It’s definite that western Uganda out-competes other regions when it comes to remarkable tourist attractions and activities that offer memorable experiences.
It’s evident that over 80% of tourists to Uganda opt for western region to explore the hidden gem. Therefore, any Uganda safari booking without visiting the western region is incomplete and missing.
A combination of undulating plains, Great Rift Valley, lakes, rivers, beautiful landscape and a variety of birds, primates and other wild animals offer you a lifetime experience. Western Uganda comprises of six districts, which include Fort portal, Kiruhura, Mbarara, Kasese, and Rubirizi.
Located along with Fort portal Mpondwe road in Rubirizi district, Queen Elizabeth national park is Uganda’s second-largest national park spreading over 1,978 square kilometers of land.
The park is also one of the most visited parks in Uganda known for its high concentration of wild animals. The main activities within Queen Elizabeth National park include game viewing, lion tracking in kasenyi plains, katwe salt mines, Munyanyange Crater Lake,
Nature walks and the famous launch cruise at kazinga channel. Game drive in the park offers you great chance to see numerous animals such as elephants, lion, leopards, waterbucks, warthogs, elands, Uganda kobs, buffalos, Topis, L’Hoest gazelles, hippos, ground, and tree-climbing lions among others.
Also, the shores of Kazinga channel shelters numerous birds which include white egrets, saddle billed stork, Africa fish eagle, African kingfisher, Long tailed Cormorants, white winded, swamp nightjar, African morning dove, Little beef eater, and Knob billed ducks among others. Also, trek chimpanzees in Kyambura gorge in the eastern corner of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Kibale forest is a stretch of lowland and montane forest located in Kabalore district western Uganda. The moist rain forest is home to chimpanzees and other 12 primates including black and white monkeys, L’Hoest Monkeys, Colobus Monkeys, Red tailed Monkeys and blue monkeys among others.
The rain forest is therefore, the best place for Uganda primate safaris. Besides primates, Kibale forest shelters numerous terrestrial mammals which include duikers, bush pigs, forest elephants, Giant forest hogs, Bushbucks, African buffalos, and warthogs among others.
For birders, Kibale forest shelters over 325 bird species which include black-eared ground thrush, yellow potted nictaor, African Pitta, Blue-breasted kingfisher, African grey parrot, Collared Apalis, Little greenbul, Pigeon, red chested Owlet, Afep Pieon, and little green bull among others.
Nature walk within the forest and to Bigodi wetland sanctuary offers you a fresh feeling of the natural environment. Also, spare time to visit Amabare Ganyina Mwiru in fort portal and learn about the historical attachments of these stalagmites and stalactites to the Banyonyoro.
Explore Lake Mburo National park located in Kiruhura district, a few kilometers from Mbarara city. A drive to Lake Mburo Park gives you scenic views of the Ankle flat farms with long-horned cows. The park was originally a hunting area, which was transformed into a national park in 1963.
Top tourist activities in Lake Mburo national park include a boat cruise, game safaris, night game drives, bird watching, nature walks, Rubanga forest, salt lick, Fishing, milking experience, cycling safaris and horse riding among others.
The park has a variety of lodging accommodations, which offer luxury, mid-range and budget food and sleeping services at affordable rates.
We could not miss out mentioning Bwindi forest national park in southwestern Uganda. Sheltering the highest population of endangered mountain gorillas, Bwindi forest is a must-visit destination in Uganda.
Gorilla trekking is undeniably the most done tourist attraction in Uganda, which attract a high number of travelers to Uganda from all parts of the world.
Fortunately, Bwindi forest is strategically located in easy connection from Queen Elizabeth, Lake Mburo & Kibale forest national parks. A gorilla trek in Bwindi can, therefore, be combined by other activities in other western Uganda parks.