Best 5 Things to Do on a Uganda Safari

With Cisticola Birding and Nature Safaris, Uganda is richly blessed with stunning tourist attractions and amazing features that tourists from around the world love to explore all year round. Here are the best 5 things to do on a Uganda Safari that you should consider having on your itinerary when you visit Uganda.

1. Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

Gorilla trekking is the most popular activity done in Uganda and one of the best 5 things to do on a Uganda Safari. It is also referred to as Gorilla tracking and it is where the rangers try to find the given habituated gorilla group for the clients on their trekking date. So, the clients will be divided into a group of 8 people at 8:00 am to be assigned to a specific gorilla group and escorted by ranger guides into the forest to search for the rare Mountain Gorillas. It might take you 2-6 hours while in the forest depending on the time and the place where you will find the Mountain Gorillas. Upon finding them, clients will spend only one (1) hour of interacting with these lovely primates.

2. Game Drives in Uganda’s Savannah National Parks

This is an unusual and exciting experience that involves viewing wildlife in a comfortable Safari vehicle (4×4 Land cruiser). During this daring experience, you will be accompanied by the tour guide and armed ranger guide provided by Uganda Wildlife Authority. It takes 3-4 hours while in the wild and it is also an opportunity to view various birds on the game drive. In Uganda, game drives can be done in 5 different national parks with varied safari experiences and including Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, and Semuliki National Park.

Murchison Falls National Park is located near the shores of Lake Albert in the northwestern part of Uganda. It contains 451 species of birds and 76 species of mammals which can be spotted in your Uganda Safari for example Lions, Leopard, Elephants, Buffaloes, Hyenas, Water Buck, Bush Buck, Giraffes, Oribis, Jackson Hartebeests, Hippopotamus, Chimpanzees, crocodiles among many other animals.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in the Western Region of Uganda, covering the districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi, and Rukungiri. It contains 600 bird species and 95 mammal species among which include Lions, Elephants, Buffaloes, Leopards, Chimpanzees, Hippopotamus, Crocodiles, Water bucks, Bush Bucks, Mongoose and other many animal species.

3. Boat Cruise in Uganda

Uganda is blessed with a variety of water bodies and it has accelerated boat cruise tours in Uganda. It is one of the enjoyable, relaxing, and common activities done in various places in the country. The clients will be provided with the guide, and life jacket vests but drinks can be bought by the client while on the boat cruise.

A boat cruise to the source of the Nile offers relaxing, breathtaking sights and enjoying the cool breeze of Lake Victoria. It is done from Jinja town located in the eastern region of Uganda, on the shores of Lake Victoria. It takes 2 hours or more and while on the boat, some birds will be spotted, at Speke Monument and Nile Bridge.

Boat cruise to the bottom of the falls is done in Murchison Falls National Park and it takes three (3) hours. It is done on the calm Victoria Nile to the base of the falls stopping just ten meters to the “Devil’s Cauldron”. En route, marvel at the toothsome hippos and crocodiles, and over this 17 km stretch, you may see elephants, buffaloes, waterbuck, and Uganda kobs.  This is also a zone of many bird species like the Goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant, and the rare shoebill stork. See where the world’s longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43m below.

Boat Cruise at Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The channel connects the water flow from Lake George to Lake Edward. A two (2) hour boat trip along the famous Kazinga channel is worthwhile and an opportunity to see Hippo, Buffalo, Kobs, Elephants, warthogs, etc. This trip also enables visitors to see spectacular birds.

Boat Cruise at Lake Bunyonyi. It is the second deepest Lake in Africa after Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania. The boat cruise on Lake Bunyonyi makes you feel the wonders of nature as you will see big terraced hills, big valleys, and the 29 islands which form up Lake Bunyonyi. It is a good place for relaxing after a long gorilla trek at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

4. Chimpanzee Trekking in Uganda

Chimpanzee trekking is one of the activities which make Uganda Safaris unique. Uganda is home to over 5,000 chimpanzees. While in Uganda, enjoy seeing the closest creatures to human beings and they have made people discover the origin of human behaviors since we share 99% of our DNA.

Kibale National Park is located in western Uganda near Fort Portal town which is the entry to the most tourist destination in Uganda. It contains 13 species of primates and is mainly known for chimpanzee tracking in the whole world. It hosts over 1500 chimpanzees and in general, it is home to 70 species of mammals and 375 species of birds.

Kyambura Gorge is the second main spot for Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda and it is situated in Queen Elizabeth National Park, the western region of Uganda. It is a narrow valley with steep and rocky walls located between hills or mountains. It has got a magnificent view of the river rainforest and it is located near the equator crossing the line in Kasese which crosses the Kyambura. The gorge has attracted a large number of birds and other primate species like red-tailed monkeys, white and black colobus monkeys, Olive baboons, and red Columbus monkeys among other species.

Budongo Central Forest Reserve is located northwest of Kampala and it is another main spot for Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda. The reserve is the continuation and part of the famous Murchison Falls National Park. The reserve is also known as Kaniyo Pabidi with its royal mile commonly for bird watching.

Kalinzu Forest Reserve is located in Bushenyi District in western Uganda between Mbarara town and Kasese. It is also near the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is the cheapest place for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda.

5. White Water Rafting at the Source of the Nile

A safari to Uganda wouldn’t be complete without White Water Rafting on River Nile. The source of the Nile is a dramatic and the top destination for white water rafting in the world. It takes a full day between 4 -5 hours covering 25km distance and it depends on the rafting grade one chooses. Grade 3, Grade 5 and Grade 5 extreme white water rafting are the most preferred.

Grade 3 family rafting takes one day and it is good for families and school children from 8 years and above with at least 30Kg. You will be provided free photos and videos, transport to and from Kampala, free breakfast, picnic lunch, Experienced and friendly staff, drinking water all day, scenic views, tubing, and floats as you relax on the Nile.

Grade 5 and extreme rafting is so adventurous and it takes 4-5 hours. You can choose to paddle as a team or choose the softer option as you hit more rapids downstream. Grade 5 takes children with a minimum of 16 years on a 25km distance where you will also be provided with free breakfast and lunch, free photos, transport to and from Kampala, experienced guides and staff, and above all no necessary experience is required to take on this activity.