Uganda Tourism


TOURISM PLANNING IN UGANDA

In Uganda Tourism began in 1950 with the gestating of National parks of QENP, MFNP, KNP and the major attractions being the abundant wild animals and the diverse scenery. That made Uganda a major tourist destination in 1960 as well as a major foreign exchange earner though there were some tremendous political instabilities in the years that followed (1970-1980) when wildlife was hunted and others became extinct.

But with the restoration of relative political stability in 1986 the tourism industry in Uganda is now stadly developing even the infrastructure rebuilt and tourist arrivals increasing. Tourism also re-emerged on the government policy agenda and various tourism planning guide lines have been put in place
In 1993-94 the government launched the integrated tourism development master plan to guide to guide tourism development and government intervention in tourism sector. And of recent (2003) the minister of tourism has launched National Tourism Policy for Economic development in the tourism sector.

UGANDA`S NATIONAL PARKS

QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK

Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the largest and biggest parks with over 770 miles and it is 206 mile from Kampala city. The park covers the districts of Bushenyi, Bunyaruguru, Rukungiri, Kasese and Kabarole. It was gazated in 1952 and consists of areas of Queen Elizabeth national park Kyambura Wildlife Reserve and Kigezi wildlife reserve.
  The vegetation ranges from savannah to rain forests together with papyrus swamps, forests, Lake Edwardand George, Kazinga channel, Ishasha river and several crater lakes which provide continuance stretch of savannah habitants and eco-system of 250km sq.

ATTRACTIONS AND ACTIVITIES
                          
Bird species. The park has over 611 species of birds which are said to be high in number compared to other national parks in Uganda. Among the species of birds include;- African fish eagle, wood land guinea fowl, great cormorant, grey parrot, Egyptian goose, black and white casqued horn bill and so many but these are seen while on the launch cruises.

Animal species  that include the care dwelling, fruit bats, Buffalos, Hippos, Elephants, Warthogs, Mongoose, Enormous python, primates like white and black Columbus monkeys, Olive baboons, Red Tailed verve monkeys, Predators species like lions, leopards, hyenas, antelopes and other Uganda cobs, bush buck, water bucks and duiker species

Vegetation. There are very many specie of plants in the park but Acacia wood land is the most dominant, Imaramaganbo national forest. Other attractions include Lake Kyamusingira and cliffs in the Northern part of the forest.

Culture Since the establishment of the park aimed at integration of local community activities, this makes culture an important attraction. The protected area in the park is comprised of some ethnic groups like the Bakonjo, Banyankore and Bakiga therefore these ethnic groups have involved themselves in various activities which attract tourists they include traditional dances, dressing style as well as producing crafts and selling them to tourists 

Activities.
Game drives through the various parts of the park like those to the northern part to see the dry and water filled crater lakes and in the south there are tree climbing lions specifically in the Ishasha sector, Kyambura Gorge which is a habitant for the Chimps.
Launch cruise Kazinga channel that connects Lake Edward and George there are Hippos, Bufffalos, Uganda cobs, Nile crocodiles and Spectacular of birds such as King Fisher, cormorants, weaver birds among others and the various landing sites.
Fishing is also another activity on Kazinga channel due to availability of a number of species
Nature walks in Imaramaganbo forest. These ranges from long to short guided walks in the beauty of the park here one can se the bat cave and the python in the cave which have lived there for so many year and they feed on the bats. While on the nature walks one can see the blue lake as well as the trails that connect to the Habitants of some primate and crater lakes.
There are other nature walks in the eastern that is Kyambura wildlife Reserve with major three crater lakes with Flamingos which are not found any where else in Uganda. Attractions here are the luxurious river line forests which are habitants for chimps, lions, forest bird s, monkeys and many more.

Facilities The Park has accommodation facilities for tourists like Mweya safari lodge over looking the Kazinga channel, jacana lodge on the edge of Lake Nyamusingiri and Immaramagambo forest.
There are also camp site and bandas at Mweya and Ishashan. The park also has a hostel which is well maintained with pit latrine and proper hygiene.

NB The best time to visit the park is January to February when it is hot, June to September is drier season when animals are on water and the rainy season is October to December as well as May when the roads are inaccessible. 
 

