Uganda Safaris

Uganda Safaris.

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

Murchison Falls National Park

This is one of the largest national parks in Uganda. It is located in the northwestern 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, saddle-billed stork, dwarf kingfisher, blue-spotted dove, malachite kingfisher, African black crake, African jacana, great blue turaco, African skimmer, squacco heron etc.

While in Murchison Falls National Park, visitors can engage in various activities, including a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls, bird watching tours, nature walks in Rabongo Forest and Kaniyo Pabidi Forest, visiting the Buligi Peninsula for prime game viewing, sport fishing in Murchison Falls, hot air balloon Uganda safaris, cultural encounters in Mubako, chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest, and launch trips among others.

The park can be accessed either by the use of 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–February and June– September. But also, the park can be visited all year round.

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 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, and 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, honeyguide 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 the Kazinga Channel, Birding, Nature walks in maramagambo forest and Mweya peninsula , chimpanzee trekking in the Kyambura gorge , lion tracking in the Ishasha sector, Night game drives in the Kisenyi area, hot air balloon Uganda 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 the 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 kilometers, 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 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 months 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, the smallest savannah park in western Uganda, is situated along the Kampala-Mbarara highway and covers a total area of 370 square kilometers that includes woodland, swamps, and open savannah vegetation.

The park harbors different wildlife species such as buffaloes, zebras, waterbucks, oribi, hyenas, hippos, elands, leopards, topi, and crocodiles, among others. Apart from birds, the park is also a home to over 350 bird species including Acacia woodland and woody gorges, which act as habitats for the numerous bird species like the long-crested eagle handsome Francolin, Rwenzori Batis Dusky turtle dove, 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.

Activities to do while in Lake Mburo National Park include horseback rides, boat cruises, bird watching, sport fishing, game drives, guided nature walks, and others.

Kidepo Valley National Park

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

The park is also a birder’s haven where birding can be done in the narus valley and namamukweny valley. The different types of birds in Kidepo include the 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 flycatcher, black coucal, purple grenadier, red-throated bee-eater, white-bellied go-away bird, fox kestrel,

Things to do while on Uganda safaris in Kidepo include game drives in the narus valley, bird watching, nature walks and hikes, and cultural tours for 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 harbors a variety of wildlife, such as endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys, and other wildlife, such as bush pigs  , bushbucks, elephants, buffaloes, and giant forest hogs, among others.

Activities available in the park include gorilla trekking tours, golden monkey trekking, bird watching, the Batwa trail experience, volcano hiking on mountains such as Mount Muhabura, Mount Gahinga, and Mount Sabyinyo, as well as nature walks.