Fortunately, there are few places that deliver outstanding gorilla safari experiences in Uganda and entire world. The best place to go on safari in Uganda is as much personal, as geographical, depending on the wildlife you hope to see, the landscapes you enjoy and whether you are traveling with family.
Visitors to Uganda can enjoy many outstanding attractions such as the numerous National Parks and Wild Reserves which provide uncrowded viewing of the varied animal. Bird and plant species the source of the River Nile where it begins its 3000-kilometre journey to the Mediterranean Sea the extremely rare and endangered mountain in the Muhabura Range the spectacular Murchison Falls on the River Nile and the famous Rwenzori Mountain which provide challenging climbing expeditions.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is famous for mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking is the driving force of tourism in Uganda even though the country is full of safari tourism activities. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lies in south-western Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley. Its mist-covered hillsides are blanketed by one of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rain forests, which dates back over 25,000 years and contains almost 400 species of plants.
More famously, this “impenetrable forest” also protects an estimated 459 mountain gorillas roughly half of the world’s population, including several habituated groups, which can be tracked. This biologically diverse region also provides shelter to a further 120 mammals, including several primate species such as baboons and chimpanzees, as well as elephants and antelopes.
There are 4 locations for tracking gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park these are Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo. The 4 locations have a total of about 18 families as of December 2018. Tracking permits need to be bought prior to tracking by booking directly with the reservations office at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) Headquarters or through a reputable tour agent. Permits can be paid for up to two years in advance. Only 8 visitors are allowed to view the gorillas for one hour per day, participants must be aged 15 or over. And they will be accompanied by UWA guides while with the Gorillas. Tracking the gorillas can last from a few hours to a whole day, depending on how far the group has moved since it was observed nesting up the previous evening.
Kibale Forest National Park best for chimpanzee tracking
Kibale is famously known for Chimpanzee tracking. Kibale National Park contains one of the loveliest and most varied tracts of tropical forest in Uganda. Forest cover, interspersed with patches of grassland and swamp, dominates the northern and central parts of the park on an elevated plateau. The park is home to a total of 70 mammal species, most famously 13 species of primate including the chimpanzee. It also contains over 375 species of birds.
The popular primate walk provides the chance to observe chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Kanyanchu’s groups are accustomed to human presence, some have been observed for over 25 years and the chance of locating them is over 90%. Walks leave Kanyanchu Visitor Centre at 08.00, 11.00 and 14.00 and last between 2-5 hours. Early arrival to allow for registration and briefing is recommended. Contact time with chimpanzees is limited to one hour; group size is limited to six visitors; participants must be aged 16 or over. Advance booking is essential.
Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls is a popular addition for those looking for an extended safari in Uganda. The park lies at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley, where the sweeping Bunyoro escarpment tumbles into vast, palm-dotted savannah. Gazetted as a game reserve in 1926, it is Uganda’s largest and oldest conservation area, hosting 76 species of mammals and 451 birds.
The park is bisected by the Victoria Nile, which plunges 45m over the remnant rift valley wall, creating the dramatic Murchison Falls, the centre piece of the park and the final event in an 80km stretch of rapids. This stretch of river provides one of Uganda’s most remarkable wildlife spectacles. Regular visitors to the riverbanks include elephants, giraffes and buffaloes; while hippos, Nile crocodiles and aquatic birds are permanent residents.
The park is home to 76 species of mammals including four of the “Big Five”, with huge herds of buffaloes and elephants, well-camouflaged leopards and a healthy population of lions. It is also known for its giraffes; in Uganda these can only be viewed here, in Kidepo Valley and also in Lake Mburo National Park. Other species viewed regularly along the game tracks include Jackson’s hartebeest, bush bucks, Uganda kob, water bucks and warthogs. Resident crocodiles and hippos as well as other, visiting wildlife are found along the river.
