Uganda Safaris

Uganda safari is all about national parks and forests. The more you explore, the less you will feel connected to humans. Explore the largest lake of Uganda - Lake Victoria, imperious mountain gorillas, marauding antelopes, and the adventurous game drives in the national parks of Uganda. The river, the mountains, the wildlife, the ultimate game drive, the exquisite safari sunset cruise on River Nile, and the widespread savannah are some of the highlights that are going to take your breath away.

 

A brief introduction about Uganda Safari Tours

Uganda is a country of diverse landscapes, dense rainforest, and magnificent mountain scenery. The country, with it's National Parks and Game Reserves, proffers gigantic biodiversity of wildlife animals and birds, including chimps, gorillas, elephants, grey-crowned crane, etc. apart from the scenic beauty. Uganda is famous for its amazing mountain gorilla trekking and ten amazing National Parks that are the greatest attractions in the country. With picturesque mountains, excellent wildlife game watching and world-class adrenaline adventure, Uganda have a great display of wildlife to attract tourism towards the country.

Uganda is a beautiful country situated in East Africa surrounded by rainforests, rift valleys, stratovolcanic mountains, and crater lakes. It is world-wide famous for having the longest source of the river, the River Nile besides having Africa’s tallest mountain range for gorilla trekking.

What to have Uganda Safari Tours?

Mountain Gorilla Trekking is one of the biggest adventure activities that take place in Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to remaining endangered mountain gorilla families and probably the first place where gorilla trekking started. It is one of the best places to experience a lifetime trip viewing two gorilla families that are habituated in the Rushaga sector of southern Bwindi.

Murchison Falls National Park is the place where the River Nile flows through a narrow canyon and cascades down to be a part of a placid river. It is the largest and one of the oldest safari parks in Uganda which is the home to big five game animals. Apparently, wildlife animals including hippos and crocodiles, and buffaloes are found on the banks of the river. One of the best places to experience a “big five game” when enjoying the Uganda Safari and Tours.

Kibale Forest National Park is another reason to visit Uganda for having the highest concentration of wild animals, especially primates among all the National parks in Africa. Chimpanzee trekking is the most famous activity that attracts a lot of tourism to the place. It is indeed an adventurous opportunity for travelers who wish to see chimpanzees’ swing from one to another tree. When comparing Chimpanzee and Gorilla trekking, the most important fact is that Chimpanzees spend more time playing on trees whereas Gorillas eat and move quickly from one place to another.

When To Have Uganda Gorilla Safaris?

Uganda is a safari destination that can be visited all year round, however, there are some months that make a safari vacation an ideal vacation for a tourist. The dry season is an ideal season to visit Uganda that falls from mid-December to February and from June to September. During these months, the chances of rain are quite lower than expectations which enhance the trekking and trailing opportunities for a traveler. Although, the wet season has its own benefits for visiting Uganda, especially for mountain gorilla trekking. March to May and October to December are considered the wet seasons which are the best time for trekking and the trails in better weather conditions. The best part of making the most of Uganda wildlife safari is during dry seasons but tourists can enjoy the greenery in the wet season apart from gorilla and chimpanzee trekking.

Wildlife Safaris or Gorilla Trekking - Which one is more exciting?

Whether it is wildlife safari or mountain gorilla trekking, both are Uganda’s best travel activities that are carried out by the travelers. For a pleasurable and lifetime Uganda Gorilla Safaris experience, it is suggested to combine wildlife safari with mountain gorilla trekking. In Uganda, Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park are considered to be the best parks for having the best wildlife experience. On the other hand, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are believed to be the best places to make amazing trekking experience. Depending on the preferences, both activities can be enjoyed separately or combined when traveling to Uganda.

Best Travel Tips for Uganda Gorilla Safaris

When traveling to Uganda for gorilla trekking, there are many things that are needed to keep in mind before packing luggage. Here are some travel tips that need to consider while Mountain Gorilla trekking in Uganda:

What to wear: Wearing the right kind of clothing is much needed, however, not many tourists know about the right clothing for mountain gorilla trekking. Hiking boots, long-sleeve shirt, thick trousers are something that a tourist can't afford to skip from backpacks. This is not all, mid-length socks, gloves, and hats are secondary things that must get some space in bags.

