Driving Around the Big Bend in Western Uganda
Our car shuddered to a standstill beside a wooden sign on a deserted western region part of Uganda road. “This is fountain of the pearl of Africa”, I read as I stepped from the car into the shimmering mid day heat. We’d been heading through Queen Elizabeth National Park towards the Uganda-Rwanda border, to a town called Kisoro which boasted of a very conducive climate for a night. Unfortunately as we rounded a bend I was faced with a rock slide in progress and totally misjudged the clearance of my rented car from Uganda Self Drive, a reputable car renting company in Uganda opting to try and drive over the bouncing debris. There were a series of sickening thuds and bangs which caused my partner and I to cringe, and the car to grind to a standstill after around a hundred yards, with an alarming flow of unidentified liquid pouring onto the road surface.
We both looked under the car at the damage, then at each other then down the long straight road ahead of us. On average we’d been passing another vehicle about every half an hour and we were around an hour’s drive from our isolated hotel. Around ten miles back down the road, we’d passed a small garage at a cross roads, with a sign which read ‘this shop protected by a sawed off shot gun 3 days per week. You guess which days’. We’d also seen a hand painted sign pointing to the hills reading ‘Ghost Town Road’. That was the only sign of life and it looked like we could be waiting for some time to be rescued.
After about 20 minutes, with my partner berating me for my lack of driving judgment as we sat in the now roasting car, the air conditioner having failed with the engine, I notice a speck on the horizon, tailed by a large dust cloud.”Told you we wouldn’t wait long”, I said, trying to sound optimistic. It took around 10 minutes before I noticed that I had to do some thing very fast. I reached for my mobile phone, called the car rental company from which we had hired the car. This company is so generous that it contacted it’s area agent and with in a blink of an eye a rescue car was at our footsteps and we were 0ffered another car and off we proceeded with our journey.
Eventually we arrived Kabale town which is at the border of these two countries for at least a night before embarking on our journey. Reclaimed by a hardy bunch of artists, musicians, loners and eccentrics. Today, Kabale boasts a couple of eating options, some shops and lodgings and as we trudged, sweating into town we were greeted by the site of a graveyard with tumbledown tombstones, a few scattered dwellings in various states of disrepair…and the Starlight Theatre. An incongruous sight in this far flung corner of western Uganda, the Starlight had once provided entertainment for the miners and their families. Now it had been converted into the Ghost town’s only bar, and its appearance was so unexpected I almost expected it to fade, mirage like, from view as we approached.
There are some meals that stick in your memory. Sometimes because of their quality, but often because you were so hungry that whatever you ate would seem like a sumptuous banquet. Similarly with drinks. On an occasion where your mouth is parched and dry and you feel that you’ve perspired every last bead of sweat from your body, an ice cold beer can live as long in the memory as a bottle of the finest champagne. And so it was with the icy bottle of Shiner Bock which I threw down in one gulp in that strange little bar.
The room was populated by a number of bewhiskered characters who all looked strangely similar to the mailman… in fact one of them was the mailman! He raised an arm in greeting, while some of his drinking buddies glanced in our direction but barely raised a bushy eyebrow. It seemed that two sweaty, red faced, stranded travelers stumbling into their local bar was a regular occurrence. We sank a couple more cold beers and began to consider how we’d get back to the hotel to await delivery of the replacement car. It seemed that no one was making a water run that day so we headed back to the Main Road and continued with our journey to Rwanda the land of a thousand hills. After crossing the Rwandan border everything turned different.
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Bespoke Uganda Safari Holidays
Planning for a holiday should be everyone’s expectations after a long hustle for a full year; this can be well organized for you by Nature adventure Africa Safaris limited. Uganda is the best country to travel to for a tour due to the incredible adventures found within her national parks located in the different regions of the country. Uganda has got ten national parks all suitable for paying a visit due to the diversity of the wildlife including the floras found in them that has acted as a habitant to wildlife.
