Why are Tourists visiting Uganda? Why should I visit Uganda?
Here are 15 Reasons why you should visit Uganda
Why visit Uganda? The answer is simple. Uganda is unlike any other Safari Destination on the African Continent, and it is the Pearl of Africa, one of the most biodiverse countries in the World.
Its diverse and stunning landscapes take in Africa’s tallest mountain range, the snowcapped Rwenzori Mountains of the moon, and the vastness of Africa’s largest freshwater lake, Lake Victoria, with its hidden tropical Ssese Islands. From Lake Victoria, the ancient River Nile begins its journey to the Mediterranean Sea.
Why visit Uganda? With abundant wildlife such as Chimpanzees, Gorillas, the famous Big-5 found in the Savannah parks, and 1600+ rare bird species.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is a renowned mountain gorilla sanctuary. At the same Time, Kidepo Valley National Park contends as Africa’s best destination for wild game drives, named the third-best savannah park in all of Africa.
Uganda is Africa, as you imagined it, only better. Uganda, such as the remote Karamoja region, is “Africa as it used to be fifty-plus years ago. In Uganda, you can still find the Africa that Karen Blixen described, the Africa that Ernest Hemingway had us dream about, and all without the crowds.
Having said all that, let us now give you15 Reasons why you should visit Uganda on a Safari.
Why visit Uganda? Here are 15 Reasons why you should visit Uganda
1. Uganda offers the best Mountain Gorilla Tracking
The Pearl of Africa is the premier destination for those that seek to have a personal encounter with the Gentle Giants of the Forest. Half of the endangered Mountain Gorillas are found in Uganda. Tracking them in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is on most African Travelers’ Bucket List.
In Uganda, you can have that once-in-a-lifetime visit with the rare Mountain Gorillas. They are not found in any zoo, only in the wild in East and Central Africa. The Mountain Gorillas are one of the main reasons visitors everywhere come to Africa’s heart, Pearl, Uganda. Here, you can have your own personal “Gorillas in the Mist” experience, which is one hour in the presence of a gorilla family, one of our closest great ape relatives.
You can even spend more time with the gentle giants on the all-day Habituation Experience.
Why visit Uganda? For an encounter with the Mountain Gorillas – Read more about our Midrange and Luxury Gorilla Trekking Safaris
2. Uganda offers the best Chimpanzee Tracking
Primate lovers can have a field day in Uganda. The country is home to about 5,000 chimpanzees, the most in East Africa, and Kibale Forest National Park is considered the premier chimpanzee tracking destination. Trekking here takes nowhere the effort that gorilla trekking does. While trekking, the chimpanzee’s sightings are not hit and miss but almost a sure thing every time.
You trek through the rainforest in Kibale Forest National Park, led by rangers searching for our closest cousins whose DNA- is 98,9% like ours. On the trail, you might see red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus, a myriad of tropical birds, and butterflies.
Before you see the chimpanzees, you will hear their screeches echoing through the forest. A troop of chimpanzees all around you is an incredible sight, nothing resembling visiting them in a zoo.
Kibale Forest is the best place for sure sightings in Uganda. There are four other places to track them in the wild: Kalinzu Forest near Queen Elizabeth Park and the Kyamburu Gorge in Queen Elizabeth Park. In the Budongo Forest near Murchison Falls National Park and Semliki National Park.
Why visit Uganda? For the best Chimpanzee Encounters in East Africa – Read more about the best Places to track Chimpanzees in Uganda.
3. Spend More Time with the Primates- Gorillas-Chimpanzees-Golden Monkeys
Many Gorilla, Chimpanzee, and Golden monkeys wish to have more Time with the Primates. In Uganda, you can do just that on a Gorilla, Chimpanzee, or Golden Monkey Habituation Experience. A habituation Experience gives you more time with the primates, and there are fewer trekkers. In Uganda, you can be more than a primate observer but a participant in the actual habituation process where the Gorillas, Chimpanzees, and Golden Monkeys become used to human beings.
