In a continent where descriptions routinely exhaust superlatives, Uganda makes other countries appear as pale imitators. “For magnificence, for variety of form and color, for profusion of brilliant life—plant, bird, insect, reptile, beast,” Winston Churchill wrote, Uganda “eclipsed, and indeed effaced, all previous impressions.”
A compact country, Uganda is gifted with quickly varying landscapes: semi-deserts in the northeast, lush lowlands fringing the shores of Lake Victoria, and mountain rainforests across the south and southwest. These marvelous topographies create habitats for a kaleidoscope of unique wildlife. More than 50 large mammal species roam the achingly beautiful wildlands. Uganda is considered the continent’s finest birding country, with some 1000 recorded species. Its primates, however, are the country’s greatest wildlife attraction. Uganda is home to more than a dozen species, including chimpanzees and the endangered mountain gorilla (half the world’s surviving mountain gorillas live in the country’s highlands).
Mountain Gorillas of Uganda (2008)
Highlights: Entebbe, Semliki Reserve, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi National Park
