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When people think of an adventure safari or visiting  Uganda, they often dream of seeing or exploring the famous and exciting Big Five. This special group of animals includes the lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhinoceros. The name “Big Five” comes from the old hunting days, as these animals were the hardest and most dangerous to track or hunt on foot. Uganda is not only famous for its mountain gorillas but also a great place to see all five of these animals. Today, these animals, ‘the big five’, are the most prized to see in the wild while on a safari in some of the National parks in Uganda. You can only see the Big 4 of the Big 5 in the wilderness, and those are the lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo.

And for the Rhinos in Uganda, they can be spotted, seen, or tracked in  Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and other places like Ajai National Wildlife Reserve, where they are being reintroduced. The best National Parks to see the Big 4 in the wild are Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Kidepo Valley National Park. Below is some of the information you will need to know about the things that make each animal of the Big 5 unique and make your trip more rewarding before you happen to meet or see them in the wild before you set off for a safari in the National Parks of Uganda.

The Lion (Panthera Leo)

Lions are a key attraction with a population of over 400 to 500 all over the country. Being one of the most dangerous, harmful, and hardest animals to spot, track, or see in the wild, this made it one of the famous fierce Big Five, giving no chance to miss on a safari in Uganda. Lions are very interesting animals in the wild, and here is briefly what you should note down about them before your visit.

The lion, which is scientifically called Panthera Leo, is known as the King of the Jungle in the wild. They belong to the cat family, and they are the only true social animals among the big cats. They live in groups called prides, having about 3-4 males, a dozen females, and cubs, making a total of about 5-15 members per pride. These prides are led by dominant males and related lionesses.

The males are normally thrown out of the pride at the age of 3 – 4 years by the dominant males because at the age of 7, they usually try to take over the pride. Females ‘lionesses’ are lifelong sisters who do most of the hunting during nighttime and raise the cubs, but males are outsiders who fight to take over, protect prides and their territories. Lions are most active at dawn, dusk, and at night, but also sleep for over 20 hours.

Being carnivorous animals, lions feed on other mammals like antelopes, zebras, and buffalo, among others, and they also do cooperative hunting of small and medium animals. Lions have various behaviors that make them appear more social than any other cat family, which include rubbing cheeks to greet, hugging stomachs to bid farewell, and also using scent marking and visual displays, to name a few.

Lions produce a sound by roaring, which can be heard about 8 km away, used to mark their territories, call pride members, and for defense among the few. Talking of the differences in gender and other cat families, lions have unique differences where Males weigh up to about 190kg and have manes, while the females are relatively smaller and male.

Lions have a gestation period of 110 days, giving birth to 1 to 4 cubs, breed year-round with peaks after the rainy seasons, and are the largest carnivores with a life expectancy of about 10 to 15 years in the wild.

In Uganda, lions are found, seen, spotted, and tracked in savanna parks, which are Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, and Kidepo Valley National Park. The lions found in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth are famous for their unique habit of climbing and resting in trees, not to hunt but to escape heat, avoid bites from flies, and catch a cool breeze.

The best time to see and spot lions in the wild is during the dry seasons, which are from June to September and December to February, when the trails are well drained, the grass is short, and the lions gather around the water sources through activities like game drives and lion tracking using radio tracker equipment to locate and monitor lions in their natural habitat.

Leopard (Panthera Pardus)

The leopard is one of the most secretive animals, scientifically called Panthera pardus, belonging to the cat family and is one of the big cats in the wild. Leopards are one of the fiercest animals amongst the Big 5 because they are good at hiding and camouflaging. Below is brief information you need to know about leopards before a safari in Uganda.

A leopard is an exclusive hunter who appears to be a shy and solitary animal that is mostly active at night, which makes it the hardest of the Big 5 to spot in the wilderness. Leopards do not live in groups because they hunt by stalking and surprising their prey, which works best alone. They also don’t need protection from other leopards, and these reasons contribute to why it’s hard to see them on a safari.

They are incredibly strong, excellent climbers, and can drag heavy prey twice their weight up into the trees, something no other big cat can do, to eat in peace and keep it safe from other predators. Leopards have a beautiful spotted golden coat with dark rosettes that make them masters of camouflage in the wild, enabling them to ambush their prey. Their rosette spots act like fingerprints, where each pattern is unique to each individual, and they are good at hiding and camouflage.

Leopards mostly have a solitary life, living and hunting alone except when raising the cubs. Each leopard has a large territory it patrols strictly except when going to mate. Since they are nocturnal, your best chance to spot them is on night game drives, and during the day you can spot some of them often resting on thick branches.

The best time to see leopards in the wild is in the early mornings between 6 am and 9 am, and at night during the dry seasons, from June to September and December to February. Leopards produce raspy, awkward sounds but are generally silent. The best National Parks to spot leopards in Uganda are Kidepo Valley National Park for the best odds, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, and Lake Mburo National Park for night drives, also in the forests of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Kibale National Park.

Leopard populations are difficult to estimate because of their secretive nature, but they are considered stable. Leopards are unique animals with notable differences, where males are generally larger and more muscular than females. The gestation period of leopards is about 90 to 109 days, with a life expectancy of about 12 years on average in the wild. As carnivores, they feed on small animals like antelopes, monkeys, impalas, and birds, to mention a few.

The African Elephants (Loxodonta Africana)

Uganda is a tourist destination and home to two types of African elephants: African savanna elephants and African forest elephants. The savannah elephants are the largest, with pale gray skin and large, curved tusks, whereas forest elephants are smaller in size, darker, and have straight tusks. The African Savanna Elephants are the most popular type of elephants, which you can easily tell by their big ears shaped like the map of Africa. The elephants are the gentle giants in the park, and they are the largest land mammals. Elephants are also fierce animals, though they look calm, and below is briefly what you should know about elephants before going on a safari in Uganda.

Elephants live in herds led by an older female, usually referred to as the ‘Matriarch’. The Matriarch uses decades of memory, remembering water sources from droughts about 30 years ago, and also performs other duties like keeping the family together, teaching the calves how to use their trunks and what plants to eat, to mention a few. In Uganda, the elephants roam the savannas but are also very smart about using forests to find food.

Elephants are also known as animals that travel long distances for food and water. Elephants spend about 16 – 18 hours eating up to about 150kg of vegetation and drink up to 200 litres of water per day. Elephants produce sounds and vibrations that are complex, using trumpets with low-frequency rumbles from the stomach and infrasound that travels for miles, which are below human hearing, to talk to herds that are kilometers away. Elephants have wonderful and amusing behaviors where they might seem calm and gentle but can be dangerous if they feel threatened.

