Mt Elgon which is an extinct volcano is one of the Uganda’s oldest physical feature and its believed to have last erupted around 24 million years ago. It was once Africa’s highest mountain exceeding Kilimanjaro’s current 5,895m, but it reduced because of continuous erosion to 4,321m making it the 4^th highest in East Africa and 8^th in the world. In addition, the park hosts over 300 bird species including the endangered Lammergeyer.

The neighboring communities is composed of the Bamasaba and the Sabiny who are both farmers and most of the communities largely depend on the forest near the park which has caused a lot of erosion and has resulted into land and mudslides.However,the government of Uganda has tried to resettle them in other parts of the country to reduce pressure on the mountain.

Tourist Activities include the following:

Volcanoes Climbing; Most Tourists in this area come to hike Mt Elgon with the ultimate goal of reaching the peak and also reaching the biggest Caldera in the world. The climb does not require any technical experience or special equipment and most travelers in east Africa prefer to climb Mt Elgon compared to other mountains. The UWA ranger guides will lead you on this 5-day hike and you will also need to hire cooks and porters while on this hike. There are 3 major trails which include; Sasa trail starting from Bumasola Village, Sipi trail starting from Kapkwai Exploration Centre and Piswa trail starting from Kapkwata. The trails lead you to caves, viewpoints and waterfalls, with the option of camping overnight on the mountain slopes.

Cultural Encounters; The park is surrounded by the Bagisu and Sabiny who have a rich cultural history. The Bagisu have a man adult hood cultural initiation ceremony called Imbalu where boys above 15 years are locally circumcised to iniate them into manhood who will be recognized in society. Its treated with a lot of cultural importance. Its always done every eventh year during August and September. This cultural event attracts many travelers around the world. The Sabiny used to practice female genital mutilation to reduce women’s libido but the government abolished it because it was considered inhuman. However, you can meet them for story telling about it.

Community walks; The Bagisu are farmers who practice Arabic coffee farming on the sides of mt Elgon They are popularly known to be the ones producing the finest washed Arabic coffee in Kenya and Uganda. You can talk a community walk to coffee plantations to learn about its growing, harvesting and coffee processing plants to learn how its processed locally into a fine product. You can also take a community walk on mountain sides to enjoy the views of Sipi Falls, the Walls of Death and the African sunrise across the Karamoja plains on these peaceful walks just outside Mt Elgon National Park.

Mountain biking: Mountain biking trails runs from Sipi trading center to Chema hill in Kapchorwa town. It takes between 1-2 hours and provides views of various waterfalls

Rock climbing: Rock climbing takes place outside the park at Sipi. There are 14 routes which require various levels of rock scaling techniques. The toughest is a 35m climb while the easiest is 15m.

Visiting Sipi Falls: The northern and western sides of Mount Elgon rise in a series of massive basalt cliffs, often several kilometers in length, over which the mountain’s rivers plunge as beautiful waterfalls.  The best known are the three waterfalls at Sipi on the Kapchorwa road, just outside the park. The lowest of these falls is the most spectacular as it cascades over a 100m cliff. The second, known as Simba, plunges 69m over the entrance to a cave. Visitors can stand in the cave and enjoy a view of the back of the falls. The third waterfall, also known as Ngasire, gushes over an 87m high ridge. Easily accessible waterfalls are also found at Sisiyi, Bulago, Chebonet and Wanale and many more are scattered across the mountain, offering spectacular views.

The post Mount Elgon National Park appeared first on Gorillaland Safaris.

The national park has one of the oldest and most biologically diverse rain forests and contains over 400 species of plants. More importantly, this impenetrable forest hosts over 400 mountain gorillas representing more than half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Some of which are habituated and are tracked on a daily basis while others are not habituated.it also harbors other mammals like elephants and antelopes and it’s estimated to be over 120 including several other primate species such as velvet baboons, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and chimpanzees among others. The park also hosts over 350 bird species including 23 Albertine Rift endemics.

