Bradt Travel Guide: Uganda

About this book

Bradt Travel Guide: Uganda has for many years been considered the go-to source of information for travellers heading to or interested in this extraordinary country. This new ninth edition of the most comprehensive guide available has been fully updated by Philip Briggs, arguably the world’s most experienced guidebook author and certainly the most experienced writer on Africa, and also includes a new full-colour wildlife section with over 100 colour photographs.

Mountain gorilla tracking is Uganda´s most popular activity and this new edition provides expanded coverage of gorilla-tracking options, describing the gorilla groups and their locations – in short, everything anyone who dreams of encountering these remarkable primates needs to know.
Accommodation listings and descriptions have also been completely revised, taking into account the rapid increase in choice of places to stay, and providing a more critical appraisal of the best options in every price bracket.

Bradt Travel Guide: Uganda includes detailed maps of the country, updated or created from scratch using GPS by the author, and this new edition also offers increased coverage of Karamoja and the northeast, a major growth area for tourism.

Uganda boasts the most biodiverse – and arguably most exciting – safari circuit in Africa, ranging from the lush montane forests of Bwindi, which protect one of the world’s largest remaining populations of mountain gorillas, to the tree-climbing lions of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Whether you are visiting on safari, for birdwatching, white-water rafting on the Nile or trekking some of Africa’s highest mountains, Bradt’s Uganda remains the essential companion guide.

Contents

Introduction

PART ONE GENERAL INFORMATION

Chapter 1 Background Information: Geography, Climate, Conservation areas, History, Government, Economy, People, Language, Religion, Education
Chapter 2 Wildlife Guide: Mammals, Birds, Reptiles
Chapter 3 Practical Information: When and where to visit, Tourist information, Tour operators, Red tape, Getting there and away, What to take, Money, Getting around, Accommodation, Eating and drinking, Public holidays, Shopping, Media and communications, Health, Safety and security, Cultural etiquette, Getting involved

PART TWO ENTEBBE, KAMPALA AND SOUTH-CENTRAL UGANDA
Overview, Highlights
Chapter 4 Entebbe and Surrounds: History, Getting there and away, Where to stay, Where to eat and drink, Entertainment and nightlife, Other practicalities, What to see and do, The Kampala Road and Murchison Bay, Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Mabamba Swamp
Chapter 5 Kampala: Getting there and away, Getting around, Embassies, Tourist information and tour operators, Where to stay, Where to eat and drink, Nightlife and entertainment, Shopping, Other practicalities, What to see and do
Chapter 6 Around Entebbe and Kampala: West towards Fort Portal, North towards Masindi and Gulu, East towards Jinja, Southwest towards Masaka
Chapter 7 Masaka and the Ssese Islands: Masaka, Lake Nabugabo, The Ssese Islands
Chapter 8 Ankole and Lake Mburo: History, Lake Mburo National Park, Mbarara, Igongo Cultural Centre

PART THREE EASTERN UGANDA
Overview, Highlights
Chapter 9 Jinja and the Upper Nile: Jinja, Bujagali, Kalagala and the Upper Nile
Chapter 10 Mbale and Mount Elgon: Busia, Tororo, Mbale, Mount Elgon
Chapter 11 Karamoja, Gulu and the Northeast Safari Circuit: History, Teso, Langi and the Kyoga Basin, Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, Karamoja, Kidepo Valley National Park, Acholi

PART FOUR NORTHWEST UGANDA
Overview, Highlights
Chapter 12 Pakwach and West Nile: History, Pakwach, Panyimur, Arua, Arua to Gulu via the Laropi-Umi ferry
Chapter 13 Bunyoro: Hoima, Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve, Masindi, Budongo Forest Reserve, Masindi to Wanseko via Lake Albert
Chapter 14 Murchison Falls Conservation Area: General information, Getting there and away, Where to stay and eat, What to see and do

PART FIVE AROUND THE RWENZORI
Overview, Highlights
Chapter 15 Fort Portal, Kibale National Park and the Toro Crater Lakes: Fort Portal, Toro Crater Lakes, Kibale National Park
Chapter 16 The Semliki Valley: Further information, Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve, Semliki National Park, Bundibugyo
Chapter 17 The Rwenzori Mountains and Kasese: Kasese, Rwenzori Mountains National Park
Chapter 18 Queen Elizabeth National Park and Surrounds: General information, North-Central QENP and the Kasese-Ishaka Road, Ishasha and Kihihi

PART SIX THE GORILLA HIGHLANDS
Overview, Highlights
Chapter 19 Kabale and Lake Bunyonyi: Kabale, Lake Bunyonyi
Chapter 20 Mgahinga and the Virunga Foothills: Kisoro, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Lakes Mutanda and Mulehe
Chapter 21 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: General information, Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, Nkuringo

Appendix 1 Language
Appendix 2 Glossary
Appendix 3 Further Information
Index
Photographs

Customer Reviews

Biography

Philip Briggs has been exploring the highways, byways and backwaters of Africa since 1986. He first explored Uganda by bus and train in 1988, two years after it emerged from a decade of civil war, and returned in 1992 to research the first edition of the Bradt guide. He has since revisited the country on numerous occasions both as a tour leader and to update subsequent editions of the Bradt guide. He is also the author or updater of many other Bradt titles, mainly to African destinations but also covering Suriname, Sri Lanka, Macedonia and The Peloponnese.

Andrew Roberts has lived in Uganda since 1993. Born in Britain, he first visited the country with a backpack in 1990 and returned three years later to help the Ugandan Forest Department set up ecotourism projects. Nearly 25 years later he’s still there, now with a wife and two daughters. Andrew considers himself lucky to have worked in every national park in Uganda, settings which he greatly prefers to his office in Kampala. He has updated several previous editions of Bradt’s Uganda and also covered Kampala and Entebbe for this edition. He also produces tourist maps of Uganda and East Africa.