BEST OF THE PEARL OF AFRICA “Uganda the pearl of Africa best safari trail ever”
For voluminous centuries Uganda has been tiered midst the finest tourist termini in the world. Gifted by nature, Uganda is endowed with beautiful sceneries, excellent in flora and fauna, unseasonal and seasonal water bodies, many lakes and rivers with the biggest lake in Africa and the world longest river Nile, sand beaches, entertainment center both cultural and trending. Uganda wildlife safari adventures would not be a miss out on the list of your next holiday vacations due to it beauty that it displays.
Well, sharing my first experience wanted to explore the best of the pearl of Africa’s adventure which covered all kinds of experience for our first time exploring the pearl. Yes; we had some good time off to see why others are yarning to see. Getting an opportunity to visit the beautiful nations there several adventure to encounters include, watching wildlife on the game drive, nature walks into darks forests, trekking chimpanzees and the world’s most endangered mountain gorilla’s, boat cruising on the great Nile River, cultural experiences name it.
Now through our adventure for the full trip we covered four national parks in different regions of the country, which are Kidepo valley national park at the horn of northern Uganda, Murchison falls national park in the northwestern region, Kibale forest national park In the western region and Bwind impenetrable forest national park in the south west back to Kampala.
Sipi falls
The sipi Falls hike
Our first day departed from Kampala after a simple briefing by our guide entirely about the trip, set off for the long journey to Kapichorwa through Jinja, mbale, had lunch on reaching Kapichorwa and then after lunch refreshments we continue to explore three phrases of Sipi falls hiking the edges of Mt. Elgon. Trekking on Elgon slopes through plantations, bushes and villages from one falls to another with the highest phase of 1600 to 1900m tall eastern region the capital Kampala. We had our dinner and overnight at twilight campsite.
Kidepo Valley National Park
On our second day we had our early breakfast then set off for the long journey that goes through Moroto o Kabongo and then finally kidepo valley national park. The bumpy, dusty road and a beautiful scenic view dominated the drive, and we had the opportunity to view the real traditional life of the kejengo people and their housing hurt style the famously known as manyatta. Reaching into Kidepo Park at Apoka camping site our guide had to report our arrival to the park office. We had to prepare our dinner at Apoka campfire site before we relaxed and we had an incredible camping overnight hearing the king of the jungle roaming in the wee hours of the night maybe was among us but the timid in our midst increased.
The next morning we were prepared to comprehend what Kidepo can offer led by an armed park ranger on a game drive, it was another chance to exhaust the true African wildness on a game drive in Narus valley, we encounter herds of buffalos, elephants, Jacksons beast, Rothschild giraffes, ostrich, chances 0f seeing satisfied lions after their great hunt of a buffalo in Narus valley. It was my day to sight prides of lions after their buffet of the night hunt, counting bird species though not so interested in bird adventures at least Kidepo Valley National Park is has good numbers of birds. Philip park ranger was a great deal of the day who throughout narrated tales of wildness.
We had great time interacting with the kalamajongoes entered into their huts we explored and articulated their cultural believes and participated in the karamajongo traditional dance, selecting your best marriage partner is the main motive here but this calls for jumping higher just parallel to your body. Then finally we donate a little to the locals and we said bye.
Murchison Falls National Park
Cultural Entertainment in Karamonjongo Kidepo
We departed the next morning to Murchison falls national park, have a stopover in Gulu town for lunch but this is a long journey in minds I just thought reaching its only we has to drive about 200km we continued to Murchison falls national park, it’s now late that we spent our night at Kapichorwa.
