Uganda, the nature gifted country
This tropical African country is set at the equator but has snow on top of its highest mountain, the Rwenzori. Uganda boosts of temporary climate and picture less Islands. It also harbors the world’s second largest fresh water lake, the Victoria which is also the source of the world’s second longest river, the Nile. These attractions as well as its ancient famous magnificent kingdoms have been exploration destinations since the legends like John Hannington Speke and Henry Morton Stanley who started the flood. Britain’s famous wartime Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill once proclaimed it as “the pearl of Africa” in his book “my African Journey”.
The gateway into the country is Entebbe town. When one is coming in from the sky to land at Entebbe international airport, he/she is given a teaser of what to expect of this beautiful country. There is little wonder that this wonderful town was once the capital city of the colonial government. From the capital, the country is split into 5 major destinations, the east, the west, the north, the central and the islands, each one with a unique experience.
Traveling eastwards one comes across the source of the River Nile at a place called Jinja. This is where Africa’s longest river begins its journey to the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt. There are boat rides on the Nile taking in the beautiful landscapes on the banks of the river. There are rapids further downstream which are major destination for whitewater rafting at Bujagali.
At the municipal town of Tororo, one sees the Tororo rock, an irregular earth cross from the earth which is a symbol of Uganda’s strange relief features on the Eastern axis. However, the Tororo rock is quickly draft by the Elgon Mountains as one goes further east. The Elgon Mountains which complete with wild animals are the popular destinations for nature lovers. The Bamasaba people who live at the mountains are blessed with various cultural norms which are worth exploring. They grow bananas as a stable food and eat bamboo shoots in a vegetable delicacy known as “kamaleewa”. They also grow one of the world’s best coffee brands known as Arabica coffee. This type of coffee is only found in a few places in the world which include the Elgon Mountains and the highlands of Ethiopia. Tourists with an interest in coffee production, visit this area for further knowledge and research on how coffee makes its way from the earth to the consumer’s cup.
Further on along this eastern journey, you will encounter evidence of the early history of the early mankind on the Nyero rock in Kumi. The people who now live there are known as the Iteso, the cattle keeping people. This eastern journey enables one to encounter into African heritage.
Moving more north eastwards, one encounters the Karamojong people whose passion for cattle is very intense. They live in manyatas, a collection of huts in an enclosure. In this region, recent survey indicates that various evidences about the origin of mankind have been found.
The visitor will also come across the Kidepo Valley National Park, a semi-desert savannah with a wide range of rare animal species. It is one of the many national parks in the country where a visitor can go on a Uganda Safari. Another high altitude mountain, the Moroto is found here. It is a favorite destination for mountain climbers. The Karimojong excursion is a rare tourist journey where one is often alone to ponder and wonder at Mother Nature in her most native home.
The western part of Uganda is one beautiful wonderland. There are golden grasslands grazed by the graceful Ankole cattle, green tea estates in temperate climate, undulating hills with terrace gardens, thick tropical rainforests and a snow caped mountain, the Rwenzori. A journey to the west is an enchanting trip in flora and fauna. There are game parks, game reserves and forest reserves in this region. Two and half hours away from Kampla, one begins to see the wild animals.
Lake Mburo National Park is home to the zebra, that beautiful horse-like animal, so tasty to the lions. There are also numerous antelopes and kobs.
Going more southwards, one will end up in Mgahinga Mountain Gorilla National Park and here you will climb the Mgahinga mountain ranges which will be a delightful physical exercise and a walk through varieties of beautiful plants in a very cool environment. But the biggest trophy here is the mountain gorillas. Many visitors here come to track the rare mountain gorillas found only in this part of the world.
Continuing northeastwards is Bwindi Impenetrable rain forest, another habitat of a few remaining mountain gorillas. It is a totally different experience here.
In southwestern Uganda, we come to Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda’s deepest lake. A boat ride on the lake is an unforgettable experience .The colorful sight of terrace Kigezi hill gives a visitor a sense of living a lifetime dream of encountering a perfect terrestrial beauty. Bird watching on the shores of the lake is a bonus for the visitor.
Going on northern, one passes through villages viewing plantations of bananas and herds of long-horned cattle. Within this back drop, there are beautiful crater lakes which were formed as a result of early movements and volcanic activities. One can take a boat ride or sit by the banks of one of these lakes and enjoy thrilling views of the magnificent nature.
One other water mass here is the lake Katwe, a salt excavation site that dates back thousands of years. It is evidence of a great salt industry and trade that stretch all over the region. Further downstream, one comes across lake Gorge and Lake Edward both separated by the Kazinga channel. Here one can go spot fishing on a canoe and get a chance of fishing some rare species like tilapia and Nile perch. It is at the edge of these lakes that one enters Uganda’s second biggest Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park. Once inside the park, the huge collection of wild animals will parade before you in their nature habitats some stopping to stare at the intruder with curiosity. The Queen Elizabeth is a majestic expression of the meaning of the word safari, that Swahili word now adopted by the English language to mean travel. At Mweya Safari Lodge, you will rest and eat like a royal as the beauty of Africa unfolds in front of you.
