Uganda Safari Destinations to Explore this Off Season

There are a number of Uganda safari destinations that nature lovers love to add on their bucket list while planning to Visit the beautiful country. The country is one of the few places in the world where you can experience both primates and savanna wildlife safaris. Uganda is truly gifted by nature with diverse wildlife attractions and it is from this basis that is called the Pearl of Africa.

Uganda has two main seasons the dry and wet season. The dry season stretches from June to September and from Mid December to March. This is also doubles as the high tourist season a time when tourists from various parts of the world Visit Uganda for wildlife adventures. During the dry season, there are minimal rainfall disturbances making it the best time to explore Uganda safari destinations. For wildlife photographers this also doubles as a best time for photography with great light effects from the bright sun received in Uganda throughout the year.

When going for renown safari activities like mountain gorilla trekking, because it is done in the forested mountains, it is easy to Hike much as the trails are often wet in the morning. General activities even game drives and nature walks are very easy to do in the dry season.

The wet season from April to May and November experiences rainfall and it is the low tourist season. Much as there are rains almost every day, the low tourist season is still a good time to explore Uganda and be part of the different safari activities. For birders that is the best time to visit as migratory birds from Europe set in. Let us briefly look at the leading Uganda safari destinations you must not miss visiting this off season.

Chimpanzee in Kibale National Park. Uganda Safari destinations
Chimpanzee in Kibale National Park. Courtesy Photo

Bwindi Impenetrable national Park is most famous for mountain gorilla trekking and is home to half of the remaining mountain gorillas whose population is about 1000 individuals. Bwindi is the best place to see the rare mountain gorillas in their most preferred habitants. The park has 3 major sectors each with habituated gorilla families that are open to tourist visitation. It can be accessed by both road and air and gorilla trekking safari adventures are doable even in the wet season.

It is important to book permits for the right sector where you are required to report to the park headquarters by 7:00 am for a briefing. Because rainfall is very unpredictable especially in the wet season, it is advisable to carry a Poncho or rain coat. To easily navigate the wet muddy trails, you are advised to wear water proof pants and gaiters or boots. You are then guided to the forested mountains a hike that takes 1 to 4 hours or more until you meet the mountain gorillas. Here you are given time to take photos, observe and to learn more about the mountain gorillas. Even on a bloody rainy day you will still get to enjoy a gorilla trek in Bwindi.

Bwindi is not only home to mountain gorillas but also other primates including chimpanzees and Many other monkey species. There are also many bird species and other mammals including forest elephants and buffaloes. The park is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site and it is undeniably among the top Uganda Safari destinations to Visit this off season.

Lake Mburo national park is the smallest savanna wildlife park in Uganda. It is located in Kiruhura district about 4 hours drive from Kampala Uganda Capital city. Despite its small size, lake Mburo national park is home to various savanna wildlife species. The park is one of the only two places to see zebras in Uganda the other being Kidepo valley national park located in North eastern Uganda. With the long drives involved when going to Kidepo and some roads becoming impassable because of the rains, if you are seeking an exclusive experiences with the zebras then Lake Mburo national park is the place to be.

The park is also home to elands that do not occur in other national park in Uganda. Lands tallest mammals the giraffes also occur here and can only be seen in two other national parks in Uganda that are Murchison falls and Kidepo valley national park plus Pian Upe game reserve.

Other notable wildlife in Lake Mburo national park include the Topi, waterbucks, Oribi, warthogs and various birds. Many of these are seen while on game drives in the park. During the wet season the rains enable the growth of lush vegetation that the major grazers are seen enjoying and can easily be spotted while on game drives and nature walks. Just as per its name the park has a Lake (Mburo) where you can enjoy a boat cruise seeing Hippos and other aquatic wildlife. There is also an ankole community near the park where you can enjoy a community visit participating in local activities like Milking.

Given the accessibility and the activities you get to engage in, lake Mburo should not miss on your top Uganda safari destinations to visit this season.

The primate capital of the world can not fail to make it on this list. Kibale national park home to chimpanzees and 12 other primates species and the best place to see chimpanzees in the wild. Some of the notable primates here include the Black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys among others.

The park has the highest chimpanzee population in the region and chimpanzee trekking is the commonly done adventure activity here. There are two chimpanzee trekking sessions here the morning and afternoon one. The morning session starts with a briefing at the park headquarters and then you set off for a guided trek from 8 am lasting for 3 to 4 hours depending on the movement of the chimpanzees. The afternoon session starts at 2 pm and also last for 3 to 4 hours. Unlike some primates like mountain gorillas, chimpanzees are very mobile and often times they jump over tree canopies.

To allow for experiential adventures and give people more time to get to know about Mans’ closest wild relatives, there is chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale national park. This experience enables you to follow the daily routine of the chimpanzees starting from when they wake up, feed, groom, interact and retire. The chimpanzee habituation experience is best for researchers and those who would like to spend more time in the wild with chimpanzees.

