As Bradford Ochieng, deputy CEO of Uganda Tourism Board, rattles off all the marvels Uganda offers visitors, you can feel the passion he has for this East African country.
“It’s the heart of Africa,” says Ochieng. There’s good reason, he says, Uganda’s tagline is, in fact, “the pearl of Africa.” And, he adds, “it’s quite diverse” when it comes to its tourism offerings.
This small country—size-wise, he stresses—is the eighth most populous nation in Africa, the continent’s number-one coffee producer, home to 10 national parks, “with plenty of wildlife,” adds Ochieng. It’s the primate capital of the world with more than 5,000 chimpanzees, about 500 gorillas—the country is known for its gorilla-trekking. And, he adds, Uganda is also home to the big five, home to almost 8,000 elephants.
But, stresses Ochieng, beyond marveling at wildlife, the great outdoors await with plenty of activities such as white-water rafting, canoeing, kayaking, mountaineering and cycling. When it comes to mountaineering, in fact, the country is known as the “land of mountains” with some 2,800 peaks offering panoramic views across savannahs, lakes and forests. One of the most famous, says Ochieng, are the “Mountains of the Moon,” or the Rwenzori Mountains, home to six of the highest mountains in Africa.
There are also 14 waterfalls, eight major rivers, 506 central forest reserves and 165 lakes as well as more than 1,000 confirmed bird species. On the cultural side, Uganda is home to more than 700 cultural sites. The country offers a diverse cultural mosaic of music, art and handicrafts ranging from Bantu in the Central, West, Southwest and East, to Nilotic groups of people in the North, Northeast and Northwest.
Booking Uganda with a Tour Operator
Several USTOA tour operator members offer guided itineraries to Uganda. These include Intrepid Travel, whose offerings span from a 16-day Gorillas and Game Parks journey that pairs Uganda with Kenya to a 64-day Africa Encompassed Northbound itinerary that explores a host of countries in Africa in addition to Uganda.
SITA World Tours, meanwhile, puts the focus on Uganda’s wildlife in its 8-day Uganda Wildlife Safari, while Abercrombie & Kent can create a private journey for your clients with its 9-day Tailor Made Uganda: Realm of the Primate.
For more information, visit utb.go.ug.
