ugandasafariadvice

 

As the world still grapples with the new global pandemic of corona virus, numerous countries are coming up with new ways they can cope with this new ugly reality of living with this deadly virus that has disrupted the routine of everyone in its own way around the world.

This virus has greatly disrupted the travel and tourism sector of so many destinations around the world as people are sceptical of travelling to new countries since they aren’t sure of the health status of the person seated next to them on the plane, bus or train to their destination.

In a bid to restore faith among travellers, major tourist destinations have had to come up with new travel advisories to keep these destinations together with their respective local populations free from the virus. Here Africa some countries such Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Congo have also come up with their own travel advisories to keep these countries fee from this global epidemic.

Has Rwanda issued any travel advisories in regard to Coronavirus?

The Rwandan government under its Ministry Of Health (MOH) in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), has issued a new travel advisory to all travellers intending to visit Rwanda in this year as the first line of defence for its citizens and destination which is favoured by the tourists given its epic gorilla adventures that are carried out in Volcanoes National Park. In a document released by the Rwandan MOH, on March 08^th 2020, the following guidelines have been outlined in response to the global outbreak of Coronavirus

• All travellers arriving in Rwanda at all points of entry will be screened
• All travellers presenting one of the COVID-19 SYMPTOMS and coming from countries with confirmed cases of COVID-19 will be considered suspect cases and therefore will be taken for isolation at the nearest hospital for further investigation and laboratory testing procedures
• If tested positive suspected cases become confirmed and is sent immediately to COVID-19 Treatment Center. If Tested negative SUSPECTED CASE remains eligible for active follow up and therefore he/she is advised to provide full identification of continued daily monitoring at the place of self-quarantine for 14 days counted from the day he/she left the country with COVID-19 cases. The location of the SUSPECT CASES has to be accessible by MOH-RBC surveillance teams.
• Suspect case in a self-quarantine condition must abide on the following conditions, wear face masks all the time self-isolate from others in the same household and call 114 for further direction.
• Any asymptomatic traveller coming from countries with confirmed COVID-19 cases will be considered AT Risk and will be recorded in a register and electronic tools for continued daily monitoring for 14 days counted from the day he or she left the country with COVID-19 CASES
• Although asymptomatic traveller is not required for strict quarantine, she/he must take preventive and protective measures and communicated to the nearest health authorities for unusual signs and symptoms that he/she may develop within 14 days counted from the day he/she left the country with COVID-19 CASES
• These new instructions are for immediate implementation by the health staff deployed at all Points Of Entry (POEs) until further notice added the Ministry of Health official Dr Ngamije M Daniel.

Is there Corona Virus in Africa? / Africa still has the lowest cases of Coronavirus on the planet

Africa has defied all odds to still be the only continent with the list number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus 5 different countries of Nigeria Algeria, Senegal, Egypt and Cameroon according to results published the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa.  Many African countries which include Uganda, Rwanda Kenya and many others are yet to register any confirmed case of Coronavirus within their territories.

Rwanda is still free from Coronavirus / Is Rwanda free from Corona Virus?

Yes, at this moment, Rwanda is one of the many other African countries that are yet to register any case of Coronavirus. However, the government under its Ministry of Health is on red alert to combat this new epidemic should there be an outbreak of the viral infection in Rwanda.

Is it Safe to visit Rwanda for a Rwanda Safari Tour Now?

Yes, you can still safely visit Rwanda and engage yourself in an epic Rwanda gorilla safari experience this is because the Rwanda Tourism sector under its governing body The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and many other related agencies such as Rwanda’s Ministry of Health (MOH) have come up with several measures to ensure that tourists who visit Rwanda remain safe and also keeping the safety of animals and the measures come

• All tourist vehicles visiting Rwanda tourists sites should have medicated sanitizers and disposal hand wipes to enable the tourists they carry regular wash their hands
• All tourists who engage in communal activities such as gorilla trekking, boat cruises, should wear nose masks to limit chances of contacting Coronavirus from other clients with whom they engage these activities.
• Observing the 7-meter rule while observing the gorillas so as to reduce chances of either passing on or contacting any disease between the gorillas and tourists.
• Tour operators who have clients intending to visit Rwanda have been advised to encourage their clients come with their own recommended nose masks (N95) type as a mitigation factor to combat the spread of this disease
• Places of accommodation such as lodges/resorts and hotels have been advised to provide handwashing facilities with soap to their clients and also encourage their clients to wash their hands regularly.

In addition to the above guidelines that were issued by the RDB in the immediate aftermath of the Coronavirus outbreak, on 09^th March 2020, the RDB has issued new supplementary guidelines that are to be observed by the Rwanda tourism sector,. These have been curated to in order to help tourists who had already booked their tours in Rwanda but can no longer visit Rwanda avoid incurring loss of their monies as it allows many of them to promptly postpone their trips to future dates when all is calm and travel is less scary as it is now, these new guidelines include the following

• Removal of the 7 days notice prior to visit date for tourist to postpone their gorilla permits (subject to permit availability and submission of documentation).
• Removal of the 30-day requirement for all tour operators to have submitted their final payment for the reserved permits
• Tourists who wish to postpone their park permits because of travel restrictions or flights cancellations being effected due to COVID-19 have up to 2 years to postpone their bookings at no extra cost (subject to submission of official documentation and availability)
• Tourists who purchased low season discounted permits for gorilla trekking are free to postpone and consume them any time within a period of 2 years. (Subject to availability)
• MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourists who purchased season discounted permits for gorilla trekking are free to postpone and consume them any time within a period of 2 years. (Subject to availability)

This offer unless otherwise modified is available for 6 months from the date of signature of this announcement and visits to National parks or any other attractions following such permit modifications must be conducted once and within a period of 2 years from the date of the signature hereunder. Reads the document signed by Ms Claire Akamanzi CEO RDB.

Why you should visit Rwanda in 2020?

Rwanda the home of the magical gorillas.

If you are on a search for a destination that will give you stunning encounters with the magical gorillas, then Rwanda is the country you should seriously consider to visit. This is because Rwanda is home to these endangered but wonderful wild beings and they can be seen while on a Rwanda gorilla tour to Volcanoes National Park. Volcanoes National Park is part of the larger Virunga Massif in which has the largest concentration of Mountain gorillas which are 604 in number as per the 2019 gorilla census results that were released late last year 2019. During your Rwanda gorilla trekking expedition, you are in for a face to face encounter with any of the 12 gorilla families that have been habituated to ensure that your gorilla trekking expedition is nothing short of spectacular. After your gorilla tour here, you can also still enjoy a thrilling hiking experience as you scale up the Bisoke volcano or even opt to engage in a birding experience since this park I home to 178 bird species with many of these being endemic to the Albertine region.

Rwanda the home of the big five.

Although Rwanda is ultimately known for its gorilla trekking prowess given the presence of these mystical beasts in Volcanoes National Park, you can still have thrilling encounters with Africa big five Savanna game while Rwanda. This is all possible when you visit Rwanda’s North Eastern park Akagera National Park. Akagera National park sits on the sprawling savanna grassland that are an extension of the dry savanna vegetation from Tanzania and these are home to a wide variety of wild game which includes animals such as the cape buffaloes, Leopards, Lions, African bush elephants, Giraffes and many others. While here you can still engage in a fascinating boat cruise over the calm but turbid waters of Lake Ihema and this gives a possibility to see some of the water-dwelling animals of these waters such as the Nile crocodiles and the water hippos.

Visit the chimpanzees of Nyungwe Forest National Park

Nyungwe Forest National Park is a true haven for chimpanzee encounters as it is home to these incredible wild beings. While in Nyungwe Forest National park, you can also engage in a forest canopy walk which gives you an opportunity to enjoy a magnificent views of this forest.

Explore the sights and sounds of Kigali city

The Kigali city tour gives you a unique opportunity to explore the sights and sounds of Kigali as you traverse this pristine and clean capital of Rwanda. Some of the major attraction sites you will visit during your city tour include the Kigali genocide memorial- A visit to this memorial gives you a unique insight into what really happened during the darkest 90 days of Rwanda during the 1994 Rwanda genocide in which over 1 million people lost their lives during a blood massacre between the Hutus and the Tustis. From the genocide memorial, make your way to the Kimironko market center and encounter day to day local Rwandese try to earn a living by selling a wide variety of stuff ranging from crafts, food items and cloths. This will be a good place for you to buy a souvenir to commemorate this trip with. From here, your next stop will be at the Inema art gallery. While here you will have a chance to meet local artists try to inspire this nation through crafting art pieces with a big story and grand vision message to tell. From here, have lunch then transfer to the airport for your flight back home.

Are you in for a thrilling Rwanda gorilla safari or a Uganda tour? Check out our Rwanda gorilla tracking safaris website. This website gives you a myriad of Rwanda gorilla tour packages. Rwanda gorilla safaris are carried out in Volcanoes National Park, Volcanoes is home to over 10 gorilla families that have been habituated to give you an ultimate Rwanda gorilla tour experience. These gorilla trekking safaris Rwanda have been classified into short Rwanda gorilla tours and these run between 1- 5 days for example 1 day Rwanda gorilla safari tours and 2 days Rwanda gorilla safaris. There are also long Rwanda safari tours, these run between 6-9 days for example 6 days Rwanda gorilla chimpanzee safaris. Since Uganda is also another fascinating Africa safari destination which shares quite similar attractions like Rwanda has, these attractions in range from savanna wildlife attractions that are found in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park Kidepo Valley National Park and Lake Mburo National Park. Uganda is also a gorilla destination and Uganda gorilla safaris are carried out either in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park or Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which can be visited for a spectacular Uganda gorilla tour experience. After a magical gorilla tour in Uganda, you can always visit Lake Bunyonyi Uganda and enjoy the stunning views of this magical lake. A visit to Lake Bunyonyi gives you an opportunity to experience a boat ride on Africa’s second deepest lake.. Regardless of the length of your stay in Africa, you can enjoy either a short Uganda safari tour or a long Uganda safari tour experience visiting several attractions in Uganda. However, if you don’t want to miss out on experiencing what each country has to offer, you can also have a combined Uganda Rwanda safari tours options which will see you visit the two countries of Uganda and Rwanda in a single safari package such as 5 days Uganda Rwanda gorilla trekking safari.

 

 

 

 

Corona Virus (COVID-19) – The Epidemic That Has Paralyzed The World In Less Than 90 Days

As we speak today the world is under a state of disarray and confusion on what to do and how to curb the ever-increasing spread of Corona Virus (COVID-19).  What began as simple flu in a Chinese province of Wuhan has now proven to be a global epidemic with no cure hence living the global village polarized and disorientated on what to do next.

