African Safari Blog

The sanctuary was started in 1998 October as a the only home in Uganda meant to look after the Chimpanzees which had lost the parents and the Uganda Wildlife Authority together with Jane Good all decided to take part in the collection of these Chimpanzees from various Uganda National parks as well as local communities in different parts of Uganda in order to have good care. During this initiative a number of Chimpanzees were saved from being poached though it took time to make adopt the new environment.

Ngamba Island Chimpanzee sanctuary covers is about 100 acres approximately 40 hectares of land biggest part of it being a rain forest close to the Equator on the fresh water of Lake Victoria in Mukono district just 23 km from Entebbe the main land for boarding the boat to the Island. Not only is Ngamba Island a home to the Chimpanzees, a number of animals settle on this Island even birds birders should expect to watch out for bird species while on Ngamba. This island is established as an eco-friendly project offering accommodation at Ngamba Island Luxury Tents with compost toilets, rainwater collection systems, proper waste management practices and solar energy for electricity.

The Island is managed by the Chimpanzee Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT) with the collaboration of other six other organizations as a non Profit Organization (NGO) with the interest of Uganda Wildlife conversion and well among them are the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, Uganda Wildlife, Born Free Foundation, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Jane Good all Institute, Uganda Wildlife Education Centre and ECO-TRUST.

The sanctuary operates on a daily basis through out the year so visitors are free to take a tour to Ngamba Island at ant time of the year and reservations for Ngamba Island can be made through the various Uganda Tour operators like Insight safari Holidays, Gorilla Safari Company and many others.

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Due to the limited tourism sector in Rwanda, a new Rwanda  safari package known as Convention targeting the business travelers is going to start and revenue will increase since there are limited tourist attractions in Rwanda. The Tourism convention bureau launch is to take this year (2012) to market Rwanda as a top destination for conferences and meetings, according Ms. Rica Rwigamba the head of Tourism in Rwanda and Conservation at Rwanda Development Board.

The idea of the creation of the convention bureau was a result from the December 2008 stakeholders meeting in Rwanda addressed by the American consultation firm know as On The Frontier. The topic of the meeting was about “creating a strategy on meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE). It was projected by the On The Frontier that if Rwanda puts the project in operation, it will earn about US$40 million from on meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions tourism within one year but it needed a convention bureau to help in promoting Rwanda as a leading destination for meetings and conferences in order to meet its target revenue. Information from Rwanda hotels and conference facilities and Airlines operating in Rwanda will be used by the bureau to promote Rwanda as a potential for conference facilities.

The increase in facilities like hotel rooms, Airlines, conferences halls and well as many tourist traveling to Rwanda for gorilla tracking and visiting the genocide memorials will be another way of marketing the convention product in Rwanda. The recent grading of the thirty hotels in Rwanda also gives hope that hotel owners will use this chance to improve on hotel services in order to have their hotels considered to be among the top grades like , the country began grading the accommodation sector in order to boost its confidence Kigali Serena hotel and Nyungwe Game Lodge in Nyungwe National park where Chimpanzee tracking in Rwanda is carried out.

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With assistance from the Uganda Wildlife Act (Capture. 200) of  year 2000, the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA)  Executive Direct  informs all tourism stake holders and  the general public a bout the new plan of the conserving   of  Uganda wildlife and  Uganda protected areas that Uganda Wildlife Authority  has started  a process of  the General Management Plan preparation for the two Uganda national parks of  Bwindi Impenetrable Uganda gorilla safari  Park and Mgahinga Gorilla tour Park. The two Parks occupy part of the districts of Kisoro, Kanungu and Kabale in the South Western corridor of Uganda.

