Zebra crossing a road at Lake Mburo National Park

Uganda is among the top 20 global tourism destinations in the year 2013, according to the National Geographic. The National Geographic is an international travel channel affiliated to the National Geograpic Society.

Unlike the lonely planet, which named Uganda as the best travel destination for 2012, National Geographic listed Uganda among the top “new year’s 20 must-see places.”

“The pride of Uganda’s tourism lies in the undisturbed green nature that welcomes you the moment you land in Uganda whether by air, water, land or any means of transportation,” stated the National Geographic.
“Getting out of the city will be a rewarding experience with a variety of bird species, wildlife, and the rare mountain gorillas that have been ‘a hot cake’ to Uganda.”

This comes in the wake of tourism accolades being lavished on Uganda and also challenges such as protests under the banner of “walk to work” by opposition leaders.

National Geographic recommends a number of books and documentaries to watch about Uganda including gifted by nature and The Last King of Scotland.

Abiaz Rwamwiri, a tourism expert with Africa Wildlife Foundation said, “We have a lot of potential we are not tapping into and this is what the recommendation by the National Geographic is telling Ugandans.”
He also explained that Uganda has got a beautiful scenery, unique wildlife such as the Mountain gorillas and easy to visit or stay because of the hospitality of the people.”

He added, “We have got much more because there is even Kidepo National Park, which is a unique destination, but is still undiscovered by tourists.”

A lot is known about Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth National Park, according to Rwamwiri, but Kidepo is unique and truly wild yet not many tourist visit northern Uganda. He said this was going to improve with the implementation a new programme funded by USAID and Africa Wildlife Foundation.

Rwamwiri said the international community is continuously pointing out the immense opportunity that remains untapped, which we should harness.

“We need to do much more and streamline the standards, hotels, guides,” advised Rwamwiri. “Who is a tour guide? Some of these cheat people and others offer services that are below standard.”

In a separate interview, Lillian Nsubuga, the Public Relations Manager of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) said Uganda’s tourism industry is gaining visibility, but aggressive marketing is needed.

“As UWA there has been a big campaign to participate in the international world travel market. So, many people know about Uganda, but we need more aggressiveness,” said Nsubuga adding that marketing efforts undertaken by private sector should be harmonised with Government initiatives.

Herbert Byaruhanga, the head of Uganda Safari Guides Association told New Vision that Uganda is becoming a preferred destination globally and this means more employment and income is going to come from the tourism destination.

By Bruce Amp

Mutagamba being presented with a certificate for her outstanding work

The Government will develop a framework to train local people to engage in community tourism, Maria Mutagamba, the minister of tourism, wildlife and antiquities has said.

“We would like to develop the capacity of our people to start using what they have locally to attract tourists,” she said. The Minister said this recently during a meeting with Maria Baryamujura, the 2013 winner of the prestigious African Diaspora World Tourism Award and a leading consultant on community tourism.

At the meeting which took place in the Minister’s office at Famer’s house on Parliament Avenue, on Wednesday, Baryamujura presented  Mutagamba with the certificate she received in recognition for her outstanding work. She also shared useful tips on community tourism.

“We have got one of the richest and most unique cultures in the world, but we still are trying to find ways of making the most of it. Community tourism is one of the most viable ways of marketing our country,” Mutagamba said.

She added that community tourism is not yet a widely understood concept in Uganda, perhaps “because our people do not have the skills to package our products in a way that can attract the attention of tourists.”

“We shall work closely with experienced people like Baryamujura to sensitise Ugandans about the importance of community tourism,” she said.

Community tourism is where people within their communities use the materials available to them; things like food, culture, housing, environment as tourist resources for foreign visitors.

Baryamujura is a community tourism Consultant, Founder and Executive Director of Community Based Tourism Initiatives (COBATI) a tourism non-profit organisation. Over the last three decades, she has been involved in tourism and cultural heritage promotion.

