Uganda is a small landlocked country in the east of Africa; neighbored by Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo with Sudan in the North. It’s a naturally endowed country with abundant tourist attractions like lakes and rivers, rainforest mountains, national parks and wildlife, local communities, etc. which all make Uganda a must visit country for many travellers. There are those specific tourist centers in Uganda that must not be ignored / excluded while on a visit in Uganda and these are discussed as follow;
Primates
In Uganda, there are basically two primates ( the close relatives of human beings with about 98% DNA), that is the mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable Rainforest and Mgahinga National Park together with the chimpanzees of Kibale National game park.
In East and Central Africa, the largest concentration of chimpanzees is at Kibale National Game park. It’s therefore the best place for those planning a chimpanzee racking trip. At Kibale National Park, there are trails usually followed during the tracking exercise ; used by many tourists and they help simplify the tracking process as they lead you to the ultimate location of the chimpanzees within the forest. While in the forest, you can get a chance to know more about these creatures as you watch he in their natural wilderness.
Mountain gorillas are yet another interesting piece of primates that one should not miss while on a primate watching tour. These are located in Bwindi Impenetrable tropical Rainforest and Mgahinga National Park. They are sad to be an endangered species of wildlife and as per now with only 900 left in the world but half of this total population is settled within Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Rainforest and Mgahainga National Park. The tourists interested in mountain gorilla trekking adventure; are advised to come during the dry seasons as they are the most conducive conditions for this exciting adventure.
The Source of the Great River Nile
The Nile source is on Lake Victoria inJinja. It was discovered by an European Explorer John Speke in the 19th Century. He discovered that this River Nile waters start flowing fromlake Victoria, and then proceeds through Sudan at Nimuleupto Egypt to the Mediterranean sea where it later pours its water. Since its discovery, the River Nile source at Jinja became an interesting tourist spot for many travellers in the entire world where some come to simply just be at this great spot, others for study purposes, others for entertainment while others make it here for research reasons. And for whichever reason you may visit the Nile source, it’s a very exciting experience being at the spot / point where the longest river in the world starts its flow out.
On your Nile source visit, there are some tourist activities that you can enjoy such as boat rides and boat cruises,bungee jumping for example, white water rafting, watching the waterfalls, fishing from the fresh waters of lake victoria, among others. Here you can relax in the green environment of Lake Victoria shores, taking pictures and interacting with each other. Still you can go to the local markets within Jinja where you can get some souvenirs.
The boat trips and boat cruises provide tourists with an extra ordinary ride over the fresh waters of lake Victoria- the largest fresh water lake in Africa enjoying the beautiful sights of bird species as they sing and fly out in the blue sky. It’s an interesting experience to ride through the River Nile source , taking photographs here and there though the best moment is taken in the evenings while you watch the sun setting off over the lake in the west.
It’s generally very interesting to be in the same place as the early explorers and experience what they went through at that early time.
The Big Five Mammals
The big fives in Uganda are the lions,elephants, leopards, rhinos and buffaloes. There are several national parks included in the big five safari including the Murchison Falls National Park, and the Zziwa Rhino’s Sanctuary in Nakasongola.
Leopards are nocturnal animals and can be best viewed during night game drives or very early in the morning when they are coming back from their major hunting areas.
Generally, Uganda offers the best tourist experiences since it offers visitors a variety of tourist attractions minus wildlife safaris such as birding, community cultural visits, city tours , among others. They can all be enjoyed any time of the year though the dry season is the most preferred time.