Uganda@50: 50 incredible places to see in Uganda

 

Mountain Gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

 

Uganda the Pearl of Africa-Gifted by Nature. Last year, Lonely Planets, a travel directory website, declared Uganda as the top world destination to visit in 2012. As the country celebrates Its Independence golden Jubilee, Life presents 50 amazing and historical places that makes Uganda an incredible tourist destination.

There are several reasons for you to put Uganda on the must-visit list. The continent’s prime travel destination is rich in a number of attractions. You will marvel at sprawling landscape, its national parks that have all the wild life, fauna and floras, its beautiful jungles, birding excursions, lake cruises, game drives, unique cultures and culinary adventures. Little wonder Lonely Planet, one of the biggest and oldest guidebooks for travelers chose Uganda as a favorite and top world destination to visit this year. It took them a century to verify Sir Winston Churchill’s fascination.

Bwindi National Park, It’s located at the Uganda-DR Congo border. It is one of the National Parks that is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site and is within sight of Virunga National Park. This is the home to the half of the world’s gorilla population but with a sizable population of birds and rich and diversified ecosystem.

Lake Mburo National Park is home to the eland antelope which is also known as the Southern Eland. It is named after a lake on which tourists can also see crocodiles and herds of hippopotamuses having their swim. There are guided nature walks are available. You can do quad and horse riding while there.

Murchison Falls National Park is Located in Masindi District, there is a variety of game to see advisably on an early morning park drive. The spectacular smoky falls plunge on the southern banks through narrow rocky places. You can also do a boat ride along the Albert delta for a good view of crocodiles, elephants walking by the grassland shoreline, and cobs and lions among other animals.

Nsamizi Hill, It is the place where the Kabaka’s would go to call on their ancestral spirits. It was located at the place where state house is built.

Uganda National Museum, Kampala, It is the place where you will get art craft and archaeological items that symbolize Uganda’s history and cultural heritage. It is located on Kira Road.

Zika Forest, It is a small forest full of vast mature trees, with luxuriant undergrowth and a thick canopy of leaves. It is located in Entebbe. It is home to a sizable population of birds and butterflies, and a noisy troop of red-tailed and colobus monkeys.

Ntusi, Located in Sembabule, this site still reminds us of the Iron Age site occupied between the 10th and 14th centuries AD. Like Bigobyamugenyi is it also associated with the legendary Bachwezi. It has man-made mounds, and the basin and trenches connected to each other by cause ways.

Kitagata Hot springs are located in Sheema District in western Uganda. Legend has it that one of the springs was used by the former Omugabe (King of Ankole) and is known as Ekyomugabe. The other spring is believed to have healing powers and is known as Mulago, after Uganda’s largest National Referral Hospital.

Nakayima Caves and Tree, the caves and trees are estimated to have existed for over 400 years, the oldest tree in the country. They are located in Mubende District.

Rwenzori National Park, It is located close to the Uganda-DR Congo border and listed as a UNESCO’s World Heritage sites. It has waterfalls, glaciers, lakes and of course the ice-capped third highest mountain peak in Africa. Its beauty is also defined through five distinct vegetation zones, including bamboo, in addition to almost 100 bird species, butterflies and animal life too, of four primate species, forest elephant, chimpanzee, hyrax, black-and-white colobus monkey and other types of monkeys et cetera. If you want to go hiking, this can be arranged.

Karuma falls; it is a beautiful sight of smoky water that is a result of water hitting a series of natural rock formations at the bottom of the Nile, on the Kigumba-Gulu Highway.

Lutembe bay is home a large bird population as a migratory stopover site on Lake Victoria. It home to more than 100 species of birds. It is found at Namulanda, on Entebbe Road.

Mabamba Bay is an extensive marsh stretching through a long narrow bay, fringed with papyrus towards the main body of Lake Victoria in Mpigi District. It is the closest place to Kampala where Shoebills are regularly seen.

Kagoma Hill/palace         

The palace is located in Nabweru atop a hill. Kabaka Ssuna built the palace for his mother. This king was not known to be jealous and shared his wives.