Uganda Tours, Uganda Safaris, Gorilla Safari News , Uganda Travel & safari

RVR to take over Kenya-Uganda railways

After getting funds needed to start operations the rift valley railways consortium will take over the Uganda-Kenya railways on November 1.

This was said by Finance minister Dr. Ezra Suruma at the signing of the Direct Agreements between RVR, the governments of Uganda and Kenya and its financiers the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Germany’s KfW at Serena Kampala Hotel yesterday.

According to the pact, RVR will immediately acquire $88m to start operations. RVR is to provide $24m equity, while the IFC and KfW will each lend $32m or $64m.

Seruma ascerted that his signing of the pact was an assurance that was required for these funds to be released.

This railway transport once uplifted will lead to an improvement in transpor and hence development of the tourism industry.

By Tanah Hadijah

Uganda Safari News

The Commonwealth Secretariat team has surveyed a number of hotel and conference facilities in Entebbe and Kampala to check on whether they match with the desired standards the forth coming common wealth summit.

After this survey, Joel Kibazo, the Commonwealth Secretariat spokesman said that he was satisfied with the approval that Uganda should host the commonwealth summit to come.

This team examined facilities at Serena Hotel and the International Conference Centre where the opening ceremony will take place. They also toured the venues for the Heads of state retreat and they acknowledged that they were superb and could blend with international standards.

Other associates were deputy head of conference Lorna Mclaren, head of public affairs Manoah Esipisu, civil society liaison chief David Kalete and special adviser on political affairs Syed Sharfuddin. They were scheduled to meet President Yoweri Museveni last night.

A total of 53 heads of government, including Queen Elizabeth, who is the titular head of the Commonwealth, will attend the biennial meeting.

By Tanah Hadijah

Uganda Safari

UWA has signed a supervision and management pact with the people neighboring the Rwenzori National Park.

The concord intends to create a cordial affiliation between the fauna and flora in the park and the people along the boundary, together with the senior park warden.

Once this pact and its terms are achieved, Uganda will be able to protect its beauty from exploration and hence a good advantage to Uganda’s tourism industry.

By TANAH HADIJAH

Uganda safari news

During a re-branding of launch of Balton Uganda, Speke Resort Munyonyo’s public health manager, Duncan Kagwa said that Balton, a British firm dealing in agriculture, communication and public health equipment, will spray the Speke Resort Munyonyo and its neighbourhood to prepare it for CHOGM.

He added that the place will be malaria-free before the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).

He also said that CHOGM visitors anticipate a malaria- free hotel and spraying
will protect it from malaria parasites.

He explained that for out door they are using a larvicide called Mosquiron 100. It has a residual effect of 108 days in natural environment and stagnant water.

These are safe alternatives to DDT,” Kagwa added that these are safer alternatives as compared to DDT

Recently, the hotel completed expansion of 120 rooms that were added on to the existing 215, hence making it the biggest hotel in Uganda.

In Uganda, every one is preparing for this meeting and it is anticipated to increase on Uganda’s tourist arrivals who will make more Uganda Safaris.

BY Tanah Hadijah

Uganda Travel News

In a survey by Tourism Global Players that was carried out, Uganda has been proclaimed the third most popular tourist destination in Africa. This research measured whether products obtainable to tourists have the right price tag.

This survey measured South Africa as the topmost followed by Tunisia, Kenya sixth Tanzania seventh, Egypt was fourth, and Morocco fifth.

It allocated an index basing on the essentials available.

It even measured infrastructure and according to its assessments, Mauritius was at the top with the best infrastructure network the Egypt followed and South Africa was ranked third, Morocco fourth, Tanzania fifth and Uganda seventh

Even in technology, Mauritius was at the helm, then South Africa and Morocco, while Uganda came 4th , Egypt 5th , Kenya 6th and Tanzania
Was proclaimed the 7th.

By Tanah Hadijah

Uganda Safaris

All the communities encroaching on the national reserves and wildlife conservation areas in Uganda have been instructed to leave.

H.E Y.K.Museveni made the command in a speech which was proclaimed by the Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Information and National Guidance, Mr. Kirunda Kivejinja, to visitors and notables at the opening of the northern gateway of Wangkwar-Chobe into the Murchison Falls National Park, which is located 18 km along Karuma-Pakwach Path.

In a speech the president said that encroachment by agriculturalists on Mt. Elgon must stop and the Basongora patralists must be relocated from Queen Elizabeth National Park. He added that grazing in Semliki Wildlife Reserve and Kidepo National Park must be checkered.

He added that the encroachment resumed after people misinterpreting his statement he made in a speech at the beginning of this year who thought he had allowed them to encroach the national reserves.

The president defended himself saying he just gave advice to higher officials not to inhumanly evict the people who happen to have settled there long time ago as a result of past bad policies which these communities misinterpreted.

He emphasized that that no cruel action towards people should be enhanced as a result of the expulsions. He said.

The president also applauded that Uganda had been named as one of the leading global players in environmental conservation because of its friendly policies and legislation. He added that these environmental gracious laws had led to the development of tourism and environmental protection in the country.

Museveni authorized the Prime Minister and responsible ministers to guarantee that encroachers are correctly resettled and forests, national parks and wildlife resources conserved for posterity.

He urged officials to sensitize people, educate them asses the affected people’s needs and ensure proper definition of the boundaries

Uganda’s tourism industry is growing so fast and once this community- park relation ship is developed, an improvement on environmental conservation will be realized and hence Uganda travel industry development

By Tanah Hadijah

Uganda safari

Operational around the clock to support their patrons and probably being one of the best hotels in the Uganda, the Sheraton Kampala Hotel has employed the Moon Vision Band from the Moroccan sandy beaches to entertain visitors from every Tuesday to Sunday at the Rhino Terrace and the Rhino Pub in the evenings.

