THE EXISTENCE AND HISTORY OF MOUNTAIN GORILLAS

THE EXISTENCE AND HISTORY OF MOUNTAIN GORILLAS The existence of gorillas in Africa’s forests like Bwindi has been known for centuries and not only to local residents. Gorillas were first described 2000 years a go when sailors from North African province of Carthage landed in West Africa and tried to capture some Apes, a bruising encounter that earned the animals the Carthaginian name for ‘scratchier gorilla’. It is not actually clear whether the visitors encountered gorilla or chimpanzees but the name has stuck.

Two species of gorilla the western lowland and the eastern lowland were identified for science in 1847 and 1877 respectively. It wasn’t until 1903 that the third sub species, the mountain gorillas was identified. This was observed to be somewhat bulkier than its lowland cousins weighing up to 210 kilograms with a shaggier coat suited to its chilly montane habitat. This sub species was named after the German officer, Oscar Von Berenge, who enabled its classification. Indeed until just a few decades ago, gorilla received a bad press that dated back to their first unfortunate encounter with Carthaginian tourists 2000 years a go. This ferocious image was deliberately perpetuated to create a myth eventually immortalized on screen Uganda is the home of mountain gorillas at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park. Bwindi has the largest population of mountain gorillas in the world. It is also home of other primates like monkeys and other 120 mammals species like forest elephants a rare specie to see . Over 20 mountain gorilla family groups have been habituated to allow and facilitate mountain gorilla trekking safaris. Buhoma the starting point of habituating gorillas is the home of Mubare gorilla family group that opened gorilla trekking in 1993. It has given birth to other starting points within the park where more gorilla families have been habituated. Today statistics are indicated that over 400 gorillas are found in Bwindi park. The park is also home of many bird species, over 360 bird species are found here. Over 200 butterflies species are also found here. Over 300 tree species are also found in this park Bwindi impenetrable National park is found in the south western part of Uganda on the edge of Great Western Rift Valley.By area is 331 square kilometers in sizeand on an altitude of over 1100meters above sea level. Gorilla trekking is the main activity taking place in the this park. Over 5 points or call them centers park offices have been deloped to allow gorilla trekking start from different points. And these include Ruhija, Rushaga, Shongi, Kisoro and many more . Nature walks also take place to explore the forest what more it offers. Bird watching trails have been developed and give much to birders. Nature walks in the park will offer viewing other primates found this park, bird watching and catching views of waterfalls and pre historic trees in this forest.

What is Gorilla Trekking Experience

Gorilla trekking started in 1993 in Uganda at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Then the company I was working for was the first to arrange clients to go and trek mountain gorillas of Bwindi national park. Gorilla trekking as requirement you need a gorilla permit and in Uganda a permit today cost US$700.00. You need to have slept near as trekking and briefing start at 8.00am form park offices. Originally gorilla trekking started from Buhoma where the original park offices were established to oversee all activities going in the park. Today the park has many points of starting from as many gorilla family groups have been habituated to allow many tourists in single day to trek mountain gorillas in their natural habitat of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park. Other than Buhoma , Ruhija, Rushaga, Kisoro, Nshongi Have been established and are starting points for gorilla trekking safaris. What is gorilla trekking experience? Gorilla trekking involves walking and hiking hills and valleys of the Bwindi terrain that make Bwindi park as you follow the foot steps of gorillas in their natural habitat with park rangers. Gorillas live in family groups and after each day’s work and feeding they make nests where they will sleep and spend the night. By following them it means that will first reach where they slept and then follow their footsteps as the feed until you come close to them. Usually you are allowed to leave few meters away from them and are give 1 hour to watch them as the feed and juveniles play while the Sliverback is taking a close watch on the new comers if you are likely to cause any harm of if your friendly. You are allowed to take photos and record videos but do not use flash cameras as flash my disrupt the peace of gorillas and tempt them to behave differently. Bwindi is dense tropical forest with different canopies and with lots of undergrowth. Hence impenetrable forest. Just for fun I remember in our course of arranging gorilla trekking expeditions then , some tourists would ask us if they can carry torches in their packaging to help them again in daylight to enter into Bwindi impenetrable forest and then there torches would help them to provide the flash lighting in order to recognized and see properly mountain gorillas in their habitat . However we allayed their fears that by being impenetrable meant that there were thick undergrowth that makes it impenetrable and did not need light but some tools like pangas , slashers to create way so that you can easily reach where gorillas are foraging at that particular day and spend an hour to have nice views while taking snaps video taking photo shooting. So Bwindi Forest by Nature has got many canopies that will not allow sunlight easily penetrate to reach the ground where mountain gorillas could be. Iworked for the company which arranged 1st gorilla trekking safaris at Buhoma Bwindi in 1993. after i ccme up with Travel Hemispheres Uganda safari company. Travel Hemispheres started in 2004 and we have lots of experiennce to handle you let it be budget, mid range, upmarket or luxury safaris .Our niche in safari arrangement experience is unsurpassed

