Archive for category: Uganda

IS IT SAFE TO TRAVEL TO UGANDA

Uganda is completely safe for tourists and travelers as it’s a politically stable country having seriously operating borders and strict internal security bodies. However like any other country Uganda has got a few cases of petty theft, home robbery and credit card fraud. From the same time, covid-19 and these crime threats can be by passed if you follow the local laws and observe caution.

Is Uganda safe for tourism and travel?

There are some questions that come across before traveling to foreign places and the same implies before coming to Uganda as one can ask; will my camera be snatched, am I safe in a car, is the water and food fit for consumption, will fall victim of carjackers.

Uganda being famous adventurous destination, it receives around 15,000 British nationals annually according to the UK foreign travel advice. Having 99.9% of the visits trouble free. Uganda has more so been war-free way back from the 80s.

Safety and security

In Uganda crime threats are partially present like any other countries and they can be by passed if you observe caution. The chances of falling victim of credit card fraud, petty theft plus home robbery are very rare. You are advised to be vigilant and draw less attention to yourself while in public places so as to be less suspicious to pick-pocketing.

Uganda is very secure starting at the borders, the airport, national park destinations, hotels, lodges and various cities as the security bodies and personals carry out successful patrols and deploys in strategic crime source areas.

Political stability

Previously experiencing a few political issues that included sad loss of lives and destruction of property Uganda is now a free country free from all the political and the civil unrests.

These unrests include the 2005 in the northern part of Uganda, 2016 in the western part of Uganda and lastly in 2020 November-2021 January during the presidential elections.  The government managed to deal away with the situations and an improvement in security has been installed as the international community, Uganda security forces and the Uganda government at a glance have accomplished there efforts to remove any would be threats.

Like any other democratic country, Uganda goes through a series of short political situations (strikes, political violence and demonstrations) mostly during the elections but these are usually centered in the capital city and they don’t affect the safari attractions and destinations

You are advised to follow the local media updates so as to attain vigilantism during these situations to avoid any situation that can put you at risk.

Diseases and health

The latest covid-19 pandemic hit the all world Uganda inclusively. At this moment, things have all turned in their normal state as the country has impressively stabilized the situation all handedly.

 In 2010 Uganda experienced a yellow fever outbreak in the northern part, an Ebola outbreak in 2008 centered in the western part and the black plague outbreak in the western parts of river Nile. And also still dealing out with the malaria issues that are high during the rainy seasons in the low altitude areas. There have been a serious management of these outbreaks by the Ugandan government.

Travelers are advised to move along with there own preventive medicines and prescribed medications because the areas your visiting have limited excellent health services and the available ones can be expensive. Don’t forget the required vaccination before traveling to Uganda and consulting your medical insurance company whether the policy of emergency evacuation applies abroad.

Terrorism and regional security

The Ugandan citizens and the security forces have engaged in the fight against terrorism for a long time and they have successfully managed to enjoy terror free premises for quite some time. All the terror groups have been successfully defeated and moved out of Uganda with the help of Uganda’s neighboring governments that arrest the terror ring leaders. Uganda being the biggest contributor towards the AMISOM forces, it has a good strategy in the fighting of the al-Shabaab terrorist group.

Having vigilant and well sensitized citizens Uganda has managed to successful fight terrorism.

The traffic and road safety

Just like any other country Uganda has got traffic rules, careless drivers, livestock, poor roads, nonfunctioning traffic lights, poorly maintained vehicles and pedestrians. Day driving is considered safer but getting ready to deal with the above issues. Uganda has got a minimum traffic law enforcer though the government is trying to improve the situation.

You advised to exercise all the possible defensive driving skills in order to ensure safety to both you and the other road users

At adventure in the wild safaris we have got well skilled and experienced drivers ready to take you through your safari and adventurous vacations in Uganda assuring you a comfortable and safe journey.

Starting with the heavy rainfalls that bring about the floods and landslides, the short-term food security due to the droughts plus the infectious disease outbreaks can be rarely expected in Uganda.

