UGANDA

Uganda is a great destination to view wildlife in both forest and savannah. Not to be missed is gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable or Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks, while chimps can easily be spotted in Kibale National Park and several other locations. Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks offer wonderful savannah safaris with good wildlife viewing, as does the more remote Kidepo Valley National Park.

Rates (USD) $214 to $600 pp/day
Best Time to Go June to August and December to February
High Season June to September (It's rarely crowded)
Size 241,038km² / 93,065mi²

Pros & Cons

• One of the very few places to see endangered mountain gorillas
• Combine primate viewing with a classic savannah safari
• Good balance between vehicle, boat and walking activities
• Excellent birding
• Scenic beauty
• Big Five not as easily seen as in some other safari countries
• Relatively long driving times between parks on bad roads

Wildlife
Elephant, hippo, buffalo and zebra are plentiful in Uganda. Lion, giraffe and white rhino are more localized but easily seen in the right location. Leopard are less certain. The birding is a real highlight with more than 1,000 species recorded. So is the tracking of primates, in particular gorilla and chimp, but there are many other species worth watching. The antelope known as the Uganda kob is found in most savannah reserves and is a favorite prey of lion.

Wildlife Highlights
Primates are especially well represented in Uganda. Patas monkey, red-tailed monkey, l'Hoest's monkey, golden monkey, Ugandan red colobus and Uganda mangabey are some of the specials. The black-and-white colobus is widespread throughout the country. Uganda is home to a wide variety of antelope species. The Uganda kob, the national antelope, is locally common, while the rare sitatunga antelope is found in six national parks in the country but rarely seen.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing
The best time for wildlife viewing is in the Dry season (December to February and June to September). Some of the roads are impassable during the rainy seasons (September to November and March to May). Gorilla can be tracked year-round, but the experience can be spoiled – to some extent – by heavy rain in the Wet season.

POPULAR ATTRACTIONS IN UGANDA

• Bwindi Impenetrable NP
• Kibale NP
• Murchison Falls NP
• Queen Elizabeth NP