Uganda Cultures Today

UGANDA’S CULTURES TODAY 

 Uganda is one East Africa country that is greatly endowed by nature in terms of culture and history. While here, you will be surprised to see and take pictures of the most endangered group of people; the pygmies locally referred to as the Batwa in the rain forests of south western part of the country. These people have the most interesting behaviors and characters and you will love to spend time with them even a single second will leave a broad smile on your face. This group feeds on bush meat and fruits. This makes hunting and fruit gathering their main activities carried out to ensure their survival. It’s interesting to see and interact with a group of people that lives in forests and has to go hunting wild animals and collect fruits for food. This group of people is also talented when it comes to the local dances. They have  rich culture organized traditional dances that are done in their language, they are very hospitable to an extent that they even fight to appear on the picture scene; they indeed love to interact with visitors

 Uganda also has a diverse range of ethnic groups in addition to the pygmies / Batwa. These include the Baganda and several other tribes. In the north live the Lango and the Acholi, who speak Nilotic languages. To the east are the Iteso and Karamojong, who speak a Nilotic language. Lake Kyoga forms the northern boundary for the Bantu-speaking peoples, who dominate much of east, central and southern Africa. Lake Kyoga serves as a rough boundary between Bantu speakers in the south and Nilotic and Central Sudanic language speakers in the north. Despite the division between north and south in political affairs, this linguistic boundary actually runs roughly from northwest to southeast, near the course of the Nile. However, many Ugandans live among people who speak different languages, especially in rural areas. Some sources describe regional variation in terms of physical characteristics, clothing, bodily adornment, and mannerisms, but others claim that those differences are disappearing.

 Bantu speakers probably entered southern Uganda by the end of the first millennium. They had developed centralized kingdoms by the fifteenth or sixteenth century, and after independence from British rule in 1962, Bantu speakers constituted roughly two-thirds of the population. They are classified as either Eastern Lacustrine or Western Lacustrine Bantu. The Eastern Lacustrine Bantu speakers include the Baganda people whose language is Luganda, the Basoga, and many smaller societies in Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya. The Western Lacustrine Bantu speakers include the Banyoro, the Batoro, the Banyankole, and several smaller populations in Uganda. 

Nilotic language speakers probably entered the area from the north beginning about C.E.1000. Thought to be the first cattle-herding people in the area, they also relied on crop cultivation. The largest Nilotic populations in Uganda are the Iteso and Karamojong ethnic groups, who speak Eastern Nilotic languages, and the Acholi, Langi, and Alur, who speak Western Nilotic languages. Central Sudanic languages, which arrived in Uganda from the north over a period of centuries, are spoken by the Lugbara, the Madi, and a few small groups in the northwestern part of the country. 

