Uganda is is located 1 00 N, 32 00 E, with a total of 241,038 sq km, land: 197,100 sq km water: Insight Safari Holidays takes you to Uganda to see the mountain gorillas and lots of wildlife. Gorilla treks of 400 mountain gorillas, viewing wild animals like elephants, antelopes, tree climbing lions, buffaloes and more in 10 parks. Boating safari and water sports on Lake Victoria, Kazinga Channel, River Nile and Lake Bunyonyi. Hiking and climbing is done in Rwenzori mountains range, Margherita peak (5109m), Mount Elgon and Gorilla National Park of Mt.Gahinga, Sabinyo and Muhavura. 1061 tupes of birds found in Uganda, 330 mammals and more that you can see on your travel to Uganda.
Uganda boasts of having the mountain gorillas together with other 10 parks and reserves providing wildlife experience makes it a competitive holiday destination in Africa and the world or region. 43,938 sq km with 26.4% protected areas for safari parks, reserves and specie management.
The country offers variety of wildlife types within its many fantastic safari parks. Some of these protected reserves include; Murchison falls National Park famous for its beautiful scenic water falls and boat cruises on Nile, 76 types of mammals and 451 birds, Bwindi impenetrable National Park , common for the mighty mountain gorillas, Queen Elizabeth National Park, the largest national park famous for variety of wildlife species and the fantastic Kazinga channel, Kibale National Park , home to over 13 primates, Rwenzori national park famous for mountain climbing and wildlife, Semliki National Park known mainly for birding, Mt Elgon National Park famous for mountain climbing and nature walks, Lake Mburo National park also famous for harboring Zebras and Impalas. Overall, the 10 parks make your Uganda tour worthwhile.
With 52 tribes in Uganda, the cultural experience in Uganda is very rewarding.
What to see while on Uganda safaris?
Beautiful Terrain; All safari tours offer such experience of beautiful country side as well as green undulating terrains filled with coffee and banana plantations. There are also traditional homesteads and cattle grazing. You will also enjoy many beautiful scenic drives, good to the eyes of any tourist on safaris to Uganda.
Wildlife; These can be viewed in all the parks of Uganda and tourists have a chance to enjoy the big five and the herbivores including the giraffes, zebras, antelopes, hippos, and Nile Crocodiles. Get to see the 400 population of mountain gorillas found in Bwindi Impenetrable National park as well as chimps and other monkey types you find in Kibale National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park. Besides wildlife , you will also have chance to view the many birds including the rare shoebill stock while on a safari.
Mountain Rwenzori (Mountains of the Moon); this is a snow caped mountain and is the highest in East Africa. This mountain was also known as Ruwenzori Ranges and they are mountain ranges of the eastern equatorial Africa. These ranges are on border between Democratic Republic of Cong and Uganda. The mountain is 5,109km above sea level and is about 120km long and 65km wide. It’s filled with variety of flora including tropical rain forests, the giant groundsel and the giant lobelia. The fauna around this mountain include; primates like the monkeys, forest elephants and endemic birds.
Murchison falls; these falls are in north western Uganda and its among the most magnificent water falls in found in Uganda and its located on source of Nile. Other safari trips include a boat cruise on the Nile were you will enjoy an up close experience with many water animals including; the hippos, giant crocodiles as well birds.
Source of the Nile; this is found in Jinja town and it was discovered by John Speke, you can enjoy many different water activities on source of Nile, these include; white water rafting, swimming, bungee jumping, boat cruises, kayaking and many more.
Uganda Safari Accommodation – Hotels & Lodges
. Many of destinations offer lodges and tented camps inside and outside the parks. The cost is between $ 150 to $ 900 for a double room per night. For gorilla trips in Bwindi Impenetrable National park, each of the sectors of this park has got variety of different lodges as well as camps which facilities those interested in tracking the endangered mountain gorillas.
There are 41 lodges to choose from in Bwindi alone. These facilities can be booked directly or by Insight safari holidays. The most luxury lodges charge between $ 900 and $ 1200 per night.
Best Time To Visit Uganda
This is one of many questions asked regarding any safari in Uganda, the common answer to this question is; you may visit Uganda at any time of the year! However the difference may vary in Price since there two different seasons; i.e. the peak season of June to September and December to February. With this season the price of both gorilla permits and lodges is high since it’s a high season. The low season is from March to May and September to November. The luxury safari lodges usually lower their rates during the low season.
