5 Top Attractions to Enjoy on a Self Drive in Uganda

Uganda can be explored on a self drive safari, thanks to its well-developed infrastructures that make it easy for tourists to travel and drive on their own.

Uganda offers a highlighted self drive expedition, it is endowed with lots of natural attractions that keep you engaged till the end of the trip.

The attractions to see in Uganda are mostly wildlife and physical features but these are not your usual ones, these are peculiar to your everyday sightings. You only have to visit Uganda to witness what we are talking about.

Uganda has innumerable attractions and every individual has their favorites. So in this article, we explain our 5 top attractions to enjoy on a self drive.

Big Five in Open Savannah Grasslands

The big five consist of lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and buffaloes. Uganda has a majority of these sought-after animals in its savannah parks except the rhinos that are only found in Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

The legacy of the big five animals is rooted in the African Traditional Society where they were so hard to hunt. Whoever hunted one in the wilderness was considered a hero and brave in society.

This has been carried on up to date but it is not about hunting, it is about conserving them. An area with the big five is treasured by eco-tourists who frequently visited to enjoy them in their natural form.

This is why they are among the 5 top attractions to enjoy on a self drive in Uganda. As mentioned earlier, most savannah parks such as Queen Elizabeth national park, Kidepo Valley National Park and Murchison Falls Conservation Area have only four of the big five animals (lions, buffaloes, leopards, and elephants).

However, there is an opportunity to see the big five animals on a safari if a visit to Murchison Falls National Park is combined with a stopover at Zziwa Sanctuary. The two animal habitats are proximate to each other.

Gorillas in Fogged Highlands

With their peaceful and gentle demeanor, gorillas simply make it to the list of the top 5 attractions to enjoy on a self drive in Uganda.

The gorillas in Uganda reside in two natural abodes of Bwindi forests and Mgahinga volcano, all located in the southwest of the country.

Travelers spend a reasonable amount of time reaching these natural habitats.  But they do not feel the long-distance bother and fatigue because of the excitement accrued to meeting the huge apes in their natural setting.

The excitement is not for nothing, the gorilla trekking experience does not disappoint. Hanging with the gorillas at close range is captivating and interesting.

These endangered apes have intriguing social characters that send the trackers into a frenzy. Their interaction is similar to ours, and their judgment and thinking are beyond animal nature. Such special traits make the gorilla encounter such a memorable learning experience.

Chimpanzees Somersaulting on Canopies

Like gorillas, chimpanzees are intelligent animals, even more. These small dramatic apes are regarded as our closest relative in animal classification with a 98% genetic code similarity.

Contrastingly the chimpanzees are arboreal and wilder animals, they spend most of their time on trees. Their interaction is not as intimate as gorilla tracking one but also rewarding.

The chimpanzees are dramatic, lively, and vocal making their trekking experience exciting. They try to tease or at times lure tourists into playing with them.

A binocular and a good camera must come in handy to get the best out of the chimpanzee trekking. The main chimpanzee tracking destination in Uganda is Kibale forest national park, situated in western Uganda within the proximity of Fort Portal Tourism City.

Mountains of The Moon

Mountain Rwenzori is one of the natural wonders found in Africa, its snowcapped peaks are something to marvel at. It is such a glaring phenomenon; it cannot be true that a place can experience snow in a hot area with an average temperature of 28 degrees Celsius but it is the blunt truth.

Tourists on a self guided tour around Uganda visit these ranges in Tooro Region to witness, the miraculous marvel. When they reach the top, they touch, smell, and play with the snow and approve that glaciers exist on this wonderful elevated feature.

Birds Chirping 

Birders worldwide say, there is no place like Uganda in terms of bird concentration. On record, the pearl of Africa has over 1060 species of birds living in the various sites.

Uganda is a bird haven, which is witnessed once you step out of the airplane. you’re welcomed by birds in the skies. You cannot take a stride without seeing a bird somewhere, they are all over the place.

Although Uganda has birds everywhere, there are popular habitats where a tourist can comprehensively enjoy a birding experience.

These include Mabamba wetlands, queen Elizabeth national park, Kidepo valley national park, Bigodi wetland, Kibale forest, Bwindi impenetrable forest, and botanical garden to mention but a few.

In the birding designated places, species found comprise shoebill, turaco, black-tailed dragon, regal sunbird, grey crowned crane, marabou stork, hornbill, egrets, sparrows, doves, and many more.

Uganda is such a beautiful and exciting country to tour; you are spoilt with choices of attractions. You can enjoy one or more attractions on a self drive safari, the onus is on you to select the best ones for you.