Mothers with babies are most dangerous, and if an elephant flaps its ears, kicks dust, or fake charges, you are advised to back away slowly because it’s a bluff where a real charge is silent and fast. Elephants wallow in mud, splash water on their bodies using trunks to regulate their body temperatures, with ears playing relatively the same role. The best national parks to see and spot savanna elephants are Murchison Falls National Park with the largest herds, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park.

For forest elephants, the best national parks to see and spot them are Kibale National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Semuliki National Park. Males (bulls) can weigh up to over 6000kg and females weigh lighter, with a life expectancy of about 40 to 60 years. Elephants are the only land animals with the longest gestation period of 22 months, where females breed at 3 to 5 years and are herbivores in nature, feeding on grasses, leaves, bark, and fruits.

The African Buffalo (Syncercus caffer)

The buffaloes are considered to be the dangerous giants in the wilderness because they are very unpredictable and will fiercely defend themselves, especially if they feel threatened. The African Buffalo looks like a huge, dark cow living in large herds known as the ‘Black Death’. These herds can number in hundreds of about 50 – 500 Buffalos and also communicate with a ‘’MOO’’ sound similar to that of domestic cattle.

Buffalo (males) use a group defense mechanism when threatened, where they form a circle or a ring around the calves with horns facing outwards. In this format, buffalo kill more hunters in the wild than any other animal and are extremely reactive and will charge without warning. Males over 10 years often leave the herd to live alone, and these are the most aggressive/dangerous and have thick, worn-down horns.

For the buffalo to cool down their body temperatures and get rid of ticks and parasites, they wallow in mud, usually in the wallowing grounds. Buffalo are grazers or herbivores, spending much time in the grasslands feeding on grass and near water bodies to get water for drinking. Males (bulls) weigh up to about 900 kg, with heavier and stronger horns joining in the middle, and the gestation period of the buffalo(female) is about 11 months (330 – 346 days), with a life expectancy of about 15 years on average.

The various National Parks to see buffalo in Uganda include Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, and for the small forest buffalo in the dense forest of Semuliki National Park. Buffaloes are best seen in the morning hours around 6 am and 9 am during the dry seasons.

The Rhinoceros (Ceratherium Simum – White Rhino)

The Rhinos are the second-largest land mammals that are relatively calm, having a stocky body and a wide mouth for grazing. The rhinoceros (white rhino) is the most endangered animal species and the rarest of the Big Five in the wilderness. Rhinos are not found anywhere in the wild in Uganda; rather, you can see White Rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, which used to be the only place in Uganda to see them, but now they are being reintroduced to other conservation areas like Ajia Wild Reserve.

White Rhinos are often found in small family groups (crashes), and the rhinos are grazers or herbivores that feed on grass. Uganda has no wild rhinos because of poaching, which became extinct in the 1980s, but they are now being protected at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, where their population is growing steadily as part of a long-term conservation and reintroduction program. From Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the rhinos are being reintroduced and introduced to other conservation areas of the country under strong protection and maintenance by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and other organisations.

Generally, the rhinos are very silent or mute animals that are active during early morning and evening. You can track or walk with an armed ranger, maintaining a safe distance of about 7 metres away from the rhinos. Rhinos have very poor sight but have an incredible and excellent sense of smell and hearing. But also, if at any chance they face you, you are advised to stop calmly and stay quiet.

Rhino horns are made of keratin (like human hair and nails), which are used for digging roots, breaking branches, and dominance displays, but not fighting. Male rhinos can weigh over 2300kg; females are lighter at around 1700kg having a gestation of about 16 months (450 days) and a life expectancy of over 40 years on average. Rhinos are big, tough, and mostly solitary animals, where mothers stay with their calf for 2 – 3 years.

For your next to-do list on your Uganda safari, make sure the Big Five is on it because having a sighting of these amazing creatures is the best thing that you could ever do and will keep for a lifetime to tell your loved ones about. You can also feel free to contact us, and we can customize an itinerary for you that will include the Big Five along with other attractions as you desire.

Each Uganda cultural experience takes you on a uniquely immersive encounter with people from distinct ethnicities. The vibrant Ugandan heritage offers visitors opportunities to gain knowledge about centuries-old traditions. With 56 tribes officially recognized in Uganda, visitors get the chance to learn different languages or dialects of the indigenous people. Besides, different tribes or ethnic groups offer different forms of traditional music, dance, and storytelling. In their villages, iconic historic sites exist and are available for exploration.

Uganda Cultural Experience through Entertainment

Music, dance, and drama have remained a major form of communication among the indigenous communities for generations. Many of the Ugandan traditional songs, dances, and playing of instruments celebrate childbirth, crop harvest, marriage, the welcome of visitors, etc. Distinct styles of traditional music and dance exist as Larakaraka, Bwola, Agwara, Bakisimba, and Ekitagururo, etc. Today, organized groups present these at many destinations, like Bwindi, Kidepo, Lake Mburo, and Murchison Falls National Parks.

Uganda Cultural Experience through cuisines

Various regions of Uganda prepare their food in unique ways to offer a variety of tastes. See and savor distinct foods as you explore Uganda, even in the remotest villages. Learn how to prepare some of these cuisines before their consumption. In Buganda, central Uganda, witness the preparation of the delicious Luwombo. Banana leaves wrapped around bananas, beef, or chicken and beans make this meal special. In the east, the Gishu offer Malewa, while northerners prepare great Malakwang. From the western region, go and enjoy the energizing Eshabwe and others.

Uganda Cultural Experience through Tribes

As previously mentioned, 56 tribes exist in Uganda, each with unique languages, cultures, and practices. An interaction with any community is a chance to learn a new language and their way of life. In central Uganda, encounter the Baganda tribe. Acholi and Langi dominate the north, while the Karamojong, Ateso, and Ik live in the northeast. Find the Banyakore, Batooro, and Banyooro in the western region. Eastern Uganda offers the Basoga, Jopadhola, Gishu, Banyoole, and Basamia, etc. Meanwhile, West Nile offers the Lugbara, Alur, and Madi, etc.

Uganda Cultural Experience in Historic Heritage Sites

Visitors should take time to see and appreciate the various historic heritage sites in Uganda. All of these express the people’s unique history and identities. Historic Heritage sites to visit in Uganda include Kabaka’s Lake, Kasubi Tombs, Wamala Tombs, Nakayima Tree Shrine, and Bigo Bya Mugenyi. In the western region of Uganda, explore Nkokonjeru Royal Tombs, Mparo Royal Tombs, and Karambi Royal Tombs, etc. Other key historic sites to explore in Uganda include Amabere G’Nyina Mwiru and the Nyero Rock Paintings.