It’s also recommended that visitors should visit the country during the dry season which are from January to February and then June to September, this is because animal watching is best done during the dry season when many animals gather around the water holes. Bird watching can also be done throughout the year, but most preferably from November to April when there are many migrant species in the country.
Uganda Safari Cost
Uganda Safari costing mainly depends on type of accommodation you chose and travel type. A gorilla permit costs $600 per person. The accommodation also costs between $150 to $900 and this depends in which facility you decide to sleep in. Cheapest gorilla tracking safari is approximately $ 1200 per person. And for the wildlife safaris to Murchison and Queen Elizabeth National Park, it can roughly cost $1000 for the budget travellers. Those willing to travel in groups, the safari price becomes low. A journey from Kampala to Bwindi is 527kilometres. Most destinations in Uganda will cost about $150 per day. A luxury safari to Uganda costs from $ 500 per day or more. A budget safari costs $ less than $ 100 per day.
When to go for a safari in Uganda?
You can visit Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for gorilla tours, Murchison Falls National Park for falls viewing and wildlife drives and launch cruise. Other destinations include Kidepo Valley National Park recently ranked among the top parks of Africa, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo, and many others.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Uganda
-Famed for estimated 320 endangered mountain gorillas, ( Gorilla Berengei, Berengei)
-120 mammals,
-Primate Species, baboons, chimps,
-350 bird species, 23 belonging to Albertine Rift endemics.
-Discover the Batwa Pygmy cultures.
Murchison Falls National Park Safaris
-80 km stretch of rapids and falls. Nile squeezes through an 8m wide gorge.
– 76 mammals, Four of the “big five animals” found here. Lion, Buffalo, elephants and leopards.
Other animals include Uganda kob, waterbucks, warthogs, hippos, giraffe and Jackson’s hartebeest.
-Primates include Olive baboons, 800 chimpanze in Budongo and Kaniyo Pabidi forests.
Queen Elizabeth National Park Tours
-95 mammal species
-Best for game drives in Kasenyi tracks, North Kazinga and Ishasha ector.
-Lions, Buffalo, antelope, elephants, warthogs, baboons and more.
-600 bird species.
Kibale National Park Uganda Tours
-Famous for chimpanzee tracking.
Covers 795sq kms, 1590m above sea level.
-70 mammal species., elephants, red and blue duikers, giant forest hogs, buffalo, sitatunga and bushbucks
-13 primate varieties; chimps, baboons, white and black colobus…
-325 species of birds., Green tinker bird, Africa and green breasted pitas, African grey parrot, Ground Thrush (Turdus Kibalensis) endemic to Kibale Forest National Park.
-Over 250 tree species.
-Areas of interest include Bigodi Wetlands, Kanyanchu and Sebitoli.
Mount Elgon Uganda
Mgahinga Gorilla
Kidepo Valley
Rwenzori Mountains Uganda Tours
Lake Mburo Uganda Tours
Uganda Chimps Tours
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary Tours
Tree Climbing Lions Uganda Tours
Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
Mountain gorilla trekking/ Gorilla tracking; this is the main highlight of Uganda trips. It’s also the main reason why people travel from their home countries to Uganda. Bwindi has the highest population of gorilla in the world. You engage in gorilla tracking for 60 minutes as you take pictures and observing their way of life within the forest, The mountain gorilla silver back taking care of its family.
These endangered mountain gorillas share their 95% of their DNA with that of the humans, which makes them a must see attraction on any safari.You can see the gorillas of Africa,in Virunga National Park, Bwindi National Park and Volcanoes National Park.
Uganda Wildlife Safaris & Game Drives
Uganda is a very attractive and exceptional safari destination filled with lots of wildlife. The country is located on the equator along the shores of Lake Victoria’s Northern Shore. This country has prolific wildlife which attracts many tourists that come to experience this wonderful gift of nature of the country. You can watch many animals in their habitats, a rewarding experience that can be enjoyed throughout the year.
Wildlife can be seen in National parks and reserves, and these are perfect places for adventure seekers, eco- tourists and holiday makers. The many Uganda safari wildlife include; the elephants, kobs, zebras, hippos, buffalos, huge forest hogs, sitatungas and birds.