Activities offered in Murchison Falls National Park include; launch trips, birding, hiking and nature walks, game drives, cultural encounters,
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Covering 1978 sq. km, scenic Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the most popular parks in Uganda. Set against the backdrop of the jagged Rwenzori Mountains, the park’s magnificent vistas include dozens of enormous craters carved dramatically into rolling green hills, panoramic views of the Kazinga Channel with its banks lined with hippos, buffalo and elephants, and the endless Ishasha plains, whose fig trees hide lions ready to pounce on herds of unsuspecting Uganda kob.
The remote Ishasha sector, in the far south of the park, is famous for its tree-climbing lions. As well as its outstanding wildlife attractions, Queen Elizabeth National Park has a fascinating cultural history.
With an astonishing 5000 hippos, 2500 elephants and over 10,000 buffalo thriving in its grasslands and shorelines, Queen guarantees sightings of some of Africa’s most iconic species. Hearing the elephants’ calls reverberate around Queen’s crater-filled valleys is a magical experience.
Ten species of primates enjoy the park’s diverse habitats, the most popular of which is undoubtedly the chimpanzee. Vervet and black-and-white colobus monkeys are easily spotted in the trees, but the boldest of all are the baboons – be sure to keep car windows closed to avoid food thefts. Other common herbivores include warthogs, waterbuck, Uganda kob and Topi, as well as the sitatunga antelope.
Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park is an incredible treat as it contains a variety of habitats that range from savannah to wetlands to lowland forests. Lions are found throughout the park, but the most renowned live in the southern sector of Ishasha, where they rest on the limbs of fig trees. Solitary leopards are nocturnal and fiendishly well camouflaged, making a glimpse all the more rewarding! The smaller cats are also predominantly nocturnal and best spotted on night game drives.
Kidepo Valley National Park
Possibly the least-known best park in Africa is Kidepo Valley National Park. It is hidden away against the border with Sudan and Kenya in an extremely remote corner of Uganda. Unfortunately, expensive flights are needed to include Kidepo Valley. With the sweeping plains of Kidepo and Narus Valleys overshadowed by the brooding mountains cape of Mount Morungole, the sacred peak of the mysterious Ik people, this park has huge appeal just for scenery alone.
The voracious Kidepo lions’ prey on roving herds of more than 4,000 buffalo (the total population in the park is said to be about 13,000) and you will often see herds of elephants moving majestically along the valleys. The park’s isolation is off-putting for many, but the 12-hour road trip from Kampala, Uganda’s capital (or a fairly expensive private charter flight) is a small price to pay to discover one of Africa’s genuine hidden gems.
Wildlife is most active in the Narus Valley during early mornings and late afternoon. 6am and 4pm are optimum times to set off on game drives. The southerly Narus Valley contains the park’s only permanent water points and wildlife congregates in this area for much of the year. Look for buffalo and elephant in the swamps along the valley floor, giraffe and eland on the drier slopes above and scan the rock outcrops for lions. The dry Kidepo Valley is short on big game but massive on scenery.
Mammals are rare in this area but ostriches and secretary birds are often seen. Other activities include; birding, hiking and nature walks, cultural encounters in Kidepo valley.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is located in the south-western Uganda on the border with Congo and Rwanda. Covering an area of about 33.7 sq. kilometres, the park is a habitat for man’s closest mountain gorillas which roam about the whole forest in search for food. This park is one of the few different countries to come on gorilla safari tour. There is no doubt that Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is one of the leading tourism sites in Uganda since it harbours these rare primates, it was created to protect the rare mountain gorillas that inhabit its dense forests, and it is also an important habitat for the endangered golden monkey.
As well as being important for wildlife, the park also has a huge cultural significance, in particular for the indigenous Batwa pygmies. This tribe of hunter-gatherers was the forest’s “first people”, and their ancient knowledge of its secrets remains unrivalled.
Mgahinga is home to the habituated Nyakagezi gorilla group – a fairly nomadic bunch that have been known to cross the border into Rwanda and the Congo. The family includes the lead silver back Bugingo who is around 51 years old and father to most of the group; his silver back sons, Mark and Marfia and two black backs, Rukundo and Ndungutse, who love to pose and play in the trees. The two females, Nshuti and Nyiramwiza, both have babies Furraha and Nkanda respectively.