The national park has 4 major sectors or locations where gorilla trekking takes place. This is a major activity that attracts most of the tourists to come to Uganda. The four sectors include Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo, and Rushaga. In total, there are over 16 groups in different parks that are tracked on a daily basis which include:

• Rushaga groups include; Kahungye, Mishaya, Nshongi, Busingye, Bweza, Bikini, Bushaho, and Rwiji
• Ruhija groups include: Bitukura, Oruzogo, Kyaguriro, and Mukiza
• Buhoma groups include; Mubare, Rushegura, Habinyanja, and Katwe
• Nkuringo include; Nkuringo and Christmas

Tourist Activities include;

Gorilla trekking; Bwindi Gorilla national park has 18 habituated gorilla families as described above found in different sectors which are tracked on daily basis. This activity is led by UWA rangers and guides and starts from any of the tracking locations with the briefing. This activity takes 3 to 6 hours depending on the movement of the gorilla family on that fateful day. Once you meet the gorillas, you will spend 1 hour observing them and taking photos in close range. Thereafter, the guides will lead you back to the point where you started for debriefing and award of certificates. This is one of the most rewarding experiences you should never miss on a vacation in Uganda

Gorilla Habituation experience: Gorilla habituation takes place only in the Rushaga sector with the group that is not yet declared for tracking. It only allows 4 people to do it per day due to conservation issues as opposed to gorilla trekking that takes 8 people per group. This experience allows you to stay with the gorillas for only 4 hours studying their behaviors and way of living starting from nesting (where they slept the previous night) You will be led by UWA Ranger guides and Researchers and on request, you can be availed Gorilla Doctors.

Nature walk/Walking safari; There are six main nature walk trails in Buhoma for those who wish to explore the “impenetrable forest”, including waterfall walks, forest walks, primate encounters, mountain views, and impressive birdlife. You can also take a walking safari from Buhoma to Nkuringo and Vice-Versa which takes 5 hours.

Batwa Cultural experience in Rushaga; The Batwa were the original occupants of the forest before it was gazetted into the national park. They used to survive in the forest entirely and it was their ancestral home. Later, they were moved out of the park and settled in the neighborhood communities surrounding the national park. This activity helps support them as a way of living. They will guide you through the forest with enriching stories on how they used to stay and survive in the forest for their livelihood. This will give you an enriching cultural experience that will last a lifetime. This activity ends with lots of entertainment from Batwa dancing groups.

Canoeing; This is done by the community who will take you on a canoe experience on either lake Mutanda or Lake Mulehe. These are lava-dammed lakes that do not attract any fishing activity because of their depth due to their formation.

Accessing Bwindi;

It can be accessed by road from Queen Elizabeth National Park to the north (2-3 hours), from Kabale to the south (1-2 hours), or from Kampala via Mbarara (6-8 hours).4WD is the most recommended since Bwindi is surrounded by hills which are some times rugged due to rains.

There are also daily buses from Kampala to Kisoro and can be used by those tracking in Rushaga, Nkuringo and Mgahinga. The same bus can be used for those tracking in Ruhija but the stopover will be in Kabale not Kisoro. Buses are also available going to Butogota through Kihihi and others go straight up to Buhoma one of the tracking points.

It can also be accessed by air using local flights from Entebbe or Kajansi Airfield to Kisoro air strip or Kihihi and Kayonza airfields.

The post Bwindi Impenetrable National Park appeared first on Gorillaland Safaris.

The park is between the Kabarole and Kamwenge with an estimated distance of 320km from Kampala. The park was first gazetted as forest reserve in 1932 and finally established in 1993 as a national park. The park has an ecosystem with ever green forest species which stretch to queen Elizabeth national park to the south to create 180km long between Ishasha and Sebitoli in North, woodlands, tropical forest, savannah grassland that are easily found in the rift valley floor.

Tourist Activities in Kibale Forest National Park Include

Chimpanzee trekking: Chimpanzee trekking is the most famous activity done in Kibale National park which starts from Kanyanchu Visitor Information Office with briefing to prepare you for chimpanzee tracking starting at 7:45 AM. This is a half day activity lasting between 3 to 5 hours depending on the movement of the chimpanzees. On finding the primates, you will spend 1 hour with them while studying their behavior and taking pictures in close range. You will have an opportunity to see other primates including velvet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, baboons among others.

