Game viewing or game drives in Uganda are a great way to spot various wildlife species in the vast Uganda savannah. The game drive experience involves moving through the vast savannah plains and encountering different species while in the comfort of your 4×4 safari vehicle.
Uganda has 10 national parks however only 5 parks have game wildlife where you can engage in game drives. These are Lake Mburo National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, and Semliki National Park. Each national park has unique wildlife and therefore as you enjoy the game drives, you will have different experiences.
Game drives are done in several sessions each day with one session in the morning and the other in the afternoon plus the evening session. For you to enjoy a game drive, you are encouraged to go with a ranger guide who best knows the animal trucks and for security purposes while you are in the jungle.
Nothing beats a game drive safari adventure in giving visitors a close encounter with Africa’s most sought-after savannah wildlife species. Below are some of the game-drive safari destinations in the country.
Murchison Falls National Park.
Situated in the country’s northwestern region, Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s largest national park. It spans over 3,893 square kilometers of vast natural encircling the districts of Buliisa, Nwoya, Kiryandongo, and Masindi.
The park is divided by the Victoria Nile from north to south for a distance of about 120 kilometers. These two bisections offer two different landscapes and vegetation types as a tropical rainforest characterizes the northern side and the south is a mixture of savannah grassland and woodland. Game drives in Murchison Falls National Park take place in the northern part of the park. This is because of the high concentration of wildlife species.
Wildlife species to look out for include lions, leopards, elephants, hyenas, buffaloes, antelopes, giraffes, hippos, and crocodiles among others. Adding to this incredible experience, visitors can have a time of life at the Murchison Falls.
This is the world’s strongest waterfall located on the Victoria Nile a tributary of the longest river in the world, the Nile. This waterfall was formed when large gallons of water were squeezed through a narrow rock wall before plunging into a small pool at the bottom of the falls.
Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is situated in the western region of the country. It is the most popular protected area in the country.
It also doubles as the second oldest national park in the country. It was established in 1952 as an incredible animal sanctuary.
Queen Elizabeth National Park lies in the western arm of the Great Rift Valley, crossing the districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Rubirizi, and Rukungiri. It was named after the Queen of England Queen Elizabeth II in 1952 after she visited the park.
The park has a variety of wildlife species, including lions, buffaloes, foxes, waterbucks, duikers, oribis, elephants, leopards, hippos, reedbucks, crocodiles, etc. However, the most notable wildlife species in the park are the tree-climbing lions which are the face of the park.
Game drive safaris in the park take place in the two parts of Queen Elizabeth National Park. These include the Ishasha region and Kasenyi plains.
The Kasenyi plains have the highest concentrations of wildlife and are best for game drives. The Ishasha region on the other hand is best for encountering the tree-climbing lions.
Lake Mburo National Park
Among the national parks in the country, Lake Mburo National Park is the closest park to the capital, Kampala. Lake Mburo National Park is a gateway for incredible game drive safaris because of its stunning concentrations of wildlife species.
The park has designated animal trails that guide visitors to encounter various wildlife species. Lake Mburo has a high concentration of wildlife since it does not harbor large apex predators like lions. Embarking on a game drive in Lake Mburo National Park is an assurance of spotting some of the best wildlife species. The wildlife species to encounter in the park include impalas, zebras, giraffes, reedbucks, elands, hyenas, leopards, hippos, buffaloes, and sitatungas among others.
Although Lake Mburo National Park is the smallest savannah park in the country, it offers some of the best and most unmatched game drive experiences.
Semliki National Park
Semliki National Park is often forgotten as a savannah national park in the country since over half of its land mass area is covered by forests. This park is the least visited protected area for game drive safaris. However, this does not dime its incredibility for a game drive safari because it harbors some of the rare species like the forest elephants, bush buffaloes, waterbucks, crocodiles, bush babies, and warthogs among other animals. For visitors who love exclusive adventure game drives, visit Semliki National Park.
The game drive drive in the semuliki National park are usually done in the Toro semuliki game reserve which is part of the park.
Kidepo Valley National Park
Game drives in Kidepo Valley National Park are the most sought activities for the savannah parks of Uganda and are more adventurous in Kidepo. The park is the furthest protected area in the country located in the far north on the border with South Sudan.
The park covers a stunning uncharted vast savannah of over 1,442 square kilometers. This massive area creates a huge platform for game-drive adventures.
This game drive experience takes place in two areas of the park, the Narus Valley and the Kidepo Valley. The Narus valley is the best for game drives with vast grasslands covering a wider area and synthetic views of hills and mountains from a distance.
This valley also bears a permanent water source which attracts various wildlife species across the park. The ever-green fields of the valley provide the wildlife species with enough pasture to graze and a vast hunting ground for the apex predators.
This is the ultimate ground for game drive safaris as you witness the species go head to head in the fight for survival. The Kidepo Valley on the other hand hosts is a bit dryer attracting the grazes that have adapted to the dry conditions such as several Zebras, Kongoni, hyenas, Cape buffalos, leopards, lions, and Elands among others.
The other places for the game drives in Uganda that travelers can engage in are the game reserves that are situated around the country.
