Uganda Wildlife Tours Vs Kenya Wildlife Safaris: Which is Better for Big Game Viewing? In terms of big game viewing, both Kenya and Uganda offer superior experiences in their own ways. There are 23 national parks in Kenya while 10 national parks exist in Uganda. In terms of Nature reserves, there are 28 in Kenya while Uganda has 12 wildlife reserves. This suggests that Kenya offers more destinations for big game viewing than Uganda. But, there is more to Uganda than meets the eye. Let us however explore the unique attributes of either country as below,
The Great Migration Tour: Uganda Vs Kenya
If you travel for Kenya Wildlife safaris, there is a chance that you will be interested in the Great Migration. From July through October, this annual phenomenon happens when the animals cross from Serengeti National Park into Masai Mara. Millions of animals, including wildebeests, zebras and gazelles cross River Mara in a spectacle considered the second large mammal migration ever. They also happen to attract plenty of lions, cheetahs, crocodiles and hyenas to make the wildlife viewing experience much more exciting. This only happens in Kenya and Tanzania.
The tally for the Big Five: Uganda Vs Kenya
Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve hosts all members of the African Big Five. These large mammal species have lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino in the category. A game drive in the reserve offers one of the highest opportunities of seeing them in your pop-up open roof safari car. Meanwhile, you can see the Big five in a safari that combines trips across Lake Nakuru, Amboseli, Tsavo West/East national parks. Each of these hosts a subset of the Big 5, for instance Lake Nakuru National Park has 4 minus elephants. In Amboseli, the rhino is the only absent member.
On the other hand, Uganda also has all the Big 5 in Kidepo Valley National Park. Rhinos were relocated there just recently to add to the already existing leopard, lion, elephant and buffalo. Like in Kenya you can also see the Big 5 when you combine a trip to Murchison Falls National Park via Ziwa Rhinos and Wildlife Ranch. Another destination in Uganda where rhinos can be seen in the wild is Ajai Wildlife Reserve. While Kenya hosts both the black and white rhinos, Uganda only hosts the southern white rhinos.
Integration of Primate Tours: Uganda Vs Kenya
There is no doubt Kenya is among the most preferred destination for wildlife viewing throughout Africa. However, for visits who desire to include primate trekking trips with their wildlife viewing experience, Uganda is an obvious choice. While Kenya does not have gorillas or chimpanzees living in the wild, Uganda has them in plenty. Fifty-one percent of mountain gorillas live in Uganda while chimpanzees are 5,000 in total. These numbers make Uganda one of the leading countries to offer gorilla and chimpanzee trekking tours. This is exciting if done with wildlife tours.
Unique Highlights of Big Mammals: Uganda Vs Kenya
In Kenya, Amboseli National Park offers views of numerous herds of elephants, sometimes with Kilimanjaro Mountain in the background. In fact, Amboseli is among the best places in the world where you can witness large herds of elephants in their homes. Meanwhile. in Tsavo National Park, “red elephants” can be seen during wildlife viewing experiences. Their grey skin is dusted by iron-rich soil found in the destination. Big game viewing in Lake Nakuru offers views of the flamingoes. These birds create a pink saturation of color on the lake for a special experience.
Uganda has tree-climbing lions, in the Ishasha region of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This is one of the rarest behaviors to experience from these canines. This can only be observed in 2 countries, one being Uganda and the other is Tanzania. In Uganda, you will find one of the largest congregations of hippos in the world. As you view wildlife during a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, you can witness these alongside crocodiles.
Which has the Biggest Plains Density: Uganda Vs Kenya?
Some of Kenya’s powerhouses are relatively smaller, Masai Mara at 1,510 square kilometers and Amboseli at 392 square kilometers. Meanwhile, Uganda’s prime wildlife destinations are Murchison Falls National Park at 3,893 square kilometers and Queen Elizabeth at 1,978 square kilometers. However, Kenya offers higher density of classic plains wild mammals including cheetahs, lions, zebras and wildebeest etc. Meanwhile, Uganda’s plains density is relatively lower and more scattered across mixed habitats.
Conclusion
Both Uganda and Kenya offer some of the best wildlife tours or safaris in Africa. But, your interest can differ. For instance, do you love to see wildlife in wide savannas, hosting large lion prides, elephant herds and cheetahs? Kenya should be your preferred destination. Plus, Great Migration and the highest mountain in Africa are added experiences. If you love diverse landscapes, where you can view classic wildlife and great apes, Uganda is the perfect destination for this. Since activities like Great Migration attract relatively larger crowds, Uganda offers less crowded tour experiences.
Why do Wildlife Tours with Us?
Whenever you need a wildlife tour or safari in Uganda or Kenya, Standard Safaris should be your partner. This is a reputable tour operator maintaining a highly rated customer-centric TripAdvisor position. You want to know the reason to this, don’t you? Our services regarding logistics are so seamless. Yes, you will have the best local accommodation reservations, internal flight bookings, transfers etc. Our tour networks operate across the region, extending deeper in East African destinations like Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo and South Sudan. This is besides Uganda and Kenya.
You will have the advantage of diverse cross-border wildlife and primate tours. Standard Safaris also employs profession local guides with a diverse range of fluency in regional languages. Clear communication is maintained while you experience cultural story-telling throughout the journey. Cultural gaps are bridged with this. Contact us to experience either Uganda wildlife tours or Kenya wildlife safaris or both.
