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that small country called uganda |
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Uganda.... certainly no more than three things come to mind when talking about Uganda: Source of Nile with the Water Rafting, the tropical green nature and, of course, the gorillas.
But to say the truth, if you are a muzungu (a white person, everyone in Uganda will call you like that), probably your first question, will be: “Uganda? Is it a country somewhere in Africa, right?” This was exactly my first comment when I found out about Uganda few years ago.
Yes, Uganda is in Africa and it is in that small north-west corner of your Lonely Planet Guide of East Africa, if you are a traveller I am sure you have that guide. More precisely, Uganda is on the Equator and its borders are with Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Congo and Sudan.
So, what is so interesting about this mostly unknown country?
First of all: Uganda is beautiful!
It is a country unbelievably green, unspoiled, safe, friendly, varied and magic. You will not believe it until you get there.
From a point of view of flora and fauna, Uganda has an amazing range of endemic species, plus the majority of all species common in East Africa. There are more than 3,400 species of birds (half of Africa's bird species!), together with thousands varieties of butterflies and moths. You clearly will also find lions, even climbing lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, crocodiles, hippos, baboons, chimpanzees and, of course, the most marvellous of all animals: the Mountain Gorilla.
And what about the flora? If you are interested in trees, plants and flowers, you will be in serious trouble because the flora here is just as impressive as the fauna and any attempt to recognise or catalogue all what you see, will be certainly impossible.
Talking about beautiful sceneries, Uganda is not second to anyone in the world. Let’s take Rwenzori, called not by a chance the mountain of the moon, Murchison Falls, truly one of the natural wonders of the world and, of course, Bujagali, where the Nile starts its 6 months journey to Egypt.
Uganda is literally covered by amazing lakes, starting with Lake Victoria, the biggest lake of Africa with a myriad of beauties including Ssese Islands, a sort of secluded paradise with sand beaches and nothing else but gorgeous nature (think about the overcrowded Mombasa or Malindi in Kenya, then go to Ssese and just relax). And Lake Victoria is only one of the over 30 major lakes of Uganda. What about Lake Mburo, in the centre of the homonymous national park surrounded by zebras, antelopes and warthogs? Or Lake Bunyonyi, an enchanted place out of time, where local people will carry you across in canoes made locally from a single eucalyptus tree? Forget about using English with them, sit back and just enjoy nature. And what about lake Mutanda and its snake walk, or Lake Edward and the crocodiles, Lake Albert, Lake George?
The biodiversity in Uganda is somehow shocking, going from wetland, rain forest, mountain forest, savannah, tropical forest and semi-desert land. The vegetation goes from dry thorn bush savannah in the west and north-east to the thick and impenetrable tropical rain forest vegetation in the south-west passing through papyrus swamps, high mountains forests and bamboo fields.
Also the cultural diversity is impressive in such a small country. Over 30 languages are commonly spoken and every ethnic group holds its own culture and traditions. The majority are Bantu-speaking tribes, then Masai, Acholi and Pygmies. However, what will certainly impress you is that no matter what ethnic group they belong to, they will be all friendly and genuine. And if you like to hear about local myths and beliefs, you will not be disappointed visiting one of the many spiritual places like the Tanda pits used as refuge by the evil spirit Walumbe or the Ssezibwa falls inhabited by the twin spirits of good fortune Moyeba and Sseziba.
When it comes to activities, Uganda has really something to say starting with climbing Rwenzori, the 3rd pick of Africa (5,109 m), by far less touristic than Kilimanjaro or Mount Kenya, or white water rafting in the Nile with its incredible 5-6 grade rapids, safe also for first timers (I did it and it was my first time rafting, scary but great!), bungee jumping, quadbike rides passing through local rural villages, flight lessons with highly qualified instructors and so on.
And Uganda certainly is not just safaris and activities. There are many eco-tours specifically designed to allow people to interact with rural communities, learning from them, working with them or teaching them. It is possible to spend from one day to one week or more with local traditional doctors to learn some of their impressive knowledge and to understand how they use plants to cure, how they view philosophy, illness, spirituality, etc. Don’t think that they are sort of magicians with no culture, but if you don’t believe me, try to challenge their knowledge, maybe asking to tell you about the universe or energy… it is even embarrassing how clear and logical their explanations can be. Also volunteer work with local schools and charities is very welcome and well facilitated. You could easily combine few days spent in safaris or business with one or two days doing some volunteer work; it is really rewarding and you have the guarantee that you really helped someone. And finally there are even eco-tours in which you will invest 15% of the cost of your tour in a local business of your choice: you go for a tour to Uganda and you end up being an investor, all included in the price of your tour, amazing!