The African Diaspora World Tourism Awards honours leaders in the field of black culture and heritage as an influence on tourism. It recognises the service and dedication of key people from around the world who have significantly influenced world tourism and the exploration of the global places of black culture and heritage. The official Awards Ceremony was held on Saturday April 27, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

By Bruce Amp

Antelopes are some of the animals in Murchison Falls National Park

Bunyoro is now famous for oil exploration, but there are many other attractions in the region, particularly tourism. Next month, Bunyoro-Kitara kingdom plans to showcase its beauty, culture and natural endowments in a tourism, trade and agriculture expo from June 10 to June 16.

The expo will coincide with this year’s Empango celebrations, which are due on June 11. Speaking to Sunday Vision recently, the kingdom’s minister for tourism, Apollo John Rwamparo, said there was need to ensure that young people know their culture.

“Many times, the Empango celebrations are held in one day and people go away. We want to do this before, during and after the celebrations. We want to show a relationship between culture and conservation. We also do not want some of the simple things like the orunyege dance to disappear,” Rwamparo said.

Two conferences are also slated to take place concurrently with the expo; tourism and oil/gas and investment conferences, on June 10 and 12 respectively.

The kingdom is comprised of Kibaale, Bullisa, Masindi, Hoima and Kiryandongo districts. Some of the famous natural resources include Murchison Falls National Park, Karuma Game Reserve and Bugungu Forest.

“We have enormous potential to turn the region into a major tourist attraction, trade hub and food basket for Uganda and the neighbouring countries,” Rwamparo noted.

The expo, to be held at Hoima Boma Grounds, is expected to attract 200 exhibitors and over 100,000 showgoers. The exhibitors include Uganda Wild Life Authority and Uganda Tourism Board.

By Bruce Amp

The additional new born axcited rangers, who are eargerly waiting for its naming ceremony. Interestingly these primates have names similar to those of humans. Lillian Nsubuga the Uganda Wildlife Authority spokesperson said yesterday that visitors who will visit the park soon will have an opportunity to see the new addition. “But it is difficult to see details and take its photo  because both the mother and the Silverback (Group Leader) are too protective and could even become violent if one tries to to get close to them,” she said.

For this reason, the rangers had by yesterday not established the sex of the new born. Nsubuga said the baby Gorilla cannot move on its own and is carried by its mother. She said the population of mountain Gorillas in Bwindi rose from 320 in 2002 to 340 in 2006 and to 400 in 2011. Nsubuga added that in 2008, they were blessed with two pairs of twins from one of the Gorilla families.

By Bruce Amp

UWA launched Gorilla trucking promotion to enable visitors enjoy the amazing Gorilla experience at subsidized rates. The promotion has been on since April 1 and ends on may 31. It is open to all visitors, Tour Operators and partners of UWA. Gorilla tracking dates back to 1993 when 2 groups of the primates were habituated. Habituation is a process of making Gorilla groups accustomed to human beings, thereby facilitating close interaction without the danger of Gorilla displaying aggressive behavior.

According to 2011 Gorilla census, there are 400 gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park compared to 100 five years before. Gorilla tourism is the leading revenue earner among all Uganda’s tourism attractions. Each day, only eight visitors are allowed to visit a gorilla group for a maximum of eight hours. The minister of tourism Maria Mutagamba says, other than Gorilla tracking, Uganda has many other attractions for the tourists.
“Tourism earned $820M from 1050 guests last year. There are 50 Million tourists coming to Africa every year. The challenge is to have them stay linger and spend on a variety of services in the tourism chain,” Mutagamba said.

By Bruce Amp

Other activities will include HIV/ AIDS testing and counselling, dental screening and treatment, de-worming, and basic personal hygiene.

According to Budiope East MP, Sulaimani Kirunda Balyejusa, the initiative is aimed at rejuvenating Busoga’s cultural heritage to tap funds from the Government and tourists, as well as help the locals to market their products.

