Our top domestic travel destinations 

Jafar Ajena: Co-founder  and CEO of Tour Plug

He loves a number of destinations which he lists: 

Dolwe Island on Lake Victoria because of its untouched/serene beauty, mystical rock formations, white sand beaches, open grassland, and turquoise blue waters.

Also, Mt Rwenzori National Park is a destination with biodiversity heaven. As an adventure and nature lover, I find hiking the Rwenzoris extremely gratifying and calming. Summiting Margherita should be on every Ugandan’s bucket list.

Murchison Falls National Park is my best safari park primarily because it is accessible by land, water, and air from virtually any part of Uganda. It has multitudes of wildlife, including birds and chimps at Budongo Forest Reserve. I enjoy the boat cruise to the bottom of the falls and the hike to the top of the falls, every time.

My other favourite destinations are Jinja, Sipi Falls and Elgon. They deserve an honourable mention as the best destinations for adventure and nature-based activities.

Belinda Michaels Atim: Communication professional 
Karamoja is also very scenic. The expanse of savannah accentuated by mountain ranges is quite picturesque. I first visited in 2013 and have been back almost every year since. I have had the opportunity to see its tourism potential grow, which is encouraging.  My favourite place to stay is the 7 Ranges Hotel, Ugandans should try it out.

Even then, the people of Karamoja have preserved their culture and much as others view it as being backward, it makes them stand out.

Then, Kalangala is our Mombasa. It is very scenic and peaceful. I love water bodies because there is a calmness and freshness that waves hitting the shoreline bring, and I can sit there for hours on end. The sunrise, sunset, birds chirping, the early morning breeze, and the serenity, especially in the morning, are nothing short of rejuvenating.

My third favourite is Bwindi Impenetrable Forest: Aside from the fact that I get to see the gorillas, I love the sight of a dense, green rainforest all around. I also love the cold weather in the mornings; it is crispy and fresh. While there, I appreciate the value of forests in cleaning the air and making it suitable for human consumption. In my view, you cannot compare that clean air to anywhere else.

Allan Brian Ssenyonga: Travel consultant 
Kidepo Valley National Park is my top domestic travel destination because it is such an underrated destination since most tourists focus on the western circuit ignoring the beauty of Kidepo with its expansive savannah grasslands with lots of animals including a whole migration between the Ugandan side and the South Sudan side. For those who love great views, Kidepo is artistic. After all, it is one of the few places where you find Simba chilling on a rock just like in the Lion King film.

For Murchison Falls, not often do you find a park graced by the Nile River at its mightiest. The falls give the park character. The river flows through the park allowing for sport fishing, birding and sighting of the Nile crocodiles and so many other huge mammals by the river banks. It is one park that delivers a buffet of beauty.

Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife ranch is a unique destination that unveils a unique but committed conservation story. It is a noble effort to return the huge rhinos into the Ugandan wild and it has been a very successful effort that has seen their numbers grow to more than 30 rhinos and counting. It offers hope to conservationists that if one is focused and determined, we can save endangered species of wildlife for future generations to enjoy.

Kasubi Tombs.  I last visited this place before the unfortunate arson attack. I am informed that restoration efforts are on and the process is  almost complete; soon we shall be able to visit the place once again. 

I have added it to the list because I feel that cultural tourism does not get enough attention in Uganda yet our cultures are very rich.  It is an area where we have a comparative advantage that needs exploiting further.

I am glad some people are slowly waking up to this reality such as the good folks behind Ewaffe Cultural Village,  Naggalama  in Mukono District.