Uganda
Unforgettable encounters
Uganda is a gem. Known as the ‘Pearl of Africa’ — an attribution it got from Winston Churchill in his 1908 book My African Journey — over a century later, this East African country still tickles tourists with its splendour.
Home to tropical weather, warm and inviting people, diverse cultures among some 53 tribes and 54% of the world’s mountain gorillas, Uganda packs a lot into a small country. Look beyond the obvious and you’ll find a country teeming with culture and wildlife.
Hidden gems in Uganda
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Uganda's hidden gem
Mgahinga, set on the Ugandan slope of the Virungas, is my personal favourite among East Africa’s gorilla tracking destinations. True, there’s only one habituated group here, but if you can secure one of the park’s eight daily permits, you're in for a special experience. This is because the group in question is overseen by a trio of massive male siblings, making for superb silverback viewing. In addition, the gorillas here are generally found in bamboo forest or other relatively open areas, hiking conditions are usually quite undemanding, and low tourist volumes give the park a relatively off-the-beaten-track feel. What’s more, the location, below the volcanic Virunga peaks, is utterly spectacular, and other activities on offer include golden monkey tracking and various volcano hikes.
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Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Best all-round gorilla trekking in Bwindi
Bwindi vies with Volcanoes National Park as Africa's best all-round gorilla tracking destination. Its densely forested slopes are home to 45% of the world’s mountain gorilla population, and a total of 23 habituated groups means that 180-plus permits are available daily. True, tracking conditions are generally less predictable than they are in Rwanda, and the denser foliage can sometimes make it more difficult to obtain clear views. But this is mitigated by the fact that permits are less than half the price (in other words, you could track here on two successive days and pay less than you would for a single excursion in Rwanda) and by the park’s relative accessibility to independent travellers. Be aware that there are four discrete tracking hubs in Bwindi. Each hub is serviced by its own cluster of lodges, so it is important you coordinate your permit and accommodation booking around the same place. The oldest hub is Buhoma, which usually offers the easiest hiking conditions, is accessible on public transport, and has the widest range of accommodation (from luxury lodges to simple local guesthouses) but is also the most likely for permits to be booked solid months in advance. Nkuringo hub offers the most challenging tracking (almost always bookended by a steep one-hour descent and two-hour ascent). Rushaga has the most permits, with 9 habituated groups resident, so it is good for last minute bookings. Ruhija is the only tracking hub set deep within the park, rather than on the periphery, which makes it highly alluring for other wildlife and birding.
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Murchison Falls National Park
Easy-going chimp trekking in Budongo Forest
Effectively a southern extension of Murchison Falls National Park, Budongo is a vast and biodiverse rainforest that is home to around 800 chimpanzees. This includes one very well habituated community whose core territory lies within easy walking distance of a main road. Despite Budongo’s convenient location for those doing a Murchison Falls safari, it receives relatively few visitors, making it a good alternative to Kibale for those hoping to avoid crowding. Other wildlife often seen from the road includes large troop of olive baboons, smaller monkeys such as black-and-white colobus, and the spectacular Abyssinian ground hornbill. Pros: Chimp trekking in Budongo can easily be done en route to or from the popular Murchison Falls National Park, or as a half-day excursion from one of its camps or lodges Budongo is a good choice if you are worried about your fitness. It’s the flattest of East Africa’s chimp-trekking destinations, and most of the time you'll be walking on a well-maintained grid of researchers’ paths. Cons: The success rate, though greater than 80%, is lower than in Kibale or Kalinzu, and it may drop lower when the habituated community moves outside its core territory.