If I did not convince you yet about Uganda, take a very long breath and try with this: Uganda is undoubtedly the safest country in Africa; Kampala is one of the less dangerous capital cities in the world; the temperature is almost constant all the year, never cold and never too hot; two hours per day of full sunshine are guaranteed also in the rainy season; Uganda is the fastest growing economy in Africa; the Amin years are well over with one of the most stable political systems of Africa; Uganda is a paradise for international investors considering the enormous and almost unused resources available; Uganda reintroduced the kingdoms, so together with the President you will have kings with their own authority and territory, one of the many great ideas of the current president; Uganda is by far the most intact and unspoiled country of East Africa, still untouched by mass-tourism and truly close to its roots and traditional culture; what in Kenya is “my grandparents used to do” in Uganda is still the norm; local brews are legal…I think…, anyway you can find “tonto” (also called with other names), the locally brewed banana beer, almost everywhere, it’s great!
So, what else can you expect from a single small country, mostly unknown by the vast majority of people?
By Ivan D’Ambrosio
General Overview About Uganda
Uganda is bordered in the north by the Sudan, in the west by Zaire,
in the southwest by Rwanda, in the south by Tanzania, and in the
east by Kenya. The country is located in the heart of the great
African high plateau that rolls from the Ethiopian highlands towards
southern Africa. It has a total area of 243,000 sq. km, of which
only 197,000 sq. km is dry land the rest being marshland, lakes
and rivers.
The country is bestowed with outstanding topographical features,
among them the Kigezi highlands (commonly referred to as the "Switzerland
of Africa" in most tourist brochures), high mountains (Elgon,
Moroto and the legendary Rwenzori Mountains), lush forests, beautiful
natural lakes and rivers, and game parks that host one of the greatest
diversity of mammalian and bird species in the world.
Uganda has the largest share of Lake Victoria, and the source of the River Nile, the world's longest river, is at Jinja. On its long journey through to the Sudan and Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea, it blesses the country with spectacular and breathtaking waterfalls - Murchison Falls and Bujagali Falls. The Rippon Falls were damned and are no longer visible.
The vegetation varries from dry thorn bush savannah in the west and northeast to the tropical rain forest and mid forest in the southwest. In the stretched valleys of the highlands and the Lake Kyoga area, papyrus swamps predominate. The high mountains feature cloud covered forests, moss and bamboo thickets.
Once described at the turn of the century by a former British Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, as the "Pearl of the Nile" (later changed to the "Pearl of Africa"), Uganda is still a land of great beauty with breathtaking scenery, historical sites and monuments, and a rich cultural heritage. There is also the mysterious archeological site in the Tanda pits near Mityana town. The "death" pits are so deep and narrow it is difficultt to tell how they were dug into the rock.
The ten National Parks hold an array of plant life and wild animals (including about three-quarters of the world's surviving population of the extremely rare and endangered mountain gorillas), and many species of birds. Uganda is ranked second in Africa and ninth in the world for mammal species, and is home to half of Africa's bird species.
The 84 isles that make up the Ssese Islands on Lake Victoria are another masterpiece of beauty. Schools of hippopotami can be seen around the islands. There is also a quarry with special sand that is used to produce unique glassware.
In the 50s and 60s, Uganda was the leading tourism destination in East Africa. Today, after about twenty years of civil strife (in the 70s and 80s) destroyed the national infrastructure and drastically reduced wildlife, Uganda has recovered and is quickly recapturing and restoring its former glory. The country has been under reconstruction since 1986, when the National Resistance Movement took over the government and retored stability. Most tourism facilities have been rebuilt, and Uganda is once again a safe and fascinating tourist destination, with an incredible variety of attractions to offer the visitor.
Summary
Area: 243,000 km2
Time: GMT +3
Population: 20 million
Growth Rate: 3.7%
Per Capita GNP: US$180
Inflation: 5%
Currency: Uganda Shilling (USh)
Exchange Rate: USh1850 = US$1
Capital City: Kampala
Government: Non-party parliament
Head of State: President Yoweri Museveni