Reportedly named the “Pearl of Africa” by Winston Churchill, Uganda is indeed a picturesque and delightful country– straddling the equator where the savannahs of the east meet the forests of central Africa. The beautiful city of Entebbe sits on the silvery shores of Lake Victoria while the capital of Kampala is close by with lovely botanical gardens and lively markets to explore. You can visit an island in the lake devoted to rehabilitated chimps under the auspices of Jane Goodall.

Go further a field and raft on the Nile River (or visit its source), trek for wild chimpanzees and endangered mountain gorillas or hike the Mountains of the Moon. There are many beautiful parks devoted to the preservation of wildlife and the people of this country live up to their reputation as the friendliest on the continent. A plus of a visit to Uganda is that you won’t find it over-run by tourists and it’s the only safari destination whose range of forest primates is as impressive as its selection of plains antelope.