#Nile River near Jinja

[naturenestsafaris]

Uganda: Africa’s Ultimate Safari Destination

Uganda, often known as the "Pearl of Africa," certainly justifies its title. With stunning views of the River Nile and Lake Victoria, diverse cultures, and numerous national parks teeming with primates, wildlife, and birds, Uganda stands out as the ultimate destination for safari holidays. Its landscapes are incredibly varied and picturesque, ranging from mountains to lakes and forests. Safari holidays in Uganda offer a unique and enriching travel experience with diverse attractions that cater to various interests.

Why Visit Uganda?

Rich Wildlife Uganda is home to a wide range of wildlife and boasts several national parks that provide excellent opportunities for safaris and wildlife viewing. If you're interested in wildlife safaris in Uganda, you might wonder what kind of animals you can see. Uganda is a paradise for wildlife lovers, boasting a diverse range of animal species. From bush elephants to African lions and big cats, Uganda has almost every kind of animal you can imagine.

Among the mammals you can spot are tree-climbing lions in Ishasha, buffalos, elephants, crocodiles, zebras, leopards, elegant antelopes, and hippopotamuses near the picturesque lakes within the parks. Some endangered animals include the Mountain gorilla, Chimpanzee, crested crane, African wild dog, and Pangolin. Uganda is home to around 400 gorillas and various primates like the red-tailed monkey, black and white colobus monkeys, vervets, and olive baboons.

National Parks Uganda's national parks, such as Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, and the remote Kidepo National Park in the Karamoja region, are brimming with wildlife and stunning landscapes.

Bird Watching Uganda is a bird watcher's haven, home to thousands of bird species, including the Grey Heron, Black-headed Heron, Goliath Heron, Purple Heron, Great Egret, Black Heron, Intermediate Egret, Grebes, Great Bittern, Dwarf Bittern, White-backed Night-heron, Black-crowned Night-heron, Striated Heron, Cattle Egret, and Madagascar Pond-Heron.

Gorilla Trekking One of Uganda's most famous attractions is the chance to see mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Gorilla trekking is a popular activity in Uganda, with permits priced at $600. While it may be expensive, spending an hour with these endangered species is an unforgettable experience. By purchasing a permit, you contribute to the conservation of these primates and their rainforest homes.

Adventure Activities For adventure seekers, Uganda offers numerous thrilling activities. The Nile River near Jinja is renowned for some of the best white-water rafting in the world. The country's varied terrain provides excellent opportunities for hiking and trekking, including the challenging hike to the top of Mount Elgon.

Taste Local Fruits Uganda is well-known for its banana cultivation, which keeps the country lush and green. Visitors can enjoy rare fruits such as papaya, sweet jackfruits, pineapples, and more. Experience the natural flavors of Uganda with cuisine crafted from local seasonal produce.

Supporting the Local Community Visiting Uganda supports the local community, as tourism revenue helps build hospitals and schools. For example, Bwindi Hospital specializes in HIV treatments and is one of the projects supported by tourism.

Best Lodges to Stay Uganda offers a range of accommodations, from budget to luxury, built with African materials and showcasing the rich African culture. These lodges, campsites, and hotels provide comfortable rooms, free Wi-Fi, hot water, bars, swimming pools, playgrounds, and gardens. The friendly and hardworking staff ensure a pleasant stay at a favorable price, depending on the visitor's preference, facilities, location, services, food, and amenities.

For booking safari holidays and accommodations, choose Nature Nest Safaris. You won't regret it. As Ugandans, Nature Nest Safaris is dedicated to ensuring your journey and stay are enjoyable. Their happiness comes from seeing you smile. The team at Nature Nest Safaris plans the best Uganda wildlife safari holidays tailored to your desires, covering accommodations and activities that wildlife enthusiasts will love.

[kevlo75]

Lake Victoria is drained solely by the Nile River near Jinja, #uganda🇺🇬 ganda, on the lake's northern shore. In the #kenya🇰🇪 sector, the main influent rivers are the Sio, Nzoia, Yala, Nyando, Sondu Miriu, Mogusi, and Migori. (à Lake Victoria) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmAVRTUo7vI/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[tusksafaris-ug]

Before 1906, Jinja was a fishing village that benefited from being located on long-distance trade routes. The origin of the name “Jinja” comes from the language of the two peoples (the Baganda and the Basoga) that lived on either side of the River Nile in the area. In both languages “Jinja” means “Rock”. In most of Africa, rivers like the Nile hindered migration, this explains the ethnic boundaries along the Nile as one moves north from the river’s source on the northern shores of Lake Victoria.

However the area around Jinja was one place where the river could be breached due to the large rocks near the Ripon Falls. Here, on either bank of the river, were large flat rocks where small boats could be launched to cross the river. These rock formations were also accredited with providing a natural moderator for the water flow out of Lake Victoria. For the original local inhabitants, the location was a crossing point, for trade, migration and as a fishing post.

This might explain why, despite this barrier, the two tribes have very similar languages, and the more powerful Baganda had an enormous influence on the Basoga. The area was called the ‘Place of Rocks’ or ‘The Place of Flat Rocks’. The word for stones or rocks in the language of the Baganda is ‘Ejjinja (Plural Mayinja), and in the Basoga dialect this became Edinda. The British used this reference to name the town they established – “Jinja”

Explore this amazing town and much more with Tusk safaris😎

#visituganda #travel #travelphotography #outdoor adventure

[ricardofcty126]

10 Secrets About tours of egypt You Can Learn From TV

Egypt is Among the most highly rated tourist Locations on this planet. Yearly this place witnesses a tremendous increase in the quantity of holidaymakers visiting there. There are several things which make Egypt among the most popular holiday getaway Places on the planet. Having said that, there are plenty of issues, which ensure it is really needed for each visitor to avail Egypt tour deals.™

It is not the nation is unsafe which compels us to information the tourists to avail Egypt holiday getaway offers. It is the amenities and facilities which may be accessed by availing these Egypt holiday getaway deals which is the only cause of advising us like that. By availing these Egypt holiday break offers, you can journey One of the more historical and mysterious position With this planet in the most safe and protected way.

There are actually a bunch of internationally renowned tour operators present in Egypt. These tour operators offer quite a few Egypt tours and Egypt holiday getaway packages to the visitors. Tourists, According to their benefit, range of days they are remaining and their spending plan, can select the very best selections for them.

The vacation itinerary of each and every of such deals is diligently prepared. Considerably care is taken to be sure that the travelers can experience the Egypt in the best possible way. Greatest arrangements concerning the touring, food stuff, accommodation, and sight observing are provided. Besides that, provisions for several pursuits will also be made. The vacationers will probably be also accompanied by a information who could make them conscious about the significance of any particular tourist location.

More than enough value is given to every aspect of the journey. Proper gaps involving two journeys are constantly presented. This is performed to ensure that the tourists You should not get fatigued. These gaps also enable the site visitors working experience the most beneficial of Egyptian hospitality. The majority of the tour operators also give the comfort of buying close to on the vacationers.

The previous of Egypt is both of those wonderful and mysterious at the same time. These attributes of the state catch the attention of a considerable range of persons on from all within the world. To begin with A significant part of the country was inaccessible to the surface earth. There were negligible features current in a lot of the most strategically essential spots. Absence of fundamental infrastructure also produced matters fairly rough for vacationers browsing Individuals destinations. Even so, points have changed and the two the Egyptian federal government as well as administration of your place started out concentrating more about the tourism sector. They have produced numerous vacationer specific amenities. Even The essential infrastructure has also been enormously enhanced. These changes have created checking out and relocating all over this state rather at ease and pleasurable experience for site visitors.

The name Nile results from the Greek word Neilos indicating valley, the river Nile is he longest river on the globe whose resource is thought to Jinja Uganda. It is a superb river of Northeast Africa that commences its journey in well watered regions near the equator and then move north word throughout the dreadful Sahara desert ahead of emptying while in the Jap Mediterranean Sea. The river is 6695 km (4184 miles) long. The river flows through a overall of 9 international locations even though it is most associated to Uganda and Egypt. The other nations around the world involve Ethiopia, Zaire, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and Sudan.

This longest river contains mainly two basic principle branches that is the white and blue Nile which then joins in Khartoum to variety the primary Nile that includes the Egyptian Nile plus the Cataract Nile. The longest section the White Nile even further divides into a few one) The Central Sudan area; two) The Sudd; and three) the Lake Plateau region.

