Winston Churchill is said to have called Uganda the Pearl of Africa, and a few days here shows exactly why. Within a single country you will find mist wrapped mountain forest, crater lakes, equatorial savannah, thundering waterfalls, the source of the Nile and the largest population of mountain gorillas on earth. It is green, warm and welcoming, and its people have a gift for hospitality that guests mention again and again.
For us, Uganda is home. We know its back roads, its airstrips and its small family run places that never appear in a brochure. We know which sector of Bwindi suits a first time trekker and which suits someone who loves a challenge. We know which lodges have the best views at sunrise and which guides notice the things everyone else misses. That knowledge is what turns a good Uganda safari into a remarkable one.
Experiences and activities
The heart of most Uganda journeys is the gorilla trek. In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, you follow an expert tracker through ancient forest until you arrive in the company of a habituated gorilla family. The hour you spend with them, watching infants tumble, mothers groom and a great silverback keep calm watch, is often described as the most moving wildlife experience of a lifetime. Bwindi is divided into several sectors, each with its own landscape and its own gorilla families, and nearby Mgahinga Gorilla National Park offers a further option on the Virunga volcanoes. Permits are limited and must be arranged well in advance, which is one more reason to start planning early.
In Kibale National Park, one of the finest places in Africa to track wild chimpanzees, you will also meet an astonishing range of other primates. In Queen Elizabeth National Park, game drives and a launch cruise on the Kazinga Channel bring elephants, buffalo, hippos and a staggering variety of birds into close view, and in the remote Ishasha sector lions are famously found resting in the branches of fig trees. At Murchison Falls National Park, the Nile forces itself through a narrow gap and plunges into the gorge below, and a boat journey to the foot of the falls is one of the great river experiences in Africa. For travellers wanting something quieter and wilder, Kidepo Valley National Park in the far north offers wide open spaces and few other visitors.
Beyond wildlife, you can visit local communities and craft cooperatives, explore the crater lakes near Fort Portal, kayak on Lake Bunyonyi, or enjoy a relaxed day on the shores of Lake Victoria before your flight home.
Best time to visit
Gorilla trekking is possible all year, and many guests find the lush, quieter wetter months rewarding, although trails can be muddier. The drier periods, broadly from December to February and from June to September, are generally the easiest for walking and for game viewing in the savannah parks. Birdwatchers often favour the wetter months, when migrant species are present and the landscape is at its greenest. We will help you weigh trail conditions, availability and your own travel dates to choose the right window.
Getting there and around
Most international visitors arrive at Entebbe International Airport, a short drive from the shores of Lake Victoria and about an hour or two by road from Kampala depending on traffic. From Australia, flights typically connect through the Gulf, Nairobi, Johannesburg or another hub.
By road. A private 4×4 with a dedicated driver guide is the classic way to see Uganda, and it allows you to enjoy the landscapes, villages and tea plantations along the way. Journeys are long, so we pace itineraries thoughtfully. Murchison Falls is typically a half day drive from Entebbe, while the Bwindi region can take most of a day by road.
By charter and scheduled light aircraft. Light aircraft flights from Entebbe or Kajjansi to airstrips serving Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and Kidepo can save many hours and are especially popular with guests who want to maximise their time with wildlife. We can also arrange a combination, driving one way for the scenery and flying the other.
Luxury lodges and camps
Uganda has quietly developed a lovely collection of small, characterful lodges, often owned and run by families who have lived here for generations. Near Bwindi, Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge perches high on a ridge with sweeping views across the forest and the Virunga volcanoes, while Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp offers a classic safari style stay beside the forest edge. Beside Lake Mutanda, Chameleon Hill Lodge is a colourful and relaxed retreat for a night or two before or after trekking. In the Kibale region, Kyaninga Lodge overlooks a crater lake with a view of the Rwenzori mountains on a clear day. At Queen Elizabeth, Mweya Safari Lodge commands a peninsula above the Kazinga Channel. At Murchison Falls, Nile Safari Lodge sits on the riverbank with views from every room.
Tell us the style of stay you prefer, whether that is intimate and rustic, polished and grand, or somewhere in between, and we will match you with the right properties.
