A wildlife safari in Uganda is the most rewarding adventure offering an almost exclusive expereince to encounter a plethora of game including the African Big 5 listers in the backdrop of stunning landscapes. Uganda’s attractive biodiversity is protected in its 10 national parks and over a dozen reserves characterised by expansive savannas and woodlands, montane rainforests, open water and vast wetlands. These wildernesses remain untamed, unspoilt and authentic, still untouched by mass tourism that offer an authentic African game viewing safari expereince.
Here are some of the top highlights and experiences to enhance your game viewing expereince in Uganda.
Highlights while on a Uganda Wildlife Safari Experience
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Game drive Experience
Uganda’s protected national parks host unique vegetational diversity ranging from savanna woodland, underground forests and large expanses of water ways where aquatic life flourishes.
Wildlife list include all the Big 5 that is – Elephants, Rhino, Lion Leopard, Cape Buffalo. Other species include; Nubian Giraffe, Cape Buffalo, over 29 species of Antelopes, Plains Zebra, while the waterways host Nile Crocodile, Hippopotamus. Cats are well represented from the elusive Leopard, Lion and Serval Cats, with Hyena and Jackal occurring plus many smaller angulates.
While on game drives through the golden savanna plains, take it slow and enjoy the remote and uncrowded wild places to get up-close and personal to diverse game of the Big 5 list, including Elephants, Cape Buffalo, Nubian Giraffe, several Antelopes. Carnivores include Climbing Lion prides, the elusive Leopard, Hyena and Jackals. Watch the interactions, behavior and sounds in a company of enthusiastic guides to gain insights into the ever-shrinking ecosystem of these animals.
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Epic boat cruise safaris
A wildlife safari experience in Uganda is an unmatched due to a variety of habitats one is able to explore. Boat safaris offer access to rather excluded habitats along river banks, wetlands and swamps where a plethora of aquatic resident mammals and other herbivores that come to drink and quench the tropical savanna heat of the day.
Boat cruise safaris in Uganda include;
Victoria Nile Boat cruise: A boat trip along the Victoria Nile in Murchison falls NP is the most popular highlight on a safari here. Launching from Para landing, the 3-hrs cruise will bring you into the full view of the mighty and magnificent Murchison Falls formed as the mighty Nile crushes through the escarpment rock. Wildlife along Nile banks is excellent with Nile crocodile, hippos and a diversity of birdlife.
Kazinga Boat cruise: A boat cruise safari on Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park offers an incredible wildlife experience to encounter aquatic species and other herbivores that come to drink here. Kazinga channel boasts the largest concentration of wildlife including large schools of hippos, elephant, buffalo, Nile crocodile and an excellent checklist of birdlife
Lake Mburo Boat Cruise: Lake Mbulo boat cruise explores quite lake shores of Mbulo to which the park is named where you encounter hippo, Nile crocodile and local herbivores that come to drink here. Keen birders will get chances to see and tick off various shy papylus restricted species and the rare African Finfoot that frequent lake edges.
Elsewhere, boat cruise expereince occur on Lake Victoria, Lake Albert and on highland lakes of Bunyonyi Lake Murehe, and Lake Mutanda exploring historical islands for incredible view and birding.
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Walking Safaris and Wilderness camping
Explore the Uganda’s wilderness on a guided walking safari to explore and gain vast knowledge of the natural world and appreciate its beauty. While on foot, you are able to go along the unbeaten paths where safari jeeps don’t go for an authentic exposure. Walking safaris are led by highly knowledgeable wildlife ranger guides for safety and expereince but will interpret local flora and fauna, point out animal behaviour, identify various calls and tracks making it an immersive experience in wild.
Walking safaris can also tailored to include in biking and horse safaris that will bring you up-close to local wildlife that include giraffes, topi, Zebra, Impala, Eland plus a host of birdlife.
Wilderness camping offers you an opportunity to sleep under starlit African skies and listen to local wild sounds away from buste of cities. Camping is available in selected Uganda national parks.
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Guided nature walk along Rhino
One of the most exciting walking safari and major highlight on any Uganda safari, is a the guided expereince upclose rhino herds at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. A guided walk upclose the rhinos is an insightful expereince where ranger guides share knowledge into various social structure and the species relationship to its environment.
Rhinos were declared extinct in early 80’s following a long period of lawlessness that led to a hunting spree to its local extinction. Today, rhinos exist only in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, an extensive woodland habitat where a breeding program is underway to re-introduce this Big 5 member in its native habitat range.
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary lies some 180 km from Kampala along the highway that connects to Murchison Falls and other attractions further north making it a perfect location to break off the journey.