EAST AFRICAN COUNTRIES TO BENEFIT FROM JOINT TOURIST VISAS!!

East African countries are bound to benefit from the joint visa project is starting in 2014.this will help Uganda Rwanda and Kenya get adopted to a joint visa which will help in facilitating the free movement of tourists and also citizens to all east African countries. This will help in increasing safaris to all east African countries.
This joint tourist visa is to help in boosting tourism in all east African countries and this is to majorly help in increasing the revenues of the tourism sector and also to ease the movement of the tourists to all the east African countries, this will help in facilitating the increase in the number of safaristo Uganda Rwanda and to Kenya.
The tourist joint visa will help in making the three countries border-less and this will help in providing an opportunity for the countries to increase tourists numbers as well as jointly diversifying the tourism products. This will help in increasing the number of safari tours to all the east African countries.
The joint visa will also help in boosting the strategy of repositioning tourism products in the region. This will help in improving the tourism sector of all the east African countries, hence helping in increasing safaris to east African countries.
The joint Visa will also help in removing the tourist barriers, which have been hindering trade among the east African countries. These restrictions, which have been affecting the movement of the tourists, will be removed and hence most tourists who come for safaris will be increased.

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.

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

Celebrating Bukusu tradition at the cultural Festival

A group of kadodi dances performing at a cultural event.


In Summary

A community separated by history and physical location comes to together to share the beauty of its cultural wealth.

It was pomp and colour when the Bamasaaba in Kenya welcomed their leader, Omukuka Wilson Weyasa Wamimbi on December 30, 2011 at the Bungoma Cultural Centre. Leaders from the Bukusu community led by the minister for Foreign Affairs, Moses Wetangula, were at hand to welcome him on his arrival from Uganda.

Accompanying the Omukuka we inzu ye bamasaaba, head of the house of bamasaaba), who reigns over six million subjects in Kenya and Uganda were several cabinet ministers, cultural leaders and traditional dancers from Uganda.

In attendance were politicians, Bifwoli Wakoli, an assistant minister, and MP for Bumula, Musikari Kombo, a nominated MP, and Alfred Khang’ati, MP for Kanduyi.

Wilson Wamimbi, a former Uganda High Commissioner to Canada, was installed as “Muyinga” (an equivalent of king) of the Bamasaaba in December 2010. He took over from Omukuka Yonasa Mungoma who had been at the helm of inzu ya Masaaba ( house of Masaaba) from 1962. Before then, each of the 26 Bamasaaba clans in Uganda and over 200 in Kenya had its own leader. Wamimbi was elected by the clan elders to serve a non-renewable term of five years.

The now annual Bukusu Cultural Festival held at the newly commissioned Bungoma Cultural Centre was the second, the first one was held at Kanduyi stadium in December 2010.

The aim of these festivities, says Florence Nabwala, the Bungoma District cultural officer, is to preserve the rich Bukusu culture which has significantly been permeated by foreign cultural imperialism. She thanked the Bungoma County Council for donating more than seven acres of land for the construction of the cultural centre and Nzoia sugar factory for partly funding its construction. The centre cost Kshs5m(about Shs137.9b) to build.


Speaking at the same function, Dominic Wetangula, the chairman of Bukusu Council of Elders, said the unity among Bagisu of Uganda and Babukusu of Kenya would help to solidify socio-economic and political relations between the two communities ahead of the proposed East African Community federation.

In his book, An outline history of the Babukusu, F. Makila says, Mubukusu, the forefather of Babukusu, and Mugisu, the patriarch of bagisu, were both sons of Masaaba. Disagreements between the two sons resulted in Mubukusu leading the proto-bukusu across river Malaba (Lwakhakha) into Kenya.

Wetangula’s side of the Bamasaaba history
However, Wetangula argues that Mubukusu and Masaaba were both sons of Mundu and that babukusu are therefore not bamasaaba. John Osogo in his book, A History of the Baluhya , tresses Bukusu and Bagisu genealogy to Wele, a god or first ancestor and father of Sela and Mwambu her brother. Sela and Mwambu bore two children, Malaba and her brother Mugonma, ancestors of present-day Bukusu and Ugandan Bagisu respectively.

Dr Vincent Simiyu of the History department, University of Nairobi, says estimates using various chronological methods show that the separation of the Bukusu and Bagisu occurred in the 12th and 13th centuries. Some Bukusu populations are today still found in Yembe and Cheptui divisions of Mbale district and also in Bugisu and Sabiny (Sebei) districts in Uganda.

Bagisu and Babukusu speak dialects of Lumasaaba and live astride Mt Masaaba which European colonialists renamed Mt Elgon after the local inhabitants of the area, the El-kony. Bifwoli Wakoli’s clan, Bayemba like many other Bukusu clans is found in Uganda. Interestingly, one of his brothers is named Mugisu, after the Bagisu ancestor, Mugisu.

During the festival held at Sang’alo village, the visitors from Uganda spoke in Lugisu which their hosts, Babukusu understand very well. Omukuka Weyasa urged closer ties between the Bamasaaba through sports and joint cultural events. He invited babukusu to attend the Bamasaaba cultural day to be held in August which will mark the beginning of the circumcision ceremony, imbalu among the Bagisu.

The crowd was entertained by Kadodi dancers from Uganda and Tindikiti and Namatete bands from Bungoma. Unlike their counterparts from Uganda, Bukusu musicians regrettably wore modern European suits instead of traditional attire. The dress code was not consistent with the music.

The Dini ya Msambwa adherents mesmerised the crowd with their singing and drumming. However, none of the speakers at Sang`alo explained to the crowd the origins and philosophy of this religious outfit. Conspicuously absent during the function were professional historians and anthropologists from Bungoma County.

