Top safari destinations in Uganda.

Uganda commonly known as Pearl of Africa, is an attractive safari destination that offers tourists with the diverse safari attractions that is commonly primates, various animal species including the big four mammals of the big five in different destinations; this article brings you various destinations that includes;

Murchison Falls National Park

This is one of the largest national parks in Uganda. It is located in the north western part of Uganda covering a total land area of 3840 Square Kilometres. The park is bisected into two sectors by the Victoria Nile that is to say the Northern Sector and the Southern Sector.

Murchison falls national park harbours a wide range of wildlife including Elephants, lions, Bushbucks, Buffaloes, Leopards, Giraffes, Uganda Kobs , Giraffes, Jackson’s hartebeest, Hippos , Oribi  Crocodiles, Rhinos which can be seen at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary on your way to the park, Primates like Red tailed monkeys , Blue monkeys , white and black colobus monkeys,  Chimpanzees in Budongo Forest and many more.

The park is also a birder’s haven with a variety of bird species including the shoebill stork and water birds like goliath heron, black headed lapwing, blue headed coucal, fish eagle, and saddle billed stork, dwarf kingfisher, blue spotted dove, malachite kingfisher, African black crake, African jacana, great blue turaco, African skimmer, squacco heron etc.

There are a number of activities to do while in Murchison Falls National Park and these include Boat Cruise to the bottom of the falls, Bird watching Tours, Nature walks in Rabongo Forest and Kaniyo Pabidi forest, Visiting the Buligi Peninsula which is the best way for prime game viewing, Sport Fishing in Murchison falls, Hot air Balloon Safaris in the park, Culture Encounters in Mubako, Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest, launch Trips among others.

The park can be accessed either by the use air transport or road transport. If you choose to use road transport, you will have to drive from Kampala which is about a 5-hour drive, also if you choose to use air transport, then you will need to book a chartered flight from Entebbe International Airport or Kajjansi airstrip to Murchison Falls National Park.

The Best Time to visit is during the peak season in the months of December to February and June to September. But also, the park can be visited all the year around.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

This is one of the most visited destinations in Uganda. It is the second largest national park in the western part of Uganda covering the four districts of Rubirizi, Rukungiri, Kamwenge and Kasese. Queen Elizabeth N.P Covers a total land area of about 1978 square kilometres comprising of the forests, wetlands, lakes , and Savannah grasslands.

The park harbours different wildlife species such as tree climbing Lions, elephants, leopards, waterbucks, Warthogs, Topi , Hyenas , buffaloes , Uganda kobs , Primates like chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge , blue monkeys , red tailed monkeys , olive baboons , white and black colobus monkeys etc.

The park also has more than 600 bird species including martial eagle, pink backed pelican, chapin flycatcher, white tailed lark, hooded vulture, African broadbill, papyrus gonolek, white winged warbler, African skimmer, brown snake eagle, palmnut vulture, swamp flycatcher, black cuckoo, black bee-eater, red throated wryneck, honey guide greenbul, blue naped mousebird, pygmy kingfisher, African mourning dove, African finfoot, red chested cuckoo, yellow billed stork, black coucal, Nubian woodpecker, blue naped mousebird, slender tailed nightjar, African jacana, black crake, squacco heron, knob billed duck, yellow wagtail, lesser and greater flamingos, sacred ibis among others

The activities to do while in Queen Elizabeth national park include, Game drives in the park, Boat cruise on Kazinga Channel, Birding, Nature walks in maramagambo forest and Mweya peninsula , chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge , lion tracking in the Ishasha sector , Night game drives in the Kisenyi area , hot air balloon safaris and game viewing experiences.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is can either be accessed by road or air transport means. By road means tourists will drive from Kampala or Entebbe to the park where you will pass through Masaka, Mbarara, and Kasese or Mubende Fort portal and then to the park headquarters which takes about 6 to 7 hours’ drive in a 4 WD safari vehicle. Then while using Air transport, the park can be accessed by booking a domestic scheduled or charter flights with Aero link Uganda limited or Bar Aviation from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airfield to Mweya or Kasese airstrip.

The park can be visited anytime throughout the year though the best period is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. During the dry season there is little or less rainfall in park therefore vegetation will be thin hence nature walks or trekking trails will be dry and passable and tourists will be able to view different wildlife species clearly due to short grass.

