Entebbe Botanical Gardens

It’s situated in the Northern shores of Lake Victoria in the central region of Uganda. It was established in 1898 are situated on the northern shores of Lake Victoria virtually on the equator.

The gardens has species of plants of the tropical, sub-tropical and temperate zones, however there are several shrubs and other plants regenerated naturally over the years. The collection as of 1998 numbered 309 species, 199 indigenous to Uganda, 122 with known medicinal value and 110 exotic. The gardens are a popular attraction for visitors of which some 40,000 per year are passing through the gates since the rehabilitation in 1998.

The entrance is located close to the Botanical Beach Hotel. Colobus monkeys are common. The gardens are advantageous for birding enthusiasts to open their birding account for Uganda. Palm Nut Vulture and African Grey Parrot are resident, whilst Bat Hawk is often seen over the gardens at sunset and is best observed from the Botanical Beach Hotel patio bar. Naturally there is loads of exotic plants.

The gardens receive 1,626.4 mm of rainfall and they lie at 1,134 m (3,720 ft) above sea-level covering 40.7 hectares. At one time, the gardens had over 2,500 plant species collections which presented an ideal destination for travellers on safaris in Uganda by then before they reduced following a period of instability that characterized the country and are currently under up grading.

Apart from plant species, the gardens are a habitat for counts of birds some of which are on the birders’ lists while crafting their safari to Uganda. The birds that might be encountered in Entebbe

The garden hosts a variety of water, open country and woodland bird species among which include: the Pink-backed Pelican, Yellow-billed Stork, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, Yellow White-eye, Purple-banded Sunbird, African Jacana, Lesser Jacana, Yellow-billed Duck, Glossy Ibis, African Open-billed Stork, Malachite Kingfisher, Blue-checked Bee-eater, Common Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Black Crake, Long-tailed Cormorant, Crowned Hornbill, Vieillot’ Black Weaver, Woodland Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, the Africa and Red-billed Firefich, Black-and-white-Casqued Hornbill, Senegal Coucal, Little Stint, Little Weaver, Striated Heron, Ruff, Gull-billed Tern, White-winged Tern, Klaas’s and Diederik Cuckoos, Northern Crombec, Tambourine Dove, Cameroon Sombre Greenbul, Little Grey Greenbul, Water Thick-knee, Madagascar Bee-eater, Egyptian Goose, Black-headed weaver, Slender-billed Weaver, Yellow-backed Weaver, Black-headed Gonolek, Ruppell’s Long-tailed Sterling, Grey-Headed Sparrow, the Spur-winged Lapwing, endless list.