Trust the professionals at Nature Trails East Africa to provide all the information you need to plan and organize a perfect trip for you – be it a one day birding excursion to see the Shoebill at Mabamba wetlands in Uganda, or short tour to track the chimps in Uganda and gorillas in Rwanda, or a long vacation with birding, big game safaris and trekking in Uganda and Rwanda.

We are a locally owned and run Eco tourism company founded in 2014 that organizes nature tours and safaris, and are currently on ground in Uganda and Rwanda while we have partners in other East African countries – Kenya and Tanzania.

An outlook of our destinations and why you should include them in your Africa trips

Rwanda – the “Land of a Thousand Hills”

Rwanda is most known for her tragic past of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi that claimed close to a million people. The people of Rwanda under the capable leadership of President Kagame have worked overtime to change this bad image of a country that is otherwise incredibly beautiful, blessed with one of the most scenic landscapes of lush rolling highlands which earned it the tag “land of a thousand hills”, and has wide diversity of wildlife which is easily and quickly accessible because of the small size of the country and good roads. A tour in Rwanda is mostly associated with the popular gorilla trekking adventure as the country is home to a third of the world’s mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park a destination that is also attractive for hiking. However, there is a lot more to see and do in Rwanda that has been overlooked for long. Rwanda is home of the “big five” (lion, leopard, rhino, elephant, buffalo) in the Akagera National Park which offers the only wildlife safari tour in Rwanda for one to see animals in the savanna. While Nyungwe Forest National Park offers by far the best forest canopy walk experience in Africa and the canopy walk tour is always a great addition to the Nyungwe chimpanzee trekking experience. Rwanda is also fast being discovered by avid birders as a top birding destination in Africa and it is mostly sought for Albertine rift endemics. After all the amazing adventures, you would still not need to fly out of Rwanda for relaxation experiences as there is Lake Kivu which is the country’s biggest lake and one of the most beautiful lakes in Central Africa offering an amazing getaway.

Uganda – the “Pearl of Africa”

Uganda was tagged the “Pearl of Africa” by the first outsiders who explored Africa because of her remarkable natural beauty and diversity. Uganda has a unique setting in Africa being located at the meeting point of Africa’s major ecological zones (with the exception of the ocean) and it is this unique location that blesses it with remarkable biodiversity; an array of habitats & landscapes ranging from the flat semi-arid plains in the north east, lush savannah and grasslands, thick forests, rolling highlands and mountains and a plethora of water bodies including Africa’s largest lake Victoria which is also the source of the mighty River Nile, and Lake Bunyonyi one of Africa’s most beautiful lakes and second deepest on the continent. And with such diversity of habitats comes a huge checklist of birds and animals. And let us not forget Uganda is also one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world, hence containing many different types of people with rich diverse cultures and traditions. For the birder Uganda is simply a birdwatching heaven with some of Africa’s most sought-after birds such as the Shoebill best spotted at Mabamba Swamp, and Uganda also has Africa’s number one birding spot in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Though, the most sought wildlife experience in Uganda is obviously the gorilla trekking adventure as Uganda has the highest number of mountain gorillas in the world. Uganda has also become the favorite destination for an encounter with man’s closest relatives the chimps with several destinations offering the chimpanzee trekking adventure, but Kibale Forest National Park & Budongo forest being the prime areas. For a classic African safari experience to see animals Uganda has up to 4 savanna parks (Murchison Falls, Kidepo Valley, Queen Elizabeth & Lake Mburo National Park) and several wildlife reserves. Thrill seekers can opt for the white water rafting on the Nile among other adventures on the Nile.