Besides national parks, visitors can take a tour to the different leisure parks within the country including other cultural centers found around the city of Kampala. Lake Bunyonyi- is another place to go for a hideout, while in Uganda one cannot miss enjoy the un disputable river Nile which is found in Jinja another amazing city in the eastern Uganda.
This is known to be the longest River in Africa, those who wish to do white water rafting can do it from this river as there are many service providers. One cannot leave the river minus visiting the Bujagali falls alongside the Itanda falls which is known for being bad waterfalls around the Nile and this is one of the discovery tours to be made in Uganda.
Enjoy the best Kidepo Valley National Park and Murchison Falls National Park while on your Uganda safari and start with Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo and then you can pass via the Pian Upe Reserve in Moroto.
Murchison falls national park is located in Murchison Falls Conservation Area which is comprised of Bugungu and Karuma Falls Wildlife Reserves, the park is crossed by the Longest River in Africa that’s River Nile forming an explosion of a great Waterfall within the Park. This park was later named after this great river; it is characterized by a savannah and Riverine forest with some dominant woodland with abundant wildlife. The park has got a number of activities that can be performed while here and these include,
Boat safari at the Nile River, this is taken up to the falls, this trip is one of the best enjoyed trip while at the park since visitors get a chance of disembarking from the boat and take up a hike to the top of the main stream and also come back to the boat for more wildlife viewing. While at the boat, visitors take a glance to see the herds of hippos bouncing off the bottoms of the river, Crocodiles are also another water residents, these are seen alongside the waters sun bathing and elephants flock to the river for water hence giving visitors a nice stunning photographic scene.
Hiking to the falls, Murchison Falls is regarded as the world’s most powerful waterfall, visitors spare around 45minutes of hiking to the falls, while towards the falls, one will experience the ground shake and vibrations surrounds the place due to the powers exhibited by the flowing water from a cliff of around 50fts. From here visitors can proceed to the Nile Delta on a boat ride where river Nile joins Lake Albert and it is also another supplement for seeing an abundance of wild animals and the birds.
Hot air ballooning safaris, this is another activity that is done from Murchison Falls National Park and it is one of not to be missed by every tourist who visit the park. While up in the sky, visitors enjoy seeing almost every wild animal that is within the park since the balloon takes around the park, herds of elephants, buffaloes, a glide above the trees within the park early in the morning will enable you to see the sun rising while seeing the herds of wildlife enjoying their territories.
Birding, for birders this is another birding option due to the vast numbers of bird species found around the park, this can be done while on boat or on a safari vehicle. Here the possibilities of seeing a number of birds are endless, guides will take you around every bird spotting corner where you will see a number of them in different locations. The savannah vegetation and the Riverine forest plus the swamps within the park offers a great habitat for a number of bird species, this is the reason as to why the park is a birders choice while on a trip to Uganda.
Game drives, there is no way you can escape taking on a game drive while on the park, this is the greatest mechanisms of seeing a variety of wildlife including the Uganda Kobs, Oribi, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, hartebeests among others, the park rangers are always available to guide you throughout the activity. Game drives can be done during the morning hours, afternoon, evening and at night but the best spotting time for the various animals is during the morning hours as the animals are always awake to start looking for food.
After a long experiential tour around Murchison falls national park, visitors can proceed to Kidepo valley national park for another experiential tour in addition to the various activities,
Kidepo Valley National Park is located in the north eastern Uganda and it is on the border Uganda with South Sudan, the park covers 1442km²; the park is one of the best places to hide due to its magnificent scenery. This makes it a visitor’s centre for over and over again, though the park is the only isolated park among the top ten national parks. This park offers spectacular Savannah landscapes that end in rocky horizon, reaching this park from Kampala takes around 10-12hours of drive hence visitors usually set early in the morning to reach the place at Apoka where the Park Headquarters are. Kidepo has got a number of sightseeing and attraction
Hiking and Sightseeing in Kidepo, this is one of the best interesting activities within Kidepo; hiking is done around Mountain Lamoj which is a few kilometres from the park headquarters. During this hike, visitors may have a chance to see the Kidepo river valley with its borassus palm forest, a hike can take you to Kanangorok Hot Spring that is 11km from Kidepo river valley. The savannah landscape of this park is a breath taking one and it is one of the best leading landscapes suitable for hiking.
