Friday, June 25, 2010

Gorilla Visit Increase in Rwanda

Mountain gorilla tracking in is hard work up steep slopes, through fascinating and a wide number of Tourists across the world travel to Africa to meet the great apes. Besides, one of the tourist who got in touch with the great apes twice had this to say. Uganda safaris , “Having met the Gorilla family twice I feel as if they are my family so you can imagine my joy when I saw that they had a another child”.

Thus, the recent tourist arrival statistics and reports from the Rwanda Development Board, which is in the office of Rwanda Tourism and conservation has released a report indicating a growth in the number of gorilla safari tourist to Rwanda just in the first quarter of this year.

The Statistics Offer Joel Rudasingwa uganda safari packages noted that it’s because of the improvement in the financial state of the world, which will heal the global financial crisis and later impact positively on its trend towards recovery which led to this increase.

"The great decrease was observed in the first semester of 2009, which can be attributed to the global financial crisis, which put many countries in recession,” masai mara safari packages However, from July to September 2009 which is the high season, gorilla visits surpassed 156 people every day. Meanwhile, official statistics from Rwanda Development Board indicate that in the first quarter of 2010 gorilla visits have generated Rwf1.2 billion with about 4,000 visitors comparing to last year same period. gorilla trekking

Rwanda boasts of almost 280 gorillas in total with Uganda and DR Congo having a good number of the primates since gorillas are very rare species in the world. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, only 700 mountain gorilla tracking are left in the whole world. Above all, Tourism is Rwanda's leading export earner ahead of tea and coffee. The sector contributes about 3.5 percent to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and it is expected to account for 5.8 percent of the GDP by 2016.

Gorilla trekking generates the highest revenues in visits to Rwanda's three national parks. It is believed that about 85 percent of visitors to the Volcanoes National Park are attracted by gorilla trekking experience. Young rwanda gorillas , from three to six years old, remind human observers of children. Much of their day is spent in play, climbing trees, chasing one another, and swinging from branches. The fun the gorillas shouldn’t be what you can miss in life. houses for sale in kampala uganda

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Friday, February 12, 2010

The Ugandan Parliament in Kampala decided to give immediate attention to poor infrastructures in the whole of East African Region. ‘The poor infrastructure in the region needed immediate attention and the problem of infrastructure in East Africa is a matter of survival, especially electricity, the roads and railway” uganda safari company said the Uganda president.

He went a head and told Parliament that the UPDF had set up an engineering brigade with capacity to carry out engineering tasks, including building infrastructure.
We shall use them to build the railway. I talked to the army engineers and they said it is okay,” he disclosed.

Museveni emphasized that if the colonialists used rudimentary tools to construct the railway line used in East Africa today, the army was in a better position with better technology. This idea was supported by other East African presidents through which the Railway line passes. Mr. Odinga did not see the need for the study estimated to cost Sh800 million with Kenya’s contributing over Sh600 million. His view was shared by the Uganda minister for Works and Transport John Nasasira.gorilla safaris in uganda “We are not here for fun or mere drama. We know that Kenya is strategically placed to serve as the transport hub for the region.” The Permanent Meeting (PM) called for the delegations from the two countries to show the will and power to undertake the project saying it will help interconnect the Eastern Africa region.


The views from other East African delegates show unity and joint effort towards the rebuilding programmes of the Uganda Railway. gorilla safaris in rwanda

The EALA, led by its speaker, Abdirahin Abdi, is holding the 3rd meeting of the 2nd assembly in Kampala from February 7 to 19.
It is expected to pass resolutions on the East African Community Tourism Bill 2008, the Election Bill 2008 and Lake Victoria Basin Commission Bill 2007.

The opening was attended by Ugandan MPs, who occupied the opposition side of the House as Museveni appealed to the EAC partners to look into the issue of energy as a major factor in the development of the region.
Additionally,gorilla safari rwanda the Uganda president said electricity power generation was so low that it could not sustain development in the region.
He said the US generates 14,000 kilowatts per hour, while African countries generate only 12 kilowatts per hour.
Museveni explained that Uganda faced resistance from developments partners in developing power dams. He, however, assured the country that even without foreign aid; Uganda could build its own power stations.


“We are now aiming at generating about 17,000 megawatts in the next 15 years. This will give us 3,000 kilowatts per hour,” he said. ssese island safari
Museveni reiterated the need to fast-track the East African federation, so that the member states have a position by 2012.
“I am glad that there is compromise on this issue, but more needs to be done to ensure it is implemented.”

