I had a great experience with a Toyota Land Cruiser mounted with a rooftop tent. We had our January 2022 holidays in Uganda. Jackie was quick in answering all the questions. She helped us book gorilla permits and chimpanzee permits for Kibale that were delivered with the vehicle.
After crossing into Uganda, set aside a few days to make the most of Jinja, East Africa’s adrenaline- sports capital and home to the source of the Nile. Jinja is 80km away from Kampala, so it’s easy to add a couple of relaxing days into a longer Uganda holiday. Yet the Nile has always been a source of excitement and Jinja is home to the best white-water rafting in Africa.
The white-water rafting is a thrilling stretch of class IV and V rapids; we never made it through without at least one of us falling out, or the entire raft flipping. Other activities include the feeling of nature, Horse ride through the rain forest, or along a peninsula overhanging into Lake Victoria. Go on wild hikes, explore coffee plantations, Bungee jumping, Tubing the Nile and try a number of other water sports.
From Jinja, you hit the road back to Kampala tracking west; explore the rain forest of Kibale National Park with 13 primate species and some of East Africa’s best chimpanzee tracking. Access to this important forest is cheap and easy and there’s an array of dazzling value accommodation for all budgets.
The chimps here are very well habituated and up-close encounters are pretty much guaranteed. The one-hour chimp permit here is more expensive than any of the other parks but you can pay a little extra and join a full day chimp experience. When not with the chimps there are lots of other wildlife and cultural activities available. Face masks are required.
From here, it is a short stop to the mist-clouded Rwenzori Mountain National Park. Because of both its beauty and biodiversity, UNESCO named Rwenzori Mountain National Park a world Heritage Park. It is the tallest mountain range in Africa and several of the peaks are permanently covered by ice and glaciers. It is a long journey of about eight days depending on the route and the activities one engages.
Activities in or near the Rwenzori Park for those who like to be off the beaten tourist path, you can spend time in the foothills of the mountain, enjoying the wonders of the park. Stay in surrounding communities, climbing the Rwenzori Mountain hitting the peaks.
Away to the south, Queen Elizabeth National Park has extraordinarily rich bird life and tree climbing lions, a ride on a hippo’s, wild chimpanzees hooting a warning call to Ugandan. The park comes from its mix of habitats and activities, so even after 4 days you will still be discovering new sights.
Particularly, i loved how the big and the small come together. Large buffalo and elephant herds dominate the panorama, but then one of the 600 beautiful birds causes you to refocus. A procession of wildlife skirts the riverbanks, giraffe followed by tiny kob, followed by kingfishers fluttering above crocodiles, and then a bird picking ticks from a hippo’s hide. Chimpanzees can also be tracked here although we have found that in Kibale National Park and it was a life time experience.
Traverse to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is one best place in the world to see mountain gorillas and the highlight of our trip. A gorilla trek here offers the chance to spend up to one priceless hour with a family of wild mountain gorillas. In comparison to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Bwindi has more habituated troops but takes longer to get to.
Gorillas can be tracked from four different trailheads at opposing corners of the park. But Jackie had booked for us Buhoma sector, the most popular sector as the treks are less strenuous and the gorilla families are easier to find here.
Nevertheless, for those who wish to enjoy more time with these fascinating Apes, Uganda also offers the rare opportunity to participate in a full day Gorilla Habituation Experience in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Thank you, Jackie for answering all our endless questions since this was our first time in Uganda! We highly recommend 4×4 Car Hire Uganda, subject to many conditions which vary from one country to another and from one company to another.
Generally, the vehicle must be returned in the same condition it was rented in, and often must not exceed mileage restrictions; otherwise, extra fees may be incurred.