Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary nominated as the best Chimp Sanctuary in Africa by Jane Goodall - Uganda Safaris

Known as an anthropologist,a pwerhouse primatologist and the founder of Jane Goodall Institute,Jane Goodall is aprominent primate lover.She recently made a visit to Uganda's Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary Island,the leading sanctuary in he country.She was so touched with what she saw while at the island and this impressed her to a point of nominating it as the leading sanctuary in Africa.

Africa has a total of 29 chimp sanctuaries and among these,Goodall founded two and extends financial support to the remaining 27 sanctuaries.This makes her a prominent figure when it comes to chimpanzees and she has all the necessary experience in their conservation.Her involvement in the primate world has gained her attention from the whole world and she has many followers including both tourists and conservationists.

When Goodall made her visit to Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary Island,she was so amazed with how the chimpanzees are treated with great care and love.The chimp caregivers give the primates all the necessary love and treat them with a feeling that they are the closest creatures to human beings.With all the observations she was quoted saying that " I have moved to all the Sanctuaries in Africa but I had never seen what I saw on this (Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary Island) Island". She went on and ranked the sanctuary as the leading chimpanzee sanctuary in Africa.

Goodall even celebrated her 80th birthday at Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary Island and shs pointed out that according to her observations,all the 47 chimps on the Island are treated with kind and love that she had never seen anywhere on the planet.

Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary Island's ranking will lead to an increase in the number of visitors and even Africa safaris are to increase.In the past,it was only gorilla safaris that were identical of Uganda but this year,chimp safaris are to increase.

Goodall has very many followers ( over 10 million) and by recognizing Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary Island,visitor  are to increase fro the current 4000 to 5000.

Location
Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary Island is just 23km from Entebbe,Uganda,and it stands on an area of about 100 acres.Its situated on Africa's largest lake (Lake Victoria).

Katara Lodge - Uganda Safaris

Location
Located on the Great Rift Valley escarpment with magnificent views of Queen Elizabeth National Park plus views of Lake Edward,Virunga and Rwenzori mountains and the beautiful Savannah.

Outside view of the Lodge

 Accommodation
Katara Lodge has 7 luxurious thatched cottages situated on splendid hills the overlooks the beautiful savannah to offer a relaxing environment to guests.
The cottages were designed in an African style and this makes them stand out from a far distance.They are made of wooden floors,grass thatched roofs and have balconies to provide great views to visitors.Each cottage has an en-suite bathroom and an eco friendly bathroom plus a private bathroom.
There are also 7 regular cottages and a family cottage.The regular cottages have 1 sitting and sleeping area each with a double and a 4 poster star bed.

Some the activities carried out at the Lodge include;

1. Game drives through Queen Elizabeth National Park
2. Chimp tracking 
3. Nature walks that are guided
4. Boat cruising on Kazinga channel
5. Cultural walks

Wildlife viewing and Birding tips in Uganda - Uganda Safaris

Most of Uganda's visitors come mainly for wildlife viewing and birding,therefore it is necessary to know the specific places that a visitor should put his/her emphasis on.

Wildlife viewing
For visitors who are interested in wildlife Safaris in Uganda,there are only 8 national parks in Uganda that offer wildlife viewing opportunities and these are;Queen Elizabeth National Park,Murchison falls National Park,Lake Mburo National Park,Kidepo Valley National Park,Semuliki National Park,Mgahinga National Park,Kibale Forest National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park has the greatest variety of mammals but there are no Giraffes at this park.However,Murchison Falls National Park has the larger mammals in greater concentration.
Both these parks have common wild animals like  elephants,hippos,buffaloes,kobs,bushbucks and on rare occasions,predators like the lion and leopard are seen.

Buffaloes at Murchison Falls National Park

Zebras and elands in Lake Mburo National Park has led to the popular visits to the park because its the only park in the south with them.But these elegant animals can also be found in  Kidepo Valley National Park.On top of the Zebras and elands,Kidepo valley has a wide collection of mammals including the cheetahs,kudus,ostriches,bat-eared foxes and many more mammals that are not found in other parts of Uganda.

Semuliki National Park is another park where game drive are enjoyed by visitors and they get to see over 63 mammal though most visitors mainly go for chimpanzee tracking.

