Uganda

Uganda sits on the equator in East Africa, between Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, DR Congo and South Sudan. It is a small country, but it holds old rainforest, open savannah, snowy mountains, crater lakes, Lake Victoria and the start of the River Nile. We live here, in Entebbe, and these pages show the places we know and love.

Why go

Uganda is home to close to half of all the mountain gorillas left in the world, in Bwindi and Mgahinga. Kibale has more than 1,500 chimpanzees. On the Kazinga Channel and the Nile you float past hippos, elephants and buffaloes, and Queen Elizabeth National Park alone has recorded more than 600 kinds of birds. Distances are short enough to mix forest, savannah and lakes in one trip.

What you can do

Track gorillas, chimpanzees and golden monkeys. Take boat trips and game drives. Walk with rhinos at Ziwa. Paddle a dugout canoe on Lake Bunyonyi, hike to the Sipi Falls or climb Mount Elgon. Look for the shoebill at Mabamba. Spend a day in a Buganda village, cook luwombo, and hear the stories of kings, rivers and clans.

The people side

Our idea is simple: wild places, warm people. Every wild day has a people day. After the gorillas, walk with Batwa guides whose families lived in the forest. After the chimps, join the villagers of Bigodi who protect their own swamp. Near Murchison, cook with the Boomu Women’s Group. Near Kampala, spend a day at Ewaffe, named Best Cultural Tourism Experience of the Year at Uganda’s World Tourism Day 2024 celebrations. These community-run activities are included in our trips, so what you pay for them goes to your hosts.

Best time to visit

Uganda is a year-round country. The drier months, roughly June to August and December to February, make forest trails and dirt roads easier. March to May and October to November are wetter and greener. In April, May and November gorilla and chimpanzee permits cost less and the parks are quieter, but low-season permits cannot be moved to another date.

Getting there

International flights land at Entebbe International Airport, about 40 km south of Kampala and 45 minutes to 1 hour from the city by expressway. The national parks are 4 to 10 hours away by road, and some can be reached by short domestic flights to park airstrips.

Good to know

Road days can be long, so we plan rest stops and overnight breaks. Two Servants owns no vehicles: we hire 4×4 safari vehicles with experienced driver-guides and check each vehicle before your trip. Gorilla permits must be paid in full when booked, so we check availability first. We never promise lions or a “Big Five”. Uganda’s rhinos are bred at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, and in 2026 the first groups were moved to Ajai Wildlife Reserve and Kidepo Valley National Park, where they are still settling in. UWA’s current prices are valid to 31 December 2026; new UWA prices start on 1 January 2027.