Game drives in Uganda : Uganda’s most popular safari activity is game drives, which provide tourists the chance to explore the savannah plains in a comfortable 4WD pop-up safari vehicle for unobstructed wildlife watching with a knowledgeable driving guide who is familiar with the many game paths. When doing a Uganda Safaris Tour, game drives can be taken in Uganda either very early in the morning, around 6:00am, when animals are most active, or in the afternoon, around 2:00pm and even the night game drives that take place after taking dinner. In Uganda, game drives are conducted in a variety of savannah national parks, including
Where to go for game drives in Uganda.Â
Murchison falls national park
The largest national park in Uganda is Murchison Falls National Park, which is situated in the country’s northwest. In addition to the big four mammals lions, leopards, elephants, and buffaloes the national park is home to 76 different species of mammals, including chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, waterbucks, giraffes, Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi, and Uganda kobs. There are also more than 450 different species of birds. One of Uganda’s savannah national parks, Murchison Falls, offers an exciting game drive safari where you may go over the savannah plains in a safari vehicle with a knowledgeable driver guide. You will follow different game tracks like Buligi, Victoria, and Albert game track during the game drive, which can be done either very early in the morning in the afternoon or in the night. Here, you will be able to spot various animals like buffalo, elephants, Jackson’s hartebeest, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, giraffes, oribi, warthogs, lions, leopards, hippos, and more.
Queen Elizabeth national park.Â
Another savannah national park, Queen Elizabeth National Park is situated in the western regions of Uganda in the districts of Kasese, Rubirizi, Rukungiri, and Kamwenge. About 95 mammal species, including the well-known tree climbing lions, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, lions, leopards, waterbucks, and primates like chimpanzees, L’Hoest’s monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and more than 600 bird species have been identified in Queen Elizabeth National Park. In the Queen Elizabeth National Park, game drives are frequently conducted in the Kasenyi Plains, Mweya Peninsula, and Ishasha Sector, where you may see the tree-climbing lions. You will be able to see animals like elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, topis, bushbucks, hippos, and giant forest hogs among others while on a game drive safari, which can be done either early in the morning when animals are active or in the afternoon. You will also be able to see predators like lions, leopards, and spotted hyenas looking for a morning hunt, as well as various bird species.
Kidepo Valley National Park
In the northeastern region of Uganda, Kidepo Valley National Park is a remote and one of the savannah national parks. The most well-known safari activity at Kidepo Valley National Park is a game drive, which is conducted in two different areas: Kidepo Valley and Narus Valley, where you may see vast herds of animals congregating to drink water during the dry season. During the game drive, you will be able to view a wide range of wildlife species including buffaloes, elephants, giraffes, zebras, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, hippos, elands, kudus, oribi, Bohor reedbucks, Jackson’s hartebeest, predators like lions, leopards, hyenas, cheetahs, bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal, caracal and different bird species such as ostrich, Karamoja apalis, Kori bustard, chanting goshawk, fox kestrel among others.
Lake Mburo national park.
The smallest national park, Lake Mburo, is situated along the Masaka-Mbarara highway in western Uganda. One of the savannah sites, Lake Mburo National Park, offers a wonderful game drive safari where you can see a variety of animals, including buffalo, giraffes, impalas, zebras, elands, waterbucks, warthogs, topis, leopards, and hippos, among others that is during morning game drives, afternoon game drives and night game drives.
Pian upe wildlife reserve.
The Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, one of Uganda’s largest conservation areas and its best-kept secret, is situated in the Karamoja region of the country’s northeast. Game drives in Pian upe wildlife reserve can either be done early in the morning or in the afternoon after different game tracks where you will be able to view animals like buffaloes, elephants, roan antelopes, elands, greater kudu, Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi, gazelle, topi, reedbucks, Dik-dik, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, spotted hyenas, civet, black backed and side stripped jackals, serval cats, cheetahs among others.
In order to clearly see nocturnal species that become active at night, Uganda also offers night game drives safaris where you can tour savannah national parks at night with spot light torches. In Uganda, night game drives are conducted in four different national parks: Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls, Lake Mburo and Kidepo valley National Park. You will be accompanied on the night game drive by an armed Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger who will assist you in spotting nocturnal animals such as lions, leopards, hyenas, civet, porcupines, genets, bush babies, nightjars, serval cats, banded mongoose, side striped jackal, bush pigs, honey badger, aardvark, black galago, and other creatures.
Best time to go for game drives in Uganda.Â
The greatest time to go on a game drive safari is during the dry season, which is from June through February. Other popular game drive destinations include Queen Elizabeth, Lake Mburo, Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, Kidepo Valley National Park and Murchison Falls National Park. Access roads and game tracks in national parks will be dry and passable during the dry season as opposed to the wet season when the tracks are muddy and slippery. This allows you to see animals clearly because vegetation will be sparse and large concentrations of animals will congregate around water bodies to drink water.