Summary: For the ultimate safari experience, head to Uganda. Whether you’re looking for something serene or a wildlife adventure, Uganda has it all. Here are six of the best national parks and safaris in Uganda to visit with our Ultimate Guide!
Did you know that Kibale National Park is the world’s primate capital and the greatest spot in Africa to track chimpanzees?
Are you aware that CNN Travel named Kidepo National Park as one of Africa’s top three safari destinations?
Uganda is home to some of the world’s most interesting and diverse national parks. In this blog post, we will show you six of the greatest spots to visit in Uganda if you want to go on memorable safaris and visit National Parks.
Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo has become a popular destination for people on a brief business trip to Uganda’s capital, Kampala, who want to see all Uganda’s wildlife has to offer before departing.
Lake Mburo is home to Uganda’s largest population of zebras and is the finest area to see the elusive African leopard. These large cats thrive here, and the chances of spotting them are excellent. Buffaloes, jackals, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, hyenas, lions, and antelopes are among the other wonderful fauna found here.
Top activity at Lake Mburo National Park
In terms of activities, there is a lot to do at Lake Mburo, but our top choice is wildlife viewing;
Wildlife viewing and game drives
Antelopes, common duiker, Defassa Waterbuck, Bofor, Impalas, Buffalos, Bush pigs, Giraffes, Eland, and Zebras are among the park’s 69 animal species.
Hiking, horseback riding (a safari option exclusively available at Lake Mburo), biking across the rocky terrain, or taking a day or night game drive are all options for getting into the wild.
Exploring the park’s animals is enjoyable not just because of what you see, but also because of how you interact with them, which is one of the park’s numerous attractions.
The riding safari is a challenge for motorcyclists due to the steep terrain, but it gives a pleasant break from the sound of engines.
You might see porcupines, bush babies, and even leopards on a nocturnal drive! All of this is best done with the assistance of a Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) game ranger who can point out any birds or creatures you may have missed.
Mihingo Lodge pool view
Where to stay while at Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo is the closest national park to Kampala, and there are several well-documented reasons why a visit here is ideal.
The following are the important hotels that we recommend / work with while visiting Lake Mburo National Park:
Mihingo Lodge: This is a well-known, secluded luxury lodge in the park. The resort is situated on a hill on Rocky kopje and was constructed using local resources to blend in with the surrounding environment.
To take advantage of our unique tour operator rates, please contact us.
Rwakobo Rock; This is a mid-range facility located 1 kilometer from the Nshara gate of Lake Mburo National Park.
There are eight cottages in the lodge, each of which can be set up as a single, double, or triple room. There is also a family unit present.
Eagle’s Nest Lodge; Eagle’s Nest Lodge is an excellent choice for anyone seeking an authentic African experience on a tight budget.
The lodge is perched on a ridge overlooking Lake Mburo National Park, providing one of Uganda’s most spectacular views.
Mantana Tented Camp (UWA concession) – (Luxury Tented Accommodation): The tented camp is also known as Lake Mburo Camp.
It’s a tented camp in Lake Mburo National Park that provides luxury tented accommodation. It is a calm site with spectacular views of Lake Mburo and the surrounding eco-systems, perched on the side of Rwamahungu hill (Eagles Hill) overlooking Lake Mburo and its surrounding eco-systems.
Arcadia Cottages (UWA concession) – (Mid-range): The Arcadia Cottages are located 2 kilometers from the Rwonyo Park headquarters and directly across the street from the Lake.
It’s a great place to stay and go on game drives, boat tours to observe hippos and crocodiles, or guided nature walks Or walking safaris to get up close and personal with nature.
Lake Mburo Safari Lodge – (Semi Luxury): Mburo safari lodge is a semi-luxury hotel in Lake Mburo National Park.
Cottages and a honeymoon home are built on a wooden platform with a grass-thatched roof, blending in nicely with the natural surroundings.
Rwonyo Rest Camp: The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) runs the camp, which has tents and bandas for rent as well as camping.
Bwindi impenetrable national park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Bwindi is a spectacular piece of natural beauty located in the heart of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southern Uganda.
Over half of the world’s mountain gorillas live here, along with a plethora of other fauna found nowhere else on the planet.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, one of Africa’s most fascinating parks, was established as a national park in 1991 by Uganda Wildlife Authority as a governing body and encompasses an area of around 298 square kilometers, with the rainforest covering more than half of it.
Over 380 plant species can be found in the forest, including ferns, herbs, and climbers that can reach heights of up to 6 meters.
A variety of trees, including acacias, fig trees, and cyc, can also be found.
Top activity at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Gorrila Trekking
The most popular activities in Bwindi are gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation experiences.
Mountain gorillas are unquestionably the stars of the show in Bwindi, where they have been habituated since 1993.
In Bwindi, there are currently four sectors with over 19 habituated groups, 18 of which are open for gorilla tracking and one of which is restricted for research.
Bwindi is the most popular gorilla trekking destination in the world, as well as the most affordable.