In an attempt to explain the ancestral ties between Babukusu and Bagisu, Kombo amused many when he called the host community the Kitosh a derogatory term used by colonialists to refer to Babukusu. “It is significant that professionals are involved in the planning and execution of cultural events so as to enable participants to benefit from their key note speeches,” avers Prof Simiyu Wandibba, a seasoned anthropologist who has published widely on Bukusu culture.

Clicking at natural treasures

In Summary

Merely appreciating Uganda’s natural treasures was not enough for him. He had to get a camera and capture the magical moments. After a couple of shots, he was hooked. Today Gooch is a seasoned photographer of nature despite the fact that he has a career in a totally different field.

When Andy Gooch was 10, he was given a box brownie (cardboard box camera). He was going camping as a young scout. He loved the photographs he took then, but looking back he says they were rubbish.

“When I was 13 or 14, I bought a SLR camera with my paper round money, the bug stayed with me on and off. I even remember putting down becoming a photographer on my careers choice when I was 16, and went into sales instead,” he recounts.

Doing sales was a good experience, but he was destined to become a photographer and today he defines it as his big passion. “By the time I left the UK, I had a dark room kitted out in my loft. This was a long time before the age of digital, now everything is done on a lap top,” he recollects.

And he is not ignoring technological advancement. He stores his images on a laptop from which he shows me priceless photographs he took during his stay in national parks. It is from this beautiful collection that he has been able to sustain a photography column in this magazine. But for a long time, he couldn’t have time to dedicate time to take as many photographs as he wanted in the African pearl because of the pressures of work.
But like luck would have it, his work led him to the great sights in Kabwoya Game Reserve. Sadly though, for some time, he could only appreciate the wild life.

“I was lucky enough to work in Kabwoya Game Reserve, on the shores of Lake Albert, with Equator Catering and Tullow Oil. I used to spend time driving from drill site to drill site and soon wished I had a camera, so the next trip home to see my parents I ordered one and never looked back. It was always with me on the passenger seat and I would stop whenever I saw something interesting,” Gooch recounts.

First time in Uganda
He came to Uganda in June 2002 in the middle of the World Cup. “Hot, dusty and very green,” as his first impression of Uganda. He was looking for new and different surroundings. “It could not have been more different from Watford (near London) where I was living at the time. I remember sending my mate an email saying this place needs a sweep, a dust and a coat of paint,” he further recollects. “But also very friendly and a lot of fun,” he adds.

The people, scenery and wildlife impressed him more as a photographer. Of course like any stranger making friends was certain and his list of new friends were not socially defined. He made friends with boda boda riders, bar staff and advocates.

Uganda culture was soon to impact on him. “I hate the word “sorry” and the word “what” or at least the over use of them.” And the friends he’s made and people he meets don’t want him to stay single forever. “I find it funny that when Ugandans find out I am not in a relationship and childless, they then want to find me a wife regardless of whether I need one or not,” he says.

Perhaps his eyes were for game. “I have many ideas for books, various stages of development and cash flow will dictate if and when they come out,” he discloses. He tells me that he is in completion stages of the books.

Collection of nature
He has about seven or eight ideas all on different subjects and more focused than the first book titled Uganda the beauty and some beasts. His plan is to present Uganda is a positive light, as it has so much to offer residents and tourists.

He plans to capture East African Primates, 10 to 12 species of primate found in Uganda. He will be looking at their life, habitat and activities he planned to publish finding by end of 2011. He will do the photographs and Lettice Bell, a primatologist, will do the text.

He plans to photograph over 150 species of East African Birds as well as tell the story of the River Nile as it flows through Uganda from Jinja to Sudan, looking at people, trade and wildlife. On this project, he will do the photos and words will be by Andrew Roberts.

But all this was triggered off when Gooch sent a bunch of good photos to his friends and family instead of a Christmas card. They thought it would be fun to do something longer-lasting with them, hence the encouragement to do the first book. “It ended up being a huge learning curve and so much fun and hard work,” he tells.

His aim is to prove that there is so much more about Uganda than its troubled past. “…we have a lot of great stuff that will interest people from all around the world. People back home still talk about the bad times in the 70s.” He adds, “I really hope Uganda can develop and become a major centre of tourism, agriculture and industry in the future, it’s not going to be easy or happen overnight, but it could happen.”

by Joseph

Air Uganda to Start Domestic Flight Services

Air Uganda plans to start domestic flight services as the carrier marks four years of existence this month. Airline activity is picking up with the arrival of the major global players like Turkish, Delta and Qatar airlines at the Entebbe International Airport.

Kyle Haywood, the Air Uganda boss said plans were underway to acquire a new fleet of planes to explore the regional and national destinations in the next two years. He also revealed that the Aga Khan-owned airline has recorded a 17% increase in passenger traffic since its inception.

“Over the past four years, passengers have begun to get the right perception that we are here to stay. In order to reduce on fuel costs, cut wastage and increase efficiencies we are looking to get the right size and model of aircraft to operate in the East African region and nationally by 2013,” he told reporters at the Airlines Kampala head office.

The Airline is largely recognized as the national carrier after the collapse of Uganda Airlines in May 2001. Previous carriers, Alliance Air, Air Memphis, Africa one, and Victoria International Airlines went under due to financial woes.

Haywood explained that the airline is looking to improve its service to fliers along the Entebbe- Nairobi route and increase flight frequencies to Juba in south Sudan to consolidate its presence in the region.

“Currency depreciation and increases in inflation have reduced the disposable income of leisure fliers and increases in the costs of fuel have directly hit us, however, we are applying the lessons learnt from previous Airlines to steer forward,” he explained.

Haywood pointed out that that the arrival of large international airplanes will feed into the Airliners sales to boost the local economy through increased passenger traffic at Entebbe.

By Rafiki Adventures

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.