How did CoronaVirus begin?

What is the history of Corona Virus? In the world of pathology, Corona Virus (COVID-19) is not an entirely new virus that has suffered from nowhere at all but rather just a new strain that has evolved from the other Coronaviruses which have existed before such as MERS and SERS. However, Corona Virus seems to be more serial than the former 2 combined given the number of causalities it has on its name. However, this recent outbreak can be traced back to a Chinese province Wuhan about 3 months ago when the virus was first reported among citizens of this province. It is believed this virus originated from animals then it got transmitted to people since it was first discovered in people who were trading in seafood in the city’s seafood market

What are the signs and Symptoms of Corona Virus

The signs and symptoms of Coronavirus are no different from the signs of the common flu or cold and these include

• Fever
• Cough
• Flue
• Shortness or difficulty in breathing
• Muscle pain

People who are at risk of getting Corona Virus

Which people are at risk of contacting Corona Virus? According to health experts, people with weak immune systems are the ones who have the highest chances of contracting this deadly virus however there is no guarantee that you won’t contract the virus if you have a strong immune system.

Is there a cure for Corona Virus?

As of today scientists, there is no proper cure for this deadly virus and the current antibiotics available on the market are of no great use since this is a pneumonia virus which renders the antibiotics treatment ineffective against the virus.

Global update on Corona Virus infections

What is the global number of Corona Virus infections? According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) report issued on 4^th March 2020 on the Corona Virus infections. Since the declaration of the COVID-19 outbreak on 31 December 2020, a total of 93 062 cases, including 3198 deaths (case fatality ratio 3.4%), have been reported globally. As of 3 March 2020, 75 countries outside China are reporting laboratory confirmed COVID-19 cases: Republic of Korea (5328), Italy (2502), Iran (Islamic Republic of) (2336), International conveyance (Diamond Princess) (706), Japan (287), France (212), Germany (196), Spain (151), Singapore (110), United States of America (108), Kuwait (56), The United Kingdom (51), Bahrain (49), Thailand (43), Switzerland (37), Australia (33), Norway (32), Iraq (31), Canada (30), Malaysia (29), Netherlands (28), United Arab Emirates (27), Sweden (24), Austria (24), Viet Nam(16), Iceland(16), Lebanon (13), Oman (12), Israel (12), Croatia (9), San Marino (8), Qatar(8), Denmark (8), Belgium (8), Greece (7), Finland (7), Ecuador (7), Pakistan (6), India (6), Mexico (5), Czech Republic (5), Algeria (5), Romania (4), Russian Federation (3), Philippines (3), Georgia (3), Azerbaijan (3), Portugal (2), New Zealand (2), Ireland (2), Indonesia (2), Estonia (2), Egypt (2), Brazil(2), Senegal (2), Ukraine (1), Tunisia (1), Sri Lanka (1), Saudi Arabia (1), North Macedonia (1), Nigeria (1), Nepal (1), Morocco (1), Monaco (1), Luxembourg (1), Lithuania (1), Latvia (1), Jordan (1), Dominican Republic (1), Chile (1), Cambodia (1), Belarus (1), Armenia (1), Argentina (1), Andorra (1), and Afghanistan(1)

Africa still has the lowest cases of Coronavirus on the planet

Is there Coronavirus in Africa? Africa has defied all odds to still be the only continent with the list number of confirmed cases of Coronavirus infections because as we speak today, only 10 cases of Coronavirus have been confirmed in 3 different countries of Nigeria Algeria and Senegal according to results published the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa.  Many African countries which include Uganda, Rwanda Kenya and many others are yet to register any confirmed case of Coronavirus within their territories.

Uganda is still free from Coronavirus

Is Uganda free from Corona Virus? Yes, at this moment, Uganda is one of the many other African countries that are yet to register any case of Coronavirus. However, the government under its Ministry of Health is on red alert to combat this new epidemic should there be an outbreak of the viral infection in Uganda.

Measures Put up by the Ugandan government to Control the outbreak of Coronavirus in Uganda

Are there any measures undertaken by the government to Control the Outbreak of Corona Virus in Uganda? As the government ready’s itself to combat Coronavirus in case there is an outbreak, several measures have been put in place to ensure that the general population is safe from the spread.  Some of these include the following.

• Mandatory screening of all people entering the country at all official airports.
• Sensitizing the public to do thorough hand washing with soap and this
• Sensitization of the general public about the symptoms of Coronavirus and encouraging people to report suspected cases of Coronavirus to the nearest general hospitals for testing.
• Avoid unnecessary body contacts such as hugging, handshaking, kissing which may aid the spread of the virus

However, Uganda is not new to cases of outbreak of an epidemic disease and more than once the health officials have fought and worn against deadly disease outbreaks such as Ebola & Cholera, this, therefore, makes confident that even when Coronavirus gets here, it will be well managed Uganda health sector that has a quite an impressive record of handling deadly outbreaks.

Why you should visit Uganda this year 2020?

Uganda is one of those countries that offer you a wholistic Africa adventure safari experience as it has everything you need in an epic Africa Safari adventure.

Experience a magical gorilla trekking Uganda experience with a memorable gorilla safari in Uganda to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. A gorilla trip in Uganda, rewards you with a stunning face to face encounter with these incredible humans of the wild as you get to watch them go about their daily activities from point-blank range. This grants you an opportunity to photograph these magical beings in their natural habitat to have this magical reunion captured and immortalized forever. Besides this having an encounter with the gorillas on this gorilla tour you can still engage in a variety of other activities on your Uganda gorilla tour and these include birding since these 2 gorilla destinations have numerous bird species which await you on your birding adventure there, nature hikes and a cultural encounter with the Batwa.  

There is a lot more a Uganda safari can offer to anyone who visits Uganda than just gorillas. This is simply due to the fact that Uganda is also home to a wide variety of mammals which include lions, African leopards, African bush elephants, cape buffaloes and the rhinos and many other wild mammals that can be seen on Uganda wildlife safaris to any of the savanna parks of Uganda such as Queen Elizabeth national park Uganda, Kidepo valley national park Uganda, Lake Mburo national park Uganda and Murchison falls national park Uganda. Uganda’s spectacular and diverse culture which comes with 60 indigenous tribes fascinates many travellers and some of the highly intriguing local tribes in Uganda include the Baganda majorly because of their rich cultural history and food like the “luwombo” which is can chicken/beef/ stew that has been steamed in banana fibres. The Batwa is another tribe of people that intrigues many Uganda safari tours –goers, because these people have managed to co-exist with the giant mountain gorillas in the tropical forests of Bwindi long for over a 1000 years and also because of relative body size as they are relatively shorter than the average people in east Africa. Jinja Source of the Nile which is renowned for various attractions which include the source of the Nile, Itanda falls, birds, Lake Victoria. These give you a base to engage in a number of safari activities in Jinja source of the Nile which include bungee jumping, white water rafting, horse riding, quad biking and kayaking. If you decide to have an overnight stay in Jinja, the town has various accommodations in Jinja source of the Nile you can choose from and these include Explorers River Camp, Nile River Camp, Jinja Nile Resort, Samuka Island Retreat, Source of The Smile Hotel and Guesthouse. Prime safaris has distinguished itself as one of the best companies that offer Jinja day trips/ 1 day Jinja source of the Nile tours/ 1 day Jinja tour in Uganda.

Would you like to visit Uganda and see what makes this country a destination that’s on the rise? Prime safaris offers various safari packages to many of these destinations. Contact us today and we will gladly serve you. Here are some of our best-selling safari packages

At Wild Gorilla Safaris, we strive to meet all your Africa safari needs as we have got virtually the safari packages that will give you a memorable Africa safari experience. For anyone interested in Uganda wildlife safaris packages we have got you covered with wide range of packages that are tailored basing on the number of days you have and the destination you would like to visit on your Uganda safari tour. If you’ve got only a few days, then choose from our short Uganda wildlife safaris which run from 2 days to 5 days such as 2 days Uganda wildlife safari to Murchison falls or 5 days Uganda wildlife safari with chimpanzees and many more. For those that have got more than 5 days, then I suggest pick from our compressive long Uganda wildlife safaris that run from 6 days to as many as 21 days such as

On top of an epic Uganda safari adventure to many of these savanna parks, you have an opportunity to encounter mountain gorillas. Yes, a Uganda gorilla tour experience is very possible when you visit gorilla trekking Uganda destinations Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.  A Uganda gorilla safari to any of these parks gives you an opportunity to meet any of the 19 gorilla families that have been habituated to give you nothing but the ultimate Uganda gorilla tours experience, you can ever think of.

If you’re interested Uganda gorilla safaris these are available in both short Uganda gorilla safari packages such as 3 days gorilla tours in Bwindi and 4 days Bwindi gorilla tour and wildlife in Lake Mburo. There are also long Uganda gorilla tours that run from 6 days to as many as 18 days while featuring many other things along the way to the gorillas. After a magical gorilla tour in Uganda, you can always visit Lake Bunyonyi Uganda and enjoy the stunning views of this magical lake. A visit to Lake Bunyonyi gives you an opportunity to experience a boat ride on Africa’s second deepest lake.

Rwanda is also another gorilla destination you wouldn’t want to miss out on, hence if you are planning for a Rwanda gorilla safari package, check out some of our Rwanda gorilla tours packages which also come in form of short Rwanda gorilla gorilla safaris for those that have got only a few days in Rwanda but those that have got more days, then Long Rwanda gorilla trekking safari packages will do you good as they also give you a chance to visit other Rwanda safari attractions.

Congo as well is another gorilla destination and we have numerous Congo gorilla safari packages that will take you on a Congo gorilla tour adventure to either Virunga National Park for an encounter with mountain gorillas or Kahuzi Beiga National Park where you will encounter Eastern lowland gorillas. Besides gorilla safaris and wildlife encounters in Uganda, you can still explore Uganda’s diversity using any of our wide range of day trips that visit other sites that are near the capital city Kampala or Entebbe international airport such as a Mabamba birding day trip to Mabamba island Kampala city tour day tour Jinja day tour and 1 day Ngamba island chimpanzee safari. Check out our great east Africa safari to such as Kenya safari tours and Tanzania safari tour that take you on an Africa wildlife safari adventure to Kenya and Tanzania respectively.

