Bwindi is Uganda’s hotspot for tourism and most tours to Uganda are always deemed complete with a visit to the 331sqkm forest park in the rugged steep hills and valleys of Kigezi Highlands in the districts of Kisoro, Kanungu and Rubanda in the Albertine Rift Valley.

The famous activity here is gorilla tracking since the diverse fauna here includes the half population of the giant apes. The first group of gorillas was tracked in 1993 after the habituation process that started in 1991 at Buhoma which also doubles as the park headquarters and major trail head. Later other 3 trail heads were opened up at Nkuringo, Ruhija and Rushaga which are all operational and each is a starting point to access one of the 19 gorilla groups available for tracking at the park.

The park is one of the most biodiverse parks in Africa with about 160 tree species, 120 mammal species which include over 500 individuals of mountain gorillas, 200 butterflies, 350 bird species that include 23 Albertine endemic species like the Regal Sunbird, Rwenzori Batis, Narina Tragon and other species of reptiles, Amphibians. It is this diversity that was brought into account by International Union for Conservation of Nature- IUCN that made the park listed as a world heritage site by UNESCO IN 1994.

In the communities outside the park are cultural programs that offer a chance to interact with the Batwa pigmies who were settlers in the forest and were evicted to protect and conserve the forest. A visit to the centers where these programs are helps improve the welfare and also is a benefit from tourism to the communities and helps a lot in conservation.

To do list include Gorilla tracking, nature walks, birding, research, community tours

Where to Sleep. Each of the four sectors is served by a number of lodges from luxury, mid-range and budget.

At a point 45m high on the Nile River where the waters of the Nile River squeezes its self through a 7m gorge is where the park derives its name. The 3840sqkm (with other reserves that are under its conservation area) became a park in 1952 and this make its Uganda’s biggest conservation Area. The palm dotted park is bisected by the Victoria Nile into the Northern and southern sector.

The explosive froth of the waters make the most powerful waterfalls in the world and the “Rainbow” trade mark at the “Devil’s Cauldron” see while on the hike to the top of the falls.

Game viewing here is traditional with safari vehicles and boat trips on the Victoria Nile. The northern section is the savanna and filled with the big game and the southern part is more of Forest which include the Kaniyo Pabidi forest. The cruises to the bottom of the falls and the Delta offer remarkable sightings of the regular visitors to the riverbank which include hippos, elephants, waterbucks, crocodiles, buffaloes and resident water birds.

The park hosts 76 mammals which include lions, leopards, Uganda Kob, Oribi and the largest number of Rothschild’s Giraffes in the world among others, 451 bird species and the key bird species include the Denham’s bustard, Abyssinian ground hornbill among others.

To do while at the park includes Game drives, boat trips, Birding, Sport fishing, Hot Air balloon Safaris, Hiking to the top of the falls.

Extending to 1978km², the former Kazinga National park is Uganda’s second largest national park. The Biodiverse Park is set on the floor of the Albertine Rift valley in the western arm of the Great Rift Valley. The equator crossed park was renamed in 1954 two years after the visit by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip. Queen Elizabeth National Park has various ecosystems from grasslands, Forest, water and wetlands which accommodate 95mammals, 600 birds and other life.

The park is the most popular park and is a convenient add on to a safari for visitors to Kibale and Bwindi impenetrable National parks. The 40km long and 8m deep Kazinga Channel which connects the two lakes of George and Edward offers classic boat afternoon cruises to and from the Jetty at the Mweya peninsular past the visitors to the banks which include crocodiles, buffaloes, Kobs, elephant families, hippos, and variety of water birds which include the Spoon bill, Pink backed pelican, African fish eagle among others.

The major highlights in Queen Elizabeth National park are the drive in the Kasenyi plains and Mweya peninsular   in search of the big cats and game watching, a walk into the 100m deep Kyambura gorge inside the park in search of chimpanzees and a drive to the small but bountiful Ishasha sector for tree climbing lions. The backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountain and dozens of crater lakes give one of the most beautiful scenery to the “Medley of wonder”.

Visitors to the park engage in game drives, boat cruises, exploring the expanse of Ishasha for the tree climbing lions, crater drives, chimpanzee tracking, Birding, community tours, research, salt mining tours and experiential tours.

Kibale national park is Uganda’s premier primate destination protecting 13 primate species on its 766sqkm forest habitat. The park was first gazetted as a forest in 1930’s and later upgraded to a park status in 1993.