There are a limited number of permits for the Habituation Experience, and one must plan to have more time with the Gorillas, Chimpanzees, and Golden Monkeys.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those that want more extended than an hour with the primates. Photographers prefer to have more time to take that perfect photo of the primates. Others appreciate the hands-on learning experience during the Habituation Experience.
If you want to spend more time with the primates, you must plan and book your safari early. Spending more time with the primates has become increasingly popular, and the permits are few. Be wise and plan.
Why visit Uganda? Spend more Time with the Primates – Read how to spend more time with the Primates.
4. Uganda offers Awesome Wildlife Encounters
\Uganda is more than primates. It is home to the Big-7. The Big-5, Lions, Elephants, Buffaloes, Leopards, Rhinos, Mountain Gorillas, and Chimpanzees. You will have incredible encounters with the Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzees and the abundant wildlife found in the Pearl of Africa.
Encounter the Tree-Climbing Lions in the fig trees of Ishasha in Queen Elizabeth National Park, the most significant number of Nubian (Rothschild) Giraffes in Murchison Falls Park. The growing number of Elephants in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, and Kidepo Valley Park.
Spot numerous Leopards on a nocturnal or track Rhinos on foot. See the enormous Nile Crocodiles along the River Nile in Murchison Falls National Park or the highest concentration of hippos along the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth Park.
A Safari in Uganda means more than primates, and it truly is the Big-5 plus—a Safari destination not to be missed.
Why visit Uganda? Incredible Wildlife Encounters
5. Uganda’s Stunning Scenery
Uganda has been truly gifted by nature, and it is unlike any other safari destination in Africa. It is no wonder that Winston Churchill, a seasoned traveler wrote Winston Churchill wrote in 1908, “The Kingdom of Uganda is a fairy tale. The landscape is different… from anything elsewhere to be seen in the whole range of Africa.”
Uganda is a country jam-packed with breathtaking scenery and natural wonders that will amaze you. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest was named the most beautiful place by CNN-Travel. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park was named the third “Must-Photograph” place.
Those who have visited here are surprised by what they find. An evergreen landscape with scenery befitting any coffee table picture book. Scenes such as the gorilla highlands of southwest Uganda with its terraced hillsides are a sight to behold. The Virunga Volcanoes in the country’s southwest Mount Elgon will delight you. Taking a savanna game drive in the shadows of the snowcapped Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon cannot be replicated elsewhere. You have to come and see Uganda for yourself.
Why visit Uganda? The scenery that you do not find elsewhere in all of Africa
6. Uganda is a Top Birding Destination
Uganda is one of Africa’s favorite and most prosperous Birding destinations, with well over 1,060 plus species of birds recorded. A country the size of the US State of Oregon is home to ten percent of all the bird species recorded in the World.
Home to over 1,6o0 plus, bird species can be found across many habitats from forests, swamps, lakes, and Savannahs to cultivated lands. There are native regions and Uganda birds plus the seasonal migrating birds such as the lesser flamingoes seen in the country. Additionally, there are seventeen globally near-threatened and five threatened species.
Even those not into birdwatching will enjoy the feathered creatures you see here. You will most likely come across the gray crowned crane, called the crested crane in Uganda. It is the national bird of Uganda and is found on its crest and the flag. When you are flying with Uganda airlines, flying with the crested. Even the national football team is called the cranes.
You will see the Marabou Stork, which is seen almost everywhere in Uganda, and we call it the unofficial bird of Uganda. Lastly is the most sought-after bird in Africa, the Shoebill Stork.
Why visit Uganda? It is one of the best Birding Destinations in Africa.
7. Uganda means Adrenaline Pumping Adventures on the Nile in Jinja
Young or older, there are those looking for Adrenaline Pumping Adventures. Uganda is the best country in East Africa for that, and the town of Jinja on the Nile in particular. It is known as the Adrenaline Adventure Capital of Africa. Adventurists come from far and wide to the city for challenging extreme sports, such as the famous white-water rafting on the wild side of the Nile.
The River Nile near Jinja is where those seeking adrenaline-pumping adventures will find some of the best white-water rapids in Africa. Extreme Kayakers from all over the world head here in their quest for more challenges.
The ultimate daredevil deed of bungee jumping into the Nile day and night for the bold and brave. There is the family float for those wanting something gentler on the Nile. Or a Sundowner Cruise on the Nile.
