Uganda: Planning a Trip to National Parks | #WhereisAJ?

AJAY JAIN

Sub-Saharan Africa is teeming with wildlife across many countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia to name a few. But Uganda is where you may want to be in despite it not featuring on too many itineraries.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority (http://ugandawildlife.org) is doing a good job managing over 10 national parks and I was fortunate to visit three of their finest recently. Join me in my game drives and plan your own itinerary accordingly.

PARKS VISITED
* Murchison Falls National Park
* Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
* Queen Elizabeth National Park (drove through Ishasha wildlife sector to get here and got a good sense of this park too)

PLANNING AN ITINERARY IN UGANDA’S NATIONAL PARKS
No amount of time is enough is you really love being in the wild and close to its flora and fauna. But we all need to draw a line somewhere - do provision for at least 2-3 full days in each park. When you visit Bwindi, you can be there for just two nights - you arrive on day one, go gorilla tracking the following morning, and return the following day.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS OF EACH NATIONAL PARK
* Murchison Falls National Park: It gets its name from falls by the same name on the Nile river. Don’t miss out on a river cruise where you can get close to the falls and feels sprays all over you (and your cameras!!). The river itself is home to countless hippos and crocodiles while the park boasts an impressive line-up to include lions, leopards, elephants, hyenas, giraffes, water buffaloes and many species of birds, reptiles and other mammals. The landscape draws you in - from the crack of dawn till night falls. Magical is the word for Murchison.

* Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: You go to Bwindi for the endangered Mountain Gorillas. They sure make you work hard for the sightings. Expect to be out all day tracking them through thick forests and slushy paths; the hilly terrain tests you, and be prepared to fall, slip and slide on your backside. A good scrub is what you will need at the end - but the sightings of gorillas will leave you glowing.

* Queen Elizabeth National Park: Another park that will leave you stunned with its virgin beauty. Elephants are to be found in abundance here - as are many other species of birds and animals. Take sunset cruises in the Kazinga channel and go up close to hippos, water buffaloes, crocs and thousands of birds hovering around you. Vast plains with pockets of thick forests make game drives a pleasure and an adventure - you never know what lurks around the corner.

SELECTING THE RIGHT GAME DRIVE VEHICLE AND GUIDE
Your experience in the jungle is largely shaped by your guides and the vehicles they use. You can choose from the comfortable closed vehicles with an opening in the roof or from those open on all sides; I prefer the latter as I can shoot from all angles and also remove the soft covers should I need angles from higher up. I always interview guides before selecting one - not only is their knowledge important, but they should have a good sense and intuition in tracking animals. Of course, no one can guarantee any sightings.

DO YOU BOOK A GAME DRIVE VEHICLE ALL FOR YOURSELF OR SHARE?
It all depends on your budget. A shared vehicle in obviously cheaper but it gives you lesser flexibility in choosing shooting positions as well as asking the guides to take you to your areas of interest. Personally, I save elsewhere but prefer to have a vehicle and guide to myself. I cherish the relative privacy too - it resonates well with the silence of the forest.

HOW DO YOU TRAVEL BETWEEN NATIONAL PARKS IN UGANDA?
Most parks in Uganda are within a few hours driving distance of each other. Of course, it can take longer if you were to go directly from, say, Murchison to Bwindi. The road network in quite extensive in Uganda, and they are mostly of good quality with low traffic density. You can also book rides on small planes that land on strips inside reserves but these are more expensive than equivalent flights in countries like Kenya; lower numbers in Uganda lead to higher operating costs here.

READY TO HAVE A WILD TIME IN UGANDA? MARASA AFRICA (http://marasa.net) MAY BE THE RIGHT BRAND TO HOST YOU.

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