Uganda National Parks Highlights : Uganda’s best national parks include Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo National Park, and Queen Elizabeth National Park. Uganda’s other spectacular landscapes, including Lake Victoria, make it the pearl of Africa.
The protected areas of Uganda are the royal jewels of the country’s biodiversity. During Uganda safaris, the finest national parks, game reserves, and other natural resources such as Lake Victoria are the foundation of enjoyment.
Visiting any national park in Uganda is a truly untamed safari experience, as they are all distinct in their own ways. Some have animals that are only found in Uganda, while others have incredible historical significance, as told by the knowledgeable tour guides in the national park.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is renowned for its endangered mountain gorillas and other primates, which make gorilla excursions here a complete package of enjoyment. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park is the pinnacle of any wild safari in Uganda, and possibly all of east Africa and Africa in general. Bwindi national park is home to the world’s highest population of mountain gorillas; Bwindi contains approximately half of the world’s gorilla population.
The park was formerly known as “the impenetrable” forest because the dense undergrowth of the Bwindi rainforest made it difficult to navigate. Still to this day, Bwindi’s interior is dimmer due to the compacted tree canopies that block enough light to reach the ground. However, these conditions have made it a very adaptable environment for the world’s largest primates; the mountain gorillas, also known as King Kong’s descendants.
The national park of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a portion of the Virunga mountain range shared by Rwanda and Congo. It is situated on a 331-square-kilometer area in the south-western region of Uganda and shares a southern border with Queen Elizabeth National Park. Bwindi national park is the finest national park for gorilla trekking tours, and the permits are more affordable than at other locations.
Bwindi national park is naturally endowed with more than ten species of primates, eleven species of mammals, and a large number of bird species, which fill the forest with epic sounds, possibly the music to which the tranquil mountain gorillas unwind. Bwindi national park is accessible all year, but the ideal time to visit is during the dry season.
Lake Mburo National Park.
Along the Masaka-Mbarara dry corridor, Lake Mburo national park is yet another exceptional and distinct national park. Lake Mburo national park is located near Mbarara, in the south-western region of Uganda. Lake Mburo is one of Uganda’s smaller national parks, covering approximately 260 square kilometres or 100 square miles. In lake Mburo national park, you have the opportunity to see a variety of antelopes, including zebras, large elands, impala, and topi, as well as incredible birdlife. Lake Mburo national park contains five smaller lakes whose shorelines provide habitats for wildlife such as hippos, waterfowl, and crocodiles, in addition to the majesty of the papyrus alignment.
There are a variety of activities designed specifically for visitors to Lake Mburo national park;
Observing wildlife will expose you to animals such as jackals, leopards, and hyenas, among others.
Regardless of the location, boat excursions are always fascinating safaris. During the boat ride, you may see crocodiles, elephants, and hippos, as well as birds such as pelicans, black crake, hewn, cormorants, the African fish eagle, and possibly the rare shoebill stork.
Guided walks around the salt licks and to the wooden hide, also known as the observation point; the walks must be conducted by two armed guards, as the national park is not particularly secure.
Rubanga forest nature tour is a fantastic safari activity for those who enjoy sightseeing and learning about plants. Nature treks are offered by the forest management headquarters so that you may be escorted by a ranger through the trails as you admire the splendour of Mother Nature.
Due to the existence of approximately 310 bird species, Lake Mburo national park is an ideal location for birdwatching. Some birds are simple to spot flying throughout the park, while others are difficult to locate outside of the tick forest. Acquatic bird species that can be spotted include, among others, pink pelicans, long-tailed birds, cormorants, and the black tern with white wings. Papyrus birds are the fish eagle, the pied kingfisher, and the African fin foot, also known as the night heron can be sighted. In addition to the seasonal wetland birds, woodland birds, forest birds, and grass birds.
Murchison Falls National Park.
Murchison Falls National Park is a haven on the Nile, according to visitor feedback and opinions. Murchison Falls National Park is situated at the northern extremity of the Albertine Rift Valley, within 90 kilometres of Masindi via Karuma Forest Reserve.
