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Last Update: 16 Dec 2010

Riding Holidays | Uganda

Named by Winston Churchill as the ‘Pearl of Africa’ for its beautiful and diverse scenery, Uganda lies within the Nile basin and has the highest mountain range in Africa, with the Mountains of the Moon in Rwenzori National Park. It shares Lake Victoria in the south, which is the main source of the River Nile; part of the high East African plateau in the north and has marshy lowland areas in the far south. The country has an enormous variety of wildlife and is home to the largest number of wild primates on Earth, with over half the world’s population of Mountain Gorillas.

Uganda’s name comes from the traditional Buganda kingdom which encompasses the mid south of the country. The name was adopted for the whole country by British colonists in the 19th Century and has remained since independence in 1962. It is an immensely cultural country with lots of languages and local traditions, and it is an up and coming tourist destination. There are four national parks which are home for many animals, plus Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and it is one of the best bird watching locations in Africa. Sport is important to Ugandans with cricket and football the main favourites, but car road rallying and adventure sports are also becoming popular.

Horses have been used for riding in Uganda for many years, but recently interest in horse riding for leisure is increasing and there are several riding centres in the south of the country. Near to the capital city Kampala inland of Lake Victoria is a horse riding safari offering adventurous six night riding trails into the wilderness area alongside the river Nile. These are geared for experienced riders fit for 4-8 hours riding per day. Further south from Kampala there is an equestrian centre offering lessons and day rides for less experienced riders and there is a safari lodge at Lake Mburo National Park which also offers horse riding as one of its activities.

The south of Uganda has an equatorial climate, warm and sunny, but with rain showers possible throughout the year. The two main wet seasons are from March to June and again in November and December. At this stage we advise to stick to the south and to avoid travel to the north east of Uganda due to ongoing unrest in that area.