Chimpanzee Habituation Experience; It starts from Kanyanchu Visitor Information Centre. This is a full day activity where you will go with researchers to explore the behaviors of chimpanzees and the experience starts right from nesting. This activity helps you explore the behaviors of chimps, their way of leaving including feeding, mating and nesting among others. Kibale is known as primate capital and so expect to see a lot of other primate species during habituation experience. You are likely to also sight other animals like forest elephants, buffaloes, bush pigs, warthogs, reptiles as well as a colorful butterfly. The group under habituation is normally under research and trying to get used to people until its ready for tracking.

Birding; Kibale national park hosts over  375 species and therefore it’s a good place to sight different bird species including; African pitta, green breasted pitta, Afep pigeon, white –naked pigeon, crowned Eagle , Red chested Owlet, Black Bee-eater, Blue headed sun bird  yellow spotted Nicator, black-eared ground thrush and the Abyssinian ground-thrush.

Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary Walk; This is rich in biodiversity and beautiful scenery; the wetland is a birder’s paradise with about 138 species. Located outside the park in Magombe Swamp it also hosts eight species of primates including the black-and-white colobus, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed, l’Hoest’s and blue monkeys, and olive baboons. Bushbucks and mongooses can also be found here. The sanctuary was set up to preserve the exclusive environmental features along with the wetland and is managed by the local community.

Cultural Experience; The park is also near the Toro kingdom palace which is a few meters from Fort portal where you can visit and learn the cultural history of the Batoro. You can as well visit the (Amabere Ga nyinamwiru).Their creation have a rich history where the father cut the breasts of his daughter because he never wanted her to produce with the man and since then the breasts are ever mourning by leaking breast milk. There is a lot more to listen to with the experienced community guides.

Distances to Kibale National park.

• Kampala-Fort Portal-Kibale=320km
• Murchison Falls-Hoima-Fort Portal-Kibale=350km
• Kampala-Mbarara-Kasese-Fort Portal-Kibale=450km
• Kampala-Lake Mburo-Ibanda-Kamwenge-Kibale=420km

Some Accommodation in Kibale National park include;

• Primate Lodge
• Crater safari lodge
• Kyaninga lodge
• Endali lodge
• Chimp nest
• Chimpanzee Forest Camp
• Kibale Safari lodge
• Kanyanchu River Camp

The post Kibale Forest National Park appeared first on Gorillaland Safaris.

Its open flat plains allow a lot of wildlife to graze and thrive. It covers a total surface area of 1,442 KM. The highest point stands at 914m and the lowest point is at 2,750m above sea level.

It has a lot of game hosting over 77 mammals including Cheetah, Leopard, Lions, buffaloes, elephants, Zebra, warthogs, and different species of antelopes. Kidepo Valley National Park has 2 seasonal rivers and includes Narus and Kidepo which disappear during the dry season.

It’s the most isolated park which is around 700k from Kampala but once you get there, it’s worth rewarding with a lot of wildlife in the finest wilderness area.

The popular activities in this park include

Game drives; Game drives are done in Narus valley and Kidepo valley. Narus valley is around Apoka the center of Kidepo with a lot of wildlife including Cheetah, Leopards, lions, large herds of buffaloes elephants, zebras, bush back, water buck, duikers, oribi, and other species different species of antelopes. Game drives can also be done in Kidepo Valley near the border with South Sudan where you will encounter with Ostriches as the most attraction. You will also have a chance to visit the hot springs in this area and will come across the Kidepo seasonal river which dries up during the dry season.

Birding; Birding takes place in the morning and afternoon hours and popularly takes place near Apoka in Narus Valley that offers a great birding experience and even near Namamukweny valley. Birds that can be sighted include; purple Hern, Abyssinian Roller, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, and Clapperton’s Francolin which are only found in Kidepo valley national park.

Cultural Experiences; Kidepo Valley National Park is surrounded by the Karamojong community who used to be the cattle wrestlers before the government took an interest to civilize them and most of them started enrolling in civil education. There are also the Masai of Kenya and the IK a hunter-gatherer tribe. They have a rich cultural history and this can be explored by taking a cultural experience in their community especially the Karimojong neighboring community. You will visit their homesteads to learn their way of living and this will end will lots of entertainment from the community entertainment groups where clients are also free to participate.