Right essentials: A walking stick is a must to give support and keep a trek steady while trekking vast mountains in Uganda. Apart from a walking stick, net and mosquito repellent are important essentials that keep you safe and secure from insects throughout the trekking tour, be it nighttime or daytime.

Food supplements: Extra snacks and bottled water are the most essential food supplements during mountain gorilla trekking in Uganda. Apart from the day and night meals, the body needs more food that keeps you going while trekking narrow and steep mountains. Therefore, it is recommended to carry snacks, fruits, tetra packed juices, and bottled water along with you to beat the hunger pangs while trekking. Fruits like bananas can also be fed to wildlife primates.

Hire a local guide: An expert local is necessary for a guide mountain trekking tour. Accompanied by a local guide for any kind of assistance when wandering around the mountains.

Best Experiences To Make During Uganda Uganda Safari and Tours

Not only does Uganda enhance Mountain gorilla trekking, but it is a hub to some of the wildlife animals and birds species. Seeing a group of primates playing around the trees is nothing short of having fun in Jungle. Uganda is one of the best places in Africa to visit if you are fond of natural beauty and wildlife animals. Here are some of the great places that add value and fun to Uganda Safari Tours:

Do a quick visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park

No trip to Uganda would be complete without visiting Queen Elizabeth National park. The park is situated in the southwest region of Uganda which is the most popular safari vacation in Africa. Its diverse ecosystems have a wide range of dense forests, white waters, fertile wetlands, and dark savanna which make it an ideal park to visit when traveling to Uganda. It is also famous for its “Big Five Game” in which the safari vehicle leaves in the morning. Fully packed with tourists, these safari vehicles drive around for game viewing of wildlife animals. In Africa, there are many places like Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya where game viewing takes place but Uganda in Africa is the most adventurous and thrilling one to attract many tourists towards Uganda tourism.

Do Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Kick start your Uganda safari trip with Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park which is located in the south-western part of Uganda. It borders the Democratic Republic Congo and Virunga National Park to experience the best mountain gorilla trekking. The highlight of Uganda is certainly the mountain gorilla trekking apart from “Big Five Game” including the wildlife animals. Bwindi National Park is home to the world’s unsettled mountain gorillas who reside in different troops summing up to over 400 mountain gorillas. The primates are the main highlight of the place beside the bird’s species which make sense of trekking them down when around Bwindi.

The park is divided into two parts, the northern part of the park focuses around the small villages of Buhoma and Ruhija offering impeccable natural beauty and peaceful environment. On the other hand, the southern part of the park focuses more on the arduous Nkuringo sector. It is located on the higher edge of the forest offering gorgeous views of Virunga volcanoes.

Chill out with Chimpanzee in Kibale Forest National Park

Regarded as one of the premier safari destinations in Uganda for chimpanzee trekking, Kibale Forest National Park is certainly a must-visit place in Uganda. The park is predominantly occupied by rainforest which is a hub to all the primates including gorillas, monkeys, and chimpanzees. Among all the primates, chimpanzee gets comparatively more attention from the tourists. To observe the common behavior of the chimpanzee, one can spend hours by choosing the full-day trekking tour to have chimpanzee habituation experience. This trekking tour allows you to observe the daily activities of chimpanzees and how they spend their day in a forest. The first few minutes or an hour of Chimpanzee trekking is quite difficult or heart racing, but after trekking for minutes, you would become habitual and adapt the climate condition.

Chimpanzees reside in the park with over 60 animals species including leopards, elephants, lions, buffaloes, cape bushbucks, and warthogs. Despite having such a great and thrilling list of wildlife animals, sometimes, game viewing is not possible due to the condition of weather. Therefore, it is recommended to consider the peak season before making any booking for Uganda Safari tours. Although, the low season has its own perks to travel around the region.

Over 330 bird species are found in Kibale including Nahan’s francolin and blue-headed bee-eaters that get the attention of most of the tourists. Kibale is an incredible part of Uganda offering a lovely view of the crater lakes sitting on the west side of the park, besides the adventurous and exciting wildlife experience.  

