Uganda Safaris

Uganda’s fertile lands are made up of terraced hillsides, dense rainforest, numerous lakes, waterfalls, mighty rivers, volcanoes and snow-capped mountains.

There is excellent game viewing in Uganda, including mountain gorillas and chimpanzees, alongside prolific birdlife, warm and welcoming people and stunning landscapes. Mountain gorillas can be tracked at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, while chimps can be found in Kibale Forest and Chambura Gorge.

Uganda's Queen Elizabeth II National Park provides excellent viewing opportunities for all Africa’s plains game as well as boat trips on the Kazinga Channel for birdwatching or sundowners. Trekking is possible on Mount Elgon and in the Rwenzori Mountains, while Lake Victoria offers freshwater fishing and a few idiosyncratic tropical-island beach resorts.

Read our newsletter articles on Gorilla Tracking >>

Uganda Safaris - Travel Tips

Uganda is a year-round safari destination, with a long dry season from June to September and wet seasons from March to May and October to December.
If you want to track Uganda's gorillas it is worth looking at two separate locations to experience two different families in varying habitats.
Uganda safaris combine well with gorilla tracking in Rwanda, and safaris to Tanzania or Kenya.

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Uganda Safaris - A Personal View

Alice Gully Uganda is quite unlike any other African country I have visited. With its wonderfully lush vegetation, terraced hills, beautiful Rwenzori Mountains, open plains and a different view around each corner it really does have a bit of everything.

Unique wildlife like the Uganda kob, giant forest hog and the extraordinary shoebill stork go hand in hand with villages full of smiling, waving children.

Seeing the mountain gorillas in Uganda is perhaps the first time my breath has genuinely been taken away. It is quite magical to sit high in the rainforest canopy and watch some of the world’s most endangered animals go about their daily lives.

Alice Gully - One of Aardvark Safaris' Uganda specialists

Uganda Safaris - Ideas You Might Not Have Thought About

		Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary Ngamba, located on Lake Victoria is no ordinary island as you’re the guest of 39 orphaned chimpanzees. Ngamba Island provides orphaned chimpanzees with a secure home to live out their lives, also educating visitors and local communities about this remarkable species. Visitors are able to view feeding sessions or take forest walks, which allow a unique opportunity to join a group of infant chimpanzees on a one hour walk through their forest habitat. Since these chimpanzees are used to human contact they will play-bite, climb on you or even just walk along holding your hand.

		Tracking Chimps in the Chambura Gorge The Chambura Gorge marks the boundary between Queen Elizabeth National Park and Chambura Game Reserve. It is 10km long and supports thick forest which is home to many different forest living species, including chimpanzees. A guide leads an adventurous descent on foot into the gorge to locate the chimps, where you will have the opportunity to observe and photograph these fascinating creatures feeding or playing in the forest canopy.

		Bird Watching by Boat A boat trip along the Kizinga Channel between Lake George and Lake Edward in the Queen Elizabeth II National Park is an excellent opportunity for birders to spot numerous species, including the huge numbers of pied kingfishers that are found here. Gain from the expert knowledge of a National Park guide who will accompany you on a two hour excursion.

		Kibale National Park This is the most accessible of Uganda's major rainforests and is home to a remarkable 13 primate species. Kibale's major attraction is the opportunity to track habituated chimps; during which guests can also be part of the habituation team that studies the chimps’ behaviour. A network of shady forest trails allows easy access to view these delightful apes that are tremendous fun to watch as they squabble and play.

		Rwenzori Mountain Trekking Experienced climbers can join a tour trekking in the spectacular Rwenzori Mountains on the Uganda/Congo border. The area offers superb and varied trekking through forests, bogs and glaciers and challenging climbing with fabulous views and unusual scenery. The option of climbing to the summit of Mount Margherita at (5,109m) requires the use of crampons and ice equipment, and is available to climbers with he appropriate experience.