Uganda Wildlife Safari Game Drives

Game drives in Uganda’s national parks is the perfect way of seeing wildlife in the savannah plains. Uganda has lots of mammals and the parks haven’t been much affected by mass tourism. You enjoy the park with a few other travelers which gives you an opportunity to enjoy the park and take as many uninterrupted pictures as possible. This is better than the neighboring destinations like the Serengeti National Park and Masai Mara Game Reserve in Tanzania and Kenya respectively. They are actually the authentic African game drive destination but be ready for many interruptions because of crowds unlike in Uganda where you have less safari vehicles on game drives and allow great wildlife viewing opportunities.

Uganda wildlife safari

Best National Parks for Game Drives in Uganda

The top wildlife viewing parks in Uganda include Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, and Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park

In Queen Elizabeth National Park, the tracks through kasenyi, north kazinga plains and the ishasha sector offer the ultimate game viewing spots for wildlife like buffaloes, tree climbing lions, antelopes and elephants.

Game drives in Murchison Falls National Park

The main areas for game drives in Murchison Falls National Park is the Delta area where there are high chances of seeing the lions as they wait for prey. The other spots are the Buligi peninsula and the southern sector famously known as the heart of Murchison. It’s the best place to see the Rothschild Giraffes in Africa.

Game drives in Kidepo Valley National Park – Uganda Wildlife Safari Game Drives

In Kidepo Valley National Park, the whole park is good for game drives, however, if you wish to spot the rare cheetah or Dik Dik then visiting the sector of the park where the hot springs are found. In this sector are also the ostriches and the only place to see all of these rare species. It is advisable to go with a park ranger to help you spot the different wild species. The lions are in many cases seen resting on the rocks.

Game drives in Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is the closest national park to Uganda’s capital Kampala. The best place for game drives in the park is on the east tracks that pass through a variety of landscapes including acacia woodland, wetlands, grassy hillsides, rock outcrops, and seasonally flooded valleys. The best time for the game drives in the park is in the early morning hours or in the late afternoon.

Wildlife viewing or game drives are done in a safari vehicle with a Uganda safari guide and park ranger in search of wildlife. Game drives in Uganda can be done either in the morning, evening, or at night. These are referred to as morning game drives, evening game drives as well and night game drives. The day game drives are usually less expensive than the night game drive. A game drive lasts about 2-4 hours within the park.

Wildlife in Uganda – Uganda Wildlife Safari Game Drives

Uganda is home to about 330 mammal species. Among these include the big five African game which are the buffaloes, rhinos, elephants, lions, and leopards. These can be seen in 3 of the national parks which are Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, and Queen Elizabeth National Park; however, rhinos can only be seen at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Therefore to see all of the big five, a tourist has to tailor their wildlife safari in Uganda to any of those three national parks as well as a visit to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

Some of the wildlife species that can be seen on a wildlife tour in Uganda include the lions with tree climbing lions at Queen Elizabeth National Park, giraffes, elephants, oribis, antelopes, zebras, hartebeests, waterbucks, bushbucks, dik-dik, cheetahs, side-striped jackal, buffaloes, elands, warthogs, Ugandan kobs, leopards, duikers, and many more.

Uganda is also home to 13 types of primates including over half of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas and chimpanzee. Gorilla trekking and chimp tracking are in many cases however, referred to as different activities since they include tracking and getting up close to chimpanzees or gorillas on foot. Wildlife viewing, however, is mainly done in savannah parks where wildlife is seen on a game drive through the trucks of the park.

When you visit Uganda, don’t miss out on taking a game drive. This can be on a short tour or even while on long Uganda tours. Wildlife tours can also be customized with Uganda gorilla safaris, birding or cultural tours.