The two national parks are very famous in the world tourism records for being habitats of the few remaining populations of Mountain Gorilla safaris in the world.  The unique ecosystem also makes Bwindi Impenetrable gorilla tracking safari a world heritage site.  Mgahinga national gorilla safari park and impenetrable Bwindi boarder Democratic republic of Congo and Rwanda thus being transboundary in nature

This management plan process is estimated to take about 10 years since it is a long process and all stake holders have to give their opinions.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority Executive Director therefore wishes to invite suggestions and ideas from all interested parties to take part in the running General Management Plan effort with suggestions. Plan issues to be tackled during the process will include  some of the  ideas below an more ideas are welcomed:-

•  experience of  tourists  , access use and  development
• Tourist understanding, educations, knowledge and  information
• Tourism facilities like Uganda  safari lodges and hotels
•  National Park access, management and  operations
• Collaborative Management
•  Local Cultural  and community tourism issues
•  Management and  protection of  tourism resources
• Land protection and local  community conflicts
• Community conservation and community involvement in landscape and natural resources management.

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Currently 20 airlines are recorded to be landing at Entebbe Uganda’s International Airport. Qatar Airlines has also opened up its operation root to fly to Uganda this year 2011 thus inspiring other airlines to increase on their daily and weekly flights to Uganda by Landing at Entebbe.

The increase in the  number flights operating at the Entebbe International Airport was as a result of Uganda’s potential. The attraction to Uganda is mostly due to its nature tourism potentials and these included Uganda National parks like Bwindi Impenetrable Mountain gorilla safari park, Queen Elizabeth Wildlife safari park, Murchison falls National Park and other wildlife reserves as well as the prospecting oil and gas sector.

Due to high airport fare in 2005, I was noted that domestic traffic at the airport between 2005 lowered from 38,924 to 11,879 in 2010. According the Civil Aviation Authority more Airlines operating at the Air port will lead to a reduction in Air Fares as a result of competition unlike before where there were few Airlines in operation thus Monopoly. Airlines like Gulf Air has stopped operating on Entebbe due to high cost they were under going and limited traffic but now Uganda’s economic development has made such airline to start business in Uganda. With the emerging of a number of airline at the Airport, CAA should be kin on the quality of services these airline offer.

Airlines are expected to offer quality services and the Airport should be branded since it is an aye opener to the country and visitors expect a warm l welcome on arrival at the Airport so images promoting Uganda’s tourism should part of the branding especial the wildlife and Mountain gorilla safari  banners should be displayed. The airport is still struggling with dilapidated structures, heavy traffic to and from the airport and limited capacity to improve the facilities at the airport.

Recently an International tourist magazine “Lonely Planet” ranked Uganda as a top tourist destination of 2012 with barely less aggressive marketing. Analysts say that if Uganda is to attract more tourists, then it will have to aggressively market tourism by participating in all the travel shows and even at Entebbe International Airport and marketing the Air port by displaying top safari attractions inform of billboards.

Posted by Gorilla tours  Uganda.

The Batwa people have for so many years settled in Gahinga volcanoes in Kisoro alongthe foot hills of Muhabura, Sabinyo forest. The Batwa have lived in forest as their shelter and they are referred to as hunters that the way they have managed to live such hunting life fierce warriors who depended on the, food shelter and medicine for trees. It is evidenced that even with colonization of Uganda by the Whites the Batwa communities remained backward with their bush life therefore colonialism did not have and impact unlike other tribe and local communities who changed their life style. Like the Bahima who used to stay in grass thatched houses they are now staying in permanent and roofed housed thus a great achievement.

Gazetion of Mgahinga Uganda Gorilla safari Park in 1991 with the aim of protecting the endangered Mountain gorillas in Uganda brought a vary big change among the Batwa community where they had to go and start a new life of living a social life to mix with other communities in the western Uganda thus abandoning their nomadic lifestyle which was not easy at the beginning.

At present, the Batwa do not have permanent settled and they savive on participation in digging for the locals in return they give them food. Accessing their formal homes ( forest is only and only when they work as destination local safari guides on the Batwa Trail walk , where they invite tourists to discover the magic of their old home.

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A new branding of the Entebbe International Airport was presented by the Uganda Wildlife official at Entebbe on 6^th December 2011. The Airport will be branded with a nature theme that both indicates Uganda natural attractions  like mountain gorilla tracking safaris, wildlife and other nature endowments that Uganda is gifted with as already  leveraged  recent media accolades like the lonely planet.