Kibale National Park

Kibale national park is Uganda’s primate capital situated in the western part of Uganda covering a total area of 766 square kilometres which is largely dominated by the moist evergreen forest making it a perfect home for primates.

The park is a prominent habitat for primates with the highest population of chimpanzees. Other primates in Kibale forest include blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, and red-tailed monkeys, L’Hoest’s Monkey, Ugandan Red Colobus Monkey and Central African Monkey and many more.

Kibale National park is not only the primates capital but also a home to a variety of other wildlife species such as Golden cats, bush pigs, buffaloes, lions, leopards, elephants, and giant forest hogs, sitatungas, Duikers and many more.

The park is also an important birding site with almost 375 birds including Ground Thrush bird , western Tinker bird, African Grey parrot, Olive long-tailed Cuckoo, blue breasted kingfisher, yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, brown crested Alethe, red-chested owlet, red-faced woodland warbler, black bee-eater, Nahan’s francolin, little greenbul, little green bul, brown illadopsis, black-eared ground thrush, little green bul, yellow spotted Nicator, African pitta, black-capped Apalis, purple-breasted sun bird, white naped pigeon, African grey parrot etc

The things to do while in Uganda wildlife safaris in Kibale include chimpanzee trekking, chimpanzee habituation experiences, visiting the bigodi wetland sanctuary, Nature walks and hiking through the forest, bird watching, Crater lakes tours, Visiting the Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru etc

kibale national park can be reached by road transport from Fort portal town. The park is approximately 320 km from Kampala the capital city of Uganda.

The Best time to visit Kibale National Park is during the dry season which occurs from the month of June to August and December to February and this is the best time for chimpanzee tracking whereas the wet season is the best time for bird watching which is from November to April.

Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo national park is the smallest savannah park located in western Uganda along the kampala Mbarara highway covering a total area of 370 square kilometers compring of woodland, swamps and open savannah vegetation.

The park harbours different wildlife species such as buffaloes, zebras, waterbucks, oribi, hyenas, hippos, enlands , leopards , topi, crocodiles among others. Apart from birds, the park is also a home to over 35o bird species including Acacia woodland, woody gorges, which act as habitats for the numerous bird species like the long-crested eagle handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Batis Dusky turtle love, paradise flycatcher, archer’s ground robin, African Rwenzori, double collared sunbird, marsh harrier, Ruwenzori turaco, common moorhen Ruwenzori nightjar, grey throated tit, the dusky crimson wing, red-faced woodland warbler etc.

The Activities to do while in Lake Mburo national park include Horseback rides , Boat cruise , Birid watching , sport fishing , game drives , guided nature walks and among others.

Kidepo Valley National Park

Kidepo national park is located in the north eastern part of Uganda covering an area of about 1445 square kilometres and this comprises of shrubs, wetlands, grasslands and savannah woodland. The park harbours wildlife such as lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, giraffes, zebras, side backed jackal, Oribi, Jackson’s hartebeest, bush pigs, elands, cheetahs, hyenas and variety of bird species like Kori bustard, ostrich among others.

The park is also a birders haven where birding can be done in the narus valley and namamukweny valley. These different bird species in Kidepo include black breasted barbet, rufous chatterer, African moustached francolin, Egyptian vulture, red billed oxpecker, pygmy falcon, Karamoja apalis, superb starling, Ethiopian swallow, Abyssinian ground hornbill, African grey fly catcher, black coucal, purple grenadier, red throated bee-eater, white bellied go away bird, fox kestrel, Abyssinian roller, golden pipit, chestnut weaver, northern carmine bee-eater, red and yellow barbet, dark chanting goshawk, kori bustard, little bee-eater, ostrich.

Things to do while on Uganda wildlife safaris in Kidepo include Game drives in the narus valley, Bird watching, Nature walks and Hikes, Cultural tours to the IK people among others.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Mgahinga Gorilla national park is one of the most visited parks in Uganda. It is located in the southwestern part of Uganda in Kisoro District. The park harbours a variety of wildlife such as the endangered mountain gorillas, golden monkeys and other wildlife such as bush pigs  , bushbucks , elephants , buffaloes , giant forest hogs among others.

Things to do in the park include gorilla trekking tours , golden monkey trekking , bird watching , batwa trail experience, volcano hiking on mountains such as mount Muhabura , Mount Gahinga , Mount Sabyinyo , nature walks and among others.