GAME DRIVES Game drive is a word which is based on two words; game and drive. The word game refers to animals that are not domesticated, the so called wildlife. The word drive refers to moving with a vehicle. A game drive is usually part of a safari, a trip or a journey to savannah parks. It can be carried out with own cars like in national parks or game reserves, or it can be a guided tour in specially for that purpose adapted off-road vehicles lead by a professional safari guide. Those 4 × 4 game viewing vehicles are designed to allow a safer trip for tourists and easily allow tourists spot wild game. A game drive is also referred to as an adventure that entails viewing wildlife in an off road car, always accompanied by safari guides. The guides explain animal's behavior and interpret the bush to their clients. Guided game drives mostly take place in the early morning, late afternoon or in the evening, because most animals are more active during cooler times of the day. In Uganda, there are 5 national parks where game drives are done; Murchison falls national park in western Uganda, Kidepo valley national park in north western Uganda, Semuliki national park in western Uganda, Queen Elizabeth national park and Lake Mburo national park in south western Uganda. All these parks have something unique to offer. Queen Elizabeth National Park Queen Elizabeth National Park occupies an estimated area of 1,978 square kilometres (764 sq mi). The park extends from Lake George in the north-east to Lake Edward in the south-west and includes the Kazinga Channel connecting the two lakes. Game drive is the major thought of activity while at the park. The park is known to be a highest concentration of wildlife, places like Kasenyi area of the park, North Kazinga plains offers one a chance to watch plenty of elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, antelope species, the rare giant Hogs, leopards among other animal species, In the Ishasha sector south of the park, visitors can move through the woodland to look for tree-climbing lions hovering on the branches of very old fig trees. Kidepo Valley National Park Kidepo Valley National Park is a 1,442 square kilometres national park in the Karamoja region in northeast Uganda. Kidepo is rugged savannah, dominated by the 2,750 metres Mount Morungole and transected by the Kidepo and Narus rivers. River Kidepo in the Kidepo valley is an oasis in the semi-desert which hosts over 86 mammal species including spotted hyena, lion, cheetah, leopard, wild dog, elephant, zebra, African buffalo, bat-eared foxes, Rothschild's giraffe, eland, waterbucks, kobs among many more others. It is also a home to about 500 bird species. Murchison Falls National Park Murchison falls National Park is Uganda's largest national park that measures approximately 3,893 square kilometres. The park is bisected by the Victoria Nile from east to west for a distance of about 115 kilometres. The park is the location of the Murchison Falls, where the waters of the Nile flow through a narrow gorge only 7 metres wide before plunging 43 metres (141 ft). The Park is a home to over 70 mammal species, so game drives are arranged on different trails through the park. Plenty of games can be seen on the way such as Rothschild’s giraffe, Uganda kob, Cape buffalo, warthogs, waterbucks, elephants, hartebeest, are commonly seen. Large carnivores include lion, leopard and spotted hyena to mention but a few. Lake Mburo National Park Covering an area of about 260 square kilometres, the park is the smallest of Uganda’s savannah national parks. The park is a home to several species of animals and these can be well spotted out in the open grassland of the park. Animals like buffaloes, zebras, leopard, Burchell’s zebra and Eland together with various species of antelopes can all be viewed during the game drive. And the guide will help in spotting and giving relative information while on game drive.