Linguistic Affiliation.Introduced by the British in the late nineteenth century, English was the language of colonial administration. After independence, it became the official language, used in government, commerce, and education. Official publications and most major newspapers appear in English, which often is spoken on radio and television. Most residents speak at least one African language. Swahili and Arabic also are widely spoken. History and Ethnic Relations. 

 After independence in 1962, ending a period of colonization that began in 1885, there was little indication that the country was headed for social and political upheaval. Instead, Uganda appeared to be a model of stability and progress. It had no white settler class attempting to monopolize the cash crop economy, and there was no legacy of conflict. It was the African producers who grew the cotton and coffee that brought a higher standard of living, financed education, and led to high expectations for the future. Independence arrived without a national struggle against the British, who devised a timetable for withdrawal before local groups had organized a nationalist movement. This near absence of nationalism among the country's ethnic groups led to a series of political compromises. National Identity.Ethnic and religious divisions as well as historical enmities and rivalries contributed to the country's disintegration in the 1970s. 

There was a wide gulf between Nilotic speakers in the north and Bantu speakers in the south and an economic division between pastoralists in the drier rangelands of the west and north, and agriculturists, in the better-watered highland and lakeside regions. There was also a historical division between the centralized and sometimes despotic rule of the ancient African kingdoms and the kinship-based politics elsewhere. The kingdoms were often at odds in regard to the control of land. During the colonial period, the south had railways, cash crops, a system of Christian mission education, and the seat of government, seemingly at the expense of other regions. 

There also were religious groups that had lost ground to rivals in the past, for example, the domination of Muslims at the end of the nineteenth century by Christians allied to British colonialism. All these divisions precluded the formation of a national culture. Ethnic Relations.After independence, there were conflicting local nationalism. The Baganda's large population, extensive territory in the favored south, and self-proclaimed superiority created a backlash among other Ugandan peoples. Nubians shared little sense of identification with other groups. The closely related peoples of nearby Zaire and the Sudan soon became embroiled in civil wars in the 1960s and 1970s, drawing in ethnically related Ugandans.

 Today relations are relatively harmonious. However, suspicion remains with the president believing to favor certain groups from the west of the country over others. Major Industries. When the present government seized power in 1986, industrial production was negligible, consisting mostly of the processing of crops and the production of textiles, wood and paper products, cement, and chemicals. Industry was a small part of GDP in the late 1980s, operating at approximately one-third of the level of the early 1970s. Under #Museveni, there has been some industrial rejuvenation, although this has amounted to not much more than the repair of damage done during the civil war to the industrial infrastructure. The sugar industry was rehabilitated through joint ventures involving the private sector and the government. By the 1990s there was a refining capacity of at least 140,000 tons of sugar annually. Other rehabilitated industries include beer brewing, tobacco, cotton, and cement. About 4 percent of adults worked in industry by the 1990s. During the 1990s, industrial growth was 13.2 percent. Tourism industry: #Tourism in #Uganda is focused on Uganda's landscape and wildlife Safaris. 

Shoe-bill stork

Mountain gorilla Sliverback

Murchison falls in Uganda

Map of Uganda

uganda tours

 

Uganda has a very diverse culture, landscape, flora, and fauna. In the late 1960s, Uganda had a prosperous tourist industry with 100,000 visitors each year. Tourism was the country's fourth largest earner of foreign exchange. The tourist industry ended in the early 1970s because of political instability. By the late 1980s, Uganda's political climate had stabilised and conditions were suitable for reinvestment in Uganda's #tourist industry. However, the loss of charismatic wildlife in previously popular safari parks such as Murchison Falls National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park prevented these parks from competing with similar tourist attractions in neighbouring Kenya and Tanzania. Uganda's tourist industry instead promoted its tropical forests. The keystone of the new industry became Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. With more than 400 Mountain Gorillas safaris, #Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has approximately half of the world's population of Mountain Gorillas. Tourist attractions in Uganda Uganda is one of only three countries where it is possible to visit mountain gorillas . The others are Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mountain gorillas are Uganda's prime tourist attraction. The vast majority of these are in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, with a few others in Mgahinga National Park both in southwestern Uganda. In Bwindi, visitors have been allowed to view the mountain gorillas since April 1993. 