Murchison Falls National Park is twice the extent of Queen Elizabeth National Park, making it Uganda’s largest national park. The Victoria Nile River divides it into two sections, the northern and southern sections. Murchison Falls National Park is 3893 square kilometres in size, and it is also a part of the vast forest reserve area that encompasses Karuma and Bugungu Wild Reserve, which is about 5072 square kilometres in size, which is truly enormous.
The name of Murchison falls national park is derived from a rapid section of the Nile that plunges from a high precipice into a gorge. Victoria Nile water flows down an 80-kilometer-high/-long cliff with white water as it squeezes through the rocks. The water’s impact on the boulders generates vapour that creates a misty environment around the falls, and when the sun rises, a rainbow appears, and there are rainbows in every direction. By the time the water reaches the ground, it is expected to have lost its pressure while attempting to fight its way through the boulders; however, the Victoria Nile continues to flow quietly until it reaches Lake Albert, approximately 55 kilometres downstream.
Murchison falls National Park is one of the finest national parks in Uganda and is distinguished by the beautiful slender giraffes that can be found anywhere in the park, as well as near Chobe Safari Lodge’s airstrip and staff camp. In addition to elephants, loser buffaloes, lions, herds of antelopes, and numerous bird species, visitors to Murchison falls national park will enjoy seeing many other animals, such as lions, herds of antelopes, and flocks of birds.
Rabongo Forest is home to primates such as chimpanzees; baboons are abundant throughout the national park. From the terrace restaurant at Chobe Safari Lodge, it is possible to observe baboons and other primates such as monkeys, such as the blue monkey.
Along the river, there are numerous hippo schools, crocodiles, waterfowl, and warthogs. As you relax on the terrace of Chobe Safari Lodge, you can observe crocodiles on the shoreline below.
Kidepo National Park.
Kidepo valley national park is roughly 1442 square kilometres in size, making it slightly larger than Semliki and Bwindi. Kidepo valley national park is located in the north-eastern region of Uganda, near the border with Sudan and Kenya.
The ascending inselbergs in the open savannah grasslands make Kidepo valley national park famous for its breathtaking scenery. The inselbergs provide a magnificent and unobstructed vantage point of the park’s verdant landscape, which includes a variety of flora such as the acacia geradi forests visible along the Lorupei River.
Kidepo national park also contains a variety of animals, some of which are distinct and uncommon in other Ugandan national parks, such as cheetahs, bat-eared foxes, ward wolves, caracals, and hunting dogs, as well as lions, leopards, and hyena, among others. Kidepo also had a variety of bird species, including 58 bird species such as the verreaux raptors, Egyptian vulture, and pygmy falcon, among others; they will enhance your birding experience in Uganda by an inch. On the other side Queen Elizabeth National Park is another highlight national park in Uganda.
Water Rafting At Lake Victoria.
On a segment of Lake Victoria, white water rafting is an exciting and thrilling safari activity. White water rafting is professionally filmed, and you can end your day by viewing the scene’s every action captured on film.
Victoria Falls is the finest location for white water rafting in all of East Africa. The rafting area is strategically located where the Nile River traverses a succession of grade five rapids as it flows into Lake Victoria.
A roughly 30-kilometer-long segment of the Nile River was specifically selected for rafting. It has a few low-speed, first-class rapids to help rafters gain confidence throughout the exhilarating and engaging safari experience on the water. The rafters are escorted through the Nile River’s meanders to the grade-five rapids, also known as the finest grade-five rapids in the world. However, there are 12 main rapids with a number of low grades to navigate while rafting on the river Nile in Jinja for the thrill of your experience.
The cost of white water rafting in Jinja depends on the itinerary plan from your preferred Ugandan tour operator as well as the number of participants and days for the activity. White water rafting is an activity suitable for first-timers, families with children, and those with an extreme thirst for adventure.