The 11 years old band have been performing in Morocco at the prestigious hotels in Casablanca, Rabat and Marrakesh, where they spent nine years.
This idea may not be novel given the fact that a few hotels in town have taken the step long before but people have been wondering why they did not hire the local bands available in Uganda.

The duet band of Bulgarian natives, Ivan Ivanov and Sylvia Krasteva, hymns of popular R’n'B, country music and soul pop.

The Director of Foods & Beverages at the Sheraton Kwashie Gbedemah said that the band is here for the month of October as a Ramadhan Special but there is possibility that they may be in Uganda for more than one month.

This was a good sales promotion that Sheraton has enhance given the fact that many foreigners visit Sheraton. It indicates that Uganda Hotels are playing a good hospitality relation ship to clients coming from other countries for it makes them feel at home which is important for Uganda Tourism development.

By Tanah Hadijah

Uganda Travel News

The Executive Director of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, Mr Moses Mapesa, has declared another Great Apes exhibition to enhance people outlook the animals in their innate territory.

Moses Mapesa disclosed this while at the Uganda Museum in Kampala when he was addressing Journalists on Wednesday. Mapesa said the exhibitions intend to demonstrate the country’s geographical range of great apes, current data about the apes, which includes population and location. Great Apes subsist in Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga National Parks.

He also said that the since exhibition at the national Museum had ended ,UWA is going to start another great apes exhibition in two weeks to come starting with districts of Kabale, Hoima, Kiboga, Masindi, and Kabarole.

He urged all the people around that area to come for the exhibitions as they will be free of charge. Around 15160 people visited the animals in the previous exhibition that began on the 28th of June this year.

Mr Bernard Garancher, The French Ambassador to Uganda applauded Ugandan for their wild life from the great apes he had seen at the museum and he accepted that Uganda is really gifted by Nature.

It is claimed that 4 of the Great Ape species found in the world exist in Uganda.

Great Apes are wild animals that have close resemblance with human beings. They include Chimpanzees and Mountain Gorillas.

BY Tanah Hadijah

Uganda Travel News

Drivers operating with various tourist organizations have formed an association Known as The Uganda Safari drivers Association (USADA).

It was revealed that they have formed this organization in preparation for the commonwealth Heads of government meeting (CHOGM) which is due to take place in November 2007.

This association was formed by 40 drivers who had attended a three weeks course in guiding that took place at Mweya Safari Lodge the centre stage in the Queen Elizabeth national Park.

In a speech, Herbert Byaruhanga the Chairman of the driver guide association said that the association aims at promoting professionalism in the tourism guiding sector. He added that soon USADA would arrange more lessons to furnish drivers with deftness on how to manage tourists.

Presiding at the presentation of certificates, the director of operations liable to tourism in the Madhvani Group, A. R. Khan, alleged that expertizing the Uganda Safari was long late.

BY TANAH HADIJAH

Uganda safari News

A full-bodied private sector initiative is looking at Uganda tripling its tourism earnings in 10 years.

For this to happen, however, certain radical measures must be undertaken even if it means totally overhauling the tourism industry that currently employs some 25% of the population.

“Uganda’s travel and tourism industry can grow from projected total revenues of US$668.6 million in 2005 to $1.2 billion by 2015.

The national tourism competitive plan draft document said that this rise would more than gather the targets set by the Trade, tourism and industry ministry in the tourism policy.

The competitive strategy plan is backed by a dynamic group of private sector players who are largely basing their vision on the ever changing needs of the foreign traveler.
Ms M

The proprietor, Pearl of Africa Tours and Travel Ltd Ms. Kelly Mac Tavish said that a new tourist will love to know about the lifestyles of the local population what people do in their space time, the culture, and the fresh produce that we have here in Uganda as well as one of the most outstanding activists of Uganda’s tourism potential.

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni is expected to sign the Geotourism Charter, a move which will act as a stamp of approval.

It was revealed that no dates have so far been fixed for the signing, but the president’s signal of accepting to be the benefactor of the Geotourism Council symbolises support from the highest official level in the country. SCOPE (Strengthening the Competitiveness of Private Enterprises) monetarily backed the anthology of the draft charter.

It was also revealed that the motive for Uganda is to be the first to sign the charter ahead of Mozambique and Botswana, Geotourism implants the marketing of Uganda in its entirety-the people, the culture.

MacTavish the brain behind the charter applauded the charter and explained that the aim is to capitalize from the tourists visiting Uganda by tapping in at every stage of their travel, right from the airport to their hotel rooms.

She gave descriptions on how this will operate saying it includes stopping at every stage and showing, and giving descriptions as well as revealing to the traveler to the people and historical beauty of every stage of the journey of the tourist, cultures, food, even if it is his initial and final journey is for instance tracking the gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park in western Uganda to make it enjoyable to tourists.

This geotourism circuit method aims at tapping into the infinite bequest of Uganda described as the Pearl of Africa by former British Prime Minister, Mr Winston Churchill.

In this way, the community and government benefit while the tourist carries back a precious memory to his country and in turn courts his country people to visit Uganda.

The charter also aims at raising private sector investment, recognizing and targeting of niche markets as well as raising a long term plan to increase tourists from the US.

The compilation of the charter has taken about a year and has involved 3,000 volunteers including 150 people daily involved in research.

The strategy will also train the tourist’s drivers and the local community, for knowledgeable people so they can work comfortably with the foreign visitors. The community and the tourist drivers eventually become part of the circuit,’ she said.

Formerly, the tourism industry has been condemned for being too fragmented, and this policy attempts to bring about unity which will in turn move the industry and hence improving Uganda safaris.

By Tanah Hadijah

Uganda Travel News