Nature serenades in the countryside

The rumbling waters at Treasure Valley Park. photos by rajab mukombozi 

If you love to be in a serene place on any day, Treasure Valley Park along River Rwizi is the place to go as Rajab Mukombozi found out.

As one enters Treasure Valley Park, the cool breeze from the river and the gushing waters of Bururuma Falls give one a relaxation feel. The palm trees on the vast piece of land where Valley Park sits protects revellers from the scorching sun rays as the birds chirp in the background.

Treasure Valley Park is a recreational centre situated along the banks of River Rwizi, located 3.5km from Mbarara town on Mbarara – Katete road in Nyamitanga . One parts with Shs2,000 on a boda boda or Shs10,000 by cab to reach this place from the town centre.

Restaurant and atmosphere
If you hunger for some fast food like chips with beef plus if you thirst for beer from all tribes as well as soda and bottled water, they are readily available at the restaurant. You savour on this as you gaze at nature. The undulating rocks make good seats for guests that do not carry mats or chairs along.

It is common for hangouts to blare music at top volume but this is not the case at Treasure Valley Park.
“I intend to make this place an amusement park with beautiful trees and calm atmosphere, that is why you cannot hear any music,” says Boniface Nuwagaba, the proprietor. “You find a stressed person dashing to a noisy hangout which may be harmful to the situation because there is no peace of mind,” he adds.

There are well-furnished cottages whose bed are made of wood and papyrus furnishings with a nice view for watching monkeys that jump around especially in the morning hours, as well as a panoramic view of Mbarara town.

Activities to enjoy are rock climbing, and bird watching and gazing at Bururuma falls, and if you are daring enough, make friends with some of the monkeys.

Nuwagaba, hopes to extend the gardens to create space for activities like horse riding, goat racing and other outdoor activities.

“I wish organisations like UWA would partner with us, we can have another zoo in Uganda,” said Nuwagaba. Despite the spaciousness there are a few hiccups; there are no vehicles plying this route.
Food is also not readily available so you either pack some or endure for hours after placing an order.

Where is River Rwizi?
River Rwizi originates from the Buhweju hills in Buhweju district transcending through the districts of Bushenyi, Sheema, Mbarara, Isingiro, Kiruhura and Rakai and eventually pours its waters into Lake Victoria via a network of wetlands.

ADVENTURING THROUGH AFRICA!

Conroy shares a moment with new friends in Bostwana. He has ridden through 10 African countries since October 2011. COURTESY PHOTO 

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A tone of disappointment hits his voice at the mention of the word plane, as though to imply he should have travelled to South Africa on a bicycle.

“I will never board a plane again, that was my last time. It inconveniences me a lot because I have to pack my bicycle and it could easily rust,” he says, his face stuck to his ‘best friend and worst enemy at the same time.

After a few weeks in South Africa, he crossed to Namibia, later moving to Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and now Uganda. Next on his schedule is Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo and Morocco. His ultimate goal is to visit at least 35 African countries.
“I would have loved to go to Sudan and South Sudan, but the thought of dust from the desert puts me off. It can be hard ridding in such conditions,” he says.

“I love Africa, I have stayed here much longer than I expected, but I just don’t feel like leaving this place,” he says of the continent that has hosted him for over two years now. “I am shocked by the way the west makes Africa appear a continent of misery. Some people actually think Africa is one country. I am going to write a book about my experience in Africa to correct their misconceptions. I think the greatest thing about Africa is not the tourist attractions but its people,” he speaks on and on, looking me straight in the face. He utters every word with a sense of nostalgia.

He will not allow me to disrupt the free flow of his memories of Africa, “I was in Zimbabwe and people came and thanked me for not believing the bad things the west says about that country. Amazing people I tell you, with extreme resilience.” With all his numerous encounters in the past and those that lie ahead, Conroy is not about to stop riding. Not with the many people he claims give him feedback of how his life story has compelled them to do something different.

“I met a guy working with Nasa, in charge of the last stages of space air stations launches and shared my story. He sent me a message saying he resigned from NASA and sold off his property to pursue his dream in New Zealand. Such stories inspire me,” he says. He emphasizes, “I am not dying to enter the Guinness Book of world records or even prove a point. It is not a competition, I am only doing something that makes me happy. I might wake up tomorrow and say I have lost interest. I am done with it.”

