Uganda

Equatorial East African country of gorilla forests, Nile rapids, crater lakes, and savannah parks.

Africa > Uganda

Uganda is one of Africa's most rewarding destinations, and one of its most underrated. Winston Churchill called it "the pearl of Africa" and the name still fits. This is a small, landlocked country straddling the equator, but it packs in an astonishing variety of landscapes: snow-capped mountains, vast lakes, dense tropical forests, rolling savannahs, and the source of the world's longest river.

Most visitors come for the mountain gorillas. Tracking a family of silverbacks through the misty forests of Bwindi is one of the great wildlife experiences on earth, and Uganda offers it at a lower cost than neighboring Rwanda. But there is much more here than gorillas. Murchison Falls is where the entire Nile forces itself through a six-meter gap in the rock. Jinja is the adventure capital of East Africa, with world-class white-water rafting at the source of the Nile. Queen Elizabeth National Park has tree-climbing lions and the Kazinga Channel, one of the best boat safaris anywhere.

Ugandans are famously warm and welcoming. English is widely spoken, which makes independent travel straightforward. The country is compact enough that you can see a lot in two weeks, though you will wish for more. Infrastructure is improving but still rough in places -- expect long drives on red-dirt roads to reach the national parks, and consider that part of the adventure.

Kampala is the chaotic, energetic capital, spread across seven hills above Lake Victoria. Entebbe, 40 kilometers south on the lake shore, is where your plane will land and where you will find a calmer, greener introduction to the country. Jinja sits at the point where the Nile flows out of Lake Victoria and is the base for rafting, kayaking, and bungee jumping.

Uganda's national parks are its biggest draw. Beyond Bwindi and Murchison Falls, there is Queen Elizabeth National Park in the west, Kibale Forest for chimpanzee tracking, Kidepo Valley in the remote northeast (often called Africa's finest and least-visited park), and the Rwenzori Mountains for serious trekking.