Guided Nature Walks; The UWA ranger guide will take you on a short nature walk which lasts 3 to 4 hours while observing the beautiful scenery in terms of hills (Lomey mountains), rocks, endless wilderness, fauna and flora. This is normally good for zoologists, botanists and Researchers. While on the walk, you are able to meet IK tribe near Murongole mountain outside the park.

Some of the accommodations in Kidepo include:

• Apoka Safari camp
• Apoka UWA Bandas
• Buffalo base camp
• Public camping run by UWA

Accessing Kidepo Valley National Park

• Kampala- Karuma- Gulu- Kitgum –Kidepo = 571km (10 hours). Make a break at Ziwa wildlife sanctuary and track rhinos on foot. Spend a night in Gulu or Kitgum town.
• Kampala-Mbale-Sironko-Moroto-Kotido-Kaabong-Kidepo =740km (12 hours). Break the journey at Sipi and climb to the Sipi falls. There are decent hotels on-site or spend a night in Kapchorwa town.
• Kampala-Mbale-Soroti-Moroto-Kotido-Kaabong-Kidepo = 792km (13 hours). Break journey in Kumi town and visit Nyero rock. Spend a night in Kumi or Soroti town.
• Kampala-Karuma-Lira-Kotido-Kaabong-Kidepo= 705km (12 hours). Break journey at Ziwa wildlife sanctuary and track rhinos on foot. Spend a night in Lira town.

It can also be accessed by air using the local flights from Kajjasi to Kidepo airstrip which is just within Apoka the center of Kidepo.

The post Kidepo Valley National Park appeared first on Gorillaland Safaris.

Its located on the main high way of Kampala Mbarara in the western Uganda which is approximately 228km from Kampala. The park is between Masaka and Mbarara with two entry gates that is Nshara gate which is 13kms from Lyantonde and Sanga gate which is 27kms from Lyantonde. The park used to be much bigger than its current size but the government established some cattle ranches around the parks and its corridors and this continues to threaten its existence because of encroachment and poaching.

It’s a home to over 350 species of birds and papyrus which hides sitatunga antelope, red, black and yellow papyrus gonolek, and mammals including Zebras, Giraffes, impalas, Elands, buffaloes, Hippos, water buck, topi, reed buck, oribi, defassa, hyena and leopard among others.

Lake Mburo national park is a transit park because it connects most of the national parks found in the western part of the country

Activities that can be carried in this park

Boat cruise: The Eastern shores of lake Mburo can be discovered by boat trip starting from the jetty at the lake side near Rwonyo rest camp. This activity lasts for 2 hours and while on the trip, you will be able to see schools of hippos in shallow waters and crocodiles along the shores. You are likely to sight a variety of bird species including pelicans, herons, fish eagles, the rare shoe bill

Game drives: These can be done in the morning, evening and a night using sport lights. There are several trucks that can lead you to where you can sight a number of wild animals. Game drives were made more appealing after translocation of giraffes from Murchison falls national park to Lake Mburo national park. Other animals include; leopards, hyenas, buffaloes, sitatunga antelopes among others.

Horseback safaris: This activity is operated by Mihingo lodge to explore grassy ridges in the Eastern part of the park.

Mountain biking: This is normally done from Nshara gate into the national park and its operated by Rwakobo rock and Leopard trail rest camp.

The lake side track climbs into Kigarama hill which provides panoramic view of Lake Mburo. This lake and seven more can equally be seen from dramatic Kazuma look out which lies at the top of a rather steep truck accessed from the Ruroko track.

The post Lake Mburo National Park appeared first on Gorillaland Safaris.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park sits high in the clouds, at an altitude between 2,227m and 4,127m above the sea level. It started as a game sanctuary declared by the British administration and was later gazetted into a national park in 1991. The park is found in the southwestern Uganda approximately 510km from Kampala through Kabale and Kisoro route.