The Nile has played a big purpose from the civilization lifestyle and history of some of these countries Specifically Egypt and Uganda. The Nile is usually a source of Electrical power for the Ugandans, as being the nations around the world big electrical power damn is constructed within the Nile. It has also supplied h2o for human life and its financial institutions are so fertile that even if Egypt is often a dry land, it has enabled the Egyptians maintain their lives throught irrigation and the fertile soils for the financial institutions. The Nile has also delivered drinking water to animals much like the crocodiles that Stay on the banks with the river in Egypt. The Nile crocodiles in Egypt are about egypt tours packages four metres in length Despite the fact that some are actually claimed as for a longer period.

The Nile like a river has a whole lot to provide to holidaymakers ranging from boat excursions to the supply, to functions like rafting, kayaking, Fishing over the Victoria Nile and bungee leaping in Uganda. For Egypt It is a whole new story as there are numerous matters to determine on the Nile bank including the historic sites. People today thinking about experiencing the Nile up close and personal can journey alongside the well known river aboard riverboat cruises that depart from numerous towns along the bank. On any of your respective journey to Africa, the Nile- the all-natural ponder is without doubt one of the historic internet sites spots that you shouldn't Miss.

[thelifeoflmk]

Escape to the East

  Our travels begun in Luzira, a sleepy town known for satiating Uganda’s sweet tooth with its vast sugar plantations. Here, we came to visit Mabira forest, specifically the Griffin Falls Camp, where there’s a thrill seeking zipline and a meandering nature walk that will, hopefully, help you find yourself.  We took the nature walk down to the falls. Unfortunately, after so many years of unregulated dumping of effluents and residue by the sugar factories in the area, the waters have turned brown and there have definitely been untold effects on the surrounding environment. Hopefully, the necessary authorities can step up their regulatory game, so that this beautiful attraction is not lost to the vagaries of human consumption.

  Next up was Jinja, the touristy and trade city in Eastern Uganda. It is known as such because of the dual roles that it plays in Uganda. First of all, it’s on the main transit route through which most of the country’s imports come through, from the port city of Mombasa, in Kenya. In addition to that, in the 70s, Jinja was the industrial hub of this East African nation, before one of its most infamous leaders expelled pretty much most of the Indians who had helped this town claim that title. Many of those factories and industrial complexes were not revived, but others have sprung up as a result of Jinja’s aforementioned location on Uganda’s main transit route.  

  Secondly, and just as importantly, this city happens to lie near the beautiful and scenic Source of the Nile. And this has really built up its tourism resume. There are countless activities from bungee jumping in this famous river, to relaxed or thrill-seeking tubing, catching some of its amazing waves while rafting, and quad biking on its dusty outskirts with some of its younger natives chasing to keep up! We were here clearly to take in this part of Jinja. Our first stop was Busowooko Falls. These beautiful rapids were formed after part of the Nile was dammed to create the Bujagali Falls Dam.

  There are number of activities around these falls. You can hire some of the locals to catch some fresh fish for you, or chill by the make-shift bar and enjoy some tunes from the outdoor disco. If you feel the adrenaline coming on, you can take a walk along some of the rickety bridges that criss-cross different points of this breath-takeaway natural attraction. Beware though; there were no life jackets in sight, so if you slip and fall into the falls, well, guess we’ll see you somewhere downstream or… upstream. Having taken all of this in and spent the entire day on the road, we retired to our modest accommodation and looked forward to more discovery the next day..

And WOW…!

It was well worth it. We took a small engine powered boat from Rumors pub (guess the rumors about Jinja being a vibe were true!!) to Samuka Island, which is located about 6 miles from the Source of the Nile. This Island is actually inside a bird sanctuary and therefore has quite a number of different species. There is a hotel on the Island, however, it’s not much to write about, as it has fallen into a bit of disrepair. But the views…!!! Wow, the views are literally to die for. There are 360 degree views of Jinja, Njeru and the surrounding areas. And the boat ride there and back was a blast! A blast of waves and a blast of fun!! We caught a glimpse of the infamous Jinja prisons and the Hotel Triangle, which I’m told, was quite the merry making spot in its heyday. It was a great way to end our tour of what I call the “Jewel of the East.” Jinja, you will forever live in our hearts. Now, onto Mbale… See you all soon!  

[carahealstheworld]

Resting On The Nile

Usually when the Nile River is discussed, the topic is ancient Egypt. While the Nile is considered the source of life for ancient Egyptians, it is also the source of life for many Sudanese, Kenyans and Ugandans.

The zero point of the Nile river is in Uganda near Jinja. It is the place where lake Victoria ends and the Nile begins. The Nile is over 6000km long and is home to many different species. There are also man made dams and islands in the Nile.

Since I absolutely love water, I found being on the Nile to be such a calming and serene experience. I imagined that my ancestors did too and that I rested where they rested.

I hope you enjoy my pictures from the Nile. Stay Tuned for more of my adventures!

Be Blessed!

[musicsecretsexposed]

MSE Musicalchangemaker20: Documenting Global Sounds That Everyone Can Use - Global Sound Movement with Paresh Palmer & Phil Holmes

