With a vast diversity of landscapes and wildlife, Winston Churchill once called Uganda the “pearl of Africa.” From beautiful lakes, volcanoes, mountains, forests, and a wide variety of wildlife, there is plenty to see in this incredibly friendly country. Em and I had one of our most incredible wildlife encounters ever while gorilla trekking in this alluring country! It is worth visiting the country just for the opportunity to see these extremely rare primates. However, there is so much more to see in this incredible country!
One of our favorite things about visiting Uganda was just seeing the smiling, waving kids in the village. Everyone that we met was extremely friendly and welcoming! Uganda has the world’s youngest median population and is one of the fastest growing countries in Africa. The official languages of the country are English and Swahili, but several other languages are also spoken around the country.
We loved our time spent in Uganda. It is hard to express just how beautiful and diverse the country is! Based on our experience, research and local advice, here are 6 of the best things to experience in Uganda!
1. Gorilla Trekking
One of the most amazing wildlife experiences we have ever had was gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Standing feet away from some of the largest primates in the world as they munch down on leaves in their natural habitat was a surreal experience. Today there are only around 1,300 mountain gorillas left in the world and they can only be found in the mountains of Uganda, Rwanda and D.R.C.
One of the cutest things I’ve ever seen was a curious and playful toddler gorilla beating his chest to show us how strong he was. Gorillas live in family groups and during our trek we got to see 7 mountain gorillas feeding and resting. At one point I was taking pictures of the large silverback and I looked down at my feet to see the toddler gorilla walking right past me. Moments later his mom followed right behind him. They were literally less than a few feet away from me!
We felt completely safe during our entire trek. For just Em and I, we had a local guide, 3 trackers, and two armed guards (In case we came across any angry forest elephants! =) The trackers know the gorillas’ habits so well that they told us that as long as we were willing to walk for a while we had a 90% chance of seeing gorillas. That is an incredibly high percentage of certainty when it comes to wild animals, especially animals as rare as mountain gorillas! The local guides do an amazing job of conservation and making sure that the gorillas are protected. Over the past 30 years the local gorilla population has started to actually increase for the first time in a long time.
The reason we chose Uganda is because it is usually cheaper than tours out of Rwanda and safer than eastern D.R.C. In Uganda we went to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, but another popular gorilla trekking location is Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The company that we went with was Range Land Safaris. They booked the gorilla permits, housing, food, and took care of transportation. It was definitely an incredible, must-do experience! If you’re interested in learning more about gorilla trekking, read our full gorilla trekking blog here.
2. Chimpanzees Tracking
Another popular primate to see in the wild in Uganda are chimpanzees. With 98.8% similar DNA, chimps are the closest related animals to humans. Our guide Ronald from Range Land Safaris said that there is almost never a dull moment when watching wild chimps. They are extremely social, intelligent, and playful animals. He said that they are often swinging from trees and playing together. On a particularly aggressive day, he even saw chimps running around hitting each other with sticks! There are approximately 5,000 wild chimps in Uganda. The biggest population and most popular place to see chimps in Uganda is at Kibale National Park. However, there are also chimp trekking opportunities in Budongo Forest, Kyambura Gorge, Kalinzu Forest, and other locations. The local government and guides have made great strides in protecting chimps from poaching and deforestation in recent years. As with the gorillas in Uganda, the local guides have studied the various chimp families’ behaviors and know when it is safe to visit or when they do not want to be bothered. Through the restoration efforts, the Uganda chimp population has started to stabilize and even grow in recent years. We unfortunately didn’t go chimp tracking in Uganda, but it is at the top of our list!
3. Lake Bunyonyi
On our drive back from gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest we stopped to see Lake Bunyonyi. It was one of the prettiest, most peaceful lakes we’ve seen. It reminded us a lot of the Peñol-Guatapé Reservoir in Colombia. It is a popular rest stop for travelers after going gorilla trekking. There are several beautiful camps and lodges built on the mountaintops overlooking the lake below. From the islands to the hand built terraces, everything surrounding the lake was a lush green. Pictures don’t do it justice for how pretty and peaceful it is. It is truly the perfect relaxation destination for any traveler.
4. White Water Rafting – Nile River and Lake Victoria
For thrill seekers looking for an adventure, Uganda and Ethiopia offer some of the best white water rafting in the world. There aren’t many better ways to experience the world famous Nile river than paddling through it’s rapids and hanging onto your raft for dear life! =) The country offers everything from first time, family-friendly rapids to exhilarating class 5 rapids. Our guide Ronald from Range Land Safaris told us that white water rafting is one of his personal favorite trips in Uganda. Jinja is a city that is located on Lake Victoria, right at the source of the Nile River. So within one day you can see Africa’s largest lake and the world’s longest river. We got a glimpse of Lake Victoria when we stayed in Entebbe, but there is so much more to see of the world’s largest tropical lake. In addition to being the longest river, another thing that makes the Nile so unique is that it flows from South to North, so Uganda is actually the start of the Nile and it flows all the way up through Egypt and into the Mediterranean Sea. Hopefully someday we will be able to come back to Uganda to experience the amazing white water rafting near the mouth of the Nile River!
5. Queen Elizabeth National Park
One of the best known national parks in Uganda is Queen Elizabeth National Park. Known for its beautiful landscapes and diverse wildlife, it’s easy to see why this is such a popular travel destination. Ronald, our guide from Range Land Safaris used to be a ranger at QUeen Elizabeth National Park and knows the area like the back of his hand. He told us that this area is one of the most biodiverse areas in the world and a great place to spot wildlife in Uganda. One of the main attractions of the park is its “tree-climbing lions”. However, we learned from Ronald, that it’s not the lions that are unique, but rather the trees. He explained that the trees in the park are not as thorny and easier to climb than other trees in Eastern Africa which is the reason so many lions climb trees in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Whether you are going for the beautiful scenery or animals, Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the top places to visit in Uganda.
6. Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch
An animal group that is one of the most affected by poaching in Africa is rhinos. Sadly, their unique horns make them a prime target and have caused a vastly diminished population. At one point the entire Rhino population in Uganda went extinct. Thankfully places like the Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch have done a lot to help restore the rhino population in Africa. The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is a private animal sanctuary that started with only 6 rhinos in 2010. As of 2018 the ranch’s rhino population had increased to 22 rhinos. Although other parks in Kenya and Tanzania have larger rhino populations, it is incredible to see how Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch has been able to slowly help reintroduce rhinos back into Uganda!
How We Traveled
In order to help maximize our short time in Uganda, we booked a tour with a locally owned and operated company called Range Land Safaris. If you’re interested in traveling to Uganda, Range Land Safaris offers custom tours all across the country. Our guide Ronald is one of Range Land Safaris’ owners and co-founders. He was an incredible guide who made sure every detail was taken care of during our time in Uganda. Ronald has more than 15 years of experience with animals and tourism. Before he co-founded the company, he was a park ranger at Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of Uganda’s most famous national parks. Ronald and the whole company have a deep care for conservation and giving back to their local community. Range Land Safaris gives a portion of their proceeds back to their local communities. We had an amazing time and definitely recommend checking out Range Land Safaris. To read more about their company, check out their website or read our full blog post here.