Booking with adventure in the wild safaris grants you security throughout Uganda ranging from the experienced tour guides and drivers ready to secure your stay in Uganda and visitations through the different destinations in Uganda.

The lion tracking experience in Queen Elizabeth National Park

This is another way of watching lions in the Kasenyi plains of Queen Elizabeth national park, besides the usual game drives. It is more less a research about these predators in the area. Radio collars have been placed in necks of lions to easily monitor their movement from moving to farer areas of the neighboring communities. The researcher uses a radiation tracker to find lions with radio collars. You therefore move with a researcher allocated by Uganda Carnivore Project who helps you to be able to find where these lions are. Trackers drive closer to the lions and the researcher will tell you different things about the behaviors of these lions.

This activity is also done in the morning (8am) and evening like the usual game drive but you must be guided by a researcher. Duration for lion tracking experience is 1-3 hours, searching for the location of the lions, learning about their behaviors and viewing them. Unlike the usual game drive, lion tracking is limited to few people and therefore you need to book for this activity early if you want to go for it. The number of people is limited so that the peace of animals is not interfered with and to enable the researcher carry on his work well. It also enables the participants to enjoy the experience by viewing well and taking clear photos of the lions. A permit for the lion tracking experience costs $50 for foreign tourists and UGX100,000 for citizens of East Africa.

When tracking for the lions, don’t expect to find radio collars of all members of the entire pride. It’s only a few of the members that possess the radio collars and since they often move and stay in the groups, you’ll be able to see more of the members of their pride. In Uganda, lion tracking is done only in queen Elizabeth national park.

This form of monitoring and research has been of importance because it is through it that the pride of 11 lions that had been killed in one of the neighboring communities known as Hamukungu was found. Monitoring and being familiar about their habits will therefore help to keep them in harmony with the communities as they are also taught about the best way to continue living close to these animals in harmony.

The main purpose for this activity as earlier said is for monitoring and research of the lions of Queen Elizabeth national park due to their regular movement to the adjacent communities which often results into conflicts between the animals and local people. Therefore, it is okay to involve a few people in this research as more is learnt about the habits of these lions. 10% of the payment of tourists is paid to the Uganda Carnivores’ Project to contribute towards conservation.

As trekkers enjoy a close interaction with gorillas and chimps during the habituation experience with researchers in Bwindi and Kibale national parks, you can choose to have a close look at and learn about the habits of the lions of Queen Elizabeth national park in Kasenyi plains when you come for your wildlife safari. When with the researcher, you are permitted to drive off the trucks and move to the location of lions unlike when doing a usual game drive where travelers are given a penalty if they go off the tracks. This is one of the most thrilling experiences of wildlife in this park. You can consult us about booking for the experience when making your booking with us and we shall surely organize for it through Uganda Wildlife Authority and a space will be confirmed for you on an appropriate day of your travel.

Birding in Queen Elizabeth national park

Birding in Queen Elizabeth national park – With over 1,000 bird species, Uganda is one of the best birding destinations in Africa with numerous places that offer extremely high satisfaction for the experience. Among these birds is a big number of species that are rarely seen in other countries. Uganda is gifted with diverse breathtaking wildlife including gorillas, chimps, tree climbing lions and more and these are featured by the range of bird species which will be spotted from many places but with some species that are common in specific destinations.

In Uganda, Queen Elizabeth national park is an exceptional destination for bird watching. It has over 600 bird species found in different habitats including savannah, forests, wetlands and bushes and thickets. The park hosts the largest number of birds more than any other park in east Africa and therefore a good destination for birders. one of the areas where lots of birds are spotted is along Kazinga channel while cruising on the boat. Common bird sightings at this site include Pied kingfishers, African fish eagle, Water-thick knee, Spoon-billed stork, Hammerkop, African Jacana, Great egrets, Little egret, Egyptian geese, Pink and White backed pelicans, Malachite kingfisher and more.