A very special welcome to #MusicSecretsExposed PodcastToday, I have two very special guests. Usually, I just have one. And the first guy I have is called Paresh Palmer. And he's deputy head for business development and partnerships. But also more interestingly from us here at the Music Secrets Exposed community, founder of or co-founder of global sound movement known as GSM. And I also have today Phil Holmes, which is titled with this title, take a listen. Director of the research center of cultural preservation to creative practice. And by everything that Phil, you're telling me before we started recording, it is very creative. Welcome. Thank you very much. Indeed. Thanks. Having those with you today. Well, actually, your project, your project is so interesting. And I think for young musicians coming up the line and even more advanced musicians to know about what you're doing what you have enough for adds a new dimension of creativity to their work. Because so many people now make video or, you know, they do some form of audio messing about or whatever, that you're doing a very interesting job. So you both with another guy by the name of Phil. Yes, two Phil's , and a Paresh founded the GlobalSoundMovement. So can you explain what it is and how it was founded? Paresh you want to take this one? Sure. Yeah. So in essence, we're a social enterprise, we preserve instruments of rare and cultural importance, and preserve that digitally, once preserved digitally provides access for anyone else in the musical industry to pick these instruments or, and embed those into their musical compositions. So what can people find on the website just to kind of give a picture a visualization of what they can see. So the website is absolutely a treasure trove of every project that we've ever done really, along the top, once you go to GlobalSoundmovement, you can select any of the different destinations within there, there's usually been a major project that we've gone out to do, whether that would have been recorded a specific instrument or set of instruments. But also the other things that we record whilst we're away, which is environments that are subject to changes due to modernity. So for example, across Africa, there's some wonderful landscapes near the River Nile, in a place called Jinja. Which there's a specific wildlife, the local to the forest, and has been provided with a natural soundtrack for that village for many years. But they're about to flatten it are about to extend the power station across the Nile Global Sound Movement · Band Practice On The Banks Of The River Nile Global Sound Movement · Amy Uganda - by PolyPhonic Clix So we felt it was really important to protect that natural sound to document that natural sound for that village, because that's going to be lost in a few years. All the projects that you'll see as is your glance through our website, we did a project where we've reunited Africa and Europe through music. I'll let you go and have a look at that one. We've recorded Camelot orchestras out in Indonesia, etc. But each one of the microsites, each one of the pages really details, the whole projects that we've done. The recordings that we've made the friends and colleagues that we've made internationally, the partners that we work with the good work that the GSM was managing to find out through the sale of the products. Yeah, I was just going to ask you so it's it's a nonprofit, I think this global sound movement. Am I correct? So the funding really, that you're getting in through this website is for further recording in the field? Am I right with that? Not really..Because, for example, first the first project that we did out in Uganda, we recorded a specific instrument called the Ámidinda and the Amidinda is like a big kind of xylophone. They dig a hole in the ground, they light it with banana trees. They put these big keys that are tuned with an axe on top of this, depending on the composition between kind of six to eight people play again at any one time. Global Sound Movement · Amy Uganda - by PolyPhonic Clix So what we did was, we went and sampled that instrument. And I think we took you the region of 800 individual hits of that specific instrument, where we came back in post-production, we edited those hits. So we've got the transit at the beginning, and the envelope shake decays just at the end. So you do get the natural environment, we constructed this instrument, digitally through contact, Native Instruments contact, able to the SubPolar logics EA Access 24. So people can now purchase that instrument, they can load it into either logic cable to enter or indeed anything else to contact. They're free to play it, record it, include it, but the money that they've purchased that instrument for go straight back to the people in Africa that built the original one. And that's, that's a lovely story and all supporting the local community through your work. That's beautiful. Thank you very much. But that's, that's the same for each of the projects that we do. That's kind of the trajectory that each one goes on. Go ahead, Paresh. Yes. I was gonna say yeah, so wherever there is, is where we don't record instruments. So we've gone into proto where we've hit the Rock of Gibraltar in and stelllemites types and started mining. Global Sound Movement · Pillars United - Re-worked Yeah, I was just listening to that. Yeah, yeah, it's very interesting sound. Yeah, we can't really donate that money that was bought back from there. So the cost of that instrument is a little bit cheaper. But the other thing that we are going to do is we've mapped it across keys on a keyboard. And when you write a message, you can listen to the message in stehlik types. So there's a different way of interacting with the sound that we've recorded as well. So the other thing that we're really keen on is thinking of interesting ways of accessing the sound that we've recorded. So pressing the keys is one way, but we've also upskilled it by making Virtual Reality instruments. So there's a huge drum in China, which you possibly couldn't live to get into your own living room. But what you can do is you can access it via VR, you get to see the scale and the size of the instrument, and you get to hear it in its accuracy in terms of the way it will record it as well. So you get a real feel for the instrument. In a virtual environment. Thank you very much. So what I'd say though, is it seems like that it's a work that is first, it's very valuable, but there seems to be an incredible opportunity for collecting more and more sounds out in our world that are potentially being passed over by modern life. That's true. It depends where you're looking everywhere has got sound, everything needs sound Danny Boyle, the film director said that the cinematic experience if you go to the cinema 90% of your experience within the cinema is the sound. If the sound of the music's off that take it doesn't matter what the CGI, the visual effects are doing that you're not going to have that complete experience. Yeah. You know, I think something that we do, certainly is the global salaries that were coming at this from kind of an artistic Yes, but also a scientific informed practice, field-based practice, is that our field record is that we make it the highest possible quality that we could do. So when we come back, we've got authentic sound, sound environments, from certain specific places that feel that it is one to use. And I think that because we've got this high, or we as consumers, now we're after revealing high definition, both in terms of the visual and the audio, even in our front rooms, where we're looking at our televisions, where we're listening to music, we really want this high, high definition. And because of that, I think you know, what the global salvos would do is provide production houses with high fidelity recordings that could be included both you Phil radio, video compositions. Really In summary, what you're saying is the quality is there to be applied to top-level projects very much. Yeah, if somebody wants to kind of go and take them from you. And when you look at this genre of work or this style of work now you're located in the University of Central Lancashire but are their opportunities for students to come into the university and take up a career path in This type of work where you're collecting sound and the environment, there might be musicians themselves. So they have a great understanding and then apply that knowledge in a studio setting, you know, a production setting and so forth. Like, what sort of opportunities because I know that there's a lot of musicians out there, and they want to stay within the music field, but they might want to go into the field of performance. Because we know what happened, there was a huge fallout with COVID. And very often questions are asked, what is the validity of this musical education? Where can it be used with a sound footing? So is there an opportunity here that people can look into and research and perhaps really get excited about? Because I think this is amazing. . Okay, so another hat that I wear at the university is that I'm a senior lecturer in music production. This kind of this project, it has been aided for the last kind of six years through that, and obviously, our connection with music production at the technology side of things. But in answer to your question, if a student does come to the University of Central Lancashire, there'll be studied at the School of Arts of media within that school, then that's where are the global salary for Project sets. So what we could do is we could access different courses, and we could mobilize academics through transdisciplinary projects. So students that work on the global cell movement, because each one I think it's important to say at this point that each one of the international trips that we've done, we've taken students with us, or that the students have got that field based experience in Africa, Cyprus even easier, Bali, which is ended easier. She bro, Africa, everywhere we've been, and we do take as many students as we can. So they're getting real world experience field based experience, then they're working with the post production back at home. And actually, there's more than one student that is that that's actually now employed. Because one of those Josh's apply by point by Spitfire audio we had raised that got picked up by Imogen Heap, the folk musician and CO collaborated with her on the sole basis that he was a part of the global cell movement, we've had at least three, four or five different people that got on to do the PhDs in this area. it sounds though, the way you're speaking that there is a new form of creativity being developed. Like, for most musicians, who are just trained in the normal system of music, they go through the classical exams, of example, boards around the UK and Ireland, diamond, orange or UK, but we share the same kind of education. And, you know, that's kind of the frame of reference with this, to me is something that isn't very well-spoken about. Because it's very niche based within your university, even though that we listen to incredible sounds in movies, commercials, and so forth. And I'm thinking that, like, how new is the global sound movement? How new is this whole process within university life? I think. I think you've just asked us a couple of questions out, I'll try to answer all of them in Coda sequencing, I think the idea of recording environments, or recording specific places for use in film, television backgrounds, scratch tracks, etc, etc. That's not a new thing. The BBC have been doing that for an incredible amount of time Hollywood's been doing it for 3d monitor, Jack Foley, hit the invention of the talkies and all that type of stuff. It's, that's not a new thing. I think the angle that we're coming at it with is that we're actually going out to the specific places , where capturing the sound of that you can't get more authentic than a global cell movement sub pool Highbury, because rather than bring the instrument to the recording studio in England, where we've got a sterile environment, so we could spend weeks trying to get the perfect, perfect sound, we actually got to record it what's at all in the way that it is, should be heard? That I think that's kind of a new element for us. And I think that, well, we will the Times Higher Education Award for 2016 for excellence in innovation in the arts. They actually recognize the fact or that, you know, the Times Higher recognize the fact that that we were actually standing up getting to play going over to these places having these cultural exchanges of the standard the importance of those instruments, and recorded them is such a way that does the Justice High fidelity. So I think the area of what we do is you but the way in which we do it is you okay to out there. So where is it that in the excellence and innovation of art, I feel so yes, we'll record it and record it a very high quality, but it's the way that we present as well. So if you look at each of the projects, you know, we do exhibitions, we present it in lots of different ways as well. So we've done live fashion shows where we're integrating Western sound with the sound that we've recorded for China, and we do a fusion fashion show where the music and the visual identities all combined, so you get out exactly, you get that full experience. You've got this virtual reality setup that we're working on. You've got the mapping of distillate types on a keyboard. So when you write a message, you're playing instruments, and we're recording brand new instruments, things that we've created, you know, we credit that is Elephone. Phil and we didn't say Chris, so Alyssa phones, music, musical instrument made out of rock . Yeah, imagine Yeah, yeah. We were actually we had an hour to kill in puff fast, to be honest, I'll be will tell you this where we've no secrets. So we had an hour to kill. So we went to Aphrodite is rock at the beach of Aphrodite. So whilst we were there, myself and Phil Bush, pressured the students, students when they're all walking around, and it's a pebbly beach. But the pebbles are quite big. We pick them up, and then I can't remember which one of us it was actually pressured. Global Sound Movement · Santuri Loops I'll probably give you the credit for this. But we dropped one of the pebbles, it actually made a musical note, a sound. So we said that we suddenly said, Right, everybody stopped what you're doing. Let's see if we can get two octaves of pebbles. So we kind of were clique of these pebbles around the beach. We got about two and a bit octaves worth. Yeah. And then we went to, we needed to record them because all of our kit was in the was about half a mile away of the van. So we did actually take these pebbles away. And we went to the tomb of the caves in order to record them, thinking that there was going to be a naively thinking that there was going to be this huge reverb and this used to have the keys and it was we turned off, but it was the most acoustic dead small space. But it was great. It was great. We did manage to record each one of these notes, or there were post production we needed to guide the ever so slightly to the lyricist. No acceptable noses. Satya? Yeah, Alo, we've packaged it together as Sylvia delighted to tell you that we've called it guess what we've called the instrument. Fabulous. The rocker dish feel oh, go away, though. Rockin should be Oh, that's funny. I love the creativity of this. I absolutely adore it. The question I have, though, comes back to documentation. Oh, here in Ireland, we have the ITMA, which is the Irish traditional music archives. And they viewed as incredibly important for understandable reasons that there's a section in Irish music with elderly people now that have skill, uniqueness, instrumentation, so forth, that is being archived and taken care of so future musicians can come into the archives or doing research or whatever, get prepared for a gig or whatever, that they might find something unique and new to give their audience and look at the history and where it came from and so forth. So what I'm wondering is, how important do you think, how important do you think it is? To document sound and to document music? How important is that task? I think if I just take the first bit precious, I'll hand it over to you if that's okay. I think, you know, our view is it's incredibly important to document these things. Because, you know, if we're being completely brutally honest, most of the instruments that we've recorded today will die out within the next 15 to 20 years, I will never be heard again, that scale of playing the skill of making those instruments will be lost. But we think that generations to come have the right to actually understand what those instruments were or what those instruments sound like. And actually, from a creative point of view, how those instruments can actually integrate and form part of your musical work. So I mean, the xylophone we were talking about before was the vendor out in Africa that is now has replaced a kick drum in some Swedish dance music, and they're actually using that instrument rather than a traditional Get the rockfish bill we were just talking about is used the Delta music as well, because it because of the frequency of which it is it actually sits above some of the synth pads that he actually provides a bit of decoration which doesn't interfere with the lead vocals from it from a kind of a frequency to equalization point of view. So all of these kinds of things are kind of driving composition forward whilst looking at the past. But the one of the key things and make no mistake We are the global sound movement. But we there's such a visual element to what we do have what Paresh does is document it visually and present it in a way, which is appropriate for kind of primary school kids, it was past Yeah, so what we are trying to work with is creating an instrument that doesn't require any musical knowledge, I can't play an instrument, but I want to be able to access this. So get onto a website where I can select a Suntory or a rocky spear or a Baszucki. And put those wherever we want and be able to interact with that, learn a little bit about the instrument, know which ones go together, and basically create a composition without the knowledge of knowing what works and what doesn't work. But it can actually create something that sounds half decent. But also, I still use issues could take those libraries and integrate them as well. Because something that we do that we key is disseminated our research findings at different levels of expertise. So from lab musicians up to code of world class composers, what I would say is that documentation from a simple point of view is really important if it's also in video format, because nowadays, because we've audio and video together, that means that these instruments can be remade. So I presume you're documenting is in both forms are you video and audio. Try as much as we can. So we use all the new forms of documentation really. So what you'll find is we use time lapse videos so people can see how we're recording things. There's lots of photography, we've experimented with the Google Glass, so people could see how it was interacting and recording at the time. We've done 360 photography as well. So you can go into YouTube, and you can take a full 360 view of us recording things at the time. So yeah, as the technology changes, we try and embrace that technology to capture as much of the documentation as we possibly can. And obviously, as time passes, new things will appear. And we'll find different ways of capturing that date. Read the full article