Chimpanzee tracking is the main activity at Kibale forest block. This starts with an orientation at Kanyanchu Visitors Centre. Kibale National park is dominated by a forest but interspersed with grassland and swamp ecosystems making it have a diversity which boasts with over 351 tree species, 70 mammals which include Chimpanzees, Monkeys like the Vervet, Ugandan Mangabey, Black and white colobus, Blue monkeys, L’Hoest’s, and Olive baboons, elephants, Buffaloes, and nocturnals like the bush babies and galagos which can be tracked at night when the day residents are inactive.

It’s not only chimpanzees that are a great deal here, for birders the park offers superb forest birding with its 355 species which include the Green breasted pita, Nahan’s Francolin, Blue headed bee-eater among others. The Bigodi wetland sanctuary managed by the community is an extra for birders and the primate seekers and the board walk makes the activity easy through the swamp.

Visitors can engage in Chimpanzee tracking, birding, nature walks (day and night), butterfly identification, harping and community tours.

Mount Elgon National park is made of the on the 4321m high Mount Elgon in eastern Uganda. The park is 1145 sqkm and the border with Kenya divides the mountain forming two National parks which protect flora and fauna in both countries. It is also a Trans-boundary conservation area and UNESCO has declared it a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve.

An 80km in diameter massive and extinct volcano with its vast rising from 3000m above the hot and dusty plains of Karamoja provide a cool respite for humans and a refuge for plant and wildlife. The park is home to large mammals like the rarely seen buffalo and Elephant, bush duikers, butterflies and about 300 species of birds plus the curious Afromontane plants peculiar to East Africa’s highest mountains.

The highest peak of Mount Elgon lie along the jagged rim that encloses a giant Caldera, 8km across. The ‘mountain of illusion’ tag derives from historic confusion regarding the true summit of the mountain. The Bagisu, a local tribe named their candidate as seen from their side of the Mountain as Masaba after their founding deity. European Climbers found Masaba to be a 4165m high volcanic plug on the Mountain’s flank lower than the Mubiyi peak at 4209m named after Masaba’s supposedly diminutive wife. Subsequent expeditions made cases for various high spots along the Caldera rim before the 4321m Wagagai, overlooked in the South west corner of the caldera rim was finally identified as the true summit.

To do at the park. Hike to the peak of the caldera, tick off birds off the checklist, visit Sipi falls, community tours, coffee tours.

The Rwenzori Mountains National Park lies in western Uganda along the Uganda-Congo border with the highest snow peak the third highest point in Africa. The lower slopes are blanketed in moorland, bamboo and moist montane forest.The mountains on the Uganda side are under the Rwenzori Mountains National Park. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Unfortunately due to global warming the snow has shrunk.

The high Rwenzori’s comprises several mountains with permanent snow and glaciers despite being a few miles north of the Equator. The highest is Margherita peak on Mounts Stanley (5,109m). Others are Speke (4,890m) and Baker (4,843m). The snow peaks can be reached by hiking the Central Circuit and Kilembe trails.

The park protects the highest parts of the 120km-long and 65km-wide Rwenzori mountain range and is home to 70 mammals and 217 bird species including 19 Albertine Rift endemics, as well as some of the world’s rarest vegetation.

The mountain range measuring about 120 by 50km is a world-class hiking and mountaineering destination that takes nine- to twelve-day treks to the summit of Margherita – the highest peak. Shorter and non-technical treks are possible to scale other surrounding peaks.

On the hot floor of the Semliki Valley near the Congolese border is a 220sqkm forest that merges the extensive Congo forests the East African Savanna in the western side of the Rwenzori Mountains. The winding road on the steep slopes of the region down the valley make the trip to the park a breathtaking one.

Species in the park have been growing for years in this low land tropical forest across the valley floor giving the park a unique diversity. The diversity includes species that crossover from the Ituri Forest of Congo which gives a reason for many dedicated wildlife lovers who opt for this park in search these rarities. Semliki hosts 441 bird species and 35 of these are from the Guinea-Congo biome giving ornithologists a chance to swim in a variety of avi life. Also the park is home to 53 mammals of which 11 of these occur nowhere else in Uganda.

The Sempaya male and female hot springs boiling at 103⁰C are the iconic features that make the park famous. The hot springs are made of a geyser that spouts up to 2m just about 500m from the Sempaya Visitors Centre and a board walk through the swamp leads to a teaming pool (Male hot spring) at the far side after a walk through the old forest.

Activities; Nature walks, birding, primate watching, butterfly identification, visiting the local communities, Visit Sempaya hot springs.