He urged member states to facilitate their citizens to process their goods and add value to them before putting them on the expanded regional market that includes Southern Sudan, DR Congo and the south africa safari Central African Republic.
He said Uganda had responded to the increased demand by producing more. “We got a bumper harvest of maize. As a result, prices have now come down,” he said.
“We need to deal with storage and processing of maize, so that the farmers don’t have to sell desperately at the time of plenty. This may force them to exit maize growing,” gorilla trekking uganda yet in the tourism sectors farmers are the major suppliers of agriculture products and if prices of the products are too low, that will lead to low production in Agriculture hence leading to low supply of Agriculture products to the tourism sector.

The ministries of finance and agriculture have devised means of how they can solve the problem in order to ensure constant supply of Agriculture products to the entire country sector. Said the president.
Abdi hailed the political leadership in the region for agreeing on the common market protocol.
He lauded Museveni for the effort to improve household incomes through modern agriculture and education.

More so, there are comments from the public listeners which can add value to the Government proposal of rebuilding the Uganda Railway and also ease travel movements for tourists from one country to the other and from one destination to the other. In terms of railway technology, the government should not go the British way but the French one. The French have the best and most efficient railway transport system in the world.uganda safaris adventures For example in some cities Lyon and Marseille are connected by the TGV (High velocity trains). Marseille which is about 780 km from Paris is only 3hrs. Imagine traveling from Mombasa to Kampala at that speed? So Mr. Government is advised to get the best technology around and not be blinded by colonial fidelity. bwindi gorilla trek The British are "out" when it comes to trains.

This can make travel very easy and it can reduce traffic congestion since there other transport alternatives which move at the same pace like others. Therefore for any person traveling or hopping to visit East Africa, transport shouldn’t be your worry.

Norway to support Eco-Tourism sites Conservation in Uganda trough Tree planting. masai mara safari

It is a surprising fact that Uganda has excellent growing conditions to support commercial tree growth. With good management and the adoption of intensive silvicultural practices, growth rates can match the best in the world and timber plantations can offer a solid return on investment. queen elizabeth safari This is due to the reason that Uganda has substantial areas of land suitable for timber plantations as shown by the silvicultural map of Uganda. This land is either in CFRs or is privately owned land. Long-term leases for tree planting are available in many CFRs: the first licenses for tree planting were issued by the NFA in mid 2005. Potential investors must realize, however, that the areas are more suited to pines than Eucalypts, being in hotter, drier areas. gorilla safaris in bwindi


Additionally, it was estimated that on average in Uganda it will cost around Ushs1.5 M per hectare (US$ 730) to establish a plantation. This cost covers all expected costs up to canopy closure (i.e. when the trees canopies in adjacent rows touch and shade out the ground vegetation) - which is around 3 years with Pinus caribaea, gorilla trekking bwindi 1-2 years with E. grandis. Costs will differ significantly on different sites and also depending on the supervision and level of skills of the labour. Other factors that can influence establishment costs are the scale of the planting, the level of mechanizations and the timing and frequency of key operations especially weeding. Within less than two years private planters learning quickly learning from their mistakes and they have real improved in the tree planting field.

However, due to the Uganda potential of planting trees the Norwegian Private Forest Growers (NORSKOG) has signed a partnership with the Uganda Timber Growers Association (UTGA) to support commercial timber growing with the aim of protecting forests which will conserve the natural beauty of Uganda hence promoting the Uganda’s Tourism Sector as the conservation saying goes “leave nothing, bwindi gorilla tracking safari uganda Touch nothing when you visit a destination.

The partnership was signed by NORSKOG director Arne Rora and the UTGA chairman, Robert Nabanyumya in Mpigi on Friday.
Rora said that the partnership was aimed at developing UTGA for the provision of services to the private and public sectors for sustainable management and utilization of plantation forests.

According to Nabanyumya, the association’s objective is to make quality products that are acceptable on the international market.
He also added on and said the association supplied improved seedlings to its members and lobbied for information, experience on tree growing, and advocacy for better land tenure security.