[visit-uganda]

The Nile leaves Lake Victoria at Ripon Falls near Jinja. #rafting #kayak #kayaking #boat #swim #swimming #safari #tour #tourist #tourism (at Source of the River Nile, Jinja, Uganda) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTHu_KrKX0G/?utm_medium=tumblr

[exploredestinations]

The Ultimate Guide to Kampala

The Ultimate Guide to Kampala - Things to See & Do, Where to Stay & How to Get around

Situated within the Central part of Uganda, Kampala is the country’s capital. This city welcomes many people from different parts of the country who come in for business, shopping and other leisurely holidays. Kampala is the epicenter of Uganda. Several roads start from this city to numerous regions of the country. Some of these routes include Kampala – Jinja – Mbale, Kampala – Masindi – Gulu highway, Kampala – Masaka – Mbarara, Kampala – Mubende – Fort portal highway to name but a few. On your first visit Kampala you are usually welcomed by the freestanding skyscrapers with their exquisite grandeur, busy downtown areas with thousands of locals carrying out different activities, taxi parks, amazing streets and many billboards that display various relevant information to the public.

How to get to & around Kampala

If you are getting to Kampala from Entebbe or other regions of the country, don’t hesitate to contact Uganda Airport Taxi. There are into this field mainly to provide incredible transport services to whoever who would wish to move from one place to another. There are majorly based in Entebbe and doing more of airport transfers. There are also more determined to ensure complacent transfer services for anyone in need at unbeatable prices. Once you get to Kampala, there are plenty of things to see and admire, including historical sites, local markets and religious sites. The list is endless, but what limits most visitors is the way to get there. With certainty, you can get around Kampala by many options including use of a Boda Boda. For a comfortable option, choose to hire a car with a driver to take you around the city’s main points of interest.

Where to stay in Kampala. 

When it comes to accommodation, Kampala is no place to doubt. This place is home to the most luxurious hotels in Uganda. Some of these hotels are Serena, Sheraton, Pearl of Africa hotel and more.  Besides that, this city is dotted by several accommodation facilities of other categories like mid-range and budget hotels, lodges and guest houses. All these properties offer remarkable lodging facilities that leave most guests just contented of the service.

Where to eat in Kampala. 

Kampala consists of restaurants, cafes and fast food outlets. All these facilities serve both local and international dishes that are worth to taste before you leave. Additionally, most hotels and other lodging facilities have onsite restaurants that serve delicious cuisine and fresh drinks at affordable prices. Fas food outlets include KFC, Chicken tonight, Food hub and more.

Where to find Banks & Forex Outlets. 

Banks and Forex Outlets are one of the things that are essential especially for foreign visitors. Kampala has plenty of these properties.  Some of the popular banks in Uganda are Equity bank, Stanbic bank, DFCU bank, Centenary bank, Eco bank, Absa bank to mention but a few. Most of these are found along the streets in the city like Kampala road in uptown and other corridors in downtown.

Best places for shopping in Kampala. 

For those who love shopping, the best places to go for this in Kampala are shopping malls, plazas and supermarkets.  Some of the malls are acacia mall, garden city, stores along Kampala road, Freedom city in Namasuba. Supermarkets include Mega, Tuskys, Shoprite and more. For shoes, you can check out Bata stores and numerous shops along Kampala road.

Best places for leisure time in Kampala.

Kampala with its serene atmosphere is a great place to relax while in Uganda. It consists of several venues that offer unmatched treats to those who are after relaxing outings. Some of these venues include centenary park, Kyadondo rugby grounds, malls like kingdom Kampala, acacia mall, garden city, freedom city to name but a few.

What to do & see in Kampala

The list of beguiling things to do in Kampala is endless, but below is some of those you shouldn’t miss for everlasting memories. Visit historical sites. This is for history lovers. Kampala is dotted by many historical sites that exhibit plenty of exciting things including artefacts. Some of these are Kasubi tombs, Uganda museum, the royal palace of Buganda kingdom and the Uganda martyrs shrines in Namugongo.  If history doesn’t appeal, Kampala also consists of places that are perfect for fans of religion. The list of these sites includes Namugongo and Rubaga cathedral, Bahai temple and Gadhafi mosque. Try the local food. Uganda’s local food is ranked as one of the most delicious in East Africa. Therefore, don’t miss to taste some while in Kampala.  This local food includes Katogo, Matooke, Karoo, Posho, Rolex and more. It is served in most eateries around Kampala at affordable prices. Other prominent places to go for Uganda’s luscious cuisine are the local markets.  Meet with locals. Uganda’s local people are welcoming and friendly. Don’t miss to engage with them for some conservation and as well learn how to speak some local languages like Luganda. Local markets like Owino, Nakasero, and USAFI are the best places to have an incredible local life experience. Attend fun events. If you love fun, make sure to attend one of the fun events hosted in Kampala over the weekends. Some of these events are Roast and Rhymes, Blankets and Wine, Meat & grill at Kyadondo rugby grounds to name but a few. Enjoy its vibrant Nightlife. When it comes to partying, Kampala is an idyllic place to do it. This city consists of a plethora of night clubs and bars that awesome and life energizing at night. These spots are scattered around the city and close to different hotels. Try street walks. Another thing not to miss is the street walk. Arrange for this in the morning or evening when all streets are free from sunshine. It is perfect for health and as well offer endless views of standing buildings with their striking splendor.

