Extending over 260km of undulating territory in southern Ankole, Lake Mburo National Park (LMNP) is an underrated gem dominated scenically by the eponymous lake, whose forest-fringed shores hemmed in by rolling green hills recall Kenya's more celebrated Lake Naivasha. Until recently, LMNP, despite its relative accessibility, was bypassed by the majority of safaris and independent travelers due to its low Big Five count, in particular the lack of elephant and infrequent presence of lion. These days, however, the park is an increasingly common overnight stop en route between Bwindi or QENP and Kampala, as well as being a popular weekend break from the capital.

In part, this is because it offers some excellent game viewing, despite the absence of the aforementioned heavyweights. Indeed, visitors are now likely to see as many different large mammal species over the course of a day as they would in any Ugandan national park. LMNP is also of great interest to birders for its wealth of acacia-associated and aquatic species, while more active travelers have the opportunity to view wildlife on horseback, on foot, or from a mountain bike.