarded as orphans. A trip to Ngamba island gives you chance to see these enchanting chimpanzees and also enjoy other activities like boat cruise on Lake Victoria, a guided nature walk, bird watching and many more.
Lake Mburo national park
This is famously known as the smallest Savannah parks in uganda, it’s a very wonderful safari park where you will encounter some unique wildlife that may be hard to find elsewhere like; eland antelopes, impalas antelopes, burchell’s zebras, Rothschild giraffes and many more including a variety of colorful birds. Lake Mburo national park was established in 1983 and declared as the smallest Savannah park in the Pearl of Africa. The park hosts about 68 mammals, over 350 bird species, 13 lakes including lake Mburo, there are various activities you can enjoy while in this park including guided nature walks, horse riding, boat cruise, game drives among others.
Hiking and mountain climbing
Uganda is a country favored with several destinations where travelers can enjoy mountain climbing, nature walks, hiking and many more. One of the outstanding travelers’ favorite places for trekking and hiking in mountain Rwenzori, it’s also famously known as “the mountain of the moons” having the highest peak in Africa called margarita on an elevation of 5100 meters. The mountain is situated on border lines uganda and Congo’s boarder, mountain Elgon is another great site for hiking in uganda – it is located in the eastern region featuring one of the largest caldera in the world. You can as well enjoy mountain trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park and this is famous host to the Virunga volcano ranges which offer nature a chance to enjoy mountain climbing adventures, the volcano mountain found here include mountain Sabinyo, mountain Muhavura and mount Gahinga.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth national park is probably one of the wonderful parks in uganda located in the western part. This is the only park where you can find the tree climbing lions in the Ishasha part of the park, the park is as well a popular home for the largest number of wildlife species. There are over 600 bird species of which some are immigrants others endemic, about 95 mammals and about 10 primates like the chimpanzees. The park occupies an area of about 1978 square kilometers hosting a wide range of ecosystems namely; fertile wetlands, sprawling Savannah, sparkling lakes, humid forests hence making a nice home for the beautiful wildlife. You can enjoy a lot of different activities while on your tour in Queen Elizabeth national park and they include crater exploration, game drives, bird watching, boat cruise on Kazinga channel, lion tracking and so much more.
Primate trekking
It is also among the top interesting activities included on the activities of uganda safaris. Primate trekking is best done in kibale forest national park that hosts about 13 primate species like the chimpanzees that have been habituated to tourism, others include red tailed monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys to mention but a few. You can also enjoy primate trekking on your Uganda safari in places like Kalinzu forest, Ngamba island,Kyambura gorge – queen Elizabeth national park as well as Budongo forest at Kaniyo papidi in Murchison falls park. Besides those places, Bwindi impenetrable national park is another interesting destination where a traveler can go primate trekking.
Bwindi impenetrable forest national park
Bwindi forest as well is among the top amazing famous safari parks in the Pearl of Africa – home for almost half of the remaining mountain gorillas.The park is located in south western uganda on the edges of the rift valley, it has a misty tropical forest that hosts several ecosystems covering an area of 331 square kilometers. The park harbors almost half of the world’s remaining gorillas, about 220 butterfly species, over 120 mammals, about 350 bird species, about 27 frog species and over 1000 plant species. Obviously, gorilla trekking is the major activity carried out in this park though there are other interesting activities like culture encounter, birding, guided nature walks among others.
Game viewing
This is among the key attractions commonly included on Uganda and can be done throughout the year. In game viewing, you get an opportunity to see different kinds of wildlife like buffaloes, elephants, zebras, antelopes, warthogs, giraffes, lions and many more that are spotted in various safari parks in uganda. Game viewing is usually done in Queen Elizabeth national park popularly host to the tree climbing lions and large numbers of wildlife like thousands of elephants, uganda kobs, hippos, herds of buffaloes, Murchison falls national park that hosts unique species such as the big fives, Rothschild giraffes and many more, lake Mburo national park famous for rare wildlife species like elands, impala antelopes, Rothschild giraffes, burchell’s zebras as well as kidepo valley national park that harbors massive numbers of wildlife species and huge beautiful landscapes.
Kampala city tour
Kampala is the capital city of uganda and the major commercial Centre, is as also known as the land of seven hills because its located in their heart and they include; old Kampala hill, Mengo hill, Kololo hill, Makerere hill, Rubaga hill, Namirembe hill and Nakasero hill which gives the city a very beautiful scenery. On a Uganda safari, Kampala offers a wide range of adventurous attractions such as historical, religious, cultural and various amazing natural wonders that offer you an interesting experience. On a Kampala city tour, enjoy exploring various attractions namely; the Uganda museum, Nakasero market, Owino market, Kabaka’s palace, Namugongo martyrs shrine, Kasubi tombs, Bahai temple, Makerere University, Independence monument, the Uganda parliament and so much more.
Source of the Nile
This is the longest river in the world having two main tributaries such as; the white and Blue Nile. It is about two hours from Kampala to the Nile source which is among the gorgeous attractions that can be explored on a uganda safari. There are many activities travelers can enjoy on the Nile like jet boat cruise, bungee jumping, quad biking, horse riding on the shores and many more.
Cultural Sites
There are so many cultural sites in uganda that exhibit various customs, norms and taboos of different tribes in uganda. These sites include Kasubi tombs where the kings of Buganda kingdom are buried and some other members of the royal family, Igongo cultural Centre in Mbarara where you will find the culture of the Bahima tribe in the western region of uganda.
Lake Victoria
This is among the attractive lakes with fresh water and known as the largest in East Africa shared by Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. The lake is dotted with many beautiful islands such as Ngamba island, Ssese island where you will find a lot of recreational activities like beaches and resorts therefore there’s a lot to enjoy on tour to Lake Victoria.
Religious tourism
In uganda, religious tourism is among the blossoming attraction besides wildlife tourism and birding however this tourism is a bit suffocated due to little research and competence done in Uganda that’s why it is carried out by a few travelers who come in the country.
Uganda is a very attractive country harboring a wide range of exceedingly incredible attractions and activities which can’t be explored in just a day. Interestingly, each time you get to visit a new safari destination, there is a unique experience offered thus giving you long lasting memories. Incase you would love to book a Uganda safari this season, we hope the above information will guide you to delight in a dream life safari here in the Pearl of Africa. For further bookings and inquires simply send us an email on info@gorillaugandasafaribookings.com or call us directly on +256-775630809 to speak to reservations team
