Mabira central forest reserve is 54 km (1-hour drive) east of Kampala. It is located in Buikwe district along Kampala-Jinja highway. Mabira is a good place to go on brief excursions such as birding, cycling, and environmental study trips.

Adventure experiences including zip lining and camping with bush meals are available. Mabira also offers a wide range of accommodation with self-catering facilities for groups as well as 3 eco bandas, and a lodge. Those intending to spend several nights have the chance to explore the rich biodiversity including 23 mammal species, 218 butterfly species, over 300 species of birds, 97 moth species, and 202 tree species.

Mabira is an important Ecotourism destination with such a variety of wildlife to see.  However, the forest is surrounded by urban centers including Mukono, Lugazi, Jinja, and Kampala capital city. As such, Mabira is one of the highly threatened tropical forests in the region. Environmentalists continue to reject the recent demands to convert a portion of the forest for sugar cane growing. The government recognized Mabira as a key biodiversity area under the national forest conservation plan 2002. Since then, the forest has been protected and restored to conserve its flora and fauna species and the environment at large.

History of Mabira central forest reserve 

Mabira was gazetted as a central forest reserve in 1932, at the time it spanned over 29,593 ha. During the colonial era, the forest was subject to commercial timber harvesting and there was significant encroachment after independence in 1962. Due to increased settlements, the forest has since shrunk in size.

Today, less than 70% of the remaining forest serves as primary moist tropical semi-deciduous forest. The rest is secondary growth vegetation containing savanna and papyrus swamps both in the north and south towards the shores of Kyoga and lake Victoria respectively.

The elevation is 1,070 meters from the shorelines, and it undulates northward across gently sloping hills. The tallest point in Mabira forest is Najjembe hill at 1,356 meters. The forest is found on well drained ferralitic soils due the location between Kyoga in the north and Victoria Nyanza in the south.

Sezibwa river flows through and empties into lake Kyoga. Visitors can visit Sezibwa falls located in Mukono district 4 km off the Kampala-Jinja highway. The fertile and productive land around Mabira is one of the factors attracting farmlands that continue to threaten biodiversity. The National Forestry Authority (NFA) was mandated in 2004 to manage and develop ecotourism. This has been possible through a number of strategies such as carrying out biodiversity inventories, reafforestation, and demarcating the boundaries.

Flora and fauna in Mabira central forest reserve 

After obtaining the database on the species and ecosystems, Mabira forest was designated as an Important Bird Area in 2008 due to the presence of species that are threatened with extinction. According to NFA, there are 202 tree species of which 5 are classified as endangered. These include brown mahogany (lovoa swynnertonii), Ugandan greenheart tree (warburgia ugandensis), African nutmeg (pycnanthus angolensis), star apple leaf (celtis chrysophyllum), African wild mango (also in Budongo forest), and African teak (milicia excelsa).

There are over 300 bird in Mabira species including lake Victoria basin endemics and species of the Guinea- Congo forest, and Sudan-Guinea savanna biomes.  In particular, the 6 species of the Guinea- Congo forest biome in Mabira central forest reserve include gray longbill, yellow mantled weaver, Nahan’s francolin, yellow longbill (macrospenus flavicans), capuchin babbler, and black-shouldered nightjar.

The reserve is also a breeding ground for 4 Afro-tropical highland birds including the gray-headed flycatcher (trochocercus nitens). Only one species of the Sudan-Guinea savanna biome exists in Mabira, the bristle-crowned starling (onychognathus salvadorii). There are 23 mammal species and the most important for tourism are birds and primate species including gray cheeked mangabeys, which are habituated for tourism.

What to do and see in and around Mabira central forest reserve

Mabira central forest offers a variety of adventure activities including zip lining, cycling, primate tracking, and birding. Booking a tour to Mabira is available through a tour operator. Sezibwa Falls and Jinja are two additional locations that can be included in the tour. The roadside market in the Najjembe trading center is worth visiting to get fresh food and snacks while traveling. Mabira is a good destination for those planning day trips from Kampala  capital city.

Mangabey tracking 

One of the largest known populations of Uganda mangabeys (lophocebus ugandae) might be found in Mabira forest. There are three groups of the monkeys that have been habituated for tourism, giving visitors the chance to observe them. The likelihood of seeing Uganda mangabeys at Mabira Forest is high, similar to the Bigodi Swamp Walk.

