Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

If you look for true African Jungle, the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a must for you. The name actually says it all as its dense undergrowth vines and other vegetation make is almost "impenetrable". But exactly this makes it worth a journey to discover not only a beautiful rainforest and montane forest vegetation, but also chimpanzees and especially Mountain Gorillas can be found.

The Park itself is located in the very south west of Uganda, in the Kabale District and offers you an area of 331 km² of green and fresh rainforest. Beside of thousands of different species around you, there are also river trails with delightful waterfalls. This one big living organism will surround you with an enormous number of exciting creatures and a breathtaking jungle surroundings. It is the not only the richest forest in Uganda, but also one of the few large expanses of forest in East Africa where lowland and montane communities merge. In the valley area you can find fields of herbs, vines and shrubs. In the park itself there can also a wide variety of flowers be found.

Even though most of the spectators arriving at Bwindi Park want to see the famous Gorillas - as almost half of the world's population of Mountain Gorillas (about 330 of 600 total) call the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park their home - there are also more than 120 other species of mammals, like chimpanzees, black & white colobus, blue monkey, bushpigs, duiker, leopard, jackal and elephants to watch in the south east of the park. There are around 350 species of bird, 202 species of butterflies and over 200 species of trees to discover within the park - so take alot of time with you!

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can be reached through the road from Kabale and has its park headquarters and entrance at Buhoma. Please be prepared with a 4-wheel-drive car. If you come straight away from Kampala - notice that it is 560 km away from the capital.

Accomodation depends on your own wishes. The Mantana Luxury Tented Camp will pamper you with fully furnished Selous tents with verandah, bed room, dressing room and ensuite shower. It is situated just outside of Bwindi Park. Other facilities are The White Horse Inn at the terraced hills of Kabale, The Victoria Inn or the Visitor's Rest Hotel.

If you like to be independent and want to follow camping on your own, you will be able to do so with the camping facilities which are available within the park at Volcanoes' Bwindi Camp or Buhoma homestead.

Like mentioned, the park is the home to Mountain Gorillas, as it is also the location of a scientific conservation program - but notice that Gorilla tracking is limited to small groups - therefore it is advisable to make your reservations at least 3 months in advance. You can do this easily with the Ugandan Wildlife Authority.

 

Kibale National Park

In this tropical rainforest you will find the largest popultaion of forest elephants in Uganda. But it is also the home of an enormous variety of primates - especially chimpanzees and red colobus monkeys. Kibale National Park will also provide you with the possibility of bird sighting - at least 325 species can be found there, many of them can't be found anywhere else. Beside of of these you can watch over 144 species of butterflies as well.

Kibale National Park is located in western Uganda and covers an area of over 760 km², it lies 35 km south of Fort Portal and adjoins with Queen Elizabeth National Park. Here you can experience a true diversity of wildlife and flora found in a tropical rainforest. Like mentioned it owns the largest population of rarely sighted forest elephants in Uganda. Beside of them the wildlife is full of different species of primates like the red-tailed monkey, the blue monkey, the olive baboon, chimpanzee, black, white and red colobus and white cheeked mangabey. There can also be found bushbucks, red and blue duikers, tree pangloins, buffaloes, waterbucks, hippos and Uganda Kobs.

In Kibale you can enjoy guided forest walks, climb up a tree house viewing platform to see different species of animals and trees, you can take a walk along the Kanyanchu river and experience the nature of this exotic life. A system of trails has been developed within the park and tour guides are available for visitors.

As Kibale National Park is very near to Fort Portal it is recommandable to stay in one of the hotels in Fort Portal. Especially the Rwenzori View Guesthouse offers you a quality stay with an exciting view over the Mountains of the Moon - the Rwenzori Mountains. All rooms there have hot and cold running water, shower and toilet. Especially the family-run ambience will give you the feeling of being home.