Uganda Cultural Experience through art/crafts

Local Ugandan art and crafts exist in various destinations across the country. These items convey various messages passed down through generations. They encompass wood carvings, fine art, baskets, mats, jewelry, pottery, and many others. Explore these in Bigodi Village, Mbarara, Uganda Museum, kingdoms, and various crafts shops in Kampala and Jinja. Though some exist as displays, the ones for sale also exist. Buy as souvenirs or mementos for memories of the exploration of Uganda’s heritage.

Best time to visit

To enjoy your Uganda cultural experience, come to Uganda on any day of the year. This is because the people welcome visitors every day, even on public holidays. Unless it is an outdoor experience, do not worry about the weather conditions because Uganda experiences a tropical type of climate. Therefore, average temperature patterns change a little all year round. However, the country experiences 2 peak wet seasons, from March to May and October to November.

During these periods, the access roads are slippery, and heavy rains might just interrupt your experience. To avoid this, visit Uganda in the dry season, from June to August and December to February. This is when rainfall is at a minimum, and the atmosphere is not as humid as in the wet season. Access roads are quite dry and passable to ensure that navigation is possible even in the most rugged and remotest areas of Uganda. Dry seasons offer the best outdoor experiences during cultural encounters.

What else to do?

The Pearl of Africa offers a variety of destinations where visitors on a cultural experience can explore other things. National parks, wildlife reserves, and wildlife sanctuaries, etc., offer wildlife viewing experiences. In some of these destinations, boat cruises, birdwatching, nature walks, chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking, and golden monkey trekking occur. Others offer hiking tours, sightseeing, lion tracking, and leopard tracking, etc. Uganda’s best national parks include Queen Elizabeth, Kibale, Murchison Falls, Bwindi, Mgahinga, and Kidepo Valley etc.

Experience city tours in Kampala and Jinja to enjoy your time in the various public markets, supermarkets, crafts shops, and others. By the way, city tours also offer some form of cultural experiences. This is because you get the opportunity to interact with local vendors and urban settlers. Meanwhile, on your city tour, visit the bars, pubs, nightclubs, and public streets. The latter is a chance to eat the popular Rolex. On Lake Victoria and along the River Nile, enhance your Uganda cultural experience with kayaking, white water rafting, and bungee jumping, etc.

Birding in Uganda is somewhere at the top of the best safari experiences in the country. There are over 1,060 different bird species that thrive in a variety of habitats spread throughout Uganda. Habitats to find these colorful creatures include, among others, woodlands, grasslands, forests, lake shores, riverbanks, mountains, agricultural lands, and wetlands etc. Whether the birds are aquatic or terrestrial, they find food, water, and places to breed in these Ugandan habitats. Also, both resident and migratory bird species find space in Uganda to live.

Species of Birds in Uganda

While birding in Uganda, watch birds classified as vulnerable, critical, near-threatened, or endangered, etc., to make the birding experience unique. As mentioned above, Uganda houses thousands of bird species. Explore the country for Red-listed ones such as grey-crowned crane, shoebill stork, black-crowned night heron, and African fin foot. Aquatic bird species to spot include grey-headed gull, pied kingfisher, long-tailed cormorant, sacred ibis, little egret, African jacana, and Egyptian goose.

Migratory bird species in Uganda to spot include African crake, black-backed gull, osprey, and African skimmer. Land birds include great blue turaco, Rwenzori turaco, black coucal, grey-capped warbler, common bulbul, Rwenzori apalis, and olive sunbird. Uganda also hosts predatory bird species such as the African fish eagle, black kite, martial eagle, and red-necked falcon, etc. The most common scavenger birds to see in Uganda include lappet-faced vulture, white-backed vulture, hooded vulture, and Ruppell’s vulture, etc.

Where to do birding in Uganda?

The country is blessed with numerous Important Bird Areas, Ramsar sites, and other protected areas where visitors enjoy guided birding tours. These tours offer much safer options for a variety of obvious reasons. One of these is your safety in the wilderness, where everything is unpredictable. The birding guide leads you to the best sites, sometimes armed to ensure that dangerous animals do not attack you. Now, the top sites for birding in Uganda include,

Murchison Falls National Park, situated in northwest Uganda, offers various habitats for birds to live. Savannah woodland, grassland, banks of the Nile River, wetland, forest, and other habitats provide a home for the birds.

Queen Elizabeth National Park, found in southwestern Uganda, is an Important Bird Area that shelters 612 bird species. These live inside its varied habitats that comprise forest, grassland, woodland, Kazinga Channel, crater lakes, and swamps etc.

Lake Mburo National Park, also found in southwestern Uganda, is home to approximately 332 bird species that occupy a variety of habitats. These range from swamps, woodland, lakes, and wooded grassland.

Lake Victoria is a bird paradise, with numerous sites where birding in Uganda occurs each and every day. A key birding site at Lake Victoria is Mabamba Bay, popular for its reliable population of shoebill storks. Other birding spots at Lake Victoria comprise Nakiwogo Bay, Lutembe Bay, Ssese Islands, and Musambwa Islands.

Other notable birding sites in Uganda comprise national parks such as Kidepo Valley, Semliki, Kibale, Bwindi, and Mgahinga, etc. Enjoy captivating birding tours in forests such as Kashoya Kitomi, Budongo, Mabira, Echuya, and Bugoma etc. Meanwhile, more lakes for birding tours include Kyoga, Saka Lakes, Bunyonyi, and Lake Bisina, etc.

Best time to do birding in Uganda?

Birding in Uganda at any time of the year because the country experiences a tropical type of climate. This implies that not so significant changes in daily temperature patterns occur. As we know, this ensures a comfortable atmosphere while you do a birding tour. Nevertheless, wet seasons offer the best excursions because the period experiences heavy rains. Thick vegetation covers the birding destinations, while access to abundant water is guaranteed to the birds as a result. This is key to the survival of most bird species in Uganda.

Peak wet seasons in Uganda occur twice, from March to May and from late September to November. At this time, the opportunity to spot visiting migrants, especially from October to March, is perfect. However, in the wet season, birding is affected by relatively less clear visibility and interruptions when it rains. Also, access to the birding spots is affected by slippery and muddy roads and birding trails. The dry season, experienced from June to August and December to February, offers the opposite and sometimes better conditions.

What to carry for Birding in Uganda?

Every birding tour in Uganda requires adequate preparation to ensure success. Key requirements include light long-sleeved shirts, a neutral-colored shirt, and a pair of trousers. Come with a hat for the sun and a light rain jacket, just in case it rains. Sunglasses and sun cream to protect your eyes and eyes respectively from direct sunlight. Binoculars and a camera for clear views and capturing photos of the birds, respectively. Do not forget to bring a notebook with you since you might record a few things.

