GAME PARKS OF UGANDA

Are you looking for the best game parks or national parks in Uganda? The Pearl of Africa consists of a vast range of wildlife species including both flora and fauna. Some of the unique species of wildlife in Uganda include mountain gorillas, three-horned chameleon tree climbing lions and different bird species for example the Shoebill which is everyone’s wish to see bird etc. A wide range of different types of flora \ vegetation and different geographical features such as mountains, rivers and lakes, waterfalls and caves make up the different game parks in Uganda. The following includes the ten different game parks in Uganda and the different activities that take place in each park.

Kibale Forest National Park

The park contains one of the loveliest and most varied tracts of tropical forests in Uganda. Forest cover interspersed with patches of grassland and swamp, dominates the northern and central parts of the park on an elevated plateau. The park is home to a total of 70 mammals, most famously 13 species of primate including the chimpanzee. It also contains 375 species of birds. Kibale adjoins Queen Elizabeth National Park to the south to create a 180km long corridor for wildlife between Isasha, the remote southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Sebitoli in the north of Kabale National Park. Kibale National Park is one of Uganda’s most rewarding destinations to explore.

Lake Mburo National Park

The haven is the smallest part of Uganda’s savannah national parks and is located in Kiruhura district in western Uganda, coordinates: 00 36S, 30 57E. It is also 240 km by road west of Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city. LMNP is home to 350 bird species as well as zebra, impala, eland, oribi, defassa, waterbuck, leopard, hippo, hyena, Topi and reedbuck. Once continuous with the northern plains of Tanzania, LMNP hosts diversity found nowhere else in Uganda. The Ruizi River feeds 14 lakes and swamps that support abundant herds of antelope. Enchanting acacia woodland is increasingly a major part of the park. Alongside the wildlife, the park is home to Ankole long-horned cattle cared for traditionally by the Bahima pastoralists.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

The unique national park lies in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley. Its mist-covered hillsides are blanketed by one of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforests, which dates back over 25000 years and contains almost 400 species of plants. More famously, this “impenetrable forest” also protects 320 mountain gorillas, roughly half the world’s population including several habituated groups, which can be tracked. This biologically diverse region also provides to further 120 mammals, including several primate species such as baboons and chimpanzees as well as elephants and antelopes. there are around 250 bird species hosted in the forest including 23 Albertine rift endemics.

Kidepo Valley National Park

Kidepo Valley National Park lies in the rugged, semi-arid valleys between Uganda’s borders with South Sudan and Kenya, some 700km from Kampala. Gazette as a national park in 1962. It has a profusion of big game and hosts over 77 mammal species as well as around 475 bird species. Kidepo is Uganda’s most isolated game park, but the few who make the long journey north through the wild frontier region of Karamoja would agree it’s also magnificent, for Kidepo ranks among Africa’s finest wildernesses. From Apoka, in the heart of the park, a savannah landscape extends far beyond the gazetted area, towards horizons outlined by distant mountain ranges. During the dry season, the only permanent water in the park is found in wetlands and remnant pools in the broad Narus valley near Apoka.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is understandably Uganda’s most popular tourist destination. The park’s diverse ecosystems, which include sprawling savannah, shady, humid forests, sparkling lakes and fertile wetlands, make it the ideal habitat for classic big game, ten primate species including chimpanzees and over 600 bird species. Set against the backdrop of the jagged Rwenzori mountains, the park’s magnificent attractions include dozens of enormous craters carved dramatically into rolling hills, panoramic views of the Kazinga channel with its banks lined with hippos, buffalo and elephants and the endless Isasha plains, whose fig trees hide lions ready to pounce on herds of unsuspecting Uganda kob. Also, the park has a fascinating cultural history. There are many opportunities for visitors to meet the local communities and enjoy storytelling, dance, music and more. The gazette of the park has ensured the conservation of its ecosystem, which in turn benefits the surrounding communities.