Game viewing in Kidepo, this park is endowed with abundant wildlife with a nice landscape suitable for game drives that can be done in the morning and evening hours, during your game drives, you cannot escape seeing animals such as cheetah, caracal, aard Wolf, Oribi, Jackson’s hartebeests, bush pigs, eland, buffaloes, elephants, Warthogs, black-backed jackals, stripped hyenas, bat-eared fox, leopards, lions, and some spotted hyenas. All this makes the park a better place to be since visitors on different occasions don not want to leave the park due to the herds of wild animals seen here.
Cultural performance, the surrounding local communities have got numerous cultural performance groups that entertain visitors at a given fee, a wider range of traditional dances and songs such as the Emuya and Nyangia plus the Naporre Ethnic groups. Larakaraka and the Apiti are among the performed dances and songs from the Acholi culture, visitors on their wish can participate while the performers are doing what they know best.
Bird Watching in Kidepo, the park is renowned for its exceptional variety of birds. Out of the Fifty eight recorded birds of prey, fourteen are thought to be specifically endemic to the Kidepo as well as the Karamoja region. Included in these are: the pygmy Falcon, Verreaux’s Eagle plus the Egyptian Vulture just to mention but a few as many more are seen depending on your time of stay.
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Do You know Uganda’s Local Musical Instruments
Uganda has a number of traditional instruments which aren’t well known but tend to make appearances in local bands and world music. Abraham Sekasi specialises in these instruments and helps make introductions to them.
Drum: In Buganda, we called the drum, Engoma, and it’s one of the most treasured instruments in the African community. In my tribe, it was used to communicate events and tragedies that either happened, were happening, or about to happen – like hunting, war, and worship. A tune, or percusive melody, was played and each melody could indicate a different event in order that the community could respond.
Akogo/Kalimba/Mbira: In English, this is called the ‘Thumb Piano’ and it is a small, hand-held, hollow box with metal prongs that are plucked by the musician. This was originally used mostly by nomads because it was simple, compact and could be easily carried. When they sat down to rest they could simply take out the instrument and play to forget the past and pass the time. In Uganda, this instrument is more normally found and used by West Nile tribes and those from the north of the country.
Endingidi: This is a stringed fiddle and it is easily recongisable as it usually has one string stretched along a wood piece between a base and the instrument’s top. It is played with a bow. The Endingidi is tuned on a pentatonic scale which has five notes per octave rather than the normal seven. It is mostly used by the Baganda and the Basoga people in their traditional orchestras.
Mbaire (Lusoga) / Madinda (Luganda): This is also known as the Marimba or Xylophone in English. This tends to be the lead instrument in many traditional orchestras in Uganda as it is used to tune the other instruments.
Adungu: This is also known as the African bow harp and it originated from the Northern and Western Nile areas. It plays on the diatonic scale which has eight notes in it. You can recognise it as the player holds the base and then plucks the many strings that are attached to its curved bow. The Adungu has specific stories and dances that accompany it.
Entongooli: This is known as the Lyre. In Uganda it usually has a round base and a triangular frame on which the strings are attached. It is mostly played by the Baganda and Basoga. In Kenya, it is mostly played by the Kikuyus.
These are some of the main instruments but don’t even touch on the wind section with the Enkwanzi (Panpipes), Omulele (Flutes) and Agwara (Horns).
The wood instruments, such as the Madinda and Endingidi are made from the native Ugandan Musambya tree – also known as the Nile Tulip or the Bell Bean Tree.
If you’d like to see a whole orchestra of traditional instruments played the best place to go is the Ndere Centre in Kisaasi on Sunday nights for their family show from 4pm to 9pm. If you’d like lessons or to know more about traditional instruments contact Abraham Sekasi: . Email: abramsek@gmail.com. Or phone: +256 (0) 774 146 040.