Murchison falls national park is Uganda’s leading savanna national park and the best place to see major savanna wildlife species. The park is situated at the northern edge of the Albertine rift valley near Lake Albert one of the great Rift Valley lakes. Murchison falls National park is crossed by the great River Nile on its journey up north and forms a great waterfalls – Murchison falls from which the park was named.

The Great River Nile at Murchison falls plunges down a 7 meter narrow gorge forming a thunderous sound and often has a rainfall on a sunny day. The waterfalls are very magnificent to watch and are often seen while on a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls. From here one can hike to the top of the falls for a panoramic view of the falls and surrounding area.

The park has diverse wildlife species and is the best most diverse national park with 4 of the big Five mammals. There are over 76 mammals and 450 birds most of which are seen on game drives while in the park. The northern sector has the highest wildlife concentration and it is where most game drives are done. Notable wildlife species to see here include giraffes, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, hartebeests, warthogs among other.

Apart from the boat cruise to the bottom of the falls, there is another boat cruise to the Nile delta boat that offers yet another exploration of the great River Nile. This is usually done by birders hoping to see a number of birds including the shoebill stork in the marches of Nile Delta. You can also do sport fishing along the River and on a lucky day can catch some of the biggest Nile Perches.

Murchison falls national park is true wildlife gem and a Must visit when exploring leading Uganda safari destinations.

The Best of A Uganda Safari Adventure

Popularly Known as the Pearl of Africa, Uganda is one of the best East African safari destinations. Having a Uganda Safari Adventure this new year is highly recommended as you would get to explore the country’s major wildlife. As the world is slowly opening up after the COVID 19 lockdowns, tourists numbers are few making it a great time to have intimate safari experiences.

For a successful Uganda Safari adventure, there are some bucket list places and experiences you must be apart of. They include the following

Mountain Gorilla Bwindi Uganda Safari Adventure
Baby Mountain gorilla Bwindi. Courtesy Photo

Gorilla trekking is among the top desired Uganda safari adventure experiences. Mountain gorillas are apes with over 95% DNA similar to humans. On the entire planet, mountain gorillas can only be found in 3 countries that are Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mountain gorillas are endangered with their total population estimated at around 1000 gorillas. Almost half of that population live in Uganda’s Bwindi impenetrable national park. The park is located in southwestern Uganda and has 22 habituated gorilla families that are open to tourism.

While taking a Uganda safari adventure, gorilla trekking should be your number one safari activity to do. The trek enables you to enjoy great scenic views as well as see other wildlife in the park especially birds.

Batwa Trail Experiences

The Batwa are pygmies and one of the native tribes of the Great Lakes region. They were initially living in the forest and only relied on the forest for food and survival. They were hunter gatherers however their activities were a threat to wildlife because of poaching. With the gazetting of the parks to conserve and protect wildlife, the Batwa were pushed at the edge of the forest and are occasionally allowed to go to the forest again.

The Batwa trail experience is one of the authentic cultural experiences while on a Uganda safari experience. The Batwa on this experience take you through their initial ways of life. They demonstrate their hunting and gathering skills, making fire using stones and perform folks about their culture.

The trails goes through the forest to the Ngarama cave that was once a home for the Batwa King. The Batwa trail is done in Mgahinga gorilla park another home for mountain gorillas.

Uganda is one of the leading chimpanzee trekking destinations worldwide. The country is home to the largest chimpanzee population in the world. These live in the primate capital of the world Kibale forest national park.

Chimpanzee trekking here is exclusive and offers an opportunity to see other primates including red-tailed and Colobus monkeys among others. Chimpanzees in Kibale National Park can be explored by a normal chimpanzee trek with the first shift starting in the morning till mid day and the afternoon session starting at 2:00 pm. The morning and afternoon chimpanzee trekking sessions take 2 to 4 hours of trekking. Once you get to the chimpanzees you will be allowed in their presence for an hour. 

The chimpanzee habituation experience is the other activity in which chimpanzees in the park can be explored. This is a full-day activity that starts in the morning and gives you 4 hours in the presence of the chimpanzees. In the habituation experience, you follow the chimpanzee’s day’s routine and activities. The experience is a great opportunity to explore man’s closest primates.

Uganda has a variety of savanna wildlife and majority of the country’s national parks and game reserves have a savanna ecosystem. Savanna’s big five mammals that include lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and buffaloes can be seen while on a Uganda Safari adventure.

Uganda’s most isolated national park Kidepo Valley National Park offers one of the most exclusive and classic game drives on the African continent. The park is located north east of Uganda near the border with South Sudan. Game drives here are very rewarding with wildlife including cheetahs, lions, leopards, giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, zebras among others.

