Adventure and discovery is the mind of the heart and soul and yes the famous saying goes, the journey is the destination. In this context, the destination is the famous pearl of Africa – Uganda. Winston Churchill happily named Uganda the pearl of Africa after had worked and travelled this country from north to south, west to East and all round just before he concluded to the naming.
Uganda is a small land locked country profoundly famous for harboring half of the mountain gorillas and a small country enveloped in beautiful scenery and lush green vegetation. I would proudly echo the famous saying, “the only man that has not travelled, is the man than has not been to Africa and yes particularly to Uganda, oh yes the pearl of Africa.
Uganda is a country with incredible scenery, half of the world’s primates, wild game in the great rift valley, beautiful water bodies and yes, the friendliest people on the African continent. Did I mention the country with the most nutritious foods? There you go.
Traveling in Uganda is as easy and possible as flipping your two figures. All destinations can be accessed by road and by plane from the Entebbe international airport. Many travelers always prefer to be in company of driver guides and will travel with most local tour companies in the country, but there is something about self drive car rental in Uganda that hasn’t been addressed to travelers. Yes this is absolutely possible about Uganda with a number of self drive car rental agencies offering car rental in Uganda offering not just car rental but great insider tips for a great self drive safari. Let’s move around the country and see what Uganda can offer on a self drive hire safari
The Central Uganda
The capital city of Uganda – Kampala is a unique destination to start and finish your safari. How about a self drive car hire through the town to experience the crazy hours and car flows of the city. Its quite tight but rilly cool for adventure. This we recommend for only the experienced drivers or who have driven in Kampala before. Make use of the Free GPS service provided by Auto Rental Uganda on a car rental to Uganda. The kasubi tombs in kasubi, the Kabaka’s palace, the Gaddafi mosque, the Bahai temple, the Uganda museum and the namugongo martyrs shrine are good for a day’s city tour. You could opt for the culture dances by Ndere troupe for a traditional understanding of Uganda. If you have an extra day, get down to the famous and biggest town in Uganda, the Owino market.
The Eastern Uganda
Partly profoundly referred to as the tourism capital of East Africa and a series of well formed landscape envelopes a true picture of paradise. A self drive safari to Jinja will definitely take you through the light streaming through lush green canopy tress of mabira forest and insightful, eye-catching sugar plantations. This should lead you to a once Arab territory currently referred to as the tourism capital of East Africa. Being the town with the source of the longest river in the world, you can opt to kayak the Nile, Raft the Nile, Bungee jump, visit the Speke Monument, Quad bike and yes make a sundowner next to the calm flowing waters of the Nile.
Further east of Jinja lies the Mountain Elgon bordering with Kenya. You may opt to hike the top of the mountain peak the wagagai or do nature walks. However the most common rewarding hike lies on the incredibly beautiful Sippi in Kapchorwa town. The sipi falls are a series of three fascinating waterfalls falling and splashing to create an awe-breathtaking paradise like atmosphere. The walk can be doubled with traditional encounters like the famous public male circumcision ceremonies, coffee tours.
The southern and western Uganda
When you say Uganda is the pearl of Africa, then South and western Uganda is the mother of Pearl. Topping the list is the famous and internationally known Bwindi Forest National park a habitat for half the world’s mountain gorillas and one of the oldest rain forest in Africa. The terrain and landscape down south neighboring the Bwindi winds its self in steep rolling hills and lust green dotted plains. Gorilla tracking is the most common activity carried out in Bwindi forest which brings you up-close and personal with humans’ closest relatives. The neighboring Queen Elizabeth National park is one of the oldest bio-diversity and most visited park in Uganda due to its accessibility and animal population. The exciting and eye-catching Ishasha plains dotted with acacia and fig trees is famous for the elusive tree climbing lions. A self drive safari through the southern circuit takes you through the ever green horizontally positioned branches of Fig trees which luckily give the lazy sleeping Kings of the jungles hitching and comfortably resting in the shades.
Up North at the Mweya peninsular is also the famous Kazinga channel that connects Lake George and Lake Edward. There are chances for boat rides or cruises at this channel with great opportunities to see the wild game scotching off the heat in the water. On the shores of the channel that winds into lake Edward are huge herds of buffaloes, elephants and countless schools of hippos groaning and keeping territories. With the birdlife the list is endless at the water shores, oh yes the life paring Fish Eagles can be seen hitching the tall Acacia trees on the lookout for fishing the waters.
Far west of Uganda is the Primate Capital of Africa, the Kibale Forest National Park. Over 13 species of primates including the famous Chimpanzees, human’s closest relatives with a 98.8% DNA. There is chimpanzee trekking done in the morning and afternoon sessions. The Bigodi swamp walk is another fun filled activity that takes you through a wetland for some of the primates and beautiful birds including the great blue Turaco.
The western side of Uganda can be connected and doubled with the far west Semuliki National park for a wild game adventure, hot springs and Batwa community encounter or opt to connect to this self drive discovery to the north west of Uganda – The Murchison falls National Park. Either way Uganda will still be regarded as the pearl of Africa as the saying goes, The journey is the Destination.
Leave a Reply