Lonely Planet, a renowned travel guide publisher, offers comprehensive insights into Uganda’s rich cultural heritage, diverse wildlife, and breathtaking landscapes. The Lonely Planet Uganda guide highlights several must-see attractions across the country:
Table of Contents
Lonely Planet Uganda Highlight #1: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Home to nearly half of the world’s mountain gorilla population, this UNESCO World Heritage Site provides opportunities for gorilla tracking amidst its dense forests.
Lonely Planet Uganda Highlight #2: Murchison Falls National Park
Uganda’s largest national park, known for the dramatic Murchison Falls where the Victoria Nile crashes through a narrow gorge, and a diverse array of wildlife.
- Kidepo Valley National Park: Located in the remote northeastern region, this park offers stunning savannah landscapes and is rich in wildlife, providing a more secluded safari experience.
- Kampala: The vibrant capital city features attractions such as the Mengo Palace, Kasubi Tombs, and the Uganda Museum, reflecting the nation’s history and cultural diversity.
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Uganda Tops Lonely Planet’s Top Countries to Visit List
In 2011, when I realized that Uganda had been named Lonely Planet’s top country to visit in 2012, it suddenly dawned on me that though I had often been to Uganda, I had never really viewed it as a tourist destination.
Rather, the time I spent in Uganda was usually about spending time with my extended family.
That, I thought, needed to change.
Deciding to Explore Uganda as a Tourist
So…that year, as I found myself spending long days chilling in the village, I decided to do something touristy.
I would take a trip to Lake Mburo National Park.
Trust me, that wasn’t much of a stretch: Lake Mburo National Park is also in Kiruhura District. Yet, for all the years I had been going to Kiruhura, not once had I thought of visiting the park.
Keeping with the theme of family bonding, I loaded my mother’s car full of relatives, and off we went to discover what Lake Mburo National Park had to offer.
In less than two hours, we found ourselves at Lake Mburo National Park’s Sanga gate, where we stopped to pay the Lake Mburo National Park entrance fee.
The fees were quite low since everyone in the car was East African.
We paid Ush. 10,000 per person and Ush. 30,000 for the car and proceeded into the park for the 9 km drive to the park’s headquarters at Rwonyo.
Entering Lake Mburo National Park
As soon as we entered the park, we began to see animals (but then again, in Kiruhura, it’s not at all uncommon to see zebra during the course of everyday life).
We saw antelopes, zebra, warthogs and baboons.
This was all very exciting for my younger cousins, none of whom had ever been to a national park before.
In no time, we made it to Rwonyo, the park’s headquarters.
As I learned from my disastrous trip to Tarangire National Park, it is not advisable to tour a national park without an experienced guide.
At the park’s headquarters, we paid US$20 for a guide to show us around.
The guide made all the difference.
All of a sudden, what I had been calling antelope became more specifically impala, reedbuck, and bushbuck.
We learned many interesting facts about the animals we saw.
Then, we reached a clearing where there were parked cars, tents, and the most beautiful, placid lake.
We had reached Lake Mburo.
Photo Credits: Snarglebarf, Shiraz Chakera, Endiro Coffee