Zip lining 

The Mabira forest zipline offers a chance to soar above treetops and waterfalls on Musamya river. The ziplines stretch for 250 meters, making it one of the longest in Uganda. The activity begins at Griffin Falls Camp and is done over the course of two sessions, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Cycling

Cycling is a great way to explore the  Mabira forest and tour the local villages and farmlands. Bikes are available for hire at Griffin falls camp, which is the starting point. There’s a wide range of bikes and routes to select depending on fitness level and time. Experienced bikers can go for long routes up to Jinja, the adventure capital of East Africa.

Sezibwa falls

Sezibwa waterfalls in Kayanja village, Buikwe district 3 km off the Kampala-Jinja highway. While traveling to or from Mabira, you might stop over for birding and to learn about the story behind their formation. The falls, which are 7 meters tall, were formed when huge rocks caused the Sezibwa river to split into two rivers.

Sezibwa, however, is a well-known figure in Buganda folklore. Traditional legend tells a story of a woman named Nakungu Tebatesa who gave birth to twin boys named Sezibwa the older and Kato the younger one. Among the Baganda, giving birth to twins is a blessing and unusual things always happen. They’re thought to be eternal beings and in this case they become living rivers. The twins in Buganda are sanctified through rituals, making the location a significant spiritual and cultural site. Many villagers visit Sezibwa to pray to the gods for favors in all facets of their lives. Given that it has been designated for a sacred or religious use.

Accommodation 

Those intending to spend the night there, Mabira forest offers a range of accommodation including camping sites and lodges available for booking through a tour operator. Alternatively, you can opt for one day excursions to Mabira central forest reserve.

How to get there

Mabira forest is 59 km (1.5-hour drive) east of Kampala capital city and 54 km west of Jinja city. The forest is easy to identify given that it is bisected by the highway. Those coming from Kampala need to begin early to escape the traffic jam. Any type of car can travel smoothly on the tarmac road, although careful driving is required owing to the presence of big trucks on the road. Those traveling from Kampala must start early to avoid the traffic jam.

Northern Uganda faced war and violence from the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) between 1998 and 2006 which made the area to lag behind in tourism and development. Most Uganda safaris take place in the western region where Ecotourism allows visitors to visit gorillas, chimps, and wildlife in 8 of the 10 national parks.

Government and other stakeholders are now focusing on the northern region as another tourist destination to diversify both economic opportunities and travel offers in Uganda. Taking  a trip through northern Uganda offers a chance to go off-the-beaten track. A number of attractions have been uncovered under the local tourism campaign dubbed Explore Uganda including Aruu falls, Fort Patiko, Ajulu rock, Gulu city and the culture of the Acholi people. Gulu, the biggest urban area in the region, is 334km (6-hour drive) north of Kampala

Attractions along the way 

On the way to northern Uganda there are several attractions to visit including roadside markets, Murchison falls, Budongo forest, Karuma falls and hydropower station. Making stopovers helps you to slow down and recharge for the journey ahead.

Roadside markets 

Highways in Uganda are characterised by vibrant roadside markets and the Kampala-Gulu highway is no exception. Along the way in Luwero town, 62km (1-hour drive) from Kampala, you will find Kasana market with a variety of fruits, vegetables, and street foods such as Mchomo, roasted chicken, and Gonja (roasted Matooke). While in Luwero, an arrangement can be made to visit pineapple farms off the main road and get authentic engagement with local farmers.

Murchison falls national park

Those with enough time can also do a safari to Murchison falls national park. Doing so requires using a different route from Kampala to Masindi via the park to Pakwach and Gulu. This allows you to see Budongo forest, visit the top of the falls, see the Nile River at the New bridge, and take game drives through the northern Paara plains and exit the park at Tangi gate.

Uganda’s biggest protected area is rich in biodiversity including 76 species of mammals, 451 species of birds, and primate species including chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, and patas monkeys. You should consider a stopover on the way to the north. The park offers a boat cruise along Victoria Nile, game drives, and chimpanzee tracking in Budongo forest. Booking for these activities is available through Uganda Wildlife Authority or tour operator. Payments for park entrance and activities are strictly cashless.

Karuma falls 

Karuma falls and hydropower station is 198 km (2-hour drive) north of Luwero town, making another great stopover midway. At Karuma you will see the waterfalls and the power station built along the Nile River to generate 600 megawatts and extend electricity in northern Uganda. This has helped to foster development of factories for fruit processing, warehousing and growth of small trading centres for smallholder businesses. Gulu city now has become a center of trade for people in the neighbouring Arua city in West Nile sub-region and those trading goods between Uganda, South Sudan, and DR Congo.

