Uganda, the pearl of Africa; shares its border with Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Luckily, all these countries are now part of the East African community making East Africa the exclusive mountain gorilla trekking destination in the whole world.
Among those countries that pride themselves in the experience of mountain gorilla trekking include, Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. With everyone speaking and talking about gorilla trekking in Uganda, you might wish to know other things you can do in Uganda on top of mountain gorilla trekking.
Here are five things to consider for a Uganda safari on top of mountain gorilla trekking
Chimpanzee Tracking
Chimpanzee tracking is the second leading primate tourism activity after gorilla trekking. The activity can be done in close to four major locations countrywide. These include; Kibale forest national park the primate capital, Budongo forest reserve in the Murchison falls conservation area, Kalinzu forest near Queen Elizabeth national park, and Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park
Of these four locations, Kibale forest national park is the most popular and most expensive chimpanzee tracking destination in Uganda. Many travelers opting for self-drive safaris often consider a stop either in Kyambura gorge or Kibale forest national park.
Savannah Game Drives
There are mainly four popular locations in Uganda for savannah game drives. These include Queen Elizabeth national park, Murchison falls national park, Lake Mburo national park, and Kidepo valley national park.
Among these locations; we can rank them in order of Murchison falls national park as the best, followed by Kidepo valley national park, Lake Mburo national park, and lastly Queen Elizabeth national park.
Each of these has several other tourism activities they can offer on top of the savannah game drive. For instance, Boat trips are popular in Queen Elizabeth national park’s Kazinga channel, Murchison falls also stands out because of its hikes to the top of the falls as well as its boat trips. Lake Mburo is simply a special gem offering the highest number of park activities in Uganda, while Kidepo offers some of the best cultural experiences.
White Water Rafting
Rafting the Nile is also an exceptional safari experience that should not miss on your Uganda safari bucket list. Uganda offers grade-five rafting at the Nile. Before rafting, you have the option of visiting the source of the Nile at your disposal and after that, you can conquer the longest river on the African continent through rafting.
Nile rafting is also one of the activities that feature in the popular 12 days Uganda safari courtesy of 4x4uganda Ltd
Religious Tours
Uganda has a thick religious history dating back to the 1800s when the Muslims and Christians were fighting over the occupation of the land. In the same history lies the iconic Uganda martyrs who were set ablaze by Kabaka Mwanga due to their faith and allegiance to Jesus’ teaching and refusal to worship another deity other than him.
In the same line as the modern Christian and Muslim-based religious tourism; Uganda has also suffered a number of cultic religions that until now have left families in horror after their family members lost their lives in unclear circumstances.
There are also culturally based religions that would give you an insight into why many Ugandans believe in God.
Hiking and Mountaineering Trips
Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro mountain and Mount Kenya are still East Africa’s prime mountaineering destinations. But Uganda has something similar, or close to some better than the mountaineering experience of mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro. That is the mountaineering experience at the Rwenzori mountains.
Uganda has two major mountaineering destinations. These are the Rwenzori mountains and Elgon mountains. These two mountains have options for one-day, two-day, and three days short hikes. In order to submit Rwenzori mountains, you will need about seven days while Elgon mountains take 4 days.
