Located on the shores of Lake Victoria, Entebbe lies 40 km south of Kampala, Uganda's bustling capital. As the country’s primary gateway, it serves as both a peaceful retreat and a starting point for exploring Uganda's natural wonders. The city sits in a lush landscape, with sprawling green spaces and a shoreline dotted with fishing villages. The Entebbe Botanical Gardens, established in 1898, showcase a wide variety of plant species, from indigenous tropical forest to cultivated horticultural displays. The gardens are home to a diverse bird population, including the palm nut vulture and giant kingfisher, and provide a haven for primates like the black-and-white colobus. A short trip west leads to the Mabamba Swamp, a Ramsar Wetland, where visitors can explore by dugout canoe in search of the rare shoebill stork. Lake Victoria itself invites fishing, leisurely cruises, and excursions to Ngamba Island, a sanctuary for orphaned chimpanzees, where visitors can observe the chimps roaming freely across 40 hectares of forested land.
Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest and most well-known nature reserve, is named for its explosive, immense Falls, the centerpiece of the park, where the mighty Nile River plunges nearly 150 ft. down a narrow gorge, into the “Devil’s Cauldron”. The spectacular Falls are the main reason that this is one of Uganda’s most popular parks, but it is also a great location for game viewing, with an incredible diversity and abundance of wildlife, including lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, hartebeests, Uganda kobs, hippo, huge crocodiles, and 450 species of birds. A boating trip along the great Nile, to see the powerful Falls up-close, watching in awe as the powerful river cascades down with a thunderous roar, is a spectacle all visitors to Uganda should really try not to miss.
Imposing cone-shaped hills cradle tranquil calderas in the enchanting Ndali-Kasenda Crater Lakes in Western Uganda near Kibale Forest and Queen Elizabeth National Parks. Formed about 8-10,000 years ago by volcanic activity, these craters now hold a variety of lakes. Some boast clear, blue water, while others remain emerald green with a sulfuric odour due to residual volcanic gases. Lush vegetation cloaks the crater rims, offering views of nearby hills, tea plantations, and even the Rwenzori Mountains on clear days. While some lakes are safe for swimming, others contain toxic water and should be avoided. Activities around the lakes include nature walks, boat rides, bird-watching and visiting the "Top of the World" viewpoint for panoramic vistas.
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.
The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is one of Uganda’s most popular parks for one simple but thrilling reason – gorillas. Bwindi is home to approximately half of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas. Few wildlife experiences are more exciting than watching these magnificent, intelligent, primates up-close -just feet away from one of the habituated families – an enormous silverback male, young males and females and mothers with their adorable babies.The park itself is also strikingly beautiful. Although no other wildlife is needed to make the visit here worth the effort, there are about 350 bird species, more than 200 butterfly species, and 120 mammals, including other primates, although they just cannot compete with the magnificent gorillas! There are also fascinating cultural opportunities, visiting the local Batwa Pygmy villages.
As previously described
