Top 5 Uganda Safari Adventure Activities

Uganda is one of the best places for adventure in Africa. Below are the top 5 adventure activities that tourists took in the month of September;

1. Gorilla Trekking

This is the most sought after activity in Uganda. Gorilla tracking is carried out in two Uganda's national parks; Bwindi Forest and Mgahinga National Park. Many tourists visited Uganda in september to trek the rare mountain gorillas.

2. Game Drive

A game drive safari is by far the second most popular way of exploring the African bush. Game viewing is typically conducted early in the morning (6-8:30 AM) and late in the afternoon (4-6:30 PM) when animals are most active. Vehicle types range from open 4 x 4′s to minibuses with sunroofs. Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and Kidepo National Parks are the best national parks for game viewing safaris and they are the most visited.

2. Night Drive

Night drives are especially great to spot nocturnal animals such as leopard, porcupine, bushbaby, wild cat, African civet or spotted hyena. Also be on the look out for bird species like nightjars and owls that haunt the area. NB: If you get a chance to use the spotlight, make sure you don’t shine the light directly into animal eyes as this may blind them! Night game drives are taken in Semuliki Forest, one of the best parks for chimpanzee tracking,

3. Boat Cruise

The most relaxing way to enjoy nature! Boat cruises enable you to encounter aquatic species at close range: hippos, crocs, and a variety of bird life (pied kingfisher, fish eagle, goliath heron, etc.). Some safari operators even offer sundowners where you can enjoy refreshing drinks whilst admiring stunning scenery.

Where it can be taken: River Nile in Murchison Falls, The Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth, Lake Mburo in Lake Mburo National Park, Along the Nile in Jinja).

4. Camping/Sleep Out in the Bush

Camping can be an adventure in itself, especially when your tent is set in the middle of nowhere. The most exciting part of the experience is night time, when wild animals are out and about doing their business. They can be rather “loud”, and their midnight “concerts” are entertaining.;) Most common “intruders” include hungry hippos, noisy elephants and sneaky hyenas.

NB: Do not leave any food leftovers (or any personal items for that matter) outside your tent, as you will most likely not find anything left the next morning. Monkeys (vervet monkeys and baboons especially) are regular “thieves” during the day, while hyenas become highly active after sunset.

5. Walking Safari

Safari walks give you the opportunity to “feel” nature in a totally different fashion than safari activities like game drives. Learn about various aspects of the bush like bird spotting (and the calls they make), tree identification and animal tracking. Walking safaris also give you a chance to approach animals from close distance, although in the majority of cases they will flee as soon as they sense you. For walking safaris in Uganda. Lake Mburo national park is the best place to go. The park has several animals and a walk to the Salt Lick area is quite adventerous but should be taken in company of an armed ranger guide.

Advice: Try to wear neutral colours (dark colours, e.g. Khaki). Bright colours tend to scare animals away.

Uganda Celebrates World Tourism Day in Jinja

Amazing celebrations of the World Tourism Day were held in Jinja by the Uganda Tourism Board and other stakeholders in Uganda's tourism industry.

On September 27, the World Tourism Day, all roads led to Jinja to celebrate this historical holiday. According to the Uganda Tourism (formerly called UTB), Jinja was selected as the venue for the event given that it is the source of the longest river in the world- the Mighty River River Nile.

In this town in Eastern Uganda, several activities were lined up under the theme Fun on the Nile, and these included white water rafting, jet cruises, bungee jumping, canoes and sailing, corporate golf tournament, horseback riding, a series of children’s activities and a tourism exhibition where the key stakeholders showcased their products and services.

According to Mr Moses Zhikusoka, the managing director of Ideas Factory, the organizers of the event said, “This year, World Tourism Day is emphasizing the relevance and need for public-private partnership in developing tourism in Uganda, especially with a focus on domestic tourism.“ This year’s celebrations have been focused mainly on promoting marine tourism where water sports and other activities interconnect to bring out the diversity of interests among the general population. This change of focus from the usual tourist activities like visiting national game parks is an eye opener to the stakeholders in the industry to realize that there is much more in the tourism industry than just viewing wild animals.

“Uganda is well endowed with diversity in tourist attraction sites, with some not easily found elsewhere in the world. From gorilla tracking, to adrenaline adventures, Uganda is a destination that attracts all kinds of tourists.

