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So Many People!
The climate is hot and humid for much of the time, so loads of light clothes is the order of the day. We had clothes washed a few times on our trip, and that made travelling lighter. Be ready for muddy streets, and tropical downpours, but you will be back to sunshine and dust within a few hours!
Uganda is a very green country, you will get to see just about everything growing there. It is seemingly possible to get 2 crops of potatoes per year from the same field. You will see many small households growing subsistance food right beside their homes, and you'll also see huge commercial tea farms.
The accomadation varies wildly. You can find small
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inexpensive bed and breakfast type places, and also plush luxury lodges. Many of these are a little dated and some are a little basic, but the food is generally very good. In a few weeks of travel, we had no tummy upsets, and really liked most of the dishes.The road network is a bit haphazard, and off the main routes the roads may only be passable outside of the rainy season, so take this into account while planning. Traffic in Kampala is hectic enough to make Italians flinch.
The wildlife parks were superb. The tree climbing lions in QENP are well worth tracking down, and the Gorilla's are a "must see".
Overall, it's a great destination. Some of the parks can arrange walks with the rangers, and this is a superb experience as you get to hear and smell live in the game parks much more intimatly than when in the back of a Toyota or Landrover.
GreenDK
NL
Visited:
August 2009
Reviewed: Sep 8, 2011
20-35 years of age
Stunningly divers, incredibly beautifull, accessible to travel and very friendly people!
Unfortunately we (a friend and I) did not get to do a safari sensu strictu (with the land cruisers, zebra's, giraffes, etc) but of what I heard there are plenty possibilities available. What we did was a more adventure / hiking / chilling vacation, in which we rafted the white Nile, visited the beautiful Sipi falls, chilled on the shore of Lake Bunyonyi and climbed the Mganhinga voulcano (or is is Magahinga?!).
Uganda is easy to travel, not only due to the high concentration of attractions over a relatively small country, but also by the friendliness of the people. Infra structure is all a bit less polished than Kenia / Tanzania, which means you might have to organize a bit more by yourself and all may go a bit less smooth. From my point of view that's part of the safari experience (aka Bush Vibe).
floppyjohn
US
Visited:
August 2009
Reviewed: Nov 11, 2011
35-50 years of age
Uganda is amazingly fertile and beautiful. If it can remain at peace, it's people have a very bright future.
safari is a home away from home
while in Uganda, the truth about it being the pearl of Africa is reflected in its wild life, weather ,scenery among other things.
Uganda has got all kinds of delicious food stuffs that can sustain different tourists with different backgrounds allover the world, in short, Uganda is a home away from home
Kyle Correia
US
Visited:
February 2018
Reviewed: Feb 11, 2018
Email Kyle Correia | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Awesome introduction to Africa
This was my first, but probably not last, trip to Africa. We were able to see animals infrequently enough to keep us on our toes, but often enough to make every moment worthwhile! Variety was limited, but the scenery was beautiful and weather was too - warm, often hot during the day, comfortable at night. The safari tents were a wonderful experience where we could hear animals (and see some too!) while feeling safe and comfortable. Food was middle of the road overall, but the fruit was phenomenal! Fresh pineapple, bananas, mango, watermelon every morning! The highlight of my experience was our Matoke tour guide Caleb. He taught us about Ugandas turbulent history, its culture, and his hopes for its future. He was funny and accomodating and even set us up with local guides for extra tours. I cant say enough good things about Caleb!!
Jens
DE
Visited:
March 2018
Reviewed: Apr 2, 2018
Email Jens | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Georgeous look at the remains of african wilderness
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wildlife experience, getting as close as that elephant sniffling at the porch of my tent. Accomodation viable. Sometimes no warm water, sometimes broken tent zippers, sometimes mosquito-tents only useful as decoration. Had not seen a single water tap properly bolted to the sink, however this is a mysterium to be found all over east africa. Opined Uganda with its vivid chaos much more attractive than almost suisse-like rwanda. This may however change with the soon expected doubling of population, meaning the doubling of dwellings, infrastructure, traffic. No more space for wildlife of any kind (please refer to Germany). No more rain forests. No more rain. Do your travelling now!