Kirunda says showcasing Busoga’s culture and legacy would resurrect the region’s lost glory and enhance development. Edward Baliddawa, MP Kigulu County North, says the competition is a follow-up of the Busoga Tourism Expo that was held in December last year (2012) in Jinja.

After a successful expo, the organisers resolved to organise an activity around Kagulu hill, one of the three sites that were marked to be developed into viable tourism sites. Busoga Tourism Initiative works closely with Basoga in the diaspora to encourage international tourism to the region and inject funds to rejuvenate Busoga region.

To participate, foreigners will pay $250, Ugandans between sh100,000 and 600,000, based on local, political, business or corporate capacities. The rock climbing challenge for both adults and students is scheduled to take place between May 10 and 12.

RICH CULTURAL HISTORY

Kagulu Hill is located in Buyende District, 30km from Kamuli town. The hill rises to approximately 3,500ft above sea level.
With a five-kilometre radius, the hill is the historical destination for the first prince-turned-king of Busoga, Mukama Namutukula.
It is here that he rested after he alighted from the dilapidated boat at Lyingo landing site on Lake Kyoga, 10km away.

One of the outstanding sites is one with an engraving of a man’s feet, a spear and a dog.

This is supposedly the exact place where Namutukula rested on arrival, and it is believed to have been drawn by the ancestral spirits.

To the west of Kagulu hill, are smaller hills in a line, commonly referred to as Kagulu’s wives — Kagwese, Mawaale, Mpanga, Nakyeere, Bukolimo and Butadewo.

To the north is the shrine of the aging oracle, Mandwa Kagulu Nabiryo, said to be haunted by 45 spirits that own and patrol the hill.

At the summit of the hill are two wells, one with a dugout canoe with an oar. Legend has it that one time, a white man “stole” the oar, but his car was involved in an accident and he was forced to return it.

Since 2003, many people, especially foreigners, have been enjoying rock climbing at Kagulu Hill.

By Bruce Amp

The bicycle adventurer. Canadian Dave Conroy gave up his job as a computer consultant and set off on the adventure of his life, cycling to different countries in the world. He has already been to 10 African countries on what he calls a “one of its kind” bicycle.

Dave Conroy’s life story is as incredibly amazing as it is unbelievable. For four years, the 35-year-old Canadian, currently in Uganda, has ridden his bicycle around North America and Africa and is still on the move. He quit a well paying computer job, sold off his life possessions and set out on a mission to discover the world- on two wheels. How long it takes him, he has no idea. Whether he will pull it off or not, he is not sure.

A bicycle, his everything
From first impression, Conroy comes off as a perfect time manager. The appointment at Mbuya based Red Chilli Hideaway is set for 4pm. A phone call at the guest house’s gate to announce our arrival receives an instant, “I will join you in a second.” Hardly had we identified a seat for the interview, than a well built medium height man dashes out, dressed in a tight fitting red t-shirt and pair of black multi-pocketed cargo pants. Walking towards us, his pair of weighty, mountain-climber like shoes stamp the green compound.

When the photojournalist asks to have photographs taken first and then leave us to proceed with the interview, his face lights up with a contagious smile. He reaches for his bicycle, holding it with enviable warmness and murmurs, “this is my wardrobe, kitchen, girlfriend, office, bedroom, best friend and worst enemy at the same time.”

The sports bicycle, he claims, is the only one of its kind in the world. It was specially assembled for him in Britain six months before he hit the road. He will not reveal how much it cost him, but heaps praise on the machine whose rim bears 13 stickers of flags of the countries he has visited so far.
On average, the bicycle’s weight, with all the six bags he travels with combined, comes to 75 kilogrammes.
“It has some amazing features. I charge my electrical devices like the music system and phone using pedal power. The faster I pedal, the more energy it generates, so I only use petrol and diesel for the cooking stove,” he says, holding its tyres that have most recently ridden all the way from South Africa.
When we finally zero down on a comfy place for the three hour long interview, the sight of a tent draws more questions than sheer admiration.
This is his bedroom, anywhere and anytime wherever darkness dawns on him. The water proof, one metre long structure has a cozy yellow interior and air mattress.
“I need a good night’s rest otherwise I won’t ride the next day so it has got to be that cosy,” he shares, nodding his head. With a fairly good rapport established, we are now set to dig into his life.