Here are some popular packages we do offer in Uganda & Beyond

• 3 days Bwindi gorilla trekking safari
• 3 days gorilla safari to Mgahinga National Park
• 5 days Bwindi gorilla tour & Kibale trek
• 6 days Uganda gorilla & chimpanzee trek
• 7 days chimps & gorilla safari in Uganda
• 10 days Uganda gorilla tour
• 1 day Rwanda gorilla tour
• 2 days Rwanda gorilla safari adventure
• 3 days Rwanda gorilla safari to Volcanoes National Park
• 4 days Rwanda gorilla trekking tour
• 4 days Rwanda Adventure safari
• 5 days Rwanda gorilla tour
• 5 days Rwanda gorilla trekking
• 6 days Rwanda gorilla safari 
• 7 days Rwanda gorilla safari
• 8 days Rwanda gorilla safari
• 9 days Rwanda gorilla safari
• 10 days Rwanda amazing gorilla safari
• 3 days Nyiragongo Mountain hiking safari in Congo
• 3 days Congo mountain gorillas
• 3 days Eastern Lowland gorilla safari packages

5 days gorilla safari in Congo & Nyiragongo hiking

 

 

 

Welcome to the second part of our 10 best safaris destinations to visit to in 2020 series. In the previous article, we explore 5 out of 10 of these destinations and destinations we saw include  Mala mala game reserve in South Africa, Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, Etosha in Namibia, Okavango Delta in Botswana. All these conservation areas are all unique and have something magical to give to you when you make an Africa wildlife safari to any of them. In today’s series, we are going to look at the crème de la crème best 5 Africa safari destinations you should really consider to visit in 2020

5. Nyiragongo lava crater lake.

Located in the eastern end of the democratic republic of Congo within the beautiful ranges of Virunga, Nyiragongo is a lava crater that is found on top of the Nyiragongo peak. Often seen glowing red as the hot lava is spewed up into the atmosphere creating a dazzling effect which spectacular to watch especially during clear night skies is a special treat for everyone who braves up the hike to the summit of this beautiful mountain range. Those who usually summit this mountain combine it with a Congo gorilla tour since this mountain is located inside the Virunga national park which is home to 8 gorilla safaris that have been habituated by the park authorities to give you a magical gorilla tour experience.

4. Chobe national park

Chobe national park is located in the northern part of Botswana, Chobe national park is the third largest park in Botswana behind central Kalahari and Gemsbok national park. This is park is one of the most biologically diverse protected areas you will ever find on the plains of Sub Saharan Africa as its home to a wide range of wild animals and bird species. Chobe National Park is highly revered for its big elephant populations which are believed to be numbering over  120000 individuals and the species of elephants in this national park are called the Kalahari elephants which are the biggest of the elephant species on the planet. Beyond the elephants, Chobe is also rich with predators and its famous for its large numbers of lions that are usually encountered by several tourists on their Africa safari journey here while targeting elephant juveniles or subadults. If you have a knack for birds, well a visit to the Serondela area or Chobe riverfront in the northern sector of the park is like taking a stroll into an avian paradise as you have a chance to encounter several of the 450 bird species that reside inside this park such as the carmine bee-eaters, and the season flood season comes with a bounty of water birds species such as a variety storks, spoonbills and ducks. Other animals that you won’t miss on an Africa safari journey here include the rhinos, cape buffaloes, leopards to make it home to all the five big Africa game, Africa wild dogs, wildebeests, hippos,  zebras, and a wide variety of antelope species such as the roan and the sable antelopes.

3 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

In this third position is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Located in the southwestern part of Uganda, Bwindi impenetrable national park is highly famous in the world of Africa safari adventures as the home of the magical mountain gorillas, Bwindi together with Serombwe national reserve in Congo are home to about 459 mountain gorillas making his sector to more than half of the world’s gorilla population as speak. The forest of Bwindi have motivated many Uganda safari trekkers to come and visit them and engage in the exciting Uganda gorilla tour adventures as these forests are to 19 habituated gorilla families. These families are located 4 different sectors of this park which include Buhoma in the north, Ruhija in the East and Rushaga and Nkuringo in the Southern end of the park. Besides gorilla safaris Bwindi’s also a very interesting place to be if you’re a birder as it is home to close 350 bird species which include 23 albertine rift endemics. For over a period of 3 years, Bwindi forests have voted as the most beautiful place to be by CNN a leading international cable news network for both gorilla trekking as well as enjoying a nature walk.

2. Masai Mara Reserve.

In second place is the Masai Mara national reserve in Kenya, Masai Mara is a hotbed of both culture and wildlife. This national reserve is located in the Southern end of Kenya and it is an extension of the greater Serengeti plains of Tanzania into Kenya. Although small in size as compared to other big protected areas in Kenya and Africa in general as it only measures about 1510sqkm, what this national reserve lacks in terms of size, it compensates in terms of biodiversity as it is home to 4 out of the 5 big Africa wild game with only the rhinos missing here. Its only a pretty good birding place to be given its list of over 500 bird species that can be seen within its boundaries. What really makes a safari to Masai mara a special one is a possibility of being in a front-row seat as you watch the exciting wildebeest migration where you get see several of the 2 million wild animals that trek all the way from the southern ends of Serengeti into Masai mara while looking  for greener pastures. Many tourists on a Kenya wildlife safari who visit masai mara are intrigued by the chaotic crossing at the mara river in which these wildebeests plumment themselves oneafter the other into the crocodile infested Mara river as if they don’t care about making it out alive from this river.

1. Serengeti National Park

Located in Northern Tanzania, Serengeti national park is with no single doubt the best African safari destination that gives nothing but epic views of the magnificent African wilderness mammals. What makes Serengeti the big dog of Africa wildlife safaris is the sheer number and variety of animals that you will find in this national park which includes the Africa big five mammals which include the mighty and majestic lions, the stubborn cape buffaloes, and the stogy African leopards. Other wild mammals you may encounter here include the Klipspringer, the Dik-dik, the Thomson and grants Gazelles, Impalas, Coke’s Hartebeest Rock Hyrax. On top of it all, these rather seemingly endless plains are ground to one of the natural wonders of the world in its pure and most authentic form the wildebeest migration in which over 2 million animals embark on a journey north to the neighbouring Masai mara plains to look for greener pastures What makes this migration so spectacular to Africa wildlife tour makers to Serengeti National Park is watching the dramatic crossing at Grumeti river in which a spectacle unfold right before your eyes as these seemingly careless wildebeests plunge themselves one after the other as if someone is chasing after them into the Grumeti river which is filled with hundreds of hungry Nile crocodiles that are waiting to devour and feast on these crossing animals. If you have a keen interest for birds well, Serengeti is a good place for you to fancy your chances of encountering several of the African savanna birds as this park is home to over 500 bird species.

 

At Wild Gorilla Safaris, we strive to meet all your Africa safari needs as we have got virtually the safari packages that will give you a memorable Africa safari experience as we offer Africa tours beyond in several sub-Saharan African countries. For anyone interested in Uganda wildlife safaris packages we have got you covered with a wide range of packages that are tailored basing on the number of days you have and the destination you would like to visit on your Uganda safari tour. If you’ve got only a few days, then choose from our short Uganda wildlife safaris which run from 2 days to 5 days such as 2 days Uganda wildlife safari to Murchison falls or 5 days Uganda wildlife safari with chimpanzees and many more. For those that have got more than 5 days, then I suggest pick from our compressive long Uganda wildlife safaris that run from 6 days to as many as 21 days such as

On top of an epic Uganda safari adventure to many of these savanna parks, you have an opportunity to encounter mountain gorillas. Yes, a Uganda gorilla tour experience is very possible when you visit gorilla trekking Uganda destinations Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.  A Uganda gorilla safari to any of these parks gives you an opportunity to meet any of the 19 gorilla families that have been habituated to give you nothing but the ultimate Uganda gorilla tours experience, you can ever think of.

If you’re interested Uganda gorilla safaris these are available in both short Uganda gorilla safari packages such as 3 days gorilla tours in Bwindi and 4 days Bwindi gorilla tour and wildlife in Lake Mburo. There are also long Uganda gorilla tours that run from 6 days to as many as 18 days while featuring many other things along the way to the gorillas. After a magical gorilla tour in Uganda, you can always visit Lake Bunyonyi Uganda and enjoy the stunning views of this magical lake. A visit to Lake Bunyonyi gives you an opportunity to experience a boat ride on Africa’s second deepest lake.

Rwanda is also another gorilla destination you wouldn’t want to miss out on, hence if you are planning for a Rwanda gorilla safari package, check out some of our Rwanda gorilla tours packages which also come in form of short Rwanda gorilla gorilla safaris for those that have got only a few days in Rwanda but those that have got more days, then Long Rwanda gorilla trekking safari packages will do you good as they also give you a chance to visit other Rwanda safari attractions.

Congo as well is another gorilla destination and we have numerous Congo gorilla safari packages that will take you on a Congo gorilla tour adventure to either Virunga National Park for an encounter with mountain gorillas or Kahuzi Beiga National Park where you will encounter Eastern lowland gorillas. Besides gorilla safaris and wildlife encounters in Uganda, you can still explore Uganda’s diversity using any of our wide range of day trips that visit other sites that are near the capital city Kampala or Entebbe international airport such as a Mabamba birding day trip to Mabamba island Kampala city tour day tour Jinja day tour and 1 day Ngamba island chimpanzee safari. Check out our great east Africa safari to such as Kenya safari tours and Tanzania safari tour that take you on an Africa wildlife safari adventure to Kenya and Tanzania respectively.

Here are some of the best safari packages we offer in Africa

2 Days Tanzania safari to Lake Manayara National Park

2 Days Tanzania safari to Ngorongoro National Park

2 Days Tanzania safari to Tarangire National Park

3 Days Tanzania safari to Ngorongoro & Lake Manyara National Park

3 Days Tanzania wildlife safari to Serengeti National Park

5 Days Tanzania safari to Lake Manyara, Serengeti & Ngorongoro

5 Days Tanzania wildlife safari

6 Days Tanznia safari to Serengeti

6 Days Kilimanjaro Climbing Adventure

6 Days Tanzania safari tour

6 Days Tanzania Big five safari

6 Days Wildlife Safari in Tanzania

6 Days Tanzaia wildlife safari

7 Days Tanzania wildlife safari

8 Days Tanzania safari Mara river

8 Days Tanzania wildlife safari

8 Days Tanzania wildlife safari & Cultural

10 Days Northern Circuit wildlife & birding safari

 

 

Welcome to the second segment of the series of our Rwanda safari tip, In our previous series, we looked some of these tips which included, the location of Rwanda, weather of Rwanda, currency used in Rwanda, cultural of Rwanda, driving tips in Rwanda, accessing Rwanda. In our final series, let’s have a round of the remaining travel tips.

Travel documents

Passport

As you prepare to go for your Rwanda gorilla safari or Rwanda tour, you need to have a valid passport which is at least valid for a minimum of 6 months. With your passport in hand, you are now in one step closer to making it Rwanda for your gorilla safari adventure in Rwanda

Visa

Before you finally secure the legality to enter you need a visa, and there are numerous requirements you need to full fill before you finally granted a VISA to enter Rwanda.