These wildlife species have increased in the past 20 years which provides an opportunity to tourists to view almost all the animal species in Uganda
Uganda Birding Safaris
Uganda is famously known as a birding paradise since it has over half of bird species in Africa, this made it the best bird watching safari destination in Africa and the world at large. With its unique vegetation of tropical rain forest and savannah in the east. Uganda is among the countries in the world with unique bird watching sites like Queen Elizabeth national Park which has over 600 species of birds, there are also over 100 African forest bird species and among these are the gem like green broadbill, Black and white casqued Hornbill, great blue turaco and the 23 endemic bird species to rift valley of East Africa. It’s only in Uganda where you can view the most adored African species like shoe bill stock.
Below are the main birding spots in Uganda;
Bwindi National Park which has the many albertine Rift endemics and has a total of 320 bird species
Queen Elizabeth National park with 600 bird species
Kibale National Park has 35 bird species and Bigodi wetland swamp has 138 species of birds
Mahamba swamp in Entebbe to view the shoebill
Semuliki National Park with 400 bird species for the common Congo Basin Endemics.
Murchison Falls national park is the most stunning savannah specialists like the Denham’s Bustard, Red throated bee eater, and Abyssinian and many more. This park has a total of 451 bird species.
Echuya Forest Reserve with 150 bird species
Mgahinga National park with 115 bird species
Nile River in Jinja with 60 bird species.
Lake Bisina also found in eastern part were birders can view Fox’s weaver, payrus dwellers for example the shoebill, and Papyrus Gonolex.
In order to enjoy your tour, combine your birdwatching trip with gorilla trekking, especially on your visits to Bwindi.
Uganda Chimpanzee Tracking
Chimpanzee trekking is an exciting activity which provides a unique experience to guests. It’s also a very magical and exciting! See over 4950 chimps remaining in the wild and some of these are being conserved in the zoo, others in the forests and others in the sanctuaries.
. These can be trekked in Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kyambura Gorge in Maramagambo Forest and in Budongo Forest inMurchison falls national Park. Chimpanzee habituation can also be done from Ngamba Island Sanctuary on Lake Victoria.
Kibale forest national park harbors the most number of Chimpanzees and it has over 13 different primate species including; chimpanzees, monkeys including; La Hoest’s monkeys, vervet monkeys, and red tailed Colobus monkeys. Chimpanzee habituation can also be done and sets out every morning to specifically observe and study the general behavior of chimps with the main aim of making them used to human presence. Guests on Uganda tailor made tours can also opt to track these chimpanzees from Queen Elizabeth National Park within Kyambura Gorge and also in Budongo and Rwambongo Forest Reserve within Murchison Falls National Park.
Mountain Climbing Safaris in Uganda
Rwenzori mountain stands on 5109m high and is the highest mountain range within Africa second to Mountain Kilimanjaro and mountain Kenya. This mountain has also got 6 peaks including; Mt baker at 4,843m, Mt Stanley which is 5,109m, Mt Speke at 4,890m, Mt Emin at 4,715, Mt Savoia at 4,627m. However the highest peak is Margherita peak at 5109m and it also ranks the Rwenzori as 3rd highest African mountain range.
The mountain is close to equator and it has got numerous icy peaks seen miles away in many parts of western Uganda. Its sloes are beyond 1600m and are favorite to hikers and the mountain is ranked as most challenging in whole of Africa. It has also got five different vegetation regions including; Bamboo or mimulopsis Zone at 2500-3500m, grassland at 1000-2000m, the afro-alpine moorland zone at 4000-4500m, Montane forest also at 2000-3000m and the Heather zone at 3000-4000m.
Lake Bunyonyi Uganda Trip
Lake Bunyonyi lies in south western Uganda between Kisoro and Kibale next to Rwanda. It’s located 1,962m above the sea level. After your safari with gorillas, Lake Bunyonyi can offer a relaxing experience just before you head out of the country.
The lake is close to towns of Kyevu and Muke town. The lake has many Islands including; punishment Island, Bushara Island, Kyahungwe Island, Bwana, Nyuyeera and Bucaranuka Island. We offer tailor made tours to these Islands.
