Gorilla trekking.
One of the
flag bearers of tourism in Uganda is gorilla trekking because these huge apes
are usually seen in movies yet almost half of them can be watched in this Pearl
of Africa. Watching a loved one get emotional causes empathy but tourists who
embark on gorilla trekking cannot miss getting emotional if they watch gorillas
cry, laugh or relate within their family.
These
unforgettable moments all begin with a hard toil that starts with trekking over
relatively hard grounds and baring pierces that come from forest tree branches,
thorns among others. Time flies so fast in the one hour that visitors are given
to critically watch these black apes, but tourists who are not convinced about
this one hour can opt for gorilla habituation that gives tourists an exquisite
four hours’ interaction and understanding these creatures.
Mountain
Gorilla trekking in Uganda costs only $ 700 while gorilla habituation costs
$1500. Tourists should endeavor to book gorilla trekking permits in advance if
they are interested in watching one of the 22 habituated gorilla families that
are available for trekking in Uganda.
Golden monkey
tracking in Uganda.
Black and
gold are a perfect match and that is exactly the beauty that visitors are
blessed with when they choose Mgahinga as their safari destination. The phrase
of “where silver meets gold” originates from the fact that mountain gorillas
share a home with golden monkeys peacefully in the same national park.
Golden monkey
trekking permit costs 60$ while golden monkey habituation permit costs $100
which brightens up the mood of visitors after they spot golden monkeys jump and
play like kittens in the tree branches. Similar to gorilla trekking, these
permits should be booked three months prior the date in which the tourist is
interested in taking up the activity.
Briefing
session is given to all the individuals who are going to take part in the
activity and children below the age of 15 years are not permitted to undertake
this activity because they might fail to adhere to rules and regulations.
White water
rafting.
Visitors
reminding themselves of the nursery rhyme of row the boat, just that this time
round the stream they are going down on is not gentle because the pressure at
which the waves whirl gives a white color impression hence the name – white
water rafting. Ever-lasting memories of white-water rafting are experienced
from the mighty River Nile.
The pristine waters of R. Nile provide a wide class of grades that best suit tourists. A family float is always available for children, first time rafters can opt for low grade rapids and tourists not scared of facing their fear definitely paddle through the gentle and violent rapids.
A family
float is at most two hours sail on to the river, grade three and grade five
rapids are both 15km and take a period of 4-5 hours but the grade five rapid
can make a weak hearted individual say their last prayer on earth.
Game drives.
Game drives
are a best opportunity of exploring wilderness while in the comfort of your
car. This is offered in all savannah national parks in the country. These
national parks have areas that are specifically for this activity and it’s just
vital for tourists not to miss their binoculars because it gives them a wide
range of view from different animals that can be sighted grazing like
antelopes, buffaloes, elephants, focusing different bird species among others.
Game drives
in Uganda are grouped into two – morning game drive that is common in all the
parks as well as the amazing night game drive. There are only three parks in
the country that offer this exclusively unique activity and that is Lake Mburo
national park, Queen Elizabeth national park and Murchison falls national park.
This also provides a rare feeling of visitors as they get the real meaning of
wilderness while feeling the night loud cries made by animals, watching animal
eyes light at night and meeting up with the real owners of the jungle including
leopards, lions and other nocturnal animals like hyenas, porcupines, bush pigs
and so much more.
Birding
safaris
Uganda has
ten national parks and they all inhabit a variety of bird species. With over
1073 bird species, Uganda brags about hosting 11% of the world’s bird species
and 50% of African birds.
Besides
national parks, birds like the shoebill, Rwenzori turaco, Karamoja apalis and
many more birds can be glimpsed at Mabamba bay wetland, Lutembe bay wetland,
African bird club, Lazarus forests and forests reserves like Mabira and Mpanga.
Hiking
safaris.
Travelers who choose to undertake gorilla trekking, chimpanzee and mountain gorilla tracking definitely go through a compulsory hike via the strenuous landscape while they search for these apes that prefer staying in high risen areas especially mountain gorillas.
