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Uganda gorilla trekking
February 9, 2022 • 0 Comment
Tips for Gorilla Tracking in Uganda

Tips for Gorilla Tracking in Uganda are the key points one has to consider to make his dream Gorilla trekking safari successful. Mountain Gorillas are wildlife animals, endangered species inhabiting the areas of Africa in countries including Uganda, Democratic Republican of Congo and Rwanda Gorillas are large primates inhabiting Bwindi impenetrable National park in Uganda.

Mountain Gorilla trekking gives one an opportunity to spot  the Gorillas in the forest as they continue with their day to day activities  such as Grooming each other, feeding, playing, building their nests and many more. Mountain Gorillas share 98% with human beings.

Tips for Gorilla Tracking in Uganda gives you various answers for different questions commonly asked by guest who are planing to visit Uganda for Gorilla trekking. Below are the basic Tips for Gorilla Tracking in Uganda, they are inform of question answer approach:

IS GORILLA TREKKING WORTHY YOUR TRIP

Gorilla trekking is one of the best priceless activities every person would to encounter, one always wishes to meet these giant Gorillas and never regrets.

Gorilla tracking costs 600 USD in Uganda. One can add on their budget extra money for accommodation, transport, tips, guides up keep, and you’re ready to go encounter on a life time trip.

Gorilla trekking safari is one of the best and expensive Tourists experience in Africa with a number of people flocking to Africa for an amazing encounter.

IS GORILLA TREKKING SAFE

Gorilla Tracking is very safe in Uganda, and secure, they have no issues with insecurity in the country.

Uganda is very safe  with well equipped rangers with an armed military escort. Gorilla trekking is one of the major source of income for Uganda and the government has done everything to make it safe for visitors.

BEST TIME FOR GORILLA TREKKING IN UGANDA

Gorilla trekking in Uganda takes place throughout the year, however they are two seasons of Gorilla tracking these include dry season and rainy season. The rainy seasons the trails become muddy in the rain forest. This is one of the key among all the Tips for Gorilla Tracking in Uganda since it determines your experience during the Gorilla tracking, what to park for the trip and other essential Tips for Gorilla Tracking in Uganda

The rains of Uganda usually rain during night or early mornings when the sun comes out the weather clears up.

WHAT TO WEAR FOR GORILL TREKKIG

Wearing the white cloths this is all about protection, since you’re going to move and trek in the forest one you will need long sleeved cloths to cover up your body, this also to avoid the ants and flies, nettles, thorns, branches that can scratch your body. Ensure you use boots during the trek, a trekking stick / walking stick. We don’t need many complains why you didn’t carry a moving stick.

ARE YOU FIT FOT GORILLA TREKKING

Trekking the mountain Gorillas one needs to be 15 years and above of age those are the persons believed to have the strength of trekking the Mountain Gorillas, in 2013 a 94 year old woman was carried on a stretcher on her way for Gorilla trekking, this was an order to fulfill her wish to travel and trek the Mountain Gorillas in her lifetime. She was carried by 12 men to trek the Mountain Gorillas one should be in a reasonable shape and fit in order to trek the Gorillas.

WHAT IS THE LENGTH OF TIME FOR GORILLA TREKKING.

The time spent from the starting point at the park headquarters is 30minutes to 7 hours depending on how faster the trekkers are and the location of the Mountain gorillas. When you meet the gorillas face to face after a long way of trekking you will be given one hour to spend with the mountain Gorillas. Even  before you go for Gorilla trekking their pre-trekkers from the headquarters that are searching for the location of the Gorillas for the day per group.

HOW DO I GET GORILLA PERMITS

The Gorilla permits are purchased at Uganda Wildlife Authority. One needs to book in advance in order to obtain a gorilla permit entry ticket book must be pro three months to your time of trek.

ONE SHOULD AVOID MISSING OUT ON GORILLA PERMITS

One must not have an add on thought to trek Gorillas late planning may often result into missing a Gorilla permit the way to avoid bad news that the permits are sold out is to book on time.

Follow the rules and regulations of trekking the mountain Gorillas.

The  range to stay away from the gorillas for their health in order not to inffect them with cold and flu.

Do not use flashed cameras.

TAKING GREAT IMAGES FOR GREAT MEMORIES ON YOUR TREK

Photography graphing the Gorillas is a bit different since no flashes are expected however you’re encouraged to take as many pictures as you can.

CHILDREN AND GORILLA TRACKING

Children below the age of 15 are not allowed to trek the mountain Gorillas, there several special activates with full package to cater for the children such as the little babies the parents can live them in an amazing care with the nannies of the lodge to take care of these as you’re away for the trek.

Cultural visits these are often arranged by the tour company donot hesitate to contact us.

ACCOMMODATION

There a number of Gorilla accommodations in Uganda comfortable, the lodges range from budget, mid range and luxury lodges. All near by the parks ones doesn’t need to move LIII distances. Mgahinga Gorilla Park its lodges are locked along Lake Mutanda or the town of Kisoro.

NATIONAL PARKS WITH GORILLAS

Uganda is part of the countries with Mountain Gorillas in Africa these include Bwindi impenetrable Forest with about 12 groups of Gorillas are a trekked by a group of 8 people. There other two groups in Rushaga section that are undergoing habituation. Bwindi has two sections of Gorilla trekking including Ruhija, Nkuringo, Buhoma and Rushaga.

Mgahinga Gorilla Park is one of the best Gorilla trekking parks with one family and it’s open for visitation. There about 80 Gorillas that live in the park the trek takes place on the end sides of the Virunga Volcanoes.

