The ‘Switzerland of Africa’

Kabale landscape  

KABALE- Kabale was the seat of the former Kigezi District Administration. Its history dates as far back as 1889 when Uganda was still a British protectorate and was nicknamed ‘Switzerland of Africa’ because of the hilly nature and coldness.

It was consequently split into the four districts of Kabale and Rukungiri in the 1970s, and later Kisoro and Kanungu.

Ethnicity
Bakiga are the predominant inhabitants of Kabale. They occupy the counties of Ndorwa, Rubanda, Rukiga and Kabale Municipality, the largest urban area in Kigezi.

Apart from being known to be the home of the stout and majestic, bold, and hard working Bakiga ethnic group, Kabale is also defined by green, interlocking and heavily-cultivated hills that range from 1,219 metres (3,999 ft) to 2,347 metres (7,700 ft) above sea level.

It covers a land area of 1,864 square miles and has a population of about 600,000 people as projected from 2002 population census.

Wildlife
The district is home to the highly endangered mountain gorillas in Bwindi National Park, and of the world’s most endangered birds such as the African hill babbler, cinnamon bracken warbler, chubb’s cistocola, doherty’s Bush shrike, malachite sunbird, Yellow belled waxbill, olive thrush, streaky seed eater, common stone chart, and grauers rush warbler.
Lake Bunyonyi, the second deepest lake in Africa is found in Kabale.

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CLIMBING KAGULU HILL OF MYSTERY

Visitors to the site pray at the “Well of life” on the hill. Kagulu Hill in Buyende District where the founding father of Busoga’s royal house, rested after crossing to Busoga from Bunyoro on Lake Kyoga is fast becoming a must visit tourist site in Busoga. On Saturday, May 11, I was one of the thousands who traveled to Kagulu for a hill climbing challenge organised by the Busoga Cultural Tourism Initiative. The hill is subject of many mysterious tales, a number of which I had heard before the challenge. It is said that the last ritual during the installment of Busoga’s Kyabazinga is done here- he has to climb the hill and if he fails, he is not the right Kyabazinga. A multicoloured snake with two heads is said to inhabit the hill and guard it together with a leopard. Shiny rocks and caves With anxiety we started our climb uphill. As we moved closer, the hill seemed to be moving farther away. It has a staircase on the southern side, built on the orders of President Idi Amin who was enchanted by the clear view it gave of neighbouring districts in Busoga, Teso and Lango regions. The staircase was one of two options of reaching the top of the hill, the other, climbing it from the northern side. The journey to the top takes you past six small rocks which tradition says are Mukama’s wives; Kagweere, Bukolimo, Butadewo, Mpanga, Kagweese and Muwaale. The summit of the hill, 10,000 feet above sea level, is home to a number of shiny black and grey rocks and caves which are now habitats to primates. However according to folklore, these caves once offered sanctuary to early settlers in Busoga. An aged woman Mandwa Kagulu Nabiryo, who is said to be an oracle haunted by the 45 spirits that own and patrol the hill, has a shrine at its top. There are also two wells, and a dugout canoe and an oar said to belong to Nabiryo. Etched into the rock are a man’s foot, a spear and dog which were allegedly drawn by the spirits. A small lake at the summit attracts people from all over Busoga who believes it gives good fortune. Kagulu residents claim that the lake does not dry up no matter the intensity of the drought. A bodaboda cyclist from Kamuli who only identified himself as Mawanda, said the water is a source of blessings, but the blessings depend on “what you want and how you ask the gods to meet your needs.” Dropping a coin into the water, he said, earns you a reward from the ancestors. That day, there were also a number of women imploring the gods to bless and strengthen their marriages. One had brought a child for blessing, saying she “got it” from the gods last year when she came to Kagulu after a decade in a childless marriage. While the water from the wells and lake does not look clean, this was no problem to some of the climbers who drunk it as they meditated on their wishes to the gods. A call to preserve heritage: Prince William Nadiope IV of Bugabula, where the hill lies, who had visited the hill a week earlier to “clear” way for the climbers by telling the spirits on the hill that friendly visitors were coming, asked his subjects to showcase their clans and totems. “Many people don’t know their totems and clans,” he said, and yet they “explain the depth of their culture.” The prince, who had travelled to Malaysia when the challenge was held, asked cultural leaders to create awareness of the totems so young people can easily trace their ancestral roots. At the foot of the hill are signs of quarrying activity which run counter to the Kingdom’s strategy to promote the hill as a tourist attraction. Sulaiman Balyejjusa, the area Member of Parliament, asked Kagulu residents to protect the site. “This is a good chance we should not let go. Our fish has reduced; we no longer keep as many cows like our ancestors used to. Please take advantage of this initiative to address poverty,” he said. BY Rafiki Adventure Tours

Turks discover the beauty of Uganda!

Hippopotami cool off at Lake Mburo National Game Park. The park was one of tourism sites visited by the Turkish TV crew.

Hippopotami cool off at Lake Mburo National Game Park. The park was one of tourism sites visited by the Turkish TV crew.

When family and friends of the director of a leading Turkish television travel show named Dinyayi Geziyoum (I am visiting the world), Yasin Esirgeng, heard that his next destination was Uganda, they were skeptical about his safety.

“People would say to me, ‘is it safe? Is it healthy?’ because they didn’t know about Uganda,” he said. “But after we came, we found that all these fears were wrong.”

As he waited to return home on Monday night following a 15-day tour of Uganda, Mr Esirgeng and two colleagues were waxing lyrical about the diversity of the country, its people and tourism.

