Is Uganda Good For Safaris?

Is Uganda good for safaris? Located in the heart of East Africa, Uganda is undoubtedly a favorite African travel destination for a good reason. Uganda has plenty to offer that you should expect on an African safari. From thrilling primate encounters, wildlife/game viewing, boat cruise to distinct cultural experiences, Uganda a complete destination with variety for you to enjoy.

Uganda is a unique destination with diverse eco-systems. The safari experiences in Uganda are enjoyable in the savanna parks, forest protected areas and wetland areas thus guaranteeing nature lovers variety to explore and experience.

Top Places to Visit in Uganda in 2024

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Kanungu

Situated in the far South-western Uganda, Bwindi is amazingly one of the best travel destinations offering excellent encounters with the rare mountain gorillas. Created in 1991, Bwindi is a mist-covered park, inhabits an ancient and biodiverse rainforest dating back to 25,000 years back. This 331sq.km park is an important home to variety of fauna and flora.

Within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Park, there exist a total of up to 459 individuals of endangered mountain gorillas. These can be trekked with the lead of an experienced guide and your adventure begins from any of the 4 sectors; Ruhija, Buhoma, Rushaga and Nkuringo region.

Several other animals survive within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and include the giant forest hogs, golden cats, yellow-backed duikers, elephants, rodents, side-striped jackals, clawless otters, civets, black-fronted duikers, bush pigs, and more. Additional primates that share the same habitat with Bwindi gorillas include pottos, De-Brazza monkeys, spectacled galagos, l’hoest monkeys, baboons, chimpanzees, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, etc.

Birds of Bwindi –visit this park for incredible bird sights. Over 360 species of birds call Bwindi a home and the park is comprised of bird check-list of black billed turacos,

white-bellied robin chat, grauer’s broadbill, western bronze napped pigeon, handsome francolin, purple-breasted sunbird, Kivu ground thrush, collared apalis, regal sunbird and more.

Murchison Falls National Park, Nwoya

Murchison Falls NP is a favorite wildlife/game viewing destination, home to more than 76 mammals. Located in Northwestern Uganda, Murchison Falls National Park has a lot to offer the world including the big game and is strategically set in the area where you have access to see rhinos en-route. The boundaries of this park extend across districts like Kiryandongo, Nwoya, Buliisa and Masindi.

Top things to see while on Uganda safaris to Murchison Falls National Park include the powerful Murchison Falls. Plenty of wildlife/animals are also available and worth spotting including leopards, lions, buffaloes, elephants, giraffes, hippos, Nile crocodiles, warthogs, and common antelopes include bush bucks, Jackson’s hartebeest, oribis, Defassa waterbucks, and others.

Over 451 species of birds are distributed throughout Murchison Falls Park. The diverse birds to identify in this protected area include speckle-fronted weavers, silver bird, African qualifinch, African jacana, Abyssinian ground hornbill, shoebill storks, Eastern grey plantain eaters, black headed gonoleks, Black-billed barbet, Denham’s bustard, black-headed lapwing, pia-piac, malachite kingfishers, squacco heron, secretary bird, Senegal thick knee, yellow billed stork, long-toed plovers, white browed sparrow weavers, red-throated bee-eaters, giant kingfishers, swamp flycatcher and others.

Semuliki National Park

Love birding? Semuliki is with no doubt a must-visit birding destination on Uganda safaris. This park supports over 441 species of birds including the western bronze-napped pigeon, piping hornbill, yellow-throated cuckoo, black-throated coucals, Nkulengu rail, spot breasted ibis, long-tailed hawk, red-bellied malimbe, grant’s bluebill, wax well’s black weaver birds, white crested hornbill, African piculet, red-rumped tinker bird, green tailed bristle bill, Northern beaded scrub robin, shoebill

stork, rufous sided broadbill, fire crested alethe, leaf love, black dwarf hornbill, Gabon woodpeckers, chestnut breasted negrofinch and more.

Top things to do on Uganda safaris

Gorilla trekking

Gorilla trekking is the best safari experience awaiting you to enjoy on Uganda tour. A gorilla trek in Uganda is distinct from what Western African destinations have to offer because; it involves searching for the rare mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. A gorilla tour in Uganda involves visiting anyone of the two gorilla safari parks –Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

The 2 gorilla parks are home to about half of all the world’s 1063 mountain gorillas that are left on earth. These account for 21 fully habituated gorilla groups that are distributed in the five regions – Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushaga, Ruhija –all in Bwindi N/Park and Ntebeko of Mgahinga National Park.

Visiting anyone of Uganda’s 2 parks to see gorillas require a valid gorilla permit and each permit is issued at USD 700 per person. You can secure a permit through a local tour operator – Maranatha Tours and Travel | info@adventureugandasafaris.com.

Chimpanzee tracking

Uganda features plenty of chimpanzee trekking options. The premier destinations to consider a must-visit for you to enjoy up close and personal moment with the Eastern chimpanzees in the wild include Kibale National Park, Kyambura Gorge, Budongo Forest, Kalinzu Forest, and Semliki Reserve/Park.

Game drives

Uganda a special wildlife safari destination, home to all big five game and abundant antelope families. The top places to consider for wildlife/game viewing tours include Lake Mburo National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park. The best of Uganda wildlife safari involves spotting diversity of wildlife including lions, leopards, rhinos (only spotted in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary), giraffes, zebras, Jackson’s hartebeest, and more.

Boat cruise

There are different alternative points to enjoy a boat or launch cruise while in Uganda. You can embark on a boat or launch cruise with an expert along the Victoria Nile to the base of Murchison Falls, Kazinga channel at Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo, Jinja at the Source of the Nile, and others.

Adrenaline adventures

Spark your travel spirit with Uganda heart pumping adventures at Jinja as you explore the Source of the Nile. What awaits you at the Source of the Nile; whitewater rafting, kayaking, jet boating, bungee jumping and more.

When to visit

The best time to travel to Uganda for a vacation is between June and September, December and February –the dry months of the year. These are desired months of the year when you can experience the best of Uganda’s guided game/wildlife viewing, primate adventures (golden monkey tracking, gorilla trekking and chimpanzee tracking); mountaineering in the Rwenzori Mountains, Elgon Mountain, and Virunga Volcanoes –Mt. Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo.

Uganda safari packing list

Essentials to consider on your Uganda safaris packing list; a pair of binoculars, a sweater, a rain jacket, sunglasses, long sleeved shirts, sunscreen, comfortable safari foot wear, first aid kit or medical kit, day pack, insect repellent, toiletries, a pair of socks, a good camera, anti-bacterial hand sanitizers, and others.