UGANDA NATIONAL PARKS, SAFARI GAME PARKS IN UGANDA
The 10 Most beautiful Uganda national parks include; Murchison falls national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Bwindi Impenetrable national park, Mgahinga gorilla national park, Lake Mburo national park, Semuliki national park, Mount Elgon national park, Rwenzori mountains national park and Kidepo valley national park. All these Uganda national parks are spread across the country and are managed and protected by Uganda Wildlife Authority. Uganda is a landlocked country but rich in wildlife, culture and beauty. These Safari game parks range from the oldest Murchison falls national park to the newest Semuliki national park and they are the best home to Uganda wildlife, birds and plants as they display the beauty of Africa. We describe each of these Uganda parks below and what tourist activities they offer;
Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison falls national park is the largest and oldest of all Uganda national parks, covering an area of 3840km2 found in Masindi district in Western Uganda. The park is bisected into two by the Victoria Nile which forces itself through an 8m wide gorge over a 45meter high point to form the beautiful and strong Murchison falls that are a centerpiece of the park.
Different activities that can be carried out in Murchison falls include Game drives, boat cruises to the bottom of the falls, Hike to the top of the falls, birding, nature walks, sports fishing, hot air balloons, cultural encounters, chimpanzee tracking in Budongo forest and more.
Murchison falls national park has accommodations ranging from Budget to luxury. Some of these are Chobe safari lodge, Paraa safari lodge, Bakers lodge, Murchison river lodge, Pakuba safari lodge, Kabalega wilderness lodge and many more. Murchison falls national park can be visited all year round and it can be accessed by both road and air transport.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth national park is found in Kasese district western Uganda and covers an area of 1978sq km bordering the Rwenzori mountains and harboring over 95 mammals and 600 bird species. The park is the most visited park in Uganda due to its rich diversity boosting tree climbing lions, boat cruises on kazinga channel and more.
The activities done in Queen Elizabeth national park include game drives, boat cruises on kazinga channel, chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura gorge, visiting the crater lakes, lion tracking, community visits, hot air ballooning, nature walks and hikes, birding, visiting Katwe salt works and more.
Queen Elizabeth has all ranges of accommodation, budget, midrange and luxury. Some of the lodges include Mweya Safari Lodge, Ishasha wilderness camp, Enganzi lodge, Kasenyi Safari Camp, Elephant plains, Park View Lodge, Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge, Irungu Forest Lodge and many others.
Queen Elizabeth can be accessed by road transport and air transport using the nearby airstrips of Mweya and Kasese. It can be visited throughout the years.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable national park is located in western Uganda on the edge of the rift valley and its a perfect home to half of the world’s population of endangered mountain gorillas. It was gazetted in 1991 and declared a UNESCO world heritage site. in addition to mountain gorillas Bwindi is a home to 120 mammals with several primates and 350 bird specials of which 23 are Albertine rift endemics.
Activities done in Bwindi are gorilla trekking, birding, cycling, nature walks, cultural encounters especially to the batwa communities and more.
The four sectors of Bwindi that is Ruhiija, Buhoma, Nkuringo and Rushaga all have budget, midrange and luxury accommodations. Some of the lodges around Bwindi forest are; Ruhiija Gorilla Lodge, Bakiga lodge, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Mahogany springs lodge, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Buhoma lodge, Volcanoes Bwindi lodge and many more.
Bwindi can be visited all year round but best time is dry season when the area isn’t slippery. It can be accessed by road and air transport. The nearby airstrips are Kihihi and Kisoro.
Mgahinga Gorilla National park
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park covers an area of 33.7km2 making it the smallest national park in Uganda. Despite its small size Mgahinga boosts and harbors the endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. Mgahinga is part of the large Virunga volcanoes that lie on the boarder of Uganda, Rwanda and Congo.
Activities carried out in Mgahinga national park include Gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking, cultural experiences, Mountain climbing, Birding, Nature walks and hiking and more.