“People (in Turkey) have heard bad things about Uganda,” he said. Then, drawing from his own experiences, he added; “We went everywhere and saw that Uganda is very safe. Uganda’s people are very warm and welcoming.”

The three-person crew from Kanal Türk TV arrived in Uganda on November 10 to film a four-episode series on Uganda’s tourism for their travel show.
During their tour, the crew visited several tourist and lodging sites, including the Source of the Nile, Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Lake Mburo National Park.

A statement from USAID-STAR, a US government funded programme that promotes tourism in the Albertine area, says the crew filmed tourism experiences such as wildlife safaris, community and cultural tourism experiences.
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“This coverage will help promote the powers of sustainable tourism in conserving biodiversity,” said the statement sent by Ashley Silver, a tourism specialist at USAID STAR.

Good impression
For the Turkish journalists, the visit was eye-opening. Like her two colleagues, Özlem Tunca, the presenter of Dinyayi Geziyoum, said she left with a different picture of Uganda than she had before.

“Uganda’s tourism is very good because there are lots of places to see,” she said. Ms Tunca now hopes that the images they will broadcast on Turkish TV will inspire more of her compatriots to visit Uganda.

“Uganda’s tourism will be on Turkish TV for one month,” said Ms Tunca. “In Turkey few people know about Ugandan tourism yet there are many places to see. ”

Ms Tunca says the Dinyayi Geziyoum, which was recognised this year as the top documentary television show in Turkey, is viewed by 15 million Turks. She hopes that the episodes on Uganda will help draw the attention of more Turks to Uganda, recently named by travel website Lonely Planet as the world’s leading travel destination for 2012.

The journalists’ journey to Uganda is the brainchild of Turkish Airlines, which early this year launched direct flights from Istanbul to Entebbe Airport.
Relations between Uganda and Turkey have improved over the last decade.

After the signing of bi-lateral commercial, economic and technical cooperation agreement in September 2000, trade between the two countries intensified.
In the recent past, several Turkish businesses have been opened in Uganda, Turkey set up an embassy in Kampala, Uganda participated in Turkey-Africa Summits, and an air services agreement signed on May 2, 2010.

Tourism enthusiasts now hope that the sector will also benefit from the improved linkages.

BY Rafiki Adventures

Family tour with Rafiki Adventures

A tour in Uganda with children will be a memorable experience for the whole family. Rafiki Adventures designed a great trip whereby you pass all the "must see" of Uganda. What makes this trip special is that we shortened the travel distances compared to our general tours and where possible we included accommodation with a swimming pool.

Note: Chimpanzee tracking is only allowed for persons from 12 years and older. We don't visit Bwindi in this tour because gorilla tracking is only allowed for persons from 16 years and older. For this reason we go to see the chimpanzees at Ngamba island and Chimpanzee permits in Kibale Forest are optional.

Program

Day 1: Pick up from Entebbe Airport.
Day 2: Monkeys and birds in the Botanical Garden. Chimpanzees at Ngamba Island.
Day 3: A safari walk to the rhinos. To Murchison Falls National Park.
Day 4: A morning game drive and an afternoon boat safari in the park.
Day 5: A morning game drive. Transfer to Hoima.
Day 6: To Kibale Forest National Park: "A world of monkeys!!"
Day 7: Chimpanzee tracking and walk through Bigodi Swamp (monkeys & birds).
Day 8: Relaxing and game drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Day 9: A morning game drive and an afternoon boat safari in the park.
Day 10: To Lake Bunyonyi + relaxing on one of the island.
Day 11: A whole day relaxing on the island.
Day 12: To Masaka.
Day 13: Visit the equator. To Kampala.

Rates

We can't give you a fixed price for this trip because all accommodations and activities have different prices and discount for children of different age groups. As well the amount of adults and children will change the price. Please ask for an offer.

Accommodation

Mainly luxurious lodges plus a few middle class lodges/hotels.
Meal plan

During this trip your have 2 nights accommodation based on 'bed only', 1 night on Half Board and 17 nights on Full Board.
Inclusions / Exclusions

Inclusions:
Transport in a 4wd mini bus with pop-up roof for excellent safari viewing.
English speaking driver/guide.
All fuel.
Accommodation based on Full Board (6 nights) in Paraa Lodge (Murchison Falls), Primate Lodge (Kibale Forest N.P) and Mweya Lodge (Queen Elizabeth N.P.), based on Bed & Breakfast in Entebbe, Hoima and Masaka (4 nights) and based on 'bed only' in Lake Bunyonyi (2 nights);
Entrance fees for Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Murchison Falls N.P., Kibale Forest N.P. and Queen Elizabeth N.P.
Ferry Murchison Falls N.P. (3 days).
Hike to the Top of the Falls (Murchison Falls N.P.).
All game drives as mentioned in the program in Murchison Falls N.P. and Queen Elizabeth N.P.
Two boat safaris (Murchison Falls N.P. and Queen Elizabeth N.P.).
Ranger fees (Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Murchison Falls N.P., Queen Elizabeth N.P.).
Exclusions
International air fares, entry visas (Visa Uganda is 50 US$).
Airport transfers before and after the trip (though this can be arranged at an additional cost, please enquire on booking).
Personal (medical/travel) insurance.
Tips and gratuities to your driver/guide, porters, hotel/camp staff etc.
All expenses of a personal nature (e.g. drinks, laundry, souvenirs etc.)
Optional activities (Swamp walk Bigodi).
All activities not mentioned in the program.
Chimpanzee permit (for all who are 12 years of age or above).

Meal plan

During this trips your have 2 nights accommodation based on 'bed only', 2 nights on Bed & Breakfast, 2 nights on Half Board and 6 nights on Full Board.