There is always a reason as to why one choose to visit the pearl of Africa, there is so much to explore more than what is listed below, the country has serene beauty, cool climate, stability and above all peaceful for everyone, the people are welcoming to take you around on a journey to explore Uganda. some of the 5 major highlights to do in Uganda include;
Primate walks
There are Over 5000 primates with in Uganda forests and reserves, among primates include, chimpanzees, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, patus monkeys, grey cheeked mangabeys, vervet monkeys among others. The commonest primate walk on Ugandan safari is chimpanzee tracking. Kibale forest national park was nick named the primate capital of the world because of its largest concentration of chimpanzees and other 12 primate species. The park is a green moist tropical forest in Kabarole, fort portal district. The main activity with in the park is chimpanzee tracking alongside chimpanzee habituation experience.
Other places to see chimpanzees are kyambura gorge in queen Elizabeth and Budogo forest on the escarpment of the Albertine rift valley towards Murchison falls national park.
Gorilla tracking
The touristic jewel in Uganda are the mountain gorillas in Bwindi forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park, the two named parks are home to more than 800 gorillas both habituated and wild gorillas. Both parks lie south western Uganda in the districts of Kisoro, kabale and Rukungiri. Bwindi forest national park alone has over 400 mountain gorillas, it is a huge impenetrable forest covering 331 square kilometres divided into 4 tracking sectors namely Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo. Bwindi alone has several habituated gorilla families at different tracking sectors. Mgahinga gorilla national park has two habituated gorilla families that is Nyakagenzi and Hirwa gorilla families.
Game drive and viewing
Who would not want to see the big game on a safari, Uganda has ten national parks among them are savannah parks for game drive and viewing. These parks include Kidepo national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Murchison falls national park and lake Mburo national park. The parks are well endowed with each has a distinct feature from the other. Some of the notable mammal species to see are members of the big five family including elephants, lions, leopards, cape buffaloes and lastly Rhinos at zziwa rhino sanctuary. Other mammal species include antelopes, warthogs, hyenas, water bucks, bush bucks, giraffes, zebras among other.
The parks have well maintained tracks to follow while on game drive, the tracks will lead you to different hide outs of different mammal species with in the park.
Birding
Bird lovers are not left behind, Uganda has a record of over 1000 birds, including endemics and immigrant birds. Some of the bird species include Archer’s robin-chat, Black collared babbler, Blue headed sun bird, Dwarf honey guide, Fox’s weaver, Chaplin’s flycatcher, Dusky crimson wing, Golden-winged sun bird ,Grant’s blue bill , Grauer’s broad bill ,Grauer’s cuckoo-shrike ,Grauer’s swamp warbler, saddle billed stork, the rare shoe bill stork, Turaco’s among them. Some of the arranged birding sites include Mabamba island, Bigodi wetlands Other birds can be spotted in semiliki national park and other various national parks.
Community walks
Enjoy the safari with an African touch and feel, visit the surrounding communities with in the parks you visit and explore their tradition ways of living. Engage with the community in different perspective by visiting schools, families, places of worship among others. Community walks could also include hiking, for example hike to various destinations. Community visits enables the tourist to discover wild life and local habitats, traditional cultures and rituals. This helps the community to be aware of the of the social-economic values towards conserving the neighboring resources.
