_____AFRICAN SAFARIS_____
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Lake Mburo National Park with an area of 100 sq miles (260 sq km) lies 155 miles (250 km) south of Kampala. This attractive park is often used as a half-way stop on the way to the parks of western Uganda. It consists of a series of rugged hills that overlook flat bottomed valleys. The park centers on picturesque Lake Mburo and four smaller lakes. This park is the only place in Uganda where one can see impala and zebra and contains one of the greatest concentrations of eland. Other species seen are buffalo, topi, waterbuck, crocodile, hippo, leopard, hyena, jackal and klipspringer. Due to abundant water, there is a wide variety of birdlife including the rare Shoebill Stork, Narina’s trogon and Abyssinian ground hornbill.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, in south western Uganda is approximately 10 hours drive from Kampala. It can also be reached by charter flight from Entebbe. The 127 sq mile (330 sq km) park is the home of the mighty Mountain Gorilla amongst 120 other animals, including chimps, duiker, giant forest hog and bush pig. There are approximately 350 species of bird life. The park is part of the Rukiga Highlands and of the western Rift Valley. It consists of dense tropical rainforest with thick undergrowth and has a large stand of bamboo and over 160 species of trees. The park follows the Munyaga River which flows through a series of waterfalls, to the south east of the nearby village of Buhoma.
Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda occupies 772 sq miles (2000 sq km) between Lake Edward and Lake George and forms part of the western Rift Valley and frequently gives views of the Ruwenzori Mountains. It is divided in two by the Kazinga Channel that runs between the two lakes. Whilst a large proportion of the park consists of grass savannah, the two halves of the park have differing attractions which include craters in the north, some with lakes in them and wetlands around Lake George. Kyambura Gorge is an interesting walking experience with the possibility of seeing chimps at certain times of year. The southern end of the park is more heavily forested and the south east hosts the Maramagambo forest. Interestingly, the Ishasha area of Queen Elizabeth Park has tree climbing lion. The park has large numbers of game which include elephant, buffalo, lion, hippo, Uganda kob, bushbuck, waterbuck, chimpanzee, topi and several monkeys. Birdlife is especially rich along the Kazinga Channel with pelican, fish eagle, cormorant, kingfishers, saddlebill stork and Shoebill stork near Lake George. A boat trip, run by the wildlife authorities, up the Kazinga Channel is a fascinating experience.
Murchison Falls National Park in north western Uganda, on the northern shores of Lake Albert is approximately 186 miles (300 km) from Kampala. Bisected by the Victoria Nile from east to west for over 100 kms, this large park derives its name from the spectacular falls where the Nile falls through a 20ft (6m) gap. The woodlands and lush plains dominated by rolling savannah contain sizeable herds of animals with thick bush and woodlands increasing to the south east. The thickest, closed canopy forest exists in the Rabongo area. Although the population of both white and black rhino has disappeared, other animals are growing in numbers and include elephant, buffalo, Rothschild giraffe, Uganda kob, oribi, waterbuck hartebeest, reedbuck, bushbuck, sitatunga, warthog and bush pig. Also seen are leopard, lion, spotted hyena and numerous crocodile. There is a sizeable birdlife population including Egyptian geese, Goliath heron, bee-eaters, pelicans, kingfishers, cormorant, hornbill and Shoebill stork.
Kibale Forest National Park in western Uganda is 14 miles (35 km) south of Fort Portal and is a unique forest habitat of mature tropical rainforest that covers 296 sq miles (766 sq km) along the Kanyanchu River. It lies at the foot of the Ruwenzori Mountains. There are large sections of swamp forest in the valley bottoms that support a variety of semi-woody plants. The forest, with some trees reaching up to 180 ft (55m) in height, supports a rich variety of wildlife including 13 species of primate of which the chimpanzee is the most notable. Amongst other animals are duikers, bushbucks, bush pig, giant forest hog, buffalo and forest elephant. There are also over 320 species of birdlife in the park as well as wild coffee and several medicinal plants.
Kidepo Valley National Park lies in the far north of the country bordering Sudan and Kenya, between the hills of the Karamajong and the Nageya valley. The park consists of valley systems that exist surrounded between dry mountain terrain. The park contains a variety of habitats from grassy plains and open savannah to montane forest and dry miombo woodlands with occasional Borassus palm forest. There are a wide range of animals including elephant, eland, greater and lesser kudu, zebra, buffalo, oribi, cheetah, Brights gazelle and Apoka waterbuck. A good variety of over 460 species of birdlife is seen and includes ostrich and Kori bustard that are not seen elsewhere in Uganda.
Semuliki National Park lies in the flatlands of the Semuliki valley below the northernmost reaches of the Ruwenzori Mountains that form the western arm of the Rift Valley with the Semuliki River being its western boundary with the Congo. The park is composed for the most part of tropical lowland forest interspersed with grassland and swamp. This varied habitat contains leopard, elephant, buffalo, hippo, crocodile, scaly-tailed flying squirrel, bushbaby and eight different species of primates. In addition there are over 400 varieties of birdlife in the park.
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