Uganda Among Five African Destinations on the New York Times list of top 52 Must-Visit Places in 2020

NEW YORK TIMES 52 PLACES TO GO IN 2020 – 30 UGANDA

HIGHLIGHTS

Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, a renowned mountain gorilla sanctuary was ranked thirtieth in the world’s hot spots
Lesotho came in at number twelve, followed by Egypt, at Number seventeen, Uganda – 30, Mount Kenya at forty, Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa at number 49 in NY Times list
Uganda and Kenya are the the only destination in East African region to make the coveted list
Uganda, the East African country has been named the thirtieth hottest spot in the world to visit, according to The New York (NY) Times top 52 destinations for 2020.

It is a little surprise that the news came at same point when data released recently from the 2018 Bwindi-Sarambwe population surveys of the mountain gorillas, known as census, shown a positive increase in gorilla numbers in the famous Bwindi Impenetrable gorilla national park in Uganda and the Virungas in both Congo and Rwanda.

Half of the world’s mountain gorillas are found in Uganda. Besides the 459 gorillas found in 50 groups, there were 13 solitary individuals. These gorillas are either bachelors or elderly.

How NY Times Picked the 2020 ‘Places to Go’ List

There are so many places in the world, and only 52 spots. According NY Times, Uganda meets the criteria of the destinations that inspire, delight and motivate visitors to explore the world.

Landlocked in east-central Africa, Uganda has long been in the shadow of Kenya, Tanzania and other countries more popular with visitors on safari holiday. But the “Pearl of Africa,” with its own rich wildlife, is set to become more accessible, thanks to the resurrection last summer of the country’s national carrier, Uganda Airlines.

Uganda is one of the world’s primate capitals (alongside it neighbours Rwanda and DRC), with 15 species (four of which are endangered) and the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, a renowned mountain gorilla sanctuary.

Bwindi -the UNESCO World Heritage Site, in southwestern Uganda ( 9 hours drive from Kampala), is home to half the world’s mountain gorillas. The park’s gorilla-trekking safaris limit contact to eight visitors per gorilla group per day, and proceeds from the gorilla trekking permits go toward conservation efforts and protecting the endangered animals from poachers.

The dense forest mountain park, which ranges in elevation between 3,810 feet and 8,880 feet, also features a scenic waterfall trail framed by ancient ferns and wild orchids, and is a birder’s paradise, with 350 species of forest birds.

Tourists from Germany, Netherlands, the United States and the United Kingdom are also common visitors to the gorilla sanctuary in addition to other nine Uganda national parks

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