Tanzania’s travel start which is an online travel agency has now opened up its new shop in Kenya in its effort to utilize the available East African community market. Mr. Mustafa Rajani who is the Managing Director of the Travel state according to reports from Dar Es Salaam, he was noted to have said that though the agency opened just last year, its operations have been a success and has therefore managed to expand to Nairobi and very soon will be in all the capital cities of all East African countries.

The flights on the website are not expensive at all, with so many other airlines and so the choice is yours to make. Payments can be made by cash, bank deposit, M-Pesa or use of credit cards after the booking has been made. He also added that for those potential customers who can not access internet services to buy the tickets on line, they can always find them (tickets) in any of their outlets which are responsible for the traditional travel department.

Aside from the fact that they have got very cheap flight offers, travel start website can be accessed throughout the day and the entire week which is advantageous to those who may wish to travel over the weekends while other travel agencies have closed their shops, says Mr. Mustafa. He also mentioned that the company will soon open a promotion offer where they will be offering free accommodation for one night as a complimentary to those who will book with the company the Dar-Mwanza or the Dar- Dubai flights.

However, it is very important to note that there is a significant development in the aviation industry with the opening up of a number of airlines with a short period of time and they include airlines like the Fly540, Emirates airlines, the Turkish airlines, the Egyptian airline as well as the Qatar airlines.

AFRICA TRAVEL NEWS

The rhino fund Uganda has already set and published Ziwa rhino sanctuary’s 2012 rates and they include variety of different activities provided for the visitors who may visit the sanctuary come 2012. All visitors who will be interested in going for game drives or for guided walks, those who may want to go for birding or to watch the rhinos will have to pay a certain a mount of fee at the head office though entrance to the sanctuary is still free to every one.

There are various accommodation facilities at Ziwa in form of guest houses which are very suitable for tourists who travel as a family while those who want the budget facilities; they will get the best facilities as well together with very delicious meals served from the restaurant which serves people from around the community as well. There is also the new Amuka lodge at Ziwa which is a luxury accommodation and it has just been constructed for the luxury spenders offering the best serves and comfort worth the prices.

As of to day, Ziwa sanctuary has got 3 adolescent male rhinos and 1 female calf which is just a few weeks old, plus 2 more adults which will be giving birth to their young ones in a few weeks to come. Get more information about these new rates or any other information about Ziwa from the website on www.rhinofund.org.

AFRICA GORILLA  NEWS.

The United States government  has donated $6million to the conservationists to help them run their projects in selected areas aimed at the improvement of wildlife conservation for the benefit/growth and development of people who live around the national park and game reserves in the whole country. This funding passed through the US development agency (USAID) and it  is intended to finance the project aimed at introducing  people living around the park into tourism though not fully responsible for conservation issues; they can always take part in the conservation measures at their own local level like protecting the existing forests from those who want to cut them down, reforestation as well as protecting the wildlife from poachers hence increasing the tourists’ attractions in the country.

There are about 30 selected wildlife management areas so far in the country though only 19 of them are the ones recognized by the authority as yet while the 11 remaining areas have not yet been registered as possible conservation areas as mentioned during the project launch.

The conservationists welcomed the project because it will create the soft spot for a better relations between the nation parks and the areas around the parked that is used for farming and settlement and once these people feel secure and the ownership of the land they live on, they will be able to earn some income from the tourism through provision of services to tourists who visit the area and be able to look after their families thus the development/ benefiting from the project.

GORILLA TREKKING NEWS

VISITORS BRING DEADLY WEED TO QUEEN ELIZABETH NP

A toxic weed reported in the Uganda about a year ago, has infected  Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda, causing  danger to  thousands of animals and plants. The Queen Elizabeth conservation area manager Mr TOM OKello said  that visitors could have brought the weed into the  Uganda .

He added that the weed is believed  to be a native of Mexico and could have been brought into Uganda about four years ago by some unknown people. The plant is thought to have been introduced into Uganda through Ethiopia and Kenya. Mr Okello said the weed had been sighted in several parts of the park, including areas around Mweya Safari Lodge.  The weed is poisonous to livestock if consumed in large quantities.

