UGANDA SUSPENDS PRIMATE TOURISM AND RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN ITS PROTECTED AREAS.

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 and confirmed cases, Uganda through Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has suspended primate tourism and research activities in the protected areas to help contain the COVID-19. The management of UWA has therefore assessed the present situation at hand and has listed some of the key measures to assist safeguard the country’s wildlife heritage and they include among others;

Ø  Primate tourism and research activities across all protected areas have been temporarily suspended till 30^th April 2020.

Ø  Primate filming has been put on hold till 30^th April 2020.

Ø  Trackers will be availed with essential PPE so as to avoid disseminating any likely infections to the primates.

Ø  Commercial motorcycles including boda boda and bicycles are not allowed in protected areas.

Ø  An internal COVID-19 task force has been formed to work closely with the National Task Force and update as well as guide management on daily developments in the containment of the spread of COVID-19 and its implications to wildlife conservation and tourism in the conservation areas.

Ø  The management has also relaxed rescheduling of gorilla and chimpanzee tracking. Tour operators/agents are free to reschedule tracking permits for a maximum of 2 times till 30^th March 2022. This applies to even tour operators who reserved with 30 percent down payment. The move is aimed at offering tour operators and visitors more flexibility to avoid cancellation of tours which have already been reserved.

Ø  All staff have been advised to be vigilant, wash hands thoroughly with soap or alcohol based solutions, keep social distance to limit spread or contracting COVID-19.

WHAT IS TOURISM IN UGANDA LIKE?

When it comes to top African tourist destinations, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe usually feature on top-list. Interestingly, Uganda shouldn’t be left out because there is a lot more to explore and experience unique from the rest of safari destinations. Tourism in Uganda is largely based on nature.

Tourists on Uganda tour are presented with great opportunity to enjoy the unique art and craft, dances, music performances and also indulge into the pristine wilderness areas-national parks, wildlife reserves, tropical rain-forests and many more. The magnificent safari parks to expect to visit in Uganda include Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Semuliki National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Mount Elgon National Park and Rwenzori Mountains National Park.

Safari activities to do in Uganda

Game viewing

Tourism in Uganda largely revolves around wildlife viewing. Game viewing in the pearl of Africa is remarkably one of the best and exciting ways to uncover the hidden treasures in this magical country. On a game viewing tour in Uganda, visitors get a chance to explore various tourist sites including among others Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park and Lake Mburo National Park.

Game viewing in Uganda lets you sight diverse wildlife species including lions plus tree climbing lions which dwell in Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park; African bush elephants, buffaloes, leopards, the Rothschild giraffes, zebras, antelopes, birds, primates to mention but a few.

Game viewing in Uganda

Mountain gorilla trekking tours also make Uganda a unique tourism destination. The iconic tourist sites to visit to trek to see endangered mountain gorillas are Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Approximately half of all the 1063 mountain gorillas live in Uganda thus making it an unusual gorilla tracking destination.

Mountain gorillas

Birding

Uganda hosts an estimate of 1080 distinct bird species and this makes it an ideal birding tour destination. The top birds to sight on bird watching trip here include the great blue turaco, Shelley’s crimson wings, African green broad bill, black breasted barbet, bar tailed trogon, papyrus gonolek, shoe bill stork, Doherty’s Bush shrike, saddle billed stork, pelicans, flamingos to mention but a few.

Shoe bill stork

The leading birding destinations in Uganda include Murchison Falls National Park, Semliki National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Budongo Forest, Mabamba Swamp and many more.

Boat cruise

Boat cruise in Uganda lets you view basking crocodiles, hippos, water birds plus several wildlife species. The best places to visit for launch cruise in Uganda include Queen Elizabeth National Park along Kazinga Channel which joins between Lake George and Lake Edward, Murchison Falls National Park along the Victoria Nile to the bottom of Murchison Falls. Other places include Lake Mburo National Park, Lake Victoria and many more.

Boat cruise in Murchison Falls National Park

Mountaineering

Tourism in Uganda also presents tourists opportunity to embark on mountaineering adventures. These are basically challenging adventure experiences for hikers in need to challenge themselves. The best places to go for hiking or mountaineering in Uganda include Rwenzori Mountain ranges, Mount Gahinga, Mount Elgon, Mount Muhabura and Mount Sabyinyo.

Mountaineering in Rwenzori Mountains

MISHAYA GORILLA FAMILY GETS A BABY GORILLA

The Mishaya gorilla family gets a baby gorilla. March has been a blessed month of 2020 for the tourism and conservation fraternity as the Mishaya gorilla group welcomes its newly born gorilla in the Rushaga gorilla tracking region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. We congratulate mother Biretwa for adding on the number of members within the Mishaya group and the population of these endangered species which remain fewer than 1063 in the world today. Based on communication from Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), the baby and the mother were all in good health conditions.

NEWBORN GORILLA AND MOTHER

Mishaya gorilla is a habituated gorilla group which is open for tourists on Uganda gorilla tracking safari to track in the Rushaga region of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. It makes up part of the 20 habituated gorilla families in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and tracking it rewards trekkers with astonishing experiences. This gorilla family is a product of the Nshongi gorilla group and it split away in July, 2010. 

Originally, it was headed by Mishaya Silverback who broke away with 8 members to begin his own family. It consisted of Mize a juvenile, Mwiza baby, Bakunzi, Rutaro, Mishaya Silverback. The group has so far expanded to 12 members with the newly born gorilla. In the Rushaga region, visitors can also track habituated gorilla groups like Nshongi, Kutu, Bweza, Mucunguzi, Busingye, Rwingi, Kahungye and Bikingi.