Gorilla Habituation: This fascinating experience is only available and achievable in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where tourists can spend up to four hours with a family of mountain gorillas.
Travelers can see two gorilla groups that are now undergoing habituation and enjoy what others describe as delightful.
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Where to stay in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Here are six of the best luxury lodges in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, ranging from deluxe “glamping” cottages frequented by forest gentle giants to private rooms on the ridge overlooking the forest canopy to private cottages buried within a tangle of the rainforest.
Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge: The Nkuringo gorilla family, Bwindi’s largest and friendliest of the five human-habituated troops, is tracked from Clouds.
Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge: A few meters before Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, on the Nkuringo, Bwindi Southside, and trailhead (listed above).
Buhoma Lodge: The Buhoma trailhead, located in the northern part of Bwindi, is the most accessible of the four trailheads. It offers easy access to the park and is an excellent location for jungle gorilla trekking and visiting the surrounding area.
Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge: Boasting views of the ancient Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is the best gorilla lodge in Bwindi. It’s one of Africa’s most distinctive hotels, with breathtaking powerful views of the forest canopy across a peaceful creek.
Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Lodge: The Gorilla Forest Lodge, run by Abercrombie and Kent, is one of two luxury lodges within the park’s boundaries. Because of the lodge’s unique location, visitors are treated to visits from one of the local gorilla tribes, who physically stare into their rooms, creating a stunning sight.
Mahogany Springs Safari Lodge: Mahogany Springs Safari Lodge is named after a 400-year-old mahogany tree that towers majestically over the lodge grounds. It is located on the pristine waters of the Munyanga River.
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Kibale National Park
Kibale National Park is located in Uganda and protects a lush evergreen rainforest. It has an elevation range of 1,100 meters (3,600 feet) to 1,600 meters (3,600 feet) and encompasses 766 square kilometers (296 square miles) (5,200 feet).
It features a diverse diversity of scenery while being primarily moist evergreen forest. Kibale is one of the world’s remaining areas where lowland and montane forests coexist.
It safeguards the last large region of pre-montane woodland in eastern Africa.
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After being gazetted in 1932, the park was formally established in 1993 to protect a large area of forest that had previously been managed as a logged forest reserve.
The park creates continuous woodland with Queen Elizabeth National Park. The proximity of the parks results in a 180-kilometer (110-mile) wildlife corridor.
With a population of habituated chimpanzees and twelve other primate species, it is a popular ecotourism and safari destination. There’s also the Makerere University Biological Field Station there.
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Top activity at Kibale National Park
Kibale Forest National Park has the greatest number and variety of primates in East Africa, making it one of the best safari destinations in Africa for chimp trekking safaris.
Hikes in Kibale Forest | Kibale Forest Walking Trail
During the dry season, which spans from June to September and mid-November to February, the Kibale Forest Walk Trail is 12 kilometers long and takes between 5 and 6 hours to complete.
Hiking trips provide you the opportunity to see the park’s varied habitats, which include river line forest, marsh, grassland, and tropical rainforest.
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Where to stay in Kibale National Park
Primate Lodge: This little lodge is a hidden gem in the middle of Kibale National Park. Because it is only a 5-minute drive from the park headquarters, the lodge, which has 16 rooms and is set in the lush green jungle, is a great starting point for your chimp trek.
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Kyanginga Lodge: with views of the Rwenzori Mountains in western Uganda, Kyanginga Lodge is situated on the lip of an extinct volcanic crater lake.
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Papaya Lake Lodge: The Great Crater Lakes region of Uganda is home to this self-contained retreat. Only nine basic cottages make up Papaya Lodge, which offers amazing views from the rooms, the main area, and the swimming pool.
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Ndali Lodge: In the 1920s, the lodge and its grounds were part of a large-scale tea plantation. Ndali Lodge today covers a large area of land with stunning views, banana plantations, coffee terraces, and, of course, tea farms.
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Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP), Uganda’s most visited national park, is usually paired with gorilla and/or chimp trekking in Bwindi and/or Kibale Forest.
The park’s big cats are well-known, such as the tree-climbing lions and leopards. The park’s large wildlife includes elephants, buffalos, antelopes, and warthogs, which can be observed during game drives.
Boat safaris cross the Kazinga Channel, which connects Lakes Edward and George. There are buffalo and elephants descending to the coast, as well as pelicans rafting together in the sun and plenty of hippos.
In QENP, about 600 species of birds have been identified, and you may combine a game drive or boat safari with monkey trekking in the mysterious woodlands of Kyambura Gorge.
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Top activity at QENP
Kazinga Channel boat cruise
Boat tours of the Kazinga Channel, which is home to a vast array of animals and birds, are popular.
Boat trips are available from the Uganda Wildlife Authority and Mweya Safari Lodge. Both trips last approximately 2 hours and cost around $30 per person.
Mweya Safari Lodge offers the Sunbird, a comfortable ten-seater boat, and the Kingfisher, a sleek twelve-seater boat.
