Uganda Ranked in the top 1000 places to visit before you die

With so many countries that make up the world, it is possible that choosing that one exceptional destination really becomes a very big challenge. Well, if you looking for that one magical country to explore before you die then Uganda should be a must in your travel plan and you won’t regret in life. This landlocked country has for long positioned itself as one of the leading travel destinations in the world and it is of no doubt that just as the year has kick-started, it has featured among the top 1000 places to visit before you die. This great news was unveiled during the 16^th edition of the 2019 New York Times Travel Show. The event that lasted for about 3 days starting from 25^th to 27^th January was attended by Uganda delegates led by Uganda Tourism Board (UTB) Chief Executive Officer as well as Uganda’s Market Destination Representative in North America and the 8 tour operators.

More than 610 exhibitors across 170 destinations also took part in this event and this served as a great opportunity to market Uganda. Besides, it also as the best way to improve the country’s visibility and increase its share of US Outbound travel market. Uganda was ranked 12^th and this was due to the fact that this magical country features as a primate destination with over half the mountain gorillas on earth all confined in its tropical rainforests. More efforts are being put to position this magical country as a preferred tourist destination in Africa. Towards the end of 2018, Uganda was listed among the 4 destinations in Africa by the National Geographic Traveler’s in its Cool List for 2019. The National Geographic Traveler in the UK listed 19 destinations set to hit the headlines in 2019. In the African continent, it featured only South Africa, Uganda mainly for its unique mountain gorillas, Eritrea and Zimbabwe. Patricia Schultz-the veteran travel journalist with more than 30 years of experience unveiled the first edition of 1000 places to visit before you die around 2003 that turned a runaway bestseller, motivating millions of travelers to make their own must-visit lists. The thousand places to see before you die curates the world for people who are passionate about travel and willing to learn more.

Uganda boasts of its diverse tourist attractions which include among others the rare mountain gorillas which thrive in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park. The two parks are situated in extreme southwestern Uganda just along the Albertine Rift. You can also catch a glimpse at these unique creatures while on safari in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Today, about 1004 mountain gorillas still thrive on earth and only found within the three listed countries. For any plans to track mountain gorillas in Uganda, you need a permit which can be obtained at $600. Today, Uganda features about 17 habituated families and while on gorilla trip, you will be assigned to only 1 to track in a group of 8 visitors. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park also offers refuge to over 350 bird species and they include among others the African green broadbill, Collared Apalis, mountain masked Apalis, red-faced woodland, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Grauer’s rush warbler, the Rwenzori Turaco, yellow-eyed black flycatcher, strange weaver, short-tailed warbler, blue-headed sunbird, red-headed bluebill, white-tailed blue flycatcher a mention but a few. There are also baboons, vervet monkeys, chimpanzees, colobus monkeys as well as mammal species.

Besides Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park, other national parks equally feature a number of most fascinating wildlife species. They include Kidepo Valley National Park in the extreme northeast and inhabits 4 of the big 5 game and several savanna grassland wildlife species. This 1442 square kilometer protected area inhabits wildlife species such as elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards as well as bird species like secretary bird, Jackson’s hornbills, Abyssinian ground hornbill, ostriches, Kori bustards, Karamoja Apalis, red-throated bee-eater, Verreaux’s eagle, pygmy falcon a mention but a few. Murchison Falls National Park, on the other hand, lies in northwestern Uganda and features as the largest park with an area coverage of about 3840 square kilometers. It boasts of its diverse wildlife species such as lions, lions, buffaloes, leopards, warthogs, Jackson’s hartebeest, bushbucks, waterbucks, Uganda Kobs, Oribis and over 451 bird species that include among others the shoebill stork, weaver birds, red-throated bee-eater, white-browed sparrow weaver, speckled fronted weaver, black-billed barbet, black-headed gonoleks, eastern grey plantain eater, piapiac, silver bird and many others. Queen Elizabeth National Park spans for about 1978 square kilometers and offers refuge to elephants, lions plus the tree climbing lions, buffaloes, leopards, warthogs and not to forget bird species such as white-winged warbler, papyrus gonoleks, papyrus canary, white-tailed lark, pink-backed pelican, Verreaux’s eagle owl, Black-rumped buttonquail, African skimmer and many others.

Other significant tourist sites that are worth exploring while you are on Uganda safari include Lake Mburo National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Semuliki Valley National Park, Mount Rwenzori National Park a mention but a few. Aside from its stunning parks and reserves, this landlocked country also has various historical and cultural sites, for instance, Kasubi tomb site, Namugongo shrine, baker’s fort, Karambi tombs-where the 3 kings of Tooro Kingdom were buried; Mparo tomb-which is located about 4 kilometers along Hoima road, Ndere troupe cultural center, Igongo cultural center, Itaaba Kyabanyoro, Katereke prison ditch a mention but a few.

In conclusion, there are a million reasons why Uganda ranks as one of the world’s best travel destinations. Credit goes to its breathtaking landscape and abundant tourist attractions. For any plans to visit Africa or a holiday, consider Uganda a must to visit in your travel plan and you will have the best experiences in this magical country.