Where to stay in Rushaga sector

Tourists on gorilla tracking safari in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park can spend a night in accommodation options like Ichumbi Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Gorilla Safari Lodge, Mutanda Lake Resort, Gorilla Valley Lodge.

How to get to Rushaga sector

Rushaga region is reachable by road or by air. Travelers can commence their journeys from Entebbe or Kampala via Masaka-Mbarara- Kabale/Kisoro to Rushaga area-southern sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This is a 9-10 hours’ drive journey from Entebbe/Kampala.

WHAT ABOUT GORILLA TREKKING BRIEFING

Gorilla trekking briefing in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) offers insight into what you expect on your actual gorilla trek. It is the first thing to be done at park headquarters before you set off to search for mountain gorillas or the Eastern lowland gorillas in the wild. Gorilla trekking briefing lets you to know the set gorilla trekking guidelines or safety measures. It begins takes place between 7:00am and 8:00am.

Gorilla trekking safety measures that will be briefed to you include washing your hands prior to trekking mountain gorillas in any park of your choice, a maximum of 8 visitors is allowed to trek 1 habituated gorilla family, keep a distance of 7 meters away from mountain gorillas, only 1 hour is given to visitors to strike their imaginations with gorillas, keep your voices low at all times, bury all your wastes as directed by the park ranger guide, stay within your group that you left with after briefing, no smoking, eating or drinking in the presence of gorillas, leave the gorilla habitat the way you got it or better, no flashlight cameras are allowed when taking pictures of mountain gorillas-you can turn it off before taking photos, do not go to trek gorillas in case you are sick. Mountain gorillas share 98% of their DNA with humans which makes them very susceptible to human infectious diseases.

Where gorilla trekking briefing is conducted

Gorilla trekking briefing is conducted in respective gorilla park headquarters. In Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, briefing is done in Buhoma, Ruhija area, Nkuringo and Rushaga sector. In Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, it is done in Ntebeko Visitor Center. In Volcanoes National Park, briefing is conducted at Kinigi park headquarters and in the Virunga National Park at Kibati Patrol Station.

What else is done during briefing

After briefing, the park official will put you in a group of 8 trekkers. Each group will be assigned to one habituated family.

With a valid passport, it is on gorilla trekking briefing date that you will be verified.  Note, only persons above 15 years are allowed trek gorillas in Volcanoes National Park in Northwestern Rwanda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga National Park in Southwestern Uganda and Virunga National Park in Eastern DR Congo. 

HOW TO BOOK GORILLA PERMITS IN UGANDA 2020

Gorilla permits are a must-have to every trekker if he or she is to be allowed to trek mountain gorillas. They are issued by respective conservation organs where gorilla trekking is conducted. In Uganda-mountain gorilla trekking is done in Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in the southwest and Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is an organ responsible issuing gorilla permits; in Rwanda, gorilla treks are done in Volcanoes National Park which is set in the Northern Province and Rwanda Development Board (RDB) is the agency responsible issuing gorilla permits and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, treks to see mountain gorillas are done in the Virunga National Park and gorilla permits are issued by park authorities.

Persons above 15 years are considered eligible to purchase gorilla permits in Uganda Rwanda and DRC. Each gorilla permit lets you trek only one habituated family with only and Uganda alone is comprised of 21 habituated gorilla groups, Rwanda 10 gorilla families and DRC has 8 habituated families. Each gorilla family is trekked by 8 visitors and on finding mountain gorillas, you have only an hour of magical encounter.

How you can book a gorilla permit in Uganda

To book gorilla permits in Uganda, you can get in touch with a reliable tour operator or directly with reservation team at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). The procedure is the same as noted below. Get in touch with reservation team of a tour operator you plan to deal with or reservation team at UWA.

The tour operator you choose to deal with will cross check to find out availability of dates you intend to go trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

After, the reservation team will then get back to you.Your details should be submitted to tour operator or reservation team at UWA.

You will be required to book your permit early enough however, you will to make a deposit of 30 percent and the rest can be cleared within 91 days to actual gorilla trek.

Payments should be made through account details given to you by tour operator or reservation at UWA. Note, after payment or deposit the tour operator will be in position to secure or book for you the permit.

Reserving a gorilla permit through tour operator is simpler than doing it directly with UWA since the process is tedious. Doing it directly means, you do it yourself unlike dealing with our reservation team where we take charge to go through the entire process as you sit back home. On actual trek, we deliver your receipts/permit that you will present to park authorities before briefing. It should also be noted that 80% of all the gorilla permits are given to only members of Association of Uganda Tour Operators (AUTO) which gets you higher chance to find one if you booked in advance.

How much are gorilla permits

The cost of gorilla permits differs from one gorilla destination to another. In Uganda, gorilla permits cost $600 per person-for foreign non-residents, $500-for foreign residents, shs 250000 for East African residents. It should be noted that starting 1^st July, 2020, each gorilla permit in Uganda will be obtainable at $700 for foreign non-residents, $600 for foreign residents and shs.250000 for the East African citizens. For visitors who may wish to spend more hours with mountain gorillas, Uganda also offers you a chance to embark on gorilla habituation experience and permits for this unique experience can be obtained at $1500 per person-for foreign non-residents, $1000-for foreign residents and shs 750000 for East African residents. Trekking gorillas in Uganda is only done in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park where nearly half of all the 1063 mountain gorillas thrive.