The cyclist who hopes to ride to the Middle East, Europe and Asia, admitting he suffers immense pain of body and mind in pursuing this form of happiness, only affirms the passion and resilience every word and step he makes points to. The reason why, if and when he runs out of money, he will, “trade skills with currency, get a small job so someone can give me food and accommodation before I proceed.” He shares his experiences on his website- Tired of I.T.com. If that is what it takes for a man to live a life outside the conventional and achieve fulfillment, then Dave Conry, like his magic bicycle, one can say, might just be the only man of his kind in the world.

Kabarole the Land abound with Craters

Lake Kyaninga, one of the many crater lakes in Kabarole District. It and many others attract tourists all year round, who come to bask in the beauty they present.

Lake Kyaninga, one of the many crater lakes in Kabarole District. It and many others attract tourists all year round, who come to bask in the beauty they present.

In Summary

Can you believe that there is a single district in the world, with more than 50 crater lakes, more than 10 rivers and that this district is in Uganda?

This is the case with this western district. With such endowments, one could think that the Kabarole is covered by water and that its people stay on and or walk on water.

Kabarole has a total area of 1, 814km2 of which, 1,569 km2 is covered by arable land and 198 km2 is covered by open water and wetlands. Most valleys in Kabarole have many flowing rivers and streams, something that makes farming easy since animals and people have several options on water points and there is almost no dry season throughout the year.

Why there are many craters
The many craters simply mean that there was a lot of volcanic activity in this area, leading to formation of the several crater lakes. This also explains why pozzolana, the mineral used in manufacturing cement, has high deposits in Fort Portal.

Craters are flat floor depressions, formed when explosions and eruptions of gases blow off the rocks at the surface, leaving a shallow circular depression. These depressions are at times filled with water to form crater lakes with typical examples found in Kasese, Kabarole, Bushenyi, Kisoro and Rubirizi districts.

Location
Kabarole is found within the Albertine Rift Valley, mainly comprised of numerous rivers, lakes and swamps that attract flora and fauna in this region, which is ranked the highest in bio-diversity, in Africa according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Tourism
All these aspects make the district a one-stop centre in drawing in tourists with its unique attractions such as the mountain gorillas. This natural endowment has attracted investors to set up hotels, beaches and camp sites on some of the ridges of these crater lakes, to boost tourism.
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Mr Steve Williams, a furniture designer, recently set up the magnificent Lake Kyaninga Lodge at the highest edge of Lake Kyaninga, one of the beautiful crater lakes in Kabarole, just eight kilometres, north of Fort Portal town. The magnificent hotel of nine cottages attracts several tourists to the area, who come to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Other crater lakes that have attracted hoteliers include Nyinabulitwa which has the Nyinabulitwa Country Resort and Safari Camp, about 20 km from the main town on Fort Portal-Kamwenge road. CVK (Crater Valley Kibale Resort Beach Lodge) is located on Lake Nyabikere, 21 kms on Fort Portal-Kamwenge road.

Others are lakes Nkuruba, Lyantonde, Nyinambuga where Ndali Lodge is perched on the ridges, and Lake Kasenda where Kasenda Beach Resort is perched.

Kabarole is also endowed with several rivers which include; Kayagi, Kaija, Kahomba, Sogohi, Muzizi, Rwimi, Kakoko, Kakule, Kabago, Kizikibi and Mpanga among others. Commercial fishing also takes place on about 30 of the 52 crater lakes, scattered in Kabarole District.
Rubirizi District in south western Uganda is the second place, after Kabarole that has several crater lakes with about 30 crater lakes to its name.

By Rafiki Adventures Safaris

Tourist aged 79 seta foot on summit of Mt Kilimanjaro!

Tourist aged 79 sets foot on summit of Mt Kilimanjaro (Hiking tours in Tanzania)


A Canadian tourist has called upon Tanzanians to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to be able to test, enjoy and appreciate the beauty of Africa’s highest peak bestowed to them by God, the Al Mighty.

The tourist, Raymond Walker (79), made the call to that end recently after climbing the mountain to its top most Uhuru summit, to become the first elderly to set a foot on the mountain’s highest peak.

Walker said that he felt proud to become the first climber of his age to reach one of the reckoned international treasures. He added, “I wanted to see how it looks like on the top”.

He thanked local tour operators for supporting him and encouraging him from the start to the end of the long climb.

“I feel so proud to reach the top of Mount Kilimanjaro at this age [79]…I advise Tanzanians to climb the mountain while still young,” he said.

A local tour coordinator, whose firm facilitated Walker to climb the mountain, Faheem Aloo, said his company, Tusker Trail, provided guides for accompanying tourists by providing them with all essential needs, including medication services.

According to him, Walker is the first person to reach the top of the mountain at such an old age.

Compiled by Joseph