​Overview – Katonga WR

Philip Briggs
Expert
By Philip Briggs

Philip is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Bradt guidebooks to African destinations, including the guide to Uganda.

Philip is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Bradt guidebooks to African destinations, including the guide to Uganda.

Philip is a renowned Africa expert and author of the Bradt guidebook to Uganda.

Philip is the author of the Bradt guidebook to Uganda.

Katonga Wildlife Reserve is a little-known, low-key destination about 270km/168mi (5 to 6 hours' drive) west of the city of Kampala. Efforts to better protect the reserve against poaching are slowly restoring the animal population. Several antelope species are easily seen, including the Uganda kob. The rare, marsh-dwelling sitatunga antelope can sometimes be spotted as well, as can hippo and otter. There are no roads for vehicle safaris, so the park is best explored on foot.

Size 210km² / 81mi²
Altitude 1,184-1,367m / 3,885-4,485ft

Pros & Cons

  • Guided walks available
  • One of the few places in East Africa to see sitatunga antelope
  • Exceptional aquatic birdlife
  • Only very basic accommodation available
  • Low animal densities

Katonga WR Safari Reviews

  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding

Wildlife

Katonga doesn't support most of the large safari animals. Big cats are absent, and elephant and buffalo occur in small numbers only. But the reserve is one of the few places in East Africa that offers a chance to see the sitatunga antelope. Several other antelope species are present as well, including reedbuck, bushbuck, waterbuck and Uganda kob. Baboon and black-and-white colobus are also regularly spotted. Several years ago, zebra and impala were translocated to the park from Lake Mburo National Park. The birding is great due to the variety of habitats.

Scenery

A variety of habitats can be explored in the reserve including rainforest, papyrus swamps and savannah. The reserve is on the edge of the Katonga river valley.

Weather & Climate

The weather and climate of Katonga are comparable to that of Uganda in general. More info:

Best Time To Visit

Katonga can be visited at any time of the year, but the best time for wildlife viewing is in the Dry seasons (December to February and June to July).

Getting There

Katonga is the closest reserve to Kampala as the crow flies, but the drive still takes a good 5 to 6 hours*. It can be reached from the Fort Portal–Kampala road. Katonga can easily be incorporated in a standard Uganda itinerary, but seldom is due to the lack of amenities and low wildlife densities.
*Driving times are only a rough indication. You should always consider the possibility of significant delays.

Health & Safety

Please read our vaccinations and malaria page for Uganda, and our general wildlife viewing safety precautions page for more info:

Want To Visit Katonga WR?

Katonga Operators

Katonga WR Safari Reviews

  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
Most Helpful Expert Review
Expert
Tim Bewer  –  
United States US

Tim is a travel writer who has covered 10 African countries for Lonely Planet's Africa, East Africa and West Africa guidebooks.

Not the right place for everybody
2/5

I like this reserve, I really do, but first-time safariers should give it a pass; and even returners will want to consider whether it’s the right destination for them. There just isn’t much wildlife here, although since it’s seldom...

Full Review

Latest User Review
mark  –  
Uganda UG
Reviewed: Sep 8, 2020
good park
5/5

loved it so much and i hope it gets more love by the wildlife comunity

Full Review