The park lies within the Virunga trans boundary and it borders 2 other parks that is Volcanoes national park in Rwanda and Virunga National park in DRC. It was gazetted to protect the few endangered mountain gorillas remaining in the world and the spacious endangered golden monkeys that inhabit the bamboo with in the park. The park has 1 trans boundary habituated gorilla group called Nyakagezi.

The forest was originally occupied by the indigenous Batwa pygmies before they were relocated in the neighboring community thus forming a huge cultural significance.

It has very beautiful scenery formed by the 3 striking extinct volcanoes which lie along the border region of Uganda, Congo and Rwanda. They include Gahinga, Sabinyo and Muhavura. Their slopes contain various mountain vegetation with various ecosystems giving it astonishing beautiful scenery

Some of the Tourist activities include the following:

• Gorilla trekking; Mgahinga Gorilla national park has 1 habituated gorilla family called Nyakagezi which is tracked on daily basis. It has 9 members in the family and on a lucky day, you will be able to sight all of them. This activity is led by UWA rangers and guides and starts from Ntebeko Visitor Information center with the briefing. This activity takes 3 to 6 hours depending on the movement of the gorilla family on that fateful day. Once you meet the gorillas, you will spend 1 hour observing them and taking photos in close range. Thereafter, the guides will lead you back to the point where you started for debriefing and award of certificates.
• Volcanoes climbing; Mgahinga gorilla national park has three volcanic mountains that is Muhavura being the highest, followed by Gahinga and then Sabinyo. These are extinct volcanic mountains that are found in the border of 3 countries including Rwanda, DRC and Uganda. They have montane vegetation that gives it a very beautiful scenery which hikers enjoy. This hiking activity takes an entire day starting very early in the morning from Ntebeko. All the 3 volcanoes can be hiked in one day or depending on the fitness of visitors, they will decide if to climb all or chose either one or two of them. Reaching the peak at Sabinyo, its very interesting because the peak is being hosted in the three countries.

Golden Monkey tracking; Mgahinga-Gorilla National Park also hosts the endangered golden monkeys found in the bamboo forest. It starts with the briefing by the UWA ranger guides explaining the dos and don’ts about golden monkey tracking. This activity takes about 2-5 hours depending on the movement of these primates on that particular day. Just like gorillas, you will also spend 1 hour with them taking photos in close range in their natural habitat; the bamboo. This activity can only be done in the Virunga’s in the whole of East African region. It should not be missed on a vacation.

Batwa Cultural Experience:

The Batwa were the original occupants of the forest before it was gazetted into the national park. They used to survive on the forest entirely and it was their ancestral home. Later, they were moved out of the park and settled in the neighborhood communities surrounding the national park. This activity helps support them as a way of living. They will guide you through the forest with enriching stories on how they used to stay and survive on the forest for their livelihood. This will give you an enriching cultural experience that will last a life time. This activity ends with getting to Ngaramba Cave one of the largest caves in the virungas that used to act as a palace and parliament for their Kingdom. The Batwa dancing group will welcome you with a lot of entertainment with in the cave and outside the cave before being led back to the starting point.

The post Mgahinga Gorilla National Park appeared first on Gorillaland Safaris.

The main attraction is the falls with a stretch of rapids covering 80 km. The park is bisected by the Victoria Nile thus creating the northern bank and the southern bank. The northern bank section of the park contains savanna and Borassus palms, acacia trees, and riverine woodland. The south is dominated by woodland and forest patches.

The park ranks high when it comes to wild animals which include: leopard, lions, hyenas, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, Nile crocodiles, waterbuck, bushbuck, and other different species of antelopes which are found on the northern bank, while the southern bank is mostly harbored by the chimpanzee found in Budongo  forest where chimpanzee tracking takes place

The park is surrounded by other game reserves forming the Murchison Falls Conservation Area including; Bugungu wildlife reserve, Karuma wildlife reserve, Ajai wildlife reserve, and East Madi Wildlife reserve.

The major tourist activities in Murchison Falls National Park

Game drives (Day and night game drives): Murchison falls national park is endowed with the highest number of wild animals making it a good place for game viewing. Mammals include; kobs, Rothschild giraffes, elephants, buffalos, hyenas, lions and leopards among others. Game drives take place in the northern bank of Victoria Nile that contain savanna and borassus palms, acacia trees and riverine woodland. Game drives start as early as 6:00AM in the morning.