Meanwhile, include a field book that contains the bird species you expect to find in a particular destination. A first aid kit, which includes your personal medication, is important in case of accidents or illness. Also necessary is the insect repellent because walking long birding trails exposes you to various bugs and insects. Ensure to pack strong shoes or boots to manage a walk through rugged terrain. Only water-resistant shoes make your hike more comfortable, especially in swampy areas.

Farm tours in Uganda offer visitors the opportunity to explore the country’s diverse cash crops and livestock. Explore farms with major cash crops like cocoa, tea, sunflower, coffee, rice, cotton, pineapple, sugarcane, and groundnuts etc. Meanwhile, livestock farms deal in cattle, goats, sheep, and chickens, or their products. All these thrive well here for various reasons. Firstly, agriculture directly or indirectly employs over 70% of Uganda’s population, thus an inevitable economic activity. A tropical climate is experienced in Uganda, and fertile soils that offer favorable conditions for agriculture.

Also, since Uganda has varied physical features, all these crops and livestock do well. Hills, mountains, lakes, wetlands, plateaus, rift valleys, and semi-arid landscapes all offer perfect opportunities for agriculture. Conditions like soils, water, pollinators, and others offer perfect conditions. Visitors from various countries come to experience all these in the beautiful gardens, plantations, kraals, and factories, etc. In the farms, you get a chance to explore both traditional and modern agricultural practices.

What to do on Uganda farm tours?

All farm tours in Uganda offer activities for visitors to participate in and learn how they achieve various stages of production. In most estates, site guides take visitors to watch and get involved in crop-growing. You place seeds/seedlings/tubers into the soil for them to germinate later. At this level, utilize specialized machines such as tractors. Harvest periods offer a chance to participate in the process to gain more knowledge on why and how to do it. Where the harvest requires heat or sunlight, the guide takes you through that process as well.

In case you went to a cattle farm, learn how to milk cows before it’s proper storage. Before this, the farmers clean, deworm, feed, or treat the animals. Learn, or if allowed, take part in these activities. Though specialized milking equipment is used, some farms allow traditional styles. Coffee farms depulp as well as hull coffee, which is good to witness. Farmlands also need to weed, apply fertilizers, and control weeds, among others, to maximize output. Gain deeper insight into how a fruit, crop, or animal product undergoes processing.

Value addition is necessary for a farm product’s profitability. When you witness how this is achieved, you walk away wiser. This usually occurs in the factory, and a visit there, after exploring the farm, is commendable. While here, a chance to taste the finished product is available to visitors. Take a cup of coffee/tea, or a glass of juice, or even taste some sugar crystals. Guides or farm workers welcome inquiries about the challenges and threats they face. Learn about these and offer solutions where necessary.

Destinations for Farm Tours in Uganda

Various places across Uganda offer well-guided farm tours for visitors. While on a Uganda safari, farm tours to include in your itinerary improve the overall experience. We recommend a few of these farms because they exist in thousands of them. Among them, plan to explore all or any of these,

• Igara tea plantation
• Ankole Tea Plantation
• Luwero Organic Pineapple Farm
• Mpanga Tea Estate
• Ndali Vanilla Farm
• Kakira Sugar Limited
• Kibimba Rice Scheme
• Kaweri Coffee Plantation
• Kisaru Tea Estate
• Emburara Farm, to name a few.

Information on other registered farms that welcome visitors, contact us. Moreover, we also offer tailor-made tour packages for your convenience. A comprehensive package we create with you includes meals, transportation, accommodation, guiding, and other activities.

What other tourism activities can be done in Uganda?

Regardless of what, do not miss doing farm tours in Uganda. However, Uganda is also known for several tourist activities beyond farm tours. For example, the endangered mountain gorillas survive in Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks. Head there for a gorilla trek while on a farm tour. Several forests offer shelter to chimpanzees, thus making a chimp trek necessary. While on a farm tour in Fort Portal, visit Kibale National Park to see its chimpanzees. Other destinations where chimps live include Kyambura Gorge, Kalinzu Forest, Budongo Forest, and Bugoma etc.

Uganda also houses the Big 5 in many of its savannah national parks. Therefore, during your farm tours in Uganda, head to Queen Elizabeth National Park to see the tree-climbing lions. Elephants, leopards, and buffalo also roam vast parts of the park. Their presence in Murchison Falls National Park makes this destination a must-visit. Besides, this is the home of the Murchison Falls. A hike to the top of the falls is a no-brainer, honestly. Wildlife views also occur in Kidepo National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, and Semliki Wildlife Reserve, among others.

Cultural tours complement farm tours in Uganda since both offer opportunities to interact with the indigenous people. Use this moment to learn new languages, cultures, and ways of life. Uganda has about 56 tribes, and trust us, most people in these farms speak a variety of them. Also, birdwatching is a unique experience that you can do while on a farm tour. Enjoy adventures like mountain climbing, hiking tours, kayaking, tubing, and white-water rafting in Uganda. Feel free to reach out or contact us in case you have any questions. Our team of consultants is always willing to answer your questions.

The top Uganda safari destinations are really inexhaustible, yet exploring some, if not all of them, is really seamless. Uganda offers safaris in its 10 national parks, wildlife reserves, highland areas, and on various lakes and rivers etc. At any of the destinations chosen, visitors do game drives, birdwatching, hiking experiences, gorilla tours, chimpanzee tours, and adventure tours, etc. To mention but a few, the top destinations for safaris in the country include.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Located about 508 km southwest of Kampala by road, Bwindi is among the most iconic destinations and sits on approximately 331 sq.km. It is home to almost half of all the remaining wild mountain gorillas on earth. Therefore, Bwindi’s primary activity is gorilla trekking, which offers all visitors a chance to hike through the ‘impenetrable’ forest. This is done to spend an hour watching a habituated group of gorillas. Apart from these apes, many bird and primate species live in the forest. Other primates to encounter in Bwindi include blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, and chimpanzees, etc.

Murchison Falls National Park

Situated just 234 km by road northwest of Kampala, this is the largest national park in the country with size 3,893sq.km. Its highlight is, of course, the Murchison Falls, found along the Nile River. On this, a boat cruise is a must-do activity for a chance to see large hippos and Nile crocodiles submerged. Across its northern bank, game drives present 4 of the Big 5, which include lions, elephants, buffalo, and leopards. Nearby, in Budongo Forest, visitors track chimpanzees.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Situated 374 km by road southwest of Kampala, this 1,978 sq.km. The national park is among Uganda’s biodiverse ecosystems. What Queen Elizabeth National Park is famous for is the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha. But the Kazinga Channel that links Lake George and Lake Edward is another highlight. Boat cruises occur on the waterway to bring visitors closer to populations of Nile crocodiles, hippos, and water birds, etc. Meanwhile, game drives in the Kasenyi Plains, chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge, and crater lakes visits offer great experiences.