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Birding In Lake Mburo National Park
Planing a birding Safari in Uganda? Lake Mburo national park is located in the western part of Uganda in Kiruhura district, 30 kilometers east of the largest city of the sub-region Mbarara. Lake Mburo national park was gazette as a national park in 1983 after being used as a hunting ground and later as a grazing field for the Bahima.
Currently it is the smallest savannah conservation area in Uganda, meaning it is the smallest park in Uganda covering an estimated area of 260 square kilometers but with some outstanding attributes that are so unique from other destinations in Uganda.
Lake Mburo national park is well known for its unique mammals like the zebras, impala, elands, leopards, buffaloes, warthogs, jackals and others. Though this amazing national park is known for its zebras but it is also one of the incredible birding destinations of Uganda, harboring over 310 bird species that has been sighted in this small but interesting savannah park. The lake Mburo national park will always leave you with need for more stay in this destination because of its scenic free standing acacia trees, with the dwelling birds not forgetting the forest species that are commonly seen in the Rubanga forest.
One other unique attribute of Lake Mburo national park is the presence of the swamps of course with its amazing and spectacular six papyrus endemic birds including the Papyrus gonolek and the blue-headed coucal ,don’t also forget that lake Mburo national park is a place that one can get the southern species in the northern limit of their range ,clear experience can be seen from the black-collared barbet and the ground hornbill and of course this same national park has the migratory birds that are commonly seen in the park during months of November to April.
One destination that any birder shouldn’t miss is Lake Mburo national park just for some of its notable species that are endemic to Uganda. Some of the key endemic species include; the shoebill with its attribute of inhabiting swamps and been a quiet , gentle and standing in the side point, and for long described as a statue- like bird species, the Abyssinian ground hornbill is an occasional bird, attributed to be one of the most endemic and migratory bird species in the park, the greater painted snipe is one of the most sought after bird species with its characters being as not a vocal bird, enjoys staying in reed beds but along water shorelines of marshes, swamps, streams, and ponds. There are many endemic bird species but to mention are these few.
The notable common species are; the African wattled lapwing, black-bellied bustard, and saddle billed stork, Brown-chested lapwing, bare-face go-away bird, African scops owl, blue-headed coucal, etc.
Birding in Lake Mburo national park is a year round activity that is done in the interior of the national park, with May, June and July comprised of less rain fall, then Jan, February, march and April having heavy rain, but interesting months are from November to April, where you can sight the migratory birds.
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Best Time To Go Chimpanzee Tracking In Kibale
Are you planning to visit Kibale Forest National Park for chimpanzee trekking but wondering when to go? Besides mountain gorilla safaris, Uganda offer yet exceptional primate adventures for you to explore while on your safari. Situated in Western Uganda, East Africa, Kibale Forest National Park has been described as the capital of the primates in the world. The park offers refuge to mainly 13 primate species including over 1500 chimpanzees out of the 5000 individuals that are confined within Uganda making chimpanzee trekking and Habituation Experience (CHEX) its main tourist attractions.
These primates share about 98.7% of their DNA with humans. Trekking these rare apes also rewards visitors with stunning views of other primates like the rare L’Hoests, Black and white colobus monkeys, endangered Red colobus monkeys, olive baboons and many more. Besides the park also offers refuge to more than 325 bird species, four felids, 70 mammal species and over 250 species of trees. Kibale National Park is dominated by moist evergreen and semi deciduous forest. The large part of this forest was logged at the time of when it was a forest reserve and some exotic tree species were planted in plantations especially the pines and eucalyptus.
Ever since the area was gazetted as a national park, most of these introduced trees have been removed and logging has stopped. Kibale is highest at the park’s Northern tip and it stands at altitude 1590 meters above sea level. The lowest point is at 1100 meters on the floor of the Albertine Rift Valley to the South.
