Uganda

Uganda was christened the Pearl of Africa by Winston Churchill, and a single trip will show you why. From the dense, dripping forests of Bwindi — home to roughly half the world's mountain gorillas — to the savannahs of Queen Elizabeth and Kidepo, where tree-climbing lions and vast elephant herds roam, Uganda compresses an entire continent of landscapes into one country. Trace the Nile to its source at Jinja, hike the snow-capped Rwenzoris (the legendary Mountains of the Moon), drift through the canyons of Sipi Falls, paddle the still waters of Bunyonyi or share stories around a fire with the Batwa. Whether you come for the primates, the people or the panoramas, Uganda offers a wilder, more intimate Africa than almost anywhere else on the continent.