Situated on a peninsula in Lake Victoria, the former seat of Uganda’s government, Entebbe is just a short drive from the current capital and offers plenty to keep visitors amused. This charming town features tree-lined streets and serves as an excellent base from which to explore the surrounding area. Tourists can look forward to spending days on beautiful beaches along the banks of Lake Victoria, stroll through the fields and forests of the magnificent Botanical Gardens, or pay a visit to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, a haven for country’s orphaned chimps.
Kibale Forest National Park, situated in Western Uganda, is famous for its high density of primates, breathtaking crater lakes, and thick, beautiful jungle. Thirteen primate species inhabit the beautiful tropical forest, including red-tailed monkey, L’Hoest's monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, red colobus, and black and white colobus monkeys. Visitors may spot some of the 300 bird species and 250 butterfly species, and buffalo, forest elephants, leopards, bushbucks, and sitatungas also live in the park but are generally shy. The area is decorated by around 50 enthralling crater lakes and numerous pristine hiking trails. Several cultural tours are on offer which delve into the rich traditions of the Batoro people, giving travellers a chance to see Batoro dancing, singing and traditional healing up close.
Surrounded by other wonderful parks in the western region of Uganda, the Queen Elizabeth National Park is known for its rich biodiversity, wildlife and history. In the southern part of the park, the remote Ishaha sector is home to tree-climbing lions who spend long lazy days dozing in the pretty fig trees. The Uganda Kob, a type of antelope, are watched carefully by the tree lions while grazing the plains Around Lake Edward, enjoy fishing and more game watching - make sure to look out for chimpanzees, elephants, crocodiles, and perennial and migratory bird species.
Located in southwestern Uganda, the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is said to be Africa’s oldest rainforest. It is world-renowned for its excellent gorilla-sighting opportunities - the forest is home to half of the remaining mountain gorillas on earth. This gorilla experience takes place among a rugged landscape of dense jungle, cascading waterfalls, sparkling mountain streams, deep valleys, and steep ridges. The untouched forest has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its breathtaking natural beauty and unique ecological significance, and aside from the amazing gorilla interactions, there are other drawcards such as a network of forest walks, over 340 species of bird to spot, and a variety of brightly-coloured butterflies to identify. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore the spectacular Virunga Volcanoes, three of which are still active.
Located in southwestern Uganda, in the Kisoro District, the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park forms part of the much larger Virunga Conservation Area. This wilderness sanctuary was created to protect the rare mountain gorillas that inhabit its dense forests. The striking landscape boasts three conical volcanoes which are a part of the magnificent Virunga Range which fringes Uganda, Rwanda, and Congo. Aside from the main attraction which is the mountain gorillas, the park is home to buffaloes, elephants, endangered golden monkeys and many of bird species. The three extinct volcanoes offer plenty of hiking trails.
