Discovering Uganda - part 2

A few weeks ago, we began a series of reports from our recent exploration of Uganda. We recently toured this lesser-travelled country to experience first-hand some of its greatest natural treasures, with a view to introducing them as travel options for our own guests. Having talked last time about our unforgettable gorilla tracking trip to Bwindi forest, this month we turn our attention to another of the country’s primates, the universally adored chimpanzee. We also share our thoughts on the nearby watery wonderland of Murchison Falls.
 
Chimp tracking at Kibale
 
If there’s one animal guaranteed to make people smile, it’s the cheeky chimpanzee. Famed for their intelligence and close genetic link with humans, chimps have earned a special regard in popular culture, even becoming stars of TV and films. So the chance to see these charismatic creatures up close in the wild really was something special.

Karen getting a great view of a chimp

Kibale National Park was the destination for this endeavour – it has the biggest population of chimps in Uganda and the densest population of primates in Africa. Although good sightings are never guaranteed in the unpredictable wild, we were lucky to have some brilliantly close encounters with the chimps, which appeared totally at ease frolicking and swinging from branch to branch while we watched in awe.

A close-up shot of a laid-back chimp

Even without its chimps, Kibale National Park is a tantalising place. Its lush tropical rainforest provides a habitat for a huge array of other primates, including the black colobus and the red-tailed mangabey. It’s also a dream location for bird lovers, with over 300 species of birds, from barbets and warblers to parrots and sunbirds, in a wonderfully varied array of sizes and colours.

Magnificent Murchison
 
Just to the north of Kibale, we visited the beautiful Murchison National Park. This area is home to much of Africa’s classic big fauna, including elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, hippos and crocodiles. But the park’s crowning glory, though far from inanimate, isn’t anything from the animal kingdom – it’s the dramatic Murchison Falls.

This cascade, the most spectacular in East Africa, occurs where the waters of the mighty Nile are squeezed through an 8-metre gorge before crashing down over 40 metres in a roaring haze of white water. It’s easy to see why so many illustrious names from history, including Churchill, Roosevelt and Hemingway, have been drawn to the intriguing beauty of the falls and Murchison’s other wonders.

The mighty Murchison falls at a distance

This leg of our Ugandan experience offered yet further evidence of the stunning variety and natural beauty to be enjoyed in this corner of East Africa. It has also been great food for thought in planning further safari adventures for our own guests. Next time, we conclude our Uganda review with a look at the bizarre but beautiful shoebill bird.