KIBALE NATIONAL PARK

    The park is located in Kabarole district in western Uganda covering a total area of 795 km and 1500mm above sea level. It was declared a national park as well as a game corn dog that joins queen Elizabeth National park. The park locates the biological field station, an eco tourism site, a safari and there are some primate species and chimpazees

The park has a lot of potential and existing attractions and facilities, adventures among which include;

Attractions and activities

 

Transport From fort portal there is public transport by the local buses inform of taxes from Kamwemgye stage to Kanyanchunchu   stage available all the time. From Kampala it is just 290km and the road is tarmac therefore the taxes can be got from the old tax park. Also from Fort portal there is a reserve which is part of the park 36 km away to Kanyanchu camping area which is next to the forest centre of Sebitoli.
Accommodation One should not get worried on where to sleep and what to eat there are different types of accommodation which include; Tree house, Ndali lodge which provides a better view of the surrounding crater lakes like Kifurukam and Rukwanzi, luxary tented camp of Mantana, Rwenzori view Guest house with mid range room type.
For the facilities at Kibale forest   national park there is a tower for scenic viewing as well as observation. Visitor centres are established to provide necessary materials and guides are to provide information.

RWENZORI MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

The park is located on Congo borders close to Kasese covering a total area of 100,000ha in western Uganda. The protection of the park by the Uganda wildlife Authority on top of that the Ugandan government as well the as the local community. The mountain is famous for having the highest peak as Mt Margherita and the natural habitants with various species.

The Rwenzori Mountains have been conserved since 1941 as a forest reserve later as a national park in 1991 thus the name Rwenzori Mountain national park. Which has greatly become a land mark due the existence of two countries of Congo and Uganda thus peace parks. Therefore the slopes, trails and a variety of large mammals are potentials for future tourism development.

Attractions and activities
Mountaineering which is done during the morning hours starting from Nyabitaba, Bujuka and Mubutu. This is accompanied with porters to carry tourists to the peaks together with their language and professional guides are available in the park.

Accommodation There are different types of accommodation which range from self contained to non self contained and other accommodation units are found in Kasese town. I.e. the Good clean hut mountain accommodation with rooms for about 15 people, Nyamileju hut which joins to Bjuku hut Matte, Elena hut.

Transport the park can be accessed from all corners of the Western part of Uganda i.e. from Mbarara to Kasese by road and also from Kampala through Fort portal to Kasese and it is 25 km from Kasese. 

LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK
Lake Mburo national park is located in the south near Mbarara town. The park is   Uganda's fourth national park covering a total area of 260 sq km it was confirmed as a national park in 1982.The Park is covered with acacia woodland together with different Fauna different other protected areas in Uganda. The park is habitant for adversity of species of plants and animals because of the presence of the open savannah woodland with attractive acacia-dotted savannah, rocky outcrops, as well as swamps and lakes One can get to the park through Masaka- Mbarara road and it is 3 hours and a half through to Sanga gate or Nshara gate on the left side.


Attractions and activities

Game viewing
this one is the most popular tourist activity carried out in the park due to its biodiversity of mammals like the antelopes hyenas, jackals, zebras, impala; all these are seen especially during the game drives.

Boat cruises
since the park is blessed with a lake this therefore favours boat drives and they are normally done during the morning and late in the evening. Animals like crocodiles, Hippopotamus as well as birds like the great shoebill, black crake, Heron, Fish eagle and others. But for one to go for the boat ride the duration differs depending on how much one has agreed with the boat rider.

Guided walks  
 the natural trails provide an opportunity to walk through circuits but at times these walks are considered as being dangerous and risky therefore an escort who is well armed follows the crew. On top of that there are also walks to the salty soils where one can see some rear species of animals when they area feeding on salty soil.

Birding
this activity is interesting when under taken from the Rubanga forest  together with the forest walks the park is famous for its diversity the bird species. There are over 313 species of birds in Nakivale wetland which is part of the park the most attractive birds are the White-winged warbler and shoebill

Fishing
the lake is known for being a habitant for some species of fish and they are about 6 species.

Accommodation
At the conservation centre the is good accommodation and a conference hall which have a carrying capacity of 42 people, there are tented camps at park headquarters, bandas and tents all  these provide an opportunity for scenic viewing. Another good hotel is lake view which is just a distance from Mbarara town but with modern private facilities with a clear view of the lake.
 
BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK


The Park is found is East Africa specifically in the south western part of the country. The park covers 331 sq km of Bwindi impenetrable forest with lowland and Mantana area and access to the forest is by foot. The park was declared as a world heritage site by UNESCO. 
It supports a large number of plants and animals endemic to the region, but most notably half of the world's population of Mountain Gorillas. There are more than 300 Mountain Gorillas, divided into a dozen of groups which make up the largest surviving population. The other half is split between Zaire and Rwanda, where they used to roam freely until they were separated by encroachment and farming. The forest is one of the richest ecosystems in Africa, providing habitat for some 120 species of mammals, 346 species of birds, 202 species of butterflies, 163 species of trees, 100 species of ferns, 27 species of frogs, chameleons, geckos and many endangered species. In particular the area shares in the high levels of endemism of the Albertine Rift

