UGANDA WILDLIFE AND CULTURAL SAFARIS

The Republic of Uganda is a country situated in East Africa and it is the second most populous landlocked country in the continent. Uganda is divided in 4 kingdoms, and the country takes its name from the Buganda kingdom, which occupies a large portion of the South territory, which includes the country’s capital (Kampala). The official languages are Swahili and English, although many other unofficial languages are spoken across the whole country. Due to its cultural and natural richness, Uganda is one of the most visited countries in Africa, and tourists can find a great variety of alternatives for their trips.

 Let's start by talking about the wildlife safaris. These type of safaris give you the great opportunity of observing animals such as rhinos, elephants, big primates, etc. in their natural habitats. All these animals used to be of great interest for the hunters some time ago,  but fortunately, nowadays they are protected. In Uganda, you can find more than 10 National parks and reserves that can be visited during all the year. The largest and one of the most visited is Murchison Falls Park, one of Uganda's ancient conservation areas. It also comprises the Bugungu and Karuma Falls Wildlife Reserves, where the river Nile and some of it's cascades are situated. The flora and the fauna of this zone are incredibly rich. If you're more of a water person, you may go on tour on Lake Victoria (Africa's largest lake), on Lake Bunyonyi (Africa's second deepest Lake) or even on the Nile! 

 As for the cultural safaris, here we may find many alternatives too. You may visit the urban part of Uganda by going on a tour through the city of Kampala, which has many tourist attractions, such as buildings, monuments... But Uganda's cultural richness goes beyond that. As I've said before, Uganda is divided in 4 kingdoms. Each kingdom is home for many tribes who live in harmony. A great way of approaching their culture is by visiting spiritual sites, such as Kabaka's lake, or some royal tombs. Another way of approaching the culture is by music and dance, which have been crucial in every tribe's lifestyle. Their gastronomy is very rich as well and the diverse climate of the country offers great conditions to fruits and vegetables. Finally, their arts and crafts reflect their culture to perfection, with paintings and handmade utensils, music instruments and so on.

Sources:

• http://www.aboutuganda.com/uganda/arts_and_culture/culture
• http://www.travelhemispheres.com/cultural-safaris.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uganda
• http://www.aboutuganda.com/travel
• http://www.wildwhispersafrica.com/uganda/uganda-safari-wildlife-the-big-5-plus-two/
• www.murchisonfallsnationalpark.com