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Queen Elizabeth National Park
Low cost chimp trekking at Kyambura Gorge
Kyambura Gorge is a sheer-sided 100m-deep chasm named after the river that babbles through its forested base. It is sometimes referred to as the Valley of the Apes, in reference to its small resident chimp community, which has sadly become isolated from its counterparts in Kalinzu and Maramagambo as a result of deforestation. The chimps here are very habituated and in my experience they are usually seen with relative ease on guided treks, partly due to the gorge’s confined nature. Even if you miss out on chimps, Kyambura is very pretty and you can expect to see black-and-white colobus monkeys in the trees, hippos in the river, and a wide range of forest birds. Pros: Kyambura Gorge runs along the eastern border of the popular Queen Elizabeth National Park, and chimp trekking is easily incorporated into a safari there. At US$50 for foreigners, Kyambura Gorge is currently the cheapest place to track chimps in Uganda. This tracking fee excludes the Queen Elizabeth National Park entrance fee of US$40 per 24 hours, but if you are visiting the park, you’ll be paying the latter anyway. Cons: The community here is relatively small (around 25 individuals) and numerically dominated by males, so you’re unlikely to see youngsters.
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Queen Elizabeth National Park
Hidden gems in Kalinzu Forest
This underrated chimp-trekking destination protects 141 sq km of hilly escarpment rainforest bordering the similarly extensive Maramagambo Forest in Queen Elizabeth National Park. These two forests collectively protect a population of around 600 chimps, including two habituated communities in Kalinzu. Chimp tracking here operates as part of a well-organised community project, and the success rate stands at around 90%. General guided walks to see forest birds and monkeys are also offered, and funding has been obtained to start construction on Uganda's first suspended canopy walkway in 2024. Pros: Kalinzu is very accessible to independent travellers. The trekking trailhead lies alongside a main road and borders Queen Elizabeth National Park, a popular safari destination. This is one of Uganda's quietest chimp-trekking destinations. There’s no need to book a permit in advance, and you're unlikely to encounter other tourists once in the forest. Cons: Slopes at Kalinzu are steep, and finding the chimps often involves a relatively long walk, so it generally requires a higher fitness level than other venues. You may read elsewhere that Kalinzu is Uganda’s cheapest chimp trekking venue. This was true until January 2024, when the fee shot up from US$40 to US$130.
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Kibale Forest National Park
Accessible, but busy, chimp trekking in Kibale
East Africa’s busiest chimp-trekking destination, Kibale protects a 766-sq-km tract of tropical rainforest in the far west of Uganda. Home to around 1,000 chimps, this popular park has been dubbed the primate capital of East Africa, thanks to its rich diversity of monkeys. Indeed, I’ve quite often seen the 6 most common species – L’Hoest’s monkey, red-tailed monkey, Ugandan red colobus, black-and-white colobus, olive baboon and the endemic Uganda mangabey – in the course of one forest walk. But the main attraction at Kibale is twice-daily chimp tracking excursions to a large community that was first habituated in the 1990s and often offers great opportunities to see the apes up close. Pros: The success rate of chimp trekking at Kibale stands at well above 90%, the highest of any comparably accessible venue. You can also expect to see a wide variety of monkeys and colourful forest birds, particularly if you do a guided walk at the community-run Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary bordering the park. Cons: On the other hand I think Kibale is to some extent a victim of its own popularity. Permits might be difficult to obtain at short notice, and the forest can feel uncomfortably crowded when – as often happens – several trekking parties converge on the same few chimps. To avoid the worst of the crowds I’d advise you go for an afternoon trek, as it’s generally quieter than the morning excursion.
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Kampala
Go bananas in Kampala
Ugandan’s are mad for Matooke (green bananas), eating on average 1.8 pounds of them per day in 2012. Even the word Matooke literally translates to “food” in Luganda, so you’d be amiss not trying one of the city’s favourite dishes — the meat or fish stew Luwombo, which is steamed in banana leaves.
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Kampala
Sample the craft villages of Kampala
Take home a beautifully handmade piece of Africa as a reminder of your trip with a spot of shopping at the arts and crafts villages of Kampala. These bustling markets in Uganda’s capital are the best place to pick up authentic carvings, baskets and jewellery at bargain prices.
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Go bananas in Kampala
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Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
CTPH Gorilla Conservation Camp
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