Would you like to plan a school trip? Uganda is a country gifted by nature! The little Pearl of Africa is blessed with a number of amazing places that can be visited for educational tours.
These places include urban tourist sites, Uganda National Parks, game reserves and forests within the different parts of the country.
Are you a trip organizer? Regardless of your reason for travel, you can get the most out of your educational tour in Uganda. Whether you are international or domestic, it is possible to organize a pleasure tour and with a professional tour operator, expertise is used to customize a trip that suit the interests of students.
It is an important decision to choose a destination that can meet the interests of travelers of different ages. Different places suit students of different ages. Primary school goers are interested in places that are quite different from secondary school students.
Here is our list of top ten school trip destinations to consider when you are planning your next trip;
Murchison Falls National Park
The Murchison Falls National Park is exceptionally Uganda’s biggest protected area. Hosting a great diversity of flora and fauna, the park extends to more than 3840 square kilometers of protected land. It is credited for its amazing big game and the mighty Murchison falls where it derived its name.
This park offers refuge to a number of wild animals. Popular animals to see in the park include the African lions, African elephants, buffaloes and leopards, that make up the big four in the park. Not to forget are giraffes, hippos, Nile crocodiles and a variety of antelopes.
Popular adventure activities in the park include game drives, boat cruise, bird watching and many more safaris.
The park is easier to access and students can be accommodated at different hotels and lodges in Masindi Town. Small groups can be accommodated at the Student Centre run by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) whichoffers dormitory style of accommodation at very low rates.
Lake Mburo National Park
If you are looking for the nearest protected areas to visit, look no further than Lake Mburo National Park. This park is home to about 350 bird species and abundant wildlife including the 69 mammals. Some of the animals to see include the zebras, impalas, leopards, jackals etc.
The Lake Mburo National Park is four hours’ drive from Kampala city center. It is recommended for all students from the primary Level to University Level.
The park is an excellent destination for game viewing, bird watching and boat cruises.
Enroute to Lake Mburo National Park, you will visit the Equator, an imaginary line that divides the earth into two;the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Named after the Queen Elizabeth II of England, Queen Elizabeth National Park is the second largest safari. It is one of the most popular destination for university students and secondary students.
It supports an impressive 95 mammal species and it is credited for thrilling game drives through varied savanna grasslands and woodlands.
During your safari, you should not miss a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, a 4okm water gateway whichconnects two lakes; Edward and George. The boat cruise is supplemented with sights of abundant wildlife species including thousands of hippos and birds.
Queen Elizabeth National Park offers refuge to a number of big game especially the African elephants, Lions including the rare tree-climbing lions at Ishasha sector, buffaloes, leopards as well as hippos, crocodiles etc. The Kazinga Channel also hosts several water birds that represent part of the 620 avian species in the park.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
This is the most popular national park that hosts the mountain gorillas. The Bwindi Impenetrable National Parkis located in Southwestern Uganda within the districts of Kanungu and Rubanda districts.
A study tour to Bwindi is quite amazing! The journey takes you the terraced hills of Kigezi. The biodiversity of the park is also amazing!
The park is popular for gorilla trekking, the most popular adventure that attracts tourists to visit. A gorilla permit for students above 15 years costs UGX 250,000 per person. There are als activities that have been designed for students below 15 years.
For large groups of students, accommodation can be provided in Kabale Town or Kihihi Town.
Kidepo Valley National Park
Located on the Sudan border, Kidepo National Park is Uganda’s third largest conservation area covering over 1442 square kilometers. It is located in the farthest corner of wild Karamoja and lies at an elevation of about 900 to 2750 meters above sea level.
The park features the most stunning savanna landscapes, mountains, arid vegetation, seasonal swamps and abundant wildlife.
Big game favorites within the park include African lions, African elephants, Cape Buffaloes, Leopards, bat eared fox, cheetah, giraffes, elands, black backed and side stripped jackal, Jackson’s hartebeest, etc. The park hosts some wildlife that is rare or absent in other Ugandan parks such as the Aardwolf, bat eared fox, cheetahs, stripped hyenas and the Ostrich.
The park is a virgin destination and less visited. The destination is recommended for University students.
Kibale National Park
The popular Kibale National Park is located in western Uganda. It can be accessed via Mubende Fort Portal road for 5-6 hrs drive (308 km). It has a tropical rainforest kind of vegetation. It also has swamps and grasslands whichharbor the chimpanzees, the star attraction of the park. The park hosts 13 different primate species which include the vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white colobus, red colobus etc.
The park can easily be accessed on day trips from Fort Portal Town, the tourism city of Uganda. There also amazing attractions close to the Kibale National Park and these include crater lakes, the Amabeere Ga Nyinamwiru, etc.
From Fort Portal, you can also access the Mount Rwenzori National Park and Semuliki National Park in western Uganda.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Uganda has many exciting places for educational tours. Whether you are an international student here in Uganda or a local student wanting to explore more of what the Pearl of Africa, you will definitely get the best out of your trip.
To make your trip a success, it is better you inquire more details from a local tour operator. You can also checkout for more interesting places that you can include in your travel plans from several resourceful websites listed within this article.
With the above listed places, we believe you can now make the best choice for your next edu-tour through Uganda.