Other places to stay are the CVK (Crater Valley Kibale) Resort Beach Lodge, 21 km from Fort Portal town and just on the border of the Park. It also provides you with beautiful views on the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains and has a myriad of crater lakes. Kanyanchu Tourist Camp is 35 km away from Fort Portal. There can be found an on-going habituation project of chimpanzees and monkey run be the Jane Goodall Institute and Uganda Wildlife Authority. Here you can experience ECO-tourism in its best way for effective conservation of the Park.

Other lodges and camps can be found nearby the villages of Bigodi and Nkingo, as well as the Rwengo Lakeside Tourism Camp especially for campers and backpackers.

 

Kidepo Valley National Park

This nationalpark is actually not typical for Uganda. It possesses a scenery which you will find hardly in any other park in East Africa. Here you can watch so many different types of wildlife, starting from elephants, zebras, buffaloes and countless antelopes to over 200 species of birds. Kidepo Valley is quite remote and as it is located into the corner of Ugandas border with Sudan and Kenya, the park offers a sensentional mountain and savannah landscape.

There are two game-viewing loops which are connected to the rest-camp with prime wildlife areas near Winy River and the rock escarpment to the south-west.

Please note that the northern part of the park is closed due to insecurity reasons recently, but hopefully the situation will be solved soon and then the Kananorok Hot Springs can be viewed again.

The Napore Nyangea Range is located to the west of the camp and the Natera Hills to the east. The 236 m high peak of Mt. Lotukei is found in the north.

Whatever you want to watch in Africas nature, you will find it here - elephant, giraffe, oryx, leopard, kudu, zebra, buffalo, cheetah, bushbaby, Uganda kob, lion or baboon, anything can be viewed when taking part at a safari at Kidepo Valley.

Kidepo Valley is located in the extreme north of the country and is bordering with Sudan and Kenya. It covers an area of 1,344 km². Even though it looks completely differently like the rest of Uganda, it is interesting to watch such a scenery of mountains and vast savannah landscapes. It is also the home of the Karimojong pastoralists.

The Apoka Rest Camp offers you accommodation in chalets. The food and drink stocks are basic and often limited - so please be aware of bringing your own as well.

You can access Kidepo Valley of course by road, but as the drive is approximately 840 km it would be a very hard drive from Kampala. So it is much more advisable to take an airplane which you can take up to the airstrip at Apoka.

 

Lake Mburo National Park

Two brothers, Kigarama and Mburo lived in a large valley. One night, Kigarama dreamt that they were in danger. When he awoke the next morning, he told his younger brother Mburo of his dream and said they should move. Mburo ignored this advice, but Kigarama wisely moved up into the hills. The valley flooded and a lake was formed, drowning Mburo. Today the lake is named after him, and the hills are called Kigarama after his brother.

The word mburo is similar to the "mboro", the Runyankole name of the cassine tree which has a powerful aphrodisiac effect. One such tree, showing signs of bark and branch removal, may be seen close to the Kigambira Loop crossroads.

Lake Mburo is situated between Masaka and Mbarara in Western Uganda and it is the only park that contains an entire lake. It lies in a rain shadow between Lake Victoria and the Rwenzori Mountains and as it is near to the equator you can devide the rainfall pattern in bimodal terms, with the long rain seasons from February to June and the short rain seasons from September to December.

The park is between 1,219 and 1,828 m above sea level. You can find high hills and rocky, eroded ridges in the western part, whereas the eastern sector rolling wooded hills are intersected by wide, flat bottomed valles which are seasonally flooded and drain into swamps and lakes. The park is underlain by very ancient precambrian metamorphic rocks which belong the "basement system". In the western uplands the soils are clays and loams, in the eastern lowlands they are sandy. Lake Mburo and its associated wetlands eventually drain into Lake Victora.

The landscape itself is a savannah area and contains four lakes. In the open valley on the western side of the game you can following the best game viewing possibilities, there are large herds of elephants and buffaloes, you can view leopards, hippos and many typres of antelopes - even the rare Impala. Also a whole wide range of birds can be watched, ranging from the famous crested cranes, the rare shoebill storks, the marabou storks, the bronze-tailed starlings, nubian woodpeckers and swamp flycatchers. Even crocodiles can be seen grazing on cool mornings.

