THE EVERGREEN UGANDA
The Pearl of Africa
Named the ‘Pearl of Africa’ by Winston Churchill (and quite rightly so), Uganda is an incredible and special country with beautiful lush, green landscapes and even more beautiful, friendly people!
THE EVERGREEN UGANDA
The Pearl of Africa
Named the ‘Pearl of Africa’ by Winston Churchill (and quite rightly so), Uganda is an incredible and special country with beautiful lush, green landscapes and even more beautiful, friendly people!
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Activities and Attractions
Hike and Canoe Around Lake Bunyoni
Lake Bunyoni is literally a dream. Imagine a tranquil and beautiful lake, surrounded by green hills, dotted with islands and filled with beautiful birds. That’s Lake Bunyoni.
The lake lies just south of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and is a great place to rest before your climb or recover after it!
The smaller ones are better visible using magnifying devices. A monocular like the Scout TK will do for a good 200 yards visibility.
Lake Bunyoni means ‘place of little birds’ so it’s great for bird watching, as well as boat trips on the lake, local interactions and hiking. The views are pretty spectacular wherever you go, but get yourself to an elevated position for the best ones and visit Arcadia Lodge for lunch with a view.
Go Mountain Gorilla Trekking
Top of the list of things to do in Uganda is going mountain gorilla trekking (sometimes called gorilla tracking) in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Mountain gorillas can be found in the area known as the Virunga Mountains, and live in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and the Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
I’ve been lucky enough to go gorilla trekking twice now (I am aware of how lucky I am), once in Uganda and once in Rwanda. And I would do it again in a heartbeat. By far one of the best (if not the best) travel experiences of my life. And definitely my favourite wildlife encounter (closely followed by swimming with whale sharks in Mozambique, getting groomed by a baboon in Namibia and tracking white rhino, also in Uganda – see below).
With the price of gorilla trekking in Rwanda now being so high (double the price of Uganda at the time of writing) and the DRC being a volatile region, gorilla permits in Uganda are in high demand, so you should book as early in advance as possible. I’m talking 6 months to a year in advance to secure your permits in the location and day that you want.
Hike the Rwenzori Mountains
Straddling the border with Congo, are the Rwenzori Mountains, known as the ‘Mountains of the Moon’ and home to Uganda’s tallest mountain, Mount Stanley. The snow-capped mountain is the 3rd tallest in Africa at 5,109m.
This is an absolutely stunning part of Uganda, I’ve not yet climbed Mount Stanley, only seen it from a distance – but it’s on my list (the pic above was when I climbed Mount Nyiragongo in the Congo, but kind of fits the bill)! I’ve climbed Kilimanjaro twice now, probably time to try another mountain!
Most people base themselves at a hotel/guesthouse in Kasese prior to the trip, and the hike starts from Kilembe. There are lots of different trekking options from short day hikes, to multi-day, but to reach the summit, known as Margherita Peak, you will usually undertake a challenging 8 or 9-day trek.
See the Tree Climbing Lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park
I’ve been to Queen Elizabeth National Park twice now… and I’ve seen lions, but never seen tree-climbing lions. That’s not saying you shouldn’t go though!
Just be aware of safety warnings in the area, as it’s close to the border with the DRC.
Hang Out With the Chimpanzees
One of the most popular things to do in Uganda is to go chimpanzee tracking. There are two different options for this, where you can either spend an hour with them (chimpanzee tracking) or a full day with them (chimpanzee habituation day).
Both options are great, but if you can spend the full day, you may get a bit more out of it as the chimps are wild (although used to humans – aka habituated) and often up in the trees, so if you spend a full day with them, you are much more likely to see them on the ground which usually makes for a better experience (and photos).
The main locations (that I’ve been to and know of) are Kibale Forest National Park and Budongo Forest (the full-day experience is seasonal here).
Tour the Crater Lakes
Murchison Falls National Park is a wonderful national park, once described by my friend heather as the ‘African Jungle Book’ and definitely needs to be on your list of things to do in Uganda.
The park is named after the waterfall, which you can also visit – seeing it from above, as well as below on a boat trip on the Victoria Nile.
