Uganda is a natural beauty, with an abundance of gifts bestowed to her: the snow-capped Rwenzori mountains, named one of the best hikes in the world by the National Geographic; Mt. Elgon, with the largest volcanic caldera in the world; and Africa’s largest lake, Lake Victoria; the mighty River Nile, the second-longest river in the world, whose largest source is in Lake Victoria.

Home to the big five, Uganda boats unique wildlife such as tree-climbing Lions and the Nile Crocodile. Lucky to be home of the famous endangered mountain Gorillas, Uganda has the highest population of these subspecies in the world. They can’t be found anywhere else on earth but in the Virunga Massif that is shared by Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. These gentle giants can be found in two of Uganda’s national parks: Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Also famous for its craftsmanship, basket weaving is a long-standing profession made using banana leaves, raffia, palm leaves, papyrus, and is exported around the world. Sir Winston Churchill was so much in awe of the country, he called it the “pearl of Africa.”