If you are planning to visit Kibale Forest National Park, it is important that you take note of best time to track these unique apes in their natural habitats. Trekking adventures in Kibale National Park is an all year round experience but the best time to visit is during the dry season which starts from the months of June to September and then from December to February and these are drier and hottest months but the best season for chimpanzee trekking. The forest is also less thick making it easier to sight these incredible apes.
There is also much sunshine at this period and less rain and because of it is a peak season, most tourists flock for this adventure but most importantly the park doesn’t become crowded. From March to May and towards the end of September to November mark the rainy season where wildlife viewing is a bit challenging but it is perfect for birding safaris especially those who wish to look out for the rare Green breasted pitta-the only second pitta in the whole of African continent that can be sighted within the tropical rain forest of Kibale National Park. For tourists who part take a 2 to 3 day safari, they have a higher opportunity to view the wild chimpanzees in the park.
Briefly, the best time to visit falls in the month of June, July, August and September and December, January and February. At this season, it is also a peak season and the trails are kept relatively drier, making chimpanzee trekking a bit simpler. The peak season starts from June to September and the Lower season is in the month of March, April, May and November and it is characterized by heavy rainfall. Best weather conditions start from the months of June, July and December to February which comes with less rainfall. The worst weather conditions are in the months of March, April and May and at the end of September to November which comes with heavy rainfall and the trails are muddy for tourists to track chimpanzees.
In conclusion, Kibale Forest National Park is Uganda’s best protected area for chimpanzee trekking safaris. Trekking these endangered apes in the wild is the most exciting and interesting experience anyone should include in his or her travel itinerary in Uganda. Trekking these apes in wild is a unique experience unlike those in zoos which is why visiting Kibale National Park is a must for you to view our closest relatives.
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5 Popular Adventure Activities Not to Miss in Uganda
Uganda ranks best in Africa when it comes to African safaris but still the country is full of amazing attractions that you can get involved in for an amazing holiday. The Pearl of Africa is exciting and its natural resources attract thousands to the country all year.However, Uganda is also blessed with various opportunities like volunteerism, business ventures and much more but for adventurers, the country is just packed with awesome experiences including that you have always looked for. Here is a list of the most famous Uganda attractions that you shouldn’t miss out and some make others come back to Africa for exceptional tour adventures.
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest
The main reason for most visitors to Uganda and if you ever ask someone why I should go to Uganda, gorilla tracking in Bwindi Forest will definitely be the answer. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest offers the greatest gorilla tracking experience on earth despite the existence of other gorilla tracking spots like Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Volcanoes National Park,Virunga National Park and Kahuzi Biega National Park. It’s a home of the most attractive primates in the world and a huge number of them reside here. Bwindi Forest also has Uganda ancient people that have never been changed by the western world and till present still leave in the ancient.The Batwa People of the forest are brave, great hunters but culture and Bwindi forest is a priority in their lives. They support gorilla tourism and conservation the reason they vacated their ancestral home to a new allocated homestead. There is a list of things to do in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest but the gorilla trekking safari in the impenetrable jungle is simply the best.
Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Forest
Just like gorilla tracking, tourists on chimpanzee viewing trips are requested to book their Chimpanzee trekking permits in advance due to the steep demand. Remember chimpanzees tracking go hand in hand with gorilla tracking so the demand is same. If you looking for wonderful primate viewing experience in Africa, track chimpanzees in Kibale forest the primate capital in Africa.Kibale forest offers, both chimpanzee viewing and habituation where you spend a all day monitoring the beautiful fast moving creatures. Find this vast rain forested park in fort portal with baboons as the first park guards that welcome you to their diverse rich home. While hear don’t miss the preferred tourist trail of Kanyanchu and view all the 13 primate species. In addition, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale has been advanced that tourist’s tract chimpanzees three times a day.