Kibale Forest National Park

Situated about 276 km by road to the west of Kampala, this 795 km park is the Primate Capital of the World. Its main draw is the large population of chimpanzees, with almost 1,500 of them found inside the forest. Visitors do chimpanzee treks for an opportunity to watch habituated chimpanzee communities in the wild. Kibale National Park is also home to 12 more primate species that include Uganda mangabeys, olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, etc. Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is continuous with the forest to offer birdwatching and nature walks. Kibale is among the top Uganda safari destinations.

Kidepo Valley National Park

This is approximately 562 km by road to the northwest of Kampala and is among the top Uganda safari destinations. Kidepo is the country’s remotest national park, yet it offers a much more immersive experience in its breathtaking savannah vegetation. The 1,442 sq.km. The park is among the few places in Uganda to see cheetahs, ostriches, and zebras in the wild. A game drive in Kidepo is an exclusive activity that also offers views of the rugged mountains. Cultural tours around Kidepo National Park offer encounters with the Karamojong and the Ik.

Lake Mburo National Park

Situated about 230 km by road southwest of Kampala, this 260 sq.km. Savannah Park is simply the most accessible one. Its impressive array of wildlife includes zebras, Rothschild’s giraffes, cape buffaloes, impalas, and elands, etc. Visitors usually do various activities to enjoy their lives here. Go to Lake Mburo National Park for horseback riding, cycling, game drives, birdwatching, boat trips, and nature walks, etc. The short drive from the city positions Lake Mburo National Park among the top Uganda safari destinations.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Located 510 km by road southwest of Kampala, the 33.7 sq.km. Mgahinga is Uganda’s smallest national park. It lies just within the Virunga Mountains to place it among the top Uganda safari destinations. Both mountain gorillas and golden monkeys share this pristine forest. This presents opportunities to do either a gorilla trek or a golden monkey trek, or even both. Another highlight of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a hike to reach the summit of Mount Sabyinyo. The Batwa trail is a unique way to experience the cultures of the forest’s former dwellers, now adjacent to the forest.

Rwenzori Mountains National Park

Also known as the Mountains of the Moon, this UNESCO World Heritage site is 400 km west of Kampala by road. Snow-capped peaks, glaciers, and the alpine vegetation create marvelous scenery for climbers. Seasoned climbers reach the Margherita Peak, regardless of the extremely steep terrain. However, short treks for novices exist on the Rwenzori Mountains. Regardless, each climber views waterfalls, valleys, and various unique wildlife. A lot of Albertine endemic bird species live on this mountain.

Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch

This sanctuary is situated about 171 km northwest of Kampala, on your way to Murchison Falls National Park. Not until the reintroduction of rhinos in Ajai Wildlife Reserve, Ziwa housed the only rhinos in the wild. Track and watch the southern white rhinos in the wild with guidance from Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers. Also in the sanctuary, do birdwatching, canoe rides, nature walks, and other activities to enhance your experience. Shoebills, zebras, waterbucks, bushbucks, Uganda kobs, and giraffes call Ziwa home. With all these experiences offered at Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch, it is among the top Uganda safari destinations.

Must-do Uganda safari activities comprise a range of things visitors can do in any of the country’s beautiful destinations. Destinations in Uganda where to go to enjoy the activities offered are also so many that you might not exhaust them. They include iconic places like national parks, lakes, rivers, mountains, forests, and sanctuaries, among others. Among the highlights are any of the activities described,

Golden Monkey trek

This takes you to the track and see the unique golden monkeys living in the lush Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. They love the bamboo vegetation in the national park and have thrived inside since time immemorial. What makes a golden monkey trek so special is that visitors capture photos while they watch the monkeys in their natural setting.

Birdwatching

With approximately 1,073 distinct bird species, Uganda is a powerhouse in birdwatching tours. Include this experience among your must-do Uganda safari activities for a memorable time. Various destinations in Uganda shelter birds only endemic to them, while others keep specialists, and the list goes on and on. One of the best birdwatching spots is Mabamba Bay, for shoebill stork views. National parks like Queen Elizabeth, Kibale, and Bwindi, etc., offer birdwatching excursions as well. Other prime birdwatching sites include Lake Bunyonyi and Murchison Falls National Park.

Hiking tours

A hike is one of the must-do Uganda safari activities since it offers various opportunities for sightseeing. Meanwhile, visitors on these tours walk on foot, thus able to improve their physical fitness. Hiking tours in Uganda are best done on Mount Sabyinyo, Murchison Falls National Park, Sipi Falls, Mount Elgon, and other destinations. While on a hike, get scenic views of hills, mountains, waterfalls, crater lakes, birds, primates, and unique vegetation along the trails.

Cultural Experiences

A country with over 56 recognized tribes offers some of the best cultural experiences during a safari. This is because the tribes have uniquely distinguishable dialects, cultures, and customs. Visitors learn how to cook traditionally, treat illnesses traditionally, and also participate in traditional music and dance. In Uganda, highlights for a cultural encounter include the Batwa, Karamojong, Ik, Banyankore, Baganda, and others.

Game Drives

The game drives are a must-do Uganda safari activity, offered generally in the savannah national parks and wildlife reserves. Move in a safari car along designated game tracks to search for large mammals and birds inside the protected area. To see the Big 5 in Uganda, a game drive offers the most seamless experience. National parks like Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls, Kidepo Valley, and Lake Mburo offer game drives in Uganda.

Gorilla trek

Among the best must-do Uganda safari activities for everyone. Experience a gorilla trek only in the southwestern part of Uganda. In Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks, track and watch a habituated gorilla family in its real home. This is a chance to meet one of our closest relatives, since they share about 98% of our DNA.

Chimpanzee Trek

Also, our closest relatives, the chimpanzees, visitors go to their natural homes in Kibale National Park and Kyambura Gorge. Like the gorilla treks, this experience offers an hour to see the chimps once you locate them. Other pristine destinations in Uganda where chimpanzee trekking happens include Kalinzu Forest, Budongo Forest, Semuliki National Park, and Bugoma Forest.

