WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT THE PEARL OF AFRICA.
Uganda the pearl of Africa inhabits various wildlife, bird species, fauna, and flora features in different national parks. These include Murchison falls national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Lake Mburo national park, Mt Rwenzori national park, Semuliki national park, Kibale national park, mgahinga national park, and Bwindi impenetrable national park, kidepo valley national park, Mt Elgon national park. These parks are homes to different animals like elephants, buffalos, lions, warthogs, mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, giraffes, Uganda kobs, and bird species like grey crowned crane, kingfishers, shoebill, long-horned bird, ring-necked bird and fauna and flora. The activities taking place in these parks include boat cruises, fishing, game drive, hiking, nature walks, tracking, and many more.
Murchison falls national park.
Murchison falls park is Uganda‘s oldest and largest park which is situated on the end side of Albertine rift valley. The park was also known as kabarenga national park before Sir Samuel Baker changed it to Murchison falls due to the most powerful falls it has in the park. The park is the home of the big five animals like Buffalos, elephants, lions, giraffes, leopards, hippopotamus, warthogs, bushbucks, waterbucks, Uganda kobs and many more. However, these can be spotted during the game drives and boat cruises since the park is the largest. The park is home to different bird species which can be spotted during the game drive and boat cruise and 450 bird species were recorded and some of them are endemic birds and savannah birds including the rare bird shoebill that is spotted in mabamba wetland.
The park is gifted with the most powerful falls in the world where the Nile squeezes through an 8m wide gorge and plunges with a thunderous roar into the “Devil’s Cauldron”, creating a trademark rainbow.
While in Murchison falls national park, visitors can’t afford to miss out on primates like chimpanzees and monkeys in Budogo forest. These primates can be accessed by chimp permits which cost $200 per person and visitors are briefed to pack comfortable hiking boots, long trousers, long t-shirts, cameras, water and snacks and a raincoat during the activity. Visitors are given one hour visit with chimps which is worth it.
Queen Elizabeth national park.
Queen Elizabeth national park is the second largest national park in Uganda covering an area of 1,978 km². The park is a home of big five wildlife like elephants, leopards, buffalos, giraffes, lions, and many more like water bucks, warthogs, and Uganda kobs. These can be spotted during the game drive and boat cruises. The park is the best destination for climbing lions in the Ishasha sector and birding paradise of savannah birds, woodland birds and endemic birds like Sedge Warbler, White-winged Terns, Grey-capped Warbler, Collared Pratincole, Martial Eagle, Gabon and Slender-tailed Nightjars, Swamp Flycatcher, African Skimmer, Malachite and Pied Kingfishers, Grey-headed Kingfisher, Black-headed Gonolek and Verreaux’s Eagle-owl.
Bwindi Impenetrable national park.
Bwindi Impenetrable national park is the most visited park in Uganda due to harboring the close relatives of human beings mountain gorillas. The park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda bordering Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo sharing the conservation area. To access the gorilla permit in Uganda, visitors pay $700 per person and are given one hour’s visit while they are with gorillas. They are briefed to pack rain coats, comfortable hiking boots, hiking sticks, water & snacks, cameras and many more. Bwindi inhabits 16 gorilla families in four sectors these are Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rushanga and Ruhija sectors. One more gorilla family is located in mgahinga national park which adds to 17 gorilla families in Uganda.
The park is accessed either by road or by flight. By road, it takes 9-10 hours to drive to the southwestern part of Uganda. Despite the long journey on the road, it is worth it due to the beautiful scenery like Swiss of Africa, Lake Bunyonyi, spotting farming along the way and many more. While by flight, visitors will spot various sceneries along the way as well.
Mgahinga national park.
Mgahinga national park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda covering an area of 33.7sqkm. The park harbors primates like golden monkeys, mountain gorillas, red-tailed monkeys and many more. The park is located in the south western part of Uganda nearing Bwindi impenetrable national park. Apart from trekking in mgahinga national park, there are other activities like birding, nature walks and hiking.
Mt Rwenzori national park.
The park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda and is known as the mountain of the moon. Due to the fact that the park is the highest mountain in Uganda, it is the most challenging and exciting with ranges around it. To hike Mount Rwenzori, visitors are first briefed and are expected to be physically fit due to the challenging mountain ranges to reach the top. The hiking starts in the morning and it takes 6-7 days depending on how to fit you are. Visitors are expected to pack comfortable hiking boots, hiking sticks, jackets, raincoat, a pair of socks, pair of pants, waterproof pants, sandals and many more. While hiking the mountain of the moon, beautiful sceneries will be spotted like wildlife, snow white and birds like Rwenzori turacos, bearded vultures, sunbirds, and many more.
Mt Semuliki national park
The park is one of the oldest with thick forests that harbor 120 mammals, including several primate species such as baboons, red-tailed monkeys, and chimpanzees, as well as elephants and antelopes and 350different bird species making the park a birding paradise for bird lovers. Semuliki is located in the western part of Uganda covering an area of 219sqkm. It is also known as sempaya national park where powerful hot springs are spotted. visitors will experience egg boiling water in the hot spring. Due to the fact that the forest park is neighboring Congo, the Batwa pygmies will be spotted with their grass thatched houses.
Mt Elgon national park.
The park is the second highest mountain from mt Rwenzori in Uganda. Mt Elgon is located in the Northeastern part of neighboring Kenya standing at 4321m above sea level. Despite the fact that the park is the oldest and largest solidarity volcano, it is the best hiking and adventurous place that every visitor doesn’t wish to miss out on while in Uganda. While in the park. Visitors will spot animals like elephants, duikers, antelopes, buffalos, blue monkeys, black & white colobus, hyenas and many more in the forest at the lower slopes. However, the park is a birding paradise for bird lovers with 144 bird species like Jackson francolin and many more.
Kibale national park.
The park is mostly known for chimpanzee tracking, nature walk, cultures and many more Kibale national park is located in the western part covering an area of 776sqkm. During the tracking, visitors are limited to 8 individuals and are given one hour to be with chimps however chimp habituation, visitors are limited to four individuals for four hours. While in Kibale, visitors don’t wish to miss out on rest in bananas and bigodi wetland sanctuary.
Kidepo valley national park.
Kidepo valley national park is located in the northeastern part covering an area of 1442sqkm. The park is in Karamoja region which is known for its culture and cattle keepers. Kidepo is apparently an isolated park but with the best virgin places every wildlife viewer can ever visit because it harbors unique wildlife species that aren’t found in other national parks. while in kidepo valley national park, visitors spend a night at apoka safari lodge, kidepo savannah lodge and many places as they experience nature walks and view the cultures of Karamojong by visiting manyatta homes steads, drinking blood and milk from cows and many more.
Lake Mburo national park.
The park is the smallest park in the western part of Uganda with 260sqkm. Lake Mburo national park is a home of wildlife and a birding paradise for bird lovers. It takes approciamently 3-4 hours to reach the park using kampala- masaka- mbarara road. It harbors buffalos, zebra, impala, topi, eland, bushbuck, buffalo, warthog, leopard, hyena and jackal and over 315 bird species like mosque swallow,black-bellied bustard,bare-faced-go away bird and Ruppell’s starling. Other activities taking place are community walks, horse riding and fishing.