Life of a computer nerd
Born in Canada, the last born of three children of two working class parents admits obsession with computers, calling himself, “a computer nerd.” By the age of eight, he would sit behind a computer for an average of 12 hours a day. Not playing games. And neither surfing the internet. In any case, this was in the 1980s when social media platforms like Facebook or even its founder, Mark Zuckerberg were not yet born.

Whilst other children played about, little Dave busied himself trying to learn how computers worked. Scratching his head to understand complex computer aspects like programming and networking. “My parents were okay with it because they knew where I was,” he quips. Nature however, was not okay with it. The computer without play lifestyle took a stall on him. “My life went crazy, I was not sociable, and I spent a lot of time on the screen, seeing things and yearning to learn everything about them. I could not sleep, I was not happy with life,” he says.

He started to worry about how to be successful, rich and what he was going to do with his life at 70. For a teenager, life was taking him on a rollercoaster of illusion and out of the world fantasies. Perhaps, he suggests, this had to do with his childhood environment. His sister was on special needs education following a pre-mature birth. Today, she is his role model. “The doctor said she would never sit upright. Today she has two children, a degree and is happily married. She inspires me because she didn’t let someone’s opinion determine her life.”

Describing himself as an introvert, architect of ideas, who loves adventure and doing things outside the conventional, almost structured western way of life, this single man, who shoves off the marriage question, set out to do something different with his life. First, he quit high school. A few weeks to graduation. The reason?
“I wanted to see what would happen. But on a serious note, school was too slow for me. It was not giving me the challenge I wanted in life.” That was only a step into a zillion miles of an anew life that would leave tongues wagging. Next on the agenda was to resign from a well paying computer related job that earned him consultancy stints beyond Canada.

Daring to follow his dreams
Then came the bombshell. He sold off all his possessions. From the mansion to whatever came with it, be it kitchen ware, clothes or furniture. Everything had to go. He only remained with two boxes of books and letters from friends.

“He has gone crazy. May be he wants to kill himself,” he quotes reactions to his eye-brow raising actions from family and friends. “I knew what I was doing. I told them you can express your concern, you are allowed to but just sit back and watch, wait and see and wish me well,” he told them.

It is this that amazon.com, in a review of his self published 240 page book entitled, “Tired of I.T. How I learnt to stop worrying and love the bicycle,” calls Dave’s quest to, “reprogram his mind and find inner peace.”

Conroy saw that inner peace in only one thing- the bicycle. It is at this point that the idea to discover the world and its peoples was born. For six months, he did extensive research on the internet and read self help books. About tourism, bicycles, cookery, accidents and first aid and everything he needed for a ride around the globe. The initial plan was to achieve the dream in nine months which later stretched to a year, two years, three years and now four years. He has since stopped counting.

The start of an incredible adventure
He chose July 2009 as the start of his journey. On the D-day, he didn’t sleep, thanks to intense anxiety. Much as he loved bicycles, he had taken two decades without riding one. He awoke, hurried to a restaurant for breakfast and grabbed his bicycle for a ride from Vancouver to the Gulf Islands in Canada. That was in 10 hours for a distance of 160-180km. His speed has since gone on a down ward spiral to 140km in 2010, 120km in 2011, 100km in 2012 and 80km in 2013.

Deep in the woods’ wilderness, he suffered his first set backs. First came mosquitoes and other strange insects that stung him, ripping skin and causing unstoppable bleeding. Then surviving death by a whisker when a suspected poacher shot at him twice, mistaking him for an animal. Luckily both bullets missed him.