Top Day tours from Kampala

Visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Situated just in Central Uganda, Nakasongola district, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is home to the species of White Rhinoceros. It was mainly established to reintroduce this member of the African big fives back to Uganda.  This protected area treats wildlife addicts with endless views of these animals in their habitats. Rhino tracking is the main activity here and lasts for about one hour for USD 50 per person. Visit Jinja town. If it listing Uganda’s notable towns, Jinja can’t miss. It is soon turning into a city. This area in eastern Uganda has a lot of attractions including the source of the River Nile, so it is easy to understand why it is common on most travelers’ wish list.  Some of the activities that keep tourists occupied and excited on this land of the Kyabazinga are white water rafting, boat cruise, quad biking and the visit to the source of the Nile. Zip-lining & Forest walks in Mabira. For adventure travelers, don’t leave Uganda without trying Zip lining and forest walks in one of the country’s biggest forests. This is a popular day tour from Kampala and both activities are possible in a single day. Adding to the calm atmosphere in the forest, tourists on this tour usually enjoy the endless scenic views of different Wildlife species and picture-perfect landscapes. Visit Ngamba Island Chimp Sanctuary. Are you after primates? Ngamba Island Chimp Sanctuary is for you. This protected area is nestled on an island that is part of Koome group of islands.  It was put in place to provide beautiful homes for the rescued orphaned and uncared chimpanzees. The sanctuary is now home to over forty-nine chimps. Visitors to this spot engage in multiple activities including chimpanzee feeding, care-giving and more. Visit Lake Mburo National Park. Other than Ngamba, Lake Mburo National Park is another remarkable place to visit from Kampala. It is located in western Uganda near Mbarara town and plays host to a range of wildlife species. These include wild animals like elephants, buffaloes, zebras, antelopes, unique bird species, insects and reptiles. The drive from Kampala to the Park takes about 4-5 hours. While in the park, you can easily take in its scenery either by boat cruise or game drive. Read the full article

[jnfcanada]

Part Six 10th Anniversary – A Brief History of Uganda Since European Contact

In Part Five we talked about the need for Child Sponsorship.  As a third world country, Uganda has gone through a tumultuous time over the last one hundred years, leaving most of the citizens living in poverty.  Following is a brief history followed by some statistics to help understand some of the challenges the people there have faced over time. All of our experiences in travelling the countryside have helped us gain a better understanding of life in a culture very different from Canada. We have more to learn!

Uganda is landlocked, on the equator and surrounded by the great lakes of central Africa.  This was one of the last parts of the continent to be reached by outsiders.

In this issue we’ll show you a sampling of the beautiful countryside we have experienced in our travels while learning some history.  

Arab traders in search of slaves and ivory arrived in the 1840s, soon followed by British explorers in the 1870’s.


This was the place carved out of rock that the Arabs would bring Africans to trade.  They built this Fort near Gulu in the North to keep slaves: sorting the beautiful ones, who would live and be transported to Sudan and Egypt, from the ugly ones who would be put to death.  Sir Samuel Baker wanted to stop this to save the people, and easily defeated the Arabs.

Entering Fort Patiko

At the north side of the Fort you can see the pathway where they led the slaves to Sudan and Egypt.  There were so many slaves being transported along this path that today it is lined with Palm trees that grew from the seeds.  

The ruler visited by the British was Mutesa, the king (or kabaka) of Buganda. His kingdom was one of four in this region that had become firmly established by the mid-nineteenth century. The others, lying to the west, were Ankole, Toro and Bunyoro. 
 

Buganda Kingdom Palace 2010

The existence of these African kingdoms had a profound influence on the development of Uganda during the colonial period. In 1894 the British government declared a Protectorate over Buganda.  A Protectorate is a State (Buganda) protected and partly controlled by another (the British) as opposed to a Colony which is governed (essentially owned) by another country.  Two years later British control was extended to cover the western kingdoms of Ankole, Toro, and Bunyoro to form, together with Buganda, the Uganda Protectorate. 


The evident power of the local African kings convinced Harry Johnston, the seasoned British appointed Special Commissioner to Uganda, that control must be exercised through them. Buganda was by far the most significant of the kingdoms. The Johnston policy became effective with the Buganda Agreement of 1900. Under the terms of this agreement the kabaka's status was recognized by Britain, as was the authority of his council of chiefs. The chiefs' collective approval of the British protectorate over the region was eased by Johnston's acknowledgement of their freehold right to their lands (a concept alien to African tribal traditions, but nevertheless extremely welcome to the chiefs themselves).



Lake Victoria is one of the African great Lakes named after Queen Victoria.  It is Africa’s largest lake, the world’s largest tropical lake, and the world’s second largest fresh water lake by surface area after Lake Superior.  This is a view from the Entebbe nature reserve for rescued wildlife.  

Leanne feeding a giraffe at the Nature Reserve in Entebbe

Johnston subsequently made similar agreements with the rulers of Toro (in 1900) and of Ankole (in 1901). With this much achieved and a clear pattern set for the Uganda Protectorate, Johnston returned to Britain. 
 


Later Commissioners (British) developed Johnston's solution for Uganda into a clear-cut distinction between it and neighbouring Kenya. In Uganda the Commissioners declared that Uganda was not suitable for European settlement. 


Hiking in Sipi Falls in the area of Kapchorwa on Mount Elgon.

Many disagreed, and pressure built to allow the establishment of European farms and plantations - until another Commissioner, still in the years before World War I, convinced Britain that Uganda was to be an African state as opposed to a colony. The economics of the protectorate supported this policy. Uganda grew prosperous as cotton, introduced by the British, was grown with great success by African peasant farmers. 


In 2016 we visited a cotton textile factory in Jinja.

But a federal system of semi-independent monarchies proved less appropriate in the years after World War II, when all African colonies were moving towards independence. By the early 1960s the leading Ugandan politician was Milton Obote, founder of the UPC (Uganda People's Congress).  Its main political platform was opposition to the extent of British control over the southern kingdom of Buganda. 
 


Britain granted Uganda full internal self-government in March 1962 with Obote elected prime minister. He negotiated the terms of the constitution under which Uganda became independent in October 1962.



Obote accepted a constitution which gave federal status and a degree of autonomy to four traditional kingdoms, of which Buganda is by far the most powerful. In the same spirit Obote approved the election in 1963 of the kabaka, Mutesa II, to the largely ceremonial role of president and head of state.

By 1966 the deteriorating relationship between Obote and Mutesa came to an abrupt end. Mutesa fled to exile in Britain.  Obote immediately abolished the hereditary kingdoms ending the nation's federal structure. With the help of army and police he terrorized any remaining political opponents.

In 1971, when Obote was abroad, his regime was toppled in a coup led by Idi Amin. Obote settled just over the border from Uganda in neighbouring Tanzania, where he maintained a small army of Ugandan exiles under the command of Tito Okello.


Idi Amin subjected Uganda to a regime of arbitrary terror. The country's economy was severely damaged when he suddenly expelled all Uganda's Asians in1972, a mainstay of the nation's trading middle class. Between 300,000 and 500,000 Ugandans are reported to be murdered during Amin's seven years in power. 
 

Tea fields – tea is a major export.

In 1978 Amin invaded Tanzania.  Julius Nyerere, the Tanzanian president, took the opportunity to repel Amin's army and to topple his neighbour. Tanzanian troops, joining forces with Obote's private army, reached Kampala in April 1979. Amin fled and lived as an exile in Saudi Arabia.

Lake Bunyonyi in Rukungiri in the South West

During the following twelve months there were two interim governments led by returning Ugandan exiles.  In May 1980 a Ugandan general, Tito Okello, organized a coup which brought Obote back into power.  Obote was confirmed as president in a general election six months later. Uganda had lurched back from a mad dictatorship to a repressive regime held in check only by anarchy. 
 


During the 1980s Obote used violent means to reimpose his rule, while the country continued to suffer both economically and from tribal massacres costing some 100,000 lives. In 1985 Tito Okello intervened once more, driving Obote back into exile.  At the same time Yoweri Museveni had assembled a well organized guerrilla army. 


Yoweri Museveni had briefly been Uganda's minister of defence for the interim government after the fall of Amin. When Obote returned to power as president in 1980, and his party (the UPC) won a majority in elections widely regarded as fraudulent, Museveni refused to accept this turning back of the clock. He withdrew into the bush and formed a guerrilla group, known as the National Resistance Army (NRA).



Museveni’s war with Obote was fought largely in the area of Masulita where the Children of Jolly Education Centre is where we spend most of our time.  Photo taken in 2010.

Masulita Trading Centre

Jill exploring Masulita 2010

During the 1980s the NRA steadily extended the area of southern and western Uganda under its control. And Okello, after toppling Obote in 1985, proved no match for Museveni. 
 