A partnership  was started by the  Uganda Wildlife life Authorities together with Civil Aviation Authority CAA and USAID’s Sustainable Tourism in the Albertine Rift project to influence this authentic Ugandan  Image and feel  while at the Entebbe Airport, being the only International Airport to all visitors coming from the out side world. The new Entebbe airport branding campaign will give a good image as already listed by the Lonely Planet, and National Geographic as the leading safari destination in the world with gorilla safaris and wildlife tours as top visitor attractions.

First impression of a destination of the traveler is always at the Airport, therefore this will give visitors a clear image with this worm welcome of the new brand indicating Uganda nature attraction thus gifted by nature. The previous branding of the Air port did not portray the true feeling of a Ugandan Welcome to international visitors especially tourists coming for Uganda safari Holiday and foreign residents.

Another brand in plan by the Uganda Wildlife Authority will include road sign posts from the Airport then to the Major Uganda National parks through out Uganda.

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An 18.5km track worth USD 200,000 has launched by the Uganda Wildlife Authority from Te Bito to the top of the Falls in Murchison Falls Wildlife safari and game viewing Park. Tullow Oil Plc n started this oil contraction as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility packages to help conservation and preservation of Uganda wildlife and tourism products in the area.

Professor Ephraim Kamuntu, the minister for Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage presided the formal opening on 6th December together with some witnesses from Bunyonyi and Acholi regions. Other tourism stake holders on Uganda also participated and these included the UTb boss and the Excutuve director from the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

The minister who unveiled the plaque and cut the tape to officially launch the historical track, said government will use oil and gas to develop tourism for it to be sustainable. He commended the partnership between UWA and Tullow oil for the construction of the track which will make access to the spectacular Murchison Falls easier from the northern bank of River Nile and attract more visitors to stay longer in the protected area.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority together with the private Sector foundation are working hand in hand with the aim of promoting tourism and wildlife conservation in the protected areas especially Uganda National parks like Bwindi gorilla safari park, Queen Elizabeth National park and other protected areas. Local communities are also part of the conservation process since are encroaching in the park boundaries thus wildlife –human conflict like poaching animals especially in Murchison falls where it has been reported that about 20 elephants were killed by locals meat, skin and tusk. The newly introduced truck in Murchison falls will offer optional rout for game drives in Murchison falls offering tourists a chance admire the diverse animal population as well as tree species in the Te Bito plains. The track also provides a shorter access route for the northern bank tourists.

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Uganda hosted the friends and family of the directors of Dinyayi Geziyoum the leading Turkish television travel show to broadcast Uganda’s tourism resources on the Turkish Television and they were hesitant about Uganda’s safety.

Before the crew set off for their Uganda safari they were worried about the health and safety of the country on reaching Uganda all their   fears were not real.

After the 15 days Uganda Adventure safari Mr Esirgeng the team lead and two parties he had never wanted the tour to come to an end after realizing the beauty and Uganda culture with friendly people.

The purpose of the three-person crew’s Uganda tour from Kanal Türk TV on Turkey was to film a four-episode series based on Uganda’s tourism attraction for capmulsion purposes in their travel show.

The crew arrived in Uganda on 10^th November major  destinations  visited  included Uganda safari lodge, Queen Elizabeth Wildlife safari park, Murchison falls, Bwindi Impenetrable gorilla safari park. Source of the Nile in Jinja and Lake Mburo National Park known for Zebras not found anywhere else in Uganda’s National park.According to the US government funded programme USAID-STAR a body that promotes and manages tourism in the Albertine area, says the crew filmed  Uganda safari  experiences like , gorilla tracking experience,  local community,  cultural and   wildlife safari experiences.

The visit will work as the eye-opening to the Turkish journalists, thus encourage Turkish to start visiting Uganda for Wildlife Viewing  and other Adventure safaris.THE Turkish crew regarded Uganda as a  very good destination for holidays in Africa since its endowed with nature resources like Mountains, Rivers, lakes, Forest  and the lovely people.