There is loads of wildlife within the park, including lions, elephants, hippos, crocodiles, plenty of bird species and Rothchild’s giraffes which (in Uganda) are only found in Murchison Falls National Park and Kidepo National Park in the very far north, near the Sudanese border.
Venture North to Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo Valley National Park lies on the border of Uganda and Sudan.
The lesser discovered park is a great place to go if you want to get off the beaten path.
As well as seeing the famous Rothschild’s giraffes, intrepid adventurers can explore the Kidepo River, visit the Kanangorok Hot Springs and see Mount Morungule and visit the Ik people who live in the region.
I haven’t made it this far north yet, but am planning to go next year… 😉
Visit the White Rhinos at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Another one of my best wildlife encounters and favourite tourist attractions in Uganda is visiting the white rhinos at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, near Murchison Falls National Park.
We stay at the sanctuary on the Rock My Uganda, Rwanda & DRC Adventure.
The last time I was there, we were sat in the bar having a well-earned afternoon beer when, 3 white rhinos sauntered past, without a care in the world (check out the pic in my Pinterest pins).
The following morning when we woke up, there was a male white rhino, chilling on the grass, right outside our rooms, having spent the night there. He had an extreme case of morning glory (which you can find on my Uganda tab on Instagram Stories).
We sat giggling carefully observing him, David Attenborough-style throughout breakfast, before heading out on our actual trek, where we saw the three from the previous afternoon. My friend Maddie’s face says it all in this picture (I’m behind the camera) – it was also her 30th birthday! What a treat!
Visit the Ndere Cultural Centre
For a great night out, visit the Ndere Cultural Centre, where they have a dinner show. Whilst you eat, the talented performers with show you traditional dances, drumming and singing.
This is a really fun way to spend an evening and a great introduction into Ugandan culture.
Get Adventurous in Jinja
Oh Jinja, how do I love thee, let me count the ways.
Jinja was one of the places I really fell in love with on my very first trip to Africa (along with Livingstone, Zambia and Bagamoyo, Tanzania), and the first place I went back to when I returned to Africa. It’s the adventure capital of East Africa, with loads of activities on offer such as white water rafting on the Nile, bungy jumping, kayaking, SUP, horse riding, quad biking and mountain biking.
There’s less rafting than there used to be since the dams were built and pretty much ruined much of the white water, but it’s still fun!
Jinja is the town, but my favourite place is the small village of Bujagali, a few kilometres away on the River Nile where you’ll find most of the backpacker action and where my Ugandan family live.
See the Shoebills at Mabamba Swamp
The shoebill is an unusual bird.
Huge in size, with a face only a mother could love (and sometimes not even then) and probably one of the cruellest birds in the animal kingdom and famous for the fact that they often have two chicks, but favour one over the other (usually the stronger or older one) and then let the other one die.
They’re assholes and I’m pretty sure they want to kill us all and take over the world. Despite this, they are very interesting to watch.
There are a number of places in Uganda where the Shoebills can be seen, however the most famous is the Mabamba Swamp, near Entebbe and Lake Victoria.
Relax on the Ssese Islands
If you are looking for a super-relaxing getaway in Uganda, head to the beautiful Ssese Islands on the northwestern part of Lake Victoria in Uganda. There are 84 islands in total, about half of which are inhabited.
You could stay in one spot or go on an island-hopping adventure. The main tourist spot is Kalangala on the island of Bugala which is easily accessible by boat or plane from Entebbe. Once there, you can make your way around using lake taxis.
The Ssese Islands are relatively untouched, compared to many other places in Uganda, so they’re a great place to get a real feel for the culture.
Climb Mount Elgon & See Sipi Falls
Lying on the Ugandan/Kenyan border, Mount Elgon is known as one of the best hikes in Africa. The peak of the mountain is 4321m high and lies on the Ugandan side.
The trek itself takes around 4 days, staying on the mountain for 3 nights, with people usually tacking on a day either side in a guest house close to the start and endpoint, depending on where you are coming from.
It’s not as high as Kilimanjaro and also non-technical, but is still a good challenge and you will need good hiking equipment (warm clothes, sleeping bag and good boots etc). The park fees are $75 for tourists and this includes the ranger and guide fees. But you will need to factor in accommodation, food and porter costs too.
Once you’re done with the mountain, you can take a dip in nearby Sipi Falls!
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