Here are some of the pre-conditions you may need to fulfil in order to obtain a Rwanda visa especially if you are coming from European or American countries according to Rwanda government agency.

• An applicant MUST submit a valid passport or another acceptable travel document.
• The document must have a validity of at least 6 months on the day of entry in Rwanda.
• Applicant must provide a photocopy of the passport or travel document.
• Applicant must submit duly completed one (1) visa application formin his/her own hand writing or in type.
• Applicant is required to provide two passport photographs with white background and both ears in view.
• Signed accompanying letter explaining the purpose for travelling to Rwanda.
• An invitation letter with a copy of passport/ID of the inviting party (if your host is Rwandan), or copy of residence permit (if your host is not Rwandan). If you will not have a host in Rwanda, you need to provide a confirmation of hotel accommodation booking.
• Proof of payment (Non-Refundable/Non-Transferable) into High Commission Bank Account
• Return flight confirmation/copy of return itinerary.
• A prepaid, recorded and self-addressed envelope must be included with an application submitted by post. Alternatively, an applicant may arrange collection of their passport by a courier.
• An applicant must have sufficient funds to cover the costs of their stay in Rwanda. Evidence for such funds may be requested at the High Commission or at the entry point.
• UK Travel Document (UN Convention of 1951) holders are requested to provide the above along with proofs of address in the form of a current bank statement or current utility bill.
• A vaccination certificate may be required at the border post. In the event of a major disease outbreak, specific requirements could be set and put to the knowledge of the public.
• The visa process takes 3 working days (4 working days for Travel Documents) for a complete file.
• NOTE: Because of the increased number of applicants, we advise applicants to allow themselves enough time between the date of application and the date of travel.

 

Immunization requirements

Unlike many African countries that require a Yellow fever immunization certificate, Rwanda is, on the other hand, is Yellow fever-free hence it isn’t mandatory for you to immunize yourself against yellow in preparation for a Rwanda gorilla tour. However, if you’re planning on visiting other neighbouring countries of East Africa as part of your travel itinerary then you may still be required to have yourself immunized against yellow fever.

 

What to see when visiting Rwanda.

It is a public secret that Rwanda is a home to the magical gorillas hence most of the tourist who comes to Rwanda are here to engage in a stunning Rwanda gorilla safari to Volcanoes National Park which is Rwanda’s home of the spectacular wild gorillas that are considered endangered since the world has only 1063 of them living in their natural habitat. A Rwanda gorilla trip to Volcanoes national park gives you an opportunity to see any of the 11 gorilla families that have been habituated to give you nothing but a Rwanda gorilla tour experience of a lifetime.

Kigali Genocide memorial

Besides the gorillas, you can also visit the Kigali genocide memorial. This memorial was built to pay tribute to the millions of Rwandese that lost their lives during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. This memorial also is used by the Rwandan people as a constant reminder to them about their troubled history but also a symbol of hope that a new Rwanda emerges from the rumble with a new generation of Rwandese united than never before in order to ensure that this dark side of Rwanda’s history never comes back to haunt them.

Iby’iwacu  cultural village

Iby’iwacu community is a village that is located in Kinigi on the fringes of Rwanda’s iconic Volcanoes national park which is frequented by thousands of Rwanda safari makers who come here to track the magical gorillas as well as the elusive golden monkeys. This cultural village was created to create alternative employment to the locals that were removed from within the park boundaries. The name Iby’iwacu means treasure of cultural heritage, the community displays the cultural heritage of our Rwanda which is done through dance and drama.

Lake Kivu

Located in the Western end of Rwanda, Lake Kivu is considered one of the cleanest lakes in Africa. This lake is Rwanda’s water recreation site which adored by numerous Rwanda tour makers who would wish to enjoy water based leisure activities as it is home and it is home to many water resources

Best time to visit Rwanda

In order to experience the thrill of tracking these adorable giants but shy mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park Rwanda, visit during the dry season months June- October and January – February. The dry season is the best time to track gorillas in Volcanoes National Park because accessibility is quite easy during this time of the year and the trails for gorilla tracking are also navigable. During these dry months, the weather is very fine with temperatures ranging in the mid-20s and there are low chances of rain though it may occasionally rain especially in the afternoon hours. You can also track gorillas during the wet months, as gorilla families tend to stay nearer in the lower slopes of these ranges due to abundance of food in these lower slopes of the ranges hence making the trekking time shorter and quite easy for you but still loaded with a multitude of unimaginable experience.

We have come to the end of our Rwanda Safari tips, I hope this helps you in planning for your Rwanda safari adventure. See you when you get there.

Are you in for a thrilling Rwanda gorilla safari or a Uganda tour? Check out our Rwanda gorilla tracking safaris website. This website gives you a myriad of Rwanda gorilla tour packages. Rwanda gorilla safaris are carried out in Volcanoes National Park, Volcanoes is home to over 10 gorilla families that have been habituated to give you an ultimate Rwanda gorilla tour experience. These gorilla trekking in Rwanda have been classified into short Rwanda gorilla tours and these run between 1- 5 days for example 1 day Rwanda gorilla safari tours and 2 days Rwanda gorilla safaris. There are also long Rwanda safari tours, these run between 6-9 days for example 6 days Rwanda gorilla chimpanzee safaris. Since Uganda is also another fascinating Africa safari destination which shares quite similar attractions like Rwanda has, these attractions in range from savanna wildlife attractions that are found in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park Kidepo Valley National Park and Lake Mburo National Park. Uganda is also a gorilla destination and Uganda gorilla safaris are carried out either in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park or Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which can be visited for a spectacular Uganda gorilla tour experience. After a magical gorilla tour in Uganda, you can always visit Lake Bunyonyi Uganda and enjoy the stunning views of this magical lake. A visit to Lake Bunyonyi gives you an opportunity to experience a boat ride on Africa’s second deepest lake.. Regardless of the length of your stay in Africa, you can enjoy either a short Uganda safari tour or a long Uganda safari tour experience visiting several attractions in Uganda. However, if you don’t want to miss out on experiencing what each country has to offer, you can also have a combined Uganda Rwanda safari tours options which will see you visit the two countries of Uganda and Rwanda in a single safari package such as 5 days Uganda Rwanda gorilla trekking safari.

Here are some of the best Rwanda safari packages

• 1 day Rwanda gorilla safari 
• 2 days Rwanda gorilla trekking tour 
• 3 days Rwanda gorilla safari
• 4 days Rwanda gorilla safari with golden monkeys 
• 5 Days Rwanda gorilla safari with Chimpanzees
• 6 days Rwanda Primate safari 
• 8 days Rwanda gorilla trek safari with chimpanzees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uganda is set to Join the Rest of the World in Celebrating the United Nations World Wildlife Day Come March 3^rd 2020.

As the tourism world gears up for the oncoming United Nations World Wildlife Day which is slated for 3^rd March, Uganda is also prepared to join in the merrymaking and also show the world why people should seriously consider visiting Uganda this year. Uganda has over the years established herself as one of the biggest travel destinations in Africa that’s highly revered for its spectacular wildlife biodiversity and cultural diversity as well. In being so many tourists around the world have continued to flock this landlocked country to see several of the unique attractions that have made Uganda a top-notch Africa safari destination.

While addressing the press at the Uganda Media centre on January 28, The State Minister for Tourism Godfrey Suubi Kiwanda revealed that Uganda will take part in these celebrations come to the D-day. The Minister further revealed that the celebrations will follow a theme “Sustaining Wildlife for the benefit of the present and future generations”. “The theme of the day is timely and reminds us of the need to ensure peaceful coexistence between wildlife and people for the benefit of present and future generations,” Kiwanda said

This year’s celebrations will take place at Ssaza grounds in Kisoro Municipality, Kisoro District in Kigezi region which is one of the most visited regions in Uganda by tourists on a Uganda safari with President Yoweri Museveni expected to be the Chief Guest.

Kigezi region is one of the naturally gifted regions of Uganda given that its home to a wide variety of attractions that intrigue visitors on a Uganda tour. Some of the attractions that have made Kigezi region the tourism hub of Uganda include the elusive mountain gorillas. These gentle giants in Uganda can only be found in this region in the protected areas of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. A Uganda gorilla safari to Bwindi impenetrable park gives you an amazing opportunity to see any of the 18 gorilla families that have been habituated within this park’s four gorilla trekking sectors of Rushaga, Nkurungo which are in the southern end of the park, Ruhija in the East and Buhoma in the North end of the park. However, these 18 gorilla families are only a fraction of all the 459 gorillas that are found in Bwindi and Serembwe gorilla reserve sect of the Virunga ranges. A Uganda gorilla tour to Mgahinga aligns you with an encounter with the 1 gorilla family called Nyakagezi which habituates the slopes of these Virunga ranges of Mgahinga. However, as today, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is home to 2 habituated gorilla families because one gorilla family named Hirwa crossed into Mgahinga Gorilla Park since these parks share boundaries along with Congo’s Virunga National Park.

 

Besides gorillas, Kigezi also has other attractions that will thrill when you visit this region during your gorilla safari in Uganda, Lake Bunyonyi Uganda is yet another thrilling Uganda safari adventure that will captivate you when you make a Uganda tour to this region. This lake is famously referred to as the Lake of a thousand islands given the numerous islands that are dotted all over this lake. Enjoying a boa ride on this lake as you explore several of these islands is something many tourists who make a Uganda safari tour to this place engage in

Besides the celebrations on 3^rd, there are a number of other activities that have been lined up to mark the day although these will all come before 3^rd March. These events include annual wildlife marathon on February 23, 2020, starting at Uganda Museum at 6:30 am.

“The marathon will have 5km, 10km, 21km and 42km categories all ending at the Museum. The Chief Guest at the marathon is expected to be Rt. Hon. Jacob Oulanyah, the Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Uganda,” said the honorable minister.

After the Marathon all eyes will be on the conservation conference on wildlife conservation in Uganda that is slated for the 27^th February 2020 in Kampala. “The Conservation Conference will bring together conservation practitioners, private sector, policymakers and all stakeholders. The Rt. Hon Prime Minister is expected as Chief Guest at the National Conservation Conference,” said Kiwanda.

He added that wildlife Conservation competitions involving quiz, debates, music dance and drama will be held to raise awareness about conservation issues among the youth.

“Tertiary institutions competitions will be held on February 21, 2020, at Uganda Christian University Mukono, Secondary Schools competitions will be held on February 29, 2020, at Seseme Girls Secondary School, Kisoro and Primary Schools competitions will be held on March 2, 2020, at Mutolere Primary School Kisoro, District,” he told the press. The main celebrations will have exhibitions and recognition awards for people who have contributed significantly to wildlife conservation in Uganda.