You can access Lake Mburo Nationalpark by road through the main Kampala-Mbarara road. From Kampala it's a 4 hours drive (430 km) to the park headquaters. On your way you will even cross the equator line as well as some interesting villages like Kinoni which is famous for papyrus mats, Kyazanga for Gonja (roasted bananas) and the Lake Mburo Heritage Village. The park gate is at Rweshebeshebe, which is 12 km from Sanga. Please do notice that 4-wheeled drive is recommanded.

At the park headquarters are chalets available for single or double occupancy. The Lake View Hotel is a modern locally-owned hotel nearby Mbarara. All rooms have private facilities and the hotel offers you as well a bar, a restaurant, a terrace as well as a swimming pool and sports centre.

For those of you who prefer to reside with a mixture of authentic safari spirit and good service, you should go to Mantana Camp. Each tent has twin beds and a bathroom. The verandahs offer you a breathtaking view of stunning African sunsets.

 

Mgahinga National Park

The Mountain Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla brengei) are the most awe-inspiring animals to be found in Africa. Unfortunately, man has not been merciful to them. Poachers have decimated them, and man has destroyed their natural habitat. They have faced extinction, but today sound conservation policies have slowed down their decline, and in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park they are able to establish their family groups untroubled by predatory man.

The park measures 34 km² and is found in the southwestern corner of Uganda, bordering with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. It was established in 1991 and includes parts of Muhavura, Mgahinga and Sabinyo Volcanic Mountains. Muhavura has a small crater lake and forms with 4,127 m the highest point in the park. The summit areas are dominated by wort and dwarf heath vegetation that emerges and bamboo as well as broad leaved montane forest down the mountains. Also the smallest park Ugandas offers a wide range of animals. You can watch colobus monkeys, jackals, golden cats, duikers, elephants or leopards. On the slopes of Virunga Mountains you can find a real paradise for mountain gorillas. As the aim is to keep this small paradise alive the access to the families is controlled and only small groups of visitors are allowed to visit them with trained rangers.

But if you are one of the lucky one to pay them a visit, you can reach the park by road through Kabale and Kisoro - approximately 510 km from Kampala.

There are several motels in Kisoro or Kabale. Volcanoes' Travelers Rest Hotel offers you a spectacular view of the rift valles and the emerald-green Lake Mutande in the distance. There is also a mountains camp for climbers between Muhavura and Mgahinga.

 

Mt. Elgon National Park

Mt. Elgon is an extinct volcano with a gradual slopes to the crater rim, lying at 4,321 metres above seal level. Mountaineering skills are not required. The whole region is excellent for hikers and climbers, with caves, rock painting, gorges, waterfalls providing excellent scenery. Sipi Falls, at the foothills of the mountain is a favourite destination.

Mount Elgon National Park is located 256 km north east of Kampala and is bordering with Kenya. It covers an area of 1,155 km². Explorer Henry Morton Stanley was the first to write about Mount Elgon when he circumnavigated Lake Victoria in 1875. Joseph Thomson, was the first European to visit Mount Elgon in 1883 and he referred to the mountain as "Masawa" or "Elgon" and this brought many curious explorers to this region.

Mount Elgon became a nationalpark as it was the aim to protect the status of the mountains valuable resources in their most natural state. Mount Elgon provides a vital source of good quality water to millions of people in eastern Uganda as well as western Kenya. It is also a big source for forest products such as fresh bamboo shoots, honey and medical plants. Mount Elgon is similar to other volcanoeous areas in East Africa and is associated with the formation of the Rift Valley. Mount Elgon is estimated to be at least 24 million years old - which means it is the oldest extinct volcano in East Africa. Even though it is believed that Mount Elgon was once the highest mountain in Africa and erosion has reduced its height through millions of years, it is still the eighth hightest massif in Africa.