Murchison falls National park is another great place to enjoy a Uganda safari adventure featuring the big cats and big five mammals. Most game drives here are done in the northern sector of the park with the highest concentration of wildlife.

All these can be done throughout the year with best experiences and photography happening in the dry season.

Uganda is a birders haven and a Uganda safari adventure is usually incomplete without a birding safari experience. Some of the worlds’ rarest and endemic bird species are found in Uganda.

The country has a number of ramsar sites that are ideal of a birding safari adventure. Major national parks’ ecosystems are also habitats for the various bird species. The Mabamba swamp in Entebbe is among the leading birding destinations in Uganda. It’s home to the rare shoebill stork and many other bird species.

Visit Uganda and be a part of the never ending safari adventures in the Pearl of Africa.

Uganda National Parks Now Fully Open For Tourism Amidst COVID 19 Crisis

Chimpanzee in Kibale Forest National Park Uganda
Chimpanzee in Kibale Forest NP Uganda. Photo by Alex Mushabe

Uganda just like any other country in the world was hit by the Corona Virus disease outbreak which prompted the closure of tourism and national parks. Many COVID 19 cases have been reported daily with the total cases currently standing at 3667 with 1608 recoveries and 41 deaths.

It should be remembered that Uganda lock down its economy in March this year to contain the spread of the deadly virus.

In June the Uganda Wildlife Authority started opening up slowly for tourism as domestic tourists were allowed to visit the savanna national parks. For the primates in Uganda given that the major primates (Chimpanzees and mountain gorillas) have over 95% DNA similar to humans, the primates national parks remained closed

The continued closure of the primate parks was done to ensure better standard operating procedures are put in place to ensure the safety of primates as they could easily contract the disease from humans.

After several engagements with the various stakeholders and the Ministry, all national parks in Uganda including the primates parks have been officially fully opened for tourist visitation.

Guidelines to be Followed

All national parks are mandated to do temperature screening using non-contact infra red thermometers at key tourism entry points

Its mandatory to have hand washing and sanitizing points and major park entries

All tourists are mandated to wear a face mask while inside the national parks

Social distancing will continue to be observed especially in tourist vehicles and boats in national parks as they will only be allowed to carry half capacity of the usual numbers.

With all national parks now fully open, Uganda now joins the other three East African countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda that opened their economies for business and tourism.

There is hope that Entebbe international airport will open up for international commercial flights on 1st October 2020 which will great improve tourism as many people having been waiting to travel and explore again.

Uganda is one of the leading wildlife destinations in East Africa with a number of wildlife attractions and a unique culture of the people. Wildlife tours in Uganda feature tourist activities like game drives, nature walks, boat cruises, balloon safaris and primate trekking. These offer great wildlife encounters and its what travel enthusiast need after several months of lock down.

Mountain Gorillas Baby Boom in Uganda’s Forested National Parks

Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Uganda
An Infant gorilla with its Mother in Bwindi, Uganda. Photo by Bishop Skyler

Updates from Uganda’s mountain gorillas national parks indicate an increase in births with six mountain gorilla babies having been born in just six weeks. 5 baby  gorillas have been born in Bwindi Impenetrable national park in the different sectors of the park and 1 baby gorilla in Mgahinga gorilla park.

About Mountain Gorillas

Mountain gorillas are endangered primate species that live in the forested mountains of East and central Africa. Their population had declined due to poaching, human encroachment on their habitats and civil wars. After several conservation efforts, the total mountain gorilla population has increased steadily now estimated at 1063 gorillas.

East Africa is a home to these primates living in the forested mountains of Uganda, Rwanda and DRC.

Uganda’s Bwindi impenetrable forest has the highest gorilla population of all the gorilla destinations. The park has over 15 habituated mountain gorilla groups that are open to tourist visitation. With the new and increased gorilla births we just hope for the best especially for conservation and gorilla tourism.

Those interested in mountain gorilla tracking  can have a gorilla tour arranged to one of the destinations.

While on the mountain gorilla trek, tourists are allowed in the presence of mountain gorillas for strictly one hour. This helps to limit contact to avoid disease spreading among gorillas and humans.  Mountain gorillas have 95% DNA similar to humans with chances of transmitting diseases easily if interaction is not limited.

In case you want more time with the gorillas in then you can opt for a mountain gorilla habituation experience. This experience is where gorillas are accustomed to human beings presence in the wild. Tourists on the gorilla habituation experience stay for 4 hours in the presence of the gorillas.

Note is that mountain gorilla tours are on high demand with need to book gorilla permits in advance. The gorilla permits usually get sold out in the high season from June to September and from December to March.

You can have a mountain gorilla tour arranged anytime and visit one of the two gorilla parks in Uganda.  The best gorilla trekking experiences can be had in the dry season with minimal rainfall disturbances.

