Eastern Safari Route in Uganda
The Eastern Route Safari in Uganda offers a unique glimpse into the stunning landscapes of eastern and northern Uganda. Not only is the landscape unique, but the cultures and animals are also distinct from those found in the rest of Uganda. Have you been to Uganda before? Would you like to see more of Uganda’s beauty and culture? The eastern route in Uganda is another interesting safari to explore this pearl of Africa. The rugged mountains, the waterfalls, the forests, the savannah, and the wildlife along this route in Uganda bring a feeling of real experiences in Africa. The eastern route safari in Uganda starts with a stopover at the source of the River Nile from Lake Victoria, in Jinja city.
Jinja City, the Nile, and the Railway Museum
Jinja used to be an industrial town in Uganda. However, nowadays, the city is more of a leisure city for people who need serenity. Because Jinja lies on the shores of Lake Victoria, it has lovely, cool, and sunny weather throughout the year. The leafy outskirts of Jinja, with their hotels, green gardens, and views of the River Nile, are peaceful and quiet. Spending a night in Jinja by the River Nile and Lake Victoria is one of the everlasting experiences in Uganda. The other attraction in Jinja is the Railway Museum. At the Jinja Railways Museum, you see the history of
The train in Uganda.
How the railway line reached Uganda from the Indian Ocean is fascinating. The old waggons, plus the historical train station, are still there. This railway museum takes you back in time to how the new transport system helped in developing Uganda.
Mount Elgon and the flowing Sipi Falls. The safari on this eastern route in Uganda continues to the slopes of Mount Elgon. The most interesting thing here is the mountain itself, but also the spectacular Sipi waterfalls.
To see and enjoy Mount Elgon, you can make a short hike to the caves and waterfall in the forest. Better still, you can make the long trek up to the top of the mountain. At 4321 metres lies the Wagagai peak, which is the highest point of Mount Elgon. Amazingly, on top of Mount Elgon lies the biggest caldera in the world! A climb to the top, and Caldera provides a true hiking experience of one of the biggest mountains in Africa. A walk through nature to the three Sipi waterfalls further spices this adventure in eastern Uganda.
Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve—Eastern Safari Route
The Pian Upe reserve is a wildlife gem that depicts the beauty in every sense of a safari in Uganda. Pian Upe, with 2045 sq km, is the second-biggest wildlife protected area in Uganda, with wooded savanna grasslands. The eastern route safari in Uganda, therefore, has to include the Pian Upe reserve at the foot of Mountain Kadam. Some of the rare animals here include the cheetahs, leopards, beautiful roan antelopes, the well-built eland antelopes, hyenas, ostriches, and giraffes. Some of the birds include the secretary bird, the White-headed buffalo weaver, the superb Starling, Snake eagle, the Lilac-breasted Roller, and the fox kestrel.
The rocky hills within the Pian Upe reserve are significant to the animals and birds that live in them. The hills also have a cultural and historical connection to the people of this region. They used to be meeting points of war for the Pian, meaning the Karamojong, and the Upe, referring to the Pokot. These two tribes are mainly pastoralists. The Pian and the Upe live a traditional way of life that is dependent on herds of cattle. A safari through the Pian Upe plains is indeed entertaining and informative.
The wonders of Kidepo Park and Karamoja
Further north on the eastern route safari in Uganda, the wilderness is picturesque. The tribe in this region and the cultures are different. You can easily notice that from the way these people dress and conduct themselves. The Karamojong wear the traditional Suuka piece of cloth and
the brightly colored hats. And indeed, the market days are always colorful. A visit to the Karamojong village is a fantastic opportunity to meet the warriors and the young women of the kraals.
Their cultural dances contain stories of the tribe, while the well-designed homesteads depict the security of every home. On the other hand, the Kidepo Valley National Park has been ranked as the top must-visit park in Africa. The gently rolling hills mixed with rocky outcrops are a landscape like no other in Uganda. Kidepo Valley National Park is generally a grassland, more so surrounded by mountains. The two largest valleys that make up the park are where they most congregate. Through the Narus Valley, the elephants, the lions, and the hyenas roam.
