20 Basic Facts About Uganda
Uganda is a landlocked country found on the Eastern side of Africa. The country attained its independence in 1962 from the British. Kampala is the capital city of Uganda. Uganda’s current president is Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Currently the country has an estimated population of over 40 million people. We have compiled 20 basic facts about Uganda that you need to know.
1. Uganda is called the pearl of Africa, a name bestowed by former British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill.
2. The Grey-crowned Crested Crane is Uganda’s official Bird.
3. Very good hospitality. Ugandans are very known for hospitality and the style of welcoming there guests
4. Uganda is ethnically and culturally a diverse country. It has over 56 tribes.
5. Agriculture is an important part of the country’s economy as it employs the majority of the Ugandans (almost 1/3rd).
6. Uganda has plenty of lakes and rivers.
Facts about Uganda Rolex
7. A Rolex isn’t a watch in Uganda – it’s a type of street food. A Rolex is egg wrapped in chapati with ingredients like vegetables.
The Uganda Rolex looks like this, get a bite if you are in Uganda
8. Ugandan women have one of the world’s highest fertility rates. The average fertility rate is 5.8 children per woman.
9. Home of gorillas. Uganda has over the half of the population of the world’s gorillas. Mountain gorillas are mainly found in Bwindi impenetrable forest.
10. Uganda is a landlocked country. The landscape is made up of savannas, mountains, and lakes. It is surrounded by Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
More facts about Uganda
11. Uganda is the size of the State of Oregon. The Population of the country is almost 10 times that of Oregon.
12. It is not uncommon for Ugandans to be late-punctuality is not very important. A person may arrive 30 minutes late, or sometimes even up to two hours after they were supposed to be there.
13. Uganda is the second largest producer of bananas in the world, falling second only to India. The country produces an estimated 11 million tons annually.
14. Uganda is the Tropical Fruit Basket of Africa.
15. Uganda’s official languages are English and Swahili. Luganda, a central language, is widely spoken across the country
16. As of 2018, Uganda is divided into 121 districts. Rural areas of districts are subdivided into sub-counties, parishes, and villages. Municipal and town councils are designated in urban areas of districts.
17. Boda – Boda Motorcycles are the fastest and most dangerous form of people Transport in Uganda.
Boda Boda rider with a passenger on one of Kampala’s roads
18. Mobile Money is the way most Ugandans send money to family, pay bills.
19. Uganda is the Youngest Country in the World with half of its population under the age of 14 years. The life expectancy for the average Ugandan is only early 50 years.
20. Ugandan ladies never call. They only beep if they want to tell you something.
Hiking in Uganda: A Few Reminders to Know
Uganda has a lot of mountains and forest lands with different trails and hikers from natives who first explored the terrains to those that were discovered and developed for urbanization and commerce. Uganda has a variety of hiking destinations for all sorts of hikers.
With all the hiking options Uganda has to offer, it is wise to be prepared too. You may find that this area has a lot in common with other areas popular for hiking but you would also discover lots of differences that are both wonderful and mystifying.
There are a few reminder guidelines you could follow to help you get prepared for the hike. See to it that your back pack is complete with all gears and items you would need during the hike. Unnecessary items must be left behind. As a rule of thumb the following should be found in your bag before you leave the camp:
- First aid kit which includes an insect repellent, sunscreen lotion and toilet paper.
- Food and drink enough for the entire trail and camp. Estimate your supply according to the length and distance you would be hiking.
- Pocket knife, flashlight, water-proof matches or lighter, candles, a whistle, duct tape.
- Enough clothes for the entire tour and extra clothing appropriate for both sudden rise and drop of temperature.
Refrain from going off the trail. Switching to a new trail might help increase erosion while detouring on a muddy trail would likely destroy the surrounding vegetation. Always stay in the company of your guides. Uganda highlands or forests are home to a variety of wild animals which may attack you in case you are alone and with no help.
Always travel in three or more. This will ensure that there are enough people to act on different circumstances. Say in case of accident, the injured person could be attended to while someone goes for help.