The varied habitats of Uganda’s smallest park make it home to a variety of birds with 179-184 species recorded. The endangered golden monkey is endemic to the Albertine Rift, and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park offers a rare chance to track these striking creatures, high in the dense bamboo forests on the Gahinga trail.
Mgahinga is home to 76 species of mammals, although they are difficult to glimpse in the wild forest vegetation. They include giant forest hogs, bush pigs, forest buffaloes, elephants, bush bucks, golden cats, side striped jackals, black fronted duikers and South African porcupines.
Semliki National Park
Semliki National Park sprawls across the floor of the Semliki Valley on the remote, western side of the Rwenzori. The park is dominated by the easternmost extension of the great Ituri Forest of the Congo Basin. This is one of Africa’s most ancient and bio-diverse forests; one of the few to survive the last ice age, 12-18,000 years ago. The forest is home to numerous Central African wildlife species, and the local population includes a Batwa pygmy community that originated from the Ituri.
While Semliki’s species have been accumulating for over 25,000 years, the park contains evidence of even older processes. Hot springs bubble up from the depths to demonstrate the powerful subterranean forces that have been shaping the rift valley during the last 14 million years.
Bird life is especially spectacular in Semliki with 441 recorded species, representing 40% of Uganda’s total bird species and 66% (216) of the country’s forest bird species. The list is expanded by the riverine habitat and a fringe of grassland in the east of the park. There are numerous rarities; 46 Guinea-Congo biome species are found nowhere else in East Africa while another 35 can be seen in only two or three other places in Uganda. Five species are endemic to the Albertine Rift ecosystem. Species to look out for here include the Nkulengu Rail, Yellow-throated Cuckoo, Piping Horn bill, Red-billed Dwarf Horn bill, Black Dwarf Horn bill, White-crested Horn bill, Black-casqued Wattled Horn bill, Red-rumped Tinker bird, African Piculet, White-throated Blue Swallow, Yellow – throated Nicator, Leaf-love, Swamp Palm Bul bul, Lemon-bellied Crombec, Maxwell’s Black Weaver, Crested Malimbe, Red-bellied Malimbe, Blue-billed malimbe, Chestnut-breasted Negrofinch, Orange-cheeked Wax bill.
The park is home to forest elephant and buffalo which are smaller versions of their Savannah – dwelling relatives. The forest is remarkably rich in primates including the chimpanzee, baboon, grey-cheeked mangabey, black-and-white colobus, Central African red colobus, blue, red-tailed, de Brazza’s, vervet, and Dent’s Mona monkeys. Nocturnal primates include the potto and bush baby. Hippos and crocodiles are common along the Semliki River.
Rwenzori National Park
The fabled Mountains of the Moon lie in western Uganda along the Uganda-Congo border. The equatorial snow peaks include the third highest point in Africa, while the lower slopes are blanketed in moorland, bamboo and rich, moist montane forest. Huge tree-heathers and colourful mosses are draped across the mountainside with giant lobelias and “everlasting flowers”, creating an enchanting, fairy-tale scene.
The Rwenzori’s are a world-class hiking and mountaineering destination. A 9 – 12-day trek will get skilled climbers to the summit of Margherita – the highest peak – though shorter, non-technical treks are possible to scale the surrounding peaks. The park is also home to 70 species of mammal, including six Albertine Rift endemics; four are endemic to the park and three are rare species. Other mammals include the elephant, chimpanzee, Rwenzori otter and leopard. Though wildlife is difficult to spot in the dense forest, do look out for primates such as colobus (Angola and black-and-white varieties are both present) and blue monkeys; small antelope such as bush bucks; and unusual reptiles such as the three-horned chameleon.
Rwenzori Mountains National Park is known for its distinctive flora rather than its fauna. On the route to the peaks, hikers climb through a series of distinct altitudinal vegetation zones; montane forest, bamboo, tree heathers and afro-alpine. The latter, with its emblematic giant forms of Senecio (groundsel) and lobelia, is one of the world’s rarest botanical communities, being limited to East African Mountains above 3800m.
