Always referred to as the Pearl of Africa, Uganda is a beautiful country found in Eastern Africa. Located astride the Equator, Uganda has numerous attractions that include both natural and man-made. Though most renowned for hosting nearly half of the total remaining mountain gorillas within the world, Uganda has a diversity of wildlife which cannot easily be found elsewhere including the tree climbing lions of the Ishasha Sector, large troops of chimpanzees, birds etc. Most of the wildlife, especially wild animals have been conserved in gazetted areas owned by government as way to prevent the remaining species from further extinction.
National Parks
Uganda has several areas that have been gazetted for conservation. The gazetted areas include national parks, wildlife parks, game reserves, sanctuaries, bird sanctuaries, Important Bird Areas (IBAs) and more. The protected areas comprise of a diversity of landscapes varying from valleys to mountains, forests and savanna plains, rivers and lakes etc. The network of 10 national parks host wildlife ranging from large Apes such as the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees, to carnivals, herbivores, reptiles, birds, flies and very tiny insects.
Best Parks to Visit
The most popular destinations are Bwindi impenetrable forest national park the best place to go gorilla trekking, Queen Elizabeth National Park where you can see the tree climbing lions within the Ishasha Sector as well as large animals such as elephants, hippos, buffaloes and more, Kibale Forest, a park with the highest population of chimpanzees in their natural environment in the whole world. If you are looking to a wildlife safari in Uganda, a visit to Queen Elizabeth safari park most known to holiday makers for having a big population of tree climbing lions and Murchison falls national park is a rewarding and unforgettable journey. From the Murchison Falls National Park, enjoy a hike to the great Murchison falls, and ennjoy viewing a variety of animals that include giraffees, lions, elephants, birds and plants etc. If you love hiking, a visit to the Rwenzori Mountains (aka the mountains of the moon) in western Uganda offers some of the best hikes you can ever take on the African continent. A hike to the glaciated peaks of Stanley or Magherita Peak takes a total of 7 Days.
Other national parks visited by tourists include the less discovered Kidepo National Park located in the remote corner of North Eastern Uganda, Semliki National Park with its crater lakes and hostsprings, Lake Mburo national park known for its zebras, elands and sitatungas and Mount Elgon with the great scenic sipi falls.
Other Things to See
In addition to the safari parks, Uganda safaris feature visits to less known sites which include chimpanzee sanctuaries, many birding sites, swamps and ecotourism sites. The top things to do include gorilla trekking, white water rafting, chimpanzee tracking, bird watching in the forests like Mabira forest, Budongo and others, visits to different cultural sites, day trip to the source of the Nile and Bujjagali Falls for bungee jumping, kayaking and white water rafting, sightseeing and city tours etc.
Tourism in Uganda
Uganda has become a major tourism destination in Africa due to the fact that it offers unique tour attractions with over 1010 bird species that are endemic to the region due to its location. It is located astride the equator, an imaginary line that separates into two equal halves; the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere. Also it is found in a location where the Sahara desert meets with the equatorial rain forests thus offering unique habitats for different types of wildlife.