There are many other areas in Queen Elizabeth national park where birders will always make great memories of the birding experiences. They include;

Mweya Penisula, this area is mainly covered with bushes and thickets and the common bird species at the peninsula are the Little Bee-eater, Red-capped Lark, Red-chested sunbird, Swallows, Grey-headed kingfisher, Martins, Blue-napped mousebird, Swamp Nightjar, Diederik Cuckoo, Pygmy kingfisher, Grey-caped warbler, Slender-billed weaver, Pin-tailed Whydah, Squire-tailed Nightjar, Nubian woodpecker, Black headed Gonolek among others.

Kasenyi plains, not only is this a game viewing spot but also a perfect place for bird watching. A lot of birds welcome you as you drive to Kasenyi and more including birds of prey are seen when driving through the tracks in the plains.  Some of these bird species include; the African White-backed Vulture, Palm-nut Vulture, Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture, Bateleurs, Senegal Plover, African Wattled Plover, Rufous napped Lark, White-tailed Lark, Martial eagle, Grey Kestrel, African Crake, Lappet-faced Vulture, Brown Snake Eagle, Hooded Vulture, Temmick’s courser, Kittlitz’s Plover, Crowned Plover, Long-created Eagle, Black-headed gonolek, Black-crowned Tchagra and much more.

Ishasha sector, this place is popular for tree climbing lions but also has a variety of bird species. Some of them are the shoebill, Lappet-faced Vulture, Hooded vulture, Palm-nut Vulture, Brown Snake eagle, Martial Eagle, Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture, Wahlberg’s eagle, Bateleur, Stipped kingfisher, Ross’s Turaco, Double toothed barbet, Green crombec, Yellow-billed oxpeckers, African green pigeon and Helmeted Guinea fowl among others.

Maramagambo forest

Maramagambo forest is mainly famous for the bat cave which also attracts snakes and has beautiful butterflies. This forest is also a habitat for a range of bird species some of which fly to Mweya every morning and go back to the forest in the evening. Common bird sightings in this forest are Black cuckoo, African Finfoot, Little grebe, Black coucal, Red-chested cuckoo, Red-throated Wryneck, African Emerald cuckoo, Marsh Tchagra, Black Bishop, Red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike and Barbets among others.

Other areas around Queen Elizabeth national park where lots of bird species are spotted are Katwe, Kyambura, around Katunguru Bridge and around Kikorongo. Uganda recognisess its birds on the popular “Big Birding Day” in wildlife every year and Queen Elizabeth national park has merged the top birding destination several times with the highest number of bird sightings. Arriving in

The best time for birding in Queen Elizabeth national park is from May to September to be able to also spot various migratory birds. All you need not to forget behind are your binoculars, birding book

Matheniko Wildlife Reserve

Matheniko game reserve is one of the areas in the Pearl of Africa where you can have a great time of the wilderness experience. It is located in the northeastern part of Uganda specifically in Moroto district in the Karamoja region. Matheniko game reserve has features and conditions that are closely similar to those in Somalia and Maasai-land because of its location and therefore a perfect place for tourists who are seeking calmness in the wilderness. Most parts of the reserve are covered with semi-desert grassland and others with shrub land. Notable vegetation species in the reserve include Red acacia, Bushwillows, the Red spike thorns and Harrisonia abyssinca among others.  Areas around Matheniko wildlife reserve receive an estimation of 670 milliliters of rainfall in a year and rains are more between April and May and in November.

Matheniko game reserve occupies an area of 590 sq miles and is part of the Karamoja wildlife protection zone which includes Kidepo Valley national park, Bokora and Pian Upe wildlife reserves. Matheniko wildlife reserve is stretches up to close to Mount Elgon, with rocks of about 6,000 feet. It has however been rated 5^th among the most threatened wildlife conservation areas in Uganda.

Matheniko game reserve is one of the less developed, considered and less visited places in Uganda because it is remote yet with poor infrastructure. The place is mainly dominated by the Karamajong people who were cattle rustlers with the tribes in their neighborhood. These people also used to have guns which they had grabbed from army barracks after they had been abandoned by fleeing government soldiers when another government is taking over. They used these guns in cattle rustling and other fights which brought destruction and earned the region a negative perception to the world, the Karamojong were looked at a violent and hostile tribe. For a long time the region was not safe to travel there until the government put lots of effort to disarm the armed cattle rustlers and create peace in the region. Government finally became successful and there region including the reserve are now safe to visit and stay.

