Tourism Facts

Gov't to revive Uganda Airlines

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 08:53:00 +0000

By Brian Mayanja

Plans are underway to reinstate the defunct Uganda Airlines, in a move geared at boosting tourism and trade, Saturday Vision has learnt.

The draft proposal on how the airline will conduct its business is being discussed by experts in the transport ministry, according to sources. The document will soon be discussed by Cabinet.

Among the issues experts want Cabinet to consider is whether Uganda Airlines should be 100% government-owned or be under a public-private partnership. Continue reading...

King of the Jungle in Danger

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Wed, 29 May 2013 09:59:00 +0000

By Titus Kakembo

The roar of the lion sends chills up the spines of animals and people alike. The famed king of the jungle is one of the tourist attractions in Uganda.

Lions are the only cats that live in groups, which are called prides. Males defend the pride’s territory, marking their territory with urine and roaring menacingly to warn intruders away.

Lionesses are the primary food hunters. Their regular prey is always swifter on their feet than lions, so the lions work in teams to score a kill, then they scramble to share the kill.

However, these big cats are under threat. A total of 11 lions are believed to have been killed by poachers since 2012. This was revealed by a senior warden at Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP), Dr. Margaret Achiru, while delivering a paper on the status of tourism and protected areas.

“Since the missing lions were all tagged with identification gadgets, they could be traced electronically,” Tom Okello, the chief park warden at QENP said. “Over a few months, the identification tags went off the radar. I believe they were killed by poachers and the tags destroyed.”

A combination of civil strife and poaching greatly reduced wildlife populations between 1970 and the late 1980s. For example, to be elevated to a given social status, a Karimojong man must singly kill a lion and bring the carcass home as proof that he can protect his family and tribe.

Superstitious soldiers involved in the LRA war in northern Uganda are reported to have enhanced their luck with fetishes that had a lion’s nails, paws and testicles.

To see a lion today, one has to dig deep in one’s wallet to go to Murchison Falls, Kidepo or Queen Elizabeth National Parks. Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe has lions in captivity.

Walter's Boda: Kampla's Best kept Tourism Secret

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Tue, 28 May 2013 10:30:00 +0000

Wandera is making a killing taking tourists around Kampala

Story By, George Wabweyo - newvision

I hope you do not mind my photographer riding with us, for I need some professional photos,” I tell Michael Obwana, a boda boda cyclist, who has been sent by a Walter Wandera to pick me up.
Wandera is the genius behind Walter’s Boda Boda Tours, a rather eccentric tourism service that has not only become a favourite among visitors to Uganda, but is also getting lots of international attention. Boda bodas, of course, are those little passenger-carrying motorcycles that populate Ugandan roads.

Surprisingly, Wandera’s messenger will not ride my photographer and I on the same bike. “We do not approve of carrying two people on a boda boda, for safety is paramount with us. I have to call Walter to arrange for another rider,” Obwana says, placing the call to Boss Walter, 25. A few minutes and another rider pulls up. “I am Amon from Walter’s Boda Boda Tours and I am here to serve you.”

See, the story of Walter had recently gained social media buzz and I was keen on seeing if he was really worth the hype. Blogs by European tourists claimed that Walter was the best person to show you Kampala. “But why would anyone pay for a tour of Kampala?

Heading to Lubiri

For the likes of me, I walk the sidewalks everyday, have visited friends in various suburbs and Kampala has not exactly been a national park. Just how much touristic action can one squeeze out of a city like Kampala?” I mused, for it seemed unsettling to tour my own city.

But out of journalistic curiosity, I just took the damn boda boda tour — with mixed feelings. Because even though we love boda bodas for weaving in and out of heavy traffic, we also hate them for all the traffic crimes and lawlessness the riders have when it comes to traffic laws.

These Walter boda bodas though, both the riders and bikes, seemed cut from a different cloth. The bikes were sleek, and clean – same as the riders, who even had cool smartphones. “Please wear your helmet,” Amon said as he handed me a grey helmet with a Walter’s Boda Boda Tours sticker.

As the motorcycle roared to life, Amon asked me what nationality I am. See, I am Ugandan, but to get a real kick out of the tour, I needed to approach it from a foreigner’s point of view. As we approached Kololo Airstrip, I became Kenyan.

