Uganda sustainable tourism in corridors to control human-wildlife conflicts “Elephants”

Elephants at Murchison Falls National Park, Elephants from South Sudan have destroyed crops in Adjumani. Wildlife officials in Uganda say the animals could have escaped to Uganda following a dry spell in the neighboring country.

The Uganda Wildlife Authority officials are battling a herd of elephants that crossed from South Sudan in Nimule National Park to villages of Pagirinya and Mukoyoro in Adjumani District. The elephants have from last week been razing acres of crops in the country. South Sudan is usually dry towards the end of the year.

“Elephants make long treks from Sudan to Uganda and back in search of pasture every year and these places are known wildlife corridors but the increasing population has prompted people to settle in the corridors that has caused a serious human-wildlife conflict,” Ms Lillian Nsubuga, the Uganda Wildlife Authority public relations manager, said last week.

Response

She said from the time the elephants crossed last week; they dispatched a team to drive them from people’s gardens. “Efforts are under way to drive them towards River Unyama where there no communities that are not an easy thing because elephants cannot be chased like cows. Rangers either fire in air or use chili to disperse the elephants hiding in bushy places that cannot be achieved easily,” Ms Nsubuga added.

Mr. Tom Okello Obong, the Murchison Falls Conservation Area manager, said many parts of northern Uganda are remote and filled with bushes that make it easy for elephants to hide in the bushes yet gardens are far apart and surrounded by big bushes. She said people should cultivate near areas where elephants fear going and respect wildlife corridors.

Rwenzori get another nature walk in Muhoma

The Rwenzori Mountains National Park recognized as a Unesco World Heritage Site now has four trails and two nature walks, with the creation of the Muhoma trail, which is targeted at tourists interested in shorter trails.

While the Rwenzori Mountains are a sight to behold, not many tour operators put them on their itinerary because it usually takes more than a week to enjoy a trail walk on any of the slopes. However, with the new Muhoma trail, tourists can enjoy a bit of the mountains in one to three days only.

“I want to say that I’m just discovering Uganda, but this is a place I have to come back to,” said Rebecca Carter, who works with USAID/Uganda. She added, “It is good the communities are benefiting from the tourism industry as they are taught to conserve the environment.”

Carter was talking about a new short trail, the Muhoma and the Geolodges’ Equator Snow lodge at Rwenzori Mountains National Park in Kasese District.

Getting to the trail

Sounds of River Nyamwamba greet your ears at this new tourist attraction that opened in August. Cater was excited after she trekked through the new trail.

The place can be reached about 10kms on Kasese-Fort Portal road, after which one branches left at Kasanyarazi and ascends 12kms on a dirt road, which is still under rehabilitation.

Muhoma Nature Trail was built by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) using funds from USAID Sustainable Tourism in the Albertine Rift (Star) project and is the latest product in the national park.

The trail, that lets visitors enjoy one-to-three-day walks, traverses the lower slopes of the mountains up to Lake Muhoma, where the trail joins the existing Central Circuit trail.

About the trail

This is the fourth trail and the second nature walk in the national park tucked in western Uganda. The other trails include the Central Circuit, run by Rwenzori Mountaineering Services (RMS), Kilembe, run by Rwenzori Trekking Services (RTS), and Kazingo Nature Walk trail, which has been the only trail open to all tour operators since the other trails are privately run. UWA manages the new trail and is open to all tour operators.

“The concessional trails are limited to contracted companies, but the new trail is open to anybody. You don’t need to go through a third party to use it,” said Fredrick Kizza, the park’s senior warden.

“This shorter trail is an opportunity for those clients with limited time. Because of the long time needed to climb the mountain, most tourist operators leave out Rwenzori,” he added.

The Rwenzori are a world-class hiking and mountaineering destination, which were recently voted among the world’s best hiking sites. The world heritage site is well known for its extraordinary flora and different vegetation zones. However, the mountain continues to struggle to attract tourists.

According to Kizza, in 2000, the park attracted a paltry 600 visitors. This number has since grown to 2,300, according to last year’s statistics. Kizza says the park has already attracted 2,285 visitors since January, a figure that is expected to shoot to 3,000 by the end of the year.

Attractions beyond the trail

With better facilities, the numbers are bound to go even higher. Geolodges have opened up their fourth lodge, the Equator Snow Lodge in Rwenzori Mountains National Park.

“We hope that the addition of these new tourism facilities and the trail will help to boost tourism to the mountains, increasing revenues for the people of the region as well as supporting UWA and Eco trust in their ongoing conservation efforts.

USAID-Star with support from US Forest Service, and in partnership with Eco trust, UWA and Geolodges, also boosted the lodge with the construction of an information centre at a cost of $100,000 (approximately Shs260m).

The centre is a multi-function facility next to the park, providing information and services for visitors to be able to learn more about the park and the mountain, its people and their culture.