He promised that plans to start uprooting and burning the weed will be finalized by the end of  this week. Despite looking beautiful and smelling sweet, the weed is said to be among the world’s 10 most dangerous weeds.

On contact with the human body, it causes a burning effect that makes the skin peel off. Inhaling pollen from the flowers causes an asthma-like illness or persistent flu-like symptoms in humans. Cattle that eat the weed produce foul-smelling milk and may even die. In September, a team led by Dr. Gadi Gumisiriza of the National Agricultural Research Organisation said the weed had been detected in 12 districts.

The Kasese district crop protection officer, Charles Nyamutale, said the killer weed is usually spread by humans, birds and animals. Each plant is capable of producing between 25,000 and 100,000 seeds each season, which can persist in the soil for a long time. Nyamutale said the situation has been worsened because large areas of the park and neighbouring cattle grazing areas are also choking with another shrub called lantana camara. Nyamutale said lantana camara. forms thickets that harbour tsetse flies, which cause nagana in animals and sleeping sickness in humans.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is the second largest park in Uganda and brings in about sh2b of the sh17b revenue generated from the country’s national parks  plans to redeem it from this deadly weed are going on .

By Tanah Hadijah

Uganda Safari News

Hi Tanah,

The kingdom of Buganda is one of the ancient Kingdoms that have existed in Uganda since time memorial. This kingdom is lead by a king with a title “kabaka”. Because of its organized system, very many activities are carried out and one of them is the upcoming expedition of the marvelous Buganda EXPO.  The kingdom has begun its preparations for this memorable tourism EXPO 2010 slated for 28^th June to July 2010.

Like the state, this kingdom has different ministries and for this superb activity, the ministry of tourism is responsible. This time the Kingdom has joined up with Makerere University Department of Zoology to devise ways of getting all the necessary animals to boost the Expo.

An inspection tour of the spots where animals will be stationed was done and the minister of state for tourism in Buganda Kingdom, Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi guaranteed that a great number of the animals that have an attachment to Baganda clans will be presented for those interested in the show to see this time.

During her speech she pointed out that the ministry has introduced a museum for Kabaka Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II where all the information concerning him will be available for display from his childhood up to date for all viewers.

In order to make the EXPO site more accessible, the Royal trail from Bulange to Mengo palace will be cleared and cleaned. The EXPO centre within the palace has also been worked upon with tarmac to help those who come to see the displays to move faster. This will also make it easier for the traders who will showcase their items during the EXPO.

Dr. Ann Acol of the Department of Zoology, Makerere University suggested the Kingdom should look forward to improving the stations where animals will be positioned to prevent them from suffocating which may lead to the death of these animals.

This exciting but memorable week long EXPO will be formally opened by her majesty Nnaabagereka, Sylvia Nagginda and closed by his Royal Highness the Kabaka. You ought not to miss out on any of these grand days. There will be a corporate Day on 3rd July, a Family Day on Sunday 4th July and afterwards a fundraising dinner for Kasubi tombs restoration on Sunday the 23rd July at Hotel Africana.

Among all the EXPOS that are organized world wide, this is the most exciting and it keeps you wondering about the rich culture that the pearl off Africa has. In this EXPO, even those that are not Ugandans are allowed to exhibit what they have to offer. This time even the Indians will be allowed to exhibit. Do not miss out there exiting dances.
Uganda safari

After  shaking  off most of the negative perceptions that had stopped Uganda’s Tourism industry growth until the late 1990s, the sector has recovered considerably.

The  Uganda tourism sector contributes  8%  of Uganda’s GDP and is seen as one of the sectors with the most promising growth prospects, the government has often kept it on the back burner in its budgeting processes.
Budget estimates for 2010/11 show that the tourism ministry could suffer a budget cut of nearly 20%  from that of the current financial year.

The encroachment on the tourism budget would perhaps not hurt the sector as much if it had not been preceded by encroachment on wildlife protected areas.

Mr Moses Mapesa, the executive director of Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), notes that encroachment and illegal access have often posed challenges to the management of such protected areas.

Between 2007 and 2008, the government allowed oil companies to carry out exploration activities in both Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks, while Hima Cement was granted a licence to mine cement at Dura in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Although these companies are compelled to ensure that they do not extensively damage the parks, the intrusion of humans and machinery often destabilises the animals’ habitats eternally.

