Yes; Night game drives in Uganda are an exciting and unique way to see the amazing wildlife at night. During these adventures, visitors can discover the hidden side of nature and spot animals that come out after dark, all while enjoying the beautiful scenery. These drives can be done along with other fun activities like gorilla trekking and boat rides, making for a memorable safari experience. with other activities such as gorilla trekking, boat cruises, lion tracking, and bird viewing to create magnificent and lasting experiences.
What is Night Game Drive in Uganda Parks All About?
Night game drives offer a whole new experience to a Uganda safari and allows travellers to experience the mysteries of the real Ugandan bush after dark. Travelers will get a chance to see the nocturnal life such as porcupines, mongoose, leopards and other animals that love the dark. During the night game drive, you will be accompanied by an armed Uganda wildlife authority ranger who will help you spot nocturnal animals like lions, leopards, hyenas, civet, porcupines, genets, bush babies, nightjars, serval cats, banded mongoose, side striped jackal, bush pigs, honey badger, aardvark, black galago, view hippos feeding, beautiful moonlight views among others. On night game drives you will be able to explore the savannah national parks at night with spot light torches for clear viewing of nocturnal animals which become active at night which drives are conducted in only three savannah national parks: Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, and Lake Mburo.
Night Game Drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park; Are only available on the Mweya peninsula since the Kasenyi plains are popular with day visitors. During the night game drive experience, you will be accompanied by an armed ranger guide who will assist you in spotting various nocturnal animals such as lions, hyenas, and leopards on the lookout for a night hunt, as well as viewing bush babies, banded mongoose, serval cats, civet, genal, hippos feeding, and admiring the beautifulness of nature.
Night Game Drive in Murchison Falls National Park; Is typically done in the northern area, you will be accompanied by an expert ranger guide who will use spotlight torches to provide a clear view of various animal species. The night game drive in Murchison Falls National Park will give you the opportunity to view nocturnal animals like leopards, lions, porcupines, civet, hyenas, bush babies, genets, nightjar, hippos feeding, enjoy views of the stunning moonlight, and view other animals like elephants, buffaloes, Uganda Kobs, resting, among others.
The Night Game Drive In Lake Mburo National Park; Begins around 6:00PM after dinner. Lake Mburo National Park in western Uganda is home to a variety of animal species, including buffaloes, impalas, zebras, giraffes, Topi, elands, bushbucks, waterbucks, leopards, jackals, hyenas, and more than 300 bird species. The park gives you a great opportunity to view wildlife in the dark of the park as well as making and creating a great memorable experience.
Night Game Drives in Semuliki National Park
Night game drives are conducted in Semliki National park. It is one of the smallest National parks situated in far western Uganda. Semliki national park is situated few kilometers from Mountain Rwenzori, which is also called mountains of the moon.
Why You Should Go on a Night Game Drive?
Night game drives are done to see the night walking animals like leopards, bush babies and so on. Night walking animals are nocturnal – they rarely move during day therefore thus commonly seen at night.
Only night game drive is not enough since most of the animals are seen during day and at night they go in hiding to sleep. Therefore, it is advisable to do both day and night game drives to be able to see most of the animals.
Night game drives are guided by experienced ranger guides who can tress the trails where to find many animals. It is not easy to find many animals at night and you can easily fail to meet any animals especially on cool nights.
What is the cost of a night game drive in Uganda National Parks?
In Uganda A night game drive in Murchison falls national park, Queen Elizabeth national park and Lake Mburo national park costs 30 USD per person for foreign non residents, 30 USD per person for foreign residents and 30,000 UGX per person when using a private tour company vehicle and when using Uganda Wildlife Authority a night game drive in Uganda costs 40 USD per person for foreign non residents, 40 USD per person for foreign residents and 40,000 UGX per person for east African citizens.
ALWAYS REMEMBER; During the night game drive use of Uganda Wildlife Authority guides is mandatory and only pre-registered vehicles will be allowed to undertake the interesting night game drives.
The vehicle used for night game drive should be able to offer light at best – sport light is recommendable to enables clients view animals clearly and take excellent photos. The driver on night game drive should be very careful to avoid knocking petty animals and crowing reptiles – therefore, low speed is recommended.
Tourists willing to go for night game drive are advised to carry warming cloths like Jackets, sweeter, jampers among others. This is because semliki national park experiences cold nights and driving at night makes it worse.
Strong cameras with powerful flash lenses are recommended to enable you take clear and excellent night photos.
How to Book Night Game Drives in Uganda?
Night game drives in any of the national parks can be booked directly from Uganda Wildlife Authority head offices in Kampala or at Uganda Wildlife Authority Park entrances and can also be booked through info@4x4africa.com, tour company which organizes a safari tour and adds night game drive on the itinerary in either Queen Elizabeth national park, Murchison falls national park or Lake Mburo national park
What you Should Know before Going for a Night Game Drive?
- Before conducting a nocturnal game drive, you should note that off road driving during night and morning game drives is not allowed inside all national parks to prevent vehicle damage to the environment.
- Night game drives offer a great opportunity to spot nocturnal animals that include bush babies, genet cats, mongoose, aardvarks, and owls among others
- Bring sandbags to steady camera and a good binocular for easy sightings
- Always wear a sunscreen and an insect repellent while on a game drive
- If you go on a game drive, make sure you carry your sunglasses and a hat. In case you come back after dark, don’t forget to take something warm to wear.
- When you go for a bush toilet, make sure to ask your guide to accompany you. Safari vehicles used for safari game drives
- You should not drive the Vehicles too close to the animals because the spotlights can blind or confuse the animals.
Conclusion:
Night game drives in Uganda are recommended for the adventurous visitors so as to explore the beautiful and quiet landscapes, curious nocturnal animal species and have great experiences of the wild mysteries in the dark while on a safari in Uganda.