I bet you’ve heard all sorts of stories about Uganda. Some of them might have been good, some not so good. But that’s like any other place in the world, right? Either way, just like anywhere else in the world, there is a lot more about Uganda than meets the eye. Many get their information about the Uganda I know, from either TV, internet searches, or social media. Many Ugandans do not know my Uganda beyond what they are fed by the media or village gossip. My Uganda is a secret that is well kept, but one that is glaring in plain sight for all to see. The trick is to visit Uganda, and simply open your senses to the wonder that is experienced at the most beautiful piece of real estate in the world. You might live call Uganda home, or simply be here for just a short while, but have you really been to Uganda? Plenty of travel companies can arrange customized tours for both domestic and international travelers, but at the end of the day, everyone’s experience is quite unique to their own expectations or observations. So before jumping on a plane, bus, or train to visit, I will give you a broad view of what my Uganda truly is, and how you might live to have more fond memories of your visit, than nasty ones.
What is my Uganda?
The political entity called Uganda was created in the 20th Century and is located in southeast Africa between 1º S and 4º N latitude and between 30º E and 35º E longitude. Its geography is very diverse consisting of volcanic hills, mountains, and lakes. The country sits at an average of 900 meters above sea level. Both the eastern and western borders of Uganda have mountains. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the southwest by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, shared with Kenya and Tanzania. This arrangement essentially means that Uganda is a landlocked country. However, Uganda is in the African Great Lakes region, lies within the Nile basin, and has a varied but generally modified equatorial climate. The Victoria Nile drains from Lake Victoria into Lake Kyoga and then into Lake Albert on the Congolese border. It then runs northwards into South Sudan.
Uganda also has 60 protected areas, including ten national parks: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Kibale National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Mount Elgon National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Semuliki National Park. Uganda is also home to a vast number of species, including a population of tree-climbing lions in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, mountain gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, gorillas and golden monkeys in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, hippos and giraffes in the Murchison Falls National Park. My Uganda is Africa's premier birding destination with the list of birds found in the country topping 1,000! Of them, one is endemic, and three have been introduced by humans. Many of these birds live only in the tropical forests with rare sightings being described as “mythical” while it is believed that some of the birds living in the remote forests of Uganda may not even be classified as yet.
As you know by now, Uganda is covered in biodiversity, and whichever way you chose to visit, and from whichever direction, you will be in for the trip of a lifetime. In the next episode of this blog, I will share the various ways that I have traveled across Uganda, their advantages and disadvantages as well as the things I have seen and experienced during those travels.