Matheniko game reserve is a habitat for a range of animals. They include roan antelope, eland, oribi, cape buffalo, dik dik, waterbuck, mountain reedbuck, topi and Uganda kob. The reserve is mainly visited by travelers who are on hunting safaris. Predators in the reserve include leopards, spotted hyenas, serval cats, wild cats and jackals among others. The reserve also has some primates which include vervet monkeys, patas monkeys and olive baboons. The population of these big animals is however not dense like those in national parks such as Murchison falls national park, Lake Mburo national park and Queen Elizabeth national park.

 Reptiles in Matheniko game reserve are monitor lizards, water snakes, pythons, chameleon, geckos and other small lizards among others. It has a good number of birds and bird enthusiasts would surely have a good time here. Some of the birds recorded there include Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Dusky turtle dove, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Lemon dove, Red-billed oxpecker, Eastern Bronze-napped pigeon, Pygmy falcon, Egyptian Vulture, African hill warbler, Black-headed plover, Cattle egret, Grey cuckoo shrike and the ostrich.

Activities to do in Matheniko game reserve

Game drives; Game drives take place in the reserve in the morning and evening after registering with the office of Uganda Wildlife Authority in Moroto town. Animals seen during those hours include antelopes, buffaloes, lesser kudu, Topi and some cats.

Sport hunting; however much sport hunting is not well agreed up on by conservationists, the activity is popular in Matheniko Game reserve. The landscape is perfect for hunting and the animals to hunt are antelopes. This is important because it checks the population of these animals in the reserve.

Cultural experience; a visit to the communities of the Karamajong who live in this region is one of the things you ought not to miss when you travel to Matheniko wildlife reserve. The Karamajong are one of the few tribes in Uganda that have kept their culture original by not embracing modernity. They have a unique lifestyle from most of the Ugandans and are still cattle keepers. They entertain visitors with their cultural dances and songs.

Rock climbing; this region has many huge rocks and some of them are located within Matheniko wildlife reserve. You can choose to check your hiking skills at these rocks by climbing to the top which also offer spectacular views of the large beautiful reserve and the surrounding areas.

Rock paintings; there are numerous rocks around Matheniko game reserve, most of which posses paintings which are said to have been drawn by the Nilotics and Kushites about 3,500 years ago when they still inhabited these areas. The paintings reflect the kind of life they lived and animals that lived around the place.

Camping; here are perfect places to spend your night in the wilderness of Matheniko wildlife reserve. You close the day with a delicious meal while watching the beautiful sunset and magnificent hills at a distance and wake up to the bright sunrise in the wild.

A visit to the Matheniko Community Conservation and Beekeeping project; the purpose of this project is to enable the local people around the area to be able to earn from the project and provide for their families other than accessing the game reserve illegally to collect firewood and burn charcoal. Matheniko Community Conservation and Beekeeping project is done just outside the reserve around Mount Moroto areas.

Accommodation

There are no lodges within Matheniko game reserve but you can stay in the hotels in the nearest towns of Moroto and Kotido. If you want to sleep in the reserve, then you will sleep in public campsites where you will cook your own food. Camping within Matheniko game reserve is very comfortable and extremely private as this place is not visited by many people.

Getting there

Matheniko game reserve is about 420 kilometers by road from Kampala city and it takes approximately 8 hours to reach there by road. For public transportation, there are buses and coaches with daily schedules.

Top 15 Uganda Birds 

Top 15 Uganda Bird species to see in Uganda while on your birdwatching tour. Explore the 15 best Birds in Uganda. Birdwatching Uganda birds.