Gulu city and Acholiland

Gulu city is 71km (1-hour drive) north of Karuma and 120 km (2-hour drive) north east of Pakwach town. Being the largest urban centre, Gulu should be the main destination upon which to explore the attractions in northern Uganda. This implies doing several roundtrips from the town including visiting cultural and historical sites such as Fort Pariko, Ajulu rock hiking, and Aruu falls (in the neighbouring Pader district).

You can have time to enjoy the nightlife experience in Gulu as well as explore the rich cultural heritage of the Acholi people, who are part of the Luo speaking groups who are also found in South Sudan which conforms to the theory of where they migrated from. They reached northern Uganda and formed the Acholi chiefdom led by Rwot who was succeeded by Atigo. By then, the land was full of wildlife including many African elephants, and rhinos that attracted ivory traders into the area.

All the subclans living in Gulu among other 7 districts including Pader, Kitgum, Agago, Amuru, Nwoya, Omoro, and Lamwo are believed to be his descendants. Gulu being the most developed city offers opportunities to meet the Acholi and learn about their culture. In particular, there are venues such as restaurants that serve Acholi local cuisine, bars, and gardens for traditional and contemporary music and dance.

Cassava and sweet potatoes are the staple food served with Boo; a sauce made of green leafy vegetables. After meal fests, the people would dance for the chief. Bwala is a prominent traditional dance among the Acholi, though there are other dances such as Larakaraka. Acholi are some of the energetic performers, a reason why the British recruited them into the army.

Aruu waterfalls 

The falls are situated in Pader district 109 km (1-hour drive) north of Gulu city. Aruu falls are a series of 5 waterfalls along the Agago river, a tributary of the Nile. Aruu means “beautiful like the sun” in English, making for a good site for keen photographers.

Fort Patiko

One of the historical forts to visit in Uganda, Fort Patiko is located on Ocecu hill 30km from Gulu city. There are 3 stone-built forts that were built in 1872 after terrible ordeals between the Arab slave traders and British colonial agents including Sir Samuel Baker and Emin Pasha. They were overseeing the northern region to be incorporated into Uganda as a protectorate. The forts served as stores for merchandise including weapons, ivory, slaves, and foodstuffs.

Gulu was at a strategic point along the central slave trade route and allowed the traders to access the rich wildlife in the land. They took them to the main centers such as Bagamoyo in Tanzania along the coast of the Indian Ocean. The hill was a territory of Atigo and even though the forts were renamed Patiko, the locals believe they belong to them. They are still surviving today which helps to promote the history of northern Uganda and the personality of Atigo.

Ajulu rock hike

Ajulu rock is on the hill of the same name a few meters north of Fort Patiko. Ajulu means upbringing and it is on this hill that the Acholi chiefs used to carry out ceremonies. They included teaching morals to the young such as how to cook for girls and boys to hunt, lead and offer security for their families and villages.

That’s why Acholis were identified as worries better suited for military work. Many Acholi men are known to have been taken to many parts of the world during World War II. The Acholi people are proud of their culture and history, which they have preserved for tourism. Visitors expect to get out and do some walking around these sites. Booking trips to northern Uganda can be done through a tour operator.

The Uganda Martyrs day was first celebrated on 3rd June in 1975. It has since become one of the major public holidays in Uganda. The annual celebrations take place at the Basilica of the Uganda Martyrs shrine located at Namugongo hill in Kampala capital city.

Every year, millions of people travel to Namugongo for pilgrimage with a crowd of 4,000,000 pilgrims reported in 2019. In addition to Ugandans other pilgrims come from neighbouring countries like Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Kenya, South Sudan, and DR Congo. Others travel overseas from other continents like Europe, Asia, North and South America. These Christian devotees come to pay tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for faith in Christ as well as renewing their own faith in God.

Movement of pilgrims to Namugongo

Depending on location, they start their pilgrimage as early as possible to reach the Namugongo on time. For instance, over 200 Catholics left St. Mary’s Rushoroza Cathedral on May 22, 2023 in Kabale Municipality, south-west Uganda. With vigour and passion, they will travel over 408 km across 5 districts on foot to Kampala in the central region.

More pilgrims are expected to turn from various parts of the country and from abroad. As such, thorough preparations are set up to ensure a seamless holiday including maximum hygiene, safety, and security. Emphasis is highly put on the form of entertainment, which must keep up with the mood for believers. “Lord is our faith” is the theme for Uganda martyrs’ day 2023. The word of God is taken from the Gospel of Luke 17:5. The songs of praise will be sung in English and several local languages including Swahili, Iteso, Lugbara (West Nile). This is meant to cater for the diversity of people in all the regions of Uganda.