Wildlife Safari to Queen Elizabeth
Given the fantastic scenery, wildlife and primates, Queen Elizabeth national park in Uganda is one of the most visited. Game drives are guided by informed park ranges and the activity is freely done all day though wildlife is best seen in mornings and evening hours. Kasenyi and Ishasha are the known park sectors for game viewing but its exciting looking at tree climbing lions up close in trees in Ishasha.
No one leave this park without taking a boat cruise on the Kazinga channel a home to hippos, birds, Nile crocodiles and wildlife. It’s superb to spend an afternoon on Lake Edward and L.George the two water bodies that form the impressive channel. Leisure and nature controls the ride and all tourists on this activity feel relaxed hence something you shouldn’t miss while in Uganda. Other thing to do in Queen Elizabeth is the chimpanzee trekking, nature walk, bird watching etc.
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Safety Tips Driving With Kids In Uganda
A safari with children is the most exciting travel experience that in most cases comes with joy especially to the parents and their young ones. It is such an endless happiness that it takes one to have extra responsibility about the children as well have control of other drivers on the road so as to ensure safe travel. Most vehicle hand books have guidelines for driving with children and most drivers uniquely or do not pay attention to these rules and regulations thus causing road accidents as a result of poor management of kids.
Below are tips that will assist you on safe driving with children.
Position or seating arrangement
Children under 12 years must travel in rare or back seats in their appropriate child seats or buckle up their seat belts. Ensure that children two to six years are not close to the car doors as they may open the doors while the vehicle is in motion. To maintain this from occurring, make sure that all the doors are locked with central to avoid children from falling out of the car.
Buckle up
Children, who can fit well in the car seats, make sure that they buckle up very well. Do not permit your kids to drive without a seat belt buckled; seat belts have saved 90 percent of the children from dying in car accidents. Buckle up your seat belt such that your kids learn from you the adult in the vehicle. A seat belt that is put on properly can save life during a car crash as it will hold you down and prevent persons from being thrown around inside a car or tossed out via a windshield.
Secure car gear
Ensure that you work on any loose ends or odds in the vehicle for instance hanging roof material; loosen seat belts or any other damage on the car. If these happen that they are not put back well, they can lead to damage to the passengers especially the children.
Check around and outside your car
Prior starting the car first check outside and around your vehicle, most children love playing behind the car while others may hide under the vehicle. It is safe to check prior you begin driving, check around the vehicle and see if there are no children following you or in front of the car. If you hired a rental car, spend at least 10 to 15 minutes to familiarize yourself with the vehicle checking brakes, headlights, engines, radio, neat or air conditioners and mirror. This will help you avoid drastic distractions while driving.
Do not drink and drive
Most accidents in Uganda are caused due to influence of alcohol. These accidents have caused loss of live of many people and yet they can be avoided if only the drivers do not drink. Most people have been arrested by police for driving under influence which has been familiarized as kawunyemu meaning symbolizes the way drivers are tested for any alcohol by the police once stopped. Alcohol reduces driving stability, reaction time and vision causing a driver to make wrong decisions on the road. Don’t attempt this and save the lives of children on road trip.
Avoid texting while driving
It is dangerous to text while driving since this takes your attention for what kids are doing in the vehicle. Texting puts you and the rest of the road users in danger as your mind can be divided to the phone and the road as well.
Besides the usual sense of care, while driving with children, all adults need an extra sense of responsibility. If you are planning for a self drive on your next safari holiday in Uganda make sure that you a bide by the safety driving tips so as to enjoy a safe road trip in Uganda whether you desire traveling to the national park or visiting the local community. From traffic tips to personal measures, you will get to your destination safely when you obey most or even all the seven safety tips.
In conclusion, obeying the above listed safety tips while driving with children is the best way for you to ensure safety of you and your children as you enjoy the best of your safari holiday in Uganda’s attractions. Keep in mind that over speeding is also dangerous as most accidents have been registered due to this. Avoid too much excitement while on the road and concentrate on your tour. Enjoy your safari with your children!
