Uganda has been one of the top safari destinations in Africa for ages mainly attributing it’s fame to the wildlife most notably the gorillas plus the beautiful landscapes and enormous water bodies. When you add in the rich cultural and political history, you will definitely be drawn to the Pearl of Africa. The majority of tourists nowadays prefer to self drive Uganda over booking a tailored guided tour mainly because self drive trips are affordable and offer privacy and freedom to do what you want or drive where you want at your own pace.
Planning to visit Uganda and would love to drive yourself around the country, here are 5 destinations we highly recommend you add to your travel list when you visit Uganda.
LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK
The park is located in western Uganda, kiruhura district and is situated about 30 kilometers by the road from Mbarara. Compared to other parks, Lake Mburo national park is the nearest park and can be accessed easily. Tourists with a fixed schedule of one day from the hotel to the airport can visit Lake Mburo national park and back the same day. The park has a variety of animals such as zebras, impala, buffaloes among others and for the birds the park has over 300 species at 260 square
It is the only place in Uganda that supports massive herds of “impalas”…. Kampala city derives its name from here. Being the smallest among the savannah national parks it has a better view of antelopes easily seen are topi, bushbuck, common duiker, oribi, Defassa waterbuck and Bofor reedbuck. Buffalos, warthogs, bush-pigs and hippopotamus and many others.
KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
Kidepo valley national Game Park is found in kaabong district north east. The Park lies in the rugged, semi-arid valleys between Uganda’s borders with Sudan and Kenya, some 700km from Kampala. Gazetted as a national park in 1962, it has a profusion of big game and hosts over 77 mammal species as well as around 475 bird species. Kidepo is Uganda’s most isolated national park, but the few who make the long journey north through the wild frontier region of Karamoja would agree that it is also the most magnificent, for Kidepo ranks among Africa’s finest wildernesses. From Apoka in the heart of the park, a savannah landscape extends far beyond the gazetted area, towards horizons outlined by distant mountain ranges.
BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK
Another interesting destination you can t miss visiting on self drive in Uganda is the infamous Bwindi forest which is home to over half the population of surviving mountain gorillas in the world.
The park is located in southwestern Uganda. Bwindi impenetrable national park is situated along the Democratic Republic of the Congo border next to the Virunga national park, Composed of 321 square kilometers of both montane and lowland forest, it is accessible only on foot.
It provides a habitat for 120 species of mammals, 348 species of birds, 220 species of butterflies, 27 species of frogs, chameleons, geckos, and many endangered species. Floristically, the park is among the most diverse forests in East Africa, with more than 1,000 flowering plant species, including 163 species of trees and 104 species of ferns.
The park is a sanctuary for colobus monkeys, chimpanzees, and many birds such as hornbills and turacos. It is most notable for the 400 Bwindi gorillas, half of the world’s population of the endangered mountain gorillas. 14 habituated mountain gorilla groups are open to tourism in four different sectors of Buhoma, Ruhijja, Rushaga and the Nkuringo in the Districts of Kanungu and Kabale.
MURCHSION FALLS NATIONAL PARK
The Murchison falls, Uganda’s largest national park is also home to over 450 recorded birds’ species including the rare shoebill stork. The park is also home to 23 Alerting rift endemics given its location in the western arm of the east
The Murchison Falls referred to as the Kabarega Falls, is proudly referred to as the world’s greatest waterfall, found on the course of the great Nile. It breaks the stunning Victoria Nile that flows across Uganda’s northern region from Lake Victoria to the deep Lake Kyoga and continuing to the northern tip of Lake Albert within the western arm of the great East African Rift. right on the peak of the Murchison Falls, the waters of the Nile force their way 141 feet below with a thunderous roar forming a residual water stray that forms a beautiful rainbow; the view is breathtaking! From here it then continues westward into the stunning East African rift valley.
QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONTIONAL PARK
Welcome to the medley of wonders, Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s second largest National park and the most famous park in Uganda. Although the park hosts large numbers of visitors all year through this should not discourage new visitors to the park and as well bore those that have visited it before because the safari activities at this park will never disappoint. Leopards roam the Mweya Peninsula, which lies beside Lake Edward. Nearby Lake Katwe is a huge volcanic explosion crater. Boats on the Kazinga Channel float past hippos and Nile crocodiles. Chimpanzees inhabit the Kyambura Gorge. Trails lead to bat caves in the central Maramagambo Forest. The Ishasha area is home to tree-climbing lions and shoebill storks.
The park has a variety of Flora and Fauna and it’s acknowledged to be a habitat for over 95 mammal species with about 612 species of birds. The various species in this park, has made it a unique park most liked by tourists. Geographers will say that the park has around 57 vegetation but in actual sense, it has five levels of vegetation. Namely bushy grassland, Acacia woodland, Lakeshore or swamp vegetation along with forest grassland.
To book a car for self drive in Uganda today, simply send us an email to info@ugandacarrentalbooking.com or call us on +256-779223461 to speak with the reservations team.
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