History

The history of Uganda martyrs goes far beyond the time they were killed between 1885 – 1887 on the orders of Kabaka Mwanga II who was the king of Buganda kingdom. France sent two catholic missionaries to Uganda in 1879. Father Simeon Lourdel Mapera and Br. Amans Delmas arrived at Entebbe and began to spread the religion.

Under the instruction of the White Brothers Society, “By winning over the chief, you will do more for the progress of the mission than if you won over one-by-one hundreds of poor blacks” As written in the book “The Catholic Church in the Buddu Province of Buganda, 1879-1925 by Fr. John Mary Waligo.” The British Anglican Church and the Islam were already present in parts of Equatorial Africa.

However, the French won Kabaka’s heart who then accepted and there are 24 Uganda Martyrs of which 13 were burnt alive at Namugongo and 9 in other parts of the country. The martyrs trail offers opportunities to explore the sites including St. Balikudembe burial ground in Owino Market downtown Kampala capital city, Munyonyo Martyrs shrine in Entebbe, Rubaga Cathedral, and Paimol shrine in Gulu city northern region.

The French missionaries learn and translate Luganda into manual scripts (catechetics) borrowing words from Latin, Arabic, and Swahili. Eventually, they taught and created martyrs how to read and write the catechist manuals. Then it became easier to convert as many people as people. They also initiated baptism with the instruction for converts to deny his traditional beliefs or die in faith, which upset the Kabaka.

Besides, Mwanga remained undecided amidst the competing religions (Catholicism, Anglican, and Islam), of which all were against his own. Local chiefs who had converted into saints were also not willing to give up their new religious beliefs, which sparked conflict within the kingdom of Buganda. Besides, the White Fathers had also initiated other missions like growing vegetables and cash crops, medical and orphanage schools.

Kabaka Mwanga then ordered his people to kill those who opposed him starting with Joseph Mukasa Balikudembe, who was beheaded on November, 15, 1885. The martyrs were killed because of the catechism philosophy that taught them not to denounce their faith even if it meant dying. In other words, they died for their faith in Christ and His body, which is the church. Fathers of the Catholic Church instigated a tribunal to have them declared martyrs of purity. The names of 22 martyrs were recorded for beautification by Pope Benedict XV on 6 June 1920. They were canonized on 3rd June in 1964 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome by Pope Paul VI, who visited Namugongo in 1969.

The Uganda Martyrs Shrine at Namugongo

The Basilica of the Martyrs was built in 1968 with a capacity of 1,000 people. Standing on 26 hectares of land, Uganda martyrs shrine at Namugongo has spacious gardens, a lake with enclosing pavilions, and an amphitheatre for people to see what happens inside at the altars. Romu hotel, which is next to the shrine offers accommodation and space at for retreats, crusades, and weddings. Namugongo is 12 km from the city centre, making it easy to include in your Kampala city tour available for booking through tour operator. You will explore the history and look at the visual pictures and sculptures in the martyr’s museum.

British tourist Malkit Rooprai 63, spent 6 months (between October 2022 and April 2023) driving through several countries to reach Uganda where he fulfilled his childhood dream of trekking the endangered mountain gorillas. Rooprai drove his Toyota Land Cruiser Invincible bearing a UK number plate through over 30 countries until he reached the Pearl of Africa in April. We caught up with him at Bwindi impenetrable national park where we had also gone to trek mountain gorillas and it was very exciting to enjoy the experience together with this adventurous traveller.

Journey from Europe

According to Rooprai, he used a ferry to cross to France, Portugal and then his African journey started from Morocco. He drove from the north to west to the south and then to the east. He drove through countries including Morocco, he drove through Mauritania, Senegal Gambia, Angola Ghana, Sierra Leone, Zambia Namibia South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda,Tanzania Kenya, Uganda, among others. While in Tanzania, Rooprai said he took part in the Marathon organised by the country’s president Samia Suluhu Hassan. He says that his long drive was generally okay he didn’t have problems with police and security agents wherever he passed. One challenged he encountered was driving on the right in countries like Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo given that he was driving a right-hand vehicle.

Rooprai says he was driven by his love for adventure and wanted to try out something new other travellers have not attempted yet. “I wanted to discover what others have not tried; It is sort of an adventure.”

