Wildlife Game Drives in Uganda

Wildlife Game Drives in Uganda : Wildlife Game Drives in Uganda are quite a safari experience like no other especially for tourists interested in viewing a wide range of wildlife animals during your visit to the country. Uganda is one of the top African countries that offers the ultimate safari experience; with other safari destinations being Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Africa, Zambia, Namibia, and Zimbabwe.

What better way to watch all nature’s pleasantries unfold before your eyes than on a wildlife game drive in Uganda. A wildlife game drive safari in Uganda will give you the opportunity to view a variety of wildlife such as Africa’s Big Five which include leopards, lions, African savannah elephants, rhinos and the Cape buffalo. Other wildlife that you will see during your wildlife game drive in Uganda include zebra, giraffes, baboons, potto, civets, waterbucks, reedbucks, antelopes, duikers and primates such as mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, golden monkeys, vervet monkeys and so many more.

Wildlife game drives in Uganda are also an opportunity for visitors to view a variety of bird species like Ostriches in Kidepo Valley national park, grey crowned crested crane, ibis, vultures, Shoebill stalk, African Green Broadbill, Jameson’s Antpecker, Nahan’s Francolin and the Karamoja Apalis to mention but a few.

Top Destinations for Wildlife Game Drives in Uganda.

Murchison Falls National Park.

Murchison falls National Park is one of the best destinations for wildlife game drives in Uganda. The national park is located in the north-western part of Uganda with the nearest town being Masindi. It is the largest national park in Uganda covering approximately 3,893 square kilometers. The park was established in 1952 and is home to 76 mammal species and over 450 species of birds.

Some of the commonly sighted wildlife species in the national park include; buffaloes, African bush elephants, lions, Ugandan Kob, Rothschild’s giraffes, antelopes and birds like the rare shoe-billed stork, dwarf kingfisher, Goliath heron, white-thighed hornbill and the great blue Turaco.

During your visit to Murchison falls national park, visitors can choose to combine a wildlife game drive with other activities in the park such as; hike to top of the Murchison falls, sport fishing, boat cruise on the Nile Delta, birding, community cultural tours and so many more.

Kidepo Valley National Park.

Kidepo Valley national park is by far the most isolated national park in Uganda and it is not visited by many tourists because it takes long to drive to the park. The national park is situated in the north-eastern part of Uganda in Kaboong district along Uganda’s borders with Kenya and South Sudan. Despite it all, the national park the most beautiful national park in Uganda and has a variety of wildlife animals hence its nickname the ‘Masai Mara’ of Uganda.

Kidepo Valley national park is such a great place to conduct wildlife game drives in Uganda. Some of the wildlife animals to look out for during a game drive safari in the national park include; the Rothschild giraffes, Cape buffalos, elephants, zebras, oribis, striped jackals, elands, hartebeests, Klipspringer, Hyenas, dik-dik, cheetahs, leopards, and lions among others. It is also the only national park where you will be able to see Ostriches in their natural habitat, as well as the greater and lesser Kudu.

Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Wildlife game drives in Uganda are also commonly done in Queen Elizabeth national park. It is the second largest national park in Uganda spanning over a radius of approximately 1,978 square kilometers. The park is situated in the western region of Uganda in Kasese district and is home to over 95 mammal species and over 600 bird species.

The national park shelters about 5000 hippos, 2500 elephants, and more than 10,000 buffalos. Other wildlife animals in the park include warthogs, waterbuck, Uganda Kob, topi and the Sitatunga antelope to mention but a few. There are also primates in the national park like chimpanzees, vervet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and Olive baboons among others.

As earlier mentioned, Queen Elizabeth national park has a record of more than 600 species of birds; with commonly sighted birds like; African Skimmer, Papyrus Gonolek, Kittlitz’s Plover, and the Black-headed Gonolek to mention but a few.

Wildlife game drives in Uganda can be combined with other activities in Queen Elizabeth national park like; chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge, boat cruise on Kazinga Channel, sport fishing, community tours, bird watching, nature walks, hiking, and lion tracking among others.

Lake Mburo National Park.

Wildlife game drives in Uganda are also conducted in Lake Mburo national park. It is the smallest savannah national park in Uganda and the closest to Kampala capital city. During a wildlife game drive safari in Lake Mburo national park, visitors can view a range of wildlife animals roaming the savannah grasslands in the park like elephants, gazelles, giraffes, zebra, impala, topi and reedbucks to mention but a few. Wildlife game drives in the national park can be combines with other activities such as; horseback riding, a boat cruise, guided nature walk, birding and cultural encounters to mention but a few.

Cost of Wildlife Game Drives in Uganda.

Private wildlife game drives in Uganda cost $20 per person for day game drives and $30 for night game drives. For visitors interested in hiring a UWA vehicles and park guides, a wildlife game drive safari can cost $30 per person for day game drives and $40 for night game drives.

Conclusion: Wildlife game drives in Uganda are one of the best adventure safaris that any visitor can embark on during your stay in the country. Contact trusted tour operator companies like Explore Rwanda Tours for more information and discounted tours to Uganda and other wildlife destinations like Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania.