Uganda is one of those countries that travelers know COULD be great. It's great in the sense that it has native, untouched forests and mountains, which are home to more than 50 percent of the last few families of mountain gorillas. The beginning of the most famous river, the Nile, which runs all the way to the Mediterranean, starts here. It's also said that Ugandans, like Malawians, are perhaps the friendliest people in Africa.

Despite all this beauty, the tragedy lies with the constant fluctuation of safety conditions near Sudan as well as the Democratic Republic of Congo. Throughout many years, Uganda has been engaged in various skirmishes with its neighbors, and, as a result, there have been needless wars and human right abuses.

Only a few years ago when life was improving for the average Uganda and former American President Bill Clinton visited the country, many people thought that Uganda was the next great place to travel in Africa. The economy has been dramatically improving and Kampala, the capital, is a thriving, safe city.

Recently, however, there have been problems with its neighbors and now small parts of Uganda are unsafe. That said, do not let his dissuade your trip. Thousands of backpackers are still determined to see the beauty of the rest of the country, specifically rafting the White Nile or hiking to see the mountain gorillas.

Questions?
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