African Finfoot Safaris – Ranked among the Best Tour Operator in East Africa was started based on a desire by more people to experience the true Africa that the founders love and with its roots in nature conservation and relief activities. Consideration for nature and culture has always been a matter of cause.

We are native East Africans and have intimate, current knowledge of the East African countries that you will visit and every element and aspect of your itinerary, from lodges to airlines to tour guides. We speak your language, and we are passionate about Africa and sharing this beautiful place with you. We are your hosts, taking you to Africa, ensuring Africa will seep into your soul and you will yawn for more.

Birding In Uganda

Uganda – The True Birders’ Haven! Uganda – A birding paradise to many avian lovers. Boasting a massive bird list of more than 1073 recorded bird species making up 50% of Africa’s bird species and 11% of the world species among which 66 bird species are migratory and only 2 species are endemic to The Pearl of Africa but if you only take East Africa into consideration, there are 150 species to be found only in Uganda.

Migrant birds are present from November to April. This remarkable avian diversity can be accredited to its strategic location between the East African savannah, the lift valley, West African rainforests and semi-desert of the north. The incredible diversity of habitats that no other area in Africa can match is another reason Uganda harbors such a huge diversity of birds and collects so many migrant birds during the year.

Uganda lies in a unique position where she shares Africa’s major ecological zones (apart from the sea) and each has associated bird species, including many that are range restricted. Top birding spots in Uganda With up to 34 Important Bird Areas (IBA) many of which have been developed for bird watching and birding tours, the birding community in Uganda continues to identify other new bird-rich spots across the country and establishing birding trails.

Found at most of the birding spots throughout Uganda are local site guides that have been trained in bird identification and can identify the entire site’s resident species. This great work has been done by Uganda wildlife Authority (UWA), Uganda Tourism board (UTB) in conjunction with Private sector foundation (PSF)The major birding in Uganda include; Mabamba swamp for the great shoebill stork, Bwindi impenetrable national park, Kidepo valley national park, Murchison falls national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Lake Mburo national park, Mgahinga gorilla national park, Semuliki national park, Mt Elgon national park, Rwenzori mountains national park, Mabira forest reserve, and Kibale national park.

More birding sites include Maramagambo forest, Mabira forest, Budongo forest, Kalinzu forest, Echuya forest, Pian Upe game reserve, Katonga game reserve, Nyamuriro swamp, Entebbe botanical garden and several agricultural lands.Our top ten Birds of Uganda (Most sought after on birding trips in Uganda)Shoebill – Main location is Mabamba swamp, Ziwa rhino sanctuary and Nile delta in Murchison falls national parkGreen Breasted Pitta – Found in Kibale forest national parkRwenzori Turaco – Can be sighted in Bwindi, Mt Rwenzori and SemlikiAfrican Green Broadbill – Mainly in BwindiBrown-chested LapwingJameson’s AntpeckerNahan’s FrancolinBlack Bee-eaterKaramoja Apalis – Found in Kidepo valley national park, bokora and Matheniko wildlife reservePuvel’s Illadopsis

Rafting In Uganda

If you call Uganda the adventure capital of East Africa, everyone is bound to agree due to many extreme adventure activities that can be done in this country. Blessed with the source of River Nile in Jinja, many adventure seekers run to this new city to have a taste of what they call water sport activities. Among the many water spot activities can recommend are; white water rafting, tubing the Nile, Kayaking, boat cruise.

• White water rafting

In the colonial town of Jinja in Eastern Uganda it’s the only area where the most sought after rafting trips can take place. Rafting the river Nile is becoming a desired activity among the international and domestic travelers and no wonder Jinja is often quoted to be the ‘adventure capital of East Africa’, white water enthusiasts have been rafting here for the past 10 years. From the frightened adventure seekers who have never been on a river before to the veteran voyager, the Nile River has an experience for everyone.

The white water rafting is done in paddle‐rafts; each person joins as a member of a team and a professional guide captain the team. Paddlers are instructed comprehensively on how best to enjoy themselves on the water and on all aspects of safety including the use of safety kayaks which accompany every raft trip on the water. The highly trained safety kayakers are world class paddlers who skillfully steer their kayaks through the rapid ahead of the raft. When the rafts flip upside down or people are washed overboard assistance from them is always assured.

The trip on the water begins slowly and the first few kilometers give the raft guides an opportunity to train their crews fully on all aspects of Nile rafting. The river becomes much more adventures at Bujagali Falls and one major rapid follows swiftly after another for most of the morning. Once the rafts enter Wild waters Reserve (protects the unique flora and fauna of the mid‐stream islands of the Nile), there is more time between the rough water but the rapids become larger and more spectacular. At Itanda (The Bad Place) the Nile is too powerful for the rafts and so the rafts are taken around the top by land.

The grading of the rapids rafted on this stretch of the Nile range from 1 – 5. At each of the larger (higher graded) rapids you are given the option of whether you want to go the hard way (through the middle) or the easy way (around the edge). The choice is voted on, however, it might not always turn out the way you expected because if you (everyone in the raft) do not paddle in the right direction you may not take the route you wanted.

The family rafting trip is a wonderful river journey for the whole family. Instead of choosing the biggest and wildest rapids, these rafts instead drift swiftly between the beautiful forested islands, bounce down smaller rapids and explore the many different channels of the river.

The night is spent on the ‘Hairy Lemon’ a beautiful secluded island right on Nile. The next morning the adults have a chance to river surf at ‘Nile Special’ the infamous surf wave found near to the Hairy Lemon. The lightweight boogies boards will allow provide an incredible thrill on the waves of the Nile.

Boat Cruises

There is no doubt that about 71 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by water bodies, and the oceans hold about 96.5 percent of all Earth’s water. Water also exists in the air as water vapor, in rivers and lakes, in icecaps and glaciers, in the ground as soil moisture and in aquifers. For the case of Uganda, water covers about 18 percent of Uganda’s total surface, including Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake and one of the major sources of the Nile, the world’s longest river.

Boat cruise activities are so popular among the population and are among the most sought after water spot activity for guests visiting Uganda. There are no cruise ships in Uganda because we do not have ocean waters but we use large cruise boats, canoes, yatch to maneuver around the lakes and rivers.

Among the 10 national parks in Uganda, boat cruise tours are popular in Queen Elizabeth national park along the Kazinga cahannel which links Lake Edward and Lake George, In Murchison falls along the Nile River to the bottom of the falls, and in Lake Mburo national park. Sailors always have a chance to spot many water birds, animals quenching their thirsty, crocodiles among others.

Look out for our safaris and let us show you The Pearl of Africa on a launch trip