That however, did not deter his ambition to cross to the United States, where he spent 30 days cycling across different regions of the vast North American nation. Another package of challenges awaited him in the wild with four legged creatures ranging from wild cats to beasts he had never seen attacking him. He pulls out a small knife, pushes its sharp end to his lower lip and says, “this lip is paralysed for the rest of my life. I got fellow riders in the US and we hang our bikes in trees. Mine fell and hurt me.”

By: Bruce Amp

Experts say they have a complicated navigation system that enables some of them to fly from as far away as Siberia non-stop to Lutembe Bay on the shores of Lake Victoria in Uganda. And these are not stealth bombers. They are terns — migratory birds.

A mixed flock of gulls make for interesting watching at the site. PHOTO/Matthias Mugisha

For centuries, Lutembe Bay has been hosting both native and millions of Palearctic migrant birds. They come mainly from the arctic region that includes mainland Europe, Scandinavian countries and as far away as Russia.

They live nine months of the year here and only go back to Europe to breed. Some fly non-stop to and from the Caspian Sea.

However, this allure at Lutembe Bay, one of the biggest breeding sanctuaries for migratory birds, is now threatened by human activity if nothing is urgently done.

FOOD ATTACK: Photographer Matthias Mugisha is just in time to catch this hummer kop diving for its kill.

Achilles Byaruhanga, the executive director of Nature Uganda, says toxic agrochemicals suspected to have leached from the nearby flower farms have been detected in the waters around this Ramsar Site – wetland of international importance.

Byaruhanga says Lutembe Bay is threatened first, by water abstraction – a process where large quantities of water is drawn to water the flower farms.

A sea of terns in black breeding plummage dots the skyline. PHOTO/Matthias Mugisha

“Because of this draining, the marshy water at the bay will become muddy, leading to other vegetation to colonise the area, thus reducing not only the habitat and the feeding area for the birds, but also their roosting space,” Byaruhanga says.

Secondly, he says following a 16-year study, agro-chemicals have now been detected in the waters at the bay.

This when not controlled, he says, will pollute the waters and not only threaten the fish stocks, but human beings as well.

Lutembe Bay hosts over 70% of the global population of white-winged black terns (Chlidonias leucopterus), large numbers of the grey-headed gulls (Larus cirrocepharus), black-headed gulls (Larus ridibundus) and gull-billed terns (Sterna nilotica).

QUIET MOMENT: This duo greater cattle egrets take time off for a relaxed view. PHOTO/Matthias Mugisha

In 2000, Lutembe hosted almost the entire population of the white-winged black terns — over 3.5 million birds. The birds start coming from September to October every year and go back between February and March.

In Europe, they are again seen between May and June. Every year, the birds come with their young, hatched the previous season.

The hatchlings are left behind to practice breeding. At this stage, their all–white colour changes to black. Others only have their heads change to black. This change of colour is called breeding plumage.

A long-toed plover (left), two hummer kops in courtship (centre) and a greater cormorant feature at the site.

When it is time to go back and breed, the young ones fly as black birds, breed and come back to Lutembe when they are white. The cycle has been going on for centuries.

“If Lutembe is affected, tourism would suffer not only in Uganda, but also in Europe as the breeding pattern of the birds would be destroyed. If they do not get places like Lutembe, they will not breed. These birds must be given an opportunity to practice breeding,’’ Byaruhanga argues.

He says Uganda receives the biggest share of all Palearctic birds in Africa due to the country’s big and fresh water masses.

Other areas in the country that attract migratory birds include the Kazinga Channel and Musambwa Island. The birds feed on insects and small fish.

FLY AWAY: A grey heron makes away for the skies. Beautiful. PHOTO/Matthias Mugisha

Records from Nature Uganda show that Uganda earns over $6m (sh15.3b) from birding tourism, doubling earnings from gorilla tracking. Birding is a high-end tourism product, where birders stay long, leaving more money in the country.

