“For magnificence, for variety of form and colour, for profusion of brilliant life… Uganda is truly the pearl of Africa.” – My African Journey, Winston Churchill, 1908
More than a century after he made that observation, Winston Churchill’s view of Uganda still stands. Uganda is the place where the East African savannah meets the Central African rainforest. It’s one of the most bio-diverse countries in the world, and although it’s a relatively small country, it contains Africa’s highest mountain range, its largest lake, and the source of the world’s longest river.
For much of its history, however, Uganda has struggled to escape the shadow of the safari powerhouses of Kenya and Tanzania. However, things are changing. Uganda has been peaceful now for well over a decade. The government has started investing properly in roads, hotels and other tourist facilities, and visitors are at last waking up to its compelling mix of spectacular scenery, incredible wildlife and warm and welcoming people. Here are just a few reasons why you should go there...
1. To track chimpanzees in Kibale
Kibale National Park covers a beautiful swathe of thick equatorial rainforest. It boasts the highest concentration of primates in all of Africa, with thirteen species, including black-and-white colobus monkeys and impish grey-cheeked mangabeys. Of course, everyone loves the chimpanzees. On a day-long Chimpanzee Habituation Experience, you’ll follow a troop of whooping and hollering chimps as they swing through the forest, gathering in the treetops to play, doze or feast on figs.
With the midday heat, the chimps descend from the treetops, sliding down vines and striding right past you. It’s an extraordinarily close encounter. The sound of the males messaging each other is astounding, as they drum on the buttress roots of giant fig trees with such force that the ground around you shakes.
Where to stay
Primate Lodge Kibale is set slap bang in the middle of the park, just a few minutes from the start of the tracking trailhead. Swish refurbished cottages look out into a wall of forest, and there’s a tree house for the intrepid.
2. To raft the Nile
Straight out of the colonial era, the modest town of Jinja is East Africa’s adventure capital. The unique opportunity to raft at the source of the Nile has fostered a great choice of watersports. The white water surge that runs 20 kilometres from Lake Victoria rivals the Lower Zambezi, and is a heart-thumping ride over rapids bearing names such as Hair of the Dog and Bad Place.
Where to stay
Wildwaters Lodge is situated on an island in the middle of the Nile, sandwiched between two sets of deafening rapids. It has lovely wooden cottages and a natural riverside swimming pool.
3. To meet the Karamojong
The disparate Karamoja region sees only a few visitors bound for the remote wilderness of Kidepo Valley National Park, jostling with Kenya and South Sudan in the far northeast. The area is home to one of Uganda’s most intriguing peoples: the Karamojong, a historically fierce tribe of cattle-raiding pastoralists. Visit a Karamojong manyatta to explore their traditional homesteads – beehive-style huts encircled by a protective wall of spiky brushwood. You may also be lucky enough to experience the cultural dancing, or “high jumping”, which is similar in style to the more famous Masaai just across the border.
Where to stay
Apoka Safari Lodge in Kidepo can arrange visits to nearby Karamojong villages. Check your government’s travel advice before booking, as some areas of northeast Uganda are subject to travel warnings.
4. To swim in a crater lake
In and around the Ndali-Kasenda region of western Uganda, there are dozens of volcanic crater lakes. Of these, shimmering Kyaninga is the jewel. Fringed with forest and crisscrossed by gliding hornbills, the lake is a mesmerising granite blue. It’s semi active, so although it’s 225 metres deep in parts, the water has a steady temperature of 21 degrees. Add in the fact that it’s one of East Africa’s few lakes that are free from bilharzia and you have the perfect place for a spot of wild swimming.
Where to stay
The beautiful thatched cottages at Kyaninga Lodge are staggered along a ridge overlooking the lake. Every room has a stunning view. The range of local activities include an early morning Crater Walk and time spent with village elders at a nearby farm.
Title Image Credit: Medici con l'Africa Cuamm (Image Cropped)