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Itineraries | Country Highlights | Photos of Camps & Lodges
COUNTRY HIGHLIGHTS
Uganda is without doubt, a gem of an emerald-green land with which visitors invariably fall in love. Uganda is home to the beginning of The Nile River. The Ruwenzori Mountains being the highest mountain range in Africa, the easternmost extension of the rain forests of West Africa. Not to mention the Western corridor of the Great African Rift Valley, providing beautiful plains, lake and river systems. Uganda offers a kaleidoscope of African wildlife habitats supporting one of the most diverse array of flora and fauna on the continent.
Winston Churchill wrote: "Uganda is a fairy tale. You climb up a railway instead of a beanstalk, and at the end is a wonderful new world."
CLIMATE: UGANDA ENJOYS COMFORTABLE TEMPERATURES THE YEAR AROUND, ALTHOUGH HUMIDITY IS CONSIDERABLY HIGHER THAN IN KENYA OR TANZANIA. HEAVIEST RAINFALLS OCCUR IN APRIL AND MAY AND AGAIN IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER. THE DRIER MONTHS ARE JUNE THROUGH SEPTEMBER AND DECEMBER THROUGH MARCH.
Uganda is a country of amazing uniqueness with attractions ranging from the snow capped Rwenzori "Mountains of the Moon" to the mighty water falls on the Nile. Areas of interest such as mountain gorillas and eco-tourism, white water rafting and sport fishing have put Uganda back on the East African tourist circuit.
The Rwenzori Mountains offer a splendid challenge to the lovers of mountaineering. The mountains when viewed from above appear to give the impression of an active volcano only waiting to erupt, but alas the Rwenzoris have been dormant for centuries. All that remains of their immense volcanic activeness is the moonlight glow which has earned the description "Mountains of the Moon". The evergreen lush, fauna and mountain ranges in the Western part of Uganda give the country unforgettable scenery.
Queen Elizabeth National Park encompasses a wide range of habitats from savanna and wetlands to riverine and low land forest. The area is dominantly covered with water and 250 square kilometers of Lake Shores. Lake George, Lake Edward, The Kazinga Channels, Ishasha River and a series of crater lakes provide a rich habitat for both mammal and birds. The park has ten primate species, including chimpanzee, black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, red tailed monkeys and vervet monkeys. The park also has predators like lion, leopard, spotted hyena, and side stripped jackal. Mammals in this park include antelope, buffalo, elephant, hippo, and mongoose.
Murchison Falls National Park is where the world's longest river bursts out ferociously through a narrow gap in the Rift Valley escarpment falling into a frothing pool 43 meters below. This park protects intense populations of lion, elephant, buffalo and Uganda kob together with the localized Rothschild giraffe and patas monkey. Massive concentrations of hippos and birds can be observed from the launch trips along the Nile below the fabulous waterfalls for which the park is named.
Kibale National Park is a fairly new park. Essentially it is a migratory route and corridor between Queen Elizabeth National park and parks to the north such as Murchison Falls National Park. The most accessible of Uganda's major rainforest, Kibale is home to a remarkable 13 primate species, including the localized red colobus and L'Hoest's monkey. Kibale's major attraction, however, is the opportunity to track habituated chimps, these delightful apes, more closely related to man than to any other living creature, are tremendous fun to watch as they squabble and play in fruiting trees. A network of shady forest trails provides much to delight botanists and butterfly lovers, while birders are in for a treat with 335 species which include the endemic Prirogrines. With lush tropical rainforest and fascinating diversity of animals, Kibale National park is one of the most beautiful and stunning forests in Uganda.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a sanctuary for almost half the world's population of mountain gorillas (about 330 of 600). Looking deep into the expressive brown eyes of the gentle giants is surely the most exciting wildlife encounter in Africa. Of Uganda's forested reserves, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is best known for its superb gorilla tracking, but it also provides refuge to elephant, chimpanzee, monkeys and various small antelope, as well as 23 bird species restricted to the Albertine Rift. Situated along the Great Rift Valley, Bwindi extends over a series of steep ridges, its massive rainforest almost impenetrable. Terrain varies from swamp and bamboo forest to dense thicket from the ankle up which comprises 90% of the park.
Lake Mburo National Park, the closest savannah reserve to Kampala, is centered in a series of swamp-fringed lakes known for their rich birdlife, notably the secretive African finfoot. The green acacia woodland surrounding the lake harbors dense populations of zebra, warthog, buffalo, impala and various other grazers, including the last surviving Ugandan population of eland, the largest of African antelope. Other plains game include the rusty colored top, which always stand like a sentry ready to sound the alarm at any sign of approaching danger from carnivores. The park boasts a huge number of migrant and habitual species of birds, and the five lakes within the park attract hippos, huge crocodiles as well as water birds. Mburo is the closest park to Kampala and offers the perfect stopover for those traveling to or from western parks and reserves. |
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