Uganda Travel Guide

Uganda was one of our favorite countries of 9 Eastern & Southern Afrcian countries visited. Wildlife was not as prolific as some other destinations, but still plentiful and of course offers the chance to visit the mountain gorillas! The people are very friendly, scenery is stunning, roads are decent, attractions are affordable and the country felt progressive and not corrupt! And the birds, I almost forgot the birds, best in Africa...and that's saying a lot!

Huge potential in Uganda if tourism experience can be improved and conservation is better emphasized

I have mixed emotions about my experience in Uganda. On one hand, I had a number of great wildlife encounters with lions, leopards, gorillas and many other species in three of the country's national parks over a period of nine days. However on the other, I kept thinking about the huge potential that exists and the many challenges that remain with safari tourism in this country.

Wildlife conservation can be greatly improved in Uganda, and I think it is something that the country's government doesn't especially value. The communities around the parks have a very challenging existence with wildlife, and the use of snares and indiscriminate killings of animals is common. I read this in the newspapers and heard about it from the tour operators. In Queen Elizabeth National Park, I was so surprised how low the animal density was (with the exception of some species such as Ugandan Kob). In Lake Mburo National Park, I was concerned to see local ranchers chasing zebras into the bush so that their cattle could feed on the low grass outside of our lodge. Ranching and subsistence farming has really encroached into traditional spaces for wildlife. Parks are not fenced and perhaps this is something that contributes to territorial issues with residents and wildlife.

Tourism infrastructure could benefit from a number of small improvements. Park fees are not posted transparently online, and there is an archaic process of receipt-keeping for entering the parks. Visitor Centers could do more to help improve education and awareness of conservation and local species. Amenities such as toilets and other conveniences were not well maintained. The exception to this was in Bwindi National Park, home to many of the country's mountain gorillas. This is a main tourist draw and its focus on hospitality and learning should be considered a model for the other parks.

Early September is the beginning of the rainy season, and on many occasions I had the parks open to myself. There were very few tourists, and this was a nice improvement from other experiences I've had.

Pretty, green scenery, few tourists around (even in high season), all kinds of wildlife (chimpansees and gorillas!), great birding destination, lovely and friendly people.

beautifull for people who like africa and want to see a complete view

accommodation a little cheap about water, light etc... an you have to pay everithing (not all in)...
Guide ok ++ (Dunn) wildlife good for gorilla and chimp... not for the rest, but i only come for gorilla and chimp, so it's good for me. I have seen lion and all the rest in Tanzania, Tanganika and namibia...

Chimpanzees and gorillas in the wild, not many other countries offer this!

Uganda is an emerging tourist destination compared to its neighbours. Independent travel is definitely more possible here compared to the other locations and it is much cheaper. If you're going on safari, choose your company and accommodation wisely, it's a real mixed bag!

Uganda, fantastic place to see the gorillas

We had a fantastic time in Uganda. The people were really friendly, the birding was great (although we're not really birders) and we felt safe. The outstanding attraction has to be the gorillas. The hour that we spent with them was totally magical, I once in a lifetime opportunity which tops any other wildlife experience I've had. Aside from the gorillas, you can probably get better sighting animals (especially the large cats) in other countries, mainly because of the scrub and jungle landscape in Uganda. However, the gorillas make up for any lack of lions, leopards etc.

Ssesee Island Safari

Though I was only briefly in the country of Uganda, I had to privilege to visit the Ssesee Islands while I was there. We had to take a short ferry ride to get over there, but once we arrived, the landscape was lush and fertile. We spent some time with local guides wading through the forest and wetlands in search of Sitatunga, so that we could get some rare footage of them. It was a beautiful island, and had some lovely lodges that we stayed in during our time. It was really fascinating to be able to see the hard to find Sitatunga in their natural habitat, as there are few who get to do that. It was worth a short side trip to see the islands over there, and I would highly recommend looking into that next time you are in Uganda.

There is still space for improvement, in the sense that very little time has gone by since the reserves were again viewed as such, the animals are a bit skittish compared to some other safari parks. I am sure that will change in time, and the amount of animals you see compensates the fact that some run away. The Grasslands are amazing, and please if you can help it do not miss a chance to sleep by Victoria Nile.

Wildlife is not so rich as in other countries; but some species cannot be found on other places (Chimps, Gorillas)