The park is home to 217 bird species including several Albertine Rift endemics. Among these are 17 species that are endemic to the park making Rwenzori an important birding area (IBA). The forest zone at 1800m contains a diversity of birds including the Rwenzori Turaco, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Long-eared Owl, Handsome Francolin, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Archers’ Robin-chat, White-starred Robin, Rwenzori Batis, Montane Sooty Boubou, Lag den’s Bush Shrike, Slender-billed Starling, Blue-headed Sunbird, Golden-winged Sunbird, Strange Weaver and several varieties of Barbets, Greenbul, Apalises, Illadopsis, Flycatchers and Crimson wings.
Mount Elgon National Park
At 4,000km² Mt. Elgon has the largest volcanic base in the world. Located on the Uganda-Kenya border it is also the oldest and largest solitary, volcanic mountain in East Africa. Its vast form, 80km in diameter, rises more than 3,000m above the surrounding plains. The mountain’s cool heights offer respite from the hot plains below, with the higher altitudes providing a refuge for flora and fauna.
A climb on Mt. Elgon’s deserted moorlands unveils a magnificent and uncluttered wilderness without the summit-oriented approach common to many mountains: the ultimate goal on reaching the top of Mt. Elgon is not the final ascent to the 4321m Wagagai Peak, but the descent into the vast 40km²caldera.
The Park supports a variety of wildlife including rock and tree hyraxes, elephant, buffalo, Defassa water buck, Oribi, bush buck, duiker, forest hog, bush pig, leopard, civet and serval cats, serval cats, spotted hyena; aardvark and several rodent species.
However, these animals are rarely observed in the forest setting. More commonly seen creatures are the black-and-white colobus; baboons; red tailed, vervet, De Brazza’s and blue monkeys; duiker and tree squirrel.
The mountain is home to 300 birds including 40 restricted range species. 56 of the 87 Afrotropical highland biome species live here, notably the Moorland Francolin, Moustached Green Tinker bird and Alpine Chat. Birds whose Ugandan range is limited to Mount Elgon include the Jackson’s Francolin and Black-collared Apalis. Among those limited to just a few mountains in eastern Uganda are the Black-shouldered Kite and Tacazze Sunbird. Mount Elgon is one of the few places in Uganda where the endangered Lammergeyer can be seen, soaring above the caldera and Suam Gorge.
Lake Mburo National Park
Gazetted in 1933 as a controlled hunting area and upgraded to a game reserve in 1963, Lake Mburo National Park is a compact gem, located conveniently close to the highway that connects Kampala to the parks of western Uganda. It is the smallest of Uganda’s Savannah national parks and underlain by ancient Precambrian metamorphic rocks which date back more than 500 million years. It is home to 350 bird species as well as zebra, impala, eland, buffalo, Oribi, Defassa water buck, leopard, hippo, hyena, Topi and reed buck.
Lake Mburo is the only park in Uganda with eland, impala and klipspringer. It is also home to the largest population of zebra in Uganda estimated at about 5,000 and probably contains the highest concentration of leopard found anywhere in Uganda. Buffalo, water buck, topi and warthog are also very common. Reed buck and Oribi can also be spotted in the open valleys. Hyena, genet, bush pigs and white-tailed mongoose are often seen on night game drives.
At the centre of the park is Lake Mburo, which together with 14 other lakes in the area, forms part of a wetland system. This system is linked by a swamp some 50 km long, fed by the Ruizi River on the western side. Five lakes, of which the largest is Lake Mburo, occur within the Park’s boundary.
Around 350 bird species have been recorded to date. These include the Red-faced Barbet, only seen in Lake Mburo, the endemic African Fin foot and the rare Shoe bill. Other key species are the Papyrus Yellow Warbler, Saddle-billed Stork, Brown-chested Lapwing, African-wattled Lapwing, Carrutter’s winged Warbler. Acacia woodland bird species are especially well represented, while forest species may be found in Rubanga forest. These include Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Hairy-breasted Barbet and Yellow-rumped Tinker bird, among others.
