Uganda’s greatest wonder is her exceptional beauty that nature blessed her with. The extensive savannas, mountains so high in the clouds, with beautiful lakes and rivers traversing through makes the country a true tourism destination that none should miss.
The Pearl of Africa is well known for its incredible outdoor adventures that include white water rafting, bungee jumping, gorilla trekking to mountain climbing etc. There is simply a plenty of things that a Uganda safari can offer to any traveler at any time.
Blessed with quite a good number of mountains and volcanoes, Uganda is one of the best places to do mountaineering in Africa. If you are planning to travel to Uganda, then its high time you complement your trip with a hiking tour to one of the following places;
The Virunga volcanoes
Located at the border of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Virunga Volcanoes are a series of eight mountains shared by these three African countries. Three out of the eight volcanoes are within Uganda; Mount Sabinyo, Mount Mgahinga and Mount Muhabura. These are located in Mgahinga national park, the smallest national park in southwest of Uganda.
The Muhabura volcano is the highest of all these three, standing at an altitude of 4127 meters above the sea level. It takes about 5hours to hike to its top, though this depends on the speed of the hikers. The top furnishes views of the magnificent Gisenyi town in Rwanda and the best view of the Virunga ranges.
Among the three volcanoes, the Sabinyo Mountain offers the most challenging hike you will ever have in Uganda. It offers experiences that are simply endemic to it, moving up through the two peaks to finally make it to the third peak. This is the only time one can stand in three countries of Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo at once.
Mountain Mgahinga is a home to a number of mountain gorillas and countless golden monkeys. So it is not usually used for hiking, but rather gorilla trekking and golden monkey tracking, though it also has well designed hiking trails.
Rwenzori Mountain
Also known as the mountain of the moon, this is the third highest peak in Africa after Kirimanjaro and Kenya mountains. Located in Kasese at the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwenzori stands at an altitude of 5109 meters and it takes about 8 to 9 days to summit the top of this mountain. A hike to the top of Rwenzori comes with views of the beautiful rivers melting from all year round snow capped at the top of Rwenzori. The mountain base was gazzetted as a national park and people can spot various wildlife species like primates, forest elephants and a wide array of bird species.
Mountain Elgon
Located in the east at the boarder of Uganda and Kenya, this is another interesting hike one can ever engage in while on a safari in Uganda. It stands at an altitude of4321 meters above the sea level, the volcano was once one of Africa’s highest but the continuous erosion reduced its height to the current one. Summiting the top of Mountain Elgon takes you to Wagagai peak that shelters the world’s largest Caldera, measuring about 50 X 80 kilometers. It probably takes about four to five days to reach the top of mountain Elgon depending on the speed and fitness of the hikers.
Besides the mountains, there are also several hills and waterfalls where travelers on Uganda safaris have opted for. The Uganda Tourist Guide lists some of these hills where you can enjoy moderate hikes. These are Tororo Rock, Kagulu Hill, Sipi Falls, Murchison falls, Amabere ga Nyina Mwiru caves, Mount Morungole, etc.
Uganda is simply a mountaineering country that even the ones who can’t make it to the top of mountains, they still have better and easier options. If it’s a mountain climbing safari in Africa, it should head to Uganda.