Read MoreUganda: Gorilla Tourism Spurs Growth in Kigezi Region
Mountain gorilla tourism has not only contributed huge sums of money to the national economy, it has immensely sparked development in the Kigezi sub-region.
More than 18,000 gorilla permits are sold annually, which translates into an annual collection of more Shs38b. Each permit costs Shs2.16m ($600). According to John Justice Tibesigwa, the Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park acting conservation area manager, mountain gorilla tourism started in 1961 when the area was still a sanctuary.
In 1991, it was strengthened and was later, in 1994, recognised as a heritage site.
Tourism, Tibesigwa says, has not only benefited government but enabled Uganda Wildlife Authority to contribute Shs900m annually to communities around Bwindi-Mgahinga for development projects.
The Bwindi-Mgahinga area has more than 14 gorilla groups and only eight tourists are allowed to visit a gorilla group per day.
Available data indicate that the Bwindi-Mgahinga area has half the world’s population of mountain gorilla.
This, as a result, has attracted tourists in the area and has had a spillover effect in terms of service development, especially in hotel and hospitality and the transport sector.
Source of employment
More than 100 hotels and camp sites have been established and provide employment to more than 10,000 people.
Hotels such as Accadia Cottages, Bunyonyi Overland Resort Camp, Entusi, Bushara and Sharp Island Gorilla Lodge, among others are a good addition to the Kigezi tourism.
In the transport sector, an airstrip has been established in Kihiihi, Kanungu District and another is under construction in Rubanda District. The two will be an addition to the already existing Kisoro Airfield.
“Tarmacking Kabale- Kisoro road has also facilitated development. However, government should improve internet connectivity, provide electricity, especially in the national parks,�? Ivan Mbabazi Batuma, a member of the Kigezi Tourism Cluster, says.
Other tourism features such as Lake Bunyonyi, Mt Muhavura, and Queen Elizabeth National Park, Batuma says, should be promoted to create alternatives as well as establishing a special desk at border points to handle tourists.
Nicholas Byengoma, the vice chairperson of the Kigezi Tourism Cluster, says whereas government has injected money into the tourism sector, more needs to be done.
“Encourage the establishment of domestic air transport to ease movement, especially for tourists visiting different destinations, he says.
Tourism, as already stated, employs more than 10,000 people in the Kigezi sub-region and this, according to Seith Byarugaba, an investor in accommodation, is a big achievement that government should leverage on.
“There is need to habituate other animal species such as chimpanzees, red monkey and birds to diversify, he says.
Government, Fideli Kanyamunyu, the director of Wagtail Tourism Investments in Kisoro District, believes should return much more to local communities instead of the current 20 per cent.
“… giving us only 20 per cent of the entrance fees, which is only $40 out of the $600 should be revised, he says and appeals to government to consider giving soft loans to community members to improve the quality of their products.
But beyond looking at government, Akankwasa Barirega, the acting commissioner for Wildlife Conservation at the Ministry of Tourism, advises local communities and members in the Kigezi Tourism Cluster to be more innovative, especially in regard to creating tourism amenities.
For instance, he says, people should think of establishing facilities such house boats on Lake Bunyonyi, zip lines crossing the interlocking hills, cable cars on Mt Muhavura and hot air balloons, among others.
“You earn a lot because there is a ready market [tourists], he says.
Silver Baguma, the vice chairperson of Rubanda District, thinks that stakeholders meetings such as the one held recently, provide good engagement.
However, he argues, for employment opportunities, residents must be considered as the first priority.
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Motor Rentals Makes Uganda Travel Easier
As mentioned before you may have known or read before – there is no activity that is risk free. Even renting a car is risky because you might encounter some losses. Apart from being risky, it often seems frustrating and tiresome to go on long trips in deep wildness of Uganda safaris. You may come across a scheduled place where cars don’t move that frequently. Under circumstances when you experience a breakdown in such places example in deep places of Kasese or Kabale in Uganda, you’ll be in serious trouble. You’ll rarely find professional mechanics or repair shops that can help repair your car at the odd hour of the night.