Boat Cruises

This is surely among the best must-do Uganda safari activities every visitor enjoys. You do a boat cruise on the country’s calmer water bodies. What a visitor has to do is get in a motorboat and explore the aquatic life and scenes that surround the waters. These include hills, vegetation, monuments, and others. Views of a lot of birds and large animals offer great experiences. Some of the residents submerged in water include Nile crocodiles and hippos. Do boat cruises on Kazinga Channel, Victoria Nile, Lake Mburo, Lake Bunyonyi, and Lake Victoria, etc.

Adventure tours

Extreme thriller activities offered in Uganda encompass mountain climbing, kayaking, bungee jumping, zip lining, abseiling, and white-water rafting, etc. These activities offer high-stakes thrills, and those with faint hearts do not try them at all. However, both first timers and seasoned adventurers do them. Guides help people to ensure their safety. The best places to enjoy adventures in Uganda include the Rwenzori ranges, Mount Elgon, Jinja, Lake Bunyonyi, Lake Victoria, and Mabira Forest, to name a few. For more information, feel free to contact our team of experienced consultants who are always ready to help in any way possible.

Yes, a deaf person can participate in gorilla trekking in Uganda, but with the assistance of a sign language interpreter. Sign language interpreters who help to convey the message before, during, and after a gorilla trek. Igloos Consultancy offers seasoned sign language interpreters in Uganda. We involve them from the start to the very end for any deaf person to get a perfect tour. Additionally, these interpreters are fluent in Luganda and all the local languages spoken in Uganda. Their fluency extends to Chinese, Vietnamese, Italian, French, Spanish, Swahili, Portuguese, Russian, etc.

Where to do Gorilla Trekking?

Uganda has 2 places where a deaf person can do gorilla trekking. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park both offer gorilla treks daily. These forested national parks, situated in the southwest of Uganda, shelter half of the global total population of mountain gorillas. With over 23 habituated gorilla families, a deaf person can trek a majority of them in their natural homes. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park offers shelter to only the Nyakagezi gorilla family, also available for gorilla treks.

The rest of the habituated gorilla families reside in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. These families in this forest include Mucunguzi, Kutu, Katwe, Nkuringo, Rwigi, Posho, Kyaguriro A and B, Tindatine, and Muyambi, to name a few. All these families and more offer a variety of opportunities for a deaf person to do gorilla trekking in Uganda. It is also important to know that these gorilla families live in different parts of the forests. Some occupy very steep or dense parts of the forest for more challenging gorilla treks.  

Cost of Gorilla Trekking?

A permit must be acquired first for a deaf person to do gorilla trekking in Uganda. This costs differently for different categories of visitors. All foreign non-residents get each of their respective gorilla permits at approximately $800 per person. Each foreign resident pays about $700 for each permit. People from the rest of Africa need to pay approximaetly $500 for any permit they need. For citizens of the East African Community, pay about 300,000 Uganda shillings to get a gorilla permit in Uganda.  

The Uganda Wildlife Authority has introduced discounted gorilla trekking during the low season—April, May, and November. In the low season, rates offered include approximately $600 per person for foreign non-residents and about $500 per person for foreign residents. Did you know that in Uganda, to buy a gorilla permit, you need to do it through a registered tour operator? Therefore, acquire your gorilla permit conveniently with us. Besides this, your comprehensive tour package, designed together with us, includes accommodation, meals, transportation, and other activities.

When to do Gorilla Trekking?

Gorilla trekking in Uganda is a fantastic adventure that needs to be experienced by everyone, regardless of their physical disability. A deaf person can do this activity all year round, even on a public holiday. But we believe that it is better if you travel during the dry season. This time offers perfect conditions for outdoor activities because of reduced rain and comfortable atmospheric temperatures. Gorilla trails remain drier and less slippery when it rains less frequently. Also, movement inside the forest is better because of the less dense vegetation in dry seasons.

How to Reach Mgahinga and Bwindi?

A deaf person opts for either road or air transport to reach Mgahinga or Bwindi national parks. By road from Kampala, the scenic drive to Mgahinga covers 524km along winding roads and steep terrain. This is why we recommend a 4X4 safari vehicle for the journey to Mgahinga. You might love to reach Mgahinga much faster than this. So instead of the road, use air transport, which starts from Entebbe International Airport to Kisoro Airstrip. Scheduled flights take 1 hour and 15 minutes. Once at the airstrip, drive to the park in less than an hour.  

As with the drive to Mgahinga, the journey to Bwindi by road is really long, almost 500km from Kampala. Also, it is highly recommended to use a 4X4 safari car while headed to the forested park by road. This is because of the factors quite similar to Mgahinga’s journey. Meanwhile, air transportation is a much better option to reach Bwindi comfortably. To reach the south of Bwindi, a scheduled flight goes to Kisoro airstrip from Entebbe. Kihihi airstrip, on the other hand, is nearer to the northern region of Bwindi than Kisoro. Also, like Mgahinga, from the airstrip, use road transport to reach the forest.

What to pack?

Before a visit for a deaf person to do gorilla trekking in Uganda, essential things to pack must be well-thought-out. In terms of clothes, consider a long-sleeved neutral colored shirt and a pair of trousers. Light rain jacket and warm sweaters should not be left behind. Hat, sun cream, and sunglasses when it is sunny. Refillable water-bottle, hiking gloves, first aid kit, hiking shoes/boots, and gaiters must be brought as well. Other things to bring include documents such as a gorilla permit, insurance, visa, and passport, bag pack, raincoat or jacket, hat or cape, refillable drinking water bottle, energy snacks, insect repellant, to mention a few. for more information, feel free to contact our team of experienced consultants who are always ready to help out in any way they can.

A deaf safari experience in Uganda is well-designed for visitors with hearing difficulties to fully enjoy without any detail missed. This experience is best done with a guide fluent in Ugandan sign language and international languages. The latter includes Spanish, French, Chinese, Portuguese, Swahili, Luganda, and others. Successful deaf safari experiences employ visual aids, hand signals, and pre-written briefings to explain behavior during safaris. We work with Igloos Consultancy to make this safari experience worthwhile from start to end.

Safari Destinations in Uganda?

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park offers a good, deep Mountain gorilla safari experience in Uganda. In this approximately 331 sq.km. A forest situated in the southwest of the country (Uganda), with about 459 mountain gorillas finding shelter inside it. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the best places in the world to see gorillas. Other mammals to see in the forest apart from gorillas include blue monkeys, chimpanzees, olive baboons, L’hoest’s monkeys, and bush pigs.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

This is particularly popular due to the existence of tree-climbing lions in its Ishasha Sector. Queen Elizabeth National Park covers approximately 1,978 sq.km. and is home to about 95 species of mammals and about 600 species of birds. The diversity of habitats in the park comprises grassland, woodland, crater lakes, forest, and other open waters etc. Explore Kazinga Channel, Kyambura Gorge, Lake Edward, Explosion Craters, and Lake George, all found here.