Love for Uganda

Rooprai says he had visited Uganda before as a child recalling that he and his family was invited to the East African country to attend a family member’s wedding. The wedding took place at Kakira Sugar Works a place he ensured to visit on his return. “I have read books and heard much about the history of Kakira. So, when I saw the billboard and the sugarcane plantations, I remembered the photo taken when I visited the factory as a child.” “I was so happy that when I toured the factory, I discovered that some of the products in UK markets are from the factory,” he added.

Asked how he managed to drive such a long journey from Europe, Rooprai said “I drove 350km daily and if the night got me on the road where there is no community settlement, I’d park the car near a roadside café.”  He added: “Africa has developed and is rich in resources, beautiful scenery and welcoming people unlike the West.”

Trekking mountain gorillas with Rooprai in Bwindi

We met Roopari at Bwindi impenetrable national park and right away we became friends. He is a very happy man, friendly and loves interacting and sharing his experiences freely. We entered the forest with him in our group to trek the endangered mountain gorillas, an experience he couldn’t wait to taste. As expected at his age, he was physically challenged by the steep and rugged nature of the montane rainforest of Bwindi though all this added to his adventure. When we finally reached our assigned gorilla group for trekking, Rooprai couldn’t believe his eyes. He was thrilled and amazed by the gorillas, the gentle giants as they roamed, ate, played and rested in their natural habitat. He spent most of his time before gorillas taking their photos and videos while sparing some minutes just look and watch them. At the end of the magical permitted before the gorillas, Rooprai Confessed that you can never get enough of the gorillas even after spending a full hour in their presence. In addition to Bwindi, other places in Uganda he visited include Jinja city, Sipi Falls, Kakira Sugar Limited, among others.

Rooprai gets rewarded for gorilla trekking

Rooprai was a very excited man after being told that we were going to receive a gorilla tracking certificate after completing the exercise. Certificates are awarded to all trekkers who finish the exercise successfully to congratulate them and to give them future memories about this breathtaking encounter.

The Uganda National Examination Board (UNEB) has released the results of the 2022 Uganda Certificate of Education (O’Level). According to UNEB, male candidates performed better than their female counterparts in last year’s exams.

Mr Dan Odongo, the Executive Director of UNEB said that a total of 345,695 candidates sat last year’s UCE and out of these,173,761 were male while 171,934 were female. 15.5% of the boys passed in division one while 11.5% of the girls passed in the same division. 23.3% of the boys passed in division two compared to 21% of the girls who passed in the same division.

Regarding individual subjects, girls performed better than boys in English language while boys performed better in Chemistry.

There was an increase of 16,063 (4.8%) in the number of students who sat the exams in 2022 (349,459) compared to 333,396 who sat in 2020. There were 3,703 centres around the country from which the candidates did their exams. 114,181 (32.7%) students were beneficiaries of the Universal Secondary Education (USE) program.

Candidates who passed their examinations and qualified to join the advanced level, are expected to resume their studies later this month.

Since the end of the colonial era in Africa, many countries in the continent have tried abandoning colonial names. However, one might be surprised to see that several roads in Ugandan cities are still named after some colonial figures.

In Fort Portal Tourism city near Kibale Forest National Park, Lugard road is an example that has kept alive the history of the British East Africa Company that sent Captain Frederick Lugard to the Kingdom of Buganda in 1890. Coming along with two fellow Europeans, an African mercenary army and a battered old Maxim gun, he traveled from the coast of East Africa to Buganda by land to persuade Kabaka (King) Mwanga to agree to a deal that would allow them to establish a protectorate.

The French missionaries were the first to arrive in Buganda, raising fears among the British that they would try to take over the territory. The German explorer and colonial agent Carl Peters also was visiting Mwanga to sign a treaty in favour of the Germans. But, Lugard arriving cunningly with his small army caused the Kabaka to fear and ignored the deal he had attempted to make with French and Germans altogether.

Finally, Mwanga agreed to Lugard’s terms thereby sign the treaty that resulted in the Uganda Protectorate to be established in 1894. The protectorate extended far beyond the borders of the Kingdom of Buganda bringing all other traditional kingdoms of Ankole, Bunyoro under one umbrella. By then, the capital of Buganda was at Entebbe.

This has led many historians to argue whether it was the Maxim gun that compelled the Kabaka to give land to the British which frustrated the French and Germans that were competing for the same. Because the gun was considered unreliable given that H.M Stanley had dragged it across the Equatorial rainforests of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on his insane expedition to relieve Emin Pasha, who was besieged by the so-called Mahtma Gandi and his Sudanese fanatics.

