Cheap places to visit in Uganda
Cheap places to visit in Uganda : Planning a Uganda budget safari to Uganda the pearl of Africa? There are a variety of places to visit at a relatedly cheaper cost during your stay. Uganda has got wall-hanging landscapes, beautiful wildlife, friendly people; different historical and cultural attractions all packed in one small country. Uganda’s top attractions and experiences can be achieved at relatively cheaper costs and here are some of the cheap but rewarding places to travel to while in Uganda.
Kampala city tours
Uganda’s capital city, Kampala is one of the cheapest places you can do cheap tours. Kampala borders Lake Victoria and for this, most people visiting Uganda start their safari tours from Kampala then to other destinations elsewhere. Kampala city is about 45 minutes’ drive from Entebbe international airport, throughout the drive, you will enjoy sightseeing as the city will offer you great impressions.
Kampala city can be toured on foot that is taking a walk or on a motor cycle which locally are referred to as Boda-Boda or in the safari buses available for sightseeing. Kampala offers a multitude of historical and cultural attractions for a visitor to explore and they include Mengo Palace, Bulange Mengo parliament also known as the “New Scottish parliament” because it was built in the same design as the Scottish parliament, Kasubi Royal tombs, Uganda national museum, Bahai temple which is the only one in Africa, Gaddafi national mosque that will give you 360 degree view of the city in its tower, Namugongo Martyrs Shrine, among others, all at incredibly low prices.
Jinja tours
Jinja is the second largest town and busiest commercial and industrial centre in the country after Kampala capital city. Jinja is located 87 kilometres from Kampala in the Eastern part of the country on the shores of Lake Victoria. The town is also a home to the source of the world’s longest river – River Nile and Lake Victoria which is the second largest lake in African after Lake Tanganika in Tanzania.
River Nile has supported tourist activities in Jinja and has been ranked as the adventure capital of East Africa. Get thrown and soaked in the hard core rapids of the wild and stunning waters of the Nile and enjoy boat cruising , white water rafting and stories about the Nile and the town all under the African sun rays being reflected on the Nile, Bungee jumping, Nile tubing, quad biking, Mountain biking. All these water activities can only be experienced in Jinja and nowhere in Uganda.
Fort portal town
Fort portal town is located in western Uganda in Kabarole district on the edge of equatorial rainforests the “land of pet names (Empako)” about 320 kilometres from Kampala and it has been ranked as the best tourism destination in Uganda thus it was named as the tourism city of Uganda because it is at the centre of most tourist attractions in western Uganda. Fort portal town is where we find Tooro Kingdom palace which is one of the renowned kingdoms in Uganda with the youngest king. Fort portal is full of interesting things to see such as enchanting crater lakes, grasslands, marshes and forests. It has great sights of Mount Rwenzori from a far which is the highest mountain in Uganda with snow-caps. Other attractions include; Amabere Ga nyamiru caves and waterfalls, hiking on the crater lakes. However, most visitors come not only to enjoy Fort portal town attractions but also varied sights that surround it like Kibale national park that is famous for primates mostly Chimpanzees, Queen Elizabeth national park and the town is a perfect get way to the remote Semuliki National park where tourists reach to visit the Sempaya Male and Female hot springs.
Mbale town tours
Mbale town is located in the Eastern region of Uganda close to Uganda-Kenya borders. Mbale has got a lot of key attractions like Mount Elgon national park, Wanale hill hike, Sipi falls, cultural and heritage sites like the Semei Kakungulu tombs and the Mutoto circumcision site and the popular Imbalu circumcision ceremony, making it a cheap places to visit in Uganda.
Entebbe tours
Entebbe is a town located on a peninsular of Lake Victoria in central Uganda. Just a few kilometres away from Uganda’s main point of entry that is Entebbe international airport, making it a first cheaper place to visit while in Uganda. Entebbe has numerous beaches around which calls for so many tourist activities like swimming, sun bathing, horse riding, beach games, scenic viewing as well as nature walks around the place. The famous beaches around Entebbe town include: lido beach, white sand beach, and aero beach. Other places include the Entebbe Zoo, Reptile village, the botanical garden which has diverse plants and numerous bird species, monkeys, among others.