Play with playful Golden Monkeys in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a perfect safari spot for tourists who wish to see playful primates, especially golden monkeys. The park is situated in the southernmost corner of Uganda that focuses on protecting the famous Virunga Mountains, which shares a border with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is considered as the smallest national park in Uganda offering impressively beautiful views of the inactive volcanoes Virungas Mountains. After Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the second best trekking destination in Africa. No gorilla family resides here in the park as they move freely from one place to another which gives no fixed guarantee for sightseeing of the golden monkeys.  

Despite being the smallest National Park in Africa, there is much more to see in Mgahinga besides the playful primates, especially gorillas. It is a hub to over 76 wildlife animals but tracking golden monkeys is the highlight of the Safari tour in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The endemic blue monkeys are found mostly in rainforests that reside on montane bamboo forests and apparently, the golden monkeys are found to be enjoying swaying tree to tree in the forest.  

Get a plunge into the powerful Waterfall, Murchison Falls

Murchison Falls, also known as Kabalega Falls, a powerful waterfall flowing between Lake Kyoga and Lake Albert on the white water, the Nile in Uganda. The launch trips to Nile are the perfect way to explore the wildlife with the mesmerizing view of the waterfalls. During Uganda Safari Tours, there are chances of getting to see wildlife animals including hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, and many more. Besides watching wildlife animals, this park has an amazing display of bird watching on the river bank. The showbill grabs the maximum eyeballs among the long list of birds which include Goliath heron, fish eagles, malachite kingfishers, and saddle-billed storks.

While a safari tour to Uganda, it is necessary to hire a local guide who leads you to the most beautiful places in Uganda. And it is suggested that once you have explored the area from the bottom, ensure to have the top view that offers the best view.

An Overview of Uganda's Weather

Before leaving for Uganda, it is really important to know the best time to visit Uganda to make some memorable wildlife memories. Uganda is a year-round safari vacation spot; however, the Dry season is considered to be the best time to see the wildlife animals and game reserve. Here is an overview of Uganda's weather that indicates good times to plan a safari vacation season by season:

When to Go - Season by Season

March To Mid-May (Long Wet Season)

This period of time is considered as the first rain season of the southern which is much more favorable in terms of mountain trekking and watching any kind of wildlife animals. Gorilla trekking must be avoided during this period of time due to slippery slopes which cause health issues. The National parks like Bwindi Impenetrable Forest or Mgahinga National Park are not fully closed but there is very less footfall in the area. The southern corner of the country experiences more rainfall which makes difficult to trek in the wet season. Whereas the northern part has rain season between April to October in which the tourism rate is quite low.

Mid May To Mid-October (Long Dry Season)

With ideal conditions for mountain gorilla trekking, this period of the year is considered as the longest dry season in the southern parks. Therefore, it is the best time of the year to travel around the country to experience the best wildlife and game reserve. All the gorilla families come out and since there is no risk of slip, this period is believed to be a great time to make memories with the primates. Gorilla families reside in the national parks and during the dry season, it gets crowded. The months between Mid May to Mid-October is best known as the peak season of the year, so the prices of the tour may likely to get higher. During this period of time, there are high chances of spotting wildlife animals and birds in Uganda.

Mid-October To November (Short Wet Season)

This period of the year is best known as the short period of the rainy season in which mountain gorilla trekking gets slightly harder again. However, these months are perfect for bird-watching as the entire region gets covered with the green blanket. It is not a favorable time for gorilla trekking and game-watching but the most favorable time to see birds chirping on the green trees. Apparently, the perfect season to capture the beauty of colorful birds and clear skies which enhances the overall photography conditions.   

December To February (Short Dry Season)

This is another period of time when the dry season knocks the door in Uganda. This is a peak season to explore the entire region and a good time for wildlife sightings. The dry season is a perfect time for outdoor activities like hiking and climbing. February and September are preferably ideal months for traveling to Uganda. This period of time is perfect for mountain gorilla trekking, wildlife game watching and bird watching as well.

 

The Preferred Accommodations During Uganda Tours

There is a wide range of accommodations available in Uganda and here is the list of the best accommodation options that suit your budget and standard as well:

Best Hotels in Uganda

From budget to high-end, there is an array of hotels available in Uganda. Depending on your preference, you can book a hotel near the National park or in the main city. Apart from hotels, there are some luxury lodges that are situated close to parks.