Both vessels have knowledgeable guides and personnel, but the Kingfisher provides a more luxurious experience with refreshments and shade canopies to keep you cool.
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Where to stay in QENP
Elephant Plains Lodge – The escarpment to the northeast of the park, which gives panoramic views of the grassland across Lake George and easy access to the Mweya Peninsula, is home to one of the park’s newest facilities.
Kyambura Gorge Lodge – One of the park’s newest amenities is located atop the escarpment to the northeast of the park, which offers panoramic views of the grassland across Lake George and easy access to the Mweya Peninsula.
Ishasha Wilderness Camp – The established favorite here is a marvelously comfortable, elegantly designed camp on the banks of the Ishasha River, the natural border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mweya Safari Lodge – Mweya is a peninsula that juts into the Kazinga Channel. The views from this vantage point are breathtaking, with wide meadows flowing into the lakes beyond. Mweya Safari Lodge is situated in a beautiful setting.
Katara Lodge – Katara Lodge is one of our favorite locations to stay. The lodge feels borne of the environment it sits in, with bamboo constructions and wooden beams supporting thatched roofs under which you may gaze endlessly at the vast savannah in front of you.
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Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park is located in northern Uganda, northwest of Kampala, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It’s known for its massive waterfall and for being close to Mount Elgon, an extinct volcano that towering over East Africa.
Elephants, lions, leopards, buffalos, and antelopes are among the animals that may be found in the national park.
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Top activity at Murchison Falls National Park
Safaris in hot air balloons
Hot air balloon safaris are only available in Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park, and they are a must-do on any safari to this stunning country.
A hot air balloon safari is a unique opportunity to experience this gorgeous conservation national park from the air, with vistas of Lake Albert, the Nile River, and the mighty Murchison Falls, as well as the ideal way to observe giraffes, elephants, lions, buffaloes, and many sorts of antelopes, to name a few.
The greatest time to go on a hot air balloon safari is early in the morning, when the African sunset may be seen above the national park.
Depending on the package, the early morning hot air balloon ride may be followed by a bush breakfast in the park.
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Where to stay in Murchison National Park
Murchison has plenty of fantastic places to stay, from luxury lodges on the banks of the Albert Nile to eco-lodges deep in the Budongo Forest.
Pakuba Safari Lodge
Pakuba Safari Lodge is the greatest mid-range option in Murchison Falls. The lodges surrounding the Albert Nile in the northwest offer the most variety in terms of price. Pakuba is the most stunning of the bunch.
Paraa Safari Lodge
Paraa Safari Lodge is a safari lodge in Uganda’s Murchison Falls National Park, which is located in the northwest corner of the country. The most popular lodges are in the park’s central Paraa region, near the confluence of the Victoria and Albert rivers. The Paraa Safari Lodge, with 54 rooms, is a huge hotel on the Nile’s north bank.
Baker’s Lodge
In Murchison, Baker’s Lodge is a popular luxury option. There are a rising number of tiny, high-quality alternatives on the Nile’s south bank. The lodge, named for English explorer Samuel Baker, offers luxury yet traditional African accommodations as well as direct river access.
Safari Lodge
Nile Safari Lodge, which opened in 2017, is a family-owned and operated eco-friendly lodge on the Nile’s south bank.
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Kidepo Valley National Park
In Uganda’s north-eastern region, the spectacular Kidepo Valley National Park is found. This park, which was founded in 1958 and covers 1,442 square kilometers, is one of Africa’s largest protected areas (557 sq mi)
The Kidepo Valley National Park is one of the most beautiful places on the earth. Visitors can find enough to do at this park, which is home to a variety of wildlife including lions and elephants.
Kidepo provides a one-of-a-kind experience unavailable anywhere else in East Africa. Here are five strong reasons to pay a visit to this wonderful park.
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The top activity at Kidepo National Park
Safari game drives
One of the most popular activities at Kidepo Valley National Park is safari game drives. They can happen early in the morning, late in the afternoon, or late at night.
Game drives are guided and can be done in a 4 x 4 safari vehicle or on foot with a Uganda Wildlife Authority armed ranger guide.
Game drives are the primary appeal for visitors visiting Uganda safaris. During game drives at Kidepo, you can see lions, elephants, buffalo, zebras, jackals, warthogs, and a variety of antelopes, including the magnificent klipspringer.
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Where to stay in Kidepo National Park
Like many other places, Kidepo National Park includes a variety of accommodation options ranging from luxury to affordable. Here are a few of our personal favorites:
Luxury safari Lodge- Apoka safari Lodge
Mid-range- Kidepo Savannah Lodge
Budget- Apoka Rest Camp
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To wrap things up
Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa that is home to some of the most beautiful national parks and safaris in the world. If you’re looking for an amazing safari adventure, or simply want to take in some of Africa’s natural beauty, then Uganda is the destination for you.
For more information or to book a trip to one of the parks, please reach out to us today. Email: info@miramahillssafaris.com or Whatsapp text us on +256-755-180551