Uganda is located in East Africa and is bordered by Kenya, Sudan, DRC, Tanzania and Rwanda. The country is famous throughout the world because of the presence of the presence of the huge Lake Victoria in its southern region.
Winston Churchill called it the pearl of Africa; the country offers some of the most breathtaking wildlife terrain in the world. Uganda’s most famous self drive tourist places include; Bwindi impenetrable national park, Mgahinga national park, kidepo national park, Murchison falls national park, queen Elizabeth national park, kibale national park, Ssese Island, and the Rwenzori mountain national park.
Below are some of the best places to be visited on self-drive safari in Uganda.
Kidepo Valley National Park; the park is located in north east Uganda. The park was opened in 1958 and is managed by Uganda Wildlife Authority.
The nearest town to the park is that of Moroto a t a distance of about two hundred and twenty Kilometers. The Park borders the country of South Sudan.
To major rivers; the Kidepo River and the Narus River both flow through the park. Game viewing is one of the most famous attractions for tourists in the park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park; the park covers an area of 1978 sq km and its located in Uganda’s western side; the gigantic park covers Kasese, Kamwenge, Bushenyi and Rukungiri districts of Uganda.
The park is just 370km from Kampala. The national park was opened to tourists in 1954 and has been named after Queen Elizabeth 11.
The park is home to 95 different species of mammals and more than 500 bird species. The park is manged by Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Kasubi Tombs; These tombs are the burial site of the 4 kings of Buganda and are located in Kampala known to be UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2010 many of the building were destroyed by a fire. However, the Government is committed to restoring the tombs as soon as possible for tourists. The place was an impotant tourism destination.
Ssese Islands on Lake Victoria; these are groups of eighty four Islands in Lake Victoria. The Islands are divided into two visible groups, the Bugala group and the Koome group.
The bantu people occupy these islands. Tourism industry is rapidly growing on these islands with more and more infrastructure being developed. The islands are among the top best tourist places in Uganda.
Kampala City; this is the largest city in Uganda. People are very friendly and it’s a very peaceful city. You will get to see tourists walking around in the city even in the early hours of the day.
Some of the places that you must tour while in the city are The Uganda Museum, the Nommo Art Gallery, the National Theatre, The Rubaga and Namirembe Cathedrals, The Gaddafi National Mosque, the Wamala Tombs, the Bahai Temple and the building of the Parliament of Uganda. Owino market and Nakasero markets are two of the main markets of the city; both of which are always bustling with tourists.
Lake Mburo National Park; the famous tourism spot of Uganda, the park is located in the western side of the country in Kirugura district. The national park is at a distance of 300km from the city of Mbarara.
The park has got more than 300 bird species and has a huge variety of animals like the impala, zebras and the wild buffaloes. There are many luxury tented camps that are inside the park for tourists who tour the park.
Lake Victoria; this is Africa’s Lake and largest tropical lake with an area of close to 70000 sqkm. It’s the second largest fresh water lake in the world besides North America’s Lake Superior.
The lake falls in the territory of three countries with 45 % of its area under the control of Uganda. The Lake is a tourist magnet and one of the best tourist places in Uganda.
Rwenzori Mountains National Park; this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Rwenzori mountains in southwest Uganda. The national park is famous for its amazing plant lie. It’s filled with waterfalls, many small lakes and glaciers. Eco tourism is rapidly increasing in the park.
Murchison Falls National Park; the park is known as the Kabarega National park located in north western Uganda. The national park is well known for its amazing wildlife despite being ravaged by poachers.
The park is home to four of the big five animals including the elephants, lions, and the leopards. The park was also home to Rhinos but they became extinct due to poaching and hunting during the sixties and the seventies.
However Rhinos are again being bred to be introduced in the park. Other animals that are present in the park include Hippopotamus, Giraffes, Antelopes, Uganda Kob, Hartebeest and Oribi.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park; this is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the top best tourist places in Uganda, its located in south western Uganda. The national park is one of the richest ecosystems anywhere in the world with many different species of birds and mammals.
The park has got 200 different species of butterflies, colobus monkeys, chimpanzees and many birds. The park lies in a remote area and traveling to the area is hard task because of the poor condition of the roads. Despite this thousands of tourists visit the park annually that being because of the unique Gorilla tracking facility provided by the park.