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Tourism Uganda

Uganda Wildlife
Authority

April 2010

In the first edition of Great Lakes Safaris Newsletter 2010 we will share the latest news about direct flights from the USA to Ethiopia and other African destinations, update you about the coming tourism fairs where Great Lakes Safaris will be present, reveal which celebrities and TV companies have visited Uganda recently and much more...!

In this month's newsletter:

Uganda featured by Ethiopian Airlines
Tourism fairs in Europe
Uganda in the spotlights
Visit Great Lakes Safaris at INDABA & IMEX
Discover Uganda!
Permits availability
Safari testimonial

1. Uganda featured by Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines is one Africa's largest airlines, serving 56 destinations around the world. From June 2010, Ethiopian Airlines will launch a new daily passenger flight between Washington Dulles International Airport and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. Scheduled for seven times a week, with both morning and evening departures, this new direct flight to Addis Ababa offers seamless connections to 35 other African destinations, including Uganda. For more information about timetables, additional flight services and special web fares please visit the website of Ethiopian Airlines.

Apart from the direct flights from the USA to Ethiopia and convenient connections to other African destinations, Ethiopian Airlines Journeys has also decided to expand its vacation packages. In partnership with Great Lakes Safaris, Ethiopian Airlines now offers a wide variety of safari packages in Uganda, including:
        Unforgettable Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi National Park
        Wildlife viewing and relaxing Nile cruises in Murchison Falls National Park
        Exciting chimpanzee tracking in the African jungle of Kibale National Park
        Adventure and amazing scenery in Queen Elizabeth National Park

These special Uganda Safari Packages were featured in the January Newsletter as well as on their website. For more details about the tour packages and detailed day to day programs, please visit Ethiopian Airlines Journeys.

2. Tourism fairs in Europe
In the past three months, our representatives from Great Lakes Safaris made a visit to Europe and attended different tourism exhibitions. The international tourism fairs included the Vakantiebeurs in Utrecht, FITUR in Madrid and TUR in Gothenburg. Especially in Spain, Uganda was well represented by a delegation of 14 individual tour operators, the Ugandan Tourism Board and the Minister of Tourism, Honorable Serapio Rukundo, himself.

We would like to thank everyone who visited our stand at the different shows and we hope to see you in Uganda this year! And if you did not have the opportunity to personally meet us in Europe, just send an email and we will let you know where you can find us during the next exhibitions!

3. Uganda in the spotlights
During the last months, Uganda has been repeatedly visited by journalists and TV companies from different countries in the world. Great Lakes Safaris was honoured to host some of these international media representatives and introduce them to the beauty of the Pearl of Africa.

Visitors included the German journalist Helmut Eckler, writing for Auto Touring, and the TV company filming for "Viajeros", a Spanish travelers program. They both visited some of the national parks and tracked the Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi National Park. Also the Spanish journalist and author Francisco Seivane, writing for the largest newspaper in Spain, was hosted at Simba Safari Camp and Primate Lodge Kibale. His experiences in Uganda can be read in Ocho Leguas, the travel section of El Mundo. His footsteps were followed by the famous Spanish TV personality Pepe Navarro, who made a safari with us in March. And finally, Great Lakes Safaris was chosen to host the Asia Business Channel (ABC) on their introductory trip to find suitable venues for their next filming project. From May 2010, this Asia's premiere production company will start filming in Uganda, including the Source of the Nile and the chimpanzees in Budongo Forest Reserve.

Thanks to increased media attention, Uganda will hopefully soon receive the publicity which it deserves as one of the top safari destinations!

4. Visit Great Lakes Safaris at INDAB & IMEX
Visit Great Lakes Safaris at INDABA in Durban! From 8-11 May 2010 we will be present at Africa's largest travel trade show. Showcasing the widest variety of Southern Africa's best tourism products, this fair attracts thousands of international visitors and media from across the world. INDABA 2010 will be held at the International Convention Centre and the Durban Exhibition Centre.

Apart from INDABA, we will also be present at IMEX from 25th till 27th May 2010. Great Lakes Safaris is the proud winner of the Wild Card and therefore will be representing Uganda in Frankfurt, Germany. IMEX is one of the major exhibitions for Meetings and Incentive Travel, representing over 3,500 exhibitors from 157 countries. Read more about IMEX and Great Lakes Safaris presence...

Interested in meeting Great Lakes here? Contact us for an appointment!

5. Discover Uganda!
"You don't have to be a National Geographic explorer to get close to Africa's endangered mountain gorillas. Travelers to Uganda can observe families of mountain gorillas and chimpanzees in their natural habitats. Primate safaris are becoming increasingly popular and travelers rave about the experience.
"I am so glad that I got the chance to see the beautiful gorillas and would be quick to say yes to going back and seeing them again and again!" writes American expat and blogger Alexandra Roosenburg.
Primates are Uganda's most popular tourist draw but the country has more to offer than the great apes..."

This is the beginning of the article "Discover Uganda: Meet mountain gorillas and chimpanzees on a primate safari" written by Leslie Koch. She is an American freelance writer specializing in adventure travel.

Read here the full article and discover what Uganda is all about!

6. Permits availability
For 2010 and even next year we still have permits available. Thus if you want to track the mountain gorillas on any of the following dates, you are guaranteed of a permit!
       03 June 2010               3 permits available
       05 June 2010               3 permits available
       16 July 2010                2 permits available
       24 July 2010                4 permits available
       11 August 2010            6 permits available
       30 August 2010            6 permits available
       12 August 2011            4 permits available
       20 August 2011            4 permits available
      
Permits can be booked in combination with a tour to other national parks, completely adapted to your wishes. But book early as competition is high!

7. Safari testimonial
In partnership with Go2Africa, Great Lakes Safaris hosted travelers Priya Kuladeva and Ruben Gamoo in January 2010. This is how they reflect their safari:
"Thank you for giving us a wonderful time in Uganda and Rwanda (the gorillas). It was a beautiful experience and we will never forget our close encounters with the primates. Never in my life did we think that we would be able to see the chimps up close and witness the silverback in the manner that we did. We highly recommend Gerald (our driver and naturalist) as he was very good with us and went out of his way to make our journey memorable.

The chimp habituation is the best way to observe the chimps as they are in the wild and you get to see them on the ground, and be with them. The chimp track does not always guarantee a close up. The Travellers Lodge is a great place to stay, Lake Mburo is a beautiful place and Ishasha... wow... that was nice... especially to find a flushing toilet in the bush. Thanks again!"