The name Uganda is synonymous with “the Pearl of Africa.” This was after Sir Winston Churchill, the former British Prime Minister, visited Uganda in 1908. He said, “Uganda is truly the Pearl of Africa. The country has almost everything that can be found elsewhere in Africa. This includes endangered mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, and more than 1,000 bird species. Water bodies such as lakes and rivers, linked to chains of forests and wetlands, bless the country. The country is unmatched as far as natural beauty is concerned.
In 2022, Uganda sprang to her feet and smiled to the rest of the world with her new brand, “Explore Uganda, The Pearl of Africa.” This is our nation’s legacy, deeply entrenched in both history and the present.
Pearls are an expression of something of great rarity and worth, so Pearl of Africa emphasises the attractions of Uganda’s rare depth, beautiful range, and precious variety. It underlines the worth, the value, and, by extension, the high return on investment that this rarity and uniqueness presents to tourists and, by extension, to tourism investors looking to maximise value in a destination.
Explore Uganda: “This is the call to action. Explore Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, is an invitation to our tourists—both domestic, regional, and international—to rediscover the magnificence of the Pearl. We are reminding the world that the best way to experience Destination Uganda is to savour its pleasures slowly,” says Lilly Ajarova, the executive director of the Uganda Tourism Board.
Source of the Nile
The early explorers came searching for the source of the Nile more than a century ago. Today, the source of the Nile is still attractive. It is attractive not only to travellers from elsewhere but also to local Ugandans and East Africans.
The British explorer John Speke (1827–64) is famous for being the first European to visit Lake Victoria and identify it as the source of the Nile. Speke undertook three African expeditions, the first two with the great explorer Richard Burton (1821–90).
Whitewater rafting
Not far from the source of the Nile, the river is still young, and it has a number of water falls. The most attractive falls that are popular with whitewater rafters are Busowoko, Itanda, and Kalagala.
Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park is best known, though, for being the most powerful waterfall in the world. The gorge, less than seven paces wide, forces the equivalent of 200 bathtubs full of water every second. The pressure is so great that the ground trembles around it, according to Global Conservation. “The water then plummets 43 metres before flowing out towards Lake Albert as a placid river whose banks are dense with hippos, crocodiles, waterbucks, and buffaloes.”
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Uganda’s second-biggest grassland park, after Murchison Falls National Park, is famed for its unique attractions, such as the tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector. It also has outstanding beauties, such as chimpanzees or chimps. The park has more than 400 bird species, which matches the entire bird life of the United States.
The park also has the Kazinga Channel, which is like an umbilical cord connecting Lake George and Edward.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Tucked away in the hilly terrain in the south-western district of Kanungu, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a beautiful place. This forest, sitting on 331 square kilometres, is home to the rarest primates—mountain gorillas.
“Dense, lush, and otherworldly, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is one of the last redoubts of the mountain gorilla. According to CNN’s description of Bwindi, over 400 people call this UNESCO-protected national park home, with the opportunity for visitors to trek to and meet habituated groups. However, its biodiversity extends far beyond its most famous inhabitants; its 331-square-kilometre expanse is home to 348 bird species and 220 butterfly species.
Kidepo National Park
There’s a reason Uganda is known as the Pearl of Africa. It’s been a top tourist destination for a few years now because of its stunning scenery and wildlife, according to CNN.
One of its best treasures, however, remains hidden. Nestled among the rugged hills and valleys of northern Uganda, Kidepo National Park lies off the beaten track. It’s a place so hidden away that its beauty has mostly gone unnoticed—until now,” says CNN.
Kidepo National Park is home to one of Africa’s smallest ethnic groups, the Ik people. According to folklore, the Ik wandered through much of East Africa and came from Ethiopia hundreds of years ago.
“It’s like a museum,” he says. “It’s a storehouse of historical information, cultural information, and ecological information. When a language like that disappears, it’s akin to a library catching fire. We are losing a window to the past that we can never reclaim in the future.
Kibale National Park
The world’s primate capital, Kibale Forest National Park, is renowned for its diversity of primates. It is home to 13 species of primates, including chimpanzees. The forest park occupies 795 square kilometres.
Mt Rwenzori
The Rwenzoris, or fabled Mountains of the Moon, lie in western Uganda, along the Uganda-Congo border. According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the equatorial snow peaks include the third highest point in Africa, with moorland, bamboo, and rich, moist montane forest blanketing the lower slopes.
Mt Elgon
Mount Elgon is a massive, solitary volcanic mountain on the border of eastern Uganda and western Kenya. Its vast form is 80 kilometres in diameter. It is also home to an indigenous group of people known as the Benet.
Most of the adventurous climbers seeking to climb Mount Rwenzori always try out Mt. Elgon before they head to Uganda’s western border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Lake Victoria
Big is big, is a common jargon among youth. It relates to Lake Victoria. Lake Victoria is the second-largest freshwater lake in the world, but it does not get as many visitors as its size suggests. Uganda’s part of the lake has 80 islands in Kalangala and another 100 in Buvuma districts.
The lake also features many Ramsar sites, such as Mabamba and Makanaga, which are popular with the Shoebill. Others are Lutembe, Sango Bay, and Musambwa Island. The Ramsar sites are birding destinations.
In short, Uganda is a rich country when it comes to wildlife, with 10 national parks, 12 wildlife reserves, five community wildlife management areas and 13 sanctuaries. It also has a lot of wildlife outside the protected areas. More than 50 tribes in the country contribute to its cultural diversity. Uganda is ripe for tourism.