Things to do while in Uganda
Uganda is a vast land of beauty in East Africa, it is known for its stunning landscapes, mountains, forests and wildlife, and it is one of those amazing places to include on your travel bucket list annually. The country’s major entry point Entebbe international airport with the most hospitable natives who speak a variety of languages, this said there are uniform languages spoken by each one these include English or Swahili. There are lots of things to do while in Uganda below is a top list of must do’s! Mountain Gorilla trekking , chimpanzee tracking , wildlife game drives, mountain climbing, Guided nature walks, Birding in the important birding areas of Uganda, Boat cruises and launches along the many rivers and lakes.
Mountain gorilla trekking is a key thing to do in Uganda, gorilla species are found in the Bwindi impenetrable national park and the Mgahinga national park, these are a subspecies of the eastern gorilla beringei, gorillas stand out as the world’s largest living primates who can only survive in highland areas living in families of upto 20 members led by a male silverback, in a group there is always females , juveniles, black backs and babies who make the team, they are herbivores characterized by their social character, the gentle brown eyed species do nest on the ground which is sometimes used to do an animal count. Trekking Gorillas requires you to have a gorilla trekking permit which is usually obtained before you go to the park through a registered Ugandan tour operator.
Game drives in the savannah conservation areas of Uganda including Queen Elizabeth national park, Kidepo valley national park, Lake Mburo national park, Semliki national park, Murchison falls national park, these are animal points to spot the so called big four of the wilderness (lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants),other present species include , birds, antelopes, giraffes, zebras, warthogs. Game drives are conducted using open roof safari 4 wheel safari vehicles which give room to view animals, and take pictures while on Safari these are guided by an experience guide who is knowledgeable and conversant with national parks and the routing, accessing these parks requires to pay park entrance fees directly to the Uganda wildlife authority.
The Mountainous regions of the country give adventurous chances to travelers who love to hike for example the Rwenzori mountain, a block mountain in the western part of Uganda covered in snow, it is also termed as mountains of the moon, this is the high mountain boasting a growth of different vegetation zones, the Mountain Elgon national park is eastern Uganda is fit for hikers on both sides of Uganda and Kenya as the park straddles along boarders with Kenya, to reach the summits the walk can take days depending on the speed of the last person.
Chimpanzee tracking in Uganda takes place in a few ecosystems of the Kibale forest national park, Murchison falls national park and the Kibale forest national park, the primates have been scientifically proven to share up to 98% of the human DNA , they live in troops led by a male alpha, the Kibale forest national park hosts most of the population with higher chances of seeing them , travelers need to purchase permits in order to be allowed to do the chimpanzee tracking in any of the national parks. The list to Uganda’s things to do is endless, the country can be visited any time of the year however it is best during the dry seasons between December-February and June to early September. It is important to note proper travel documents when planning to visit Uganda.