But avid
mountaineers definitely book trips to the towering mountains that are found all
around the country. Rwenzori ranges are considered the most challenging hike in
Uganda because the hike lasts for over 8 days for multi-peak expeditions. A
hike to this mountain is spectacular because the peaks are covered with snow
and tourists should have a moderate to senior level of fitness because the
upper Rwenzori side is tougher than the other side and has muddy landscapes.
Sipi falls
hike.
This is a
collection of three magnificent waterfalls that visitors are tasked with hiking
to find them. Trails here are slippery and tiring but walking sticks are always
available to support the tourists. Visitors can start off with the first water
fall which is also the biggest and while they are above the normal ground, they
get panoramic views of surrounding homesteads, coffee and banana plantations,
dry areas of Kenya among others.
Magic photos
can be taken near the water falls and the second fall has a gentle side of flow
that individuals use for showering. The nature and environment of these falls
is cool and relieving and tourists can briefly get lost with beautiful caves
that are in the surroundings.
Moroto.
Karamoja is
relatively a flat land but one of the miracles in the country is this extinct
volcanic mountain that is found amidst the plains. Bird’s eye view of the
surrounding communities of Tepeth people offers a scenic view that visitors can
only get when they hike to the summit of mount. Moroto.
Hiking the
Virunga mountains.
Mgahinga is
blessed to be part of Virunga massif and tourists get a chance to hike
Muhabura, Sabyinyo or Mount Gahinga while they are in the park and these hikes
give visitors a chance to look at the surrounding environment from above, watch
other Virunga mountains and lucky tourists can get a glimpse of the rare
mountain gorillas.
Mountain
biking.
Enjoy the
company of friends and the cool wind that those ride past as they cycle through
designated bike trails. These trails take tourists through magnificent hills
and valleys, shimmering rivers flowing downstream, amazing forests and a lot
more of nature and the homesteads of the local people. Some of the biking
trails that visitors can undertake include trails around Mountain Elgon, Bwindi
impenetrable biking trails, Lake Mburo trails and others.
NATIONAL
PARKS IN UGANDA.
The country
is graced with a total of ten national parks that tourists can choose from when
planning their trip to Uganda, because each of the parks offers various gems
that cannot be obtained from other areas.
Bwindi
Impenetrable National Park.
This is one
of the highly visited parks in Uganda, because it protects over 600 mountain
gorillas which are rarely found in some countries worldwide. The park also
harbors more than 100 other mammals and about 500 plant species.
Queen
Elizabeth national park
This is the
most popular national park, hosting a wide range of gems found in this park.
The most peculiar of all are the tree climbing lions that cannot be spotted
anywhere else around the country.
Lake Mburo
national park.
This is among
the smallest national parks in the country and the fact that it is covered by a
lot of savannahs, the park is blessed with a variety of grazers that can be
traced almost everywhere in the park.
It’s entirely
famed for the pretty colored zebras but buffaloes, impalas, antelopes, kobs,
Topis and other animals gather to form amazing and spectacular views around the
water points in the park during dry season.
Kibale forest
national park
The park is
covered by natural forest, harboring over 60 mammals, 280 bird species but most
importantly the chimpanzees. While visiting this park travelers can easily
access Semuliki, Queen Elizabeth and Rwenzori national parks since they are
close to each other.
Mountain Elgon
National Park.
Tourists
visiting this park are over – joyed with the sights of mountain Elgon which is
one of the tallest mountains on African continent. This park is isolated and
found in the far east along the border of Uganda and Kenya.
Semuliki valley
national park.
This is one
of the smallest national parks in Uganda and found in a shadow of Rwenzori
mountains. Visitors can catch sights of the grass-thatched huts, Semuliki
river, oil palms and Ituri Congolese forest.
Kidepo valley
national park.
Kidepo valley
national park is a wonder to this country, comfortably situated in Karamoja in
north-eastern region of Uganda. The park has two rivers that disappear during
dry season but tourists are blessed with sights from over 400 bird species and
70 mammals.
