Uganda tops Lonely Planet list for 2012

Intrepid Brits looking for an adventure holiday might be wise to start their overland tours from Uganda.

The north-east African nation was recently named as the top destination for 2012 in travel bible Lonely Planet's Best In Travel publication.

It shares its borders with Kenya, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania.

The country has been independent from the UK since 1962, but retains English as one of its two main languages, alongside Swahili.

It enjoys a rich and diverse culture, owing to the many different communities throughout the country.

Popular sports include football, rugby, cricket, rally and hockey.

Lonely Planet editor Tom Hall speaks highly of the African state, noting that it is a great place to become accustomed to the continent and all it has to offer.

Asked why the publication chose it as its top destination for next year, he said: "It's quite simple with Uganda - we think that it's somewhere that has so much that you can go to see in Africa in a small package.

"It's great for outdoors, fantastic for wildlife [and] the people are very friendly. It makes for a good introduction to the continent. Obviously everybody going there, as with anywhere, should consider safety, but it is somewhere that has a lot to offer."

Lonely Planet revealed that its Best In Travel awards were decided after taking hundreds of ideas submitted by staff, authors and travel bloggers and tweeters into consideration.

Its panel of in-house experts then made their choices based on topicality, excitement, value and the "x-factor" that makes the destinations stand out from the rest.
Others on the list included Burma, Ukraine, Jordan, Taiwan and Bhutan.