The development of gorilla safari  tourism and the habituation of gorillas to humans is proceeding very carefully because of the dangers to gorillas, such as contracting human diseases. Geography:The Republic of Uganda tours is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the east by Kenya, in the north by Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania. The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria, which is also bordered by Kenya and Tanzania. Uganda is mostly a plateau, a compact country occupying an area of 236,580 square kilometers, roughly the size of Great Britain or the state of Oregon in the United States. It lies astride the #Equator and has a fine mild climate with copious rainfall that is experienced three times a year and sunny months. Although generally equatorial, the climate is not uniform as the altitude modifies the climate. Southern Uganda is wetter with rain generally spread throughout the year. 

At Entebbe on the northern shore of Lake Victoria, most rain falls from March to June and the November/December period. Further to the north a dry season gradually emerges; at Gulu about 120 km from the Sudanese border, November to February is much drier than the rest of the year. The northeastern Karamoja region has the driest climate and is prone to droughts in some years. Rwenzori in the southwest on the border with Congo (DRC) receives heavy rain all year round. The south of the country is heavily influenced by one of the world's biggest lakes, Lake Victoria, which contains many islands. It prevents temperatures from varying significantly and increases cloudiness and rainfall. Most important cities are located in the south, near Lake Victoria, including the capital Kampala and the nearby city of Entebbe. Although landlocked, Uganda contains many large lakes, besides Lake Victoria and Lake Kyoga, there are Lake Albert, Lake Edward and the smaller Lake George. Trade.In 1998, the country exported products worth $575 million. The main export commodities were coffee (54 percent of the total value), gold, fish and fish products, cotton, tea, and corn. The countries receiving most of these products were Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Italy. The main imports include chemicals, basic manufactured goods, machinery, and transport equipment. Religion Religious Beliefs.One-third of the population is Roman Catholic, one-third is Protestant, and 16 percent is Muslim; 18 percent believe in local religions, including various millenarian religions. World religions and local religions have coexisted for more than a century, and many people have established a set of beliefs about the nature of the universe by combining elements of both types. There is a proliferation of religious discourses centering on spirits, spirit possession, and witchcraft. Religious Practitioners.

Religious identity has economic and political implications: church membership has influenced opportunities for education, employment, and social advancement. Religious practitioners thus are expected to provide a range of benefits for their followers. Leaders of indigenous religions reinforce group solidarity by providing elements necessary for societal survival: remembrance of ancestors, means of settling disputes, and recognition of individual achievement. Another social function of religious practitioners is helping people cope with pain, suffering, and defeat by providing an explanation of their causes. Religious beliefs and practices serve political aims by bolstering the authority of temporal rulers and allowing new leaders to mobilize political power and implement political change. Rituals and Holy Places.In Bantu-speaking societies, many local religions include a belief in a creator God. Most local religions involve beliefs in ancestral and other spirits, and people offer prayers and sacrifices to symbolize respect for the dead and maintain proper relationships among the living. Mbandwa mediators act on behalf of other believers, using trance or hypnosis and offering sacrifice and prayer to beseech the spirit world on behalf of the living. Uganda has followers of Christianity, Islam, and African traditional religions. Ugandan #Muslims make pilgrimages to Mecca when they can. Followers of African religions tend to establish shrines to various local gods and spirits in a variety of locations.

Uganda receives 1st Airbus to boost Uganda Airlines flights to Big cities of the world

Uganda receives 1st Airbus to boost Uganda Airlines flights to Big cities of the world connecting to Dubai   and China Cities. Many Ugandans fly to these cities for trade links . Uganda  has  already mapped  out long routes that include Guangzhou and Beijing in China, London, and Dubai as the first routes.The A330neo is powered by Rolls-Royce's latest-generation Trent 7000 engines and features a new wing with an increased span. The cabin provides the comfort of the new airspace amenities including state-of-the-art passenger in-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi connectivity systems, amongst others.