The tourism sector is the second largest foreign exchange earner and generated $805m (about sh2.1 trillion) in foreign exchange earnings in the fiscal year 2011/2012. In particular, the sector’s total contribution to GDP is estimated at $1.4b (about sh3.5 trillion), representing 7.6% of GDP; in the year 2011, trailing only remittances from abroad.

Uganda was recently declared a preferred bird watching destination 2013/2014, a development expected to uphold the country as a birder’s paradise.

About half of all bird species in Africa can be found in Uganda. The country supports more than 1,000 bird species, representing about 50% of the bird species in Africa and 11% of the birds’ global population.

Lutembe is home to 280 species of both water and non-water birds.

Apart from Palearctic migrant birds, Lutembe is also home to seven globally threatened species like papyrus yellow warbler, papyrus gonolek, shoebill, African skimmer great snipe and Madagascar Squacco, among others.

A team from Nature Uganda spotted a new migrant species, the great knot, in 2010. The site also hosts hundreds of Palearctic ducks like the garganey (Anas querquedula).

At an altitude of 1,130 metres, covering an area of about 800 hectares, Lutembe Bay is shallow, papyrus-fringed, and almost completely cut off from the main body of Lake Victoria by two papyrus islands.

The biggest congregations of the European birds at Lutembe are gulls and terns, which roost on islets when the water level is low, between September and March.

En route to Uganda, the terns have stop-overs in Sudan and Egypt along the River Nile while the gulls can fly from the Caspian Sea to Lutembe non-stop.

By Bruce Amp

Elephants are one of the eye-catching features in the area.

A bird that does not fly will never know where the millet is ready, goes a local saying. If you have not visited the Kyambura Gorge and Kazinga Channel in western Uganda, you do not know how much you are missing. Solomon Oleny braved the six-hour journey and long trek in the valley and gives you a feel of the memorable adventure.

As an artist, I have always thought of a woman’s body as God’s most beautiful creation. But that was before last month when I joined seven tourists on a Great Lakes Safaris tour that turned out to be the most exhilarating adventure at Kyambura Gorge and the Kazinga Channel.

Both are situated in the western Rift Valley of Uganda, which stretches through Queen Elizabeth National Park. At these two spots, I got the real feel of perfection in beauty.

We took an exhausting six-hour drive from Kampala along the Bushenyi-Kasese highway under the scorching African sun. After that, nothing sounded so sweet and relieving like the sound of “we’re finally here!’ as said in the husky voice of Abbey Semujju, our driver, who also doubled as our guide. We were 38km away from the Congo border.

One after another, we stepped out of the tour taxi setting our feet on the rich soils of Kyambura that was densely covered by dark green grass. Naturally, it was not long before most of us punched the air in triumph as we were fuelled by the excitement of having arrived safe and sound.

Part of the gorge through which a river flows. It is one of the most beautiful scenes in Kyambura.

Mysterious Kyambura Gorge

Suddenly, our attention was stolen by the roaring sound of a waterfall. However, it was confusing to discover that even with all-round turns of 180 degrees, our eyes could not see any falls. It then dawned on us that the roar was coming from a river down in Kyambura Gorge.

From what I saw, I can define a gorge as a sunken forest in a wide valley. In the particular case of Kyambura, the valley was 100 metres deep, the reason our eyes could not sight the waterfall we were hearing.

Being the coward I am, I kept my distance from the gorge’s elevated viewpoint which was situated on the edge of the land.

But I guess I have little regrets over this decision because those who dared to go there seemed to develop cold feet immediately. They deserted the place as soon as Bayer Anyesiga, the Kyambura guide who would take us for chimpanzee tracking, appeared.

Chimp tracking is one of those activities that Uganda is famous for and it was something I looked forward to doing.

However, the fact that Anyesiga armed himself with a panga before the tracking began almost made me reconsider trying it out. To me, this was a clear signal that ahead of us lay immense danger.