What else does Uganda have to offer to tourists who intend to make a Uganda tour?

Uganda is a hotbed for other wide range of attractions which include wild mammals such as the Africa big five game – elephants, cape buffaloes, leopards, lions. Other animals you can encounter while in Uganda include Rothschild zebras, Jackson hartebeests, topis, elands, cheetahs Uganda kobs, hippos and many others. All these animals can be found when you make a Uganda wildlife safari to any of our Uganda wildlife tour destinations such as Queen Elizabeth National Park , Lake Mburo National Park and Murchison falls National Park and Kidepo Valley National. For those who are interested in birds Uganda is ahot bed of birds and a Uganda birding safari  to any of the numerous birding safari destinations in Uganda such as Semuliki National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidpeo Valley National Park and Kibale National Park is a totally unique experience that gives you an opportunity to encounter several of the 1070 bird species that call Dear Uganda home. This makes Uganda home to over 50% of all the bird species that are found on the African continent.

You really can’t visit Uganda and don’t make a detour to the Jinja for a Jinja source of the Nile tour. Home to the source of the Nile where this longest river embarks on its 6650km or 4132km journey to the Mediterranean sea, Jinja town is one of Uganda’s biggest tourism hubs given the various attractions and activities you can engage in while on a Jinja source of the Nile tour. Some of the activities you can engage in on this 1 day Jinja city tour which include bungee jumping, white water rafting, horse riding, quad biking and kayaking

Would you like to have an encounter with any of these attractions in Uganda? Feel free to check out our website which ultimately gives you a preview of some of our safaris in Uganda  packages that have been designed to lead you on an adventure to various parts of the country giving you unlimited access to the best of Africa safari attractions in Uganda. Our Uganda gorilla safaris packages that have been featured here are designed to give you an encounter with the magical gorillas as the major attraction while Uganda wildlife safari packages cater for those that are interested in epic Uganda savanna wildlife as well as our fascinating and quite interesting culture birds and gorillas if you need them to be included.

Regardless of your intended length of stay in Uganda for a Uganda wildlife tour or Uganda gorilla tour experience, we’ve got you covered with our wide range of packages which include short Uganda wildlife safaris, these run from as low 2 days Uganda safari to Lake Mburo or 2 days Uganda wildlife tour to Queen Elizabeth. our  Long Uganda wildlife safaris, start from  7 days to and run to as long as 18 days even more depending on your choice of number of days you intend to spend while traversing this pristine Pearl of Africa.

For those on a Uganda gorilla trekking safari adventure, we have short Uganda gorilla tours these run from a 3 days Uganda gorilla safari to Bwindi or a 4 days Bwindi gorilla safari and wildlife to Queen Elizabeth to long gorilla trekking Uganda tours that go to start from 6 days to 18 days for example 6 Days Uganda gorilla safari with chimpanzees. You can also try out our other signature Africa safaris that run through other Africa destinations such as Rwanda, Congo, Kenya and Tanzania and these include Rwanda gorilla safaris and these feature short Rwanda gorilla safaris as well as Long Rwanda gorilla safaris. Kenya wildlife safaris also feature both short Kenya wildlife safaris and Long Kenya wildlife safaris. Tanzania wildlife safaris and Congo gorilla and wildlife safaris have also been featured on this website.

Here are some of the best selling Uganda Safaris

• 2 days Murchison falls National Park Uganda wildlife tour
• 2 Days Queen Elizabeth National Park safari Uganda wildlife tour
• 2 days Uganda wildlife tour lake Mburo National Park
• 3 days chimpanzee trekking safari tour Kibale Forest National Park
• 3 days Kidepo Valley National Park safari Uganda wildlife tour
• 3 days Murchison falls National Park Safari Uganda wildlife tour
• 3 days Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda wildlife tour
• 3 days Bwindi impenetrable gorilla trekking safari Uganda, gorilla tour Uganda
• 3 days Uganda gorilla trekking safari Bwindi impenetrable Uganda gorilla tour
• 4 days gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife safaris tour, Uganda wildlife safari Queen Elizabeth park
• 4 days Bwindi gorilla trekking tour lake Mburo
• 5 days Bwindi gorilla trekking safari Uganda wildlife tour lake Mburo
• 5 days primate safari Uganda gorilla safari Bwindi Uganda chimpanzee trekking safari
• 5 days Uganda gorilla trekking tour, gorilla tour Uganda, wildlife safari in Uganda
• 4 days Kidepo valley national park safari Uganda wildlife tour
• 4 days Uganda wildlife tour to queen Elizabeth national park & lake Mburo
• 5 days Uganda wildlife safari Murchison falls park & chimpanzee trekking safaris
• 6 days Uganda gorilla safaris, chimpanzee trekking safari Uganda
• 7 days Uganda gorilla trekking safari chimpanzee & wildlife
• 8 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari Tour Rwanda Wildlife & Chimpanzee Safari
• 8 days gorilla trekking safaris tour Rwanda wildlife & chimpanzee tracking safaris
• 9 days Rwenzori mountains safari Uganda tour
• 9 Days Rwenzori Mountain Safari
• 12 days Uganda Rwanda cycling adventure safari tour

10 days Uganda safari tour gorilla trekking Uganda, chimps safari, Uganda wildlife tour

 

 

RwandAir suspends its flights with immediate effect between the Rwandan capital, Kigali, and the Chinese city of Guangzhou

RwandAir has suspended all its flights to china in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Rwanda is one of the lucrative Africa safari destinations that is experiencing a meteoric rise to on the world stage of travel. This is all thanks to Rwanda’s magical gorillas that have managed to propel it into stardom as one of the destinations to reckon with when it comes to Africa gorilla safaris. Rwanda gorilla safaris are carried out in Volcanoes National Park. Volcanoes National Park is found in North-Western Rwanda is covers part of the chain of the Virunga ranges that are found in the three countries of Rwanda Congo and Uganda.

Volcanoes National Park is home to over 11 gorilla families that can be tracked during Rwanda gorilla safaris. It is thanks to these habituated gorilla families that Rwanda is shining bright like a diamond when it comes to Africa travel.  In a bid to increase tourist traffic to Rwanda, the Rwandan government introduced a national carrier RwandAir in the past decade and this carrier has grown over time into an international airline flying into most of the African countries and overseas destinations such as Dubai UAE, Mumbai India and Beijing China.

This and many other wells thought out strategic moves such as signing branding contacts with big Europeans brands such as football clubs like Arsenal in London and PSG in France have tremendously contributed towards making Rwanda a destination you should seriously think about visiting in 2020.

However with the outbreak of this Corona Virus RwandAir has decided to suspend its flights with immediate effect between the Rwandan capital, Kigali, and the Chinese city of Guangzhou,” adding that the decision will be reviewed later in February. This new development came to light through a press release shared on the airline’s social media handles, RwandAir said its decision follows the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the World Health Organisation.

The airline says that affected passengers will be re-routed, refunded or allowed to change their tickets to a later date. RwandAir is not the first to have dropped its China flights. British Airways announced the cancellation of its flights in the wake of the British Foreign Office’s warning against all but essential travel to mainland China.

The Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority is in the process of notifying other airlines entering Rwanda that any passengers on board their aircraft, who have travelled from China, will upon arrival be screened for potential exposure to novel coronavirus, and may be quarantined for two weeks for observation and case management.

Are you in for a thrilling Rwanda gorilla safari or a Uganda tour? Check out our Rwanda gorilla tracking safaris website. This website gives you a myriad of Rwanda gorilla tour packages. Rwanda gorilla safaris are carried out in Volcanoes National Park, Volcanoes is home to over 10 gorilla families that have been habituated to give you an ultimate Rwanda gorilla tour experience. These gorilla trekking safaris Rwanda have been classified into short Rwanda gorilla tours and these run between 1- 5 days for example 1 day Rwanda gorilla safari tours and 2 days Rwanda gorilla safaris. There are also long Rwanda safari tours, these run between 6-9 days for example 6 days Rwanda gorilla chimpanzee safaris. Since Uganda is also another fascinating Africa safari destination which shares quite similar attractions like Rwanda has, these attractions in range from savanna wildlife attractions that are found in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park Kidepo Valley National Park and Lake Mburo National Park. Uganda is also a gorilla destination and Uganda gorilla safaris are carried out either in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park or Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which can be visited for a spectacular Uganda gorilla tour experience. After a magical gorilla tour in Uganda, you can always visit Lake Bunyonyi Uganda and enjoy the stunning views of this magical lake. A visit to Lake Bunyonyi gives you an opportunity to experience a boat ride on Africa’s second deepest lake.. Regardless of the length of your stay in Africa, you can enjoy either a short Uganda safari tour or a long Uganda safari tour experience visiting several attractions in Uganda. However, if you don’t want to miss out on experiencing what each country has to offer, you can also have a combined Uganda Rwanda safari tours options which will see you visit the two countries of Uganda and Rwanda in a single safari package such as 5 days Uganda Rwanda gorilla trekking safari.

What to know about Coronavirus strain

This is global epidemic was first recorded in China’s province of Wuhan however it has now spread all over the world with new infections being recorded in several countries around the world such as United States of America, Japan, Australia, Germany, United Kingdom Canada and many others.

Is Coronavirus deadly?

Yes, the Novel coronavirus or Wuhan virus is a pretty serious contagious virus that attacks the respiratory system and so far this deadly killer is a response for the death of 213 deaths.  Chinese people on mainland china.

How many people are affected with the Novel Corona Virus around the world so far?

This respiratory killer has the ability to spread from human to human and its believed to have spread to 7711 people in China alone his has caused China to put cities such as Wuhan under lockdown in an attempt to prevent further spread of this disease.

How fast is the virus spreading? 

We don’t yet know how rapidly or easily the virus can spread. In China, sick people have been infecting others through person-to-person transmission since the start of January, and the WHO has reported that there have been sustained chains of people passing the virus along for at least four generations: one person got sick (probably from an animal), passed the virus to another person, who passed it to another person. People in four countries outside of China — the US, Germany, Japan, Vietnam — were infected with the coronavirus by other people, and not from direct travel to China.

Early evidence suggested that, like other coronaviruses, the virus jumps between people who are in very close contact with each other, and probably spreads when an infected person sneezes or coughs.

But Chinese officials have said that they have seen cases where people with the virus-infected others before they start showing symptoms. A letter to The New England Journal of Medicine also details a case where people who didn’t feel sick appeared to infect others in Germany.