You can also enjoy quad biking, horseback riding, fishing, and birding along the Nile. Jinja on the Nile has something for everyone.
Why visit Uganda? Adrenaline Pumping Adventures on the Nile in Jinja.
8. Uganda is all about Hitting the Trails-Climbing the Peaks
Uganda is much more than Primates and wildlife but a hiking and climbing destination beyond the wildest dreams of those who want to hit the trails and climb the peaks found in the Pearl of Africa. There are the Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon, where you cannot climb the heights of the tallest Mountain Range in Africa but hike in the foothills. A mountain range is more elevated than the Alps of Europe and can climb for a lot less than the third highest peak in Africa, Mount Margherita.
Take a day to climb one of the three Virunga Volcanoes, called the Mufumbiro Mountains, the Mountains that cook in Mgahinga National Park, or do a three to four-day climb a massive, extinct volcano in the east of the country, Mount Elgon.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest was named CNN Travels Best Hiking Trails in the world list. Here you cannot track the Gentle Giants of the forest. Take one of the countless trails in and around the forest. Every national park has trails that will delight seasoned hikers who want to hit Africa’s trails.
Why visit Uganda? Hitting the Trails-Climbing the Peaks
9. Uganda offers Authentic Cultural Encounters
Ugandan Culture – Rich and Diverse. Culture, Traditions are handed down from generation to generation, not in books but underneath the Village Elders’ Mango Trees. The Legends and ways of the old are shared again in Proverbs, legends, tales, and stories, keeping them alive in the hearts of the young.
Those Legends, Tales, and Proverbs passed on to younger generations, to their hearts and minds, are still practiced in various forms and make up the Culture of Uganda, making others call Authentic Africa.
The Ugandan Culture, Rich and Diverse, is embedded in the lives of Ugandans. There is more to Uganda than Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Primates, Wildlife, and Scenic Wonders. There is another, its People with their Culture, an enriching and unforgettable experience in Uganda.
Thousands of visitors per year come each to visit Uganda – most of them miss the rich cultural diversity of the Ugandan people – something to be experienced during your visit to the Pearl of Africa.
Why visit Uganda? Authentic Cultural Encounters
10. Uganda has the Best Weather and Climate in East Africa
The Weather and Climate in Uganda – the Pearl of Africa, are unlike any other East African Country. The Evergreen African County can boat Holiday Weather all year long, even during the Rainy Seasons, and the sun comes out Each Day.
Though the equator runs through the country due to its elevation, Lake Victoria, and its effects on the weather, milder Climate Conditions prevail, making it a perfect Holiday Destination.
Warm but rarely too hot, the temperatures do not fluctuate but are consistent year-round. Uganda’s Tourist Attractions from Mountain Gorillas to the Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon, the sandy beaches of the Tropical Ssese Islands – Uganda is a great weather Safari Destination as increasingly are finding out.
The Best Times of the Year to track Mountain Gorillas would be the dry seasons – but you can save a lot of money during the off-season when luxury lodges discount their rates, and we pass it on to you.
Why visit Uganda? Holiday-Weather all year long
11. Uganda has spots and places for you to Relax and Chill Out
Uganda is known for Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzee Tracking, Volcano or Rwenzori Mountain Climbing, for adrenaline rush producing White Water Rafting – but places to relax and chill out at the end of a Safari, a Gorilla Trek?
Yes, Uganda has those places where you can unwind, and they are just waiting to be discovered by you. The list of locations is endless, and below are only a few that will give you an idea of finding the best places to relax and chill out in Uganda.
There are the hidden Ssese tropical Islands on Africa’s largest lake, the second largest lake in the World, Lake Victoria. Sandy Beaches on a Lake as vast as a small Ocean. You can relax and enjoy it since it is off the beaten Tourist Path.
Lake Mutanda and Lake Bunyonyi near Bwindi Impenetrable Forest are perfect spots to relax for a few days. You can spend a while on the Nile at Jinja and chill out on an island amid the roaring Nile.
Spend a few days in Entebbe and enjoy Lake Victoria, boating, fishing, sunset cruises, and sandy beaches.