Made of 3 mountains that are part of the Virunga Massif, the 33.7sqkm in the south west is Uganda’s smallest national park. The protected area incorporates the Congo and Rwanda Side on the 3 volcanoes. The park was established in 1930 as a gorilla sanctuary and gazetted in 1991 as a national park. Mgahinga sits high between 2227m and 4127m and protects a forest which inhabits the endangered mountain gorillas and the golden monkeys earning its self a tagline “where gold meets silver”. The extinct volcanoes make Mgahinga one of Uganda’s most scenic park offering views of Bwindi, parts of Northern Rwanda and sights of nearby towns in D.R Congo.

The park has one habituated gorilla family unlike the counterpart Bwindi which has a dozen plus. It is a great place for independent and private visitors, travelers who would like to challenge themselves on a day hiking adventure from above 2000m to 4000m and those who pick interest in golden monkeys.

The diversity in the park includes 76 mammals that include the mountain gorillas, golden monkeys (endemic to the Albertine Rift Valley), buffaloes, duikers and a birdlife of 115 species which include 12 Albertine endemics.

Mgahinga before was home to the forests first people “Batwa pigmies” who were fruit gatherers and hunters and after being gazetted they were moved and resettled outside the park. A community tour and a Batwa trail walk will give you a chance to get a piece if the ancient intellect owned by these people on the forest giving you the cultural significance of the forest.

Activities; Golden monkey tracking, Gorilla Tracking, Hiking, Birding, Batwa trail walk.

The scenic gem dominated by lakes and 20% of wetland surface is surrounded and restricted to the green hills of Nyabushozi county, Kiruhura district near Mbarara city. The 260km² park is Uganda’s smallest savanna park.

Despite the ease to access the park (just 253km from Kampala and a few Kilometers off the Mbarara-Masaka Highway), many travelers have bypassed it because it is low on the count of the mammals that bring them down to Africa- the Big 5. The park has no elephants, it’s rare to see a lion and leopard though they have been sighted at the park but of recent the park has gained popularity and visitation from travelers who break on transfer to Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth National parks or to Kampala.

Lake Mburo may be low on the heavyweights but it has excellent and not easily seen species in the country. It hosts the only population of impalas in the country, it is one of the two parks with Zebras in Uganda other wildlife species here include the Eland, defassa waterbuck, hippos, buffaloes, common duiker, mongooses, reedbucks, topi, oribi and hyenas. The park is rich with acacia and water birds counting up to 350 bird species that include the African Fin foot. In 2015, giraffes were introduced to the park from Murchison Falls National park as a way to control on the acacia that was taking over the park.

Unusually, the park can be experienced on a horse back, foot or on a mountain bike for active travellers and still the traditional ways of driving and watching game on vehicles and a boat safari on the lake.

Activities at the park include boat rides, birding, guided nature walks, horseback safaris, and mountain biking, game drives.

176km away from Kampala in the North is Uganda’s home to the only population of southern white Rhinos and was established in 2005 in Nakasongola for the reintroduction of Rhinos a project by Rhino Fund Uganda and Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Rhinos which were in Murchison falls national park came to extinction in 1980’s and the establishment of Ziwa Rhino sanctuary saw the glory of having Rhinos return to Uganda. The sanctuary started with a breeding population of 6 individuals and this grew to 19 in 2015 and now the sanctuary has over 31 southern white Rhinos.

Other than experiencing a trek to the rhinos on foot with an experienced ranger, the sanctuary also host about 20 other mammals that include the warthogs, waterbucks, monkeys and over 300 bird species all on the 7000 hectares of land. Ziwa Rhino sanctuary is a major stop and add to safaris that go to Murchison falls national park.

Lying in the Eastern Part of Uganda- Kapchorwa in the Sipi valley, the waterfalls are phenomenal and lie on the edges of Mount Elgon where they pick their water as they flow and the Kenyan Border. The falls are a series of three prominent waterfalls on Sipi River that over the 3 basalt cliffs during its descent to the plains beneath. The longest drops as high 100m, second drops 75m below and has upper cascades before the plunge. The third waterfall plunges 85m and is tall and columnar.

A 277km drive to Kapchorwa will have you after reaching Sipi engage in abseiling, hikes to the falls, coffee tours with the help of local guides.

Encircling 29 islands, Lake Bunyonyi is Uganda’s best water front chill-out venue. Believed to be Africa’s second deepest lake after Tanganyika, Bunyonyi and its beauty deserve to be on your African travel radar. The lava dammed lake is 25km long and 7km wide and is located between Kisoro and Kabale districts in southwestern Uganda and is near Bwindi Impenetrable national park and this makes it easily visited together with gorilla tracking.

