Uganda is a country of beautiful scenery and offers diverse activities like gorilla trekking safaris, multi day mountain treks, white-water rafting among others. Winston Churchill called it ‘the Pearl of Africa’ because of its beauty, abundant wildlife and diversity.
It is virgin land with heartwarming hearts filled with hospitable gestures towards anybody that finds their way into this magical land. Uganda once a country engulfed by pre-colonial time became a British protectorate in 1894-1962.
Uganda is a landlocked country but with excellent relief. The pearl of Africa is dubbed with different beautiful gifts which make the relief of Uganda appreciable. With some areas of Uganda being mountainous, the creation of beautiful scenery lives the country adorable. The mountainous zones lift the relief of Uganda through the provision of rains, support the mining and tourism sector.
Though Uganda’s most parts are covered by the plateau, its people never lack on where to stay. The existence of great relief has prompted it to even become more hospitable towards refugees due to land that can accommodate people to live peacefully.
Uganda is a land of shimmering lakes and turbulent rivers with over a third of the country covered by water. Lake Victoria on the southern boundary is the largest lake in Africa and the source of the River Nile. Uganda too is gifted with Lakes, Rivers and swamps among others which generously contribute towards Uganda’s relief. These are accompanied by fresh rainfalls which are not commonly seen in other countries.
Having a strategic location, Uganda has so many fascinating features that you deserve to see while on your safari in Uganda such as Lakes, Rivers, equator, mountains, the rift valley, hills, hot springs among others. All these features have attracted many tourists to make endless safaris to Uganda.
Uganda has a lot to offer to its people and even visitors who are hospitably welcomed as tourists. Uganda is gifted by nature with so many thrilling adventures and attractions, the diversity of its beauty comes from the enticing nature.
Uganda’s wildlife is sensational. Tourists come from all over the world to see some of the more than 3000 species of birds. These are complemented by stunning clouds of butterflies and moths. In all areas of the country, the flora is impressive whether it is the high montane forest or grass-covered river banks, the beauty of the plants and flowers will overwhelm you.
With a sizeable part of the country now protected through national parks and conservation areas, visitors have the choice of undertaking tour safaris like hiking mountains, gorilla and chimpanzee trekking safaris, walking safaris, boat tours, game viewing tours, cultural tours, city tours among others. Whether you are into the country to explore or simply to relax, Uganda’s natural attractions will give you the best experience of your safari.
In Uganda, fauna comprises of animals, birds, insects and also fish species. The inventory of animal fauna includes the gorillas, chimpanzees, black rhinoceros, leopards, elephants, lions, crocodiles, hippopotamuses, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, various species of antelopes, gazelles, Topis, Uganda Kobs among others. The bird species include the crowned crane (the national emblem), bulbul, weaver, crow, shrike, heron, egret, ibis, guinea fowl, mousebird, lourie, hornbill, pigeon, dove, eater, hoopoe, darter, lily-trotter, marabou stork, kingfisher, fish eagle, kite among others. Having a variety of birdlife in Uganda has led to the emergence of ultimate birding safaris. Some of the fish/water species include; tilapia, Nile perch, catfish, lungfish, elephant snout fish, crocodiles, python, green snakes and many more.
When it comes to culture, Uganda has a very strong cultural heritage which is so vital to acknowledge. Many regions in Uganda have kingdoms including Buganda, Busoga, Bunyoro and Toro. The beautiful people of Uganda are remarkably hospitable and hail from a diversity of rich cultures and lifestyles where each tribe has its traditional dance. The Baganda perform their kiganda dance, Banyankore perform their kitagururo dance, the Banyoro have their runyege, Acholi has the bwora and otole dances. The Alur people from the West Nile have the traditional Agwal dance, Bagishu has the Imbalu dance during circumcision ceremonies, and many other dances by many different tribes. These different cultural practices can be witnessed during cultural safaris. Uganda allows you to admire its rich dress-code with different cultural wears like the Gomesi, Mushannana, kanzu and backcloth made wears among others with which you can buy to experience a sense of belonging.
When it comes to vegetation, Uganda is still one of those few countries labeled “Green”. Uganda’s vegetation or flora takes up the Uganda forests which provide a cool unique sight of thrilling beauty. Some of Uganda’s forests include Budongo, Bugoma, Kalinzu, Mabira Forest which provide a homestead to variety of wildlife. The green plant cover involves tall, thick, short cover plants which support birding and even provide food to most animals especially primates hence making chimpanzee and gorilla trekking safaris a common activity in the lush forests of Uganda.
The varied scenery further includes tropical forest, a semi-desert area in the northeast, the arid plains of the Karamoja, the lush, heavily populated Buganda, the rolling savannah of Acholi, Bunyoro, Tororo, Ankole, tea plantations and the fertile cotton area of Teso.
When it comes to weather and climate, Uganda has a gentle and conducive weather conditions and a very cool climate that Ugandans and tourists are subjected to. Uganda consists of a tropical climate with temperatures ranging from 21-25°C apart from in the mountainous areas which are much cooler for example the tops of Mount Rwenzori and Elgon are often covered with snow. The hottest months are December to February. Evenings can feel chilly after the heat of the day with temperatures around 12- 16ºC. March to May is wetter and warmer while December to February is hotter and drier and it can sometimes get as hot as 96.8°F.
Uganda experiences two different seasons that is to say dry and wet season. The dry seasons in Uganda are the best times to visit between the months of June, July, and August when the country is relatively warmer. Uganda’s dry seasons are the busiest in the country because it is in these months that gorilla trekking and white-water rafting goes on smoothly. Tourists visiting from December to February or June to August should expect to have high costs due to high competition in the market.
On the other hand, visiting Uganda during the wet seasons is also adventurous because you get to see more green sceneries. And take safaris to either national game parks in which animals are not scattered due to the presence of green savannah land everywhere so it’s easier to catch a sight of Uganda’s wildlife. Farming is more prevalent during wet days because Uganda is an agricultural country moving towards becoming a middle-income country. More rainfall is also visible during these times. So, as a traveler, you should travel along with an Umbrella, Rain Jacket among others.
Traveling to Uganda is one of the amazing things a traveler can experience and one of the requirements for travelling into Uganda include, valid visa and passport, medical checkups on diseases such as yellow fever, malaria, hepatitis A, Typhoid, Meningitis, cholera among others are required.