Gorilla tracking is the major attraction for Uganda due to the presence of the hard-to find mountain gorillas.These gorillas are found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park.Spend about an hour with these human-like mammals.Gorillas move a lot searching for food and therefore the visitor has to be equipped with the knowledge on how to track them.This explains why there are very my Gorilla Safaris in Uganda.
Unlike the gorillas,chimpanzees are easy to track because they don't travel a lot and they are see jumping on different tree branches.

Another adventurous activity that attracts tourists to Uganda is Chimpanzee tracking.These chimps are mainly found in Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park,Kibale Forest National Park and Murchison Falls National Park.A visitor can as well enjoy chimp tracking at Semuliki National Park that has the best viewing because of it's magnificent Savannah views.

It is advisable that you take  ranger with you on any game drive to protect you in case of any encounter. Usually these rangers brief visitors before setting off to the wild.
Travelling by road is the best mean of transport to use when going for game viewing because wild animals are easily seen from the car windows.

Birding in Uganda
Uganda has over 1045 bird species of birds (half of Africa's total bird population), and this makes it one of the best birding paradise in the world.These birds are splendid to look at and can spice up your birding safari to Uganda.
The country offers a wide collection of birds that visitors can watch including 25 Albertine rift endemics such as the African green broadbill and the handsome francolin.

Nyungwe Forest National Park - Rwanda Safaris

Nyungwe Forest National Park extends for 1,000 sq.kilometers across the majestic hills in the southeast of Rwanda.The park is one of the oldest in Africa and its the largest block of the montane forest in central and East Africa

A bird at Nyungwe Forest National Park

The park's richness in floral diversity plus over 250 different types of trees,and a myriad of numerous flowering plants for example,the rare worldly giant lobelia and colourful orchids,makes it a desirable destination to tourists.

Nyungwe Forest National Park has over 13 primate species in total such as the human-like chimpanzees,handsome L'Hoest monkey,owl-faced monkeys,vervet monkeys,Grey-cheeked mangabey,olive baboon,Rwenzori colobus,Den't mona monkey,3 species of bush baby and different troops of the delightfully acrobatic Angola colobus.

The park is also a birding paradise with a wide collection of birds (over 300 bird species), among which 2 dozens are restricted to a few of the Montane forests on the Albertine Rift Valley.
One of the rare-to find bird but found at the park is the great blue turaco. This bird is not easily seen in Africa because it stays in specific places with specific conditions.It is a red and green bird that streams from tree to tree just like a psychedelic turkey.

Activities at the park
-Nature walks: walking through an extensive network of well maintained walking trails as you enjoy the beauty of the vegetation,i s one of the unforgettable adventures that he park provides.These trails lead to various waterfalls and viewing points in different corners of the park.
-Chimp tracking:this is done from the forest and its a guided activity.While tracking,several varieties of other smaller primate species are seen.
-Birding:serious birders may never want to leave Nyungwe Forest National Park due to the diversity of the bird species.With over 300 bird species,birders can spend more than 4 days just looking for some hiding birds.
-Taking photographs:One can take a beautiful photo with a chimp or in the trees of the forest.
Other activities include;scaling Mt. Bigugu,excursions to Lake Kivu and expedition to Kamiranzovu Marsh.

Accommodation at the Park
-Nyungwe Forest Lodge:
This is an Eco-lodge situated in the tea estate that overlooks Nyungwe forest.The lodge has comfortable rooms and health clubs.The rooms have en-suite private bathrooms with warm water.
-Gisakura Guesthouse:this is just 2 km from the park.

Alternatively,one can stay at Uwinka Rest House or ORTPN campsites.

Semuliki National Park - Uganda Safaris

Semuliki National Park is found in the extreme west of Uganda in Bundibugyo district.The park sprawls across the floor of the Semuliki Valley and it's along the Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo border.

A bird at SemulikI National Park

The Ituri forest acts as an eastern extension for the Park. Ituri forest is one of Africa's most bio-diverse and ancient forest that has survived for more than 18,000 years.

The Park contains various features that are hard-to find in other parks and this explains why tourists enjoy making trips to this remote park.

Facts about the Park
Semuliki National Park was gazetted in October 1993 and it covers an area of about 220km squared.The park's topology is flat with gently undulating land form,that is 760m above sea level.
The streams and rivers that flow from the surrounding areas drain through the park.This is the reason why many areas in the park are flooded during the rainy season.