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Sempaya Hot Springs
January 12, 2022 • 0 Comment
Sempaya Hot Springs

Entangled in the escarpments of Bundibugyo town the Sempaya hot springs in the Semiliki River valley, the springs contain different micro organisms which support a lot of wildlife; the springs originate from the Semiliki River that’s always streaming with a lot of wildlife.

The Sempaya hot springs are located in two places and are know as male and female springs, the springs are one of the Semliki national park attractions, it’s waters eject clouds of steam as far as 2kms, this hot springs attract a lot of wetland birds and aquatic animals but animals can’t sadly survive for long.

Male and female Hot spring

The Sempaya hot springs are also sometimes known as Semliki hot springs, the temperatures of Sempaya hot springs reach up to 130° centigrade located amidst a thick under growth, the word Sempaya is derived from a Kiswahili word “Sehemu mbaha” to mean “difficult side”  the springs we’re called so because of the difficult construction of Fort portal Bundibugyo road it was not easy because of the ridges and rocks of mount Rwenzori.

The story of the male spring is based on the story that some women went to fetch water and found an old man wearing bark clothe wielding his spear either a dog following in a zigzag direction, the man was hairy and weird so the women ran home to tell their husbands and who picked the man and took him to their village getting him even a woman he was called Biteeete.

He continued his hunting but one time never returned back home after going for hunting, the village men who wen to search out for him only found a spear at the place of the present day male springs but no sign of him was seen up to today. They decided to run and tell the wife known as Nyansimbi who aslo ran to the forest never to return. When  they went out to search for her, only her clothes were found at the present day female hot springs.

From that day on wards the Bagama people came to know the springs as male and female hot springs and believe that their female ancestors live besides the female hot springs while the makes live besides the male host springs. The Bagama people perform rituals annually from this springs.

Visiting g the hot springs offers an incredible experience but tourists can visit the Semliki national park for a more thrilling safari experience some of the activities you can engage at Semliki national park can be seen below;

Game drives

Tourists can go for game drives at Semiliki national park and get a chance to see Uganda’s wildlife some of the animals to see on a game drive are bush bucks, water bucks, lions, hyenas, elephants and many more.

Bird watching

Semiliki​national park is also endowed with a lot of bird life with over 150 species of birds some of which are endemic to this area while are others are residential birds. Tourists can have great opportunities of seeing g the rare shoe bill.

Gorilla trekking

For those interested in the endangered gorilla trekking tourists can visit the famous Mgahinga national park and encounter the endangered mountain gorillas that can only be seen with in the virunga massif

Sempaya hot springs can be accessed 465 kilometers from Kampala; the springs are 52 kilometers from Fort portal- Bundibugyo road.

Accommodation can be got at Semiliki national park ranging from camping, mid range and budget accommodation units.

For more information visit www.azas-safarisuganda.com

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Owen Falls
January 12, 2022 • 0 Comment
About the Owen Falls

The Owen Falls was a waterfall on the White Nile in Uganda near the city of Jinja. The falls, together with the nearby Ripon Falls, were submerged in 1954 with the completion of the Nalubaale Hydroelectric Power Station. The dam that houses the power station was originally named Owen Falls Dam, but was later renamed Nalubaale Dam and the name of the power station was also changed, from Owen Falls Power Station to Nalubaale Power Station.

Location

The waterfalls were located approximately 4 kilometres (2 mi), north (downstream), of the point where the river leaves Lake Victoria. This is the location of Nalubaale Dam, previously called Owen Falls Dam. The geographical location of the former Owen Falls are:00°26’37.0″N, 33°11’05.0″E (Latitude:0.443611; Longitude:33.184722).

The power station

Main article: Nalubaale Hydroelectric Power Station Construction of the Owen Falls Dam in early 1950s

The original Owen Falls Power Station consisted of a concrete gravity dam with a close coupled intake powerhouse unit. It controls the Lake Victoria outflows through a series of ten turbines and six sluices in the dam. When fully opened, the six sluices provide a spill capacity of about 1,200 cubic metres per second (cumecs).

At the time of its commissioning by Queen Elizabeth II, in 1954, the power station had two units of 15 megawatts each, for generation capacity of 30 megawatts. The table below illustrates how generation capacity was gradually increased until all ten units were operational in 1968. That year, generation capacity at the power station reached 150 megawatts.

Operations and upgrade

According to agreements between the Colonial British government and the government of Egypt, signed in 1929 and amended in 1949, the power station is operated through the Agreed Curve, so that the outflow from Lake Victoria remains the same as it was before the construction of the dam; when the outflow from the lake was naturally controlled by the rocky barrier of mukkibi falls.Due to neglect and lack of maintenance from 1971 until 1986, generation capacity at Owen Falls Dam deteriorated to 60 megawatts by 1986. This required repairs and rehabilitation, including the increase of each turbine’s capacity from 15 megawatts to 18 megawatts, to meet demand. The power station’s generation capacity reached 180 megawatts in 1996.

Extension

The feasibility of increasing the power generating capacity of the Nile River at this location, was studied at the end of the 1980s by Acres International, which today is part of Hatch Ltd of Canada. The new project is a second powerhouse located about 1 kilometre (1 mi) northeast of the Nalubaale Power Station. A new canal was cut to bring water from Lake Victoria to the new powerhouse. Major construction was completed in 1999. The first power from two units out of the installed five units, came online in 2000. The fifth and final turbine was installed in 2007. Each turbine has a capacity of 40 megawatts. The new power station is called Kiira Hydroelectric Power Station.

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Owen Falls