Philip is a renowned Africa expert and author of many guidebooks to African destinations, including the Bradt guide to Uganda.
With its rich variety of forest, savannah and wetland habitats, Uganda is arguably Africa’s most diverse wildlife destination. There are jungles inhabited by gorillas and chimps, waterways alive with hippos and crocodiles, and open plains roamed by the iconic Big Five. Which means that here, in one compact safari circuit, wildlife-lovers can hope to encounter all the continent’s most alluring large mammals.
Pros & Cons
Wildlife
Elephant, buffalo and hippo are plentiful. Lion, white rhino, zebra and giraffe are also quite easily seen in the right location. Leopards are widespread but less certain. Birding is a real highlight, with a checklist of 1,080 species that includes many forest birds difficult to see elsewhere. So is primate viewing, with gorilla and chimp present alongside around a dozen monkey species. Antelope include the Uganda kob, an endemic species found in most savannah reserves and a favorite prey of lion.
Activities
Uganda is one of only two places in the world that offers mountain gorilla trekking. It also contains several parks and forest reserves where you can track chimpanzees (humankind’s closest relative) in their natural habitat. Many other activities are available in the savannahs, forests, mountains and wetlands of Uganda’s parks and reserves. These include guided and unguided game drives, boat safaris, bird watching, mountain climbs, rhino tracking and walking safaris.
Weather & Climate
Uganda’s tropical climate is a little different in the north and south of the country. The north experiences a rainy and warm Wet season from March to November, followed by an almost equally warm Dry season from December to February. The south has two Dry seasons (June to August and December to February) broken up by two Wet seasons (March to May and September to November).
Best Time To Visit
The drier months from June to August and December to February are best for wildlife viewing in Uganda. There’s also plentiful sunshine at this time. In the wetter months, there’s the possibility that rain will cut off roads and wash out your primate trekking adventure.
