UGANDA DESTINATION.

"The scenery is different, the vegetation is different, the climate is different, and, most of all, the people are different from anything elsewhere ... in the whole range of Africa" - Sir Winston Churchill.

Uganda "The Cradle of the Nile" site aloft  a plateau 1,200m. above sea level and occupies an area of 243,460sq.km. The country is enshrined in infinite variations from its tropical sun, snow capped mountains, rolling green hills, rich and fertile valleys, magnificent lakes to its endless grass plains, humid and impenetrable forests (The home of the rare Gorillas).

She has a population of 17.2 million people (1,989 estimates) of which 700,000 people live in Kampala. It is bordered by the Sudan in the North, Kenya on the eastern, Tanzania and Rwanda on the South and Zaire on the West. English is the official language, with Luganda and Kiswahili widely spoken.

UGANDA NATIONAL PARKS.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Bwindi's Impenetrable Forest is true African Jungle. It is so called because of the dense undergrowth, vines and other vegetation make it almost 'impenetrable'. It's mysterious and awesome. The lowland rainforest and montane forest vegetation constantly struggles to reach heights that will allow it to receive more light. Huge trees are festooned with creepers and parasitic plants such as mistletoe and orchids. Giant thickets of bamboo thrive in the humid atmosphere and, where sunlight breaks though, the elegant heliconia, or lobster claw, spreads its colorful petals.  

 

Amongst the dense vegetation the Columbus Monkey jumps from branch to branch, chattering its warning to its fellows hidden by the foliage. Chimpanzees, in families of 20 or 30, make their rounds, searching for fruit and edible plants. The Park is located in south western Uganda, covering parts of Rukungiri, Kisoro, and Kabale districts. It was gazetted in 1991 with an area of 331 km^.

 

Queen Elizabeth National Park:

Queen Elizabeth National Park is the second largest national park in Uganda at 1,978 sq. km and lies north and south of the equator to the south west of Uganda. It is contiguous with Kibale National Park, Uganda Park and Nationale des Virunga, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a world bio-sphere reserve (Unesco, Queen Elizabeth National Park has (over a quarter of Africa’s bird species), more than any other park in Africa.

 

You will view lions relaxing and elephants ambling and giant forest hog snuffling. And, in its lakes you'll see hippos swimming and kingfishers darting. Any visitor to this park cannot fail to be amazed by the enormous diversity in each kingdom of creation. It's simply a visual feast. Take a boat trip, a game drive, a woodland walk or simply enjoy any of the myriad stunning views.

 

Murchison Falls National Park.

Murchison Falls National Park is one of the most spectacular in Uganda, and indeed in the whole of Africa. This is the largest game park in the country  (3,840 sq. km.) and has the most intense concentration of animals along the river. Here is the awe-inspiring Murchison Falls,  where the River Nile hurls itself in appalling convulsions through a narrow crevice and then plunges 40 meters in one breathtaking leap.

 

Before the Murchison Falls themselves, in the eastern sector of the Park, are the Karuma Falls where the Nile cascades over 23 kilometers of rapids in a breathtaking sight. This is some of the most exciting white water in Africa. A launch trip up stream to the falls is one of the great experiences in Africa.  Elephant, hartebeest, giraffe, buffalo, crocodiles and countless antelope and birds (including the rare Shoebill stork) can be admired at the water's edge as the launch glides along.

 

The Murchison Falls National Park, with its   variety of vegetation ranging from riparian forests and swamp lands to broad Savannah, provides the opportunity of seeing many of the animals found  in Uganda. This is the biggest National Park in Uganda with an area of 3840km². The River Nile divides the park into the north and south sectors and forms falls where it flows over the western rift valley escarpment. Here, the river is forced through a 3 meters gap in the rocks and cascades into a boiling pot 30 meters below.

 

Lake Mburo National Park.

Two brothers, Kigarama and Mburo lived in a large valley.  One night, Kigarama dreamt that they were in danger.  When he awoke the next  morning, he told his younger brother Mburo of his dream and said they should move.  Mburo ignored this advice, but Kigarama wisely moved up into the hills. The valley flooded and a lake was formed, drowning Mburo. Today the lake is named after him, and the hills are called Kigarama after his brother.

The word mburo is similar to the "mboro", the Runyankole name of the cassine tree which has a powerful aphrodisiac effect. One such tree, showing signs of bark and branch removal, may be seen close to the Kigambira Loop crossroads. Situated between Masaka and Mbarara in Western Uganda, it is the only park to contain an entire lake. Beautiful and tranquil Lake Mburo National Park is situated in rolling hills and open grassy valleys. This lovely landscape also consists of four other smaller lakes where you'll see impala, eland, waterbuck, klipspringer, zebra and buffalo.

 

The Park has Aardvark, Hyrax, Porcupine, Hippopotamus, Zebra, Pangolin, Warthog, Hyena, Leopard, Buffalo, Civet, Genet, Topi, Eland, Klipspringer, Oribi, Sitatunga, Impala, eland and crocodile. There is an excellent variety of water and acacia savannah bird species (357 bird species) like the crested crane, the rare shoebill stork, marabou stork and bronze-tailed starling, bee eaters and even more exotic birds like  Bare-faced Go-Away Bird, Nubian Woodpecker and swamp flycatcher.

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