Attractions and activities
The most popular activity carried out by tourists is trekking of gorillas

For the facilities, a number of facilities have been developed to carter for the visitors who visit the park they are all at Buhoma they are;- Homesteads, camps, even those of Ruhija which are  suitable for birders and some community owned rooms but budget type.
Transport and accessibility: the park is accessible especially to its headquarters of Buhoma through Kabale which takes 3 or 4 hours depending on the speed but this requires a vehicle which is in good mechanical conditions to get through Kabale Hills. From Kampala one gets to Kabale its 414 km, then from Kabale , Buhija by road it takes 3 to 4 hours with  a distance of 95 kilometers.

KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL
The Park is located in Karamoja district in the borders of Sudan in northern Uganda. It   was declared as a park in 1960 during the time of Milton Obotte and it covers a total area of 1442 sq km. Due to the fact that the park has a harbor in relation to scenery and this has not been seen in any of the parks in Uganda there fore that gives is credit when compared to other parks.
With in the park is Kidepo River and Narus , breathing savannah, Mt Morungole covering 2750m The climate within the park is the most inspiring factor for tourists to have repeat trips into the park together with the diversity of flora and fauna due the availability of plant and animal species which are as well found in other parks of Uganda.

Attractions and activities in the park 

Accommodation
The managers have tried to make life easy in as far as accommodation is concerned where by with in the park itself,  accommodation units are provided inform of camps, lodges  and bandas in hostel form with carrying capacity of 14 to 16 people though not self contained. It is advisable for one who wishes to have accommodation in the premises of the park to make bookings prior the date and time of travel into the park.
Additional to camps the park has authorised camping for visitors who have interests to  always travel with their tents as well as the materials for camping like polls as well as labour also visitors in the park carter for their food and drinks


Transport
Transport to the park has been made easy through the operation of a chartered flights right from Entebbe  international Air port to the main park head quarters and the another Air strip in Lomej which operates on  domestic basis and there are also  direct flights  from other countries.
A part from Air travel the is also road  travel through the various routes and these are three major routes with Kampala being the focal point that is from Kampala via Mbale to Sironko-Kotido-Kidepo taking 740 km, Kampala via Mbale-Soroti-Moroto as well as Kidepo 792km, Kampala via Karuma –Lira finally Kotido a bout 705 km.
Since travelling on road requires going through various destinations this calls for stopovers to enjoy the enrout attractions like the scenery of the Labwor hills, massive and Kidi Rwot rocks in Kotido.

MGAHINGA GORILLA NATIONAL PARK
The park is known to be covering some parts of Bwindi Impenetrable National park but in actual sense it is within the south western parts of Uganda next to Kisoro town bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as Rwanda. Gazation of the park was in 1991 with the crater lake of Muhavura which is 4,127m high but the park itself covers a total area of  33.7 km sq. Thee park covers some volcanoes of Vilunga like Sabyinyo, Muhabura and Gahinga they all lead to the park headquarters and good for Mt climbing.


The vegetation part with in the park led to the growth of some Montana forests and bamboo trees which favour viewing while on top of the Mt because they are bellow the mountain. The park has had its history all over the world due to its biological nature in relation to the climate which forms gases inform of Ice as well as the warmth and the Virunga mountains known as homes for Mt Gorillas, plants and other animal species.


Attractions and activities at Mgahinga
The most interesting activity in the park is tracking of gorillas and this has inspired tourists to visit the park. This activity takes a period of three days and there are over three groups of gorillas with the grey backed gorilla but tracking require one to move with the permit and the vaccination documents.
There are also wetlands with in the park and along the park edges there are some bird species thus the activity there is bird watching. The species of birds are the grey chapped warbler, yellow vented bulbul, stone chart, Ibis, black kite, wax bill, speckled mouse bird and others. But for one to under stand these birds it requires one to have a bird guiding book as well as an experienced guide.
 The former warrior caves of the Batwa are suitable for cave exploration known as the Garama caves. The great History of the cave on how the Batwa lived and fought their neighbours, cultural dances and the weapons they used for fighting are of great importance and another advantage is that they are near the park headquarters.
Scenic viewing is another activity and it is free of charge the park provides a clear platform to the surrounding mountains, vegetation as well as the Bafunbira and Batwa homes.
Mountain climbing and volcano hiking the most challenging mountain to climb is Mt Sabyinyo that’s why ladders are provided to get to the peak of 3669m high another Mt suitable for climbing is Muhavura it covers a big part of kisoro and can as well view it while in Kisoro


Accommodation can provided from Kisoro and Kabale town since there are various hotels, lodges and camps of all types providing different meals. The park itself provides camps and bandas but they are under the control and authority of the local communities a round the famous camp is Mt Mgahinga rest camp.