Kibale National Park

A deaf safari experience in Uganda’s Kibale Forest offers a perfect getaway in the “Primate Capital of the World.” Kibale National Park covers approximately 795 sq km and shelters the largest concentration of chimpanzees in Uganda, with almost 1,500 of them. Altogether, Kibale National Park offers a home to over 13 different primate species. Apart from the chimpanzee, other species include the red-tailed monkey, baboon, blue monkey, L’hoest’s monkey, and black and white colobus monkey.

Murchison Falls National Park

With a remarkable size of over 3,893 sq.km., this is a beautiful place to enjoy your deer safari experience in Uganda. It is named after the waterfalls, considered among the most powerful in the world. This is situated along the River Nile, which divides the park into the northern and southern sectors. See large numbers of hippos and crocodiles submerged in it. However, the ark shelters about 75 mammal species and about 451 bird species.

Each of the aforementioned national parks is really perfect for a deaf safari experience in Uganda. However, this is not all when it comes to safari destinations. Left out national parks include Kidepo Valley, Lake Mburo, Semliki, Ajai, Pian Upe, Toro-Semliki, Mgahinga, Mount Elgon, and Rwenzori Mountains. Apart from these protected areas, lakes, rivers, etc., might be explored by a person on a deaf safari experience in Uganda. Go to Mabamba Bay, Source of the Nile, Lake Bunyonyi, Mabira Forest, and Lake Mutanda, among others.

What activities to do?

Gorilla trekking,

This offers a thrilling deaf safari experience in Uganda’s southwest national parks of Bwindi and Mgahinga. You track a habituated gorilla group to watch them for a full hour in the wild. Do not miss the opportunity to capture photos of the gorillas while they play, groom each other, or eat, etc.

Chimpanzee trekking,

This is another opportunity to have a deaf safari experience in Uganda. Track and, for an hour, watch a habituated community of chimpanzees in their natural home. A perfect place for a chimp trek is Kibale National Park. Other destinations where chimp treks occur include Budongo Forest, Kyambura Gorge, Kalinzu Forest, and Semliki National Park.

Game drives,

Where you move, while inside a safari car, to explore various savannah wildlife in the national park. Done along designated game tracks, game drives offer chances for the deaf to see a lot of mammal and bird species. While on a game drive, also see members of the Big 5 roaming across the savannah. National parks that offer excellent game drives include Kidepo Valley, Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, and Lake Mburo etc.

Golden monkey trekking,

A unique activity for a deaf safari experience in Uganda, where you watch these unique primates in Mgahinga National Park. This also allows the visitors to watch the habituated troop of golden monkeys for an hour. Capture the mountain gorillas in beautiful photos for your future memories.

Birdwatching,

Is an excellent deaf safari experience in Uganda, where you take time to identify any of the over 1,073 Uganda bird species. With numerous habitats that shelter birds in the country, visitors watch birds in wetlands, forests, savannahs, lakes, rivers, and mountains etc. Travel to birding hotpots such as Mabamba Bay, Katwe Crater Lake, Mabira Forest, Budongo Forest, and Kashoya-Kitomi Forest. National parks to visit for birds include Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls, Lake Mburo, and Semliki, to name a few.

Boat cruise,

This is a fantastic activity for a deaf safari experience in Uganda. While on a motorboat moving on calm, shimmering waters, explore birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, and amphibians around you. Panoramic views of landscapes and lush vegetation cover make the boat cruise truly fun. For perfect boat cruises, visit Lake Victoria, the Nile River, Lake Bunyonyi, Kazinga Channel, and Lake Mutanda, etc.

Hikes,

Deaf safari experiences in Uganda also include this for people who love to go for long distances. While on a hike, you get opportunities to reach a mountain summit, a lake, caves, or waterfalls, among others. Other features to see include vegetation, wild mammals, birdlife, cultural sites, and indigenous communities, to name a few. Favorite hiking destinations include Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Elgon, Mountain Rwenzori, Sipi Falls, and Kidepo Valley, etc. For more information about deaf safaris, all you have to do is book with us and we will be your guide all the way while making good memories to last you a lifetime.

If you compare memorable experiences, gorilla trekking in Uganda Vs Rwanda presents each visitor with various choices. Price, access, number of gorilla families, gorilla destinations available, trekking difficulty, and other factors are among these choices. For example, Uganda offers gorilla trekking tours in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, both in southwest Uganda. Volcanoes National Park in northwest Rwanda is the only destination in Rwanda where you can see gorillas.

Descriptions of other choices include,

Price of Gorilla Trekking in Uganda Vs Rwanda

For gorilla trekking to happen in either Uganda or Rwanda, each visitor must present a permit at the entrance. This permit costs money, whose figures differ in Uganda and Rwanda. In Rwanda, gorilla trekking is offered at approximately $1,500 per person. Meanwhile, Uganda offers each permit at about $800 person. This implies that gorilla trekking in Uganda is significantly cheaper than Gorilla trekking in Rwanda. But the Rwandese government does this to aim for luxury and more exclusive gorilla trekking experiences.

Permits for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda Vs Rwanda

The governments of the respective gorilla destinations issue the gorilla permits. In Rwanda, the acquisition of a permit is done either directly through the Rwanda Development Board or through registered tour operators. Meanwhile, in Uganda, visitors buy permits strictly through registered tour operators. Another difference is that visitors have a maximum of about  96 gorilla permits available each day to buy in Rwanda. Uganda, on the other offers at least  approximately 160 gorilla permits for purchase each day, relatively higher than in Rwanda.

Families for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda Vs Rwanda

Rwanda currently shelters about 12 habituated gorilla families in Volcanoes National Park. Visitors to this destination track most of them every day. So in Rwanda, gorilla families to trek include Susa, Kwitonda, Umubano, Agashya, Sabyinyo, and Karisimbi, etc. Meanwhile, a remarkable 23 habituated gorilla families exist in Uganda. Also, visitors track most of them each day of the year. The available families include Mukiza, Rwigi, Mucunguzi, Katwe, Mubare, Nkuringo, Nyakagezi, Tindatine, Bitukura, and Rushegura, among others.

Reachability / Acessibility  for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda Vs Rwanda

From the respective capitals of Uganda and Rwanda, to reach the gorilla trekking destinations, you can use either the road transport or air transport. The distance covered to drive from Kampala to either Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga National Park is roughly 500km. Some visitors prefer the drive from Kigali to either Bwindi or Mgahinga. This is surprisingly shorter in comparison to Bwindi, the distance is about 170km, while Mgahinga is only about 133km from Kigali. Meanwhile, to reach Volcanoes National Park by road from Kigali, you must cover over 115km.