Bed and Breakfast Accommodation in Uganda

There are many good Bed and Breakfast accommodation options available in Kampala, Entebbe, Jinja, and other big cities. The best part of these accommodations is that they are clean, budget-friendly and comfortable, with en-suite bathrooms. Many of these offer laundry facilities to the customers.

Camping in Uganda

To see the popularity of National parks, most of the National parks and tourist spots have come up with the concept of organizing camping sites, which are guarded and safe to stay in.

Other Available Accommodation Options in Uganda

There are other accommodation choices available for those do not want to stay in hotels and lodges. The list includes backpackers, youth hostels, and guesthouses are some good options for travelers who are low on budget.

 

To enter the premises of Uganda, you need to have a visa for Uganda safari tours. Only the citizens of the US, Canada, and the EU do not require to have a visa to get an entry in the country. The tourist visa is valid for up to 90 days but you need to perform all the formalities to get an entry in Uganda. It is suggested to not to leave anything unclear, keep your documents along with you before leaving for Uganda safari.

Health And Safety Measures To Consider While Uganda Safari Tours

Traveling to Uganda is safe and secure in terms of health and security. Despite the defensive measures against many infectious diseases, it is safe to travel around with a basic first aid box and some regular medications. It’s always safe to take some regular vaccination against yellow fever, hepatitis, and typhoid before leaving for Uganda safari tours.

Before leaving for Uganda safari, tourists are recommended to take all health safety measures to make sure health condition is good enough to go.

  1. Do not drink or eat food items from unhygienic places in order to prevent cholera.

  2. Use insect repellent to keep insects at bay.

  3. Do not forget to take antimalarial medicine to keep yourself safe and protected by these common diseases there.

  4. It is always advisable to dress in trousers and long-sleeved shirts to keep yourself safe from mosquito bites.

  5. Avoid wearing black and blue colored clothes when tsetse fly prone areas. These colours attract them to bite you.

  6. Sunscreen in a must-have beauty essential that works as a treatment in the dry season.

  7. Always drink bottled water to prevent water-related diseases such as cholera.

  8. Carry your medication prescription prescribed by your general practitioner.

A Basic Understanding of Customs in Uganda

Uganda has a majority of genuine traditionalist Christian/Muslim community in which women are not allowed to wear revealing clothing or having unmistakable showcases of sexuality. The main special case is protect nightlife circumstances in Kampala.

Most Ugandans go to chapel/mosque consistently and look at religion as a vital piece of an ethical society. Never condemn religion in the nearness of a Ugandan! You won't be paid attention to on the off chance that you wear shorts outside the conspicuous vacationer goals and most Ugandan grown-ups could never wear shorts with the exception of if playing sport. Utilize a couple of light pants to mix in better.

Most ladies wear skirts in provincial territories, however, pants are worthy in urban areas and bigger towns. In focal Kampala ladies can dress practically like in any western huge city. Ladies dressing shrewdly in tight sleeveless tops, tight pants, or dresses or skirts that don't cover the knees is an exceptionally normal sight here.

As an outsider you don't have to abstain from sprucing up, despite the fact that for wellbeing reasons it is savvy to abstain from wearing costly adornments or comparative embellishments. A handshake is the most widely recognized type of welcome in Uganda.

How Does Leisure Work?

When planning to make a safari tour to Uganda, Leisure is one of the best online platforms ensuring to provide the best travel services to travel enthusiasts. If your focus is to experience the best mountain gorilla trekking, Leisure cut down the stress of making bookings and contacting the travel agents from different platforms. Just not to Uganda, Leisure plans a trip to different safari destinations including Botswana safaris, Tanzania safaris at pocket-friendly prices.

A trip request form is a formality that initiates the trip planning application raised by the travel-lover which will be later compared with our travel experts. The travel agent with close relevance to the search would be assigned to the customer. Leisure guarantees best in the market services to its clients along with the alluring deals on Tanzania safaris and Uganda safaris. Connect with us to let us introduce you to our Uganda’s magical wilderness for a wonderful safari vacation.

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