Why Choose Uganda and Rwanda over Tanzania and Kenya?
Article from the series: Frequently Asked Questions about Rwanda, Uganda and DR Congo
70mm, f/8.0, 1/400s, ISO125
Every place has its charms and attractions, and Kenya and Tanzania certainly received their fair share. For sheer volume of large mammals, the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem is probably unmatched anywhere in the world.
Still, Rwanda and Uganda — even if we limit ourselves to Uganda’s southwest as pictured here — are something special. What’s drawn me back here again and again is mostly the diversity on offer in such a small area. Its savannas may not be able to compete with the Maasai Mara, but they exist virtually side-to-side with volcanoes, lakes and rainforests of exceptional beauty. The ability to sit with gorillas or chimpanzees one day and cross a lake by dugout canoe the next, or to visit genocide memorials in the morning and watch hippos and lions in the afternoon, is pretty unique.
It isn’t only that, though. Though far from unknown, tourist numbers in the Gorilla Highlands are vastly outnumbered by their Kenyan and Tanzanian counterparts — and always have been. The natural beauty is astounding, but the luxury of not having to share it with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of other visitors is priceless.
Don’t miss our extensive interview with Marcus and head to his website for even more.
Also see: Attractions of Rwanda, western Uganda and eastern DR Congo
Your photographs are always spectacular, Marcus. And you are so right about the relatively sparse tourist numbers that make the Gorilla Highlands a much easier (and less expensive) area to visit. The Kabale to Kisoro road and its vistas are unforgettable, as is that first encounter with a gorilla family in the wild.