Uganda

To quote Sir Winston Churchill, “For magnificence, for variety of form and colour, for profusion of brilliant life…Uganda truly is the pearl of Africa”. Situated northwest of Lake Victoria, Uganda is a fertile, landlocked country. On the western border is the Ruwenzori Mountains National Park. At the centre of the Ruwenzori range are 6 snow-capped peaks including the third highest mountain in Africa, Mount Stanley, which rises to 5,109 m above sea level. In the East of the country is Mount Elgon and the spectacular Sipi falls.
In the south of the country is Uganda’s greatest attraction, the endangered mountain gorillas. Mountain gorillas inhabit and are protected in two of Uganda’s national parks, the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. As the largest of living primates, these gentle giants share 95% of their genes with humans. Observing their daily activities, foraging, resting, grooming and nest-building is an unforgettable experience.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park covers an area of 331 km2 and consists of lower altitude montane forest. The forest hike to see the gorillas is spectacular, as Bwindi has some of the richest flora and fauna in Africa. In addition to mountain gorillas, nine other primate species occur. These include red-tailed and L’Hoest’s monkeys, black and white colobus and common chimpanzees. Bwindi’s bird list totals 334 species, including almost 40 regional endemic species. In contrast, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a small park set in a high-altitude montane forest that protects the Ugandan portion of the Virunga Mountains.

Situated in the north-west of the country is the beautiful and lush region of Murchison Falls National Park. The Falls themselves are spectacular, where the raging 50m wide Victoria Nile passes through a 6m gap in the rocks in a cascading thunder of water, forming an inevitable mist accompanied by a magnificent rainbow.