What You Should Expect On A Uganda Safari Trip

What you should expect on a Uganda safari trip? Uganda has always been a unique African safari destination compared to its eastern counterparts. On your Uganda safari holiday, you must expect a more varied landscape from the savanna plains to the rugged western region stuffed with various games, primates, and unique bird species. General game viewing is greatly done all year round due to great concentrations of wildlife, temperature climate, and wide-open landscapes. Expect game viewing in a comfortable closed 4×4 vehicle with three rows of seating and a pop-top roof hatch. Accommodation is principally in authentic traditional lodges and tented camps. And Uganda is best for a safari combination of primates viewing, guided nature walks, cultural tours, game drives, and boat safaris.

Most Uganda safari trips start in Entebbe city, where the only international airport in Uganda is found, and head west to different places where you find different safari destinations.

As you drive to the west, the most outstanding feature is the stunning terraced rugged landscape enveloped in emerald shades of green. Uganda sits in a basin between the western rainforest jungle ecosystem and the eastern savannah plains, forming magnificent terrain for an impressive variety of safari experiences.

A Uganda safari normally consists of a classic savanna plains game drive, a boat cruise safari, and primate trekking through the tropical and sub-tropical forests of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla park. Birding is outstanding, with over 1066 confirmed species flocking the incredible variety of habitats. The most sought-after bird for a true birder is the rare shoebill stock that hunts in the swampy areas of Entebbe, Semuliki national park, Murchison falls national park, Lake Mburo national park, and Queen Elizabeth national park to mention but a few.

Although wildlife densities in Uganda’s big game safari parks don’t match eastern destinations, game viewing on a Uganda safari trip is much rewarding. Tourist numbers in Uganda’s national parks are a portion those visiting the more established destinations, making a safari in Uganda a more private experience. Leopard, hyena, lion, elephant, or buffalo are a moment to treasure, and you will seldom share such moments with swarms of vehicles.

Primate safaris in Uganda’s tropical and subtropical rain forests are still the best and most accessible in the world. With more than 1500 chimpanzees living in Kibale forest national park. The park becomes a remarkable chimpanzee trekking destination. Other chimpanzee places such as Maramagambo forest, Semiliki forest, Budongo forest, and Kyambura gorge provide a meager chimpanzee trekking experience but are worth trying out.

The highlight of a Ugandan safari journey is having a good time and moments with the gentle and peaceful mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla park in the far southwestern part of Uganda provide excellent gorilla trekking adventures with several safari lodges spread out in the four trailheads on the park’s boundaries. Travelers can also use chartered flights from Entebbe international airport or Kajjansi airstrip or Masai Mara in Kenya to Kihihi airstrip or Kisoro airstrip and then drive to the park for a few hours.

Who can book a Uganda safari?

Uganda safari is best suited for solo, couples, and intrepid travelers. Uganda is for travelers looking for the apex of primate safari experience in a natural setting. Uganda offers the best primate viewing adventures in the whole world, with over 12 primate species, the highest population of chimpanzees in Kibale, and more than half of the remaining total population of mountain gorillas in the thick forest of Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga gorilla park.

Chimpanzee trekking can be best enjoyed in Kibale forest national park because it’s one of the top safari destination activities, promising dramatic primate encounters and trekking experiences.

Uganda safari is for tourists excited about getting down and dirty through the tall, tangled scrubs and ancient trees that carpet western Uganda tropical and subtropical rainforests with a machete, heavy waterproof boots, long-sleeved trousers, a hat, and sunscreen. Such dramatic encounters are exceptional, but on a good day, tracking chimpanzees is thrilling.

If the chimpanzees don’t get you full excitement, the peaceful mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park and Mgahinga national parks all located in the southwest of Uganda will sure get your better nature side. With more than a half mountain gorilla population in Bwindi, four trekking sectors, and over 20 habituated gorilla groups, gorilla trekking in Uganda is an exotic adventure that is difficult to match on an African safari holiday.