The option of air transport is available for people with limited time in either country. Rwanda, on the one hand, offers helicopter flights from Kigali International Airport to Volcanoes National Park. A chartered flight to Musanze Airport takes only half an hour. In Uganda, scheduled flights from Entebbe International Airport to either Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrips take an hour and 15 minutes. After the flight to reach the gorilla destinations in either Rwanda or Uganda, you use ground transportation.

Difficulty of Gorilla Trekking in Uganda Vs Rwanda

In Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park offers the more difficult trekking tours compared to the rest of the parks. Its forest is relatively denser than other parks, which requires the guide to clear vegetation along the path. The terrain in Bwindi is also muddy and very slippery mostly during the rainny season, offering more difficult gorilla trekking experiences. Additionally, Bwindi is steeper compared to Volcanoes National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, presenting quite a challenge in treks. The challanging trails in b oth Bwindi makes the Mountain gorilla trekking activity more adventurous and interesting in its own way perfect for challange lovers.  

Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park is mostly done through bamboo vegetation. Such vegetation is spread out, hence less dense compared to Bwindi’s, making it easier for gorilla treks. Meanwhile, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is covered with bamboo vegetation that creates a less dense canopy. Yet, the terrain in this destination is steeper in various places compared to that of Volcanoes. Therefore, Rwanda offers easier gorilla trekking tours compared to Uganda, yet all adventures generally require an impressive visitor’s fitness.

Accommodation for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda Vs Rwanda

Rwanda gorilla trekking starts at the Volcanoes National Park headquarters, situated in Kinigi. Nearby, numerous luxury accommodations exist for visitors to stay in during a gorilla trek. A drive to reach the trailhead for a gorilla trek, therefore, takes little time. Bwindi alone has 4 trailheads—Rushaga, Ruhija, Nkuringo, and Buhoma, situated quite far away from each other. Therefore, visitors must book accommodations close to the trailhead offered to them. Doing this helps avoid inconveniences as they drive to the trailhead.

Number of gorillas for gorilla trekking in Uganda Vs Rwanda

If you combine the total number of individual gorillas in Mgahinga and Bwindi, Uganda has half of the global totals. Bwindi alone has about 459 gorillas living in its forest, thus an increased chance to encounter one on a gorilla trek. Meanwhile, Volcanoes and Mgahinga, as part of the Virunga Conservation Area, shelter approximately 604 mountain gorillas. Volcanoes National Park alone has about 380 mountain gorillas, some of which are transboundary. Book with us now to get a chance and encounter one on one with the Mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. while booking you should keep it in mind that the gorilla permits are on a high demand so it would be good to book your self one with an authoruised travel agency or comapny like ours.

Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex/Whale-headed stork/ boat bill / swamp king) is one of the most sought-after birds in Uganda by tourists and birders. Shoebill storks are famous for their shoe-shaped, dinosaur-like appearance, and death stare (motionless) while hunting. Despite the fact that shoe bills are among the birds under the threat of extinction, Uganda happens to be among the few travel destination countries that have become famous for birders who would love to see or sight this amazing bird in their natural habitat in motion. Known for living in large freshwater papyrus swamps and marshes, where they are able to feed on lung fish, frogs, and small reptiles. Below is what you need to know about shoebill tracking in Uganda, or the frequently asked questions about shoebills in Uganda.

What is Shoebill tracking?

Shoebill tracking is a tourist activity done in various travel destinations in Uganda that involves tourists or visitors searching for shoebill birds in their natural habitat. The shoebill tracking activity takes approximately 4 to 5 hours of searching, waiting, and watching in silence.

What is the best place/destination to spot or see shoebills in Uganda?

Uganda is blessed with over 7 different travel destinations where tourists or clients, birders can be able to track and spot shoebills in their natural habitat. These places include Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Entebbe Uganda Wildlife Center (UWEC), Mabamba swamp, Makanga swamp bay, Murchison Falls National Park, Semuliki National Park, and Queen Elizabeth National Park. Amongst these travel destinations, the most famous and most visited for shoebill tracking include Mabamba swamp and Murchison Falls National Park.

What is the best time for shoebill tracking in Uganda?

Shoebill tracking can be done or carried out in Uganda throughout the whole year, but the best time to track or search for shoebills in Uganda is during the dry season of the year (December to February and June to September). This is because during this season of the year, the water levels in the swamps are low, and the weather conditions are favorable for the shoebill tracking activity. You should also note or put in consideration that the best time of the day to do a shoebill tracking activity is during the morning hours, because by this time of the day, the shoebills are very active hunting for food in the swamp.

What to pack for a shoebill tracking safari in Uganda?

Just like any other safari, there are specific items or things you should consider packing for safety,and also make sure you have a good experience during the tracking activity. Some of these things or items include,

Insect repellant

Since you will be going into a different or new environment that is covered with different vegetation cover which also happens to be a breeding place for a number of insects, it would be a great thing if you consider packing along insect repellent to protect yourself from insect bites.

Sunscreen

You should also consider packing or bringing along sunscreen to help protect your skin from direct sunlight rays, which may harm it.

Hat or cape

To protect your face and head, that is what either a hat or a cape will do for you once you consider packing either of the two.

A camera and extra batteries

For the purpose of photography, you should pack along a camera and a pair of extra batteries to avoid missing any caption due to dead batteries.

A pair of binoculars

Since you will be tracking or searching for shoebills, it will be best if you come with a pair of binoculars to help you spot the shoebill and other birds from a distance.

Refillable drinking water bottles

In order to practice sustainable tourism, you should consider packing or bringing along a refillable drinking water bottle, which you will fill with drinking water to keep yourself hydrated throughout the shoebill tracking activity.

A raincoat / sweater/ jacket

Since you will be searching for shoebills in the open and you can never know when it will rain, it will be best if you bring along either a raincoat, jacket, or sweater to protect yourself from direct rain in case it rains.

Energy-giving snacks

To help boost your energy, you should consider either packing or buying some energy-giving snacks in the shops or supermarkets of Uganda, which will help boost your energy levels throughout the shoebill tracking activity.

What other tourism activity can be combined with shoebill tracking?

There are a number of tourism activities that you can combine, or our company can combine together with the shoebill tracking activity, and these include Rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Gorilla trekking, game drives, chimpanzee trekking, boat cruise, guided nature walks, to name a few.

To have this kind of experience, all you have to do is book with us, and in case of any questions about shoebill tracking in Uganda, hesitate not to contact any of our team of consultants, who will be glad to help in any way.