| Winston Churchill once called Uganda "The Pearl of East Africa" and is still today one of the top tourist destinations in Africa. Uganda has an area of 236 580 square kilometres which includes the famous Lake Victoria and the Victoria Nile. The country borders Sudan to the north, Kenya and Lake Victoria to the east, Tanzania and Rwanda to the south and the Democratic Repulic of the Congo to the west.
Uganda is probably best known for its rich plant and animal life. Plant life ranges from the mvuli tree and elephant grass of the Uganda plateau to the dry thorn scrub, acacia, and euphorbia of the southwest. The lofty hills and deep valleys which typify the southwest were responsible for it being called 'Kigezi' which means 'the Switzerland of Africa'. This area is the natural habitat of the famous mountain gorilla.
Tourist attractions in Uganda:
- Lake Victoria: Africa's largest lake and the origin of the Nile.
- Murchison Falls National Game Park: The biggest National Park in Uganda, where the huge lorent plunges a thousand feet through a narrow gorge to the wider valley below.
- Mountain of the Moon: Right on the Equator lies the Rwenzor mountains which towers to over 5 000 metres with outstanding vegetation and snow caped peaks.
- Queen Elizabeth National Park: Situated in the western arm of the Great Rift Valley, and is home to a wide variety of animals. In the southern part of the park one can find the famous tree climbing lion. The Northern section of the park is dominated by various crater lakes and at certain times of the year one can find thousands of flamingos here.
- Bwindi Impenetrable Forest: This is one of the richest forests of Uganda, and home to almost half of the world's population of mountain gorillas.
- Mahinga Gorilla Sanctuary: Includes part of Muhavura, Mgahinga and Sabino volcanic mountains.
- Lake Mburo: Covers an area of approximately 256 square kilometres and was proclaimed a park in 1982. The park covers the entire lake and one can find topi, eland, zebra, impala and klipspringer here.
- Kidepo Valley Park: Located in spectacular mountains and one can find elephant, cheetah, zebra, buffalo and a wide variety of antelope species here.
The Gorilla:
Imagine silently crouching within a few feet of a gorilla, one of the remaining, truly amazing natural wonders of the world. These shy and retiring animals live in some of the most isolated areas of East Africa, on the borders of Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. Because of the ever changing situation in these countries UTc prefers offering tour programmes and prices on a request basis.
We would generally suggest three or four day visits which would involve a minimum of two treks to the gorillas, full board accommodation and some leisure time.
UTc offers a booking service for Uganda when the holiday includes UTc safaris in Kenya and Tanzania.
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