By The UNCHARTED® editors · 5 min readWRITTEN BY
Sandy Cunningham
Uganda is charming and wild, vibrant and chaotic — and that’s precisely its magic. There’s no end to the activities — gorilla and chimp trekking, lion tracking, mind-blowing bird-watching — and it’s all more on the affordable side compared to neighboring Rwanda.
Uganda revealed itself on our short flight from Entebbe to Kasese as we passed over rolling green hills, crater lakes, and patchwork farmland before touching down on a grass strip that felt like a proper arrival in Africa. Waiting for us was Francis Kiwanuka, our guide, storyteller, and companion for the entire safari. One of the most experienced guides with Volcanoes Safaris, he knows every corner of Uganda and Rwanda, from wildlife and birds to history and politics — and delivers it all with an infectious laugh that leaves your cheeks cramping from nonstop smiling.
Kibale Forest: Chimps & Crater Lakes
Perched above a crater lake, a stay at Kibale Lodge is deliberately slow – massages, saunas, and time to simply
arrive
. On our first evening, my daughter Daisy and I were treated to a conversation with Emily, a chimpanzee researcher who shared intimate insights into chimp society and ongoing conservation work. It was the perfect overture to a safari that would be full of great apes.
Chimp tracking the next morning exceeded every expectation. After a short walk into the forest, we settled quietly with three male chimps (alpha, beta, and a younger bodyguard) lounging in dappled green light. Then the wider troop erupted around us, and the forest came alive with shrieks and calls that felt both ancient and electric.
“Muddy, wild, and utterly unforgettable.”
Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kyambura Gorge: Lost Chimps and a Three-Legged Lion
The drive south toward Queen Elizabeth National Park revealed Uganda at its most cinematic — villages, Rift Valley views, and Francis’s expert and amusing narration. A stop at the Rwenzori Sculpture Foundation offered beautiful examples of Uganda’s creative soul.
At Kyambura Gorge Lodge, set on a former coffee estate above the dramatic ravine, everything clicked. The food was fresh, garden-driven, and quietly brilliant. The staff was joyful, capable, and proud of their work. Daisy chatted with Bosco Atukwatse, a young researcher with the Kyambura Lion Monitoring Project, who described behind-the-scenes conservation efforts shaping the region’s future.
The next morning brought hands-on big cat tracking: lionesses with cubs, and a 14-year-old senile leopard named Gracie still holding her ground despite her age. It was conservation made visible, serious work unfolding quietly in the wild.
But Kyambura’s greatest allure is its resident chimpanzees — a small, isolated group of just 32 individuals, dubbed the “Lost Chimps” after a famed BBC film that captured not only their intelligence and social dynamics but also their vulnerability as they struggle against habitat loss in this hidden, almost “lost world” gorge.
FEATURED OUTPOST
“Primates, jungle, and pure Ugandan wonder.”
At first light the next day, we stepped straight out of the lodge and began our trek down into the gorge. We found the chimps quickly and followed them as they moved between forest floor and canopy — mothers cradling babies overhead while we waded through knee-deep water below. The encounter was raw and intimate: muddy, wild, and utterly unforgettable.
Then came Jacob.
Driving through Queen Elizabeth National Park, Daisy casually said she hoped we might see the famous three-legged lion Bosco had told us about the evening before. Minutes later, there he was, lying in the shade beside the road. Jacob’s story is legendary: twice snared, once gored by a buffalo, now three-legged and blind in one eye, he is a Guinness World Record holder for swimming the longest distance in the Kazinga Channel. Despite his handicaps, he is magnificent. We watched him rise and walk away, powerful and healthy, a living testament to resilience and conservation success.
A sunset boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel followed, with hippos, crocodiles, endless birdlife, and a thunderstorm building theatrically on the horizon. A ride on rain-soaked roads led us back to the lodge and deep, dreamless sleep.
“It was conservation made visible, serious work unfolding quietly in the wild.”
Bwindi Lodge and the Gorillas of the Impenetrable Forest
Heading southwest toward Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, the landscape transformed: smooth roads gave way to red clay tracks winding through villages, with mist rising as the dense forest loomed closer. Bwindi Lodge sits at the intersection of village and jungle — a rare place where daily life and wilderness meet seamlessly.
FEATURED OUTPOST
“Misty forest mornings and mountain gorillas at your door.”
That evening, we met Dr. Fred Nizeyimana, a legendary “Gorilla Doctor,” or wildlife veterinarian with the Gorilla Doctors team, dedicated to monitoring and treating mountain gorillas in the wild. His passion for these animals filled the room, and we came to learn he is training two of the very first female vets in Uganda.
Gorilla trekking the next morning was almost comically easy. Five minutes into the forest, we were with a gorilla family right at the farmland’s edge. We were close enough to hear their breathing and a silverback even made a mock charge and chest-beat just a few yards behind Daisy. She clutched my arm and whispered, “Mum, what do I do?” The encounter was both terrifying and awesome!
“A rare place where daily life and wilderness meet seamlessly.”
Gorillas and Monkeys in the Virunga Volcanoes
For our last stop in Uganda, we took a stunning 10-minute flight over the mountains (the drive would have been 8 hours!) and explored Mount Gahinga Lodge. Off the beaten track, it sits nestled in the Virunga Volcanoes, famed as one of the few places to see Silver (Gorillas) and Gold (Golden Monkeys) in one day. The lodge’s unique, locally inspired stone bandas (rooms) and sustainable partnership with the local Batwa community created an intimate, and culturally immersive, experience.
Uganda is a gem: The people are warm and welcoming, the landscapes are dazzling, and the wildlife is absolutely epic! This trip is perfect for everyone, from active couples and honeymooners to families (but kids have to be 15+ to trek with gorillas and 12+ for chimps).
This is part of a two-part trip report on Uganda and Rwanda. You can check out the
other story here.
“One of the few places on earth to see Silver and Gold in a single day.”
