Uganda Travel Guide

The parks are very nice (I especially liked Kidepo Valley) and you´ll never see a crowd!

The parks were more affordable than other countries. The country is small so it is easy to travel from Kampala, the capital, to the parks. The wildlife is diverse and the birding is fantastic. Best of all the Ugandan people are friendly and accomodating.

As it's a small park the number of different animals is limited but that makes one focus on more than just the big five.

So Many People!

If you stop for a picnic in Uganda miles from any village or sign of habitation, be sure to take out some extra fruit because by the time your kettle is boiled, you'll have a handful of spectators. Ugandans love to see visitors to their country, some will beg, some will smile, but all will welcome you.

The climate is hot and humid for much of the time, so loads of light clothes is the order of the day. We had clothes washed a few times on our trip, and that made travelling lighter. Be ready for muddy streets, and tropical downpours, but you will be back to sunshine and dust within a few hours!

Uganda is a very green country, you will get to see just about everything growing there. It is seemingly possible to get 2 crops of potatoes per year from the same field. You will see many small households growing subsistance food right beside their homes, and you'll also see huge commercial tea farms.

The accomadation varies wildly. You can find small inexpensive bed and breakfast type places, and also plush luxury lodges. Many of these are a little dated and some are a little basic, but the food is generally very good. In a few weeks of travel, we had no tummy upsets, and really liked most of the dishes.

The road network is a bit haphazard, and off the main routes the roads may only be passable outside of the rainy season, so take this into account while planning. Traffic in Kampala is hectic enough to make Italians flinch.

The wildlife parks were superb. The tree climbing lions in QENP are well worth tracking down, and the Gorilla's are a "must see".

Overall, it's a great destination. Some of the parks can arrange walks with the rangers, and this is a superb experience as you get to hear and smell live in the game parks much more intimatly than when in the back of a Toyota or Landrover.

Not like other safari destinations!

I have been lucky enough to take several safaris in East Africa over the last few years (in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania). If you're looking for the "classic" safari in an open-top vehicle admiring the wildlife on the plains, perhaps Uganda is not really the right destination for you. You probably won't see huge migrating herds like in the Serengeti, for example. And perhaps you'll find the general infrastructure and tourist facilities a bit more basic and lacking the luxury factor. But what I found in Uganda was something special, and quite different from other safari destinations I've been to.
My primary reason for going on safari to Uganda (and Rwanda) was to see the mountain gorillas, and that experience is worth a whole review in itself, so all I'll say about that here was that it was an extraordinary, wonderful experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Truly the highlight of my trip by far.
Also magical were walks in the forests, hearing chimpanzees shrieking in the trees, and coming close to them (with great care!). Those forest treks really made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Lots of fascinating monkeys to see and hear in those magical forests too.
Another highlight for me (in one of the forest treks) was the encounter at the bat cave in Maramagambo Forest (although the last I heard it has been closed to the public due to health fears).
I opted to take a camping safari, rather than lodge-based. It's truly the best way to experience the magic of the bush. There is nothing quite like lying in your tent at night, listening to the sounds of lions roaring nearby, monkeys shrieking in the trees, and hippos grazing on the grass outside your tent. There are no fences and "safe" enclosed campsites - you are truly amongst nature. One night a group of elephants came into our camp, another night it was lions. Not for the faint-hearted, but truly extraordinary, and you don't experience these things in lodges. Also, it's worth bearing in mind that camping safaris are quite luxurious - I had a very comfortable tent set up for me every night, complete with bed and wash-stand. Showers and toilets were portable and therefore not luxurious, but on the other hand you can only laugh and feel the wonder of the bush when a baboon steals your toilet paper... Food was excellent, all transported along with us vacuum packed for freshness as part of a very impressive logistics operation that accompanied our safari as it moved around the country.
Some "normal" game drives were also included in this safari, and while perhaps not as spectular as others I have been on in East Africa, there was still some excellent game viewing to be had. Highlights of game drives included the incredible tree-climbing lions (seen several times), a leopard strolling in front of our vehicle, and of course the spectacular birds (even as a non-enthusiast I couldn't help but be blown away by the incredible birdlife). Guides were very hard-working and dedicated, always making every effort to find the most elusive wildlife and get us up close, but always respecting nature at the same time. They were very, very few other tourists around, so we didn't experience the "20 vehicles surrounding a lion" phenomenon that often blights safaris in the more popular safari destinations.
In short, I can say that Uganda is perfect for the more adventurous safari-goer who wants to do something a little different (more on the wild side). If you're willing to get wet, muddy, bitten by ants, and exhausted in order to get up close, on foot, to some of the most wonderful and rare creatures on earth, this is the place. For me, Uganda is all about spine-tingling experiences in magical forests, and getting face to face with the wildlife, with no vehicles or fences to separate you. I've never been anywhere quite like it.

