12-Days Uganda: Off the beaten track

Flying into Entebbe you already get wowed by one of the world’s most impressive natural wonders, since the city is located on the Victoria Lake peninsula. Upon leaving Entebbe International Airport your personal Africa Safari Trips guide greets you with a smile and a friendly “Ki Kati in Uganda!”.

On the way to your hotel in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, you get a feeling for the country’s hustle and bustle of everyday life and you might already have some questions about Uganda, its culture and lifestyle or the upcoming days. Don’t be shy: simply ask, you’re guide is happy to answer all of them.

After arriving at your accomodation you can unwind in its cozy and authentic atmosphere, take a nap in your comfortable room or enjoy a drink at the bar. A yummy dinner at the restaurant and a quick “I’m here and it’s so beautiful” to your loved ones at home (yay, Wi-Fi!) are the cherries on top of the cake aka your first day in Uganda.

Kampala is also known as the “City of Seven Hills” or, in our opinion, the “City where you don’t want to sleep”. Why? Because there is so much to see and do! From the famous Kasubi Tombs to the Namugongo Martyrs Shrine, from local markets to the Botanical Gardens.

After all this discovering, it’s time for some food. This time, however, it’s not just kicking back and eating, but grabbing a chopping board and cooking. On the menu? Katogo, Luwombo, Muchomo and of course the two most famous dishes: Matooke (chicken stew with green bananas) and Rolex (egg omelet rolled in chapatti with vegetables).

And if you crave even more culture, the city’s vibrant nightlife is waiting for you: in bars, clubs and entertainment venues you can listen to new music and dance new dances… for as long as you want!

The drive to Sipi Falls takes around six hours, which means: you need to get up early. If Kampala’s nightlife took you by storm the day before and you got back to the hotel by sunrise, you can just sleep in the car. Or you keep your eyes open and marvel at the stunning landscape on the way to your next stop (even with little to no sleep the previous night, you probably to that).

After arriving in Sipi Falls you surely need a cup of coffee. And that one you get! A really good one, if we might add. During your tour through a coffee farm you can trace the beans’ way from the field to the cup and enjoy the latter afterwards.

Fill your backpack with plenty of water, some snacks and maybe even a rolex (the food), lace up your hiking boots and off you dive into the stunning landscape surrounding Sipi Falls. This highlight comprises three waterfalls ranging from 65 to a whopping 100 meters.

The first one, Sipi Falls, is the most accessible and even has a cave from which you can marvel at the waterfall from the other side. The remaining two, Kapsurur and Chebonet Falls, are a bit more challenging to reach, but reward you with a view only nature can paint. Plus you meet local farmers on the way and get an idea of what life is like in this unique spot of land.

Time for a change of scenery, in the most literal sense: from the lush and green surroundings of Sipi Falls you travel further up North to the rocky and mountainous Moroto District. This drive takes around six hours which means, you need a break here and there. Since the Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, the second largest conservation area in Uganda, is on the way to Moroto, we thought a nice lunch here would be perfect. What’s better than eating some yummy veggies and fresh bread with the chance of spotting some elephants and giraffes nearby? Correct! Nothing.

Yay, it’s time for the next hike. But believe us, this one will be quite different to the one in Sipi Falls. During this medium-level tour you walk up Mount Moroto, an inactive volcanoe, part of the East African Rift and a rugged guardian overlooking Karamojaland. On the way you encounter a special flora and fauna endemic to this region as well as fascinating geological formations. Questions? Your guide is happy to tell you more about all these little whims of nature.

Of course no hike goes without a reward: next to stunning views from the top (and from the trail to be honest), you can  jump into the spring pool on the mountain – fun, refreshing and clearly one-of-a-kind.

We’ve promised you “Off the beaten track”, we’re giving you “Off the beaten track”. Due to its remote location, Kidepo Valley National Park is less touristy. This means you can expect fewer people and more animals as well as unspoilt landscapes in their purest state.

Despite its rugged nature, the park is perfect for a typical safari: from your 4×4 vehicle you can discover four of the Big Five (elephants, lions, leopards and buffalos) in Kidepo as well as other predators like cheetahs and hyenas. Of course plenty of antilopes, zebras and giraffes also pose for your pictures, just like countless bird species… if you are fast enough to capture them with your camera 😉

Since Kidepo Valley National Park is such a rare and unique place, you dive even deeper into it on day two. During the Walking Safari your guide tells you everything about the park’s flora and fauna and answers any questions you might have. Discovering the park on foot adds a whole new layer to your Ugandan safari experience, since you meet the animals on eye level – or knee level when it comes to giraffes for example.

Today’s final highlight tops your Kidepo adventure off perfectly: the Kanangorok Hot Springs. The spring water is around 50°C hot and locals believe it to have healing powers. So don’t be surprised if you see some people taking a bath in there. Feel free to join them… do you dare?

After some days of rocky wilderness, it’s time to travel back to the heart of Uganda, to the Murchison Falls National Park to be precise. With six to seven hours it’s quite a long drive. But with everything you have experienced so far, you can use the time to reminisce, getting a glimpse of the city of Gulu and other villages you pass on your way and go through the pictures you have taken so far. Or you make some space for new ones, since your next day alone has plenty of scenes to offer.

Jeep Safari, Boat Safari and a hike. Yes, this day is jam-packed. But let’s start from the beginning.

In Kidepo you already saw a lot of African wildlife, and here you see even more! Murchison Falls National Park adds animals like baboons, hippos and nile crocodiles to the mix. Especially the latter two are the stars of the boat safari when you sail along the River Nile, the lifeblood of the park. If you travel during the dry season, animal-spotting becomes quite easy since they all gather around water sources. Not just to drink, but also to take a nice and refreshing bath.

To top things off, you embark on a hike to the top of the falls. Simply follow your guide’s footsteps, listen to the interesting and fun facts they share with you and take in the various views which surprise you at the turn of each and every corner.

Wouldn’t it be nice to see all of the Big Five on one holiday? We can actually see your eyes and smile getting bigger. Yes! On this 12-day tour through Uganda you are able to see them all: elephants, leopards, lions, buffalos AND rhinos. The picture and the name of this last highlight might have given that away though.

On your way back to Kampala you stop at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, a safe haven for these grey giants and countless other animals. By the mid-80s rhinos have vanished from the Ugandan scenery, but thanks to projects like these they are celebrating a comeback. During a Walking Safari you can get close to them. Like really close. Like six to seven meters close. But no worries: white rhinos are said to be much more chill than their cousins, the black rhinos 😉

Even if you don’t want to… you might have to leave Uganda now since everyday life and your job are calling. But maybe you don’t (yay!) and you can keep on travelling. Uganda has many more treasures for you to discover. From the lush Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and its VIP inhabitants (hint: big, black, furry) to the scenic Lake Mburo and the vibrant culture in Jinja, the Adrenaline Capital of East Africa. Should you want to add any of these or other highlights to your Uganda experience after your 12-day tour off the beaten track, just let us know and we’ll make it work.

And even if you go home after this adventure, you’ll stay in Uganda for a little longer… thanks to all the wonderful memories.