Semuliki National Park

Semuliki National Park sprawls across the floor of Semuliki Valley on the remote, western side of the Rwenzori. The park is dominated by the easternmost extension of the great Ituri forest of the Congo basin. This is one of Africa’s most ancient and bio-diverse forests; one of the few to survive the ice age 12 to 18000 years ago.  The valley contains numerous features for example Sempaya hot springs. its numerous bird species make it a typical bird’s haven.

Murchison Falls National Park

The magnificent game park lies at the northern end of the Albertine rift valley, where the sweeping Bunyoro escarpment tumbles into a vast, palm-dotted savanna. The first gazette as a game reserve in 1926, it is Uganda’s largest and oldest conservation area, hosting 76 species of mammals and 451 species of birds. The park is bisected by the Victoria Nile, which plunges 45 meters over the remnant rift valley wall, creating the dramatic Murchison Falls, the centrepiece of the park and the final event in an 80km stretch of rapids. The mighty cascade drains the last of the river’s energy, transforming it into a broad, placid stream that flows quietly across the rift valley floor into Lake Albert. This stretch of the river provides one of Uganda’s most remarkable wildlife spectacles. Regular visitors to the banks include elephants, giraffes and buffaloes; while hippos, Nile crocodiles and aquatic birds are permanent residents.

Mount Elgon National Park

At 4,000 km^ Mt Elgon has the largest volcanic base in the world. Located on the Uganda and Kenya border, it is also the oldest and largest solitary, volcanic mountain in East Africa. Its vast form, 80 km in diameter, rises more than 3,000m above the surrounding plains. The mountain’s cool heights offer respite from the hot plains below, with the higher altitudes providing a refuge for flora and fauna. The park is also home to over 300 bird species including the endangered Lammergeyer, small antelopes, forest monkeys, elephants and buffaloes also live on the mountainside. The higher slopes are protected by national parks in Uganda and Kenya, creating an extensive transboundary conservation area that has been declared a UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve. A climb on Mt Elgon’s deserted moorland unveils a magnificent and uncluttered wilderness without the summit-oriented approach common to many mountains: the ultimate goal of reaching the top of Mt Elgon is not the final ascent to the 4321m Wagagai peak, but the descent into the vast 40km caldera. Not forgetting the Sippi Falls south of the park in Kapchorwa.

Rwenzori Mountains National Park

The Rwenzori, the fabled mountains of the moon, lie in western Uganda along the Uganda-Congo border. The equatorial snow peaks include the third highest point in Africa, while the lower slopes are blanketed with moorland,  bamboo and rich, moist montane forest. Huge tree heathers and colourful mosses are draped across the mountainside with giant lobelias and ‘everlasting flowers’ creating an enchanting, fairytale scene. The park protects the highest parts of the 120km long and 65 km wide Ruwenzori mountain range.  the park hosts 70 mammals and 217 bird species including the Albertine Rift endemics as well as the rarest vegetation in the world. The Ruwenzori’s are a world-class hiking and mountaineering destination. A nine to twelve-day trek will get skilled climbers to the summit of Margherita, the highest peak, though shorter non-technical treks are possible to scale the sorrounding peaks.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park sits high in the clouds, at an altitude of between 2,227m and 4,127m. As its name suggests, it was created to protect the rare mountain Gorillas that inhabit the dense forests, and it’s also an important habitat for the endangered Golden monkey. Furthermore, the park has a huge cultural significance, in particular for the indigenous Batwa pygmies. This tribe of hunter-gatherers was the forest’s ‘first people’  and their ancient knowledge of its secrets remains unrivalled. Mgahinga’s most striking features are its three conical, extinct volcanoes, part of the spectacular Virunga range that lies along the border region of Uganda, Congo and Rwanda. Mgahinga forms part of the larger Virunga conservation area that includes adjacent parks in these countries. The Volcanoes’ slopes contain various ecosystems and are biologically diverse, and their peaks provide a striking backdrop to this gorgeous scenery.

On the whole, all the different game parks have well-built Eco-friendly accommodation infrastructure, favouring all classes of travellers from high-end luxury to budget tourists. Book your Safari now with Journeys Uganda for authentic wildlife, birding and cultural safaris.