Uganda Safari in Entebbe
Uganda Safari in Entebbe is something unique and special in its own way. Different from the safaris in Uganda which are conducted in the different protected areas around the country, the Uganda Entebbe safari is in form of a city tour, however, it is a city tour that gives you time to see a lot of interesting things about the pearl of Africa and the beach city of Entebbe, where also Entebbe international airport is found. The Uganda Entebbe safari is among the cheapest safaris in Uganda both, in terms of distance, and, perhaps, in terms of costs, because it is a city tour experience covering up a number of activities such as birding, boat cruise, chimpanzee viewing in ngamba island sanctuary, visit to the reptile village, Uganda education centre visit among others.
Entebbe city is located just about 35km form the capital city of Uganda, Kampala. Entebbe is a peninsula of the largest lake of East Africa, Lake Victoria. Entebbe is situated on the edge of Lake Victoria and the major entry point for Uganda, since it is where Uganda’s international airport is located, you can call Entebbe the gateway for all the Ugandan safaris. Entebbe town is such a beauty as it straddles the equator and surrounded by water of the shores of Lake Victoria plus a lot of forests. The town of Entebbe is a green town with trees competing with tall buildings and along the streets.
Entebbe town is a developed area where you cannot find a real town than the other places. The major means of transport is road transport where boda-bodas also known as motorcycles carry passengers and goods from one place to another, and matatus or minivans, together with the bicycles which are mainly used in the market places. You can also see many travellers riding on their bicycles all around the town. The safari to Entebbe town is one of the unique things you can enjoy during the Ugandan safari with all its interesting factors.
Where to visit during the Uganda Entebbe safari
There are a number of tourist places to visit for the Entebbe safari in Uganda. a lot of tourist love Entebbe town because of the fancy accommodation of the lake victoria view hotel, the Entebbe botanical gardens and the arrangement of a number of beaches along the shores of lake victoria in Entebbe among others. However, there is a lot for you to see for the Uganda Entebbe safari and many places to visit as explained below;
Ngamba Island
Ngamba island is one of the interesting places to visit during the Uganda Entebbe safari. Nambe Island is famous among the primate lovers all around the world plus a number of conservationists among others. Ngamba Island is much more than just coconuts and white sand; it is a sanctuary for the endangered primate species called the chimpanzees. Ngamba island is about 23km from the landing site in Entebbe, ngamba island is reached by water, and a boat ride to ngamba island takes only about 45minutes to form Entebbe.
Ngamba island sanctuary is situated in Lake Victoria and is a purposeful safe haven for the traumatised chimpanzees. Ngamba Island is part of the Koome islands of lake victoria and stretches about 100 acres, of which 98 acres are mainly forested and this is the reason as to why the island of ngamba is a good place to rehabilitate the rescued chimpanzee from the poachers in different areas of Uganda, plus raising the abandoned baby chimpanzees after their mothers are killed or taken by the bad poachers in different national park in Uganda, especially kibale national park and budongo forest in Murchison falls conservation area.
The Ngamba Island is a project initiated by the chimpanzee sanctuary and conservation trust together with other international conservation organisations such as the born free fund of the United Kingdom, the Jane Goodall institute among others. All the activities at the ngamba island sanctuary are funded by the chimpanzee sanctuary and wildlife trust (CSWT). When you visit ngamba island sanctuary you will enjoy a lot of activities such as watching the chimpanzees play around below the raised platform from which all the visitors are allowed to enjoy the chimp time at Ngamba Island. However, other people who visit Ngamba Island for more than 1-day stay; they can enjoy helping out to feed the chimpanzees giving them medication among others.
Entebbe botanical gardens
The Entebbe botanical gardens have won the hearts of the visitors for many years over time. The Entebbe botanical gardens were established in 1902 and sit on an area of about 30 acres on the shores of lake victoria. The Entebbe botanical gardens offer a lot of interesting things to do, leaving aside the fact that the gardens themselves are so much interesting. Visiting the Entebbe botanical gardens is a life chance for your to enjoy walking through the lively gardens which will rejuvenate you and relax your mind with overflowing tranquillity from the flowers along the trails and the sounds of the different birds in the trees.
Entebbe botanical gardens are also a home for a number of fairly indigenous and exotic species that live in the swampy areas and the marshy forest within the premises. The Entebbe botanical gardens provide a good scene from movie productions as many Tarzan movies for years back where taken from this area. The Entebbe botanical gardens feature a lot of interesting wildlife species such as the butterflies, ferns, orchids, and a number of water and swamp birds. When you visit Entebbe botanical gardens you can enjoy fishing expeditions along the shoreline of lake victoria among other activities
Mabamba wetland
A visit to mabamba wetland means a lot about the birding experience in Uganda, majorly because mabamba wetland is a home for a number of bird species in Uganda and a very important birding area of Uganda. When you walk through mabamba wetland or swamp, you will get a valuable birding time in the pearl of Africa. Mabamba swamp is one of the few places in Uganda when you have a chance to spot the prehistoric shoe bill stork.
When you visit mabamba swamp in Entebbe make sure that you try the boat ride through the swamp as the papyrus reeds come making way for your boat while you enjoy the sightings of different birds species in the marsh. The morning boat ride through the papyrus swamp at Mabamba, is the best time when to see the shoe bill stork; the morning time is the time when the hoe bill stork come out of its hideout to hunt for the mudfish and frogs for its morning snack. As if the marvel at the “sought after” shoe bill stork is not enough to wonder, mabamba wetland is a home for other animals such as the sitatunga antelopes, monkeys and reptiles among others.
The reptile village
This is yet another place for you to enjoy during the Uganda safari in Entebbe town. The reptile village is for all those with some love for the serpents and other reptiles. The reptile village is also like a sanctuary for the reptiles of the pearl of Africa. Visiting the reptile village in Entebbe gives you a chance to marvel at a number of snake such as the Gabon viper, the forest cobra, a number if lizards like the Nile lizards, the monitor lizards, the leopard tortoise, Jackson’s chameleon among others creatures from the retile family of the pearl of Africa and other African countries.
The visit to the reptile village of Entebbe is a chance for you to learn about the beauty that the reptiles add to nature in the whole world, plus also learn to appreciate the importance of the reptiles in the world. The reptile village provides home for about 20 reptile species. In other words, the reptile village of Entebbe is both a sanctuary and an education centre where visitors go to learn about the reptile in Uganda and other parts of Africa.
Other places to visit for the Uganda safari in Entebbe town
The Uganda wildlife education centre is another place to visit for your Entebbe town safari, it is a home for a number of wildlife species in Uganda, it acts as the exhibition for a number of wildlife species in the national parks of Uganda. You can also visit the numerous white-sand beaches along the shoreline of Lake Victoria in Entebbe or even go shopping in one of the crafts villages along Entebbe road and in the Entebbe market. You can also enjoy the Entebbe nightlife where you get to bang different clubs in the town and groove on the African rhythm in the pearl plus see the beautiful women of Uganda ns enjoy mocktails, cocktails and shooters and the night matures.
