1.
Our company
We
are passionate about Uganda and it is our privilege to introduce
you to the Pearl of Africa. You will be amazed by the beauty and
variety of this country and its people.
Explore
with us the heart of Africa. Search for the gorillas in Uganda and
Rwanda or marvel at the vast national parks in Kenya and Tanzania.
You will find that one visit will not be enough!
Care, professionalism
and dedication are among the core values of the company. With a
strong emphasis on personalized customer care, your safari will
be tailored to your individual needs and budget. Whether you prefer
gorilla trekking, exploring the country by a complete roundtrip
or combining Uganda with one of the other East African countries…
everything is possible!
Why Great
Lakes Safaris?
- small groups for flexibility and maximum enjoyment
- best safari guides in Uganda
- unmatched company-wide expertise
- committed to sustainable tourism and the protection
of Uganda’s natural resources
- never losing sight of the human touch and consistent
quality service
2.
Political stability
Now the presidential elections are over, peace and tranquility are
characterizing the daily life in Uganda. Re-elected with 59% of
the votes, Y. Museveni starts his third term as the president. It
was the first multiparty election held in twenty years. Since 1986,
when Museveni took over power, Uganda is a country of economic growth
and political stability. This has a strong influence on the number
of tourist arrivals. Slow but sure, people are discovering the Pearl
of Africa!
3.
Kwetu Fest - The "Peace Festival"
The Kwetu fest is a bi-annual event that has been running since
1997. The festival brings together people from different ethnicities
and nationalities to promote inter-group, interregional cooperation
and to compete with each other on performance basis.
This year the festival is based on Peace under the theme "Determined
to achieve wellbeing peacefully". From Wednesday 3rd May 2006
Ugandan groups will be competiting in singing, group dances, solo
performances and plays. The international groups - coming from Austria,
Netherlands, UK, USA, Italy and some African countries - will provide
pleasant variation by staging different items and presenting their
cultures. The festival will close on Sunday 7th May 2006 with a
great celebration in the Ndere Centre for Development Theatre. Read
more...
4.
Rwenzori celebrations: in the footsteps of the Duke
Located in the western part of Uganda, the mountain range of the
Mountains of the Moon are rising mysteriously beyond the horizon.
With the third highest peak in Africa, the Rwenzoris are a real
challenge for every adventurous mountainclimber. The historical
mountain range has been attempted to climb for centuries but it
wasn't until 1906 that the Italian Duke of Abruzzi, organized a
grand expedition and reached the top. Now in June, exactly 100 years
later, the historical climbing will be repeated as a part of the
Centenary Celebrations Rwenzori Abruzzi 2006. Read
more...
5.
Direct flight with KLM
On November 1 2005, KLM has started operating direct flights from
Amsterdam to Entebbe. After nearly thirty years, the return of the
'Flying Dutchman' has increased the accessibility of Uganda and
will offer a great boost to the tourism sector.
Every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday KLM departs Schiphol at 11.00
hrs and arrives in Entebbe at 21.05 hrs. The return flight leaves
at 22.55 hrs and arrives in Amsterdam at 06.00 hrs, making it possible
to catch a connecting flight to the rest of Europe and USA. Read
more...
6.
Gorillas in Bwindi
Although Uganda is rich in nature and culture, the country is particular
known for the endagered gorilla. The impenetrable forest of Bwindi
is home to almost half of the world's mountain gorillas. There is
no better place for observing these gentle giants from a close distance
and experience how they eat, rest and play. The gorillas in Bwindi
have been habituated since April 1993 and there are now four different
groups that can be visited:
1. Mubare - group of 9 gorillas, 1
silver back
2. Habinyanja group - group of 20
gorillas, 1 silver back
3. Rushegura group - group of 9 gorillas,
1 silver back
4. Nkuringo group - group of 20 gorillas,
2 silver backs
Since August
last year the number of available permits has increased from 6 to
8 per day per group. Yet we would like to emphasize that permits
need to be booked as early as possible (at least three months in
advance)! Especially in the months of July-August and January-February
competition is high.
7.
Permits available
For high season we have still some permits available. This
means that if you want to track the mountain gorillas on any of
the following dates, you are guaranteed of a permit!
28th July 2006
4 permits available
18th August 2006 5
permits available
24th August 2006 4
permits available
5th September 2006 6
permits available
6th September 2006 6
permits available
10th December 2006 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!
8.
Testimonial
Roland and Joke from Belgium travelled with us in December 2005.
This is what they have to say about their safari:
"We have seen everything and even more than we expected to
see in all the national parks: a leopard, lots of tree climbing
lions and even lions in Murchison NP. Having chosen for a budget
friendly arrangement, still all accommodations met with our expectations.
We certainly can advise a night at the Adrift Nile High Camp: great
atmosphere with stunning views on the Nile! The planning, made in
cooperation with the office, was very satisfying, offering a good
mix of game drives, hiking and relaxation. Many thanks for the flexibility
of giving us a second day at Lake Bunyonyi. We were also very happy
to have Martin as our guide. He was a great companion and we will
still think a lot about him when we are back in Belgium."
Meet
our guides...
From the next edition we will start with an introduction of our
safari guides. With years of experience and an extensive knowledge
of flora and fauna, these experts will make your holiday a dream
come true! Meet them all in the next issues of our Newsletter...!
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