The highest peaks in Uganda of Mount Elgon are Wagagai (4,321 m), Mubiyi (4,211 m), and Jackson’s Summit (4,161 m), while Sudek (4,302 m), and Koitobos (4,222 m) Peaks are located in Kenya.

The mountain is located about 100 km northeast of Lake Victoria. The international boundary is marked by the Suam and Lwakaka Rivers and the beacon on Sudek Peak. In Uganda the mountain falls into two districts, the Kapchorwa District in the north and Mbale in the south. It can be reached by road from Kampala to Mbale via Jinja within 3 hours (256 km).

For accommodation you can find Volcanoes' Sipi Falls Rest Camp.

 

Mt. Rwenzori National Park

The Rwenzori Mountains lie along the western border of Uganda and rise to a height of 5,100 m. Here are the legendary "Mountains of the Moon", a World Heritage Site - and these incomparable, beautiful, mist-shrouded peaks provide a unique backdrop to one of our most magnificent national parks. In the centre of the range, which boasts Africa's third highest mountain, some of the peaks carry permanent snow and glaciers, while the lower slopes are covered with dense forest.

This great mountainous area is the place to be for excellent walkingroutes. For those of you who love hiking - they will love this area of peaks that provide challenges matching those in the Alps.

The so-called "Mountains of the Moon" are 120 km in length and 48 km in width. There are six peaks carrying permanent snow, three with glaciers. The hightest of these peaks is called Mount Margherita rising 5,100 m above sea level. It is the perfect destination for keen hikers and climbers, but only if you are really skilled with mountaineering. The best time to follow this hobby is during the dry season - from mid December to end of March and from June to mid August.

The main attracation are the giant forms of lobelia, heather and groundsel. It is also the home to hyrax, blue monkey, chimpanzee, giant forst hogs, elephants, golden cats and many unique bird species, such as the Rwenzori touraco, the francolin or the olive pigeon.

You can access the Rwenzori Mountains by road from Kampala via Mbarara to Kasese or from Fort Portal to Kasese. There is also an airway from Kampala to Kasese.

For accomodation the Rwenzori View Guest House in Fort Portal is highly recommanded as it will give you the feeling of to be home while watching the spectacular mountains of Rwenzoris. For hikers there are huts and rock shelters available on the mountains. Kamungha Guest House is located in Kazingo Trading Center, about 12.5 km from Fort Portal.

 

Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park is one of the most spectacular in Uganda, and indeed in the whole of Africa. This is the largest game park in the country (3,840 km²) and has the most intense concentration of animals along the river. Here is the awe-inspiring Murchison Falls, where the River Nile hurls itself in appalling convulsions through a narrow crevice and then plunges 40 metres in one breathtaking leap.

Before the Murchison Falls themselves, in the eastern sector of the Park, are the Karuma Falls where the Nile cascades over 23 kilometres of rapids in a breathtaking sight. This is some of the most exciting white water in Africa.

Not only can you watch a variety of species, like elephants, hartebeests, giraffes, buffaloes, crocodiles and birds, but you can also take a launch trip up stream to the falls and admire the wildlife scene at the water's edge as the launch glides along. But in Murchison Falls Nationalpark can all sorts of vegetation be found. Explore riparian forstes, swamp land or the broad savannah.

Being the biggest nationalpark in Uganda, you will also find the river Nile that divides the park into a north and a south section and forms falls where it flows over the western rift valley escarpment. The river has to find its way through a 3 m gap in the rocks and cascades into a boiling pot 30 m down under.

If you look for the perfect unforgettable experience - take a boat cruise upstream to the falls.

Murchison Falls Nationalpark will make you understand why you came to Africa. The number of animals you will find on your way through the park, will give you an impression of Uganda you will never forget. Elephants, giraffes, hippos, leopards, warthogs, lions, chimpanzees, pangolins, civets, buffaloes, hyenas, crocodiles, oribis, patas monkeys, Ugandan kobs or baboons are just a view animals to name to make this trip a dream come true. But also for those of you who love to follow fishing, this park is the right place to be. Nile perch, tilaia or tiger fish are there to make this water world alive. 450 species of bird including Pel's fishing owl, pennant winged nightjar, red-throated bee eater or the magnificent shoebill stork will surround you with a touch of the sweetest way of natural music.

