With Bakumpe, you can explore Uganda in three thematic areas- Trails, Safaris, and Cultures and People.
Safaris
Uganda has ten protected National Parks, thirteen game reserves and other natural sites in all corners of the country. In addition, the journeys to these areas offer rich experiences of their own. In the national parks, along with magnificent landscapes, you will see animals such as lions, elephants, hippos, buffalos, giraffes, zebras, baboons, different species of antelopes, and many others.
All Uganda’s national parks have amazing wildlife. The highlights below just speak to the uniqueness of each park.
Rwenzori National Park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 because of its natural beauty, and is snow-capped all year long. Murchison Falls National Park is bisected by the Victoria Nile, which plunges 45m over the Rift Valley wall. Huge volumes of River Nile waters force their way into a gorge which is less than 10 meters wide. The Park has an incredible savanna landscape.
Ishaka, in Queen Elizabeth National Park is the best place to see tree climbing lions in Africa.
Lake Mburo National Park forms part of a 50km-long wetland system linked by a swamp with 5 of the 13 lakes in the area bordering the Park.
Semliki National Park is home to incredible hot springs and Uganda’s pygmies. Dominated by part of the Ituri Forest in the Congo Basin, this is where East African meets the biodiversity of Central Africa.
Mt. Elgon National Park is named after the mountain, which is Africa’s 17th highest mountain. At 4,000km², Mt. Elgon has the largest volcanic base in the world.
Kibale National Park has 13 species of primates including the chimpanzee and is one of the most varied regions of tropical forest in Uganda.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is home to endangered mountain gorillas and to the indigenous Batwa pygmies.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, has 400 species of plants and an estimated 320 endangered mountain gorillas.
Kidepo Valley National Park was listed as Number 3 in ‘Africa’s 10 Best National Parks 2013’ by CNN Travel. Bordering Kenya and Sudan, it is the most isolated among Uganda’s parks, but also the most magnificent.
We are also a birdwatcher’s paradise. We have over one thousand species of birds. Game reserves are home to wildlife living outside of the national parks, and offer unique chances to explore the wilderness. In our other natural sites, you will see breathtaking water falls, crater lakes, caves, hot springs, the source of the Nile, Lake Victoria and so much more. Besides being the source of the Nile, Lake Victoria is Africa’s largest lake, the largest tropical lake and the second largest freshwater lake in the world. It is shared by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania and hosts countless peninsulas and islands including the history-rich, Ssese Islands.
The Nile is one of the seven natural wonders of Africa and the longest river in the world stretching 6,650 kilometers (4,132 miles) from Uganda to the Mediterranean Sea. The river and its banks are home to amazing wildlife including crocodiles, elephants, hippos, and hundreds of bird species. Activities include cruises, fishing, sailing, kayaking, bungee jumping, tubing, and rafting. There are also beautiful places to stay from campsites to luxury hotels.
Cultures
Uganda is home to many revered cultural sites which offer you a chance to not only learn about the histories of the places but also experience their beauty and interact with the people who conserve them. Beyond visiting the sites, you get a chance to learn about the cultures and the history of the country through conversation, food, dance, stories, lifestyles, and simply by sharing our humanness.
Have a go at our rich music and dance varieties. Approximately, every 50 miles in any direction you travel in Uganda, you will encounter diverse forms of dance, rhythms and instruments. But even when the instruments are similar, the rhythms played, songs and dances will differ greatly. That is how rich Ugandan culture is! Learn a dance, a song, how to play an instruments or even how to make one through workshops in Kampala or by traveling to their origins to experience them in their authenticity such as the madinda (xylophone) players of Busoga.
What is anything without food? We have great food here and the way we grow, harvest, and prepare it in education in itself. You can either embed your food experience in your other activities by exploring different restaurants every meal or you can choose to embark on a food tasting tour that will take you from our organic holes-in-the-wall to five-star restaurants to a home-cooked meal. Uganda has amazing food and great ambiances from which to eat it.
People
We believe you never really know or appreciate a place without making the effort to know its people. Travel and tourism are so much about forming relationships and getting an understanding of and appreciation for people we would normally not interact with. Bakumpe offers you a chance to engage with real people from all walks of life to share our humanness. Be a guest in someone’s home, experience what life is like to that individual single mother, a doctor, educator, entrepreneur, or whoever you may want to meet. Experience our night-life in what has been named East African’s Entertainment Capital, that is, Kampala. Most importantly, engage with some of friendliest people in the world. In the end, it is the human relationships formed that impact us the most.
Trails
There is something special about exploring a place on foot. Besides exploring the many trails in our national parks and other designated areas, Uganda has some amazing races, fun runs and regular recreational runs that will take you to national parks, natural reserves, villages and urban centers. Along the way, you will pound our famous red dirt; see beautiful people, and sprawling greenery, not to forget our infamous hills. Participation will depend on event availability at the time of your visit. Let us know if you need us to incorporate an activity during your visit. However, if you just want to step out of your hotel and go for a casual run or walk, we will be happy to arrange that as