Discover the source of the Nile

Uganda’s pretty second city is a delight to wander around should you find yourself in town for a couple of nights. The city is divided into two main ‘districts’ – Entebbe Town and the suburb of Kitoro. Kitoro is where you’ll find most of the restaurants, markets and bars, ideal for sampling the local culture and cuisine and whiling away a few hours.

Most people are inevitably drawn to the peaceful shores of Lake Victoria. Away from the hustle and bustle of town, sundowners on the edge of the water are an end-of-the-day must, especially if you find a spot on the sand complete with beach-side loungers and umbrellas.

Despite a slight lack of sightseeing opportunities, trips can be easily organised to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre and the Botanic Gardens on land, or take a boat to the Ngamaba Island Chimp Sanctuary. Speaking of boats, cruising around the swampy shores of Lake Victoria yield excellent opportunities to find the exotic shoebill stork, which would surely be the cherry on top of any visit to Entebbe!

If there’s one thing that characterises a visit to Murchison Falls, it’s water. Not only is the park dissected by the mighty Victoria Nile, the namesake Falls are powerful, spectacular and a definite highlight. Most, if not all, lodges offer boat trips to the base to soak up the spray (literally), and if you’re feeling active, enquire about a guided hike to the top for the best views. Other water-based activities include cruises on the Nile itself, which should lead to a sighting or two of the magnificent shoebills in the reedy papyrus. This is one of only a handful of places to see them on the continent.

Onto the traditional, there’s plenty of scope for game drives and lots of wildlife to keep your binos happy. North of the river are the savannah plains where lion and large herds of elephant and buffalo roam next to Ugandan kob, rare Rothschild’s giraffe and hartebeest. South is the Budongo Forest, prime chimpanzee habitat where trekking is possible. And in between is the Nile; if you’re not on the water, we highly recommend a game drive along the edge to spot pods of hippo and Jurassic crocodiles.