Uganda is located in East Africa, squashed in between Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. It’s a lush and fertile country full of friendly people and a myriad of adventures. Here are some of the top things to do here.
Explore the capital Kampala – Many tourists might be tempted to leave Kampala as soon as they’ve arrived, and head straight to their safari destination, but that would be a big mistake. Kampala is one of the most laidback and safest East African capitals. Lush and green, it warrants at least a few days’ exploration. Shopping for souvenirs at the craft market next to the National Theatre, haggling until your heart’s content at Owino Market, and going to visit the ornate Baha’i temple are just a few of them.
Eat a traditional meal – Ugandan’s love their traditional food and while neither spicy nor very flavoursome, it’s definitely a hearty meal that will fill you up. The meal consists of steamed mashed matoke (a member of the banana family that must be cooked before eaten), black beans, dodo, g-nut sauce (like peanut sauce), perhaps a meat stew and a thick slab of posho (stodgy and made from maize flour).
Go gorilla trekking in Bwindi –Uganda is perhaps best known for its gorilla trekking adventures in Bwindi’s Impenetrable Forest. Located in the Virunga Mountain Range in the south west of the country, the Impenetrable Forest is one of the best places in the world to see mountain gorillas in the wild.
Spot tree climbing lions at Queen Elizabeth National Park – Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s best safari destination, home to elephants, giraffe, warthogs, baboons, hippos and buffalo, among others. However, it is most famous for its rare tree climbing lions, which mainly reside in the Ishasha section of the park.
Go hiking in the Ruwenzori Mountains – The Ruwenzoris, or the Mountains of the Moon are one of the best places to go hiking in Uganda. This is one of the rare places that you’ll manage to find snow in Uganda too.
See some of the few remaining wild rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – There are fewer than 4000 black rhinos living in the wild today and Uganda is lucky enough to have some of them, including some white rhinos, of which there are around 14,000 left. The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is the only place you can see rhinos in the wild here. They also have a breeding program to try and increase the rhino population.
Go white water rafting down the Nile – Uganda, or Jinja to be exact, is the source of the river Nile, which flows all the way from Lake Victoria through the African continent to Egypt, and out into the Mediterranean Sea. This is also one of the best places for white water rafting and there are a number of professional companies with years of experience who will take you.
Stand on the equator – Not many people know that the equator actually runs through Uganda. If you’re heading down to Bwindi or Queen Elizabeth National Park from Kampala, then make sure you make the obligatory stop at the equator sign, putting on foot in the northern hemisphere and the other in the southern.