By January 1986 the NRA were in control of the capital, Kampala. Museveni proclaimed a government of national unity, with himself as president, a turning point in Uganda's history. 



Kampala is the capital city of Uganda and was built on seven hills.  The population has grown to more than 3,000,000 and has spread beyond the seven hills.

A decade later the country was back under the rule of law (apart from some northern regions (Gulu area), where rebellion led by Joseph Kony, Leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, rumbled on). The economy was making vast strides (an annual growth rate of 5% in the early 1990s and of more than 8% in 1996). There were improvements in education, health and transport. International approval brings a willingness to invest and to lend. The nation, emerging from two decades of appalling chaos, was suddenly almost a model for Africa. 
 


Thirty years later Museveni remains as President having been reelected in every general election since 1985. The country is currently relatively stable and maintains a positive economic growth.

Some interesting comparisons between Uganda and Canada

The village where Jolly was born in Rukingiri is stunningly beautiful

Traditional Wedding

This photo taken in 2010 of the Bujagali Falls on the Nile before the dam was built.  Jinja is where the Nile starts its long journey to the Mediterranean Sea through Central and Northern Uganda, Sudan and Egypt.

Overlooking fisherman on the Nile River in Jinja

THE BEAUTY OF GOD’S CREATION:   Murchison Falls National Park and Queen Elizabeth Park

Murchison Falls Park in North West Uganda

Giraffes eating the trees

The Nile Crocodile

Medium sized antelope called Springbok

A boat trip on the Nile River takes you to Murchison Falls.  This waterfall is between Lake Kyoga and Lake Albert on the White Nile River.  At the top of Murchison Falls, the Nile forces its way through a gap in the rocks only 23 feet wide and tumbles 141 feet before flowing westward into Lake Albert.

Murchison Falls from the top.  (This Photo taken from Wikipedia)

Waiting for a ride at the Nile in 2010 –  run Geoff!

Elephants make their slow descent to the water

Hippos and water buffalo live together

THE END!

Watch for our post next week with a message from Dr. Jolly Nyeko, founder of Action For Children

[lennart11412]

Africa- countries, people, cultures. · May 20, 2013  ·  Nile River, near Jinja. Uganda. Jinja is the second largest town of Uganda with population of 90.000. The town is located on the shores of Lake Victoria, near to the source of the Nile River. It was established in 1906. Before that year Jinja was a fishing village. The origin of the name "Jinja" comes from the language of the Baganda and the Basoga that lived on either side of the River Nile in the area. In both languages "Jinja" means "Rock".

[handsonineastafrica]

14/8/2017 Post 1 of 12: Twas but a ‘hop, skip and jump’ back south and to the border… (again, sarcasm – it was torture on 4 wheels), but at least a relatively pleasant border crossing into Uganda. Only two glitches were the network being down (so we had to wait several hours to make payment for our TIP) and the brokers only sell 12 months 3rd party insurance at a time – a rather expensive option. The irony is not missed on me that everyone is fully aware you can only get an import permit for your car for 30 days, but they sell 365 days of insurance. Money making scam, methinks….. Since we’ve been in Uganda, we’ve stayed in 7 different camp sites – but we’re still totally flummoxed at how the pricing works? We stayed our first night in the car park of a hotel (near the border) with cold, grotty showers and noisy trucks hurtling past all night – this cost us 25 000UGX. Next night we stayed in a campsite in Sipi Falls, with the most incredible view over the valley and waterfall, warm showers and peace – for 10 000UGX. We’ve been having similar experiences ever since – the more we pay, the less we get?! Very strange! Our route so far has included a few days at Sipi Falls (top), Jinja – the supposed Source of the Nile River (middle), Kampala (bottom), Busingiro forest (wanted to charge us 35 000UGX but we flatly refused and camped anyway – lovely setting but zero facilities and no water), Murchison Falls and we’re now settled in at Fort Portal. Kampala was a crazy hectic few days with nightmare traffic, thousands of suicidal Boda Boda driver’s (bike taxis) and loads of expats shopping at familiar franchises like Shoprite, Game and KFC. Our campsite was spotless and had steaming hot water and electricity – naturally they charged us only 7 000UGX….. There is no relevance to including the moon photos…. I just think they’re pretty :-)

[muellerewald-blog]

Last updated on September 3rd, 2018 at 02:01 pm

I was so naive before my backpacking trip. I literally had no idea how many fun things to do in Africa there are besides a safari. And after living in Ethiopia for over 4 years, I’ve discovered even more.

Here’s 31 things to put on your Africa bucket list

1 Shark Diving

This is one of the things to do in Africa that was on my list before I ever came. And it did not disappoint. I dove in Hermanus,  South Africa known as “The Great White Shark Capital of the World.” It was freaking scary, but incredibly cool to be that close to sharks! I was in a cage… because ummm yeah they’re great whites. But other parts of South Africa let you dive without a cage around shark areas that attract less human-eating kinds.

Do you see how big the space between the bars is? The hardest park is keeping your hands from floating out… especially when the shark rams into the cage!

2 Wine Tasting

I had drank South African wine before my trip. But wine tasting in Stellenbosch was so much better! I’m usually against super touristy things… but the Cape Town Hop-On-Hop-Off bus is actually one of the cheapest ways to get there.

3 Surfing

40 African countries touch an ocean. Needless to say, you can surf almost anywhere. But Senegal, Morocco, and South Africa are known as some of the most popular spots.

You can also go sand surfing in Namibia and Egypt.

4 Diving

One of the most popular things to do in Africa is diving. I met so many backpackers who did it in South Africa, Mozambique, Zanzibar, and Lake Malawi. Besides getting to see really amazing marine life, it’s usually cheaper to dive (and get certified) in African countries.

5 Snorkeling

I went snorkeling in Mozambique and Zanzibar. Zanzibar was my favorite because for only $8 I swam with turtles in the Marine Sanctuary and fed them seaweed. It was amazing!

Swimming with turtles in Zanzibar

6 Gorilla Trekking

I did it in Uganda, but you can also do it in Rwanda (most expensive) or the DRC (least expensive– but sometimes closed due to conflict areas). My group got so close to them! There were a bunch of baby gorillas climbing the trees above us. Occasionally, the branches would break underneath them, and they’d come crashing down on the ground beside us.

You can also do chimp trekking. The difference is that the chimpanzees you can hear from far away. The gorillas are so quiet that you just pass through a bush, and all the sudden you are within a few feet of one.

Honestly it is a bit expensive. If you want to know how much it gorilla trekking cost me & if it’s worth it, check out my advice about travel splurges (I’m near the end of the article, but there is also great insight about if safari’s are worth the cost mentioned too).

7 Hiking

African countries offer so many incredible hiking adventures. I recommend doing it in Lesotho (because it’s the only country in the world to lie about 1000 meters in elevation and has lots of mountains) or Ethiopia (known as “the rooftop of Africa” with almost 70% of its country covered in mountains).

Or of course you could just go for the biggest mountain in all of Africa– Kili. My guide for Kilimanjaro has some great tips to prepare, stay safe, climbing gear, and how to actually make it to the top (because some people get sick before getting there

)

Tanzania is a great country to visit because you can climb Kili, go on a safari, and visit Zanzibar

8 Whale Shark Diving

I didn’t time my trip correctly so I missed whale shark season. But I did meet backpackers who saw them in Mozambique, Zanzibar, Madagascar, Djibouti, and Kenya.

9 Music Festivals

Africa has amazing music festivals. Some of them host local artists, others get singers from around the world. My favorite went I went to was HIFA in Zimbabwe.

10 Others Festivals

There are tons of other festivals in Africa to go to that include art, film, cultural, and more. See African Events for more details.

11 Run Your Heart Out

I think the best ones are the 2 oceans Marathon in South Africa or Ethiopian Great Run (That’s the largest road race in Africa. I’ve done it twice. It’s not a serious race, but it’s super fun and overwhelmingly huge!)

12 Climb Victoria Falls

I viewed them on the Zambia side, but you can also see them in Zimbabwe. They’re honestly amazing. I spent the whole day hiking around them, swimming at the top of them, and taking endless pictures of all the wildlife near them.