Uganda is a home to over 1000 bird species and most of these survive in the tropical forest areas, some of the most preferred bird species by birders include:

List of the 15 top birds in Uganda to look out for while on a birding safari

The shoebill

These are uncommon bird species that are hard to describe but cane spotted in various birding destinations in Uganda. It is also a large bird that has a whalehaed and can easily be spotted in Masha areas with fresh waters. The bird is interesting bird that liked by many birders, it is characterized by grey feathery color that are found on the adults and juveniles.

The African green broadbill.

This is among the big five birds in Africa and it is also known as the Grauer’s broadbill and it one of the most liked birds by the birders. It can be spotted in areas like the Albertine regions and the sub-tropical forests.  They are differentiated by their blue throat and a small bill.

The Green-breasted pitta

This can be found in the sun tropical forests as well as the soggy lowlands, though they are hard to find, they are one of the most liked birds by birders who desperately search for it while on their safari. They can be differentiated by their encircled throat with a black line plus it the green colored breast.

The great blue turaco 

These are some of the pretty and exciting birds, large in size and can be spotted in the savannah, montane forests, in tree canopies as well as sultry areas. The birds are hunted for meat and they are poor at flying.

The Shelley’s crimson wing

The bird is rare to find though it can be spotted in the Albertine rift valley region, and it is one of the most favorites to bird lovers. It can be differentiated by its olive heads plus the red mantle and its crown is covered by the bright red.

The standard-winged nightjar

It is not easy to spot the bird during day time, it can only be seen during the evening hours and at dawn. It can be differentiated by its flying foxes. It has feathers that can at times stretch up to 38cms and it is one of the birders favorite birds though hard to find.

The short-tailed Warbler

It is also known as Neumann’s Warbler, it is a unique bird with a large head, short tail, broad arch of hairs above its greyish-brown eye, the front of its eye is dull green and it is white designed. It can be spotted in the sub-tropical areas and forest vegetation.

The Doherty’s Bushshrike.

The bird can be spotted by its calling sound and it hides itself in the thick under bush thus is hard to see. It is has got outstanding colors especially the adults, it has a red cheerful throat and head, black tail, broad black breasted band, the young ones have a pale green color, yellow under parts and striped green.

The bar tailed trogon

These can be spotted in forest areas and they have yellow feet and bill, they have far on their long nail, females have brown heads, a light cinnamon throat and breast, while the males have blue black heads, two orange, one yellow patches found below the eye , luminous colors of the green-blue plus violet upper breast.

The black breasted barbet

These are known as one of the solitary birds that found in tree shell openings. They feed mainly on flowers, fruits, insects such as centipedes, dragon flies among many others.  They also feed on frogs, geckos as well as lizard as their food sometimes. They lay about 2 to 4 eggs and they incubate them for 13-15 days.  They can be differentiated by the big heads, hefty bill which fringe with the hackles.

Where to go birding

There are a lot of great spot destinations for bird watching experiences in Uganda. These include;

Mabamba bay wetland

The island is situated on at the edges of Lake Victoria, and it is a one hour’s drive from the city. The place is famous home for the shoebill that hides in the waterweeds as it waits for the fish. Other bird species in this area include the African and lesser Jacanas, the African pygmy goose, the blue breaded bee eater, the pied king fisher among others. The place can be accessed using canoe boats, wooden boats which carry about 3 people and it takes a short time to get to the island.

Queen Elizabeth national park

This is one of the birder’s paradises in Uganda with about 600 bird species and birding in Queen Elizabeth national park is done in various regions of the park such as maramagambo forest, Kasenyi plains, kazinga channel, Katunguru Bridge, Ishasha sector, lake Kikorongo and Mweya peninsular. Some of the bird species expected be spotted in the park include; African skimmer, the Chapin’s flycatcher, the marital eagle, the bar-tailed godwit, pink-backed pelican, African braid bill, the papyrus Canary, the black-rumped buttonquail, the white winged warbler, among others.