Never drink untreated water, always boil the water you get from streams and lakes. For most Uganda hiking tours, water is mostly got from the streams and hikers are expected to travel with some water purifiers.
Be sure that nothing is left behind, including your garbage and other materials you have brought with you.
Do not feed wildlife, interfering in their natural food chain might disturb the balance of nature. Monkeys can be expected along the trails and trekkers are forbidden from giving them food.
Always have these in mind each time you are on a hiking trip to make sure you are safe and also sustainability of the destination.
Read MoreVisit Ngamba Island & Experience Exclusive Chimpanzee Watching
Ngamba island chimpanzee sanctuary is the best place to spend time watching chimpanzee as they play, interact with each other and even watch what you are doing, is undoubtedly one of the many fascinating experiences you can enjoy in Uganda. The thrill of knowing that by visiting them on Ngamba Island you are directly contributing to their well-being, overall conservation of the species and supporting the local community gives additional meaning to your Uganda safari.
Ngamba Island is part of the Koome group of islands located on Lake Victoria, 23km southwest of Entebbe, Uganda. It consists of approximately 100 acres, 95 of which are forested and for use by the chimpanzees. Ngamba island chimpanzee sanctuary was established in October 1998 and is currently home to 49 orphaned rescued chimpanzees.
Day trips
Feeding times from the visitor viewing platform are at 11:00am and 2:30pm. You can view either of them. You are advised to arrive at the island at least 1 hour before the feeding so that you listen to an informative talk by the sanctuary staff, enjoy the island’s beautiful views, natural wildlife, bird life and activities such as volleyball, swimming in the Lake, kayaking and island shopping.
Overnight
An excursion over or more days, staying in our exclusive permanent tented camp on the island is worth your time. Each of the four tents overlooks the lake from its raised, private wooden deck and accommodates two persons in comfort with full sized twin beds, en suite bathroom and solar lighting. Freshly prepared sumptuous meals are provided in either our covered, or open dining area beside the Lake. Meals very but we try to cater for all tastes. Drinks are available on cash sale basis including water, sodas, beers, wine and a selection of spirits.
As well as viewing the chimpanzees from the viewing platform, visitors have lots of time to enjoy the island’s other facilities. The early mornings are particularly memorable as the chimpanzees nosily wake up at sunrise, calling loudly to anyone who is listening. At sunset huge numbers of bats are often seen as they fly out of the forest and into the colour ful sunset.
Care Giving Experiences
The unique experience offers you an amazing opportunity to spend time the chimpanzees. The caregiver experience is a 24-hour opportunity to be behind the scenes of the sanctuary and participate in the daily routine like preparing food, cleaning facilities, health checks and generally learning more about the efforts needed to take care of the chimpanzees.
The caregiver and Ngamba trail activities may only be included as part of the overnight excursion to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary and they require advance booking. Care giving requires specific vaccinations and health requirements (more than the ones required for travel to Africa) that need to be fulfilled well in advance.
Other Activities
- Sunset
- Volunteering packages
- Students camping
- Retreats
- Boat rides
- Photography
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Community culture experience
Meeting / Departure point
All trips depart from Entebbe. Contact us for departure times. We meet at waterfront club in Entebbe town where safe parking is available and pre-trip briefing is conducted before proceeding on foot to the pier. Transport from your local hotel can be arranged in advance upon request.
Read MoreTop Things to See on a Uganda Safari
Are you traveling to Uganda or are you thinking of going to Uganda? Don’t have a second thought just book a visa and get a ticket then travel to the country. You can never regret your visit to Uganda. This is land where love and nature were born and last free. Many people who have come to Uganda have had a lifetime experience and convince their compatriots to come and visit the pearl of Africa. This is why the number of tourist coming to Uganda is increasing at a rapid rate. Please don’t miss the glorious opportunity of visiting the pearl of Africa before you die.
These are some of the most popular activities and attractions you encounter when you visit the peaceful land of Uganda.
Uganda has a variety of wildlife which is very interesting and exciting to interact with like the lions elephants, giraffes, birds, zebras, monkeys, chimpanzees, the mountain gorillas which are the most visited animals in Uganda, the hyenas to mention. These are normally found in the remote areas of Uganda so visiting these animals makes you experience a natural and eco life from the food, air you breathe, shelter, animals and the people you encounter on the safari.