Why A Post Covid 19 Lock-down Wildlife Safari in East Africa is Essential 

When the COVID19 pandemic outbreak was announced in December 2019, travel and tourism plus wildlife safari adventures were greatly affected.  These came to a standstill once governments instituted lock-downs prohibiting travel and social gatherings within the same country or town. For nature lovers, this was a setback as lock-downs were extended over a long time of up to 5 months.

As lock-downs are being eased and tourism slowly taking pace, a post COVID19 lock-down wildlife safari is very ideal.  The East African region is known worldwide for its wildlife wonders offering unique wildlife safari experiences.

Since lock-down was instated, there has been limited tourism activities in East African national parks enabling rejuvenation of wildlife. A wildlife safari to any of East Africa’s national parks now will be enjoyable offering fresh and exclusive encounters. We have listed some of the leading safari destinations you can opt for to revive your tourism love.  

Volcanoes national park situated in the northwestern part of Rwanda about a 3 hours drive from Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city. The national park is a home to mountain gorillas and golden monkeys, over 180 bird species.

Mountain gorillas and golden monkey tracking are leading wildlife safari activities done in this park offering outstanding primate encounters. The mountain gorilla tracking experience starts with a briefing about the regulations to follow while in the forest. Tourists are then led to the forest as they enjoy the sound of nature from the birds and small insects. The hike takes 2 to 6 hours depending on the movement of the mountain gorilla. Tourists are given an hour in the presence of the gorillas taking photos keeping a 7 meters distance from them.

Gorillas have 95% DNA similar to humans therefore meeting gorillas in the wild is a unique man and wildlife encounter. This an excellent way of getting over the anxiety that pilled over during the COVID19 lock-down.  

Golden monkey tracking also starts with a briefing and then tourists are guided to the forest to meet them. Golden monkeys are covered in golden fur and live in the bamboo forest. They are pure vegetarians that mostly feed on bamboo shoots. For birders, you can’t miss out on seeing the major bird species while on a guided walk.

Mountain Gorilla- Wildlife Safari Rwanda
Gorilla in Volcanoes NP. Photo by Eric Manzi

Other Wildlife Safari Adventures in Volcanoes National Park

Volcanoes national park has a number of mountains where one can do hiking for those interested in mountain climbing. Mount Bisoke has a crater lake and can be hiked in one day (a return trip). There is also Mount Karisimbi that is hiked in two days, spending a night in the mountain. While on the mountain hikes you are rewarded with scenic views of the Virunga volcanoes and the surrounding environment.

The views are priceless and refreshing therefore ensure to include volcanoes national park on your post COVID19 wildlife safari destinations. Remember to wear a mask and test for COVID19 because mountain gorillas can contact human diseases and need protection.

This beautiful safari destination is located in western Uganda just 4 hours drive from Kampala Uganda’s capital city. Lake Mburo National park has diverse wildlife species savanna wildlife like antelopes, over 315 bird species.

The park is an ideal escape for a post COVID19 lock-down with game drives where most wildlife is seen. Boat cruises are done on lake Mburo where you see animals especially hippos that spend time in the shallow waters. You can have guided nature walks here bringing you up-closer to animals like zebras and antelopes.  

There is horseback riding in this beautiful park with horses owned by Mihingo lodge.  Ensure to book for this activity in advance as priority is given to Mihingo Lodge guests. You can also do a cycling wildlife safari in the park but should also be booked in advance.  Lake Mburo national park is situated near the Ankole community where one can have a cultural experience.  You will get an opportunity to milk a cow and get to know more about the local people’s culture.

The park is easily accessed by road and the nearest savanna park to get to from Kampala. For those looking for relaxing nature encounters after lock-down, there could be no other option than this.

Lake Mburo National Park. Wildlife Safari Uganda
Views of Lake Mburo NP from Mihingo Lodge Swimming Pool

If in Kigali you can also visit Akagera National park that is located in the eastern part of Rwanda. This is only Savanna national park in Rwanda with Africa’s finest wildlife species. Often seen animals include lions, Rhinos, Elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, leopards, antelopes including Topis, water-bucks among others.

The park offers an opportunity for a boat cruise along lake Ihema where you see crocodiles and hippos.  There are also as primates like baboons and various bird species in Akagera national park.  Major activities in this park include game drives, boat cruises along Lake Ihema and birding excursions.

Those who want to stay overnight in the park can stay in the major lodges in the park.  The lodges in Akagera national park include Akagera game lodge, Ruzizi Tented Camp and the new Magashi Camp.

The time people have spent without working because of the lock-down has left many bankrupt which has greatly affected tourism. The above suggested post COVID19 wildlife safari destinations can be explored in a day a thus less spending yet enjoying. If your budget allows, you can spend a night in the park as people have been locked down for long. A night or day excursion in the park is very important at this point in time for nature lovers.