Transport and access to the park is by road it covers 540 km starting the journey from Kampala with 8 hours. For one who uses the tour vehicles, there is a packing space and direct access to the park. There are also flight arrangements from Entebbe International air port to Kisoro as well as public transport from Kampala

 

MT ELGON NATIONAL PARK
The park I located on the Kenya borders and Uganda covering a total area of 169km sq in the rift valley province and receiving total rainfall of 1,270mm. The park was gazetted in 1968 it’s considered to be second highest mountain in Kenya with an extinct volcano that erupted a million years back. On top of the mountain are crater occupying 80km with rugged peak a round. At times the mountain is referred to as Mt of illusion, Mt of the breast with lava caves which are habbbitants for elephants looking for salt and other species of animals. Mt Elgon is important water catchments for the Nzoia River which flows into Lake Victoria and for the Turkwel River which flows into Lake Turkana. The best times to visit are during the drier seasons from June to August and December to March.
Attractions and activities

Accommodation The Park has tried its level best to carter for visitors by establishing and constructing accommodation units like the Rest camp in Kapkwata and a ferest exploration centre. But prior warning to the guest is advised on what to carry like the food supplies. Others are bandas, lodges, and picnic sites like that on the elephant platform.
Access to the park takes 470 km from Nairobi which is a tarmac road to the gate of Chorlim taking Kitale road. For those wishing to travel by air can use the Air strip at the park head quarters.  

SEMULIKI   NATIONAL PARK
The park was gazetted in 1993 thus considering it to be among the new parks in Uganda with abundant flora and fauna in Africa as a whole. The park is 220km sq covering the tropical forests of Ituli in the eastern side with  305 species on record even within the neighbouring forest of Kabingaesism, Ejacis guineesis, Nesogordonia and others. The park is located in Bundibuygo district in the far west of Uganda lying in the Democratic republic of Congo in East Africa Rift Valley, with Lake Albert in the north and Mt Rwenzori in southeast.
The park has a diversity of birds species (400) of which some are not seen any where in Africa like the Iyre tailed honey guide and the Horn bill, mammals (63) species  the 9 are diumal  forest primates like blue monkey, olive baboons, chimps then the nocturnal primates like galagos and potos. Within the park are hot springs that are unique in nature thus acting as a habitant for some of the endemic species.
Attractions and activities

  • Hot springs
  • Jungle walks into the forest
  • Primate and scenic viewing
  • Camping
  • Hiking
  • Interaction with the local communities.
  • Sport fishing
  • Bird watching

      Culture of the people
In the slopes of the mountain are the Bamba and Bakonjo with the major activity being Agriculture majoring in crops like coffee and cocoa and their step food being potatoes, rice and matoke. The Batwa are original hunters have now expanded their knowledge through interaction with the tourists and providing services like hospitality and craft materials.
Accommodation. For privately owned camps the local communities have tried to avail accommodation but visitors may carter for their own food ad other necessities
 The park has not been able to provide accommodation as required by guests there fore one can either sleep in Bundibugyo or fort portal town. The nearest a campsites are in Bugama which is a few kilometres from the park gate of Sempaya.
Transport:  For road travel there are two main roads from Kampala city via fort portal – Masaka- Mbarara then Kasesse which is a bout about 7 – 8 hours drive. Then the other rout is the one from   Kampala - fort portal via Mubende is about 180km. (4-5 hr drive) and it is the easiest rout for one to use.

MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK

The park is Ugandas largest National park shared by the Nile in the southern part of the park are hilly ranges with forests on top of the hills. Initially the park was Kabalega falls because of the waterfalls of Victoria Nile that are forced through a narrow gap flowing west ward in Lake Albert.
The park was named Marchison falls by the former president of the royal geographical society. It covers total area of 3,840 km with wildlife life which was hunted before the proposal to establish the park such wildlife is related to Karuma wildlife refuge and Bugungu wildlife refuge.
Attractions and activities in the park

Transport:  One gets to the park through Kampala and Masindi which is a bout   3 hours drive and 217 kilometres. When one gets to Masindi there are other alternative routes of Bulisa and Butiaba leading to the park gate of Wairingo. The other means of getting to the park is through the Pakuba Airstrip the leads to the north west of Paraa covering 10 kilometres.

Accommodation: Within the park are accommodation units like Sarova Paraa Safari lodge, Acholi – style bandas, Para rest camp, Sambiya River lodge and other accommodation units in Masindi.

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