Uganda, the “Pearl of Africa” is a country blessed with beautiful scenery, unique tourist attractions, beautiful national parks, wild life, eco-tourism, mountains, among others.
In the area of faith-based tourism, the country is richly endowed with the Bahai Temple, which is one of its kind in Africa; the Uganda Martyrs Shrine Namugongo where the faithful were killed by the King of Buganda, Kabaka Mwanga in 1886, and Gaddafi Mosque in Kampala, second largest mosque in Africa, among others.
Uganda used the opportunity of participating at the just concluded Akwaaba African Travel Market in Lagos to showcase to the West African market what it has to offer in the area of tourism, hospitality and wild life.
Exhibiting at Akwaaba also helped in promoting its rich cultural heritage and promoting the brand Uganda among the Nigerian tourists and raising awareness of its rich offering to the Nigerian market.
At their beautiful stand at the fair, it was a busy outing attending to visitors who thronged the stand to see what the country had to offer and also to have a feel of its hospitality which was demonstrated in the way and manner their well-trained staff attended to visitors and handed out beautiful souvenirs to them.
At a point, every visitor and guests want to visit the Uganda stand to have the beautiful and colourful bag from the country.
In his presentation at Akwaaba African Travel Market in Lagos titled, Tourism what Uganda has to offer, the Acting High Commissioner of Uganda to Nigeria, Nelson Ocheger said that Uganda as the Pearl of Africa is gifted by Nature and a wonder to explore and tour.
Ocheger explained that the country is safe and easy to get around.
He told the audience at the travel fair in Lagos that the country which borders South Sudan in the north, Kenya in the east, Tanzania and Rwanda in the south and Democratic Republic of Congo in the west is a must visit for exotic lovers.
Giving a brief history of the country, Ocheger said Uganda gained independence in 1962, had a tumultuous political past (1962-1986) and now a stable democracy.
He disclosed that the country is among the top 20 global tourism destinations.
According him, the country is blessed with beautiful scenery, unique wildlife (Mountain gorillas), hospitable people, excellent airlines connections (Rwanda Air, Ethiopian Airlines, South African and Egypt Air), friendly visa regime (national and tourist Visas), Good and affordable hotels, motels, restaurants.
In her presentation also at the travel expo, titled, Destination Uganda, the Pearl of Africa, Safia Ali, Senior Marketing Officer, Ugandan Tourism Board quoted Sir Winston Churchill’s famous quotation about the country which says: “I say: ‘concentrate on Uganda’ for magnificence, for variety of form and colour, for profusion of brilliant life – bird, insect, reptile, beast – for vast scale….. Uganda is truly the “Pearl of Africa.”
She observed that in the area of pristine marine attractions, the country has four of East Africa’s great lakes: Lake Victoria, Lake Kyoga, Lake Albert and Lake Edward while Lake Victoria is the world’s second largest fresh-water lake at 68,000 sq. km.
Safia observed that Ssese Islands is a paradise with variety of white sandy beaches, birds and tropical vegetation, while Lake Bunyonyi, second deepest lake in Africa 900m is home to the source of the world’s longest river, the Nile measuring 6695 kilometers (4184 miles).
“Some of the best waterfalls in the world found across the country like Murchison, Karuma, Sipi, Kalagala, Sezibwa, Itanda, 12 wetlands of International Importance designated under the Ramsar Convention (RAMSAR sites).
As an adventure country, it has Bungee jumping, White water rafting, Sport fishing, Canoeing, Water sport in the lakes, Excellent Beaches, Wind surfing, Alpine adventure”, she stated.
On its scenic landscape and mountains, Ali said Southwest Uganda, Kigezi is referred to as ‘Switzerland of Africa’ because of its scenic landscape and weather as Mt. Rwenzori(5,109 m) is permanently snow-capped, a rare condition in equatorial Africa.
The Ugandan tourism board senior marketing executive disclosed that Mt Rwenzori was voted among top hiking places in the world.
She stated further that Virunga volcanoes in south-western Uganda were voted ‘A must see place for 2012’ in one’s life time.
She disclosed that Uganda has the largest mountain gorilla population in the world with 54 percent (over 400 of them), adding that less than 700 gorillas survive in the world today.
“There are over 5,000 chimpanzees found in Uganda(Kibale forest alone holds a population of more than 1,000 chimpanzees).
Home to world’s largest number of monkeys, baboons, apes, rare colobus, nocturnal Bush babies and Pottos found in pristine eco-environment, Mrs Ali said.
She stated that the country is the top bird destination.
According to her, Uganda has more than 1,000 bird species, home to over 50percent of the entire bird population in Africa and 10percent of the world.
The Ugandan tourism board official explained further that Queen Elizabeth National Park has over 605 species, which is the largest of any protected area in Africa while Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was voted Africa’s number one birding site(2012) by the African Bird club.
In the area of cultural diversity and heritage, Ali said Uganda is endowed with 56 tribes and languages each with a distinct.
She added that the country has faith-based, pilgrim attraction as all faiths are represented in Uganda.
She noted that Uganda was the first African country to host 3 different popes, like Pope Paul VI, visited in 1969, Pope John Paul II in February 1993 and Pope Francis in November 2015.
In her words: “The Ugandan Martyrs were persecuted under Kabaka Mwanga between 1885-1887. The feast day of the Uganda Martyrs is June 3 which in Uganda is called the ‘MARTYRS DAY” and it’s a national holiday. There is the Uganda martyrs walk, “walking in the footsteps of the martyrs” The country is blessed with a total of 10 national parks, Big five (Lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo, rhinoceros), while the best place to see tree climbing lions in Africa is in Ishasha in Queen Elizabeth National park .
Other game include:- antelopes, cheetah, giraffes, warthogs, crocodiles, hyenas, hippopotamus among others”.
According Mrs Ali, Uganda has top Natural Wildlife Destination: 10 National Parks, Murchison Falls National Park: 76 species of mammals, 451 species of birds Murchison falls, Elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, hippos, Nile crocodiles among others.
She pointed out that the Queen Elizabeth National Park is Ideal habitat for classic big game with ten primate species including chimpanzees, over 600 species of birds, Kidepo Valley NP has a profusion of big game, over 77 mammal species, 475 bird species and listed as Number 3 in ‘Africa’s 10 Best National Parks 2013’ by CNN Travel
She emphasised that the country is among the top Natural Wildlife Destination with 10 National Parks which includes: “Mt. Elgon National Park with over 300 species of birds, small antelopes, forest monkeys, elephants and buffalos and Mt. Elgon (Africa’s 17th highest mountain)
The Rwenzori National Park: Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 because of its natural beauty, has 70 mammals, 217 bird species, snow-capped Mt. Rwenzori.
The Kibale National .Park with 70 mammal species,13 species of primate including the chimpanzee, 375 species of birds, top Natural Wildlife Destination: 10 National Parks.
“Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, has 400 species of plants, an estimated 356 mountain gorillas, 120 mammals, including several primate species such as baboons and chimpanzees, 350 species of birds
The Lake Mburo National Park has 350 bird species, zebra, impala, eland, buffalo, leopard, hippo, hyena among others.
The Semliki National Park has Incredible hot springs, home to numerous Central African wildlife species and the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park with Mountain gorillas”.
Senior Marketing Officer of Uganda Tourism board maintained that the country also boasts of great accommodation facilities in Africa, luxury, eco-friendly, lavish, lodges in the national parks ranging between budget and to upmarket facilities, while the people are hospitable and well-trained staff provide an unforgettable experience in Uganda.
Source: nigerianfranknews.com