Motor Rentals in Uganda won’t cause any harassment for you or make you wait for long under a crisis. All you need to do in order to avail their services is to call up their number. These services ensure much of your mental peace when you’re going out on long vacations.
Decide quickly on car hire in Uganda and how you can escape out to different destinations with ease. You’ll often need to drive your car through roads with narrow space that you actually don’t favor. Your car is precious to your heart and you take utmost precaution to preserve it. These rough and clumsy lanes are often a cause of concern for you. Resting on the backseat of your car sets you on a relaxing mood; you’ll hardly enjoy your time while you’re on the driver’s seat. There are a few good options to enjoy your time while you’re relaxing on the backseat –
Read magazines or listening to music, Check out updated online information, Discussing business through your cell phone, Indulging in funny games and Watching a movie on your smart phone
Motor Rentals allow you to try out these things as you make good use of your traveling time.
Before your flight takes off at the airport, you may find a car rental service to pick you up from your destination. You won’t have to face any questions like that of other tourists, especially when you feel tired after a long journey. Without spending much of your valuable time over negotiations, you may head straightway to your hotel and save your breath for your forthcoming meeting or sightseeing.
Replacing any repaired car, making emergency trips, opting for outdoor tours, vacationing with loved ones, going out on international trips and business trips are reasons that compel you to consider opting for Motor rentals. Instead of driving your car, it is always beneficial to try some car hire online booking regardless of all facts and circumstances.
Eventually it will help reduce your repair and maintenance costs. In order to turn your tours more pleasurable, you’ll need to hire a car when taking a trip in Uganda. Prior to hiring car rental services, you must do a fair bit of car hire price comparison. Whenever you’re going out on your leisure vacation or business trip, you’ll need to be more careful about not causing extra exhaustion on your car.
Read MoreHow to Get the Best Car Rental Price in Uganda
Due to the increasing number of tourist visiting the country has made car rental in Uganda a very popular business thus also becoming as competitive as car rental companies are emerging everyday to join the market and also become dominant figure in the car rental fraternity. Many companies are trying their level best to hire cars to their customers at discounted prices but not all reduced prices come with good intention of giving better services. So you have to be so careful and keen on getting best car rental prices with good car rental services.
Here we came up with on how to get the best car rental price in Uganda to labor you off the hassle of looking for good car rental services with best prices.
Always use online reservation to hire a car. Car rental websites are always having promotions for their businesses in of discounts. By using the internet to book a car rental you stand an opportunity to get a best car rental price with a discount. This makes you save money on your car rental to use for other items on your trip.
Car rental companies in Uganda has a policy of fuel refilling that is when they hire you a car they expect you to return it with exact amount of fuel you found in the car before you took for your tour in Uganda. So all you have to is look and find the fuel station with cheap fuel to refill the tank by doing that you will have saved some money since fuel is also part of the car rental expenses.
You can also get best car rental prices by making an early booking of the car rental services. Here you have a time to make price deduction negotiation with the car rental agency and in most cases these car providers are lenient, they are always willing to give out discounts to their customers if you request for it.
Regular customers know the best time to hire a car from a car rental agency that is the low season of traveling. In Uganda November it is the car rental agencies cut the prices of the car hire as they expect low turns of customers, so you are more likely to get the car at a good prices as you take advantage of the situation of the time as they car rental business is not at a hike in the country. So when you are planning your trip to Uganda it is better to do it in November when the car rental prices are low and also the prices of other tourism products are also low.
You should also collect the car hire from the car provider’s premises other than the airport as you make end up paying airport car fees and also you may have to pay for the fuel used to drive the car at your place of convenience (airport)
It is also recommendable to compare the car hire package deal you have got from a particular company with other deals from other companies and check if it is has lower prices than other deals from other companies. You should also look at the convenience; reliance and safety of the car hire deal you have reserved from the car hire agency. If everything is well then you are guaranteed of having good car rentals services in Uganda at the best prices.
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