Uganda

Uganda is located in east-central Africa, situated north and northwest of Lake Victoria. It is a landlocked country bordered by Sudan on the North, Kenya on the east, Tanzania on the South, Rwanda on the southwest and the Democratic Republic of Congo on the northwest. Uganda gained independence from Britain in 1962, but in 1971 Idi Amin seized power, and his military dictatorial regime was responsible for the deaths of some 300,000 opponents.

Uganda’s misery then continued as guerrilla war and human rights abuses under Milton Obote (1980-85) claimed at least another 100,000 lives. Since then, however, the country has experienced relative stability and economic growth.

From a tourism point of view, nearly 15 percent of Uganda's land is set aside as national parks, forests, and game reserves, with gorilla tracking safaris forming the main attraction here. The Nile River, flowing as it does out of Lake Victoria, also provides plenty of adventure through bungee jumping, white water rafting, cruises, and scenic beauty.

In 1907 pioneering tourist Winston Churchill called Uganda the ‘Pearl of Africa’, and its scenery certainly rivals that of neighbouring Kenya and Tanzania – without these countries' sometimes overwhelmingly high density of tourists.

With all this in view, Uganda will probably form AfricaAway’s next specialist destination of choice, and we can arrange visits here as of now, perhaps as an extension to a Kenyan or Tanzanian safari.