Upon arriving in the land of Buganda, Lugard established a camp and built a fort on a hill opposite Mengo Palace. The area now occupied by Kampala capital city contained several hills and swamps which were a habitat for the Impalas, an antelope species now found in Lake Mburo and Kidepo National Parks. The Kabaka preferred hunting the Impala given that the animal wasn’t a totem of his clan therefore not forbidden for eating. So, the hill where Lugard set a camp was locally referred to as “Akasozi K’empala” meaning the hill of the Impalas in English. Because these animals lived there in large population, Lugard trying to live like locals translated and shortened the Luganda word to “Kampala.” Over time, the local people adapted to the new name until it became official at declaration of Uganda’s independence on 9^th October 1962.

This year, Uganda celebrates its 60^th anniversary under the theme “A declaration of African interdependence and our shared destiny.” Among many things to ponder for history lovers is re-enacting what happened in the past explorers journey and the impact they left throughout the country. Here a few sites that can be visited to reveal the colonial impact on Uganda for those intending to explore the history of the country.

The Uganda National Museum

With over a million collections of artefacts, the national museum of Uganda is one of the largest in Sub-Saharan Africa. Several exhibitions tell the natural heritage and history of Uganda from earliest to modern times. Go there to look at all aspects of life and culture told in pictures, exhibits, machines, education and much more will be shared with you by the tour guide.

Kabaka’s Palace – Mengo 

Situated on Mengo hill one of the 7 historic hills of Kampala city, Kabaka’s Palace was built in 1922 during the reign of Ssekabaka Daudi Chwa II, the 34^th and first king of Buganda kingdom to become Christian. While on your visit to Mengo Palace, you will learn about the historical events that shaped the politics of Uganda after independence including the civil war of 1966 that forced the Kabaka out of his palace into exile. Explore the torture chambers in the palace, and visit the Royal Mile Walk to Bulange building the parliament of Buganda to learn about the totems of the 42 clans in the kingdom. There’s a shop where you can get some bark cloth souvenirs and other beautiful art pieces. Mengo palace can be visited as part of your Kampala city tour which offers an opportunity to explore other historical sites such as Kasubi Royal Tombs a UNESCO world heritage site, Namirembe and Rubaga cathedrals, among others.

Source of the Nile River – Jinja

Head to Jinja city, which is 83 km. (2-hour drive) east of Kampala to explore the source of the Nile River discovered by John Speke in late 19^th century. In addition, Jinja offers several adventurous experiences which led to it being nicknamed the “Adventure Capital of East Africa”.  Grade V white-water-rafting, kayaking, calm river sliding, bungee jumping, horseback riding, cycling as well as day trips to islands are available for visitors.

 Murchison Falls National Park

The largest conservation area of Uganda, Murchison Falls National Park holds the powerful waterfall along the Nile River which bisects the park. The northern banks contain savanna habitats providing home to 79 mammals species including lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffe, hippos and several antelope species such as Uganda kob, topi, oribi, bush and waterbucks. Go for day and night game drives or soar above the Nile with a hot air balloon experience. Visit Murchison falls during the dry season June to September and December to February. This is not only the best time for game viewing but also for chimpanzee tracking in the Budongo Forest Reserve situated south of the Nile within the park. Budongo forest also features several historical attractions including the Royal Mile walk and Our lady Queen of Poland Catholic church.

Stay at Emin Pasha Hotel

Situated on Nakasero hill in Kampala capital city, the boutique hotel was named after the historic German Explorer Emin Pasha who lived and spoke the local languages of Buganda and Bunyoro kingdoms. He’s credited having contributed a lot in understanding the geography of Equatorial Africa and advocated for end of slave trade. Emin Pasha hotel provides great hygienic accommodation with air conditioned rooms, free Wi-Fi, gardens and swimming pool.

Hiking Mount Stanley in Rwenzori Mountains National Park 

Mount Stanley’s Margherita peak (5,109m) is the tallest peak in Uganda and 3^rd in Africa. Hiking the Rwenzori mountain takes between 8 to 12 days for those intending to reach the equatorial glaciers at the summit. This is a technical climb that requires experience in high altitude hiking. However, there are several hiking trails for people who want easier treks. You’ll get to experience nature and spectacular scenery with snow-capped peaks, glacial lakes, 5 zones of vegetation and over 200 species of birds as well as chimpanzees.