EAST AFRICAN SAFARIS HIGHLIGHT
© 2007
Romantik Safaris & Travel Ltd.
Wabera Street, City House,
5th Floor, Suite 1,
P.O. BOX 9494 (00300), Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254(020)211856, +254(0722)782201 Fax: +254(020)312618
E-Mail: info@romantiksafaris.com or romantiksafaris@hotmail.com
“ …….. a taste of African hospitality”
PARTS of Uganda have changed very little in the last hundred years; the period of turmoil between 1967 and 1986 virtually ground all industrial and economic progress to a halt. This was an era when other countries in Africa were enjoying the fruits of international aid and their economies expanded as fast as their Populations. Uganda has only just started to receive positive international attention and it has been slow and cautious in coming.
Uganda , the magnificent, mountainous country in central Africa , is fast becoming a major gorilla and chimp safari destination. Then there are the added attractions of Murchison Falls , the start of the mighty Nile River and the wildlife sanctuary of Queen Elizabeth National Park .
The increasing confidence with which donor countries treat Uganda is a
direct result of its current leadership, which has been so responsive
in progressive policy making.
There has been much to learn, for both the donors and the public and private
communities in Uganda , from the results around the rest of the continent.
Lessons have been learnt. The result has been fast and real progress has
been made. In some cases, Uganda has started to set trends for other countries
to follow, financial Policies have got to grips with wildfire inflation
and currency fluctuations. The government is allowing free expression
and, through this, is unifying the Ugandan peoples. Matters of constitution
and restitution are a priority, which is creating a very positive forum
for peace and stability.
Tourism, the most sensitive of all industries to develop, is finally attracting
investment and interest. Significant progress has been made in the redevelopment
of infrastructure in the National Parks. The devastation of the animal
populations that took place during the war years is beginning to be repaired
through increased control and management.
New areas of interest such as mountain gorillas and ecotourism, white
water rafting and sport fishing have put Uganda back on the East African
tourist circuit. The Nile , a source of wonder and inspiration for thousands
of years, cuts a verdant and often turbulent median south to north through
the country. The Nile flows from Lake Victoria at what was Rippon Falls
and into Lake Kyoga . Still the Victoria Nile, it cuts a raucous passage
west across Karuma Falls and through the narrow pillars of Murchison Falls
towards Lake Albert . Finally the Albert Nile meanders along a slow, wide
corridor into Southern Sudan .
To the far west of Uganda , on the Zaire border, the snow covered Rwenzori
Mountains (or Mountains of the Moon as Ptolemy called them) rise into
almost permanent equatorial mists. The mountain slopes have their own
strange successive worlds of vegetation, each with its own characteristic
flora. In the extreme south-west are the Mufumbiro volcanoes, a chain
of imposing cones that rise out of the lava plain f the western rift.
The tropical hardwood rainforests of Western Uganda such as Maramagambo,
Budongo and Bwindi evoke adventure and wonder.
Kampala , the modern capital, is the centre of most economic activity.
It is steadily being rebuilt after systematic looting and destruction
during the changes of government. The city infrastructure has been restored
and new office towers, hotels, stadiums and shopping malls are appearing
almost monthly. Entebbe , the former administrative capital, is still
very picturesque, though rundown and neglected. The century old botanical
gardens are being restored to their former splendour. The presence of
the international airport at Entebbe will ensure its continued restoration.
Of the other towns around the country, Jinja, at the source of the Nile,
Mbarara, on the road west, Fort Portal , at the foot of the Rwenzoris,
and Mbale on the eastern border are all howling promising signs of economic
recovery.
The apparent slow development and poverty of areas outside Kampala is
combined result of cautious investment and the relatively recent restoration
of countrywide infrastructure.
Tourism and increased commercial agriculture will gradually redress the
balance, as they have elsewhere in Africa . Uganda is rich with culture
and artistic talent, Ugandans are lively actors and public speakers. Hardly
a night passes without the rhythmic sounds of traditional dancing or,
in Kampala , modern disco music.
The overriding impression of Uganda is of its happy people. Hardship and
war are not forgotten, but they are in the past, to be recalled in silent
prayers and thoughts for absent friends.
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