1.
Mountain Gorilla News
As you probably know, 2009 has been declared as the "Year
of the Gorilla". With only 720 mountain gorillas left in the
world, Uganda is home to more than half of the population. Not surprisingly,
there is still a lot of movement within the gorilla families:
- The Rushegura
family, who has been moving up and down between DRC and Uganda
since a year now, has again crossed the border. Consequently,
this group can currently not be tracked by tourists, although
their movement is monitored closely.
- The Bitukura
family became available for tourism in the second part of 2008
and is now frequently visited. The group consists of thirteen
members including four silverbacks.
- The gorillas
of the Habinyanja group have recently extended their home range
and moved deeper into Bwindi Forest. While Uganda Wildlife Authority
keeps monitoring the situation, trackers may now take longer to
track and visitors to this group will start their hike earlier
in the morning.
- Uganda
Wildlife Authority has announced the launch of the Nshongi family
starting from June 2009. Permits will be sold from one month in
advance. This new gorilla group will be visited by four tourists
for the beginning, as UWA evaluates the impact before opening
fully.
2. Developments
at Primate Lodge Kibale
Since the opening almost two years ago, Primate Lodge Kibale
has received many guests, ranging from students and primate lovers,
to TV companies and experienced birders. To make sure that our guests
receive the best facilities in Kibale Forest, we have started renovating
the luxury safari tents. The grass-thatched roofs have been completely
replaced, the private verandas are reconstructed and even the bathrooms
are extended. The renovation of the eight tents is almost completed
and will ensure more comfort and quality during your stay in Kibale
Forest!
Photos of the upgraded
luxury safari tents:
Visit
our website for more information and photos...
3.
!! NEW !! 4-days Safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Being specialized in Murchison Falls Safaris for years,
Red Chilli has now launched a 4-days safari to Queen Elizabeth National
Park, in cooperation with Simba Safari Camp. With this new tour,
Red Chilli offers backpackers and other travellers the opportunity
to visit one of the most beautiful national parks in Uganda at a
very competitive price. Apart from three nights at Simba Safari
Camp, the highlights
of the safari include:
- Community Walk in the Rwenzori foothills
- Boat cruise at the Kazinga Channel
- Explosion Crater Drive
- Wildlife viewing at the Kasenyi
Plains
- Maramagambo Fores Walk
- Visit to the Amabera Caves and Crater
Lakes
The 4-days
safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park departs 3-4 times a week
from Kampala and can be booked at USD $320 per person. Special
introductory price of USD $299 per person! (valid
until the end of June)
For
more details and enquiries click here...
4.
Simba Safari Camp - Affordable luxury in the Wilderness!
Only five months after opening our new safari accommodation
in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Simba Safari Camp is becoming
extremely popular. Not only Red Chilli has chosen Simba as a perfect
gateway for their Queen Elizabeth Safari, but more and more travellers
are discovering this new pearl that combines comfort
and a fantastic location
with affordable prices.
Simba Safari Camp has a total capacity of 68 beds, including a family
cottage, twin rooms and dormitories. A variety of meals and drinks
are served in the restaurant with an adjacent bar and sitting area.
Moreover, in respect of conservation and protection of nature,
our guests are invited to plant a tree, which will be nourished
and carry their name in eternity.
Come
and leave your permanent print at Simba Safari Camp! Visit our website
for more details, enquiries and photos...
5.
E-Tourism in Kampala
Following the success of the first international E-Tourism
Conferences in Nairobi and Johannesburg last year, a two-day seminar
on Online Tourism was held on 18th and 19th May in Kampala. The
seminar was part of the E-Tourism East Africa Road Show and initiated
by Managing Director Damian Cook. It included professional training
about online travel sales, marketing and commerce, and provided
guest presentations from some of the world's leading experts in
Online Tourism, including Expedia. Not less than 150 stake holders
from the tourism sector in Uganda attended the seminar which was
coordinated by Amos Wekesa (president of Uganda Tourism Association)
and Henry Okecho (Chairman of Association of Uganda Tour Operators).
Read
more about E-Tourism in East Africa...
6.
Permits availability
For 2009
and 2010 we have 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!
20 August 2009
4 permits available
31 August 2009
4 permits available
02 October 2009
2 permits available
15 December 2009
6 permits available
31 December 2009
4 permits available
16 July 2010
6 permits
available
24 July 2010
6 permits
available
30 July 2010
8 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
Colm
Donohoe from Ireland and Iwona Borowska travelled with Great Lakes
Safaris in April 2009. This is what he says about his introduction
with the "Pearl of Af rica":
"I
just returned from Uganda over a week ago and wanted to thank GLS
for everything. We had a great time, lots of wildlife, walking and
we got to meet a lot of local people. We would definitely
recommend Great Lakes and Beki to any friends or family and most
importantly, we would really recommend Uganda. Compared particularly
to South Africa or Kenya, Uganda is much more safe and friendly.
We enjoyed the national parks more than we had experienced in Namibia
or Tanzania and had better wildlife viewing in Uganda. An extra
advantage of Uganda is the chance of lots of tracking and walking
opportunities.
I put up
a lot of my photos at www.colmdonohoe.com/uganda/home.
Thanks again and hopefully we can be back again soon."
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