“You are free to ask about anything on your way,” he said. I did not think there was anything about the Kololo Airstrip I could learn from a boda boda rider, but I was positively surprised by the amount of information he could pack into a briefing about the airstrip. On the way, Obwana, the other rider with the photographer, suggested that he and Amon switch passengers, for he had seen me taking notes, and Amon was not yet fully equipped with all the information.

Capturing a moment

We chatted all the way up, on the dusty Mawanda Road in Kamwokya, through the slum-flanked Kyebando until we arrived at the peaceful gates of the Bahai Temple in Kikaya village. I had not heard of Kikaya before. But that was not the only thing I would learn about the Bahai Temple the moment Solomon Busobozi, another rider joined us with a Finnish tourist probably in his early 20s aboard his boda. Solomon was full of accounts the history books would never bother to tell you.

For starters, I did not know that the Bahai Temple had dormitories anyone in need of quietude and peace can go and use – at no fee. Neither did I know that this is the only Bahai faith temple in Africa. We toured the temple and even had a walk through their cemetery, whose tombs, I must say, look beautiful, with all sorts of shapes, including the map of Africa.

From the Bahai Temple, we were speeding moderately on the Northern Bypass enroute to Gaddafi Mosque in Old Kampala. We accessed Gaddafi Road via Sir Apollo Kaggwa Road and Makerere Hill.

At the second largest mosque in Africa, a pleasant surprise was all the trivia you do not find floating mosque by the late Col. Muammar Gaddafi , the fallen Libyan leader also dedicated himself to helping out the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council with the upkeep of the site,” Ashraf Zziwa, a tourist handler at the mosque, says.

Now that there was a “new arrangement,” as Zziwa prefers to call the situation in Libya, the mosque has had to look elsewhere to facilitate its upkeep. One way has been by levying some fees on those who get married, and tourists, who pay sh10,000 per head – locals, however, do not pay as a way of promoting local tourism.

At the mosque, we were joined by two other riders from Walter’s company, who came bearing a friendly Dutch couple.We all marvelled at this architectural accomplishment.

The climax though, had to be when we scaled over 300 steps up the minaret. From that point, the wide expanse and tapestry made by the roofs of the downtown Kampala buildings, the rushing citizenry, the cars, the roads and the greenery, formed an amazing kaleidoscope.

Our ‘history book’ Solomon took us round the tower and told us the story of the origins of Kampala, with wowing anecdotes on Ganda culture. The Dutch tourists kept on referring to a map which they had laid out before them. It was simply spell-binding to be at a spot that harnesses such a 360-degree spectacle of Kampala.

From the mosque, we were now rushing towards the Kabaka’s lake. There was a brief pause in front of the Buganda parliament before we headed down towards the lake. Just before the lake, we had a brief stopover at a joint where we sampled mwenge bigere, a local brew made from bananas.

Tiny Tax, the Dutch lady, loved it, and actually questioned me when I took a sip of it. “Are you drinking on the job or that is

strictly for journalistic purposes?” she asked. We all laughed to that.

The brew was uniquely sweet and favoured. After marvelling at the man-made Kabaka’s lake, we were at the gates of the Lubiri royal palace. We headed straight for deceased Ugandan dictator Idi Amin’s torture chambers, which were down a path, sandwiched by cassava gardens and sweet potato patches.

Solomon introduces tourists to mwenge bigere (local brew) in Lubiri

Idi Amin trivia and banter ruled the brief walk. Idi Amin had a torture chamber here? Why didn’t I ever know of that? Well, it turned out to be a go-down like structure, eerie and intimidating, perhaps because of its bloody history.

On one of the walls, scribbled in mud (thank God not in blood), were hate words, and a legible: “I will never forget, my husband was killed (here) (by) people of Obote.” There were several other indelible etchings on the wall. Emma Kavuma, the guide, explained how the chambers worked, and spoke of atrocities committed here in the past by different regimes. Getting out of here was such a relief, as could be seen off everyone’s countenance.

Meanwhile, Solomon, who had been missing from the group, resurfaced outside at a mini-museum with a photohistory of Buganda royals. In tow with him were rolex, a sought-after quick-fix snack of eggs rolled in chapatti – the foreigners loved these as we sat there imbibing just how much we had seen and got told of how much more we could see around Kampala alone. “What a nice way to see Kampala! You smell it, hear it and see it. We get our money’s worth. They pick us up from anywhere and drop us where we want when the tour is done. It is perfect,” says Corne Van Aert, Tiny Tax’s companion.