Luckily, 10 minutes into the tracking, I discovered that his only reason for carrying the panga was to trim off the branches of the wild thickets to open a path on our way into the dense forest.

That is when my speedily pounding heart normalised as I took a deep sigh. My gaze kept dropping on every tree branch we approached because my heart was quivering with immense anticipation.

Birds light up the scenery with their sweet melodies.

To see the subtle primates, we calculatedly walked down the slippery slopes into the dense tropical rainforest that covers the gorge’s floor. Anyesiga advised us to resort to whispering if we found it impossible to keep mute because the primates often turn violent if their peace is disturbed with noise.

Save for the roar of Kyambura River and the tweeting of crickets, it was absolute silence down there, probably more silent than a grave.

When all my attention was inclined upwards, having heard the sound of a chimp, I felt a smooth creature as cold as a snake slither up my legs. In micro seconds, my knees began wobbling dangerously and I found myself yelling my grandmother’s name.

In a flash, I was already three feet up the huge mahogany tree before me, only to discover that it was a prank that Otim, another tourist, had pulled off.

He had come up with the brilliant idea of sliding a wet shoe lace around my legs and got the effect he was looking for.

Yes, I felt like sinking my fist into his head. In fact, I folded my fists like I was going to knock him down, but my fists just froze in space before I painfully chickened out because the chap was almost three times my height and weight.

Chimp sighting

Minutes after I had composed myself, the guide pointed us to a family of five chimps nestled in a tree branch about 180m from our track.

“That is Brutus, the leader of the chimps with his family,” Anyesiga explained. “They are part of over 25 chimpanzees that live here.”

It should not matter, but there was something about the way Brutus tilted his eyes sideways and flashed a smile at us that I found fascinating.

“Brutus, together with his team, prefers living in the corridors of the gorge in fear of being confronted by other wildlife like leopards and lions, which live on the Savanna grassland surrounding the gorge,” Anyesiga continued.

It soon dawned on me that there is a lot more to see in the gorge than just chimpanzees. Such included gigantic tropical trees, beautiful flowers, unique chains of spider webs, a variety of birds, colourful butterflies and different species of monkeys.

Fortunately, everything about the tracking was happening so fast. While I expected to spend hours walking and straining to see the chimps in vain, here I was getting a better feel of the forest with every tick of the clock.

I was also swept off my feet by the rays of sunlight that filtered through the forest canopy. In effect, my camera clicked more than once as it took pictures to retain memories of the visit to the unforgettable gorge.

Content with what we had witnessed, we soon found our way out of the forest and headed for our next destination — Kazinga Channel, a 30-minute drive away.

Tourists take a look at nature as they cool off after the long trek.

Kazinga Channel

After a brief by our guide, whose name I might have forgotten as soon as it was mentioned, the tour boat was ignited to flag off our trip along Kazinga Channel to the mouth of Lake Edward.

On the map of Uganda, Kazinga Channel is that thin strip of water that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. As the boat made its way through the tranquil channel, I climbed up the upper deck, joining nine tourists there to get a clearer view of the wildlife on either side of the boat.

Birds and game

We espied a kingfisher that had successfully hunted out a medium sized tilapia fish, which it swiftly ferried onto the nearest branch of a whistling acacia tree by the water banks.

What a pity it was to witness the helpless fish poked lifeless like it was its predator’s last meal for months.

Thankfully, it was not long before my spirits were fired up again upon the sight of elephants mating in the open as some white egrets kept flying above them. If my guess is right, they must have enjoyed every bit of the uncensored act by the elephants.

It was also a blessing to discover that while some tourists spend hours and hours peering in vain for game, we were fortunate to experience lots of wildlife after another, especially along the banks as the boat sailed on; all courtesy of the good schedule of the boat ride, which takes place at 5:00pm when most animals are relaxing by the banks as they enjoy the warmth of the golden brown sun as it buries itself in the horizon.

