Does Uganda holiday feature on your bucket list? It should, Uganda has so much to off astonishing scenery, friendly people, cultural treasures, primates and wildlife and safari lifestyle that will draw you back, again and again.
The self-drive road trip through Uganda, at the beginning I contacted several rental agencies and compared prices. We rented a Land cruiser with 4×4 rooftop tent vehicles and Moses gave me the best offer including camping equipment, gorilla permit organization, delivery to the airport and pick up from Entebbe and navigation system.
Moses answered to every of our 1000 questions beforehand quickly and professional. Even during the road trip Moses was all the time available and helped us throughout the road trip. We had to pay the permit fee, but he got them for us at no additional charge. The car was in good condition and did a great job during our 3000km drive.
Moses met us at the airport and gave us a quick run through of the car and some important bits and pieces about driving on the roads in Uganda. Driving in Uganda is not as scary as many say. Drive with purpose, without crazy manoeuvres, and give way without giving too much way, and you will be just fine!
On our self-drive trip in Uganda, we were able to see all of the big 5, trekked with gorillas, rhinos & chimpanzees, visited the Batwa village, ate at the best restaurants (side note, Uganda has the best soup), and so much more. Wildlife populations have rebounded in the national parks and the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary means you can score the Big Five in Uganda again. But ironically, the safari animals are not the main reason to do a safari here; it’s a variety of other things that make Uganda a special destination
There were plenty of sightings of elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, various antelopes and heaps of different monkeys. My absolute highlight was the trek to see the chimpanzees. These apes have such personality and we saw them playing, eating and it seemed as though they were having an absolute ball.
The gorillas were also another highlight, and we were extremely lucky with the weather and not having to trek very far through the jungle. We were also very privileged to see 3 of the 25 tree climbing lions that live in the Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Unknown to all but the most committed and adventurous safari-goers, the wild Kidepo Valley National Park beckons to wildlife addict looking for an off-the-beaten-track safari experience in a world-class park that they can call their own. From Queen Elizabeth National Park, the country’s premier safari destination, in the east to the remote wilderness Savannah of Kidepo National Park in the northwest, there is little doubt that Uganda truly has it all.
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest was an experience which is cut on my mind for ever now. It was fantastic. It was indescribable for me. Sitting there with my gorilla family made me feel as if I was transported in a different word for an hour and more. I had tracked Habinyanja family of gorillas in Buhoma region. There were 10 members in that family. A silver back, a black male younger male, two females, three youngsters and three toddlers as all belong to Habinyanja family.
It took us almost an hour to reach the place where we began tracking this family. Once we began, in about 20 minutes we found them. It was a steep slope. Since I have torn ligaments in one of feet, I slipped a hundred times. I had hired a porter who helped me. It was a good idea. These porters also need to earn a living for a daily saving for their families. We had garden gloves with us for grabbing onto trees. Walking sticks were provided and we made sure to tuck our pants into socks in case of ants!
My ranger Sarah was very knowledgeable and was patient with us. There were two armed rangers with us as well. The guides were knowledgeable and friendly. There was a security guard at the front and the back in case of animal encounters. The walk in the forest was mildly challenging, but all of us were able to do it.
We sat there and looked at those gorillas. They looked at peace with having us around them. They are gentle giants; the silver back was huge. I did all the photography on my cell phone.
I think it is more important to spend time with them than do photography there. I enjoyed my time with them. For some strange reason, I felt overwhelmed as I was getting ready to leave them. If you can, please go and enjoy this experience.
The guides, trackers, porters and all staff are tremendous and it’s great to see so much dedication to the conservation of these amazing animals and that a portion of the fairly hefty fee goes towards supporting the local villages too. The guides do everything they can to make sure you get what you pay for and we weren’t disappointed.
They are patient with the slower/older walkers and getting a porter not only helps you get to and from your destination but supports the locals too. I am so grateful to have had the chance to see them and hope that the money we paid helps a little to conserve and grow the population.