You can reach Murchison Falls Nationalpark by a 3 hours drive from Kampala to Masindi, plus another 2 hours from Masindi to the falls on murram. Please be advised to use a 4 wheel drive on your way. But you can also use an air charter service via a light aircraft.

The riverside Nile Safari Camp is said to be onf the most romantic lodges and camps in the world. The accomodation is in beautifully designed waterside log cabins, each with its own internal tent, terrace, bathroom and outside shower.

The Sarova Paraa Lodge is located in an elevated position on the north side of the river. Each room has full facilities and a remarkable view. There is an impressive restaurant, a swimming pool as well as a bar.

The Sambiya River lodge shows a touch of tradition in design and an atmosphere which will allow you to relax. There is a restaurant, a bar as well as a gift shop. All rooms are complete with full private facilities.

 

Queen Elizabeth National Park

The second largest national park in Uganda at 1,978 km² and lies north and south of the equator to the south west of Uganda. It is contiguous with Kibale NP, Uganda Parc Nationale des Virunga, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a world bio-sphere reserve (UNESCO, 1979) includes a RAMSAR wetland site and is a classified Important Bird Area (IBA) by Birdlife International. QENP has 568 of Uganda’s 1017 species of birds (over a quarter of Africa’s bird species), more than any other park in Africa.

Queen Elizabeth Nationalpark offers you the chance to see crater lakes with huge flocks of flamingos, there are lions and elephants and in the lakes you can watch hippos swimming and families of bush pigs wandering around.

Other animals around in this park are leopards, Ugandan kobs, topis, bushbucks, waterbucks, hyenas or civets. There is even on trail called "The Cheetah trail", so don't miss out the chance to visit this great place ready to be explored by you on a safari.

Within Queen Elizabeth Nationalpark you find the so-called Kazinga channel at Lake Edward, where Nile crocodiles can be sighted. You can take a boat trip along Kazinga channel between Lake George and Lake Edward, which offers you the best chance for game viewing.

You'll be surprised about the variety of colorful birds, which even come near to your table if you are enjoying the great view to the lake from Mweya Lodge.

The park lies between the Rwenzori Mountains to the east and Lake Edward to the west and is near to Kasese, approximately 470 km from Kampala. Don't miss out the chance for a picture on the equator on your way. You can access the Queen Elizabeth Nationalpark headquarters from Kasese, which is 418 km from Kampala via Mbarara and Katunguru. The journey takes around 6 hours, but air charter services are also available.

Mweya Lodge is a great place to stay - for further information please check out the Mweya Lodge section.

 

Semuliki National Park

Semuliki National Park contains a secluded forest area at the base of the "Mountains of the Moon" - Mount Rwenzori on the border of Congo. The out of the way location makes it an ideal place to spend a few days relaxing away from the rest of the world. Semuliki is the only park in Uganda composed primarily of tropical lowland forest. The land is quite flat, creating a startling contrast to the rugged Rwenzori Mountains nearby, and the forest is very dense.

The Semuliki Nationalpark is the right watering spot for many animals. There are also a number of natural hot springs in the area, which build the home for a large number of shorebirds and supply salt for other animals. There are also grasslands and wetlands and also a bamboo forest can be found in the park.

But it is also the home for the Pigmy culture living nearby.

You can access the park best via Fort Portal - through the Fort Portal - Bundibugyo road. A 4-wheel-drive is advisable.

You can find many places for accomodation like hotels or lodges in Fort Portal. Like mentioned before - the Rwenzori View Guesthouse is highly recommanded, other hotels include the Mountains of the Moon Hotel or also the Union Guest House at Bundibugyo. There is also a simple camp site inside the park at Ntandi as well as outside the park at Sempaya.