"The Kingdom of Uganda is a fairy-tale. You climb
up a railway instead of a beanstalk, and at the end there is a wonderful
new world. The scenery is different, the vegetation is different, the
climate is different, and most of all, the people are different from
anything elsewhere to be seen in the whole range of Africa…What
message I bring back… 'Concentrate on Uganda'.
Winston Churchill, My African Journey,
1907
By African standards, Uganda is a postage-stamp-sized
country. It is located at the heart of the African continent, sandwiched
between Kenya, Rwanda, Congo, the Sudan and Tanzania. It is
Gorillas. (Uganda - Photo by Annelie Utter)
roughly the size of Great Britain or the state of
Oregon. Uganda's most alluring features are its forests, lakes and mountains.
Most of the country is situated at least 3,200 feet (1,000 meters) above
sea level. Uganda has three mountainous areas, the Rwenzoris, Mount Elgon
and the Virunga volcanoes.
Wildlife has steadily increased in recent years, and
many species of game can now be found in Uganda, including the populations
of large primates for which Uganda has long been famous. Game viewing
in Uganda generally remains free of the mass tourism that now exists in
many neighboring countries. Primates, especially the mountain gorilla
and the chimpanzees, are Uganda's special attractions, together with more
than a thousand species of birds.
Most parts of Uganda are well-watered and fertile.
Although Uganda lies on the equator, its climate is tempered by its relatively
lofty altitude. The Nile starts its long journey to the Mediterranean
from Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, passing through Murchison
Falls National Park on its course.
Shortly after Lord Lugard,
in 1890, established a British East African Company base in Kampala, Uganda
became a British Protectorate, centered around four old African kingdoms.
The Uganda
Safari vehicle. (Uganda)
Railway linking the interior to the coast reached
Kisumu, on the Kenyan side of Lake Victoria, in 1901and Kampala in 1915.
The system of indirect rule gave Uganda greater autonomy than elsewhere
in British-ruled Africa. Upon gaining its independence from Britain in 1962,
Uganda was a prosperous and peaceful country. It went through a turbulent
period after Idi Amin seized control in 1971 and began a reign of terror,
expelling Asians and other ethnic groups. In 1986, the National Resistance
Movement, led by Yoweri Museveni, took control of the country. Today, the
country is largely progressive, peaceful and inviting, although it shares
borders with other troubled nations, including Rwanda and Congo. The four
old kingdoms, abolished in the 1960's, were restored in 1993 and the monarchs
have now re-emerged as symbols of traditional society. The 36th Kabaka of
the Baganda, Ronald Mutebi, was crowned in 1993. His marriage in 1999 let
to great national rejoicing.
Kampala Kampala, the modern capital, is the center of
Uganda's cultural and economic activities. The city has undergone a great
transformation since President Museveni came to power and now is the
Hippos. (Uganda)
thriving capital of one of the most rapidly developing
countries in Africa. It is steadily being rebuilt after systematic looting
and destruction occurred during the changeover in the government. The city
infrastructure has been restored and new office towers, hotels, stadiums
and shopping malls are appearing almost monthly.
Kampala is said to be built on seven hills, but the
city is centered on just one of them, Nakasero. The top half of the hill
is a garden city of wide, quiet avenues lined with large houses set behind
imposing fences. The embassies, international aid organizations, up-market
hotels, government offices and rich citizenry are all located on the upper
half of Nakasero. The bottom half of the hill is a completely different
world, teeming with shops, small businesses, budget hotels, cheap restaurants,
street markets, Hindu temples, bus stations and taxi parks. The streets
in this congested area overflow with people, battered old cars, lottery
ticket sellers and pavement stalls offering everything from rubber stamps
to radio repairs.
"I shall never forget my first encounter with gorillas…sound
preceded sight and odor preceded both in the form of an overwhelming,
musky, barnyard, yet humanlike stench."
Dian Fossey
"Gorillas are our kin, mirrors of ourselves, closer
to us than any other creature except the chimpanzee."
George Schaller
In contrast to the six billion human beings living
on our crowded planet, there are only six hundred Mountain Gorillas (Gorilla
Gorilla Berengei) left in the forgotten forests of central Africa.
