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Gorilla Highlands about
to launch new tourist experience
September 21, 2014
Miha Logar, and his team of Gorilla Highlands fame, is
in the process of launching yet another tourism
activity, named ‘Batwa Today’ which focuses, as the name
suggests, on the culture and lifestyle of the Batwa
people, a tribe which lives in the border triangle of
Uganda, Congo and Rwanda.
Following a
series of feature articles a year ago about a visit
to Uganda’s Southwest, the area from Kabale via
Kisoro to Mt. Mgahinga and from Lake Mutanda, home
to the famous Chameleon Hill Lodge, on to Nkuringo
and across the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, added
much interest in this part of Uganda.
Since then,
Edirisa Canoe Trekking gained popularity and as a
result it was possible to add more features for
tourists coming to the Southwest of the country to
gain a grassroots experience and see what life in
rural Africa is really like. The program is
currently a working document, but it still gives an
insight of what visitors can expect to become
reality in October this year, when the latest
innovation by Miha Logar and his team finally
launches.
Edirisa is a multimedia and
ecotourism social enterprise that specialises in
the remote regions of
the
Gorilla
Highlands. Our pro-poor mission
focuses on cultural self-respect of indigenous
peoples and provides authentic experiences away
from the beaten trail.
We have worked
with Batwa
“Pygmies” for over a decade. We are
trying to come up with
creative tourism
solutions that benefit their
communities and help visitors better understand
and appreciate their rich culture and
challenging present.
Batwa
Today is a result of
more than
one year of preparations. In 2012
we got to know
Kanusu, a great Batwa guide
who started to take our trekkers through
Echuya Forest Reserve on
multi-day
treks.
A year later,
at the request of Studiosus Reisen from
Germany, we were introduced to his
people at
Rwamahano nearEchuya
Forest Reserve and began to
closely cooperate with them, impressed by
their dedication to bettering their
situation. Visitors’ response has been
extremely positive and Rwamahano has become
our preferred destination and a model for
other communities.
UGANDA: JAPAN ADDS TAFAALI ON KASUBI
ROOFING
BY ANDREW KAGGWA, 19 MAY 2014
Speaking at the launch of the re-thatching of Muzibu
Azaala Mpanga, an ancestral Buganda kings burial
building on Wednesday, Japan's ambassador to Uganda,
Junzo Fujita pledged his country's continued support
to the development of Uganda in line with the Vision
2040.
He said he hopes the two countries can work together
to boost and conserve Uganda's trade, culture and
tourism. On Kasubi tombs, the ambassador noted that
since the Japanese traditionally lived in
straw-thatched houses, they have over time developed
the human resource capability required to maintain
traditional architecture.
"That's why Japanese architects are here; they have
been studying Uganda's re-thatching techniques in
order to reconstruct and protect this precious world
heritage for the future," he said.
On March 16, 2010, the Kasubi tombs main building
was razed by fire and later declared a world
heritage site in danger by Unesco. With Japanese
partnership, firefighting equipment have been
installed in and around the refurbished Muzibu
Azaala Mpanga.
In addition, a Japanese team has embarked on
training thatchers at Wamala tombs in Wakiso
district. Since the incident in 2010, the site has
gone through major transformation. A brick perimeter
wall has replaced the original reeds fence.
Jonathan Nsubuga, the lead architect, said
reconstruction had delayed due to lack of
understanding of heritage ethos by the locals. He
said some wanted the reconstruction completed within
six months without realizing the dangers that would
have on its future.
At the moment, the site is ready for thatching and
that culturally has to be done by people from the
Ngeye clan. According to Kaddu Kiberu, chairman of
the reconstruction committee, thatching will start
on June 1.
Japan's Shs 1.5bn contribution to this cause
involves rehabilitating the other houses at the
site, as well as documenting the reconstruction
phases which they think will help, in case
thekingdom or country wish to build more thatched
structures like that.
Ugandan
Communities
(Much more to
come)
 Entebbe
Town
Entebbe
International Airport With a population of 90,500,
the majority of Entebbe's residents are civil
servants for government ministries. Others make
their livelihood through agriculture, fishing,
producing consumer goods, or through small-scale
industry. The primary languages are English and
Lugandan.
Kampala, The
Capital City of Uganda
Kampala, the
capital city of Uganda is spread over ten hills and
derives its name from a kiganda expression "kasozi
k'empala, "the hill of antelopes." The origins of
the Kampala city go back to 1891 the when Kabaka of
Buganda had his court on Rubaga and Mengo
hills.
The town that
grew up achieved municipal status in 1950 and
became a city' in 1962. Today, as you stand on the
hills, the City' provides magnificent evergreen
trees, gently disrupted by red-tiled villas, green
iron-roofed bungalows, as well as taller modern
city profiles that give way to attractive views of
the surrounding country side and nearby Lake
Victoria.
The City has
retained its traditional charm, and remains the
greenest in Africa. But today Kampala is the heart
of Uganda. The centre of commercial life and the
seat. of government. It is a vibrant modern
metropolis adorned with gardens and parks providing
colorful oases for its citizens and visitors alike,
Hotel facilities range from the best international
hotels, with state-of-the-art conference
facilities, to accommodation for the more
budget-minded. The broad range of cultures in
Uganda is also reflected in the wide choice of
restaurants in the City, all featuring the
wonderful produce of the fertile country side anid
fish-filled lakes.
Jinja
Town
Nile Resort
Hotel, Jinja Jinja is a major commercial centre and
the second largest city in Uganda. It is located
80km east of Kampala and sits on the banks of Lake
Victoria at the source of the River
Nile.
While primarily
an industrial town, Jinja is a good center for
exploring this central part of Uganda. Surrounding
Jinja is prime agricultural country with extensive
plantations of sugar cane and tea.
Nile Resort
complex is the most recent addition to the
accommodation facilities in Jinja offering
excellent ambience right on the source of the
Nile.
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