Top 5 national parks in Uganda to visit after the Covid-19 lockdown
Uganda is one of the best tourist destinations in Africa with over 10 national parks within her boundaries which offer a variety of wildlife experiences including gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, game viewing, bird watching, among others. Gorilla Trek Africa guides you to explore Uganda;s top national parks at discounted rates
There are many tourists’ destinations in Uganda offering wildlife, adventure and social-cultural experiences to travelers. However, over time travelers have proved to favor some destinations over the other and here we look at the top 5 national parks in Uganda that have become travelers’ favorites over the years.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in southwest Uganda and it is home to almost half of the global population of mountain gorillas which currently stands at about 1,063 individuals. The presence of the endangered mountain gorillas has made Bwindi a traveler’s favorite destination in Uganda basically because of the incredible gorilla safaris where trekkers meet face to face with these breathtaking gentle giants in their natural habitat. A lot of factors make mountain gorillas very attractive to travelers and these include the fact that they are only found in only 3 countries in the world which include Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Others include their amazing human-like behavior like living in social groups that are led by strong silverbacks and this is partly due to the fact that they share 98% of the human DNA. A gorilla safari in Bwindi is always concluded with a brief cultural tour to the Batwa community who live near the park. These amazing people who are part of the pygmy forest tribe always entertain their guests with their impressive dance and songs to make them relax from the exhaustive gorilla trekking exercise.
Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park in the northwest of the country is Uganda’s largest game reserve protecting over 76 mammal species and 450 species of birds among other species including reptiles and primates. Game viewing via game drives is the main tourist activity in the park and some of the common species seen include big game like lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, giraffe and zebra. Other wildlife experiences in the park include primates tracking to see chimpanzees and monkeys that live in the park’s forests and birdwatching to see some rare birds that live in the park like the shoebill along the banks of the Nile. The park is also crossed by the Nile, the longest river in the world, which also offers more adventurous experiences like white-water rafting, bungee jumping, boat cruise, top of the falls experience, among others.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda is regarded by many as the best savannah park in Uganda. The park offers several wildlife and adventurous experiences including game drives, primates tracking, and birdwatching. The park has got a variety of both big and small game including lions, buffaloes, elephants, leopards, giraffes, zebras and several antelope species. Some of the outstanding features in Queen Elizabeth National Park include the rare tree-climbing lions, over 600 species of birds including Albertine Rift endemics, chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge and boat cruise along the famous Kazinga channel. Many travelers on a Uganda safari combine their gorilla trekking trips in Bwindi with a wildlife experience in Queen Elizabeth given the close proximity of the two parks with about a 3-hour drive.
Kibale Forest National Park
Kibale Forest National Park in western Uganda is referred to as the primates’ capital of the world due to the presence of a huge number of primates especially chimpanzees and monkeys within the park. It is the perfect destination for all primate lovers while other experiences like birdwatching and nature walks are also common in the park with hundreds of bird species present in the forests.
Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo Valley National Park is located in northeast Uganda along two borders with Kenya and South Sudan. The park is the remotest in the country but its unique biodiversity makes it one of the best tourist destinations in Uganda. Kidepo has a huge population of most the mammals in Uganda including big game like buffalo, elephant, lion and leopard. Kidepo is also home to the rare Rothschild giraffe while other unique species found in the park include the leopard tortoise, duiker, warthog, waterbeest, among others. The flat landscape of the park and its congestion-free tourist activities makes it one the best game drives and game viewing destinations in the region. Finally, a cultural tour to both or one of the two amazing communities of the IK and the Karamojong who live near the park makes your Kidepo safari a complete one.