Rwenzori
national park
This park
lies on the equator along Uganda-DRC border. Visiting Rwenzori gives tourists a
7-day hike challenge to the mountains of the moons peak – Margherita. More than
200 bird species and 60 mammals live a life while in this park and call it
home.
Mgahinga
gorilla national park.
This is the
only national park in Uganda which is found in the Virunga massif and it is
also here where “silver meets gold”. Besides Bwindi, the critically endangered
mountain gorillas can be sighted in this park and as a supplement, the park is
also glammed with the beauty from golden monkeys that are only found in this
park.
Murchison
Falls National Park
This is the
biggest national park in the country, containing the Murchison falls that
happen to be a main attraction. This is the most powerful waterfalls in the
world with pressure that makes the ground tremble as an earth quake.
TOURIST
ATTRACTIONS IN UGANDA.
Mountain
gorillas.
These gems
are widely seen by everyone in movies but the lucky few get to see them when
they take a safari to one of the three countries blessed with harboring them.
Uganda is entirely gifted when it comes to these creatures because almost half
of their population remaining in the world is in Uganda.
Travelers can
either flock the thick forest of Bwindi or Mgahinga to go through a life
changing experience after taking a look at them and spending one or four hours
studying them.
Golden
monkeys.
These creatures
are also endangered and it is only the Virunga massif that provides natural
habitat to them just like mountain gorillas. In Uganda, they can only be
spotted jumping from one bamboo tree to another when a visitor decides to have
a golden monkey trekking itinerary in Mgahinga national park.
Sezibwa falls
Sezibwa falls
are found on the way to Jinja and these falls are worth visiting because of the
myths that Baganda attached to them. They believe that these falls were given
birth to by a lady who produced Sezibwa and Bwanda.
Itanda falls
These are
adrenaline risers because the famous white water rafting sport is carried out
from here, after they replaced the Bujagali falls. Other adrenaline driving
sports like kayaking and surfing are all undertaken on these series of falls.
Source of R.
Nile.
The longest
river in Africa definitely starts its flow from the Pearl of Africa. Ever since
the colonial reigns till date, the country is flocked by many visitors that
come to catch site of the source of R. Nile.
There are
various theories about the true source of River Nile and it has been a century
challenge that keeps being passed on over generations but currently tourists
settle with traveling to Jinja because it’s believed that this is where the
natural flow starts its journey from.
National
parks in Uganda
Uganda has a
collection of ten national parks, 3 wildlife sanctuaries, 12 wildlife reserves
and five community wildlife management areas and these all harbor and protect
wildlife. There are about 345 mammal species, 1020 birds, 142 reptiles, 1242
butterfly species that can be found in the country. Awe-inspiring ones are the
tree climbing lions found only in Queen Elizabeth national park, mountain
gorillas and golden monkeys in Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks.
Cultural
sites.
There are
various cultural sites found in the country that are affiliated to certain
beliefs or culture since the country is scattered with a variety of cultures
and tribes, each with a spectacular cultural practice.
Some of the
famous cultural sites that attract the attention of tourists include Uganda
museum, Kasubi royal tombs, Namugongo shrine, Baker’s Fort, Bigobya Mugenyi,
Amabere Ganyinamwiru, Mparo tombs, Karambi tombs among others.
Rich climate
The country
is to a large extent tropical and the rest of the regions experience a humid
equatorial climate. The country experiences rains throughout the year but
mainly in two rainy seasons that range between the months of March to May and
September to December. The northern region falls in the semi-arid regions hence
experiences rain in just one season that runs from March to October. Generally,
the dry season spans from June to August and shortly from December to February
offering the best climate for tourists to undertake their designated safaris.
When to visit
Uganda?
Uganda can be visited all throughout the year but demanding expeditions like mountain hiking, gorilla trekking, chimpanzee and golden monkey trekking should all be under taken in the dry months of June to August and December to February when roads are dry and trails are passable.