Mr Mapesa argues that such challenges facing conservation have compelled them to strike a balance between development and conservation –an activity that was often carried out with the help of donor funding. “The pressures exerted on conservation in Uganda generally call for a paradigm shift from conservation just for the sake of it and using conservation to promote development and poverty alleviation,” explains Mr Mapesa.

Last week, UWA, which got semi-autonomous status from the Tourism ministry, started the Uganda Wildlife Conservation Trust. It is expected to generate funds locally for conservation activities, especially as donor funding reduces. According to Imelda Bacudo, a conservation finance advisor at UWA, the Trust will have a rigorous business plan for each national park and wildlife reserve aimed at ensuring they operate at optimal performance. “Once you put the money in a Trust fund then it becomes independent and transparent and it is managed by very technical financial managers.

It makes you assured of financial continuity because it is being managed sensibly. Sometimes you cannot always rely on government subsidies or foreign grants so you have to look at several ways of capturing income and managing it sensibly,” she said.

UWA Spokesperson, Lillian Nsubuga, says while tourism revenue has gone up, most of it is from one activity; gorilla tracking. “Most of our parks bring in more than we put in,” she said. “The gorillas are actually helping to save other wildlife like hippos, elephants, impalas, zebras, gazelles, jaguars, cheetahs, etc.

Part of the earnings from gorillas support conservation of other species but we are moving towards a period of more equitable distribution.” While a semi-autonomous status has given UWA the room to try out new conservation and fund-generating ideas, other sub-sectors that are funded solely by the government seem bereft of creativity. According to the Commissioner for museums and monuments in the ministry of Trade, Tourism and Industry, Ms Rose Nkaale Mwanje, more than 500 cultural and natural tourist sites are endangered.

Ms Mwanje says sites like Wamala Tombs, Ntutsi Mounds and Nyero Rock Paintings are among those being destroyed due to lack of funds to maintain them, lack of appropriate laws, ignorance of locals neighbouring the sites and land encroachment.

Yet the rhetoric from the government does not promise much for sub-sectors still funded largely from state coffers, with the minister for Tourism, Trade and Industry, Mr Kahinda Otafiire, saying, “Government is committed to giving financial support to the tourism industry but the bread baske is still small and the priorities are many.”

BY Tanah Hadijah

Uganda safari  News

Dear Tanah!

Thank you for your email!

And no we haven’t received the 2010 rates, so please send them through.

The clients that we sent with you were thrilled – I got an email from them and they had the best time with you guys!

Let me translate their comments to you here:

In Uganda we got a small surprise when we met our driver from Adventure Uganda Safaris. We were not aware that it was a private tour – however that was a really nice surprise. We can truly recommend people travelling with Adventure Uganda Safaris. Our driver Faruk did utmost best to ensure that we had a great 5 day trip in Uganda. We had a fantastic trip to the jungle and got to see the gorillas as close as 1 – 2 meters away. We also got to see the tree climbing lions. Uganda also gave us a lot of cultural experiences and the trip gave us a good impression of every day life in the country.

So as you can see they were very happy.

You will be more than welcome to use us as a referance.

I look forward to receiving the rates and hopefully send more clients your way.

Best regards,

Maria

The information minister Fredrick Nyakabwa  disclosed that the repair of the Tooro Kingdom place in Fortportal will be completed in 5 days . The minister stated that engineers are enforcing final touches on the palace to ensure that the 18^th birthday and 15^th Coronation of the Omukama of Tooro finds it completely refurbished which is due on the 16^th of April .

His birthday and coronation this time will be a hand over by the regents whereby he will receive full control over  his Kingdom  now that he has reached the age he  is considered as mature.

Oyo ascended to the throne on September 12, 1995 after the death of his father, Patrick Matthew Olimi Kaboyo II.

The  15^th Coronation will attract over 18 kings and other dignitarie that include;  H.E President Yoweri Museveni, Libyan leader Muamar Gadaffi, the Kabaka of Buganda, Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II and Nabagereka Sylvia Nagginda who are guardians of the teen king, will attend the event at Karuzika in Fort Portal town.

By Tanah Hadijah

UGANDA SAFARIS

TRAVEL NEWS