A hidden gem in the rough !

Uganda wildlife is rich. You have to venture to the national parks for most of the action. The scenery is spectacular from the rolling hills to savannah, as well as the scenic Lake Victoria vista's, and forests there is a lot to take in. Accommodations can range from super luxury hotels in Kampala, and some of the upscale accommodations in the safari lodges. However more affordable accommodation can be found depending on personal tastes. Transportation is available but can be challenging given the state of infrastructure. A good destination for the eco-tourist who is willing to give up the creature comforts for the sake of beauty.

A Lush Oasis with So Much to See

My wife and I did a 5 day Uganda safari. Our guide, Francis, picked us up from our hotel in Entebbe and we drove several hours to start our trip at Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP).

Even though we visited during the rainy season, we were lucky enough to have beautiful weather during our trip. The drive to QENP was interesting because you drive through many small towns where you can see the local vendors selling produce on the side of the road. Our guide was happy to stop whenever we requested, so long as it was safe. The further you go, the landscape begins to change. It was beautiful.

QENP was absolutely stunning. We saw nearly all the animals we wanted to see and Francis went above and beyond to make sure we fully enjoyed our experience. We were even lucky enough to see the chimpanzees when we went chimpanzee tracking on our 2nd day.

On our way to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, we drove to the Ishasha sector, which was unique in its own way and we were able to observe a tree climbing lion resting in a tree.

Gorilla tracking in Bwindi was incredible. We were lucky, where it only took us 30 minutes to find the gorilla family we were looking for, but apparently it can sometimes take up to 3 hours to find the gorillas. It was such a unique experience. I will never forget it.

Our last night was at Lake Bunyonyi, which was beautiful and a perfect way to wind down to end our trip.

We were very impressed by all of the lodges we stayed at. Everything was clean and very nice (We opted for Mid-Luxury). All of the staff and locals we encountered were so friendly and spoke great English.

In my opinion, Uganda is a must visit in Africa. Our guide Francis was fantastic. His experience and knowledge made us feel safe the entire time and he also answered any question we had.

Uganda has so much to offer and we didn’t even get to see everything due to our safari only being 5 days.

Such an unforgettable trip. I highly recommend.

Uganda April

Great organisation and the driver Abdul was very helpfull. Good trip!

Uganda is a perfect place to see the wild beauty of Africa, but also a very hospitable people!

We’ve been coming for years to Uganda to work among people in rural, impoverished villages. But this was the first time we had the opportunity to explore some of the natural beauty of Uganda.

We’ve spent vacations in France, Hungary, Peru, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Alaska and more…..but this trip (a Safari) to Murchison Falls Park TOTALLY equalled or even surpassed what we’ve seen and experienced in these more famous places!

We experienced up close and personal viewings of rhinos, giraffes, elephants, leopards, a lion pair, hippos, water buffalo, crocodiles, baboons and a wonderful array of birds and lizards! Because we were there in the off season, we also had our Pamoja tour guide (Amos) all to ourselves and he was great!

And the crazy thing is…all this was available to us at a much less expensive cost (we are now living on a limited budget) than the more famous safari countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana or South Africa.

So—-if you’re considering a trip to this amazing continent, look at Uganda and any of their big national parks. We plan to visit more of these for sure!!! Bwindi and the mountain gorillas are next year!

It's friendly.

I went to Uganda because I had never seen chimpanzees in the wild. Not only was this successful but the gorilla trek was also amazing.