The fact that mountain gorillas as a species are at the edge of extinction and treks are a highly controlled activity, encountering wild mountain gorillas is considered a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience. To watch a mountain gorilla family relaxing in their natural forest habitat is an awe-inspiring privilege and a memory you would remove and remember forever.

Bird watching in Uganda puts any birdwatching enthusiast in the middle of an excessive number of bird species, making Uganda a fabulous destination for bird lovers. Bird lovers will find a remarkable avian diversity of over 1066 different bird species in the most accessible habitats to access than any other safari destination in Africa.

Like seeing the mountain gorillas, the highlight of birding in Uganda is spotting a rare shoebill that appears like it’s crawled straight out of Darwin’s evolution box, with its out-of-proportion structures and a large dirty-yellow bill that look like an old battered shoe.

Uganda is the best safari destination in primates and birding safari when it comes to Africa. the country remains a superb destination for traditional private safari by boat or by vehicle, thanks to its lush habitats and variety of species. For travelers looking for something unexplored, fresh, less crowded, and vibrant, a Uganda safari is the most suitable option.

How long is a Uganda safari?

Uganda safari experts 6-10 days to get an incredible experience with Uganda’s unique attractions. However, the length of the safari will vary depending on your budget, what you want to see and the number of days you want to be in the country.

Gorilla trekking trips normally begin from Entebbe or Kampala city, where you fly in at Entebbe international airport and spend a night on any of the accommodation facilities around before driving or flying to the southwestern part of Uganda the following day. Travelers with enough days spend an extra day in Entebbe to explore some of Uganda’s attractions such as Ngamba island sanctuary where you find chimpanzees, botanical gardens, and a little shipping for their long journey into the countryside.

After a full day of gorilla trekking, the visitors will drive or fly back to Entebbe or queen Elizabeth national park. Most Uganda safari packages will head onto the Uganda safari circuit, joining queen Elizabeth national park for a game drive and a lunch cruise on Kazinga channel. From queen they will drive to Kibale forest national park for a chimpanzee trekking excursion before heading up north to the beautiful Murchison falls national park for another game drive and a boat cruise on the Albert Nile.

In the remote areas of the northeastern part of the country, tourists can explore the undiscovered open spaces of lesser-known but most rewarding Kidepo valley national park and Pian Upe game reserve.

An all-inclusive Uganda safari that covers all the countries major destinations should be 14 days and more. A few days will not give you the experience you should get from An African safari holiday.

When should I go on Uganda safari trip?

Uganda safari can be done at any time of the year, but the rainy seasons (March to May and October to November) can make getting around the national parks challenging due to rainfall which makes the roads impassable. The rain can also make primate trekking somehow challenging because the trials tend to be muddy and slippery.

In general, the dry months of December to February and June to August are the best times to visit Uganda on a safari. The dry season is the best time for gorilla trekking in Uganda because the forest floors are less damp, trails are not slippery and muddy, and you are assured of your photography equipment not getting drenched in the torrential downpours.

The dry months are also good to visit Uganda wildlife savannah reserves when the skies are clearer, less rainfall, more sunshine, and vegetation is not thick. During this season the animals gather at the water sources to drink water and bathe making them to be easily spotted. It is also the best time to go for a boat launch safari on the Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national park and Albert Nile in Murchison falls national park. The high or peak travel season in Uganda is normally the two dry seasons of June to September and December to February.

Because the best time to see mountain gorillas is in the dry season, gorilla trekking permits are very scarce during that time. We advise tourists intending to visit Uganda for gorilla trekking to book their permits in advance of 3-4 months to avoid inconveniences.

Are you ready to start planning your Uganda safari yet?

Well, that’s not all we have for you, we have well-trained consultants that are ready to help you begin planning your all-inclusive Uganda safari, and there is one essential thing to note: we customize all our trips to suit your taste and style of travel.