Unfortunately, the day’s tour ended here – all at sh90,000 for a foreigner and between sh60,000 and sh70,000 for a local, based on the tourist’s preferences. And yes, Kampala is my hometown. But I felt like an unwitting visitor when listening to the guides. Suddenly, I have this desire to probe the history of every edifice I come across. Now that I know a good bit about my city, I can now hit the national parks.

+Paul Mukwaya +Elly Mwesiga +lutaaya fred

Ministry of Tourism Uganda - Uganda tops Africa in Tourism growth

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Tue, 14 May 2013 10:51:00 +0000

Ministry of Tourism Uganda - Uganda tops Africa in Tourism growth

Uganda to participate in the 2013 ITB Berlin Exhibition 6th - 10th March

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:03:00 +0000

Uganda set for ITB Berlin 2013 Tourism Exhibition
Uganda will participate in the annual ITB Berlin 2013 Travel and Tourism Exhibition scheduled to take place from 6th to 10th March 2013 at Messe Berlin in Germany. by @UWA.

The delegation from Uganda will be led by the Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Antiquities Hon. Maria Mutagamba. The delegation which includes both the Public and Private Sector will be promoting Uganda as a unique tourism destination under the theme,
“Uganda the Pearl of Africa, Your Eco-Tourism Destination”.
20 Tour Operators and one Hotel will be exhibiting at the fair

This year, the Uganda stand has been designed with a display area for cultural artificats from across the diverse cultures of Uganda. Uganda which is Chair to the East Africa Community this year will host the East Africa Cocktail at the Uganda Stand on 8th March 2013. The Hon. Maria Mutagamba will officiate at this event.

With support from Nile Breweries Ltd, Uganda will serve Nile Special and Nile Gold at the Stand in trying to promote River Nile and the Source of the Nile. NBL has also supported participation in the show with branded Rwenzori Mineral Water 500mm bottles which will be displayed and given out during the 5 days exhibition.

Brussels Airlines also supported +UTB with free courier of promotional Materials to Berlin Germany and offered discounted tickets for some participants.

In a move to improve Uganda’s visibity during the show, Ndere Dance Troupe will perform at the Uganda stand and during the EAC Cocktail. This is to showcase uganda’s rich culture through music, dance and drama.

+UTB has partnered with @UWA, @AUTO, Ndere, @CAA, @UNDP, @Nile Breweries Ltd, @Brussels Airlines and the @Kampala Sheraton Hotel in an effort to make participation in this event a success.

Thanks to the cooperate partners for promoting Ugandas Tourism Industry

Best Trips 2013 -- National Geographic. Uganda Africa's new Frontier

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:54:00 +0000

The land mixes savanna, enormous lakes, rain forests, and the glacier-clad Rwenzori Mountains, one of Africa’s tallest ranges. The headwaters of the Nile originate here, then burst through a cleft in the rocks at Murchison Falls. Uganda’s parade of animals is amazingly diverse. Hippos graze along the shores of Lake Edward in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, while lions lounge in the trees of Ishasha, in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The star in Bwindi is the mountain gorilla, a species down to about 720 animals visible in their tiny habitat.

Uganda has tough decisions ahead. Oil lies beneath the Rift Valley, right inside Murchison Falls National Park. Extraction seems inevitable. But tourism dollars could provide an easier coexistence between banana-loving gorillas and banana farmers in Bwindi. —David Swanson

Travel Tips

When to Go: The best times are during the drier seasons, January-March and June-August.

Where to Stay: Embark on guided boat trips, hikes, and safaris from rustic Jacana Safari Lodge on Lake Nyamusingire (Uganda’s largest crater lake) in Queen Elizabeth National Park, or from thatched-roof Mihingo Lodge on the secluded edge of Lake Mburo National Park.

How to Get Around: Public and private transportation options include minibuses, taxis, luxury coaches, rental cars, and inland ferries. Tour operators can arrange travel for day trips, safaris, and complete itineraries.

Where to Eat or Drink: In Kampala, head to Nalongo in suburban Katwe for traditional luwombo: a mixture of meat, vegetables, and (sometimes) peanut butter steamed in banana leaves. Funky Mish Mash in Kololo serves an all-day breakfast in a laid-back art gallery-tree house-café-garden setting.

What to Buy: Local crafts, including mats and baskets handwoven from elephant grass and palm leaves, are sold along roadsides and at outdoor markets. Read more

Uganda to exhibit fresh tourism products at London WTM

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 08:05:00 +0000

Uganda will exhibit fresh tourism products at the world travel market (WTM) expo taking place in London, UK.

