Uganda rewards tourists with festive season gorilla trekking discounts
The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has rewarded both local and international tourists who will visit the country’s national parks during this festive season with big discounts on entrance fees and gorilla permits. The discounts are applicable between December 1 2020 and March 31 2021.
The offer comes as an incentive to boost tourism during the festive season and also as a special consideration of the negative financial impact caused by the Covid-19 pandemic among both local and international tourists.
UWA offered tourism festive season discounts as follows;
a) 50% discount on park entrance fee for Lake Mburo National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Semuliki National Park, Toro Semuliki Wildlife Reserve, Katonga Wildlife Reserve, Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve and Pian Upe Wildlife Resrve.
b) 50% discount on birding fees
c) Reduction on gorilla and chimpanzee tracking fees for all visitor categories as follows;
i) East African Community citizen gorilla tracking permits reduced from UGX 250,000 to UGX 150,000
ii) Foreign Resident gorilla tracking permits reduced from USD 600 to USD 300
iii) Foreign Non-Resident gorilla tracking permits reduced from USD 700 to USD 400
iv) East African Community resident chimpanzee tracking permits reduced from UGX 150,000 to UGX 100,000
v) Foreign Resident chimpanzee tracking permits reduced from USD 150 to USD 100
vi) Foreign Non-Resident chimpanzee tracking permits reduced from USD 200 to USD 150
In addition to issuing out these discounts, UWA also asserted that all tourism activities within the protected areas shall be undertaken in a manner that ensures all guidelines by the Ministry of health to prevent the spread of Covid-19 are adhered to.
What you can do and see on your Uganda safari holiday
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is Uganda’s best tourist attraction with thousands of travelers from all over the world visiting Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda’s largest home of the endangered mountain gorillas to see these gentle giants who share 98% of the human DNA. Mountain Gorillas are unique and breathtaking to see and their limited availability in other parts of the world keeps travelers visiting Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo, the only 3 countries where they can be found.
Game drives and game viewing
Uganda is one of the best game viewing destinations in Africa given a variety of game species available in over 10 national parks across the country including the famous Africa “big five”, which include lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhinoceros. Uganda’s best game-viewing reserves include Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park and Lake Mburo National Park. In addition to a variety of animal species available in these parks, they have also got a good terrain favorable for game drives as well as beautiful surroundings and good accommodation facilities.
Bird watching
Uganda ranks top among the best bird-watching destinations in Africa and the world at large due to a variety of unique species that including endemics that can’t be seen anywhere else in the world. Uganda has about 1,066 bird species and the most outstanding of these are the Rift Valley endemics including the Handsome francolin, Rwenzori turaco, Rwenzori nightjar, Dwarf honeyguide, African green broadbill, among others. Some of the best bird-watching spots in Uganda include Semuliki National Park near Mount Rwenzori, Kibale Forest National Park and Murchison Falls National Park.
Mountain climbing
Mount Rwenzori in western Uganda, which is the third-highest mountain in Africa is the perfect destination for mountain climbers in Uganda. Climbers go through a series of impressive vegetation zones before they finally reach the beautiful and snow-caped Margherita peak which stands at 5,109 feet above sea level, the highest point in Uganda.
Source of the Nile experience
River Nile, the longest river in the world has its source at Jinja along the northeastern shores of Lake Victoria, the biggest freshwater Lake in Africa. It is here that thousands of travelers visit each year to enjoy water experiences including white-water rafting, kayaking, bungee jumping, boat cruises, among others at the source of the Nile itself.
Social and cultural experiences
Socially, Ugandans are one of the friendliest people in the world and this is witnessed firsthand as travelers visit public places like markets, restaurants, pubs, among others. travelers also get to know a bit of Uganda’s history when they visit some of the most outstanding historical sites like the Kasubi tombs in Kampala, the burial ground for Buganda Kings, Namugongo shrines, where the Uganda martyrs are buried and the Uganda Museum in Kampala. Tourists also experience a cultural touch in Uganda when they visit either the Batwa pygmies of southwestern Uganda after trekking mountain gorillas in Bwindi or the Karamojong in northeastern Uganda after enjoying a relaxed game drive in Kidepo Valley National Park.