Tracking these fascinating
creatures through the misty Ugandan forests requires patience and
Gorilla. (Uganda - Photo by Annelie Utter)
stamina, not to mention the long but hopeful hours
spent walking in the mud and the wet. But the payoff is indescribable: there
is no way to describe the thrill of coming upon a family of gorillas going
about their daily activities in the undergrowth. Quietly chewing away at
their vegetarian delicacies, they seem like a marooned human family. The
tender grooming and firm disciplining of their offspring seems all too familiar.
The family may cast a wary glance at the sudden human
intrusion into their private world, but they are comforted by the clucking
made by our experienced trackers. When provoked, the noisy but harmless
silverback grunts, screeches, bares his fangs and beats his chest, but
then slinks off with the attendant females, offspring and other mature
males.
Man poses a serious threat to this population - brought
to the world's attention by Dian Fossey - through poaching, disease and
population pressure. The gorilla will be able to survive only through
increased conservation efforts. Visits to the gorillas' home helps to
fund conservation and community projects, including schools, roads, clinics,
and community centers, which help the local people to understand the value
of the gorilla's continued survival.
Gorilla
Tracking and Permits Gorilla permits must be arranged for, and paid
for, in advance. Each gorilla park has a specified number of permits that
it is authorized to issue, as well as a separate set of procedures and
tariffs governing those permits. Once issued, permits are non-refundable
except for medical reasons
Bwindi Camp (Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda)
and, in those instances, a medical certificate must
be provided. Visitors should remain aware that even previously-issued gorilla
viewing permits can be denied or revoked at short notice, often due to national
park or border closures, security changes or movement of the gorillas out
of range. In such circumstances, refunds are at the discretion of the issuing
authorities and are not within the company's control. Obtaining a gorilla
permit should therefore be viewed not as a guarantee of seeing a gorilla,
but as a hard-won privilege. In order to protect the gorilla populations
from disease, no children under 15 or people with illnesses may go tracking.
Visits to the gorillas are limited to one hour, and visitors may not approach
closer than 5 meters (15 feet) to the gorillas. Flash photography is not
allowed, so fast film is useful. Personal video recorders are allowed.
Virunga
Conservation Area A fascinating combination of volcanoes, volcanic
lakes and steeply terraced hillsides make the Virunga Conservation Area
one of the most dramatic and beautiful parts of East Africa. The Virunga
Virunga Volcanoes & Lake Mutanda (Uganda)
Conservation Area, situated around the upper slopes
of the dramatic Virunga volcanoes, comprises three contiguous national parks:
Mgahinga National Park in Uganda, Parc National des Volcans in Rwanda and
Parc des Virungas, commonly called Djomba, in the Democratic Republic of
Congo. About 350 mountain gorillas make their home in the afro-montane forests
of this border area. On the Ugandan side, one gorilla family has been habituated.
In Rwanda's Parc National des Volcans, where Dian Fossey worked, four gorilla
families have been habituated. In addition to gorilla viewing, the Virunga
Conservation Area offers the opportunity to climb a volcano, go birding,
swim in the emerald waters of Lake Mutanda or just take in one of the most
breathtaking landscapes in all of Africa.
Bwindi
Impenetrable National Park North from the Virunga Conservation Area is the
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, rich in primates, including gorillas,
chimpanzees and blue monkeys. The park, located in southwestern Uganda,
is home to some 300 mountain gorillas. Two of its gorilla families have
been habituated. The park is also home to a dazzling array of butterflies
and birds.
Queen
Elizabeth National Park The magnificent Queen Elizabeth National Park
is located in the western arm of the Great East African Rift Valley and
sits beneath the majestic backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountains. With its
tropical forest, savanna, crater lakes and swamps, the park is nothing
short of enchanting.
Shoebill. (Uganda)
Centered around Lake Edward and Lake George, linked
by the Kazinga Channel, the park is rich in wildlife, including hippos,
buffaloes, elephants and a vast array of birds. The famous tree-climbing
lions of Ishasha lounge nonchalantly in old fig trees. With over 500 bird
species, Queen Elizabeth National Park is also a mecca for birdwatchers.
