UGANDA A UNIQUE TOURISM DESTINATION
Uganda is a comparative newcomer to today’s international tourism scene, which has benefited both the country’s natural environment and the tourism experience it offers. We have avoided the trap of courting the mass market and have instead followed the path of eco-tourism.
Uganda boasts of some the most stunning scenery on the continent from shimmering lakes, lofty mountains, mysterious forests and game parks teeming with game. National parks contain a wide range of habitats, while the private sector is setting up new safari lodges, sympathetically built to blend in with the surrounding scenery.
Often referred to as the ‘Pearl of Africa’, Uganda is endowed with a vast array of landscapes of incredible aesthetic beauty. The geographic features of Uganda range from glacier-topped mountains, rain forests, and Savannah and dry deciduous acacia bush-land to wetlands and swamps.These, along with a wide variation in climate and soils, combine to give the country an impressive range of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The pearl of Africa has two interesting animals, the crested crane which is a gray crowned bird and the Uganda Kob
So interesting! in 2012, the lonely planet declared Uganda as the World’s number one tourism destination confirming Churchill’s historic finding that Uganda was truly the Pearl of Africa. Indeed, the country’s wide range of habitats supports a very high and rich diversity of both animal and plant species. With a recorded 18,783 species of fauna and flora , Uganda ranks among the top ten most bio diverse countries globally. Our population is united in providing a warm welcome to foreign guests. You will find that even in the smallest of villages local people will go out of their way to make you feel at home The Ugandan people are traditionally hospitable.
. Uganda is host to 53.9% (377 Individuals) of the World’s remaining population of mountain gorillas, many peoples’ minds drift to the mountain gorillas which this country boosts of. Many people flock into this splendid country to carry out gorilla trekking in the wild forests of Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga National Parks which has led to gorilla safaris .The best time to go gorilla trekking is during the 2 dry season of Mid-December- February and June – September. However, there are other primates which a visitor can enjoy while trekking these rare Apes like the chimpanzees, golden monkeys, baboons, colubus monkeys and others. Trust me; spending a day with the primates is one of those experiences that you will never forget because of the adventures that come with it.
Game viewing is another thrilling activity which will enable you have a glance at some of the rare-mammals like the tree climbing Lions in queen Elizabeth National park, leopards, cheetahs, African Elephants, a big number of hippos, Rhinos, Warthogs, endangered Rothschild Giraffes, and others. These animals can be clearly viewed in any of the 10 National Parks of this “pearl of Africa”. A wild safaris to Uganda is the best in terms of adventure that is more rewarding because it takes you closer to the animals in their natural habitats.
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11% (1063 species) of the world’s recorded species of birds (50% of Africa’s bird species richness) .The presence of over 400 bird species in Uganda makes it the leading bird watching paradise in Africa. Birding safari to this great nation guarantees a chance of seeing the rare species which cannot be found in any other country in the world. It doesn’t matter what time of the year to visit specifically for bird watching because even during wet seasons, many birds are seen in plenty around the various water bodies. The best birding safari spot is around Lake Victoria where various birds including the migrants converge making it hard to see the sky as the birds roam over the whole place, 7.8% (345 Species) of the Global Mammal Diversity (39% of Africa’s Mammal Richness), 19% (86 species) of Africa’s amphibian species richness and 14% (142 species) of Africa’s reptile species richness, 1,249 recorded species of butterflies and 600 species of fish..
The country’s immense biological diversity is important both nationally and internationally,and offers good opportunities for cost-effective multiple species conservation. Uganda’s endemic species are primarily associated with high mountains, forests, and the major Pleistocene refugium of the Albertine Rift Valley. Among the larger mammalian species, Uganda is endowed with relatively stable populations of among others elephant, buffalo, hippopotamus, eland, zebra, hartebeest, water buck, reed buck, and Uganda kob. The country is also home to the Lions, Cheetahs, Leopards, Hunting dog and hyenas among others. Uganda therefore hosts all the ‘Big Five’ animals. Because of this great diversity, Government has designated wildlife conservation and other protected areas to protect this endowment and harness environmental and tourism development benefits.The geographic features of Uganda range from glacier-topped mountains, rain forests, Savannah and dry deciduous acacia bush land to wetlands and swamps. These, along with a wide variation in climate and soils, combine to give the country an impressive range of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
Uganda is flat with Mountainous areas in the western part of the country.Travelers are drawn to Uganda by stunning landscapes green rolling hills, snow-capped mountains, rainforests, majestic rivers and massive lakes. There are also a number of outstanding national parks for a safari encounter with the wildlife for which Africa is renowned. Uganda’s altitude is at 1500 m