Launch Cruise; This is also the most interesting activity in this park. The Launch cruise takes 3 hours and goes to either the top of the falls or the delta. However, the famous one goes to the top of the falls where you view the falls in close range and take nice photographs that will give you lasting memories. While on this launch cruise, you will be able to see animals on the shores including buffaloes, elephants, hippos, Nile crocodile and a variety of bird species.

Hiking top of the falls. This is a 45-minute guided nature walk which gives you an opportunity to view the falls from different points. It also gives you a chance to watching waves of white water of Murchison falls and listening to the water roaring like a lion and seeing the river banding through narrow gorge which will give you great memories. This is led by the UWA ranger guide and will explain the history of falls and the value attached to it. On this hike, you are likely to encounter with other wild animals, primates and bird species.

Guided Nature walks. Murchison falls national park has beautiful scenery which can be explored on a guided walk by foot in Rambogo forest and Kaniyo Pabidi which provide sightings of many primates and birds. Most clients are interested on the nature walk to the Nile Delta where the famous shoe bill can be sighted especially when the water levels have reduced on Lake Albert delta. Nature walks can also be done through the forest which is good for botanists and can sight different species of plants. Nature walks take 3 to 4 hours

Birding; The park hosts over 451 bird species including; savannah forest birds, water birds, and Albertine rift endemics birds. The main bird that attracts tourists is a shoe bill usually seen in dry season from January to March along the delta. Other bird species include; marabou stork, Abyssinian ground Horn bill, secretary birds, black bellied Bustards, widow bird and open- billed storks, swallowed tailed, red throated bee eaters, and kingfishers  Bird lovers can enjoy treks from sabirya river lodge or Mubako  junction both on the south  bank and walk along  the north bank from Paraa , passing Emmy river. Birding takes 3 to 4 hours

Sport Fishing; This is done on the Victoria Nile where clients are provided with boats to sail themselves to do spot fishing and catch different fish species including; Nile perch, tiger fish, cat fish, electric fish among others. Every year UWA gets sponsors who organize fishing competition and the winners are awarded and others donate gifts to UWA for conservation.

Chimpanzee trekking: Budongo Forest has both habituated and non-habituated chimpanzees where visitors are able to do chimpanzee trekking. It’s done either in the morning and afternoon.

Hot air ballooning: It takes place in the norther bank where most of the wild animals are found. It takes place throughout the day and it includes; sunrise, post sunrise hot air balloon, bush and breakfast sunset hot air balloon and lasts between 3 to 4 hours. Despite being scarily, it’s an exciting and a unique experience that gives great memories to tourists.

The post Murchison Falls National Park appeared first on Gorillaland Safaris.

The park was founded in 1952 as Kazinga National Park, and was renamed after two years in 1954 to commemorate a visit by Queen Elizabeth II.

The park spans the equator line monument on either side of the road marking the exact spot where it crosses latitude 00. The park hosts over 95 mammals,10 primates including chimpanzees and over 600 bird species. The parks highest point is at 1,350m and the lowest point is at 910m above the sea level.

The park has diverse Eco systems including sprawling savanna, humid and shady forests, sparkling lakes and fertile wetlands.

Part of it is the wetland on lake George which was declared a Ramsar site by UNESCO. The park has very beautiful scenery which include dozens of enormous craters carved dramatically into rolling green hills, panoramic views, Kazinga channel whose banks attract a lot of wildlife, endless Ishasha plains with tree climbing lions that hide in fig trees.

The park is in the western wing of East African lift valley and thus hosts kyambura escarpments and kyambura gorge that hosts chimpanzees.

Accessing Queen Elizabeth National Park

It be accessed easily from Kampala and tarmac road from Kampala via Mbarara town and Bushenyi covering a distance of 420km which leads to the center of the park, passing just 22 km from Mwenya peninsula.