 

Uganda tourism is likely to be boosted by direct flights from these big cities. If Chinese can get direct flights to Uganda then many  exponential tourists from china are likely to buy Ugandan safari packages to destination Uganda. London is another busy hub that will allow many tourist to connect to Entebbe airport without any difficult.Thus in such cases tourism will be boosted. Uganda has got one major airport Entebbe Airport and receives many flights arriving from flights of Emirates, Ethiopian airlines, Kenya airways. Sn Bruseels, KLM Royal dutch, Egypt air  and many more connect to Entebbe airport on daily basis

Travel Hemispheres brings you special flying tour packages to the Pearl of Africa Uganda. That will help you experience the hospitality of Ugandans both by air and road traveling. Booking and planning tour with us in time will save you the hassle and time to secure a life time experience of Uganda’s beautiful attractions. Among these include gorilla tours, wildlife safaris gorilla safaris, bird watching and primate safaris plus lots of game viewing and bird watching. As Covid 19 continue eating up  tourism industry  dew to social distance issues, when you do flying safari in Uganda will be easily done.

What is a Mountain Gorilla Sliver Back ?

 What  is a Mountain Gorilla Sliver Back ?

Mountain gorillas differ from lowland gorillas (Western Gorillas). At first scientists thought there was no difference between these gorillas.  The sliver back  gorilla is from the  is Mature male mountain gorillas of about 12 years that have grown a sliver grey hair on its back. A saddle of grey hair grows on its back after attaining sexually maturity age. Gorillas are very social animals and each group call it a family may have 4 up 30 or 50 members headed by 1 sliver back mountain gorilla.  A such group will have a sliver back or two of them heading the family. Other members of the group may contain females who are wives to the sliver back thus sliver back gorillas are polygamous in nature. Others are Juveniles and infants. The dominant sliver back commands the family and gives protection and other young sliver backs take orders from the head. Orders may include the directions to take while searching for food and if threatened who should fight first . A silver back enjoys the center of attraction at any time in the group or family. The Sliver back gorilla take in-charge of the group. The gorilla family call it a gorilla group is equally answerable to the head gorilla called Sliver back.

Mature Mountain Gorilla Sliver Back

Mountain Gorilla Sliver Back

 This Sliver back prepare young male Juveniles  how to defend the group and leadership skills  and  incase the head is no long active mainly when it gets old , the young one who will take over. At times when sliver back gets misunderstanding with young sliver backs , will fight and chase the old Sliver back out of the family or get killed  after winning him.  Here is the time when the group breaks into other groups thus forming New Gorilla families and groups. People or tourists  who  carryout Mountain gorilla trekking safaris enjoy mostly the  presence of a Sliver back  leadership skills displayed and command showed in presence of new visitors who actually are human beings.. Missing encountering Sliver Back  when tracking mountain gorillas remain incomplete not until you visit again and encounter this forest Gentle Giant- the Mountain Gorilla Sliver Back of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.  

Do gorillas talk or communicate?

 

Do Gorillas communicate among themselves or call it GORILLA VOCALIZATIONS

 

Twenty-five distinct vocalizations are recognized, many of which are used primarily for group communication within dense vegetation. Gorilla Sounds  are classified as grunts and barks are heard most frequently while traveling, and indicate the whereabouts of individual group members (Harcourt et al. 1993). They may also be used during social interactions when discipline is required. Screams and roars signal alarm or warning, and are produced most often by silverbacks. Deep, rumbling belches suggest contentment and are heard frequently during feeding and resting periods. They are the most common form of intra group communication (Fossey 1983).

Because of the extensive research begun by Dr. Fossey and since carried on by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International and other gorilla conservation groups, the mountain gorilla is one of the most understood of all gorillas. The general consensus of those who work closely with the mountain gorillas is that they are generally peaceful and gentle.