During the function, Norwegian ambassador Bjorg Leite said Uganda, being part of the global warming regions, needed to encourage more timber growers to protect forests.
“People can use this project to earn some money,” she added.kenya uganda safari

Leite lamented that more than half of Uganda’s forests had been cleared thus affecting climate, tourism and wildlife. There fore, the tourism industry is likely to benefit a lot from this partnership since it promotes conservation for eco-tourism sites like National parks and forest reserves. fishing safari uganda

Thursday, December 17, 2009

True Uganda

Many people think of Africa as one country and those that know Uganda know it because of Idi Amin, HIV and AIDS, and Civil War. Truthfully speaking, there are people who haven’t even heard about the existence of Uganda. Uganda safaris

In July this year I had friends who were coming to Uganda for Charity. Everything was set for them so I though they needed not to worry about anything. I was shocked when I received a mail from them asking me very many question just to be sure that they are safe. uganda safari prices

They wanted to know whether they needed to carry beddings, plates, whether the house where they were going to stay had any windows and Doors. This is because only bad news is news. The good news never reaches the outside world. gorilla safari uganda
What you hear about Uganda is that only deadly diseases make up Uganda. Every insect in Uganda gives you a different disease! The mosquito gives you malaria; the tsetse fly gives you sleeping sickness. Not only insects do harm you. The freshwater snail gives you bilharzia. And if the yellow and dengue fever don’t get you, Aids or any other disease will for sure. gorilla safari rwanda


Uganda has got extraordinary natural richness and cultural diversity, as well as the talents and abilities of the people - all bestowed as a gift to the world. “Nature " is seen as the giver of Uganda’s uniqueness- dependent on human protection to preserve its uniqueness for future generations. gorilla tours uganda Uganda is a beautiful country where lovely, polite, and incredibly humorous people are not so different from other people in other countries. gorilla trekking rwanda

Uganda is home to many of God’s greatest creations. Uganda’s unrivalled collection of protected areas, endless lakes, rivers, waterfalls and wetlands makes it a lush tropical haven. Sprawling across both sides of the equator, a network of 10 National Parks and several other protected areas offers you a thrilling opportunity to experience Uganda’s biodiversity. tanzania safaris

Uganda is one of the continent's most beautiful countries, boasting a wide variety of scenery, culture and wildlife.kenya safari packages

Its reputation as 'Africa's friendliest country' is not only accredited to its likeable people, but also to its redevelopment as an eco-friendly environment, with the enlightened management of 10 national parks, and its introduction of eco-tourism projects, adventure sports and unique gorilla-trekking opportunities that have put the country as a gift to the World. masai mara safari kenya

Promotion of Uganda at international level is required because there is little understanding of a true Uganda.

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Monday, November 30, 2009

River Musamya a victim of drought and encroachment

River Musamya is famously known as “Gold for Bugerere” by residents and native of Kayunga and Mukono because of its numerous values is on the verge of extinction due to encroachment by area residents.Primate safari rwanda


This river is a tributary of River Ssezibwa, it passes through the districts of Mukono and Kayunga to Lake Kyoga. Until 2006 when the river almost dried up due to the long drought, River Musamya was acting as a water catchment’s area and a source of water for irrigation and domestic use for people who live along it. Gorilla trekking uganda bwindi

According to the Kayunga District environment officer, Mr Patrick Musaazi, River Musamya Wetland was among the few areas where the crested crane is found. It was also a source of medicinal plants and raw materials like papyrus for making crafts. Above all, it was a habitat for many rare birds and animals. gorilla trekking rwanda volcanoes safari

Today, the residents from the near by villages which is a big blow to the tourism industry and the falling crest crane numbers.Queen Elizabeth safari

Monday, October 12, 2009

Rhinos - Uganda

By the Uganda safari reporter

Uganda is blessed once again in a row, after the Lions received early this year there is yet another contribution to our rich wildlife from our Kenya Wildlife partners. Kenya is to move some of its Rhinos to 4 countries of Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, and Rwanda in an effort to conserve the huge creatures. Kenya is blessed with 603 of the 709 rhinos in eastern Africa and Tanzania has almost all the remaining rhinos.gorilla safaris uganda

Uganda lost a very significant number of its Rhinos to poaching and war in the 1970s and 80s. Like the White Rhino the black Rhino is also almost facing extinction which is the main reason why Kenya is distributing some among 4 neighboring countries to encourage rebreeding so that the Rhino populations can increase.


Uganda has a few black rhinos and only 2 white rhinos at UWEC that were imported from South Africa in the Early 2000. This is a very boosting gesture from Kenya because it will increase chances of the Black Rhino’s survival in Uganda.