Top Uganda Game Viewing Safari Parks

a) Murchison Falls National Park: This is the largest conserved national park in Uganda. The park is well known for the big four animals and these are the Elephants, Lions, Buffaloes, Leopards and the most famous Giraffes. also other animals do exist in the park such as monkeys, bush pigs and the warthogs, antelopes and more. The Park is located at the Northern end of the Albertine rift in Amuru District. It is approximately 90km away from Masindi town. The Park covers 3,840 square kilometers (1,480 sq mi). Major tourist activities include: Game drives, Launch cruise to the Bottom of the falls, hiking to the top of the falls, Chimpanzee tracking in Kaniyo Pabidi forest, birding and forest walks in Budongo forest.

b) Queen Elizabeth National Park: The Park is the second biggest conserved area in Uganda after Murchison falls National Park. Like Murchison falls, the park also habits the four big animals in Uganda which are the Elephants, Lions, Buffaloes and the Leopards. Other animals in the park include monkeys such as the black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, patus monkeys’ red-tailed monkeys and the blue monkeys. Other animals that can be seen are the bush pigs and the warthogs, antelopes such as the topi, water and the bush bucks, kobs and more. There is also the rare and famous tree climbing lions in the Ishasha sector found in the southern part of the Park. The Park is located in western Uganda and is bordered by 3 districts that is Kasese, Bushenyi and Rukungiri. Major tourist attractions in the park include, Game drives, Launch cruise, Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura gorge, birding, forest walks in Maramagambo.

a) Lake Mburo National Park: The Park is located in Mbarara district and is closest to the Kampala city which is the country’s capital. This is the smallest park in Uganda and some times is considered as a stopover by tourists on their way to more famous parks along the Rift valley such as Queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi National park. Lake Mburo National park is dominated by open and wooded savannah comprising of grasses, shrubs, trees and the dry hillside. The park also harbors swamps, forests and thickets which provide habitats for animals living in the park such as Zebras, Impalas, Water bucks, Sitatungas, Buffaloes, birds, reptiles and crocodiles. Tourist activities in the park include game drives, boat rides on Lake Mburo, Forest walks in Rubanga forest and birding.

a) Kidepo Valley National Park: The Park is located in Northern Uganda and is found in the rugged, semi-arid valleys of Karamoja district. The park borders Sudan in Northern Uganda and is the most remote national park. This park is famously known for the long game drives and the many bird species. it is recorded that over 475 species, and is the second to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Some of the rare bird species include the Black-breasted Barbet, ostriches and Karamoja Apalis. Major tourist activities include, Game drives, bird watching, scenic viewing along the Narus and the Kidepo Valleys.

Where To Go Chimpanzee Tracking in Uganda

Interested in chimpanzee tracking? Uganda is one of the best places for chimpanzee tracking in Africa. Hosting a good number of primates in its tropical rain forests, Uganda has some of the best parks for chimpanzee tracking. Below are some of these places

Kibale Forest National Park:

Located east of Rwenzori Mountains between the town of Fort Portal and Queen Elizabeth National park, Kibale Forest National Park is rich with the tropical rain forest which habits more than 13 species of primates such as the Chimpanzee, Baboon, Grey-Cheeked Mangabey, Red Colobus, Black and White Colobus, L’hoest’s, Red tailed, Vervet and the Blue Monkey. This is the best park for chimpanzee tracking in East Africa and the chimp tracking permit costs only USD 90 per person.

Apart from chimpanzees, there are also other animals found in the forest but they are very rare to be seen. These include: buffaloes and forest elephants. The park is located in the western Uganda only 30 Km away from Fort portal town. There are many tour operators organizing chimpanzee tracking tours to this park. Click here for best deals and offers on chimpanzee tracking.

Where to Go Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

Interested in gorilla trekking in Uganda? Uganda has two national parks for mountain gorilla tracking. These are

1) Bwindi Impenetrable forest National Park: The Park is found in the south western corner of Uganda and is one of the most visited parks in Uganda because of its rare and endangered Mountain Gorillas. Bwindi habits almost half of the Mountain Gorillas in the whole world. Apart from Gorilla Tracking, other tourist activities in the park are Primate watching, birding and forest walks both guided and self walks. This park is among the UNESCO world heritage sites and this is because of its famous and rare Mountain Gorillas.

2) Mgahinga National Park: This is the second park in Uganda where Gorilla tracking and trekking are carried out. Beside Gorilla tracking, the park is famous for hiking activities on mountain Muhavura, Mgahinga and Sabinyo. Gorilla tracking in the park takes place but it’s not on a daily basis as it in Bwindi. This is because the gorillas in this park are still habituated and some times move from Uganda to Rwanda and there fore here it is not a must /guarantee that when you go for tracking, you have to see the gorillas. Other animals in the park include: golden monkeys, bird species such as the Rwenzori turacco, crowned hornbill, black kite and crowned crane. The park is located in the southwestern corner of Uganda, bordering Rwanda and Congo, 14km away from Kisoro town. Major tourist activities in the park include, Gorilla tracking, Hiking, cave exploration and birding.