Ssese islands tours
Ssese islands are a compilation of about 4 to 8 islands which are situated in the north western part of Lake Victoria in Uganda. These islands form an L-shape and they also vary in size comparing the square kilometres covered by each island in Ssese. Bugala Island is the largest island of the Ssese islands and the main tourist island covering an area of over 40 kilometres in length. However, there are other small islands such as Bulago, Bukasa, Banda, Bubeke and Bufumira islands. Tourists can access the islands using ferries which work on specific days and hours, therefore to enjoy the cheapest travel services in Uganda the islands are recommended.
Things that can be done during your stay in the islands include – during the weekend nights there are party scenes along Kalangala bay that are performed to meet the travellers needs and also get them activated, enjoying the pounding water that hits the lake shores on the beach as well as overnight trips to the different regions of the islands. However due to the island’s biodiversity, visitors can also get an opportunity to spot some wild rare animals like the vervet monkeys, occasional large snakes and vast bird species around.
Lake Bunyonyi tours
Lake Bunyonyi is located in south western Uganda close to Uganda-Rwanda border and it is the second deepest lake in Africa known as the place of many little birds. The lake has the best scenery in the whole world which is therefore a good place for travellers who have been on their long safaris within East Africa as a rest and relaxing place. Lake Bunyonyi has numerous which are over 29 islands, some of these include; the Bushara, Akampene, Kyahugye, Bwama and Njuyeera and many other. They are concentrated in the central part with no particular settlements but only dedicated for tourist activities.
At Lake Bunyonyi offers activities such as such as swimming, hiking, fishing, boat riding, birding, local tour and Batwa village tours that provide enjoyable moments to the travellers and more so at cheaper rates. The experience at Lake Bunyonyi is breath-taking making it a good place to visit while on a Uganda budget safaris. The place facilitates tourist activities for all kinds of tours, including adventure, relaxation, cultural, leisure or romance.
Visit Chimapnzees on Ngamba Island
Ngamba Island is located on Lake Victoria and a home to about 49 orphaned chimpanzees from all around East Africa. The sanctuary was established in 1997 to act as a home to these orphaned chimps and also to live out their lives due to impossibilities of returning them to their natural habitats as well as sensitizing both the travellers and local people about the importance of conserving the forest habitats of these highly rare and endangered species.
The place is very cheap depending on the activities done within a particular day especially viewing of the chimps as they’re being fed in the morning, swimming, bird watching, wildlife encounters, fishing and as well as relaxing and sun bathing by the shores of Lake Victoria. This makes the sanctuary one of the best cheap places to travel to in Uganda.
Uganda savannah national parks safaris
Visiting the Uganda savannah national park is relatively cheaper and they can be visited by at any time of the year. Visit one of Uganda’s top-notch national parks such as Murchison falls national park, Lake Mburo national park, Queen Elizabeth national park and Kidepo national park
Murchison falls national park is the largest national park and a safari jewel in Uganda due to its different game views as well as the stunning Murchison falls from which the park’s name was derived. The park shelters a number of wildlife animals like four of the big five, which include Leopards, buffaloes, elephants and lions, which are among the 76 mammal species that are found in the park.
The park used to have rhinos but in 1983 they were no more due to poaching and guerrilla wars that rocked Uganda in the late 1970’s as well as the early 1980’s; however they were later introduced and can be tracked in Ziwa Rhino sanctuary that is just meters off the route to Murchison falls national park. A trip to Murchison falls national park will not be a disappointment. Winston Churchill described the Murchison plains as Kew Garden and the zoo on unlimited scale and once you visit it you will be bound to agree.
Lake Mburo National Park and is the nearest savannah national park from Kampala the capital city located in the western park of Uganda near Mbarara town about 3-4 hours’ driving from Kampala. Driving to the park has no problem because you will drive on smooth tarmac to the first gate of the park – Sanga gate. The park is about 3-4 hours’ drive from Kampala.
The savanna park contains an extensive wetland area and harbours variety of species both mammals like the Elands, impalas, Burchells Zebras, buffaloes, hippos and bird species (313 species). It offers different activities like forest walks in Rubanga forest, launch cruises on the lake, game drives that will take you to wildlife and give you a better view, walking safaris in the park where you will encounter wildlife and nature on foot, sport fishing, among others. So why not spoil yourself and experience a night or two in the park? Hanging out in the park can be the most relaxing times of your trip.