Here are some of the famous national game parks which are visited by tourists: Queen Elizabeth national park, Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo national, Bwindi impenetrable national park, Lake Mburo national park, rwenzori mountains national park, Mountain Elgon national park, Mgahinga national park, Kibale national park and Semliki national park. These parks are not monotonic in such way that they do not posses the same activities and animals. These all have various different animals and unique activities differing from each other. Visiting one does not guarantee you to encountering all wildlife and the related activities at a go. You have to visit one park at time to experience the real wildlife in Uganda. We can organize proper itineraries for visitors who wish to see specific wildlife of their interests.
Uganda has so many water bodies that make someone’s visit so fun and exciting. We have river Nile that transects from the central part of the country through the North West end of the country till the North Africa. It is the longest river in the world and possesses a lot of unique features that support tourism activities. For example the water falls that are used for rafting and some of its river tributes are used for boat ride where there are a lot of aquatic life and sport fishing can be done on these waters.
Uganda has many lakes like Lake Victoria which is the source of the Nile and this has lots of beaches from Jinja through Kampala to Entebbe and Masaka. These resorts are used for relaxing, picnic, partying, sightseeing and boat ride and some of them have exquisite accommodation facilities and serene climate around them.
There are also other lakes like lake Kyoga, Edward and George ,lake lake Mburo, lake Albert and lake Bunyonyi to mention but a few. These also have some interesting aquatic life interesting to watch and also have good resorts for example Lake Bunyonyi has the most exciting resort in the country with a very fantastic accommodation and eco environment. This has become the place to be for honeymooners and also holiday makers.
Uganda also posses many mountains but most visited ones are mountain rwenzori and Mt Elgon since they are the most popular one. These mountain have some exotic animals to see, and also used for camping, mountain cycling and climbing.
The climate of Uganda is worth to talk about i.e. the equatorial climate. It experiences sun and rain throughout the year. Many tourists come to feel this natural sun of Uganda. Uganda has very hospitable people that welcome other people from different worlds.
One should not also worry of how is going to travel to his/her preferred destination in Uganda as the country has drastically improved its road networks accessing these places and there are variety of cars to hire in Uganda to take you around these nature gifted places. There are well trusted car rental agencies in Uganda that can lead you safely on the roads.
Going to Uganda is one of the most amazing decisions one can ever take and never gets regrets because Uganda has a well organized tourism system for the visitors and also it loves and welcomes visitors.
Read MoreWilderness safari activities in Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo valley national park harbours a great diversity of animal species than other parks in Uganda. These include carnivores, ungulates, and primates. The Uganda safari package take takes you to Kidepo National Park offers high chances of viewing tree climbing lions that always sits on sauces trees along Narus valley or on the rock just as you enter the Apoka Park Headquarter. Right from Apoka Rest Camp other animals that can be seen include elephants, leopards, bush duikers, jackals, bush bucks, bush pigs, kavirondo bush babies, buffaloes and much more.
Birding The Park boasts of an extensive avifauna. 465 species have been recorded Birds of particular interest include the ostrich and the Kori bustard which are principally associated with arid regions. The park also has outstanding numbers of birds of prey. In this category, 58 species of birds that have been recorded. Amongst these 14 are believed to be endemic to Kidepo and the Karamoja region.
Hiking and Scenery viewing
Hiking can be carried out on Lamoj Mountains just a few kilometers from the Park Headquarters.
Cultural Performance
During safaris in Kidepo valley national park, tours to the local communities in the neighboring villages can also be arranged. The local community near the park stages cultural dances and performances. Traditional dances such as the Emuya of the Naporre and Nyangia, Larakaraka and Apiti dances of the Acholi are worthy to see and participate into.
Nature Walk and cultural visits to the Karimajong Manyatta (homesteads) where you will probably see kraals belonging to local communities, traditional costume, stools, spears headdress, knives, bows and arrows and jewelry among others are also interesting and worthy to take during a safari holiday in this park.
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