It is not doubtable to note that national parks are Uganda’s key features that keep Uganda as one of the big travel destinations in the world. A safari in Uganda that doesn’t include a visit to the national parks is definitely like an incomplete trip. Uganda has 10 protected national parks which are located in different locations of the country. All these 10 national parks are exceptional and remarkable for an awesome safari. A visitor who loves wildlife and nature definitely will stunned by visiting all 10 parks to see the depth of beauty of each park and what it has for a traveler.
These national parks vary in terms of location, year of establishment, size, and the nature of the attractions and activities. However, despite having 10 national parks, some of the parks are more famous or popular than others when compared in terms of the number of visitors that flock to each national park. Some of the most famous and popular national parks in Uganda include;
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Located in the southwestern part of Uganda is Bwindi National Park it is Uganda’s most visited park with about 90 percent of the visitors to Uganda. The park is home to over 50 percent of the world’s mountain gorillas with about 480 individual mountain gorillas by the time of writing in four different sectors, including; Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the east, Rushaga in the south and Nkuringo in the western of the park.
Trekking mountain gorillas are the main tourist activity to enjoy in this park, and now, in 2018, the park has 12 habituated gorilla families which are visited daily. Bwindi National Park sells 96 gorilla permits.
Apart from gorilla trekking, the park is the only place to enjoy the gorilla habituation in Uganda which is done in the Rushaga region. During this habituation experience, gorillas are trained for about 2-3 hours to familiarize themselves with the human presence.
Besides being a home for the gorillas, Bwindi is also home to over 350 bird species such as the bar-tailed trogon, Dark caped bulbul, honey guide, Blue-headed sunbird yellow-eyed black flycatcher, and many others.
What makes Bwindi Forest the best safari destination for travelers is that it has different choices of accommodation, ranging from luxury, and midrange to budget such as Buhoma Lodge, Nkuringo Safari Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, and Gorilla Mist Camp, among others.
Cultural encounters are one of the activities visitors can experience from the Batwa communities that dwell close to the national park.
Kibale Forest National Park
Located in the western part of Uganda, in the Kabarole district is Kibale Forest National Park, the world’s capital of primates. The park is home to a great number of chimpanzees and 12 other primates. This park is remarkable for primate safaris. Apart from the Chimpanzees, the park is a habitat for other animals like elephants, pottos, African civets, bush pigs, olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, Guereza Colobus, and the Thomas’s Galagos among others.
The Kibale forest shelters an estimated 325 bird species which include grey-headed olive-back, red-chested flufftail, white-bellied crested flycatcher, African pitta, Uganda woodland warbler, and green-breasted pitta, and many others.
Birding is enjoyed in the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary and the forest within the national park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Uganda’s second largest national park is Queen Elizabeth National Park located in the western part of the country with an estimate of 400 kilometers from Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. The park covers 1,978 square Kilometers and was established in 1952 to promote game viewing in Uganda.
The park is home to many animals like Buffaloes, lions, elephants, leopards, Uganda Kob, Chimpanzees, hippos, and warthogs among others. Besides a large number of animals, Queen Elizabeth is an awesome spot for bird watching, inhabiting over 500 bird species such as; wood sandpiper, water thick-knee, Ibises, African fish eagles, Kingfishers, egrets, Egyptian gees, and many others.
Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park is best done along the Kazinga channel which is about 40 kilometers long connecting Lake Edward to Lake George.
Murchison Falls National Park
Uganda’s largest national park is Murchison Falls National Park in the northwest of Uganda, offering an opportunity for activities with a variety of attractions. Murchison Falls National Park is home to over 76 mammals including herds of elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes, Uganda Kobs, warthogs, waterbucks, and impalas among others.
In the center of the park is where the spectacular Murchison Falls is situated which passes through a 6-meter gorge. Visitors will not miss the boat cruise to the bottom of the falls, giving them a chance to see the numerous aquatic animals like hippos, crocodiles, and the line of bird species.
Hiking to the top of the falls is remarkable because it gives spectacular views of the entire national park with its wildlife and the nearby local communities.
Kidepo Valley National Park
This is a paradise located in the extreme northeastern Uganda, it is Uganda’s most isolated national park. Despite being isolated and the long distance to reach Kidepo from Kampala, the park still offers an unbeatable safari experience. Kidepo was established in 1962 covering over 1,442 sq kilometers. It is a paradise because it is home to over 75 mammal species and 470 bird species some of which can only be found in Kidepo not elsewhere in Uganda. The only factor that reduces visitors to this park is that it is far from Kampala with an estimate of about 700 kilometers but the trip is always unquestionable because it offers a worthwhile experience.
With all the beauties and the activities that are in these national parks, plus other destinations, you will love the safaris in Uganda.