At certain times of the year (with lower water levels) you’re allowed to swim right before the falls drop. Photo Credit: irinaafrika.de

13 Experience Lake Malawi

This lake is so beautiful that even my backpacker friends from Canada and Finland (both countries known for beautiful lakes) said Lake Malawi was one of the best lakes in the world. There are islands inside the lake that you can explore too. (Rent a boat or try your luck getting there on a dugout canoe). Cape Maclear and Nkhata Bay are the most popular spots.

14 Sleep Next to Wild Animals

I slept in a tent inside Liwonde National Park (Liwonde Safari Camp is best/cheapest lodge in the area). It was incredible because hippos, elephants, warthogs, and more would come through the area. You can just lie on a hammock or chill out on an observation deck and get super close to all the animals.

15 Spice Tours

Zanzibar offers a really cool spice tour which is more fun than it sounds I promise. You can even see where the famous Chanel No. 5 perfume’s scent comes from.

16 Rasta Parties

I was not a big rasta fan before my trip. But African countries have lots of rastas (Did you know the movement has its roots in Ethiopia?). So I ended up at more than one party with Rastafarian music. One time I was dancing in between a Rastafarian and a Masai warrior.

17 Historical Spots

There are a lot of historical things to do in Africa. For example, while Rwanda is now an incredibly peaceful (and fun fact– one of the cleanest countries in the world), you can visit places like Hotel Rwanda.

There are also a lot of museums to visit. Most of them are pretty small. But they offer interesting things. For only 50 cents, The National Museum in Ethiopia gives you the chance to see Lucy which is oldest human ever discovered in the world.

18 White Water Rafting on the Nile

I rafted the Nile in Jinja, Uganda. It was really intense because many of the rapids are level 5 (which is the highest you can for sure safely go on). You also have to paddle hard to avoid the level 6 rapids (which are not safe or recommended to go down).

A few backpackers who are way more hardcore than me went down the rapids on a single person kayak that continually dunked them underneath the water.

I also played soccer at night with some of the kids in Uganda. So much fun! They were so sweet!

19 Drinking Beer

I really enjoyed trying beers from each country. I liked Nile Beer in Uganda, Tusker Lager in Kenya, and Kilimanjaro Beer in Tanzania the best.

(Or if you’re not into alcohol, a coffee ceremony in Ethiopia or a tea stall in Sudan are musts!)

20 Kiss a Giraffe

You can get super close (as in they might put their tongues in your mouth) to giraffes in Nairobi at the Giraffe Center. If you’re not on a backpacking budget, you can spend $500 ish to spend the night in Giraffe Manor.

21 Play with Baby Elephants

I visited the Elephant Orphanage in Kenya. It was so cute watching baby elephants play with soccer balls. One of them even untied my shoe laces with his trunk.

This is right before the caretakers put blankets on them, and gave them bottles. I was dying! So cute!

22 Explore Islands

There is an endless amount of islands to visit in African countries. I really like Lamu Island in Kenya. It’s famous because there are no cars allowed on the island. I got around by walking or donkey rides.

23 Ride an Ostrich

I rode an ostrich in Kenya (but you can also do it in South Africa). It’s so much scarier than I realized! Because essentially I was on top of giant, angry bird who can turn its long neck around and peck me at anytime. And if you get too close to the front of them, they’ve been known to front kick you and break ribs.

You can also go the more normal route and just ride a horse. Horseback riding in Africa is possible in every country.

and if you like horses or ostriches… you can ride a camel. This is how I saw the pyramids in Sudan.

24 Feed Hyenas (from your mouth!)

In Harar, Ethiopia you can go the outskirts of the town wall and meet a “hyena whisper.” It’s essentially a local guy who puts raw meat in your mouth and calls a wild hyena to take it out of your mouth! One of them actually jumped on my shoulders, and he was so heavy I fell to the ground and hit my face. Only in Africa would I come home with a paw print on my leather jacket that was from a hyena not from a pet dog.

Just dangling raw meat from my mouth beside a wild hyena

25 Trek Volcanoes

Ethiopia and the DRC offer 2 amazing active volcanoes to climb. The one in Ethiopia is actually known as the hottest spot in the world and has one of the few open lava lakes.

26 Sci-Fi Stuff

Just outside the Ethiopian volcano, has plains of salt and other elements that are so out of earth looking that sci-fi movies are being filmed there.

Can you seriously believe this place is real? Danakil Depression seriously looks like a weird planet.

27 Bungee Jumping

There are some huge heights to jump off both in South Africa and Victoria Falls.

28 Walking Safari

Some parks like Liwonde and Arusha offer walking safaris. It’s really cool because you’re literally walking through safari areas on foot. This also makes it slightly more adrenaline rushing. I did it in both places. The scariest was Liwonde because we were crossing barefoot through a river while being told by our super high guide to, “Look out for the crocs!”

29 Pyramids

I visited Pyramids in Egypt and Sudan. Egypt’s are bigger and more famous. But Sudan’s “Forgotten Pyramids” are much less touristy. I was the only visitor that day (on average they only get one per day), and I literally felt transported back into time.

I spent extra $$ to climb inside one of the pyramids, and it’s totally worth it!

30 Markets

Markets are really fun and interesting experiences. They offer so many exotic things to look at and try. The ones in Egypt, Morocco, and Ethiopia are most famous.

31 Local Celebrity

I actually took a lead role in an Ethiopian movie. When it came out in theaters, there were giant life size posters of me all around town. It’s been almost 2 years, and I still get recognized and asked for photographs. If you also want to act, you can contact any local movie producer. They’re always looking for a foreigner to put in their film. And depending how big your part is, you can even get paid like I did.

  Look at the middle poster… can you see me? These were everywhere! On buildings, outside theaters, on the side of the road. Ha, I seriously felt very famous.

Out of all of these things to do in Africa, which ones do you want to do most? And which one will you definitely not want to do?? Tell me in a comment below!

PS- If the only reason you’re not going on a safari is because of the cost, know that there are ways to have a cheap African safari 

  The post 31 Things to Do in Africa (besides a safari) that are Crazy Awesome appeared first on Backpacking Africa for Beginners.

[jessiewre]

Day 25

Weds 29th Jan

Woke up in the internal room with windows into the communal area and Phil was all fresh and keen to get moving. CLASSIC PHIL.

After showers, breakfast arrived with a spanish omelette, toast and curiously two sticks of carrot on the plate. Maybe they’d run out of avocado or maybe they like carrot an egg together.

A girl from the hostel called Kessia started asking us about our plans for the day and we ended up chatting to her and a Germany guy called Patrick for about an hour, getting SO many tips about Kenya & Tanzania. Kessia also told us how to get to Jinja that day and where she recommended we stay, even letting us use her phone to reserve a room.

Such a useful conversation, resulting in an actual plan for the day plus tons of other great nuggets of info. She even gave us her WhatsApp number in case we had more questions - RESULT.

Also - we mentioned the annoying taxi guy we’d got to know in Kabale and how he was everywhere we went trying to rip us off. And German Patrick said he had a similar situation. Then he asked us the guys name, which of course I couldn’t remember, so we showed him the sneaky picture I’d taken and IT WAS THE SAME GUY. There was no escape from this dude.

We got an Uber to the New Taxi Park she told us to get the bus from and it was not quite as easy as we’d hoped. The place was RAMMED with vehicles and people and the ground was muddy and wet. We squeezed our way in between vehicles and people constantly asked us Where we were going. When we said Jinja, some people would just look away (as it wasn’t where they were going) and others would point in the direction they thought the bus was.

It was mayhem to be honest.

And the only buses we could see were the small basic ones, not a nicer one called a Coaster, as Kessia had described. One guy we spoke to told us these were the only buses to Jinja, they were 15000 per person and that there were no Coaster buses. So we said ‘Well, our friend told us there were Coaster buses available and they are 7000 per person’.

He looked annoyed and said ‘You are lying yourself, there is no Coaster bus for 7000’.

I’m fairly certain he was a few seconds away from saying ‘I swear on the Lord above’, so we walked away from him and followed another guys directions to the Old Taxi Park where he thought the Coaster buses were based.

It was an effort traipsing around the chaotic bus park, squeezing in between buses while they tried to drive around, people overtaking us while we carried our bags front and back, being told to ‘be careful’ by one lady, then we found the exact bus to Jinja that we needed, the larger Coaster bus for 7000ush per person. And there was one double seat left woop woop, so neither of us had to sit on the fold down seat. We paid an extra pound each for our luggage and the bus left, spending about 20 minutes just trying to leave the taxi park.

