A game drive is known as an activity enjoyed by the tourists while carrying out their safaris in Uganda. The activity is carried out using a vehicle that moves around the national parks that the tourists visit. This is with the help of the guide or the game rangers who will spot the different animals and will then explain to the tourists how they are called, where they stay, how they feed, and all the necessary information that you need to know about each of the animals. This will help you get much information while enjoying the safari.
These game drives are done very early in the morning where you will view the animals as they get out of their homes and this is great time to view many animals while on your tour. These game drives are also carried out in the late afternoon as the animals start to construct their homes and you will again get chance to view many of them. This is also an interesting activity that the tourists enjoy as they get to take photos of the many different animals.
The animals that are mainly viewed during the game drives include the elephants, leopards, giraffes, antelopes, zebras, buffaloes, lions, cheetahs, birds, Ugandan kobs, and many more. The activity can be carried out in different national parks including; Kidepo valley National Park, Lake Mburo national Park, Murchison falls national Park, Semuliki and many more. This also gives you a good picture of Uganda’s national parks. Uganda has got many safari activities that are provided to the satisfaction of those that take up the tours to Uganda. A night game drive is also among those very exciting activities and it’s also good to know where to do it from.
Night game drives are only done in three national parks in Uganda; these include; Murchison falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake Mburo National Park. Within Murchison falls, the night game drives are undertaken in the open savannah that stretches to the north of the River Nile gaining remarkable views of these nocturnal and the cats that tend to hunt in the evening. The view of the Nile River in the moonlight is also rewarding.
In Queen Elizabeth National Park, the night game drive is undertaken in the Mweya peninsular between Kazinga channel and Lake Edward. The night game drive is forbidden in the Kasenyi sector in order to reduce stress to the wildlife since most of the travelers tend to visit the sector for many game drives. In Lake Mburo National Park, the night game drive is undertaken in its savannah stretches traversing the acacia woodland gaining possible views of a range of nocturnal species like porcupine, hare, Aardvack, honey badger, white-tailed mongoose, side – stripped jackal, bush pig, serval cat, spotted hyena, jenet cat, civet, black galago and thick – tailed Galago. These night game drives can be carried out in UWA vehicles or the tour company cars but with an armed ranger and a spot light torch. This is such a very unique encounter to explore the wild game and beautiful landscapes under the stars of tropical Africa.
The game drive around the Buligi game tracks along the northern bank with a trained ranger guide is the great way to see and take photos with the wide range of animals in the Nile valley. The tourists will wonder at the herds of buffaloes, elephants, warthogs as well as the giraffes, along with the bushbuck, reedbuck, duikers, the Oribi as well as the hartebeest. The guide will also have good idea where the lions are hiding and you might even see a leopard. There is also the honey moon track that was opened and this was to boost the drive 15 giraffes that were translocated from the Northern Bank.
The game drives in Lake Mburo; the network of the game tracks in the east of the park also passes a variety of land scape features; wetlands, acacia woodlands, rock out crops, grassy hillside, as well as the seasonally flooded valley floors. Early in the morning and in the late afternoon are also the best times to roam the park in search for the wildlife. The other option view of the park includes sighting of the animals rarely seen during the day, is given through a guided night drives. These also start between 6:30 – 7 pm and lasts 2 to 3 hours.
The game drives in Kidepo Valley national Park; the wildlife here is so active in the Narus valley during early mornings and the late afternoon from 6am and 4 pm are the most favorable times to set off on game drives. You are also advised to use a ranger at all times and these will help you in spotting some of the lions that might be sitting in the valley’s rocks. Other wildlife includes elephants, leopard, bush duiker, jackal, bushbuck, bush pig, Kavirondo bush baby, buffalo and much more.
Kidepo Valley Scenic Drive; though wildlife is scarce in the arid Kidepo Valley, the hour-long drive to Kanangorok Hot Springs passes some magnificent landscapes. North of Apoka, beyond the river crossing, the road passes between rock outcrops and hills before descending into the Kidepo Valley, crossing the Kidepo Sand River and traversing open plains that extend past Kanangorok Hot Springs towards mountains across the Sudanese border. This is the part of the park where ostriches are most commonly seen.
With the game drives in Semuliki, three tracks cross the savannah grassland of Toro Semliki Wildlife Reserve. It’s a smaller forest and the larger savannah elephants that are regularly seen along with the water bucks, buffaloes, crocodiles, kobs, as well as the warthogs. You might also see the pygmy hippotami, leopards, as well as the bush babies. Game drives in the Wildlife Reserve can take place in the morning, afternoon and at night; after dark, visitors may come across curious nocturnal species such as the white-tailed mongoose.