Bunyonyi translates to “A place of little birds” and being at the lake you always have company of over 200 bird species, spot necked otters and the crystal clear water for you to swim in. Bunyonyi is crocodile, hippo and bilharzia free.

Visitors to the lake can engage in swimming, zip lining across the lake, canoe cruises, community walks, boat cruises and island tours.

Ssekabaka Mutesa I, the former king of Buganda, had chosen the area that grew to become Kampala as one of his favorite hunting grounds. The area was made of hills and wetlands which were a breeding ground for a species of antelopes- Impalas in whose names the city was named Kampala (Area of Impalas). The impalas are no more in Kampala but can be seen in Lake Mburo National park. The city grew as the capital for Buganda Kingdom from which several building and kingdom property survive including the Kasubi tombs (built in 1881) now a World Heritage Site, the Lubiri palace, Buganda Parliament and Buganda Court of Justice.

Kampala was the city of seven hills but over time it has grown and covers a lot more. The earliest hills include Kasubi Hill, where there are the Kasubi tombs where the decade kings of Buganda are buried, Mengo hill where the Lubiri (King’s palace) is and it also has the headquarters of the Buganda court of Justice and the Lukiiko, Buganda’s Parliament. Kibuli hill which is home to Kibuli mosque where Islam started before spreading to all over Uganda, Namirembe hill which is home to Namirembe Anglican cathedral, Rubaga Hill where the Rubaga Catholic cathedral and was the headquarters for the White Fathers. Nsambya hill where there is Nsambya hospital and Kampala Hill also known as Old Kampala Hill where the ruins of Lugard’s fort are. It also is the seat of one of Africa’s biggest mosque and this is the hill where Kampala started to spread too cover hills now including Nakasero, Tank Hill, and Mulago among others.

The first time you enter Kampala and you are from a very organized city, one would wonder “how humans live in the city” because it’s like a maze, some visitors go ahead to ask how people living in the slums are able to locate their houses. Taxis horn noisily as Boda boda- Motorcycle taxis race at breakneck speed, Human traffic stomp the streets as the sun above melts you- you will need a hat. But this is not the definition of a city tour experience in Kampala, once you scratch, there is more than this. There is a lot to see whether you are a first time visitor or have been here many times. The city has impeccable eateries for local foods, historical sites, religious sites, art galleries and charm of attractions for a visitor to see.

Ngamba Island is surrounded by Lake Victoria and a home to about 50 orphaned chimpanzees that are rescued from traffickers and poachers and have less chances of surviving in the wildness when re-introduced at that moment of rescue. The sanctuary was established in 1998 to act as a home to these orphaned chimps and also to live out their lives due the impossibilities of returning them to their natural habitats as well as sensitizing both the tourists and the villagers about the importance of conserving the forest habitats of these highly rare but endangered species.

The 100 acre island has 95 acres which are forested and they provide a conducive are for the chimps and a wild feel. The forest is protected from the camp by an electric fence over which food is thrown to the Chimps from a raised platform. Visitors to Uganda who stay in Entebbe can do a day tour to the island via the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre where they board from.

Jinja lies in South Eastern Uganda about 87km from Kampala on the shores of Lake Victoria near the source of River Nile and is the capital of Busoga Kingdom. In 1907, it was a fishing village and the name comes from the language of the two people (Baganda and Basoga) that lived either side of the Nile River. In both languages “Jinja” means “Rock” and in most African countries the Nile River would hinder migration creating ethnic boundaries.

Jinja has been named the adventure capital of Uganda because of being on the shores of Lake Victoria and near the source of the Nile River. River Nile has always been ranked by travel media and advisories as an outstanding hub for water adventure especially white water rafting and it being the world’s longest river (6853KM) it is among Africa’s seven wonders.

Nowhere else does adventure come alive like in Jinja and every year thousands of adventure seekers flock Jinja to get themselves a fix of some of the adrenaline activities like white-water rafting and tubing, Kayaking, quad biking, mountain biking and cruises on the Nile River. Experiencing the grade five whitewater rafting on the Nile River will beat you, challenge you and have you screaming for more and nothing will surpass it to stand on the brink of the Nile.

The Nile River is a classic river with deep and calm pools in between islands, powerful, and exciting rapids and different channels. In between the channels is where someone can take a dip or swim under the rays of the hot African sun and these islands allow the expert guides to make options for those not willing to subject themselves to dunking in the river.