I tried to film out the window to capture the chaos but someone said ‘Put your phone away, they will take it’ so Phil requested I stop hanging his phone out the window.

As we were on a bus, obviously Phil fell asleep fairly quickly. After about 45 minutes he woke up full of hope and said ‘Hey, what city are we in?’.

I looked as his hopeful little (its not little) face and said

‘Uh, we are still in Kampala bruv’

The pain and sadness on his face was brutal.

Bless him he was under the illusion that we were nearly there, arriving at Jinja any minute.

So to dampen his pain, we watched the Crown and zoned out.

Phil had a lady squashed next to him on the fold down seat and everytime someone got on or off she would shove her large bum in his face. The bus stopped at one point and a street seller opened my window and thrusted in about 25 large sticks of cooked chicken thighs on them while another managed to get her hand in with a basket full of cooked bananas wrapped in newspaper. It was like GoGo Gadget Arms and the food fell past our faces and into the centre of the bus as they tried to sell their goods to the locals.

As the journey dragged on, hunger began to kick in and Phil reminded me of the curry doggy bag we had from the night before. He was getting more and more annoyed by the length of the journey so I took it upon myself to organise the curry. I was like a scientist in a lab with my hands inside the bag on my lap, trying to decant the rice into the aloo Gobi dish without throwing it all over the vehicle and ourselves. Phil was getting really annoyed, I think the lady next to him was starting to get to him and then I tried to feed Phil a mouthful to help his hunger. But it was like his wedding day had arrived and he was covered in rice like it was confetti and he was fumin. He was like ‘I don’t want any food, forget it’.

WHAT AN ABSOLUTE RESULT.

So I tucked right in and it was bloody delicious.

I’m not pure evil though, I obviously left him 3 grains of rice to enjoy.

After getting the bus at 1pm we arrived in Jinja at 5pm, just the double of what we were expecting then.

Two bodas quickly appeared and we half-heartedly asked if they had helmets, knowing full well the wouldn’t. As a compromise, we said Ok please drive slowly.

Boy did they take this seriously.

We were overtaken by old ladies on bicycles we were that slow.

After a painful 20 minutes, we arrived at the top of our hotel road and we asked how much - knowing full well that 5000ush was what Kessia had paid for the journey.

It’s always funny when we have two drivers, as they look at each other with a side eye to try and work out how much to say (ie. how much to exaggerate the price by).

My driver looked at us and said ‘Ok, 20000 each’.

It’s so disappointing when they lie in your face!

We told them we knew it was 5000 each so he said

‘Ok, 15000 each then’

We settled on 10000 each just to end the conversation and walked down to Nile River Camp.

The Safari tent we’d reserved was like glamping, with proper beds and furniture and a little light bulb, and there was a big restaurant area with a beautiful view of the Nile.

Phil went for a run immediately to work off the 3 grains of rice from the bus snack while I chilled with the incredible view.

We massively over ordered food - nachos, vege burger and the intriguing ‘3 homemade loaves oven warmed with hummus, olive oil, balsamic vinegar & tomato onion salsa’.

But overall, it was proper average food and we absolutely could not finish it.

Two people sat on the seats near us, so we immediately offered our leftovers to them despite the nachos looking like a major car crash, as this is acceptable and normal here. People are happy to accept food from others whatever the condition of it! They happily tucked in and it was a relief to see that the food would not go to waste.

We ended up hanging out with Winfred and Jimi the rest of the evening. Both from Jinja, Winfred was a social worker and Jimi was a footballer. He told us about his potential move to the UK as Swindon Town had scouted him, so look out for Jimi Ola coming to a footie game near you.

Phil & Jimi talked about Phil’s running etc and they drunkenly agreed to do a run the next morning, joking that Jimi would be like a bullet and Phil would be like a tomato.

I left Phil to his beers and air guitar while he was trying to explain to them who Oasis were and he joined me an hour or so later.

[adyeri]

Marine tourism in Uganda

Uganda is an East African country with a variety of water bodies ranging from Lakes, rivers, swamps, waterfalls and hot springs in Semuliki National Park. Uganda is gifted with many lakes namely Lake Victoria being the second largest inland freshwater body in the world, Lake Albert being the 7th largest lake in Africa, Lake Kyoga, Lake Edward, and George connected by Kazinga channel and many others all with unique experiences to offer, rivers like River Nile a North-flowing river and the longest in Africa, River Kagera, and River Kafu among other, swamps like Mabamba hosting the rare shoebill with other bird species. These water bodies host wildlife like terrestrial wild animals, birds, aquatic animals, and a variety of butterflies.

There are three national parks in Uganda with boat cruise as a tourism product in Uganda and these are Lake Mburo National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, and Queen Elizabeth national park. The majority of Uganda’s marine adventure tourism activities are done in Jinja also known as the adrenaline capital of East Africa.

Marine activities in Uganda

Boat cruise

The boat cruise is the most interesting and enjoyable activity Murchison Falls national park offers. The boat cruise can either be to the bottom of the Murchison Falls or to the Albert delta.

To the bottom of the falls

This is the most enjoyable activity in Murchison falls national park because the launch starts from Paara dock and sails upwards towards the most powerful waterfalls in the world (Murchison Falls) as you set your eyes on schools of hippos, a variety of water birds, terrestrial wild animals at river banks like elephants, oribis, warthogs, buffalos are usually seen taking water and cooling their body temperatures. Crocodiles are also seen especially in spots near the waterfalls basking. The boat cruise to the falls gives our clients opportunities to take photos at a close range and good viewing of the wild game since the boat cruises closer to the animals.

The Albert delta launch cruise

The launch cruise to the Albert delta also starts from Paara dock sails smoothly on the flowing waters of the river Nile. The river splits up creating numerous Islands of papyrus zones. This delta also inhabits the rare shoebill, grey-headed kingfisher, Egyptian goose, white-crowned wheatear, African skimmer, Abyssinian ground hornbill palm nut vulture among others.

The boat cruise to the bottom of the falls is done in the morning and afternoon daily. The morning boat cruise starts at 9 am and the afternoon boat cruise starts at 2 pm both lasting for 2 to 3 hours depending on the speed of the boat.

Boat cruise at Kazinga channel

This channel connects Lake Edward and Lake George and it’s a 32km long channel connecting the two lakes. This channel has a variety of birds, aquatic animals and also attracts a variety of terrestrial wild animals that are observed in a close range during the boat cruise. Wild animals to look out during the boat cruise include hippos, Nile crocodiles, buffaloes, elephants and a variety of bird species like saddle stork, black crake, shoebill stork, yellow barked stork, and many others. The boat cruise gives you a chance to take photos and also view animals in a close range. The boat cruise sets off at 9 am and 2 pm in the afternoon daily at Kazinga channel.

Most of the marine adventure tourism activities are done in Jinja and some of them are bungee jumping, white water rafting, sunset boat cruise on the Nile, visiting source of the Nile, horseback riding on the Nile, jet boating on River Nile, sailing to Jinja from Entebbe on the M.V.Vanessa, all-terrain quad bike safari along the Nile and many others

Below are some of the top marine adventure activities you can do in Uganda

Bungee jumping

This activity is not for the faint of heart because it’s thrilling therefore it needs psychological preparation before you go for it. It involves jumping from a platform with a bungee cord connected to your two tied legs.  Diving from a tour and touching the river Nile makes this activity unique and unforgettable because you touch the longest river in the world

White water rafting

White water rafting involves cruising from mild water to wild white waters of the river Nile. This activity is thrilling but you won’t forget that experience of rafting on the longest river in the world (River Nile). A white water rafting trip on the river Nile can be done on a half-day or full-day trip on river Nile.

Sunset boat cruise on the River Nile

The sunset boat cruise starts at around 6:45 pm in Uganda and ends at 7:10 pm when total darkness comes it. Within these two hours on the river Nile, you see the sun setting in the west along the Nile when you reach in some serene spots that are perfect for a sunset cruise. You can also take snacks and drinks on this most enjoyable experience while in Jinja.

Jet boating on River Nile

Jet boating activity is one of the safest to engage in because the boat operator is experienced and knows the safest places in the river Nile where to cruise from. With jet boating, you ride up the rapids of river Nile. This activity favors those who do not want to spend a lot of time on the river Nile. Remember jet boating has to be booked for you in advance. For more information about Marine Expeditions, kindly contact Adyeri Creations Limited your number one Safari expert in Africa.