Uganda Safaris
Uganda Wildlife:
The undoubted highlight of visiting Uganda has to be tracking the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. There are however a number of other highlights that can be combined to make a fantastic 10-14 day safari taking in some unbeatable wildlife sightings.
Where Uganda differs from other safari destinations on the African continent is the fact that it has a large amount of rainforest as geographically it is more closely linked to Central Africa than East Africa. This rainforest provides a higher diversity of wildlife than one would find in other Eastern African destinations and this is the reason why Uganda is one of the best destinations in Africa to track both Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzees in the wild. Uganda also does have its fair share of savannah game viewing, however this cannot be compared to any of the far more established National Parks and reserves found in East or Southern Africa such as Tanzania, Kenya or Botswana.
Both Queen Elizabeth National Park and Murchison Falls do have their fair share of savannah game and combine well with the other wildlife highlights of Uganda to form an exciting safari itinerary. In Queen Elizabeth National Park you can expect to see elephants, lions, giraffes, Ugandan Kob, leopard and a variety of other savannah grazers. In the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park in a region called Ishasha, you also have the opportunity to see tree climbing lions which is a highlight of anyone's visit.
A typical safari itinerary to Uganda would include a selection of the National Parks and forests listed below:
Kibale Forest - Chimpanzee Tracking
A fantastic National Park with over 60 mammal species, most of them being primates! This is the best region to track chimpanzees in the wild in Uganda and clients have approximately an 80% success rate. This is typically a gallery forest so not as dense as the Bwindi Forest. Oour preferred lodge in this region is the beautifully located Ndali Lodge which is approximately a 30 minute drive form the park entrance.
Queen Elizabeth National Park - Savannah Game
As mentioned above, Queen Elizabeth National Park is the best place in Uganda for a traditional savannah game safari. It is not the best savannah game viewing in Africa and should never be compared to the likes of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania or the Masai Mara in Kenya. Queen Elizabeth does however pull you out of the forests of Uganda and offer you a bit of space. It is a fantstic region for spottiong lions, elephants, leopard, various grazers and offers a fun river safari along the Kazinga Channel where you have the chance to see some huge Nile Crocodiles, hippos and a variety of riverine wildlife.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest - Gorilla Trekking Safaris
Bwindi is the best and only place to track mountain gorillas in Uganda. There are now four gorilla groups at Buhoma and one at Kuringo in southern Bwindi. Gorilla trekking safaris are for people of a reasonable fitness as trekking can be hard work through the thinck forest vegetations. Gorilla trekking is however one of the most satisfying wildlife experiences in the world today.
Our preferred accommodation in Bwindi is either Gorilla Forest Camp, Buhoma Lodge or Bwindi Lodge.
BEST TIME TO VISIT UGANDA:
Uganda is a year round destination adn whether it is the rainy season or the dry season you still have a 95% chance of seeing the gorillas every time that you track them.
The rainy seasons run from March - May and also October - November. Gorilla trekking may be slightly harder during these months as it is slightly wetter under foot and therefore this makes for harder going. At World Primate Safaris, our preferred months of travel are February and September; the reasons for this being that on occasions preferential rates are availabl and it is less busy than the traditional peak months of travel during the Christmas and Summer holiday months.
GETTING TO UGANDA:
The main airport in Uganda is Entebbe with regular flights from the principal global airports. British Airways has direct flights from Heathrow to Entebbe, South African Airways has direct flights from Johannesburg and then Kenya AIrways has regular flights from Nairobi.