If that’s happening regularly, containing the spread of the virus will be more complicated. There’s still only limited evidence that asymptomatic people can spread the virus, though. And even if it was happening, it probably wouldn’t significantly affect the outbreak, said Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in a press conference.

“Even if there is some asymptomatic transmission, in all the history of respiratory borne illness, the asymptomatic transmission has never been the driver of outbreaks,” he said. “An epidemic is not driven by asymptomatic carriers.”

How can I protect myself? 

Based on what we know so far, you can protect yourself with the same measures you’d take (and should be taking) to protect yourself against the flu: wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough, and stay away from people who are sick.

How is China trying to stop the virus? 

On January 22nd, officials in Wuhan shut down all transportation in the city, which is home to over 11 million people. They closed buses and subways, and canceled all flights and trains in and out of the city. The director general of the WHO applauded the decision, saying that it would help control the outbreak and slow the spread into other countries. Fifteen other cities, home to a total of 46 million people, are locked down as well, The New York Times reported.

However, other officials weren’t sure if these quarantines would be effective: “To my knowledge, trying to contain a city of 11 million people is new to science,” Gauden Galea, the World Health Organization’s representative in China, told the Associated Press. “It has not been tried before as a public health measure. We cannot at this stage say it will or it will not work.” the Chinese government has also commissioned the construction of a 1000 bed hospital to treat people who have contacted this virus in just less than a week and it is to come into full service on Feb 3rd.

 

Here are some of the best selling Rwanda Safaris

• 1 day Rwanda gorilla safari 
• 2 days Rwanda gorilla trekking tour 
• 3 days Rwanda gorilla safari
• 4 days Rwanda gorilla safari with golden monkeys 
• 5 Days Rwanda gorilla safari with Chimpanzees
• 6 days Rwanda Primate safari 

8 days Rwanda gorilla trek safari with chimpanzees

20 Best Safari Lodges to Stay At While On a Kenya Wildlife Safari to Masai Mara

Usually one of the things that give many tourists on their Africa safari journey to Kenya’s Masai Mara is which lodge to stay at while on their Kenya wildlife safari adventure to these incredibly beautiful Masai plains that are home to the annual wildebeest migration.

Well, if it is accommodation that has been bothering, I am here to lift the weight off your shoulders as I give 20 best safari lodges you can choose to stay in while on a Kenya wildlife tour to the famous Masai Mara National Reserve in a series of 4 articles. In each of these series of articles, we will be looking at 5 lodges. Here are today’s 5 safari lodges in Masai Mara

Mara Chui Wildlife Lodge.

Overlooking the Oloolamutia hills, Mara chui wildlife lodge is a perfectly suited Eden that has been tucked beautifully into the woodland bushes without felling a single tree hence giving a pefect feeling of living in a jungle in the wide Africa savanna plains of Masai Mara. Mara chui wildlife lodge boosts of 41 ensuite safari tents that have the ability to accommodate a minimum of 96 guests at ago. All the cottages come with ensuite facilities and great views of the Mara wilderness beyond and around you. Some of the other facilities available here include 2 restaurants offering an array of both continental and exotic dishes, an open house bar and conferencing facilities such as a public address system and conference room.

Mara Sweet Acacia Lodge

Located near the Masai mara’s Sekanani main gate, Mara Sweet Acacia Lodge is one of the best places for you to stay in while on your Kenya wildlife tour adventure. This Lodge comes with 32 rooms that have been divided into 26 superior double, twin or single rooms, 4 deluxe rooms, and 2 family rooms. All these facilities are fully ensuite with other amenities such as free wi-fii, coffee makers in each room and hair dryers. You can always decide to escape the incessant tropical heat of the Masai mara plains by taking a plunge into the lodge’s fine swimming pool as you  take in the splendid views of the wildlife action on the Mara plains

Mara Leisure Camp

Mara Leisure camp is located on the northern side of Masai Mara. The camp comes with 1 large exclusive honeymoon tent, 8 spacious jumbo tents to cater for anyone who wishes to enjoy intimacy without spending a lot of money, 17standard nyati tents and 3 family jamii cottages. Set above the ground these tents have been designed using African décor to give you a sense of an Africa living. These tents have ensuite facilities that have both cold and hot running water. While here, you can choose to spend your afternoons’ sunbathing on along the lodge’s grand swimming pool or wander along the masai river as you look out for the wild game that call this tropical paradise their home.

Sarova Mara Camp

Located in the heart of Masai Mara, Sarova Mara camp is a place to stay at while on a Kenya wildlife safari adventure in Masai Mara. This safari camp is nestled between 2 water streams hence making it a vantage point for you to easily catch glimpses of numerous wild animals which visit these streams of water to have a drink. The camp is composed of 20 safari club tents that have been exquisitely furnished with modern sleek furnish with an African décor theme 51 standard tents and 2 family suites aimed at catering to groups of visitors travelling together. Some of the other facilities you can be sure to enjoy include the lodge’s swimming pool, the restaurant that prepares a wide array of fresh foods from the freshest ingredients you can find on the market.

Olarro Plains All Inclusive

The is one of the best exclusive lodges in Masai Mara. This lodge has traded high visitor numbers for exclusivity as it only has 8 guest rooms hence ensuring that you get to have the best exclusive experience on the Mara plains. This lodge comes with an infinity-edge swimming pool that has great views of the Mara plains beyond the lodge. You can also take great comfort in relaxing from the posh lodge’s lobby that overlooks the pool into the sprawling plains of the Mara. Some of the other features at this lodge include the heartwarming campfires outside the lodge, the spa treatment, you can be sure to hope on one of the monster quad bikes and traverse on the mara plains easily.

Standby for our edition where will be covering the next 5 safari lodges for you to consider while on a Kenya safari to Masai Mara

If you fancy an encounter with these majestic animals, on your next Africa safari adventure feel free to checkout our page Kenya safaris tour website which gives you a wide range of Kenya safari package options basing on the numbers of days of interest and destinations to be visited. These include short Kenya wildlife safaris and long Kenya safaris. Besides Kenya wildlife safaris, we offer other Africa safari adventures such as gorilla safaris adventures that place in Uganda, Congo and Rwanda, you can decide to extend your Kenya wildlife safari to any of these gorilla destinations for a gorilla experience. Uganda gorilla safaris are carried out in either Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park which habituate over 400 gorillas. During your Uganda gorilla tour expect to encounter one of the 19 gorilla families that are found in this country.  After a magical gorilla tour in Uganda, you can always visit Lake Bunyonyi Uganda and enjoy the stunning views of this magical lake. A visit to Lake Bunyonyi gives you an opportunity to experience a boat ride on Africa’s second deepest lake. Rwanda gorilla safaris are carried out in volcanoes national park, volcanoes is home to over 10 gorilla families that have been habituated to give you an ultimate Rwanda gorilla tour experience. As of today Rwanda is positioning itself as a luxury Africa gorilla tour destination of choice as it has done so much in establishing luxury facilities especially lodges to cater for the needs of luxury tourists in a bid to lure more luxury or high profile personalities to visit Rwanda for a luxurious gorilla trekking in Rwanda experience.

Congo is another gorilla destination of choice Gorilla trekking in Congo, on the other hand, occurs in Virunga National park or Kahuzi Biega National Park. What is so special about Congo gorilla tours is the possibility of encountering 2 unique gorilla species. If you decide to visit Kahuzi Biega National Park Congo during your Congo gorilla safari, then expect to meet the eastern lowland gorillas while, if you decide to go to Virunga National Park then an encounter with the majestic mountain gorillas is eminent.

Here are some of the best safari packages in Kenya

• 1 day Amboseli
• 1 day Nairobi
• 2 days Amboseli safari tour
• 2 days Masai Mara
• 4 days Masai Mara & lake Nakuru wildlife safari
• 3 Days Kenya Safari in Tsavo East & Tsavo West National Parks
• 5 Days Nakuru Naivasha & Mara Wildlife Safari
• 6 days Kenya wildlife safari to Maasai Mara, Nakuru, Amboseli
• 6 days Masai Mara Nakuru & Samburu
• 12 days Mara Nakuru Aberdare and Tsavo west

• 6 days Kenya & Tanzania wildlife tour
• 10 days Kenya & Tanzania safari
• 13 days Kenya & Tanzania wildlife safari
•   9 days Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania Gorilla & Big 5
• 18 days Uganda Kenya & Tanzania gorilla safari
• 16 days Kenya Tanzania wildlife gorilla & beach Zanzibar
• 13 days gorilla chimps & wildlife.

 

 

Uganda tourism has grown from leap to leap over the past 3 decades and as of today Uganda is internationally recognized by different tourism critics as an Africa safari destination that should never miss on your travel list would wish to make an Africa safari tour.

To make this point clearer, let make take on a statistical journey about the performance of Uganda’s tourism industry. This sector has been one of the few business sectors in the land that has realized leap after leap in terms of growth and its no wonder that as of today its the leading forex earner for the dear motherland as it is projected to generate close to USD 2 billion by 2020. Back in 2008, Uganda could only collect 580 million USD. In the financial year of 2010/2011 the tourism revenue earnings increased to 594m USD, 2012-13 financial year realized another leap to 805m USD, and the 2013-2014 financial year saw the country’s revenues from tourism cross the 1 million USD mark as it collected 1.003million USD form tourism. As of 2016/2017, the number of tourists visiting Uganda had also crossed the 1 million mark with 1.4 million tourists both foreign and domestic tourists making a Uganda safari to the various Uganda wildlife safari destinations of the country. These managed to bring a combined revenue of about 1.4 billion USD and this makes tourism the country’s biggest forex earner also directly contributing 2.9% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product and 7.3% of the country’s GDP indirectly. This however hasn’t come easy for the tourism but rather through strategic implementations of well thought out plans that have been carefully crafted by both local and foreign tourism experts in order to see Uganda experience a meteoric rise in its tourism earnings.

However behind all these glorious numbers, we have just reviewed is the presence of numerous stakeholders in the tourism industry such as government agencies like Uganda tourism board, Uganda wildlife authority, private institutions and companies like hotels and safari lodges, tour operating companies, safari guides who have worked relentlessly hard for the past few decades with one strategic goal in mind which is to do everything they can possibly do in order to propel this industry to greater heights.

Ekkula awards

With all these numerous stakeholders playing a pivotal role in transforming the face of destination Uganda, its only right to recognize their work and also try to motivate these entities to do even do more. Ekkula Pearl of Africa Tourism Awards & Exhibition were initiated in 2015 for this very purpose.

What are Ekkula PAT Awards?

According to their website (Ekkula PAT Awards), Ekkula PAT Awards and Exhibition is an annual activity that Researches, Nominates, Exhibits, Recognises and Awards those that selflessly put Uganda’s tourism to admirable heights. These will include both Ugandans and non-Ugandans.