Kyle
US
Visited:
January 2018
Reviewed: Feb 11, 2019
Email Kyle | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Great for Rainforest. Not as great for typical safari.
The tour was fantastic.! Not as good as other east Africa countries but still a wonderful place to visit
Marcus Richardson
DE
Visited:
September 2006
Reviewed: Sep 6, 2011
Email Marcus Richardson | 35-50 years of age
Not like other safari destinations!
My primary reason for going on safari to Uganda (and Rwanda) was to see the mountain gorillas, and that experience is worth a whole review in itself, so all I'll say about that here was that it was an extraordinary, wonderful experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Truly the highlight of my trip by far.
Also magical were walks
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in the forests, hearing chimpanzees shrieking in the trees, and coming close to them (with great care!). Those forest treks really made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Lots of fascinating monkeys to see and hear in those magical forests too.Another highlight for me (in one of the forest treks) was the encounter at the bat cave in Maramagambo Forest (although the last I heard it has been closed to the public due to health fears).
I opted to take a camping safari, rather than lodge-based. It's truly the best way to experience the magic of the bush. There is nothing quite like lying in your tent at night, listening to the sounds of lions roaring nearby, monkeys shrieking in the trees, and hippos grazing on the grass outside your tent. There are no fences and "safe" enclosed campsites - you are truly amongst nature. One night a group of elephants came into our camp, another night it was lions. Not for the faint-hearted, but truly extraordinary, and you don't experience these things in lodges. Also, it's worth bearing in mind that camping safaris are quite luxurious - I had a very comfortable tent set up for me every night, complete with bed and wash-stand. Showers and toilets were portable and therefore not luxurious, but on the other hand you can only laugh and feel the wonder of the bush when a baboon steals your toilet paper... Food was excellent, all transported along with us vacuum packed for freshness as part of a very impressive logistics operation that accompanied our safari as it moved around the country.
Some "normal" game drives were also included in this safari, and while perhaps not as spectular as others I have been on in East Africa, there was still some excellent game viewing to be had. Highlights of game drives included the incredible tree-climbing lions (seen several times), a leopard strolling in front of our vehicle, and of course the spectacular birds (even as a non-enthusiast I couldn't help but be blown away by the incredible birdlife). Guides were very hard-working and dedicated, always making every effort to find the most elusive wildlife and get us up close, but always respecting nature at the same time. They were very, very few other tourists around, so we didn't experience the "20 vehicles surrounding a lion" phenomenon that often blights safaris in the more popular safari destinations.
In short, I can say that Uganda is perfect for the more adventurous safari-goer who wants to do something a little different (more on the wild side). If you're willing to get wet, muddy, bitten by ants, and exhausted in order to get up close, on foot, to some of the most wonderful and rare creatures on earth, this is the place. For me, Uganda is all about spine-tingling experiences in magical forests, and getting face to face with the wildlife, with no vehicles or fences to separate you. I've never been anywhere quite like it.
Vasia
Visited:
May 2008
Reviewed: Sep 16, 2011
Life Experience
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Elisabeth National Park". Approaching to the park we were astonished by the beautiful sunrise. Then we left it all to our communicable guide who was explaining all only in english, as the official languages are english and swahili. Small safari vans took us to indiscribably places in this huge park, driving among a lot of animals. The feeling that you get when you are so close to them cannot be discribed. It is unbelievable that you are in their natural living place. Elephants, lions, hippos, crocodiles, monkeys are just a few of what you can see. This is a life experience that you have never imagined!!!
T Sharp
Visited:
July 2011
Reviewed: Jul 30, 2013
Ssesee Island Safari
Though I was only briefly in the country of Uganda, I had to privilege to visit the Ssesee Islands while I was there. We had to take a short ferry ride to get over there, but once we arrived, the landscape was lush and fertile. We spent some time with local guides wading through the forest and wetlands in search of Sitatunga, so that we could get some rare footage of them. It was a beautiful island, and had some lovely lodges that we stayed in during our time. It was really fascinating to be able to see the hard to find Sitatunga in their natural habitat, as there are few who get to do that. It was worth a short side trip to see the islands over there, and I would highly recommend looking into that next time you are in Uganda.