Bwindi impenetrable forest

Bwindi forest national park is not only a famous destination for the gorilla trekking experience but it is also great place for bird watching experience for all bird lovers. Bwindi forest is a home to over 350 bird species and about 14 bird species are not found elsewhere in other countries. The bird watching sections in Bwindi forest national park include bamboo zone, the waterfall trail in Buhoma sector and the Mubwindi swamp trail. Birds found in Bwindi forest include; the green Tinker bird, the white bellied robin chat, the archer’s robin chat, the red-throated alethe, the dwarf honey guide, the Shelly’s greenbull, African wood owl, the fine-banded woodpecker, the bar tailed trogon, the grey Cuckoo-shrike, the handsome francolin among others.

Semiliki national park

This is one of the best bird watching destinations in Africa. The park has sections where you can enjoy bird watching experience such Sempaya, Ntandi and river Kirumia region. Some of the bird species that will be spotted in this park include; the white crested hornbill, the ross’s Turaco, the great blue, the piping hornbill, the shoebill stork, the yellow throat Nicator, the red billed dwarf hornbill among others.

Murchison Falls national park

Murchison falls national park which is the largest national park is another birder’s paradise and it famous home to the shoebill stork which is the major attraction on the shores of the Albertine Nile that cross through the park. The birds in the park include the forest birds, the Albertine endemic birds, as well as savannah birds which and they can be spotted on a game drive safari in the park, on a boat cruise, or on guided nature walk in the park. Besides the shoebill that is common in the dry season there are other bird species found in the park such as the woodpeckers, the red throated and swallow-tailed bee eater, the warbler, the grey heron, the francolin, the shrikes, ducks, geese, Cuckoos, malachite king fisher, stilts among others.

Lutembe bay

Lutembe wetland bay is located on the shores of Lake Victoria and the place is famous destination for bird watching experience. it is known place for stopover birds where they make their break for their journey, it is home to populations of bird which are migratory and others are indigenous birds. There over 200 birds that live in this place and about 26 are migratory birds. They include the African green pigeon, the road billed roller, the brown-backed scrub robin, the sooty chat, the lead-colored flycatcher, the tropical boubou, the whiskered tern among others.

Mgahinga Gorilla national park

Mgahinga is a habitat for the endangered mountain gorillas and it is also home to over 180 species of birds where some are Albertine endemic. Birders will take trails such as the gorge trail, the bamboo trail, farm or community trail and birds you will see in the park include Cinnamon bracken warbler, the banded Prinia, the black headed waxbill, the western green tinker bird, the cape robin, the turtle dove, the Rwenzori batis the blue headed sunbird, the streaky seed-eater, the olive pigeon, the great double collared, the stripe-breasted tit among others.

Kibale national park

Kibale national park is famous best home for primate animals although it is another birder’s paradise in Uganda. The sanctuary has over 139 bird species which you will enjoy viewing from different sections of the park. Expected to enjoy watching bird species like the black and white shrike flycatcher, the brown throated wattle eye, the yellow spotted barbet, the grey winged Robin chat, the western Nicator, the white winged warbler, the browned-crowned Tchagra, the papyrus gonolek, the black bishop, the white collared olive back among others.

Rwenzori mountains national park

The park is a habitat to about 217 bird species, 19 are endemic to the Albertine rift valley area. Bird species will be spotted on a hike and some of these include the blue headed sunbird, the white stared robin chat, the swifts, the black eagles, the beard vultures, the long eared owl, golden winged sunbird, the Rwenzori Turaco among others.

Lake Mburo national park

Lake Mburo national park is among the bird watching places in Uganda and birds can be spotted in different regions such as the marshy areas of Miriti, Warukiri, and camp Rwonyo among other places with in the park. Some of the birds that will be spotted in the park include the common scrimitarbill, the grey crown crane, the white headed barbet, long-tailed cristicola, the white-winged Tit, the red-shouldered Cuckoo-shrike, the black-bellied bustard, Coqui francolin, the green wood-hoopoe, the brown parrot, the bare foot faced Go-away bird among others.

Top 15 Uganda Bird species to see in Uganda while on your birdwatching tour. Explore the 15 best Birds in Uganda. Birdwatching Uganda birds.