The idea of Exhibiting, Recognising and hence Awarding those that selflessly serve for the good of this Industry was birthed from a number of reasons as stipulated below,

• Need for Motivation to key players both known and Unsung heroes like investors, tour guides, tour and travel companies, photographers among others.
• Having a sense of unity as stakeholders meet to cheer up as we celebrate the cream of the cream in the Pearl of Africa and East Africa’s Tourism industry.
• The presence of other Tourism Awards like World Tourism Awards, African Diaspora World Tourism Awards and Expo, Indaba Travel Awards of South Africa among others motivated us to come up with Ekkula PAT Awards & Exhibition, which is to happen for the 3rd time in Uganda and so believed to inspire others.
• From these reasons, adequate research has been made to conduct these Exhibitions and Awards with collaboration and guidance from the Ministry of Tourism Wildlife and Antiquities and its Agencies.

How are nominations done?

The awarding committee selects a team of experts that do carry out an online survey under the guidance of the Ministry of tourism Wildlife and Antiquities about the operations of various tourism entities and how they are reviewed by their customers. After the survey, a report is compelled and submitted to a panel of judges who will verify the findings thereafter informing the general public about the nominated entities and individuals in various categories for online voting which is then conducted by visiting  the award’s website or through the sms platforms. The online votes gathered by each nominee account for 50 % then the remaining 50% is decided by the judges

What do the judges base on while awarding?

Judges base their verdict on the following;

• If the facility/Stakeholder promotes Uganda as a top tourist destination alongside his/her/its private facility or services.
• The Stakeholder’s/Facility’s level of service to Tourists.
• How the facility/stakeholder gives back to the community.
• How the facility/stakeholder impacts the community positively.
• Does the stakeholder/facility promote domestic tourism as much as international tourism?
• Ethics and professionalism exhibited by the facility/Stakeholder.
• Feedback and reviews from visitors from notable travel websites like trip advisor among others.

What does Uganda have to offer to you?

Uganda has a thing for captivating every person that makes an Africa safari to this country given its spectacular diverse attractions that range from the beautiful landscape that includes both the great and lesser apes. Uganda is normally referred to home of the primates alongside the pearl of Africa name which many of us call it by. Uganda is home to the elusive mountain gorillas which are found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

When you make your Uganda safari to this pearl of Africa, you will come to realize that mountain gorillas are just a part of what really Uganda has to offer. Uganda still has more attractions your will encounter in case you decide to make a Uganda wildlife tour. After a really spectacular encounter with the gorillas, Uganda gives you an opportunity to meet another great ape species and this is the chimpanzee. With a safari Uganda to Kibale Forest National Park Uganda, you are assured for a memorable encounter with the chimpanzees that will definitely fascinate you with their high levels of intelligence. If you are a person with a big appetite for scaling mountains, Uganda offers you the best opportunity to engage in an epic hiking experience with minimal crowds. Uganda is home to 2 towering mountains such as Rwenzori mountain in Mountain Rwenzori National Park which is the 3^rd highest mountain on the African continent with an elevation of 5109m, Mountain Elgon at 4321m above sea level, 3 of the 8 Virunga ranges found in Uganda, the forever intriguing Kigezi highlands will excite you on your Uganda safari to Kabale district.

Birds, when you speak of birds in Africa, Uganda should be your first priority because a Uganda birding safari is to any of the numerous birding safari destinations in Uganda such as Semuliki National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kidpeo Valley National Park and Kibale National Park is a totally unique experience that gives you an opportunity to encounter several of the 1070 bird species that call Dear Uganda home. This makes Uganda home to over 50% of all the bird species that are found on the African continent. Wild mammals- if you are looking for wild mammals, a Uganda wildlife safari to some of Uganda wildlife safaris destinations such as Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park will give you an encounter with some of the finest African savanna mammals like you have never seen before. Many of these destinations have 4 or 5 out of the 5 Africa big game which include African bush elephants, cape buffaloes, lions, leopards and rhinos. On top of these expect to encounter numerous other mammals such as Roth child giraffes, burchell zebras, elands, Jackson hartebeests, topis, and a wide variety antelopes.

You really can’t visit Uganda and don’t make a detour to the Jinja for a Jinja source of the Nile tour. Home to the source of the Nile where this longest river embarks on its 6650km or 4132km journey to the Mediterranean sea, Jinja town is one of Uganda’s biggest tourism hubs given the various attractions and activities you can engage in while on a Jinja source of the Nile tour. Some of the activities you can engage in on this 1 day Jinja city tour which include bungee jumping, white water rafting, horse riding, quad biking and kayaking

At Wild Gorilla Safaris, we strive to meet all your Africa safari needs as we have got virtually the safari packages that will give you a memorable Africa safari experience. For anyone interested in Uganda wildlife safaris packages we have got you covered with wide range of packages that are tailored basing on the number of days you have and the destination you would like to visit on your Uganda safari tour. If you’ve got only a few days, then choose from our short Uganda wildlife safaris which run from 2 days to 5 days such as 2 days Uganda wildlife safari to Murchison falls or 5 days Uganda wildlife safari with chimpanzees and many more. For those that have got more than 5 days, then I suggest pick from our compressive long Uganda wildlife safaris that run from 6 days to as many as 21 days such as

On top of an epic Uganda safari adventure to many of these savanna parks, you have an opportunity to encounter mountain gorillas. Yes, a Uganda gorilla tour experience is very possible when you visit gorilla trekking in Uganda destinations Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.  A Uganda gorilla safari to any of these parks gives you an opportunity to meet any of the 19 gorilla families that have been habituated to give you nothing but the ultimate Uganda gorilla tours experience, you can ever think of.

If you’re interested Uganda gorilla safaris these are available in both short Uganda gorilla safari packages such as 3 days gorilla tours in Bwindi and 4 days Bwindi gorilla tour and wildlife in Lake Mburo. There are also long Uganda gorilla tours that run from 6 days to as many as 18 days while featuring many other things along the way to the gorillas. After a magical gorilla tour, you can always visit Lake Bunyonyi Uganda and enjoy the stunning views of this magical lake. A visit to Lake Bunyonyi gives you an opportunity to experience a boat ride on Africa’s second deepest lake.

Rwanda is also another gorilla destination you wouldn’t want to miss out on, hence if you are planning for a Rwanda gorilla safari package, check out some of our Rwanda gorilla tours packages which also come in form of short Rwanda gorilla gorilla safaris for those that have got only a few days in Rwanda but those that have got more days, then Long Rwanda gorilla trekking safari packages will do you good as they also give you a chance to visit other Rwanda safari attractions.

Congo as well is another gorilla destination and we have numerous Congo gorilla safari packages that will take you on a Congo gorilla tour adventure to either Virunga National Park for an encounter with mountain gorillas or Kahuzi Beiga National Park where you will encounter Eastern lowland gorillas. Besides gorilla safaris and wildlife encounters in Uganda, you can still explore Uganda’s diversity using any of our wide range of day trips that visit other sites that are near the capital city Kampala or Entebbe international airport such as a Mabamba birding day trip to Mabamba island Kampala city tour day tour Jinja day tour and 1 day Ngamba island chimpanzee safari. Check out our great east Africa safari to such as Kenya safari tours and Tanzania safari tour that take you on an Africa wildlife safari adventure to Kenya and Tanzania respectively.

 Here are some of the best africa safari packages 

• 3 days Bwindi gorilla trekking safari
• 3 days gorilla safari to Mgahinga National Park
• 5 days Bwindi gorilla tour & Kibale trek
• 6 days Uganda gorilla & chimpanzee trek
• 7 days chimps & gorilla safari in Uganda
• 10 days Uganda gorilla tour
• 1 day Rwanda gorilla tour
• 2 days Rwanda gorilla safari adventure
• 3 days Rwanda gorilla safari to Volcanoes National Park
• 4 days Rwanda gorilla trekking tour
• 4 days Rwanda Adventure safari
• 5 days Rwanda gorilla tour
• 5 days Rwanda gorilla trekking
• 6 days Rwanda gorilla safari 
• 7 days Rwanda gorilla safari
• 8 days Rwanda gorilla safari
• 9 days Rwanda gorilla safari
• 10 days Rwanda amazing gorilla safari
• 3 days Nyiragongo Mountain hiking safari in Congo
• 3 days Congo mountain gorillas
• 3 days Eastern Lowland gorilla safari packages
• 5 days gorilla safari in Congo & Nyiragongo hiking

An Africa safari adventure to Rwanda is nothing short of an epic Africa journey adventure given the fact that Rwanda is a country that is home to a wide range of attractions that include the elusive mountain gorillas that are found in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park, chimpanzees, and a wide range of savanna wildlife mammals that are found in Rwanda’s Akagera National Park. Let’s not forget Rwanda’s Kigali genocide memorial which gives you a chance to reflect about how Rwanda’s has managed to rise from the ashes of the dark horrors of the Rwandan genocide.

In a part series, I would like to give you some the travel trips that you need to know as you prepare yourself for a safari in Rwanda

Geographical location.

An Africa safari to Rwanda takes you to the east African part of the African continent. Rwanda lies about 1^o56.633’S 30^o3.567’E. Rwanda is relatively a small landlocked country with a land size of 26338sqkm as compared to its rather seemingly large neighbours. Rwanda is bordered by Uganda in the North, Democratic Republic of Congo in the west, Tanzania in the east and finally Burundi in the South.

Weather in Rwanda

Rwanda is generally a hilly country which explains why it has been cordially termed as the land of thousand hills as its home to it occupies an area with many mountain ranges including the 5 out of 8 of the famous Virunga ranges that are have risen to international fame as the ultimate place to go to for an epic gorilla safari adventure since these ranges are home to the world’s surviving gorilla population which is close to 1063 gorillas. With all these mountain ranges many of which are blanketed in tropical forests Rwanda experiences a largely equatorial tropical climate which is majorly characterized with 2 periods of high rains that come around between the months of March to May and also between august to December. During this period Rwanda experiences an average of between 1500-2000mm of rain annually. Being tropical country temperatures in Rwanda are generally warm averaging between 17^oC-22^oC annually with a minimum average of 12-16^oC and a maximum average of 26^oC-30^oC.

