UGANDA

Uganda is situated on the equator in central east Africa, east of Kenya, with the Congo to the West and Tanzania and Rwanda to the south. It is located on the most fertile plateau of Africa at a height of 1200 meters above sea level. It is known as the land of lakes – many lakes cover almost a third of the country, with the impressive Lake Victoria dominating the southern region.

Uganda is the result of a unification of many small kingdoms and chiefdoms and today you will find a strong sense of culture, heritage and pride. The official language is English, but Swahili and Luganda are widely spoken.

There are 48 different tribes in the country living mainly in the fertile rural areas.

There are a number of national parks, the major park being the Queen Elizabeth National Park – sometimes called the Pearl of Africa or Switzerland of Africa. This fertile equatorial area is very scenic, with two lakes, volcanic craters, grassy plains and tropical forest. As a result it has one of the highest biodiversity ratings in the world. The Kyambura Gorge located at the end of the Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the most important areas for avian, primate and wildlife biodiversity. The gorge is the only place in the Park where you can see chimpanzees, red tailed monkey, colobus and vervet monkeys.

Much of Uganda's wildlife was poached out in the past, especially elephants, but now this area is protected and elephant numbers and other species are continually increasing. Here you will also see hippo, hyena, waterbuck and bushbuck, buffalo, kobs (antelope now seldom seen in other parts of East Africa) and good birdlife including pelicans and eagles. Uganda's bird species numbers more than 1,200 including the rare shoebill stork.

The primeval Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to gorillas, monkeys, chimpanzees and unusual birds.

Tracking the endangered mountain gorillas in the forests of Bwindi is an exciting and deeply moving experience.

Murchison Falls is a highlight – one of the most impressive features of the Nile River as it flows from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean, dropping 40 meters as it is forced through a cleft in the rocks. Murchison Falls.

National Park is Uganda's largest National Park. The park is cut in half by the Nile and its landscape varies from dense rain forest to undulating savannah. The scenery is studded with palm trees and wildlife viewing adds to the experience - buffalo, giraffe, elephant, lion, hartebeest, and Uganda Kobs are just some of the animals to be seen.

Craft making skills are passed from generation to generation and art crafts range from mats, baskets bark cloth, masks, paintings, musical instruments and more. There are a number of interesting markets in Uganda's capital, Kampala.