Accommodation facilities in Mgahinga national park include Mount Gahinga Lodge, Kisoro Travelers Rest Hotel, Lake Mulehe Safari lodge and more. The park is open to visitors anytime of the year and it can be accessed by both road and air transport
Lake Mburo National Park
Located about 4hours from Kampala City in Kiruhura district close to Mbarara in western Uganda, Lake Mburo National Park is the closest Safari game park to both the international airport and capital city of Uganda.
Activities that visitors can engage in are Boat cruises on lake Mburo, Birding, Nature walks and hiking, Cycling, Horse riding, Cultural experiences, quad biking and more.
Lake Mburo national park has a wide range of accommodations and some of these are Mihingo lodge, Lake Mburo safari lodge, Rwakobo rock lodge, Kimbula Mantana tented camp and more. The park is easily assessed by both road and air transport.
Kibale Forest National Park
Well known for harboring a great number of chimpanzees the closest relatives to humans sharing 98% DNA. Kibale Forest National Park is found in western Uganda and covers an area of 795 sq. km. the park is also a home to 70mammals and 375 bird species
Activities carried out in Kibale national park are Chimpanzee tracking and habituation, birding, nature walks and hiking, cultural encounters and more.
The park can be accessed by road and air transport. The nearest airstrip is Kasese. Accommodations in kibale favor every visitors pocket some of these are Primate Lodge Kibale, Chimpanzee Forest Guest House, Crater Safari Lodge, Kyaninga Lodge, Ndali Lodge, Papaya Lake Lodge, Kibale forest Camp, Turacco tree tops and many more.
Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo Valley National Park is the most isolated national park in Uganda located in Karamoja region covering an area of 1442 sq. km and has two rivers within its boundaries Kidepo and Narus which dry up during dry seasons. Taking the long journey to Kidepo Valley is so rewarding and so magnificent. The park has a big game with over 77 mammals and 475 bird species.
Visitors can take part in game drives, nature walks and hiking, birding, cultural encounters and more. Accommodation is available within and outside the park. Some of these lodges are Apoka Rest Camp, Apoka Safari Lodge, Kakine self-catering campsite, Nga moru wilderness camp, Kidepo Savannah Lodge and more.
The park can be reached by road transport though its far and the best option would be air transport that flies you direct to the park.
Semuliki National Park
Semuliki National Park is located in Bundibugyo district at the border of Uganda and Congo and is a home to over 50mammals and 441 bird species. The park covers an area of 220sq. km and has more of Central Africa features than East Africa.
Activities in Semuliki national park include Visiting the hot springs where you can cook eggs and plantain, game drives, cultural encounters, nature walks and hiking, birding and more.
Rwenzori Mountains National Park
Rwenzori Mountains National Park covers an area of 996sq. km and lies on the Uganda Congo border in Kasese and kabarole districts in south western Uganda. The park is a UNESCO world heritage. Rwenzori mountains national park gets its name from the Rwenzori mountains that are the 3rd highest in Africa.
Activities that can be done here are mountain climbing, bird watching, nature walks and hiking, culture visits and more. The park can be accessed by road or air transport. The nearest airstrip is Kasese from where visitors are picked by car. Accommodation facilities range from budget to midrange to luxury. Some of these are Rwenzori international hotel, Margarita Hotel Kasese, Ihamba lakeside Safari Lodge, Rwenzori Turaco campsite, Sandton hotel kasese and more.
Mount Elgon National Park
Mount Elgon national park is found in the eastern part of Uganda near the Kenya-Uganda boarder. Mt Elgon is the second highest mountain in Uganda and it has the largest caldera in Africa. The park a wide range of animals and birds.
Activities done in Mount Elgon national park are mountain climbing, birding, nature walks and hiking, mountain biking, cultural visits, rock climbing and more.
Some of the lodging facilities near Mount Elgon national park include; Sipi River lodge, Noah’s Ark hotel, Mount Elgon View hotel, Mbale Resort hotel, Lacam Lodge, and more. The park can be visited anytime of the year.