 

Culture in Rwanda

Rwanda is a country of few cultural tribes with only 3 tribes unlike their northern neighbours Uganda who have over 66 tribes. Rwanda’s major tribes include the Hutus, Tusti and the Twa. The Hutus were majorly agriculturalists and they constitute the majority of the population taking about 85% of the Rwandan population. The Tustis are majorly pastoralists who keep large herds of cattle and these were the second biggest tribe having about 14 of the population.  The Twa were hunter and food gatherers. Although the Rwandese were literally people who shared much of their culture, they had deeply rooted divisions among them and these divisions gave way to the bloody Rwandan genocide in which over 500000- 1000000 Tustis and a few moderate Hutus were killed by their fellow Hutus. However, this bloodshed came to an end when the Rwanda Patriotic Front took over the government with the incumbent Paul Kagame.

Currency used in Rwanda

During your Rwanda safari or Rwanda gorilla trip, you need to have your money in Rwandan francs as this is the official national currency of Rwanda. However, in many tourists establishments in Rwanda, you can still easily use the US dollars, and several credit and debit cards such as American Express, Visa Cards, Master cards and many others.

Driving tips in Rwanda

Driving in Rwanda is done while keeping right, this, therefore, means that if you’re visiting Rwanda from countries like USA, France, Canada you won’t have any problem with this mode of driving since it’s the same mode of driving in these countries as well, however, if you are coming from countries like UK, Japan South Africa and many other former British colonies well you might find this quite problematic since in many of these countries driving is done while keeping left.

Accessing Rwanda

You can access Rwanda via road transport and air transport.

Road transport: Accessing Rwanda using road transport is convenient if you’re coming from neighboring countries like Uganda, Tanzania and D. R. Congo since these countries share border frontiers with Rwanda.

Air transport: Rwanda can easily be accessed by air transport as you will be able to land at Kigali international airport right on the outskirts of Kigali city. In a bid to improve its accessibility the Rwanda government introduced a national airline carrier RwandAir which made accessing Rwanda remarkably easy. As of today, RwandAir flies hundreds of thousands of tourists to and from Rwanda and from several cities around the world which include U.A.E, South Africa, Belgium and China. In addition to a national airline, Rwanda has partnered up with Qatar’s government in a project to construct a multi-million dollar airport in Bugesera and when fully completed this airport is expected to handle over 14 million passengers annually.

In our next episode, we will look at the remaining Rwanda travel tips which include travel documents, immunization, attractions to see and best time to visit Rwanda.

Are you in for a thrilling Rwanda gorilla safari or a Uganda tour? Check out our Rwanda gorilla tracking safaris website. This website gives you a myriad of Rwanda gorilla tour packages. Rwanda gorilla safaris are carried out in Volcanoes National Park, Volcanoes is home to over 10 gorilla families that have been habituated to give you an ultimate Rwanda gorilla tour experience. These gorilla safaris in Rwanda have been classified into short Rwanda gorilla tours and these run between 1- 5 days for example 1 day Rwanda gorilla safari tours and 2 days Rwanda gorilla safaris. There are also long Rwanda safari tours, these run between 6-9 days for example 6 days Rwanda gorilla chimpanzee safaris. Since Uganda is also another fascinating Africa safari destination which shares quite similar attractions like Rwanda has, these attractions in range from savanna wildlife attractions that are found in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park Kidepo Valley National Park and Lake Mburo National Park. Uganda is also a gorilla destination and Uganda gorilla safaris are carried out either in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park or Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which can be visited for a spectacular Uganda gorilla tour experience. After a magical gorilla tour in Uganda, you can always visit Lake Bunyonyi Uganda and enjoy the stunning views of this magical lake. A visit to Lake Bunyonyi gives you an opportunity to experience a boat ride on Africa’s second deepest lake.. Regardless of the length of your stay in Africa, you can enjoy either a short Uganda safari tour or a long Uganda safari experience visiting several attractions in Uganda. However, if you don’t want to miss out on experiencing what each country has to offer, you can also have a combined Uganda Rwanda safari tours options which will see you visit the two countries of Uganda and Rwanda in a single safari package such as 5 days Uganda Rwanda gorilla trekking safari.

Here are some of the safari packages in Rwanda

• 1 day Rwanda gorilla safari 
• 2 days Rwanda gorilla trekking tour 
• 3 days Rwanda gorilla safari
• 4 days Rwanda gorilla safari with golden monkeys 
• 5 Days Rwanda gorilla safari with Chimpanzees
• 6 days Rwanda Primate safari 
• 8 days Rwanda gorilla trek safari with chimpanzees

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Underestimated But Equally Exciting Hiking Adventure In Mgahinga Gorilla Park

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park always lurks in the shadows of both of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park as a gorilla safari destination since Bwindi has established itself as the ultimate Uganda gorilla tour destination given its 18 gorilla trekking families as compared to Mgahinga Gorilla Park’s 1 gorilla family that’s visited on a Uganda gorilla trip.

However, Mgahinga also has some leverage over Bwindi when it comes to giving you epic Uganda hiking adventure experience since this park is home to not 1 but 3 towering peaks of the Virunga ranges a thing that can’t be said of Bwindi. Today, I would like to take you on an exploration journey through the hiking prowess of Mgahinga.

With the presence of the three ranges of Muhavura mountain, is the golden opportunity for hiking enthusiast to go up any of these ranges.

 Mount Sabinyo.

For those who like to hike, mount Sabinyo provides you with an exhilarating opportunity to indulge in your favourite hobby. Climbing this mount is done on the eastern side and this comes with the chance to move along a ridge and spectacular descends into the gorges of Rwanda and Uganda as you reach peak 11 hence giving you a free pass into these two countries at once. However, when you decide to continue with the ascent to peak 111, the rewards will even be greater as you will be able to be now in three countries of Rwanda, Uganda and D.R.Congo at the same time without visa and entry fees required as this peak shares the intersection of the boundaries of all these three countries. This hike covers around 14 km returning journey inclusive and lasts for about 8 hours.

Mount Gahinga.

Mount Gahinga is located next to Mount Muhavura and from a distance, it may look smaller because of its location next to Muhavura but make no mistake by thinking that’s indeed it is small. Mount Gahinga equally offers a tough but manageable and exciting challenge to climbers. A hike to Gahinga summit offers a magnificent view of the Afromontane tree species like bamboo, various bird species and primates like monkeys. When successfully reach the peak summit, you will be treated to the spectacular view of a crater that is found on top. Long ago, this crater was a lake but due to various forces of nature, it has been reduced to a swamp, can you imagine a swamp on top of hill? This is quite interesting to see. This ascent to the top and back covers about 8km and lasts about 6 hours.

Mount Muhavura.

Being the highest of the three Gahinga ranges, its only understandable why the locals named it Muhuvara which means the guide because just like the locals you will be able to see from anywhere in Kisoro district and it will become your bearing point and guide just as its local name suggests and when you successfully reach its summit, you will be truly rewarded with a jaw-dropping and one of a kind view most of the other Virunga ranges, lake Edward in Queen Elizabeth and peaks of mountain Rwenzori in Rwenzori Mountain National Park in the far distance. The hike to the Muhavura summit and back covers a stretch of 12 km and lasts about 8 hours. You are advised to spend the night before climbing Mount Muhavura at the campsite on the foothill below it as you will need to start climbing early in the morning and there are no other accommodation facilities very near mount Muhavura for you to spend the night in.

Other attractions in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Uganda include the golden monkeys, Batwa people, In addition to a great gorilla safari in Uganda in Mgahinga National Park, you can engage in various tourist activities in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and these include in mountain hiking, birding, Uganda cultural safari encounters with the Batwa. On your Uganda safari to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, you can choose to stay in any of the Uganda safari accommodations in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park such as Mount Gahinga Lodge, Lake Chahafi Resort, Mucha Hotel, Travellers Rest Hotel and Kisoro Tourist Hotel. Getting to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park can be done by road using the Kampala- Mbarara- Kabale –Kisoro road which covers a distance of about 434km or a 10 hour drive from Kampala. You can also get to Mgahinga from Kigali city in Rwanda following the Kigali to Kisoro road via Cyanika border post. From Kigali to Cyanika border is 205 km and from Cyanika to Kisoro is 11 km

Would you like to visit Mgahinga Gorilla Park? Then check out  Wild Gorilla Safaris, at  Wild Gorilla, we strive to meet all your Africa safari needs as we have got virtually the safari packages that will give you a memorable Africa safari experience. For anyone interested in Uganda wildlife safaris packages we have got you covered with wide range of packages that are tailored basing on the number of days you have and the destination you would like to visit on your Uganda safari tour. If you’ve got only a few days, then choose from our short Uganda wildlife safaris which run from 2 days to 5 days such as 2 days Uganda wildlife safari to Murchison falls or 5 days Uganda wildlife safari with chimpanzees and many more. For those that have got more than 5 days, then I suggest pick from our compressive long Uganda wildlife safaris that run from 6 days to as many as 21 days such as

On top of an epic Uganda safari adventure to many of these savanna parks, you have an opportunity to encounter mountain gorillas. Yes, a Uganda gorilla tour experience is very possible when you visit gorilla trekking Uganda destinations Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.  A Uganda gorilla safari to any of these parks gives you an opportunity to meet any of the 19 gorilla families that have been habituated to give you nothing but the ultimate Uganda gorilla tours experience, you can ever think of.

If you’re interested Uganda gorilla safaris these are available in both short Uganda gorilla safari packages such as 3 days gorilla tours in Bwindi and 4 days Bwindi gorilla tour and wildlife in Lake Mburo. There are also long Uganda gorilla tours that run from 6 days to as many as 18 days while featuring many other things along the way to the gorillas. After a magical gorilla tour in Uganda, you can always visit Lake Bunyonyi Uganda and enjoy the stunning views of this magical lake. A visit to Lake Bunyonyi gives you an opportunity to experience a boat ride on Africa’s second deepest lake.

Here are some of the best selling packages

• 3 days Bwindi gorilla trekking safari
• 3 days gorilla safari to Mgahinga National Park
• 5 days Bwindi gorilla tour & Kibale trek
• 6 days Uganda gorilla & chimpanzee trek
• 7 days chimps & gorilla safari in Uganda
• 10 days Uganda gorilla tour
• 1 day Rwanda gorilla tour
• 2 days Rwanda gorilla safari adventure
• 3 days Rwanda gorilla safari to Volcanoes National Park
• 4 days Rwanda gorilla trekking tour
• 4 days Rwanda Adventure safari
• 5 days Rwanda gorilla tour
• 5 days Rwanda gorilla trekking
• 6 days Rwanda gorilla safari 
• 7 days Rwanda gorilla safari
• 8 days Rwanda gorilla safari
• 9 days Rwanda gorilla safari
• 10 days Rwanda amazing gorilla safari
• 3 days Nyiragongo Mountain hiking safari in Congo
• 3 days Congo mountain gorillas
• 3 days Eastern Lowland gorilla safari packages
• 5 days gorilla safari in Congo & Nyiragongo hiking