Attractions at the park
Birding Safars:The park is a wonderful destination for tourists due to it's diverse small animals,butterflies and birds.The recorded number of bird species is 445 and this is about 35% of Uganda's total.Some of theses birds at the park are hard to find elsewhere in East Africa like the horn bills and lyre tailed honey guide.

The park has 63 mammal species and among these there are 9 diurnal forest primates including the Chimpanzees (chimpanzee safaris/tracking),vervet monkeys,olive baboons and blue monkeys.
Other mammals found in the park include the buffaloes,beecroft's flying squirrels,blue duikers,pigmy squirrels, target rat,water chevrotain and fruit bat,elephants,leopards,sitatungas and crocodiles.

The park is said to have over 374 species of butterflies and months plus 47 species of forest swallowtails and charaxes.

A hotspring at the Park

Activities at the park
Making a journey to Semuliki National Park exposes you to splendid views of nature.The moment you get to the park,there are numerous activities that one can opt for including;
-Spot fishing.this is done along the river  Semuliki. Visitors are expected to come with their fishing facilities.
-Game drives-Both day and evening game drives are arranged at the park and this goes through the park.The visitor gets a chance to have a close glance of the wild animals plus taking photos.These drives are guided.
-Boat trip.Have a chance to see the magnificent hot springs situated in a tract of hot mineral swampland.Still on this trip,different birds are seen flying both high and near the water.
-Birding.The presence of numerous rare birds at the park makes it an ideal place for birders.
-Cultural walks.Meet and greet the local people known as the Batuku and the Batwa people,who occupy the area.These people have unique cultures that are interesting.

Accommodation
There are a number of accommodation places specifically in Fort Portal and Bundibugyo town where a visitor can stay and relax.The campsite at Bugama (about 3km from Sepaya gate) is another place where a visitor can stay.

How to get there
Semuliki National Park can be accessed by travelling from Kampala to Fort Portal via Mubende.This is about 300km.Alternatively,one can opt to pass through Masaka ,Mbarara and Kasese which is about 515km.This is a longer route but it enables one to view Kyambura Wildlife Reserve,Lake Mburo National Park,Queen Elizabeth National Park and Rwenzori Mountains National Park.

Murchison Falls National Park - Uganda Safaris

What is Murchison Falls National Park?

This park came into existence in 1926 when it was gazetted by the Ugandan government with an aim of protecting a Savannah. The Park's falls are one of the greatest attractions that tourists come to have a glance at.The Park is bisected by the Victoria Nile and this causes a white water rapid that is so magnificent to look at.

Where is it located?
Murchison Falls National Park is found in the northwestern Uganda spreading inland from Lake Albert around Victoria Nile,where the Bunyoro escarpments merge into the vast plains of Acholi land.

What are the main Tourist attractions at the Park?
The unique Murchison Falls and the River Nile are the main attractions in this park,having a wide collection of aquatic animals such as the Hippos and Crocodiles.These are best seen when they come to drink water in the afternoon from the Nile.
The waterfalls offer a dramatic view to the tourists.The most appropriate site to view these falls is at the top where the site and sound of the crashing water make an unforgettable assault on the senses. 
Pabidi and Kaniyo Forests are other interesting attractions where visitors go for a nature walk,and get an opportunity to track the chimpanzees.
Birding is another activity that the park offers with over 100 bird species including the Ituri batis,white thi hornbill and yellow-footed catcher.
Consequently,the visitors can enjoy the Park's prime views of the Savannah Game area.This grassland wilderness is between the Victoria Albert Nile with splendid views.

Where to stay while at Murchison Falls National Park?
There are numerous lodges where visitors can stay while at this Park and these include;Red chilli Rest Camp,Kaniyo Pabidi Rest Camp,Nile Safari Camp,Para Safari Lodge and Simbiya River Lodge.
These Lodges are organised with modern facilities and are strategically located to offer great views to the guests.
In the neighboring town (Masindi town) there are also comfortable places to stay like the Masindi Hotel and Court View Hotel.

How to get there
When travelling by road,it is approximately a 5 hours drive from Kampala.This is about 306km from Kampala.Alternatively,one can use the route that passes through Budongo forest and get a chance to get see the splendid Lake Albert.