Uganda
With a tapestry of landscapes, excellent wildlife watching and welcoming locals, Uganda packs a lot into one small country. It's home to Africa's tallest mountain range, the Rwenzoris, the source of the Nile, the world's longest river, and the continent's largest lake. Rafting the Nile offers a world-class adrenaline adventure, but the country's most iconic experience is tracking mountain gorillas in their misty habitat in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Uganda is indeed an absolute jewel of a country which lies to the north and west of Lake Victoria in east-central Africa. The scenery along the western side of the country is spectacular with dramatic volcanic peaks, lush tropical forests, flooded calderas, broad lakes, open savanna and verdant farmlands. Of course, the main reason to visit Uganda is to head into the forests to track gorillas, chimpanzees on Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary and a host of other primates. There are other opportunities to experience some more conventional savanna safari, with decent populations of elephants, lions, leopards, giraffes, zebras and kobs in a number of areas.
Emerging from the shadows of Uganda's dark history, tourism is returning the sheen to the 'pearl of Africa'. Here you'll find the best the continent has to offer at a good value and with fewer visitors than in longer-established East African destinations.