Among the unusual varieties found in the park are the shoebill stork and
the black bee eater, as well as countless kingfishers, raptors and flocks
of flamingoes.
Chimpanzees are found in a number of forests in Uganda,
including the steeply forested sides of the Kyambura Gorge, near Queen
Elizabeth National Park. The gorge is home not only to chimpanzees, but
also to the red-tailed monkey, black and white colobus and many bird species.
Tracking chimpanzees in this beautiful river valley is a breathtaking
experience.
Rwenzori
Mountains The Rwenzori Mountains are also called the "Mountains
of the Moon," mirroring the name first awarded
to similarly otherworldly mountains by the great Hellenic astronomer, Ptolemy.
The range has a legendary beauty, boasting six snow-capped peaks from which
flow three glaciers, truly an equatorial anomaly. The highest peak, Margherita,
rises to 16,600 feet (5,109 meters), making it the third highest peak in
all of Africa, after only Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya. The luxuriant
flora and bird life of the mountains is unique. A hike through the central
Rwenzoris takes about five days. The peaks themselves are accessible only
to experienced climbers.
Kibale Forest The Kibale Forest has thirteen species of primates,
the most in Africa, including the chimpanzee, the vervet monkey and the
red colobus monkey. Tracking the noisy chimpanzee families racing through
this verdant forest is a thrilling experience. As in the nearby Bigodi
Wetland, the Kibale Forest is home to many forest and swamp birds.
Sipi
Falls and Mount Elgon Sipi Falls is Uganda's most romantic and beautiful
waterfall. It is the perfect place to relax and wander, exploring the
many falls and caves. Excursions to climb Mount Elgon, to visit the rock
paintings or to go rafting on the Nile are natural extensions to a visit
in this area.
Murchison Falls The meandering Nile River and the dramatic Murchison
Falls make this national park, the biggest in Uganda, a stunning habitat
for wildlife. Crocodiles, hippos, elephants and birds, including the rare
shoebill stork, bask on the banks of the Nile. Chimpanzees can be tracked
in the Budongo Forest nearby.
People Uganda's population of approximately 19 million
is largely Christian, but there are sizable Muslim and Animist communities.
The central part of the country is largely Bantu-speaking, with the Baganda
as the largest group. The Northern tribes are Nilotic in origin; the north
is also the home of the nomadic Karamajong and the remote mountain tribe
known as the Ik. There are pygmy communities (the Batwa) in some forest
areas. More than 30 languages are spoken, with English, Luganda and Swahili
being the most widely used.
For the latest information on security issues in Uganda,
please consult the U.S. State Department's consular warning sheets. While
petty crime is not terribly widespread in Uganda, visitors are cautioned
to take great care with their valuables when traveling. Crime is less
prevalent in rural areas, but it is still wise to be careful. Visitors
should not carry excessive jewelry or money. Safe deposit boxes should
be utilized where they are available. It is always wise to secure your
travel documents and to avoid walking unescorted at night. Visitors should
always pay heed to the advice and directives given by their guides.
Temperature/Weather Since Uganda is a relatively compact country,
the range of temperatures is not so great, generally
Travelers Rest Hotel. (Kisoro, Uganda)
ranging between 70° F and 86°F (21-30°
C) in most places. In the mountains and gorilla parks, temperatures can
fall much colder, particularly at night. It is therefore important to be
properly clothed and equipped, especially when gorilla tracking. The rainy
season generally lasts from March through May, with a shorter rainy season
occurring in October and November. However, Uganda's weather is unpredictable,
and visitors should be prepared for rain at any time of the year. The rainy
season sometimes make travel a bit more difficult. However, the views are
clearer and the rainy season is thus a desirable time to visit Uganda.
Reading List In order to make the most of your trip to Uganda,
the following reading lists will help you gain a better understanding
of the landscape, culture and people. Here you can also purchase any books
you might need for your Global Adrenaline trip!
Global Adrenaline, Inc.
25 East Washington Street, Suite 1458
Chicago, Illinois 60602
USA
Tel: +1-866-884-5622 (toll free in USA)
Tel: +1-312-863-6300 (outside USA)
Fax: +1-312-873-4440
Email: info@GlobalAdrenaline.com
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