Best Wildlife Tourist Destinations in Uganda
Uganda is a small East African country of about 93,065 mi² and a landlocked country bordered by Kenya in the east, DR Congo in the west, Tanzania in the south, South Sudan in the north, and Rwanda in the south western part of the country.
The country is among the best travel destinations in Africa with over 10 national parks and 13 wildlife reserves hosting a variety of wildlife attractions that are evenly distributed all over Uganda. The country offers amazing wildlife experiences and here are some of the best wildlife safari destinations that you must not miss out on your safari to Uganda.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
The park is the most loved and visited Wildlife Park in the country found in the south western part of the country within the Albertine Rift Valley near the Rwanzori Mountains. The park’s differing ecosystem, which incorporate shady, sprawling savannah, humid forest, fertile wetlands and sparkling lakes, make it the perfect habitat for variety of wildlife like the classic big game, ten species of primates including chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge and over 600 species of birds.
In addition to the amazing wildlife attractions in the park, the tourists to the park can enjoy its interesting cultural history and there are great opportunities for tourist to meet and interact with the local people around the park and enjoy dance, music, storytelling and more. The gazetting of this park has guaranteed the protection of its ecosystems, which thus benefits the surrounding local people.
Visitors can visit the park at any time throughout the year, in spite of the fact that conditions are more difficult during the wet season and it is strongly recommended that you use 4×4 safari vehicle when traveling to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Available accommodation the park include; the famous Mweya Safali Lodge, Enganzi Lodge, Jacana Safari Lodge, Kyambura Game Lodge, Ihamba Safari Lodge, Katara Lodge. There is also alternative budget accommodation in the park like; Mweya Hostels and Simba Safari Camp.
Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls is Uganda’s largest and oldest conservation area in the country found in the north western part of Uganda in the districts of Buliisa in the west and Nwoya in the northern Uganda, spreading inland from the shore of Lake Albert around the Victoria Nile. Together with the neighbouring Karuma and Bugungu Wildlife Reserves, the park forms Murchison Falls Conservation Area (MFCA).
The park hosts a combination of wooded savannah, wetlands, grasslands, tropical forests and open water covering over 39000ha. The park is also famous for its 43m-tall waterfall and wildlife such as hippos, buffaloes, jackson hartebeest, oribi and kobs, over 476 species of birds and 145 tree species. A boat cruise on Victoria Nile is an amazing way to start a day for both wildlife and bird lovers, because it offer a chance to see a variety of water loving animals like buffaloes, crocodiles, hippos and also for bird lovers there is a chance to see over 450 different species of birds and migratory birds are always available from November and April and this make it a perfect destination for both wildlife and bird lovers.
On a game drive in Murchison Falls National Park, there are high chances you can enjoy watching wildlife and also the park is home to four of the “Big Five”, only rhino being absent. Elephants and buffaloes are normally common in the park and there is also a good population of lions that like to prey on the variety of kobs in the park. Rare primates like chimpanzees and monkeys can be tracked in the adjacent Budongo Forest Reserve. The park is also home to a good number of Rothschild’s giraffe that are always seen by tourists on game drive in the park.
Visitors can visit Murchison Falls National Park at any time throughout the year, in spite of the fact that conditions in the park are more difficult during the rainy season and it is strongly recommended that you use 4×4 safari vehicle when travelling to the park. Available accommodation the park include; Chobe Safari Lodge, Paraa Safari Lodge, Sambiya River Lodge, Bakers Lodge, Nile Safari Lodge, Budongo Eco Lodge, Pakuba Safari Lodge and alternative budget lodges in the park include the Red Chilli Rest Camp among others.
Kidepo Valley National Park
In the far north eastern part of the country, there is the mighty Kidepo Valley National Park in the rough, semi arid valley between Uganda’s borders with South Sudan and Kenya.
The park has high biodiversity, with over 86 species of mammals, 475 species of bird and 692 plant species, second just to Queen Elizabeth National Park as far as its known plant diversity and third behind Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Fall for its variety of mammal and bird species. 28 of the 86 mammal species in Kidepo Valley National Park are not found anywhere else in Uganda’s national parks.
Tourists can visit Kidepo Valley national park at any time of the year, despite of the fact that roads and weather conditions in park during the rainy is bad. During the months of January to May, and October to December the park is relatively hot and generally dry, while the months of June and September rain is more frequent, high temperature and storms normally don’t last more than one hour. At any time when travelling to the park, it is strongly recommended that you use a 4×4 safari vehicle. The available tourists accommodation in and around the park includes Apoka Safari Lodge and Nga Moru Wilderness Camp.