This was revealed at a press conference where private and public sector representatives including Uganda tourism board, the Ministry of wildlife and antiquities, Uganda Wildlife Authority, the Chimpanzee Sanctuary and wildlife Trust , civil aviation authority, Sheraton Hotel and twenty tour operators met on Monday to discuss how best to represent the country at the leading global event for the travel industry.

Wildlife and antiquities minister Maria Mutagamba, speaking at the conference at Sheraton Hotel’s lake room about the presentation of Uganda at the WTM that is taking place in Excel Docklands in London, reminded the different exhibitors that they were going as marketers not tourists, and they should be keen to find out what their potential clients’ interests are regarding Uganda. She urged them to uphold good discipline as well as understand and embrace on the element of cooperation and competition. Read More

MTN Kampala marathon organisers anounce date and route

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 08:01:00 +0000

KAMPALA - Organisers of the MTN marathon plan to make this year’s race an occasion worthy of an event marking Uganda’s Independence golden jubilee.

Besides attracting East Africa’s long distance elite, the organisers are doing everything in their means to ensure the event also has a record entry. MoreMTN marathon organisers plot record entry this year

Elephant in South Korean zoo imitates human speech

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 10:15:00 +0000

An elephant in a South Korean zoo (SEOUL, South Korea) is using his trunk to pick up not only food, but also human vocabulary. An international team of scientists confirmed Friday what the Everland Zoo has been saying for years: Their 5.5-ton tusker Koshik has an unusual and possibly unprecedented talent. The 22-year-old Asian elephant can reproduce five Korean words by tucking his trunk inside his mouth to modulate sound, the scientists said in a joint paper published online in Current Biology. They said he may have started imitating human speech because he was lonely.

Koshik can reproduce "annyeong" (hello), "anja" (sit down), "aniya" (no), "nuwo" (lie down) and "joa" (good), the paper says.Read more

Uganda Tourism; A road to community development

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 10:02:00 +0000

Bwindi Community Hospita

When the first gorilla tracking was done in Uganda in 1993 after the first gorilla group was habituated, Buhoma, a little known place then, and very remote, located deep in Bwindi forest, emerged as one of the most known areas in the world and centre for gorilla tourism. Buhoma and Nkwenda villages are found in Mukono parish in Kayonza Sub County Kanungu District in south western Uganda in the forest (later to be called Bwindi impenetrable national park after it was gazetted in 1991.)

Buhoma has since been elevated to town board status by the Kanungu district local government following several developments that came with gorilla tourism.

On April 1, 1993, the first gorilla tracking was allowed in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park following gazetting of the park on August 13, 1991 by the National Resistance Council.

Several activities followed the gazettement of the park including the habituation of the first primates of the Bubare family led by the deceased Ruhondeza Silver.

Other two groups Habinyanja and Kateregwe were later habituated making the three groups the only habituated then, till 2003. This caused a great development to the area making it an absolutely tourist site.

Several locals were attracted to doing business as craft makers, traditional dancers, transporters, and agriculturalists for food supply to the expanding businesses.

With the aid of a Peace Corp Volunteer, John Dubois, who led a team to habituate the first gorillas, the communities in Mukono parish’s 12 villages were brought together and started up a camping site with modern lodges later known as Buhoma Community Rest Camp, the first tourist camp at Buhoma.

Since 1993, 12 other camps and local lodges and hotels have been set up with the growing hospitality industry. They include Gorilla Forest Camp, Buhoma Lodge, Buhoma Community Rest Camp, Bwindi View Lodge, Lake Kitandara and Silver Back Lodge.

Others are Volcanoes Lodge, Engagi Lodge, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Bwindi Guest Home, Gorilla Friends Lodge and Jungle View lodge.

At Buhoma, everything changes if you are used to the Ugandan way of life. The dollar is the currency used, bandas (semi permanent tents) is where you sleep, English is the main language and you subscribe to the norm of silence and no interruption.

The whole camping area and local community around, described as the business centre by Uganda Wildlife Authority (Uwa), is silent and you would not know that more than 2,000 people stay in the area.

At the entry, UWA police check every person entering. They escort you to access your destination if you have come with one of the camps’ vehicles.

Outside the gate, business is booming. Mr Peter Twebaze, a manager at Buhoma Community Rest Camp who for the last 17 years has been working in Buhoma tour camps says life at Bwindi changes every day because of tourism.

