Nick named by Winston Churchill as the “Pearl of Africa”, Uganda is a naturally gifted country where you can locate almost everything that Africa has. From the spectacularly breathtaking landscapes to abundant wildlife and rich cultures, Uganda has a lot to be explored as a couple on a self drive Uganda road trip.
A road trip to Uganda is amazingly the best way to unearth the country’s natural wonders. You can choose to go on a motorcycle, solo travel, or guided safari. The beauty of road trips in Uganda is that you have a chance to go off the beaten track, interact with local communities, and explore all your favorite attractions from animals, birds, trees, butterflies, landscapes, etc.
Across Uganda, there are countless destinations to be visited. The most popular places to be visited on Uganda road trip include Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Semuliki, Kibale National Park, Elgon National Park, Sipi Falls, and more.
Road trips in Uganda encompass a number of exciting experiences including gorilla safaris, cultural tours, biking, nature walking, game viewing, chimpanzee tracking, boat cruises, golden monkey tracking, and others.
Top 5 Road Trips for couples in Uganda
Kampala to Ziwa to Murchison Falls National Park – Northwestern circuit route
The Northwestern circuit route offers one of the most memorable road trip experiences in Uganda. It is in around this area where Uganda’s biggest park is found –Murchison Falls National Park and its strategic location allows visitors to explore more about rhinos in their natural habitat. Along the Northwestern circuit, your areas to target include Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and this is where 33 rhinos survive.
At Ziwa, your main interest will be embarking on rhino tracking with an experienced guide. Rhino tracking allows you to meet rhinos in the wild, a rare experience from that of the zoos. Away from rhinos, Ziwa also protects wildlife species such as oribis, common duikers, giant pangolins, leopards, scrub, vervet monkeys, bohor reedbucks, bushbucks, waterbucks, warthogs, and many birds.
From Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, you can proceed to Murchison Falls Park, the biggest park in the Pearl of Africa. A road trip in Murchison Falls NP is a great opportunity to look out for diverse wildlife including leopards, African buffaloes, elephants, giraffes, bushbucks, warthogs, hartebeests, hyenas, Uganda Kobs, Oribis, and more than 451 species.
Sipi Falls
To the far Eastern side, go explore and experience the spectacular Sipi Falls. The Sipi Falls has composition of 3 scenic waterfalls ranging in different altitudes; 65m, 85m and 100m. Traveling from Kampala to the Sipi Falls comes with a lot more for you to explore and experience including the Ssezibwa falls, the Source of the Nile River in Jinja where several experiences can be enjoyed including whitewater rafting, kayaking, bungee jumping and more.
Kidepo Valley National Park road trips
As a couple, visiting a place away from the usual is the most amazing thing. In the far northeast –Kaabong district, touring Kidepo guarantees you true African wilderness experiences. Kidepo is a rich wildlife safari destination, holding plenty of faunal species. The main wildlife to encounter at Kidepo valley game park includes 4 of the big 5 game members, antelopes, ostriches, zebras, giraffes, and many others.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Embark on a road trip to the finest Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to the rare tree climbing lions and plenty of other animal species. This park is found in Western Uganda and accessible within 6-7 hours’ drive from the heart of Kampala. It was established in 1978sq.km making it the 2nd biggest park in the Pearl of Africa.
The diverse animal species to look out for include spotted hyenas, elephants, hippos, Nile crocodiles, buffaloes, forest hogs, chimpanzees, and a total of 620 species of birds. At Queen Elizabeth National Park, you can best start your holiday with a guided game drive, a launch cruise, nature walks, hot air balloon safaris, birding, lion tracking and others.
Gorilla safaris –the Southwestern Uganda road trip
Visiting the Southwestern part of Uganda involves exploring Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park primarily for mountain gorilla trekking. These parks support about half of the world’s 1063 of these endangered species. The adventure involves trekking via the rainforest and spend good hours inside the jungles in search for gorillas, and later settle for 1 hour for photography and observing how they behave.
The most frequently asked question by self drivers in Uganda is “Can we do a self-drive gorilla safari” the answer is yes. All you have to do is to request your Uganda car rental service provider, to book for you the gorilla permits for the Uganda Wildlife Authority. This is what you will have to present at the park headquarters as you are allowed to join other trackers to enter the impenetrable forest in search of the great apes guided by the rangers.
In summary, Uganda has countless opportunities for everyone to explore. As a couple, feel free to contact your tour ground to start the planning and be guided on what to do, where to stay, the best time to visit, and a lot more.