It can be accessed from Kampala via Fort portal covering a total of 410km and through these routes’ visitors are able to access Lake Mburo national parks, Mt. Rwenzori national parks, and Kibale national parks.

The park can still access quick travel using flights from Entebbe to Kasese, Mweya and Ishasha air strips.

Game drives both day and night. Most game drives take place in Kasenyi because of being amating ground for antelopes which attracts prides of lions and other predators as they come for hunting. You will have a chance to view different wild animals including lions, buffaloes, elephants, different antelopes and many more nocturnal animals. You can also do a game drive around the Katwe explosion craters with its famous blue lake.

Launch Cruise. This takes place on Kazinga Channel which connects lake Gorge and Edward. It lasts for 2 hours and the famous ones start at 1:00PM,3;00 PM and 5: 00PM. While on the launch cruise, you will be able to see what you missed during your game drive. You have chance to see elephants, buffalos on the shores, crocodiles sun bathing and big schools of hippos among others. This is a good place to sight different bird species both original and migratory.

Birding. Queen Elizabeth National Park is a good place for bird lovers since it has over 600 recorded species of birds both original and migratory. Birds can be sighted throughout the park but most especially on Mweya Peninsular, Kazinga Channel, lake Munyanyange and around Lake George wetland like sedge warbles, papyrus canary, the martial eagle, pink backed pelican, yellow throated cuckoo and the verreauxs eagle owl where these birds inhabit in grasslands, forests and wetlands without forgetting the flamingos at Munyanyange

Chimpanzee trekking: This takes place in kyambura Gorge and its done either in the morning or in the afternoon. The gorge is within Kyambura escarpment and is separated by Kyambura river. The UWA Ranger guide will lead you on this trek and once you encounter with these primates, you will spend 1 hour with them observing them and taking photos in close range. Apart from chimpanzee, there are other primates you are likely to encounter like red tailed monkeys, vevet baboons, black and colobus monkeys.

Guided nature Walks; Guided nature walk are done in Mweya peninsular and Maramagambo forest. Nature walk in Imaramagambo leads you to the bat cave with a lot of bats and big python. It normally lasts between 3 to 4 hours and it interests normally the botanists, and zoologists and Researchers.

Experiential Tourism: Experiential tourism takes place in Mweya peninsular and its done with the researcher with a rare experience in predators together with the UWA ranger guide. The products under this include lion tracking, leopard tracking and mongoose tracking experience.

Cultural Community Experience: The park is surrounded by Bakonjo, Bakiga and Banyankole. Women from these communities have formed groups to showcase their culture in terms of music dance and drama and crafts in order to also benefit from Tourism. They include the Kikorongo women group and the Katunguru women group. You can as well take a community walk around Rubirizi district where you will see the Green lake and several other crater lakes with one with the shape of Africa continent

The post Queen Elizabeth National Park appeared first on Gorillaland Safaris.

It’s a major birding destination and as a result, it’s known as a Birders Haven because it hosts around 435 bird species representing 34% of Uganda’s bird species. Some of which cannot be found anywhere else in East Africa and the continent’s most spectacular birds. There are other species of primates living in this forest which include; red-tailed monkeys, grey-checked mangabeys, black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons among others. It also neighbors Toro Semuliki wildlife reserve which harbors some species of mammals including; Leopards, Forest Elephants, white-tailed mongoose, and diminutive genet among others.

It’s also majorly known for its hot springs; the Sempaya hot springs both female and male that bubble up from the depths to demonstrate the powerful subterranean forces that have been shaping the rift valley during the last 14 million years. Sempaya hot springs are the most tourist attraction that put Semuliki amongst top travelers’ dream destinations. The female hot spring is a geyser of very hot water that bubbles a few meters above ground whose cloud of steam is visible a distance away.  The male hot spring is a dull pool of boiling water a kilometer apart.  The water from the hot springs is saline and rich in mineral content. The indigenous people in the neighborhood perform traditional rituals at the hot springs to communicate with their ancestors. They believe they are home to their ancestors who disappeared in the hot spring and still exist there. They often go there to seek blessings.

The local community is composed of the Batwa pygmies that originated from the Ituri forest but were settled in the community after gazetting it into a national park. They have a rich cultural history and do not miss doing the Batwa trail experience while on your tour in this park.

