Uganda, the pearl of Africa, is a unique and immensely endowed country, perfect to get your adventure on. With a sunny climate all year round, numerous and unique wildlife, the stunning mountain gorillas, and fresh water lakes not forgetting the diverse cultures, having a tour and visit around the country is a thing that will leave you demand to travel back any day any time.
As always, at guide2uganda, we intend to give you guided insight about everything Uganda. Today, we share the Top 10 things to do and see in Uganda. Enjoy!
- Go Gorilla trekking
Uganda is home to more than have of the remaining Gorilla population. Gorillas are a unique species that share more than 98% of their DNA with humans. They only exist in three countries in the world that is Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic republic of Congo which makes gorilla trekking a must-do activity for any visitor to Uganda. Gorilla Trekking is the biggest and a life time experience any tourism enthusiast could look out to. In Uganda, gorilla trekking can be done in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga National Park.
2. Go for a safari drive through the numerous game parks
Enjoy a game drive in one of the 10 national parks managed by Uganda Wildlife Authority. The parks have so much to offer from savannah drives, boat rides, forest walks and wildlife research. Spot a tree climbing lion in Murchison Falls National Park, explore the wild that is Kidepo National Park named third best national park in Africa by CNN, point at a yawning hippo on your boat tour in Lake Mburo National Park and zoom into the rarest of birds in Kibale National Park. With over 1000 bird species, Uganda is unrivaled on the continent as a bird lovers destination. Do not forget to carry a camera to take some of the realest shots you will ever record.
3. Hike the steep challenging mountain slopes
Uganda is gifted with a magnificent topography that is manifested in picturesque mountains all around the country. Summit the snow capped Rwenzori mountains in south west, Elgon in the east, Mt. Moroto, Napak, Kadam in the north and Mufumbiro ranges. Each mountain offers a unique hike trail giving travelers an advantage to actively enjoy nature. There are over 20 mountains in Uganda. Make your pick and experience the exhilarating challenges.
4. Go Bugee Jumping in Jinja
The small colonial town of Jinja is the country’s adventure capital. Jinja is where the White Nile flows out of Lake Victoria and is considered to be the true source of the Nile, the longest river in the world. With a number of activities one can take on in Jinja such as kayaking, white-water rafting, tubing, mountain biking, horse riding and quad biking, bungee jumping stands out. Sign up for the activity and you will live to wish you can take it on any day any time. Jinja town itself presents beautiful colonial-era architecture and a buzzing local community worth viewing and visiting.
5. Visit an open air Ugandan market
Ugandan markets are guaranteed to give you the real African market experience. Uganda’s markets such as Nakasero are big on fresh farmers’ produce. This produce is no necessarily packaged as you may think but rather all fresh as from the direct garden. Word is, the Ugandan pineapple is the most delicious and her tomatoes are the juiciest in the region. Vendors also sell inexpensive second hand clothes, shoes, books, beddings anything you want, you could get it at Owino Market which was once East Africa’s largest open market.
Take a Sunday stroll through the Sunday market as two streets are closed off to enable vendors bring out all their merchandise and for buyers to have enough room to browse and haggle articles on sale and enjoy the chants vendors employ to attract buyers, be ready to have your arm tugged at as they try to grab your attention. They mean well.
6. Share company with the interesting Chimpanzees
One of the most popular things to do in Uganda is to go chimpanzee tracking. There are two different options for this, where you can either spend an hour with them (chimpanzee tracking) or a full day with them (chimpanzee habituation day). Both options are great, but if you can spend the full day, you may get a bit more out of it as the chimps are wild and often up in the trees, so if you spend a full day with them, you are much more likely to see them on the ground which usually makes for a better experience.
7. Take a walk around Kampala
Some say they need special training to navigate through Kampala’s streets. Others ask Ugandans, “How do you know where to highlight off a taxi when everything looks the same?” It’s true, getting around is an extreme sport of sorts but that’s just one of Kampala’s charms. From the boda bodas (motorbike taxis) lawlessly snaking through traffic to the honk happy matatu drivers intimidating private car drivers, it’s a sight to see and yet, if you stick around for more than a week, it’ll all appear to be completely normal all of a sudden.
8. Meet the Karamojong
Explore ‘Uganda’s best secret’ Karamoja, the land of the Karamojong in north eastern Uganda. The Karamojong live a very minimalist and fascinating life that hasn’t been adulterated by the modern times. They are semi-nomadic herders who live for their cattle and women. Visit East Africa’s largest traditional village and sleep in a kraal as you watch the stars for a full authentic African cultural experience.
9. Visit Uganda’s ‘Holy Places’
Uganda is a religious country generally dominated by christians. There are many cathedrals and other places of worship in Kampala. Rubaga Cathedral or Saint Mary’s Cathedral as it’s also known, is the base of the Catholic church in Uganda. The old cathedral was built in the early 20th century. Namirembe cathedral on the opposite hill is the centre for the Protestant dominion in Uganda. Visit the state of the art Gaddaffi mosque, an experience that will get you understand the other side of Uganda. The Baha’i Temple is the only one of its kind on the continent of Africa worth visiting too.
10. Taste the delicious Rolex – Why not!
Uganda’s “Rolex” is breakfast luxury that can be purchased on any street corner. Whipped egg is the gold setting. Precious studs of tomato and purple onion glitter across the surface like garnet and amethyst, while fine strands of cabbage sparkle like peridot. The completed jewel is nestled safely in a soft chapati wrap. The yummy taste will have you list down all it’s ingredients to have it remade back home.
And that’s it. Miss out any of the above activities on your visit to Uganda and you will not have experienced Uganda to the core.
About Guide2Uganda
Guide2Uganda (www.guide2uganda.ug) is the most comprehensive source of travel information about Uganda that exists on the web, with more content on its cities & towns, accommodation, attractions, events, museums and galleries than any other online guide that currently exists for Uganda; as well as being a dynamic travel news and events driven site with fresh content added daily.
According to WeFollow & Peer Index (that measure online influence), we are among the most influential online media organizations in Uganda. Guide2Uganda was also awarded ‘’Best Destination Website in Uganda’’ by Jumia Travel Uganda in the 2018 Africa Travel Awards.
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