Split in two by the border between Uganda and Kenya, the Mount Elgon National Park makes up the slopes of the mighty shield volcano that gives it its name. Along the way, it comes dashed in sweeping tracts of montane rainforest, broadleaf zones, and curious tundra speckled with alien-like bellflower shoots. The jagged summits of 4,300-meter-high Mount Elgon crown the horizon overhead, as tinkerbirds and bearded vultures float through the air. 

The result is a veritable mecca for outdoorsy types keen on exploring a more off-the-beaten-path quarter of Africa. Hiking tracks wiggle their way all over the place, and Mount Elgon National Park tour guides can even help reveal lava tube caves and high bluffs that have amazing jaw-dropping lookouts. 

Game drives follow designated vehicle circuits. The promise a medley of classic Rift Valley fauna, like elephants and buffalo and even the elusive leopard. On top of that come nimble black-and-white colobuses and teeming birdlife; the hook-nosed Tacazze sunbird, along with the endangered Lammergeier and the Jackson’s Francolin, found nowhere else in Uganda.