Towards Mount Morungole, the Kidepo Valley itself is a paradise for birdwatching. The bat-eared fox, leopards, the dik-dik, and ostriches are on this side of the park. Therefore, game drives are worthwhile, especially for the enormous animals, birds, and scenic landscape.
Murchison Falls Park via Eastern Safari Route
On this eastern Uganda safari route, we spice the tour with the Murchison Falls National Park. This is the largest wildlife reserve and clearly the best park to visit in Uganda. Thanks to the River Nile, the Murchison Falls Park is meticulously divided into two distinctive vegetation zones. The south is predominantly forest, while the northern part is savanna and woodland. There are very interesting activities on both sides of the Murchison Falls Park. For example, in the south, there is the Top of the Murchison Falls hike.
This is a walk to see the most powerful waterfalls in the world from above. From up the rocks, you see the River Nile dividing into two beautiful falls. At the Murchison Falls, the Nile River water endlessly rushes down through narrow rocks, thereby causing a thunderous sound and sight. It is also from the southern part of the Murchison Falls Park, where you can track the chimpanzees in the Budongo Forest.
Over 600 individual chimpanzees live in this natural habitat. However, the primates in Budongo Forest include the blue monkeys and red-tailed monkeys. Indeed, the Budongo jungle is a rich tropical rainforest with colourful butterflies and over 360 bird species. On the northern side, after crossing the River Nile, is complete savannah vegetation. This is where the herds of buffalo and antelopes are, and of course, the big cats follow. Luckily, the antelopes and buffalo have the enormous expanse of grasses and shrubs to feed on. It is therefore easy for the lions, hyenas, and leopards to find their prey grazing. So the northern part of the Murchison Falls Park is fertile ground for the animals of prey. In the woodland area, the leopards normally relax during the heat of the day, and it is not difficult to see them in the trees. For the lions and hyenas, the early mornings or late afternoons are better to spot them as they go about hunting.
In Murchison Falls Park, there are different tracks to follow so as to spot the wildlife. For example, the Queen and Victoria tracks are good for the Lions, leopards, and herds of buffalo. The Albert track has the mating grounds for the antelopes, while the Pakuba track has woodland and is for herds of elephants, plus giraffes. The Murchison Falls Park has a lot of rare and colourful bird species. You can spot the shoebill around the River Nile delta. The imposing Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, the colourful Red Bishop, Cinnamon Bee-eater, Giant Kingfisher, Abyssinian Roller, Silverbird, and more are here in the park. A boat cruise along the River Nile is a wonderful way to see the animals and birds of Murchison Falls National Park. There is no doubt that on this eastern route safari in Uganda, the Murchison Falls National Park provides a rare combination of sounds and sights of the rain forest and savannah.
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
After the Murchison Falls National Park, we move southwards to crown the eastern route safari in Uganda with the rhino sanctuary. This is the most amazing place to visit the white rhinos in the wilderness of Uganda. This 70 square km expanse of woodland in Uganda is perfect ground for the white rhinos. There is an interesting bush walk through the forests to see the rhinos at Ziwa Sanctuary. The visit and walk to the rhinos lasts about 3 hours, and this is the right moment to come face-to-face with the second-largest mammal in the world! As you observe the rhinos, you notice how they feed, play, and relax.
You will even notice how they quarrel and settle disputes, and how they treat their young and seniors. It can indeed be an exciting encounter with the white rhinos. The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is a successful project aimed at bringing back the white rhinos in Uganda. Previously, there were healthy populations of the white rhinos in the northern parks of Uganda. However, due to civil wars, both the white and black rhinos were heavily poached to extinction. Now, the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is the big hope for the rhinos. And indeed, several white rhinos are soon going to be taken to the parks where they previously were, like Kidepo Valley National Park.
