Uganda provides you with the opportunity to tick gorilla tracking off your bucket list. As one of Africa’s smallest countries, it is surprising that Uganda is home to some of its most sought-after sights. The mountain gorilla, chimpanzee, and the River Nile are all found in Uganda’s breathtaking rainforests, gorges and savannahs.
Bwindi National Park is home to 350 mountain gorillas, living throughout its dense forest. Trekking through the verdant undergrowth, it is possible to see these endangered animals in their natural habitat. Seeing a shy, seven-foot silverback gorilla and his children playing in the branches above has to be one of Africa’s greatest experiences.
Nicknamed ‘Valley of the Apes’, Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to even more primates, while the Kyambura Gorge is rich with birds and wildlife, including primates.
The larger mammals are more easily spotted in Uganda’s largest national park, Murchison Falls. Carved by the River Nile, its waterfalls are the centrepiece of the Rift Valley rocks and lush, deep green landscape. Roaming the park are four of the ‘Big Five’ – buffaloes, leopards, elephants and lions – while crocodiles and the rare shoebill stalk can be seen in the Nile.
For even the most intrepid explorers, Uganda has plenty of experiences to be had that will leave you lost for words, so it’s no wonder Winston Churchill declared it ‘the Pearl of Africa.’
Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda
Combine a gorilla trekking adventure in Uganda with a classic safari experience in the Queen Elizabeth National Park – one of the most vibrantly diverse wildlife reserves in all of Africa.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in Uganda
Lying on the edge of the Rift Valley, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is home to more than half of the remaining mountain gorillas found within the Virunga transboundary in Uganda.
Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda
This national park, Uganda’s largest, is named after the Murchison Falls, where the wide River Nile is forced through a narrow breach in a steep slope in the Rift Valley, producing a torrent of tumbling water.
The birdlife in the park is remarkable, with over 460 species recorded including the shoebill stork and numerous raptors. The Park is also home to a profusion of wildlife with regular sightings of elephants, lions, hippos, waterbuck, leopards and hyenas.
Lake Mburo National Park in Uganda
Lake Mburo National Park is both a remedy for your wanderlust and, as Uganda’s most compact savannah national park it boasts more than 350 bird species, herds of stampeding zebra, impala, buffalo, eland, hippos and leopards.
Best time to go to Uganda and why?
It is best to visit Uganda during the dry season between June and September as well as from December to February. This is the best time to see wildlife in the parks and provides ideal conditions for gorilla tracking. The wet season however does provide ample opportunity to have excellent gorilla trekking and wild viewing expeditions as well which makes Uganda an all-year destination.
When is Uganda’s high season?
High season falls between June and September. Although you will never experience crowding, it is recommended you obtain permits well in advance if you are planning on travelling at this time.
When is Uganda’s low season?
Low season is from March to May and between October and November. Some of the lodges close during this period as a result of high rainfall, but scenery is spectacularly green and you stand the chance to see newborn animals whilst on safari.
When is Uganda’s best weather?
Very little rainfall can be expected between January and February as well as from June to July. This provides you with perfect weather conditions for game viewing and gorilla tracking.