Uganda has the greatest travel locations and offers the best tourism products with ultimate feeling of the biodiversity. A journey through Uganda provides a memorable holiday and if well planned is more adventurous including a list of things to do and see while at the selected tourist destinations.
Ugandan students can engage in different kinds of adventures including gorilla trekking, game drives through national parks, adrenaline adventures etc. The good news is that all these aforementioned Uganda tours will enable you to encounter amazing places and also engage in exhilarating activities. Below is what to include on your bucket list:
Water Rafting
This is an outdoor recreation activity done on different degrees of rough white water. It provides a white water adventure with enchanting moments while experiencing different grades more so grade five. It involves paddling rafts and team work is required. This is an extreme sport participated by international countries as a sport and can be fatal but on a rare basis. This activity is done mostly on the white waters of river Nile in Jinja and it provides a memorable life time experience of the water breeze.
Gorilla Trekking
This activity enables tourists to meet the endangered mountain gorillas in the impenetrable jungle of Bwindi Forests in western Uganda. During the gorilla trekking experience, you will interact with the mountain gorillas for one hour.
The one hour interaction with the gorillas getting to know their feeding , shelter, life in the jungle, how they look after their youngsters and how they respond to the surrounding environment. It’s a 2-6 hour nature walk in the forest exploring the home of the famous mountain gorilla and meeting up with other primate species. A gorilla permit costs UGX 300,000 for East African Students. Gorilla trekking is carried out in Bwindi impenetrable forest and Mgahinga National Park in the tropical rain forests and savannah.
Chimpanzee Tracking
Uganda is a primate hub of over 13 different primate species including the Chimpanzees. Chimpanzees are found in different parts of Uganda such as Queen Elizabeth national park in the Kyambura gorge, Kibale forest the famous home of chimps, Tooro Semliki game reserve, Kalinzu forest, Budongo forest and Bugoma forest.
Besides chimpanzee tracking, there is an option of chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale National Park. This involving encountering chimpanzee that are still undergoing habituation. A chimpanzee permit costs UGX 180000 for East Africans while a chimpanzee habituation permit costs UGX 250000.
You can even spend less by visiting the chimpanzees of the Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park. A chimpanzee permit costs UGX 50000.
For those who are likely to find chimpanzee habituation hard, you can as well simply visit Ngamba Island in Entebbe or Uganda wildlife Education center in Entebbe. These two places are known for hosting orphan chimps as well as chimpanzees that have been rescued from people’s homes.
Game Drives
This is a convenient way to watch wildlife species from a distance in the car of your choice. The best cars for game drives are 4×4 cars with a pop up safari roof which provides space to view using binoculars and take good photos to watch the wilderness breeze with its wildlife. While at the game drive wildlife species are sighted such as hyenas, warthogs, cape buffaloes, African elephants, Uganda Kob, tree climbing lions, zebras, giraffes, leopards, cheetah and birds among others. They can be sighted during morning and evening game drives. For the nocturnal creatures they can be encountered through a night game. The Game drives are best done in savannah parks such as Murchison falls national park, Kidepo valley national park, Lake Mburo national park and Queen Elizabeth national park
Canoeing on Lake Bunyonyi
You shouldn’t forget to include canoeing on your Uganda safari bucket list. Lake Bunyonyi derives its name from the “small birds” and its located in south western Uganda in Kabale district. A wooden deep canoe is paddled along Lake Bunyonyi exposing the sailor to its famous 29 islands and the floating island.
While on the canoe, you get to listen to stories from the tour guide regarding the history of each island . The most famous of all Islands is the punishment island where in ancient times young unmarried girls who got pregnant were dumped and left to day for making a sinful abomination in the community. A great Experience of Bakiga and a two-hour lake bunyonyi adventure is a memory worth to be narrated.
Volcano hiking
Uganda is gifted by nature. A land of unique landscape such as the volcanic mountain, valleys, hills and the sweeping plains in the low lands. Hiking the volcanoes requires energy and perfect fitness to reach at the top but it’s a life time adventure.
The best hiking destinations include mountain Elgon in the east with the largest caldera, in the west lies the Virunga Mountains shared with Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo, Mountain Muhavura, Sabinyo and Mgahinga. Most of the hiking trails pass through forest areas that offer a great opportunity for encountering several wildlife species as well as plant species.
In conclusion, the activities to include on your Uganda student bucket list include volcano hiking, canoeing at lake Bunyonyi, game drives, chimpanzee tracking, gorilla trekking and white water rafting.