“Ever since I got here, every day has been different; this is because we have tourists coming in daily. It was so remote at the beginning that one would not think of staying here for three nights,” Mr Twebaze says.

Uganda Safaris

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 08:44:00 +0000

Uganda Safaris – All Tours and safaris to Uganda

Situated in the fertile heart of Africa, Uganda boasts a wide and diverse landscape, from rugged snow-capped mountains to the vast flat lands stretching out to the horizon. It is roughly the size of Great Britain or the State of Oregon in the USA. Uganda’s most alluring features are its forests, lakes and mountains. Most of the country is 1000m above sea level and there are three mountainous areas - the fabled Mountains of the Moon - the Ruwenzoris, Mount Elgon, an extinct volcano with the worlds largest caldera; and the spectacular Virunga Volcanoes. The south of the country is heavily influenced by one of the many forests there, and one of the world’s biggest lake, Lake Victoria, which contains many islands and birds. Continue Reading

Uganda Tourism Revenue Doubles

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:32:00 +0000

According to the Director Uganda Tourism Board, Tourism earning in the country have doubled in the last five years from $440m to $800m in last year.
This is a sign of enormous prospects for tourism growth, employment and investment in The Pearl of Africa.
Tourism has been identified as a priority for development of the country, the sector remains constrained in financial and human resources input for development. amidst this if the revenue can double, imagine what can happen if skills and funding are improved.

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:25:00 +0000

Uganda’s tourism earnings have doubled in the last five years from $440m to $800m last year, Cuthbert Baguma, the director of the Uganda Tourism Board (UTB), has said.
Baguma said this shows that the sector has enormous prospects for growth, employment and investment.
He, however, added that despite the fact that tourism has been identified as a priority for the development of the country, the sector remains constrained in financial and human resources.
“Destination competitiveness cannot be done when you do not have the right skills,” Baguma said.

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:04:00 +0000

Ugandan Civil Aviation Authority has acquire 66.5 accres of land from the Government for expansion of Entebbe international air port.

The land will be used for construction of a modern cargo centre, parking and maintaince areas.

This will help decongest the Airport

Bwindi safe for tourists - UWA

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:50:00 +0000

Uganda Wildlife Authority has assured the whole World that Bwindi Impenetrable National Park the home of mountain Gorillas is safe for Tourists and is not affected by the insecurity in the neigbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. Security put in place to ensure that the insecurity thus in any way link to Uganda. To read more, follow this link Bwindi safe for tourists - UWA

Ministers of Tourism call for greater air links at 7th Routes Africa | News | Breaking Travel News

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 12:32:00 +0000

Ministers of Tourism call for greater air links at 7th Routes Africa | News | Breaking Travel News

The Pearl Of Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 11:06:00 +0000

Sir. Winston Churchill

Sir. Winston Churchill in his book "My African Journey" is quoted ; “My journey is at an end, the tale has been told. The reader who has followed so faithfully and so far has a right to ask what message I bring back. It can be stated in three words: Concentrate Upon Uganda

My counsel plainly is – Concentrate Upon Uganda; Nowhere else in Africa will little money go so far? Nowhere else will results be more brilliant, more substantial or more rapidly realized. Uganda is from end to end a ‘beautiful garden’ where ‘staple food’ of the people grows almost without labor. Does it not sound like a paradise on earth? It is the Pearl of Africa (Churchill 1908).

East African Community (EAC) has introduced a Single Tourism Visa

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 08:04:00 +0000

A Karibu Travel and Tourism Fair was held at the Magereza open grounds in Arusha, Tanzania in which the East African Community (EAC) sectoral committee on Tourism decided to market East Africa’s tourism collectively. A single EAC tourism visa has been established for Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, other regional countries yet to join.
Each of these countries will be charging $50; the move is aimed at boosting the region’s tourism and ease the financial strain faced by budget tourists who have to pay multiple visas.

Record passenger numbers at Etihad Airways | News | Breaking Travel News

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 07:01:00 +0000

Record passenger numbers at Etihad Airways | News | Breaking Travel News

Uganda gorilla safari group promotes through .travel domain name | News | Breaking Travel News

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 13:50:00 +0000

Uganda gorilla safari group promotes through .travel domain name

The Uganda Tourism on the Rise

noreply@blogger.com (Tourfacts) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 07:41:00 +0000

The Uganda Wildlife Authority has launched a new Batwa Trail.....Exciting huh. Visit us for more information about the subject and how to get there.