If you are on a Uganda safari, white water rafting, gorilla trekking or climbing up Mount Elgon, you eventually need to wind down from all those adrenalin charged activities. The Ssese island are the best place to go you wind down relax and enjoy some peace and quiet before you go back to do more adventurous things like bungee jumping or head back home at the end of your trip. It happens to be quite close to Entebbe airport, so you can start your trip there or end it there.
The Rwenzoris, also known as the Mountains of the Moon – lie in western Uganda along the Uganda-Congo border. This is the only mountain with snow, one of its peaks is the third-highest point in Africa.
Murchison Falls NP, part of the greater Murchison Falls Conservation Area (MFCA), offers excellent wildlife viewing. The Victoria Nile bisects the park and boat trips to the spectacular Murchison Falls are a highlight – especially if you hike to the top where the immense power of the Falls is best appreciated.
The park is part of the larger Virunga Conservation area that spreads over the three countries. Each of these countries protects its own portion of the Virungas, in the Parc National des Volcans and Parc National des Virunga respectively.
This is one of the largest five lakes that are near by the wetlands, and it accounts for only 20% of this unique lake found in western Uganda. The park covers only 370 km² yet it has 5 lakes within. It’s situated between the towns of Masaka and Mbarara taking you about 4 hours to get there. Lake Mburo National Park is the only place where you can spot the impalas in Uganda, antelopes as well as the elands. There are also many herds of buffalos and zebras with in this national park.
Lake Bunyonyi, also know as Place of many Birds, is located in the southwest of Uganda. This lake is rumored to be free of bilharzia and safe for swimming!
Kampala, with a population of approximately 2.5 million, is by far the largest city in Uganda. It is not yet completely overwhelmed with traffic and sprawl like Nairobi and Lagos. Additionally, Kampala is very safe to walk around, even at night, a welcome fact for many a high-strung visitor arriving from Nairobi. Uganda, as the recipient of massive amounts of Western aid money, hosts large numbers of Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Most of those NGOs are based in Kampala, so there is an established expat scene in the city.
Kidepo Valley is in the remote northeast corner of the country. The park has a true wilderness feel and is a great destination for the adventurous traveller. It has excellent wildlife viewing during the Dry season, featuring several species not encountered anywhere else in the country.
Kibale National Park (formerly Kibale Forest NP) is the best place for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda. Thirteen species of primates have been recorded, which is the highest number for any Ugandan park, and several monkey species can usually be seen on forest walks. Birds and butterflies are abundant.
The highlight of a visit to Bwindi – and the climax of the long journey to the Impenetrable Forest by air, car and steep, forest trail – is a magical hour in the company of a family of mountain gorillas. Tracking the gorillas can last from a few hours to a whole day, depending on how far the group has moved since it was observed nesting up the previous evening.