Some of the Tourist activities include

Birding: Semuliki National park is known as a Birders Haven because hosts over 435 bird species representing 34% of Uganda’s bird species. Some of which cannot be found anywhere else in East Africa and the continent’s most spectacular birds like shoe bill stork which can be close quarters on Lake Albert edge, white created Horn bill, Great blue, and much more. These birds are commonly in places like Kirumia River, Ntandi and Sempaya

Nature walk to Sempaya Hot springs; This is one of the most tourist attractions that make Semuliki National park attractive to most travelers. Clients take nature walk to these hot springs both female and male hot springs which boil at 99 degrees C. Most travelers come with eggs to experiment and boil them in the bubbling waters and they always get ready after like 5 minutes. These hot springs have a cultural attachment to the neighboring community who gather there during special times in the year to seek for blessing from their ancestors whom they believe still live in these hot springs. This walk will take you 3 to 4 hours with an UWA Ranger guide. Some people come to bath in these waters from hot springs because they believe they cure some skin diseases.

Cultural experience; The community neighboring the park include the Bakonjo, Bamba and the Batwa pygmies who used to stay in Ituri Forest before they were relocated in Ntandi community. These Batwa will lead you to a cultural walk experience where they will explain how they used to rely on the forest entirely for their livelihood, and this activity normally ends with lots of entertainment from Batwa women groups. This activity supports them as source of their livelihood.

Game drive; This can be done from Toro-Semuliki wildlife reserve which is 45 minutes’ drive from the park. Some animals that can be sighted include; Forest elephants, Buffaloes, water buck, bush buck and other antelopes. This can be done on your way from Semuliki national park as you connect to other tourist destinations.

The post Semuliki Valley National Park appeared first on Gorillaland Safaris.

Mount Rwenzori national park harbors over 70 mammals including the chimpanzee, duiker, leopard, Rwenzori otter, hyrax bushbucks Angola black and white colobus monkey, and the L’Hoests monkey among others. Due to the dense vegetation cover of the forest, many creatures like the Three-Horned Chameleon may not be easily seen.

Mount Rwenzori is Africa’s third highest mountain standing at 16700 feet above sea level as recognized by a renown researcher and photographer Alexandrian. The beautiful snowcapped peaks of the Rwenzori Mountain are such a wonder for hikers that visit this region. The peaks include; Margherita, Mount Baker, Mount Stanley, Speke, Emin Pasha, Mount Luigi da Scovia.

Mount Rwenzori National Park is one of the best travel destinations in Africa with unique flora, like the Bamboo and Moorland plus the huge tree heathers and a rich moist montane forest. It was established in 1991 to preserve the exceptional ecological system that was under threat due to the growing human pressure.

Things to Do and See at Mount Rwenzori National Park

Hiking

Mount Rwenzori has several peaks most of which are snowcapped that you would not want to miss on hiking to the highest points of these amazing landscapes. Camping sites/huts have been established on these peaks for you to rest and spend a night since you may not travel back the same day. The most exciting moment is a hike to mount Margherita which is the highest of all mountain peaks.

Nature walks

The nature walks will take you through Kilembe and the Central circuit, you will also go through Buraro Chip forest, and the local communities, river Mubuku and the beautiful snowcapped peaks. You will also meet the amazing wildlife of the park.

Birding

Mount Rwenzori national park is some of the amazing bird species in the country like the Handsome francolin, Rwenzori Turaco, Robin’s sunbirds and barbets, the black eagles, white starred robin, Rwenzori Batis, bearded vulture.

Cultural encounter

The Rwenzori region is dominated by the Bakonjo and Bakonzo Bamba tribes with different cultural values and beliefs but similar in some manner. The daily lives of these local people is an interesting experience as you watch the women and children carrying Jerry cans on their foreheads. The trails through these villages will lead you to places like the traditional thatched Konzo Museum. You will also visit the traditional healer to learn how they use herbs to cure some diseases, basket weaving and fire making will also leave you excited.

The post Mount Rwenzori National Park appeared first on Gorillaland Safaris.