In as much as Savannah and rainforested parks have differences, one way or the other, the two types of national parks share a number of qualities in common as you shall see below;
Both rainforested parks and Savannah national parks reward guests with exceptional birding experiences. This is where alongside wildlife; the parks are home to several bird species including the endemic species.
Some of the incredible bird species include the shoebill, superb sunbird, black bishop, ostriches, Abyssinian ground hornbill, crown eagle, green-breasted Pitta, white-tailed horn bill, blue-headed crested flycatcher, orange weaver, and Purple- breasted sunbirds among others.
Much as almost Savannah and rainforested parks reward guests with bird viewing, Semuliki national park is highly recommended for birding adventures since it not only has a variety of bird species but also is known as a true birder’s Haven.
Nature walks are a common feature in both savannah parks and rainforested parks. The guests here get to enjoy more relaxed opportunities to explore the wildlife, relief, drainage features, and breathtaking views of the forest covers, hot springs, and also birds.
Both Savannah National parks and the rainforested parks provide cultural tours to their guests, especially beyond the park where they learn about the culture of the local people living around these natural habitats.
Guests learn to appreciate the way of life of the local people, their forms of worship, music, dance and drama, folklore, and local cuisines. You will also be able to learn about some of the minority groups in Uganda especially the Ik of Northeastern Uganda or the Batwa of southwestern Uganda among many others.
Both national parks have rules that Guests must abide by when they come to enjoy any of the activities they offer. For instance, gorilla tracking in rain forested national parks is restricted to eight individuals; guests are not allowed to use cameras with flashlights while taking pictures among others.
Savannah parks on the other hand restrict the guests from making campfires except under the guidance of rangers; guests are prohibited from off-tracking, making motor horn sounds while in the park, and many others.
In both Savannah and rainforested parks, guests are required to pay fees before accessing any park activities. In cases where you are interested in Gorilla tracking in Uganda, you are expected to purchase a gorilla permit at $700 which offers you an opportunity to track one gorilla group in either Bwindi or Mgahinga.
This is the same case with Savannah national park where you are required to pay $40 for park entry to enjoy some park activities like a game drive. What is important to remember in this case is the Guided game drive is enjoyed at a fee of about $30 per head in Queen Elizabeth national park. A launch trip in Lake Mburo national park or Queen Elizabeth will cost you $30 per head as you explore water-loving creatures- birds alongside wildlife.
Transport to both Savannah and Rain forested parks is either by road or air. This is where one could choose to drive to either destination which sometimes is long depending on the location of the park, or book Chartered flights from Entebbe/Kajjansi which is the quickest means to access both parks.
However, most Savannah parks are easily accessible from Kampala- Uganda’s capital city, except Kidepo valley national park which is in a remote area compared to Rain forested parks which are somewhat further from Kampala.
There is plenty of wild animal species in savannah parks compared to Rain forested parks. Queen Elizabeth national park alone is home to 95 mammal species, and Kidepo valley national park has 77 mammal species including Giraffes, elephants, buffalo, Antelope species, lions, leopards, hippos, maneless zebras, and many more.
This is rather different with Rain forested national parks which have plenty of primate species. These include Bwindi Impenetrable national park which is home to over 400 mountain gorillas and Kibale national park which is home to 13 primate species having the highest population of chimpanzees in Uganda among others.