The game drive at Murchison Falls National Park was another spectacular do driving to the delta of the Nile River. Many chances as the wildness availed its resources for us to watching including the big five i.e. elephants, lions, leopards, and buffalos plus other animal. Different bird species of birds which we were told that the Murchison falls Park inhabit about 400 bird species notable one on our sights are the egrets, horn bills, herons, kingfisher, and ibis among others. After noon hours the boat cruise to the falls on the great Nile River amazingly with wild rewards crocodiles, hippos, for animals and birds. The cruise will farther lead to viewing the great powerful falls many other wild animals and reptiles of the Nile. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Murchison Falls world-most-powerful-falls
Leaving Murchison to extend our exploration to Kibale national park it’s still tiresome one journey reaching fort portal but had to break for lunch in Hoima, and then enjoy the rest of the scenic view of the country side to the praised most organized Uganda’s town.
Kibale Forest National Park Chimps experience
This early morning we made early to track our close relatives sharing 98% of human DNA no more doubt if we are not relatives, meditate what scientist say human evolution thought to take long about 40,000 years before. The track started Kanyachu the park head quarter all trackers in the forest gather here briefed tracking etiquette assigned Kanywantare chimpanzee community we were eight to track this community.
We are led now by an armed ranger guide, started at 8:06am we entered the thick forest after the whole history about the park as we continued Richard our guide remained us its about 30 to 6 hours we are to spend looking for these features; Only in the short as we penetrated the forest found their fresh dumping, quite! Richard whispered, I had their sound he told us, just about 10 minutes after the other 35 minutes the juveniles have already noticed our presence; an hour in their presence was our pay but we exhausted our viewing.
Refreshments and relaxation followed as we embarked on our other continuity to Bigodi wetland were we encountered several of the parks inhabits. The extension very educative to the local for sustainable development, the get material for their crafts. The swamp is another option that provide food Chimpanzees during `times of scarcity, it surprising to encounter a forest elephants it was amazing the swamp accommodates the 13 primate species containing the red and black tailed colobus, baboons, blue monkey, vervet monkey mangebay, the rare red colobus, L’Hoe’s monkey species and patas monkeys. Chimpanzee tracking was the highlight activity for bird watching adventures will be a better place for over 100 bird species.
Chimpanzee trekked in Kibale forest
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Next destination we embarked for another journey driving southwards to Bwindi Impenetrable National park, it’s another full day of roving only stopover for lunch and refreshments continue to Buhoma sector and we had to camp at Buhoma community rest camp.
This morning not like in Kibale Forest National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable forests are hilly rain forests, we earlier set off to the trek starting point here we are briefed about gorilla trekking etiquette and required a level of fitness to enter into the misty forest. After all we our armed park ranger guided us to through with the narrations about the park history some other experiences of trekkers and told us of the lady aged 80+ who made her dream come true when she trekked the world most endangered species.
Trekking through the valleys of Buhoma wasn’t an easy thing to go about, now I realized how is it unrealistic reading literatures and physical trekking its till 3 hours that guide looked into another direction started following though of fresh steps, good enough am equipped with enough drinking but soon the bottle will empty, the thick forest penetration I think is not anywhere else around the world.
It’s now after noon the sky starts to warn maybe expecting real drops we are ready, among all gorilla trekking safari is very rare globally the Bwindi Park is home for the half of the rest of the mountain gorillas. After three hours of tracing the forest our assigned Habinyanja family is just in front the infants jumping towards us had to continue but reminding about the 7 meters, hahahaha the real boss Makara the silver back leading the family laying down.
The experience was great but need some energy to trek the gorillas our 3 hours finding them and we were given one hours to interact with the giants taking photos at a distance of 7 meters. Doing the highlight of all African adventures is a life time story to tell.
It’s the last day we drove straight to Kampala having a stopover in Mbarara town for lunch and at the equator at Kayabwe take photos and finally continued to Kampala with marked the end of our adventurous safari. The 10 days of exploring Uganda no regret why I leave in this same country we got the best it forced to name this “best of the pearl”.
Note for. For trekking activities both for mountain Gorillas and chimpanzee book your trekking permit in advance at least three month before your trekking date from Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), but for the rest of the activities you can pay at the park office per activity. You can inquire through Gorilla hub tours to book your trekking permit.
