Uganda - What to See - Tourist attractions
Sprawling across both sides of the equator, a net work of 10 National parks and several other protected areas offer wildlife enthusiasts a thrilling opportunity to experience Uganda’s biodiversity. Not only the mesmerizing tracts of thorn bush savannah teeming with antelopes, buffalos and elephant one tends to associate with equatorial East Africa, but also lash expanses of tropical rainforest, shimmering lakes and rivers heaving with aquatic life, and the glacial peaks of Africa’s tallest mountain range.
Uganda National Parks
Murchison falls national park
This is the country’s largest park whose palm studded grassland supports dense populations of lions, buffalos, elephants and Uganda Kob, together with the localized Rothschild’s giraffe and patas monkey. Immense concentration of hippos can be observed from morning and afternoon launch boat trips along the Nile below the spectacular water fall for which the park is named.
Rwenzori Mountain National park
 Protects the eastern slopes and glacial peaks of the 120km long Rwenzori Mountains, a world class hiking and mountaineering destination. Rising from the rift valley floor to a wintry elevation of 5,109m. The Rwenzori supports large tracks of evergreen and bamboo forests, while the higher moorland zone is known for its other worldly cover of giant heathers, lobelias and groundseb.
Queen Elizabeth national park
Set majestically in the shadows of the Rwenzori flanking lakes Edward and George, the lush savannah offers prime grazing to buffalo, elephant and various antelope. A checklist of 600 – plus bird species testifies to the extra ordinary ecological diversity of the park. Mammalian species include the (else where elusive) giant forest Hog and the legendary tree climbing lions of the Isasha sector.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park
This forested reserve is best known for its superb Gorilla tracking, but it also provides refugee to elephants, chimpanzees, monkeys and various small antelopes, as well as 23 bird species restricted to the Albertine rift.
Mgahinga National park
Mountain gorilla tracking forms the main attraction at Mgahinga National park that protects the Ugandan portion of the Virungas, an imposing string of nine free standing extinct and active volcanoes that run along the boarder with Rwanda and Congo.
Semuliki National park
This lower lying park is the extension of Congo’s Ituri rain forest set at the base of the northern Rwenzori. It boasts of 40 Congolese bird species, unique to this part of the country. The nearby Semliki wild life reserve that abuts lakes Albert, is one of the best localities for sighting of the enigmatic, swamp dwelling shoe-bill and Hot springs.
Kibaale national park
A primatologist dream, this park hosts a population of more than 1000 chimpanzees, of which one 80-strong community has been habituated to tourist visits as well as half a dozen readily observed monkey species, including the acrobatic red coloubus and Black and White Coloubus, and the handsome L’Hoest monkey.
Lake Mburo National park
This is the closest savannah reserve to Kampala and it is centered on a series of swamp fringed lakes known for their rich bird life notably the secretive African fin foot. The green acacia woodland surrounding the lake harbors dense population of zebra, warthog, Buffalo, Impala and various others grazers, including the last surviving Ugandan population of Eland, the largest African Antelope.
Mountain Elgon national park
Set on the Kenya border near Mbale, this park encompasses the 4,321m mountain for which it is named; Mt Elgon has the largest base of any extinct volcano in the world. A lush mosaic of Afro-montane forest, grassland and moorland habitats makes this park a highly rewarding destination for hikers and other natural history enthusiasts.
Kidepo Valley National park
Located in the far northeast, this remote wild and little visited park provides refuge to a long list of dry country species not found elsewhere in the country, Including cheetah and greater kudu, while its perennial waters attract large numbers of elephants and thousand strong buffalo herds especially during the dry season.
The Sese Islands
Consists of 84 islands in the north western section of Lake Victoria. Tourist activities include: bird watching, canoeing, forest walks, and game viewing. Many of the islands are uninhabited except for a few fishermen which makes the forest and the swamps on those island ideal for birds. The island can be reached by a nine hour steamer ship from Entebbe or a 45 minutes ferry trip from Bukakata.
|