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Queen Elizabeth National Park was graded as a national park and game reserve in 1954 by the Government of Uganda covering 1978km of land to the world, with a major aim of acting as a scientific research living laboratory, tropical forest management and eco-tourism site in the World. Queen Elizabeth Wildlife safari park in western Uganda covers the crater-dotted foothills of the mountain Rwenzori range in the North, along the shores of Lake Edward to the Ishasha River in the South a famous place for the tree climbing lion safari in Queen Elizabeth National park, hosting a wide variety of habitats that range from Savanna and wetlands to gallery and tropical forest. The park is recognized for its diversity of bird life with over 605 species confirmed to be in Queen Elizabeth National park mostly seen while on the launch cruise a long Kazinga Channel, Queen Elizabeth is the largest of any protected area in Africa. Birding safaris in Queen Elizabeth: Mweya main camp is well located at a peninsula separating the Kazinga Channel from Lake Edward, with clear views of Mountain Rwenzori and morning spectacular sunsets over the Lake Edward. While on a Uganda wildlife safari in Queen Elizabeth National park, one may spot out the White-shouldered Cliff Chat which is a rare sight in Uganda is also a resident in this Uganda safari park. Other bird species to check out for birder in the park are: Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Black Bee-eater, Shoebill, Papyrus Canary, Martial Eagle, White-tailed Lark, White-winged Warbler Black-rumped Buttonquail and the African Skimmer While on a bird safari expedition in this park birders get a decent opportunity of sighting males birds competing for female attention and while watching this rare scenario as birds feed their young one from the nest as well the nest building normally done in a convoy. While at the Mweya Air strip and Kazinga channel camping expect to see the resident Grey-headed Kingfisher, the beautiful Black-headed Gonolek, Swamp Flycatcher , African Mourning Dove Grey-capped Warbler, Red-chested Sunbird Slender-billed, Yellow-backed Nightjars .

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The mountain gorillas have been identified as endangered species with only 720 of them remaining  in the world, most of which are in  Uganda’s Bwindi gorilla safari park , DR Congo and Rwanda’s Parc National Des  Volcanos .

For conservations purposes, the government of Uganda has decided to carry out the mountain gorilla  census in order to be confirm the existing numbers of these remaining mountain gorillas. The first gorilla counting was conducted in 1997    in Bwindi Impenetrable gorilla Park in western Uganda.  The result of the 1997 gorilla census indicated that there were 300 gorillas in this forest of Bwindi later on after 5 years the number of gorilla increased to 320 with in a period of five years and according to the 2006 census the result showed an increase to 340 gorillas.

According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority, this gorilla census will cost about $100,000 and this census will help in knowing other animals residing in the park and their actual population as well as how human activities have affected the park.

Apart from the gorilla counting there will also be tests for bacteria that cause diseases to the animals will be done at Makerere University laboratories.  The gorilla census was implemented by the International Gorilla Conservation Programme, it will take one month.

The gorilla census has been conducted by  75 trained  enumerators this included  counting  gorilla nests where the mountain  gorillas sleep, gathering their faecal matter for genetic analysis and placing geographical positioning system points to prevent double counting.

The samples collected will be taken for DNA tests in Germany for genetic identity of different animals species to provide accurate results. “The 2006 census showed 340 gorillas from counting nests, but the genetic analysis showed 302 and it is considered more accurate.  Dr Martha Robbins of Max-Planck Institute in Germany says that the two methods will be applied and he is part of the Uganda gorilla census team and there will be tallies for the 480 gorilla result from Virunga Conservation Area which were conducted in 2010.

The gorilla area is surrounded by three national parks: Virunga National Park in DR Congo; Parc Volcanoes  gorilla safari  in Rwanda and Mgahinga in Uganda. At present, Uganda receives about 2,400 gorilla-tracking safari tourists every year but the figure went down in the late nineties due to political instabilities in western Uganda.

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