You will enjoy our relaxation places where you can chill out and unwind at the end of your Safari.
Why visit Uganda? Relax and Chill-Out
12. Uganda is Friendly – Welcoming – Hospitable – Safe
Uganda is unlike what many think it is like. To begin with, it is one of the friendliest countries in all of Africa. There is a genuine welcoming attitude that is not found elsewhere. People enjoy meeting people from other cultures. Always have some pictures of your family, home, and country to share with those you meet.
The concept of African Hospitality is deeply ingrained in Ugandan Culture. A culture that not only welcomes guests but takes responsibility for their well-being while here.
Uganda is safe, secure, and stable. The safest place to be is on a Safari in the Pearl of Africa. Your driver-guide will look after your safety and well-being while on a Safari.
We only use safe and secure Lodges that have security personnel on-site 24-Hours a day. Everyone wants you safe while you are visiting Uganda.
Uganda today is safe for tourists, it is friendly, welcoming, and hospitable, plus it is the best English-Speaking country in all of Africa.
Why visit Uganda? It is a friendly, welcoming, hospitable, and safe country.
13. Uganda is Affordable = The Uganda Price Advantage
Uganda is one of the most affordable countries for a safari, especially a primate safari in East Africa. Affordability is still an essential factor, especially for a safari that includes Gorilla Tracking.
Uganda is the only country that offers safe, affordable mountain gorilla tracking safaris. A gorilla safari in Uganda will cost you half the price in neighboring Rwanda, and permits alone are $1,500, while they are $700 in Uganda.
Rwanda markets itself as an exclusive Gorilla Tracking Destination. That is reflected in the price of everything, including the cost per night at a hotel or lodge, The margin of profit a tour operator will take. On the other hand, Uganda has quality lodges and hotels in the midrange and luxury categories that remain affordable for most.
Affordability is why Uganda has become the Premier Mountain Gorilla Tracking Destination in Africa. Not just affordability, but affordability without compromising the quality of the Gorilla, Chimpanzee Tracking Experience.
If you use a Ugandan Tour Operator such as us, you cut out the go-between, there is no go-between, and you save even more.
Why visit Uganda? Affordability without compromise.
14. Uganda is open for Business – Welcoming Safari-Goers from everywhere!
On January 25th, 2022, all businesses, including Bars, concerts, and Sports venues, Curfew, were lifted. Uganda is now fully open for Business. Visitors, Tourists, and Safari Goers are welcomed, and we look forward to introducing you to the Pearl of Africa, Uganda.
Covid Tourism guidelines are in place for your protection and well-being. The guidelines apply to all Hotels, Lodges, and Tour Operators, and we meet and exceed them. The ones that are strictly enforced are. Mask wearing is mandatory while in the presence of Primates. Additionally, you must wear masks at the Lodge or hotel, except when eating or drinking.
COVID Mandates are reviewed and changed as conditions change in Uganda and travel world PCR Tests are no longer taken for arriving Tourists.
We encourage you to book your safari soon. We will assist you in all stages of planning your Safari. Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Permits are available, including the much sought-after Gorilla Habituation Permits.
15. Uganda is the safest Covid Pandemic Safari Destination in East Africa:
The COVID Pandemic has not affected Uganda like countries in the West, Asia, and other parts of Africa. Quietly, under the radar of most, Uganda is today the safest Safari Destination in East Africa. On the 13th of April 2022, only two were hospitalized in the whole country. New infection rates are exceptionally low.
Uganda has been commended for handling the pandemic by organizations such as WHO and others. The country has used and is using the AstraZeneca Vaccine, and some neighboring countries have the China Vaccine with lesser effectiveness. We, as tour operators, are following COVID procedures set forth by the Ministry of Health.
People have the urge to travel. After two years of being locked down, many worldwide are suffering from cabin fever. The Wanderlust spirit is with many, and Uganda is the perfect 2022, 2023 travel destination.
We invite you to explore Uganda, the Pearl of Africa with Kabiza Wilderness Safaris soon. Feel free to contact us today and we can begin planning your Primate. and wildlife safari…thank you.