This conservation strategy will help in protecting the Rhinos in case of an epidemic in one country and is also aimed at increasing Rhino number to 3,000 Rhinos by 2039. With such projects coming up there is hope for our wildlife’s survival for many generations to come.


Thursday, June 18, 2009

Bigodi a Million Dollar Swamp

Bigodi is a swamp like any other swamp any where the world over, this swamp that has proved to be people’s sources of livelihood is found in Kibale.

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Many swamps in Uganda have been destroyed by selfish individuals looking at using them for personal gains and as a result the community and the nation at large end up at a loss.

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But this is not the case in Kibale, just next to Kibale Forest National Park is this Swamp called Bigodi, The name Bigodi is derived from a Rutooro word, kugodya, which means to walk unenthusiastically. It is said that when travelers reached Bigodi on foot, they were always too tired to continue into the forest thus resting there.

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Convincing the Bigodi natives to embark on the tourism initiative was not very easy as the elders thought that their sons were planning to rip them of their swamp. This was back in 1992 when the foundation of the now flourishing Bigodi swamp project was dug.

Bigodi wetland is an important area of biodiversity. It hosts eight species of primates and over 200 bird species. The most popular bird for tourists to view is the Great Blue Turaco (Corythaeola Cristata). The most common tree species are wild palm, rubber and fig trees and rafia palm which are widely used in making handicrafts. Some of the primates include; the ever elusive Sitatunga bushpig, Bushbuck, Otter Mongoose, Civet Cat and Chimpanzee

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As we talk now the locals are reaping millions of shillings every year from the swamp. It is a tourist site which has significantly improved their livelihood, for this they have a Shs150m Bigodi Secondary School constructed out of the revenue from the project. Added to the Secondary school is a nursery school, bridges, a road and many more business projects that have resulted from the swamp project.

Families have put up accommodation businesses in their homes, craft stalls and groups have come up, and some farmers sell their fresh produces (fruits & vegetables) to the lodges and the tourists which provide them with ready markets. Many of the families in Bigodi have also benefited from sponsorships given to some disadvantaged families by some generous tourists.

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The same swamp produces raw materials for the women group works which they make out of raffia and phoenix palm leaves. They also get color for their products last touches from the swamp, thanks to the Swamp project. They even export their products to Europe.

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Thanks to the good management of the project by Kafred, the locals are supportive of the swamp tourism activities because their children are getting an education and some are even employed by Kafred and the Kibale National Park. Poaching has even stopped because the poachers themselves have turned into guides, who take tourists around through the swamp and the village for community walks.
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This project is encouraging conservation that it has bought an extra-four-acre piece of land to make the primates inside the swamp feel comfortable and also to get the local population live at a distance from the swamp. If other communities that neighbor swamps would adopt such strategies like this one then our wildlife would be

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Uganda and Hospitality

By Adrian Ssali & Betty Nassuna

The word Hospitality has a Latin origin from the word hospes formed out of the word hostis which means stranger. It all comes from an ancient Greek story about Telemachus and Nestor where Telemachus was a total stranger who Nestor hosted and treated with great warmth.

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 A stranger passing outside a Greek house, could be invited inside the house by the family. The host washed the stranger's feet, offered him/her food and wine, and only after he/she was comfortable could be asked to tell his/her name.

 

This same art applies to the Ugandan culture of receiving visitors, a visitor to Uganda will be welcomed with such great appreciation that they will feel like visiting again.

Right at the Airport you will be handled like a queen by the ground handlers responsible for handling your flight. At Entebbe International Airport it will either be Enhas or DAS handling services to help you with all your ground clearances. There is also Civil Aviation Authority staff to offer you information you may require. Your security is taken care of by the Aviation Security team and Aviation Police at the Airport.

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If you did not organize an Airport pick up with your Hotel or Tour operator, there are always Airport shuttles/cabs/Taxis that can drop you to your desired destination with a smile. At you hotel you will be received and handled with this great care and affection, and provided with all your desired available services in time.

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Go onto any street any way in Uganda, as long as the natives understand your language they will provide you with all your desired information and even when they can not speak you language they will try all means possible like sign language.

 

The different cultures have different ways of entertaining people in order to make them feel at home. Before you leave Uganda after any length of stay you will have learnt at least two words in one native Language, at least a greeting. You want a country you can easily fit in? Visit Uganda for Great satisfaction.

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