Top activities while on a Ugandan safari; Uganda is one of the best destinations to visit during the safari as it has a lot to offer in terms of beautiful scenery, landscape, abundant wildlife, primates, variety of bird species, welcoming people among others. Uganda has 10 national parks that offer a wide range of exciting activities and this article will be able to guide you on the top activities to engage during your safari.
Top activities while on a Uganda safari
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is an adventurous and one of the top or major activities in Uganda that attracts big numbers of travelers. Gorilla trekking in Uganda is done in two national parks that is Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park both located in southwestern region. Gorilla trekking in Uganda starts early in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the jungle which takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the mountain gorillas are located. Once the gorillas are found, you will be able to spend one hour with them in their natural environment which gives you an opportunity to learn about their habits, behaviors, watch them carry out their daily activities, take photos and record videos to show people back home after the safari.
Game drives or game viewing
Game drive is an interesting activity where tourists will be able to explore the savannah national parks in a comfortable pop up safari vehicle with a professional driver guide. Game drives in Uganda are done in savannah national parks like Queen Elizabeth national park, Murchison falls national park, Lake Mburo national park and Kidepo valley national park. During the game drives, you will follow different game tracks where you will be able to view different wildlife species including the big four mammals which are elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, other animals like waterbucks, Uganda kobs, giraffes, zebras, warthogs, impalas, topi, oribi, Jackson’s hartebeest, hippos, bushbucks among others, Top activities while on a Ugandan safari.
Boat cruise
Boat cruise is another top activity in Uganda hat you can engage in during your safari. Boat cruise in Uganda can be done on different water bodies like Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale, Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national park, River Nile in Murchison falls national park, Lake Victoria, Lake Mburo among others. During the boat cruise, you will be able to view large herds of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view other animals like elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs among others drinking water along the shores, view water birds, fishermen preparing their fishing gears among others, Top activities while on a Ugandan safari
Horseback riding
Horseback riding is an adventurous and exciting activity in Uganda where you will be able to explore the park on a horseback. Horseback riding in Uganda is carried out in two areas that is Jinja where you will ride along the banks of River Nile, through the local villages and Lake Mburo national park where you will be able to explore the savannah plains on a horseback, view different animals like zebras, buffaloes, giraffes, waterbucks, warthogs, impalas, topi among others.
Chimpanzee trekking
Chimpanzee trekking is another top activity that visitors can engage in during the safari in Uganda. Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda is done in Kibale forest national park, Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park, Kalinzu forest, Toro-semuliki wildlife reserve and Budongo forest in Murchison falls national park. Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda starts early in the morning with a briefing at the park headquarters about the rules, regulations and expectations. Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located and during trekking, you will be able to view other primates, bird species among others and once the chimpanzees are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat where you will be able to watch them feed, breastfeed, play, hunt, fight, mate, learn more about their behaviors, take photos and record videos.
Golden monkey trekking
Golden monkey trekking is an interesting and active activity in Uganda where visitors will be able to move into the tropical rainforest in search of the golden monkeys. Golden monkey trekking is only done in Mgahinga gorilla national park and it starts early in the morning with a briefing at the park headquarters just like gorilla and chimpanzee trekking. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest which takes about 30 minutes to 5 hours following trails of left over bamboo shoots and leaves. Once the golden monkeys are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their habitat where you will be able to watch them jump up in tree branches, watch them feed, take photos and record the beautiful moments.
Bird watching
Uganda is one of the top bird watching destination in that it’s a home of over 1,080 recorded bird species including Albertine rift endemics, water birds, migratory birds, forest birds, savannah birds among others. Bird watching in Uganda can either be done early in the morning or in the evening with an experienced bird guide who will take you to the top birding spots in Uganda including Bwindi impenetrable national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Mabamba bay wetland, Kibale forest national park Lake Mburo national park, Rwenzori mountains national park, Kidepo valley national park, Semuliki national park, Mabira forest, Budongo forest, Bigodi wetland sanctuary, Murchison falls national park, Mpanga forest among others. During bird watching in Uganda, you will be able to view bird species like the elusive shoebill stork, fox’s weaver, Karamoja Apalis, Green Breasted Pitta, Great Blue Turaco, Nahans Francolin, Black bee-eater, African green broadbill, brown-chested lapwing among others, Top activities while on a Ugandan safari
During your Ugandan safari, you can also engage in cultural tours where you will be able to interact with the local people in the neighboring communities, nature walk/ hiking where you will get an opportunity to explore the national parks on foot or hike Mount Rwenzori, Mount Elgon, Mount Sabinyo, Mount Muhabura and Mount Gahinga with an experienced park guide and an armed park ranger, white water rafting, lion tracking experience among others.
Best time to go on a Uganda safari
Uganda can be visited anytime throughout the year though the best time is during the dry season also known as the peak season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. During the dry season, there is less rainfall in the national parks therefore access roads to the parks, chimpanzee and gorilla trekking trails will be dry and passable which makes trekking easy.
For more information about the top activities to engage in while on a Uganda safari, you can contact us at Achieve Global safaris or visit our website for affordable safari packages.