Jinja City and Cultural Tour

Jinja City Tour
Jinja is the second largest town in Uganda, Africa. It is the second busiest commercial center in the country, after Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city. Jinja lies in southeastern Uganda, approximately 54 miles (87 km), by road, east of Kampala. The town is located on the shores of Lake Victoria, near to the source of the Nile River. Jinja is the largest metropolitan area in Jinja District, and is considered the capital of the Kingdom of Busoga. While on this excursion visit places like Ssezibwa falls, Mabira Forest Reserve, Source of the Nile, Bujagali falls and encounter experiences like white water rafting, bungee jumping, Kayaking among others.
Option 1:
After your breakfast, leave your hotel of residence and drive eastern Uganda with en-route stopover at Ssezibwa falls a human born river, from the guide of this site you will experience the story telling of Ssezibwa falls and after go for nature walk and mountain hike. Thereafter drive to Jinja but before take another break at Mabira forest for an Eco-nature walk to spot wildlife and bird species rare from other site that is the “Nathan Francolin”. Spend an evening at the source of the Nile. Drop at your lodge. Meal plan: H/B
Option 2:
After breakfast, embark our vehicle and drive to Kangulumira the starting point of white water rafting and this experience is life time memory adventure. Return to lodge for lunch and after afternoon participate in bungee jumping. After drive back to Kampala for dinner and overnight at your lodge or transfer to airport for your return flight back home. Meal plan: H/B
The inclusions:
Accommodations and meals as per itinerary
Visit Mabira forest and Ssezibwa falls
Water rafting
Bungee jumping
Visit source of Nile and Bujagali falls
En-route lunch
Exclusions:
The expenses of personal nature like: Air fare, Visa, Luxury drinks, laundry, tips to local guides, telephone, and porter fee while trekking, personal insurance, personal shopping bills and cigarettes.

Kampala City and Cultural Tour

Kampala City Tour
Kampala is Uganda’s capital and largest city. Just like the legendary city of Rome, Kampala is known as the city of seven hills (Rubaga, Namirembe, Kibuli, Mengo, Nakasero and Kololo. While on this excursion visit to places like Uganda museum, Bahai Temple, Kibuli Mosque, National Theater, Namirembe Cathedral, Rubaga Cathedral, Nakasero market, Crafts villages, Owino Market, Kasubi Tombs, Naggalabi Coronation site Buddo, Wamala Tombs, Kabaka’s Lake, Mengo palace and Uganda martyrs Shrine Namugongo.
 Trip
From your hotel of residence meet our safari guide who will take you for the tour a round Kampala City. Originally built on seven hills, Kampala has grown to cover quite a number of beautiful hills. You will visit the National Theatre and Uganda museum to look at creative local arts and crafts provided by the different cultures of Uganda. We drive to BahaiTemple passing via Makerere University, the oldest institution of higher learning in Uganda; we then visit the Namugongo Shrine, the burial grounds for the Uganda martyrs. Proceed to Kabaka’s Lake for a close look at the largest man made excavated lake in Africa for birding viewing, butterfly watching and scenic viewing. Spend an evening enjoying African night life at Thaetre Labonita or with Ndere cultural trouple. Return to lodge for Dinner and overnight. Meal plan: H/B
Includes:
Transportation by safari vehicle
En-route lunch
Visit cultural sites
Entrance fees
Driver allowances
Night club entertainment
Exclusions:
The expenses of personal nature like: Air fare, Visa, Luxury drinks, laundry, tips to local guides, telephone, and porter fee while trekking, personal insurance, personal shopping bills and cigarettes.

Uganda Safaris and Tours

Uganda’s nature endowment and safari attractions has been awarded with a ‘The pearl of Africa’ unlike other countries. Uganda is a beautiful country, only recently discovered as a top safari destination with mountain gorilla safaris as the leading attraction in the country.
Book a Uganda safari with East African Expeditions and find out the safari attraction the country has to offer.
Mountain Rwenzori the highest mountain-range of Africa, Lake Victoria the largest lake,
the great savannas of Kenya and Tanzania and the vast tropical rainforests of  DR Congo and Rwanda. Uganda offers the best, right from the moment you land at the International Air port (Entebbe) with views of Lake Victoria.  Uganda is where the East Savannah meets the West African Jungle. Animals to observe in the impossibly lush country include, mountain gorilla safaris in Bwindi, Primates safaris, Birding safaris, Monkeys (Black and White Colobus Monkeys, Red-tailed Monkeys, Patas Monkeys, Blue Monkeys), Elephants, Lions, Buffaloes, Leopards, Giraffes, Zebras, Hyenas, Warthogs, Hippos and Crocodiles and many more.
There is more to see in Uganda than wildlife and culture safaris: The source of the mighty Nile alluded to hazily in the ancient writing of Ptolemy with white water rafting as the leading safari adventure attraction in Jinja and bungee jumping.  The leading safari parks are:-Murchison falls as the largest protected area for wildlife and game viewing safaris with its palm –studded grass land supporting dense lion population, Uganda kob, giraffes, pattas Monkeys, chimpanzee and other wild animals. Queen Elizabeth National park safari offering prime grazing to buffalo, antelopes, elephants, bird species on Kazinga channel, and other mammals like the jiang hogs, tree climbing lion safaris. There are the snow-capped mountains of the Rwenzori, and the Virunga Volcanoes and Mount Elgon, both with a lot of hiking opportunities through beautiful scenery. Uganda has a few beautiful big lakes like Lake Victoria and Lake Bunyonyi. And apart from that, Uganda has the reputation as ‘Africa’s Friendliest Country’, with the tradition of hospitality and a remarkably low level of crime and hassle directed at tourists. The official language of Uganda is English and the currency is Ugandan Shilling (USh). The land is 236.580 sq. kilometers, with a population of 24.5 million.
Uganda is a tropical country and much of it lies on the African plateau between 900-1,500 meters above sea level. This gives Uganda a nice tropical climate, with temperatures averaging between 21 and 27 degrees Celsius during the day and between 12 and 18 degrees Celsius at night. The hottest months are from December to February, with 27 to 29 degrees Celsius. The rainy seasons are from April to May and October to November.
Uganda is well watered and fertile; almost 25% of the country is covered with water. Lake Victoria is shared by Uganda with Kenya and Tanzania. Lake Albert, Lake Edward and Lake George lie on the border with Congo (DRC). At Jinja, Owen Falls is regarded as the source of the Nile.