UGANDA

Summary
When to go
Where to stay

Uganda is roughly the size of Great Britain or the US state of Oregon and its most alluring features are its forests, lakes and mountains. 

Most of the country is 1,000m above sea level and there are three mountainous areas – the Rwenzoris, Mount Elgon and the Virunga volcanoes.  

In western Uganda lies the magnificent Queen Elizabeth National Park with the ice-covered peaks of the Rwenzori Mountains as a backdrop to its rich wildlife, including the tree lions at Ishasha. It is also a haven for birdwatchers. 

Chimpanzees can be seen in the steeply forested sides of the Kyambura Gorge, near Queen Elizabeth National Park and the Kibale Forest. Further south, in the chain of eight blue Virunga volcanoes, the mountain gorilla lives in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi is home to about half of all mountain gorillas in the world. The park covers 200 square miles of extremely dense rainforest and is a proclaimed World Heritage Site. Part of the fun of tracking gorillas here is trying to follow them through the dense foliage. You can also expect to see chimpanzees as well as some spectacular bird life.

The best time to visit Uganda is during the dry season, which runs from June to August and December to February. During these months, the weather is warm and sunny, with less rain. This makes it ideal for Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking and also spotting animals in the national parks.

The March-May and late September-November seasons are the rainy seasons and while it is still possible to go trekking to see the Gorillas it can be very wet; especially in the March to mid-May season when the rains are at their heaviest. The short rains season of October to November are better than March-May.

 

Bwindi Lodge

Bwindi Lodge overlooks the primeval Bwindi forest home to gorillas, monkeys, chimpanzees and birds. Tracking gorillas in the so-called ‘impenetrable’... Find out more

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