My Unforgettable Uganda Wildlife Holiday
A country renowned for its beautiful green scenery and primates, with gorillas and chimps as the star attractions, I knew I had to visit. Of course Uganda delivered in abundance, and it was fantastic to explore by safari vehicle, on foot and by boat. There were too many highlights to mention, in the diverse habitats included on my wonderful itinerary.
Marshland, in the shallows of Lake Victoria, is home to the bizarre shoebill. Even if you’re not a ‘birder’, seeing this large, prehistoric-looking peculiar bird, with its massive shoe-shaped bill is a must, as it hunts for lungfish and other prey amongst the papyrus in the shallows. They share the swamp with so many other birds that you may find yourself becoming a birder after all! Spotted-necked otters can also be seen, for your mammal fix, whilst navigating small channels by dugout canoe.
Then there are the rich grassland plains, dotted with acacia, albesia and euphorbias, explored on classic game drives and on foot, depending on the reserve. Large herds of game animals such as Ugandan kob, Jackson’s hartebeest, Defassa’s waterbuck, topi and common impala can be found, together with pretty oribi, plains zebra, Rothschild giraffes, and elephants with fantastic tuskers amongst them. Buffaloes also gather with their attendant pia piac birds, cattle egrets and yellow-billed oxpeckers.
All of the Big Five can be found in Uganda, including tree-climbing lions, and it was a special experience to walk with white rhinos, enjoying the playful and inquisitive antics of the youngsters!
One source of the mighty Nile River is in Lake Victoria, one of many Great Lakes in the Rift Valley in Uganda, together with smaller lakes, channels and tributaries. Boat trips reveal chuckling hippos, enormous Nile crocodiles, kingfishers and colourful bee-eaters that nest in the riverbank.
Again, the abundance of birdlife is outstanding; elephants can be seen coming to drink or swim, and it’s always worth keeping an eye out for the unexpected. One such surprise for me was a genet cat riding a buffalo. Yes, really!!
Seeing the Murchison Falls waterfall is a must. There's a boat cruise to the bottom of the 43-metre-high falls (as far as the turbulent, churning current will allow), and it’s arguably even more impressive to view it from the top. The sheer volume of water squeezed through the narrow gorge at this point, thundering and crashing its way over the edge, is truly extraordinary to behold. Monkeys and birdlife can be spotted on the walk to the viewpoint.
The primary attraction of many visitors to Uganda is the primate-rich forests. I visited the semi-deciduous forest of Budongo, moist evergreen Kibale rainforest, and the ‘impenetrable’ montane rainforest of Bwindi - all are home to chimpanzees, and Bwindi is also home to over half the world’s population of mountain gorillas.
Having seen chimps previously in Tanzania’s spectacular Mahale and Gombe National Park, I couldn’t wait to visit ‘my cousins’ again. Each encounter is unique. Chimps are unpredictable omnivores, mainly eating fruit as well as flowers and leaves, but occasionally they hunt for meat - principally black and white colobus monkeys and other primates, and young antelopes.
They can be quietly settled on the trees, munching on figs or berries, resting and grooming on the ground, or unleashing screaming chaos - you never know what you’re going to get!
I find them so exciting to spend time with, and comical with the rather undignified poses that they often present! They ooze intelligence, and a glance from a chimpanzee invokes a powerful connection, as you feel the similarities in our natures.
Spending time with mountain gorillas is the most eagerly anticipated experience for most. The misty mountains of Bwindi are steep-sided and imposingly beautiful. Butterflies dance like fairies in the shafts of sunlight piercing through the trees, and the forest is filled with birdsong. It’s easy to overlook the details of the beauty around you when excitedly trekking towards a gorilla group.
My first view was of the silverback himself, head of the Muyambi family, named after him. What an enormous presence! He made it clear who was dominant by crashing through the foliage, before settling down to a leafy meal. With him were adult females - much smaller than him - together with some juveniles and an adorable 5-month-old cuddly-looking baby, which his mother clearly doted on.
More peaceful-seeming than chimps, this family looked very content, and it was wonderful to have their trust and tolerance while I watched each detail of their facial expressions and gestures, observed their fingernails, ears, eyelashes, postures … It was very hard not to anthropomorphise!
The permit fee to visit the gorillas is high, but I, for one, was happy to pay in the hope that it continues to help protect the gorilla population and other wildlife in the forest, and contribute to local people, who also deserve support and to benefit.
Several other primates can be seen in Uganda, with 13 species found in Kibale alone, the highest concentration in Africa.
Another enchanting mammal that lives in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and surrounding area is the white-bellied pangolin. In Buhoma village, a rescue centre does outstanding work to rescue and rehabilitate these endangered creatures. Threatened by the bushmeat and traditional medicine trades, and feared as dangerous by some communities (mistaken as snake-like), this project provides education about pangolins, and skills and resources for alternative incomes for poachers.
Visitors to the centre can learn about their vital work, and have the rare opportunity to see and photograph any resident pangolins. Incredible creatures!
If you enjoy a holiday full of variety, both in terms of wildlife but also in the means of seeing it, combining game drives with active walks and lazy boat cruises, I highly recommend going.
Uganda is a safari destination with a difference, and the primate-viewing exceptional. The people throughout the country are delightful, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity to have spent time in their beautiful country.
If Helen's trip has inspired you to discover the rich habitats and animals in Uganda on your next wildlife holiday, discover our Uganda's Unforgettable Wildlife tour!
For photography enthusiasts looking for an unforgettable experience capturing wildlife in the Pearl of Africa, be sure to check out our Uganda Wildlife Photo Safari.
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