Some of the game to be seen here include water bucks, elephants, antelopes, a school of 12 hippos, crocodiles, birds and monkeys.

Like most of the bird lovers aboard, I cheered aloud as I relished over 150 bird species of 319 in the park. However, this excitement was soon tamed when an ugly black and white vulture flew slightly above my head and dropped its watery droppings on my nose.

Fellow tourists could not resist laughing at me and staring like I was another wildlife creature aboard the boat. Most annoying, some did not hesitate to click their cameras at me.

At the end of such a fulfilling exploratory day, nothing felt as good as devouring lunch at Simba Safari camp. We watched the calm waters of Lake George and listened to waves gently brush the branches of the trees surrounding the place

The icing on the cake was the different species of birds that soon conquered these trees and put up energetic aerobic performances as they whistled different sweet melodies that pierced my heart with the sharp end of their vocals.

By: Bruce Amp

A bird lover relaxes near the pond at the resort. Left:the Shoe Bill stork ,some of the must see birds

Birding. Said to be the latest trend in the tourism industry, birding is one of those activates that sound alien until you experience it yourself. The writer is now converted and vows to plant fruit trees in his compound to attract them.

It was one of those Saturday’s, when I failed to sleep in-late and decided to leave bed early. I was tired of doing the usual, I mean going to the lake side beaches. This time round I went birding. A term used to refer to going bird watching.

A friend of mine in the UK linked me to a bunch of his English friends who are coming to Uganda to go birding. He asked me to be their local guide, but, I had no idea what the heck birding is. To acquaint myself with the necessary knowledge, I ventured into the activity, just so when they arrive, I am at least knowledgeable about what I’m doing. Finding a birding spot in Uganda is not difficult, it being a birding Eden with over a thousand bird species.

Delightful choir
After a quick shower, then a light breakfast, I jumped into a Lugazi bound taxi, but disembarked at Mbalala and took a rough road to Kasenge Forest Resort beach about three kilometres from the main Kampala – Jinja highway. Tucked away in a valley is the forest resort.
I was welcomed by the scent of freshness, not the usual stuffy air in Kampala.

Being that I had gotten there very early at 6 am, I was received by melodies from a variety of singers. Not our usual artists though, but birds. I fished out my binoculars from the bag and started on my new experience of birding. First in my focus was a giant King fisher, as Herbert Byaruhanga, my guide for the day, pointed out.

Painting Uganda’s beautiful colours
Despite the cold, the dew and a bit of mist, my group had paid the Shs10,000 entry free into the forest and entered to embark on the task ahead. I was also able to see the crested crane which is our national emblem, the beautiful blue egrets, fish eagle, shoe bill stork, the lovely white egret and blue Toroco.

And that was just the beginning. At Kasenge Forest Resort Beach, which has a pond, there are over 135 bird species. They reminded me of Winston Churchill’s description of Uganda as the pearl of Africa. A land where birds are as colourful as the butterflies and the butterflies are as big as the birds.

Though I was hesitant and skeptical about going to view birds, I enjoyed the whole experience. The only problem we encountered were the red ants (ensanafu) which gave some ladies a hard time when they climbed and “tortured” them.

Where I grew up from in Soroti, birds were not a thing to find pleasure in, as we grew up shooting them for sport with catapults, and hunting them as a source of proteins.

A new convert
We left the forest in the evening, but not before the insects, birds and frogs in the “lake” all sought for our attention with their new releases and I think remixes of their own version of music. As we left, I realised I was a new convert and follower of birding and promised to plant fruit trees in my compound in order to attract the birds and also protect them.

I am now a full birder (a person who goes birding). As I jumped into the car to leave, Byaruhanga gave me an insight into the birds’ love life.

Unlike humans, it is female birds which run after the males and the males only wake up to groom themselves for the females to make a pick. I wish I were a bird.

By: Bruce Amp