This doesn’t mean that they won’t occasionally charge, scream or show their teeth, to an outsider or within the group itself. Most of these Mountain Gorilla actions are meant to serve as warnings, to ward off danger or to prevent a fight. Mountain gorillas can communicate in a variety of ways, including facial expressions, sounds, postures and gestures. There is the classic chest beating by male gorillas, which is used to show stature, scare off opponents or even to prevent a fight. When the Mountain Gorilla feels threatened they can make a variety of loud sounds, resembling roars or screams. Facial expressions are mostly used as communication. An open mouth with both upper and lower teeth showing means regressions. A closed mouth with clenched teeth could signal anger.

 

One of the nicest sounds is heard when the group is resting after a period of feeding. Mountain gorillas roughly spend 30% of their day feeding, 30% moving, and 40% resting. At dusk, they prepare to settle down for the night and sleep in nests made of vegetation that the gorillas shove under and around them. Forming of nests is mainly the bending of soft trees, breaking mature bamboo sticks and other tree species that have broad leaves to provide a blanket and shield against the cold. Mothers find a comfortable spot where their backs will be supported as they breast feed and cuddle their babies for the night.

Uganda Gorilla Trekking safaris

 Country Uganda is famous for Mountain Gorilla trekking safaris. Uganda is the home of mountain Gorillas found in Bwindi Impenetrable forest and Mgahinga National parks. These 2 national parks are a natural habitat for mountain gorillas and famous for gorilla tracking safaris. We have arranged captivating Gorilla tours of unforgettable mountain gorilla trekking experiences of one’s lifetime. Mountain gorillas stay in families and are habituated for human interaction. Gorilla safaris include gorilla habituation experience and gorilla trekking safaris and tours inside Bwindi impenetrable forest National park and Mgahinga National  Park. Uganda Hosts more than half the population of mountain gorillas living in the world.

Gorilla trekking is and Incredible experience that one may not underestimate as many may think that it is just a walk. But gorillatrekking is carried out in an impenetrable forest of Bwindi forest national park  that has existed for thousand years and is among the African tropical forests that are still intact and exist in south western  Uganda as a country. You will be trekking hills up and down as the topography  of the area is hilly and  with wide valleys . The day begins with briefing from rangers post or park headquarters. The assembling will be  composed of rangers to guide you, trackers and guides. Also strong Bakiga men who work as porters whom individual trackers will hire their services to  help them carry their back packs and even can support you to give you push if will get tired before getting out of the forest.   Will also need good walking shoes  and a jacket call it rain coat as rain may not be ruled out on every day while still deep in the forest. At times this real African rain forest because you may not miss rain almost on daily basis

 

The time taken for trekking mountain gorillas vary .  Time may range from half and hour to 8 hours if not  the whole day. All depends on the movement of these gentle giants in the forest habitat . Rangers will lead you where the family of gorillas slept. Then from here will start walking into their foot steps until you encounter them. It is this process that trackers will be taking you through where will climb hills/mountains and come down into the valleys and repeat the same activity for different hills and valleys. Then your efforts will pay when you hear low grunting  sound followed by another grunt and your guide turns his head and tells you that keep quite and move forward slowly.

 

Remember you are in a thick canopy of vegetation putting on a curtain and visibility is almost limited. Actually at one point when interacting with our clients of Travel Hemispheres she paused this question . Since it  is always dark ( impenetrable forest) are  we going to carry torches to help us provide light? Well I laughed but told the client that during the day you do not have to carry a torch but the canopy above ,allows  limited sun light that will mange to get through and seeing mountain gorillas will be fine.  So here will come time when you see the family of gorillas you have been trekking. Will sit back and watch juveniles  - play rolling and shoving each other across the forest while the other members of the family chewing what they have eaten. Each family has head called Sliverback  mountain gorilla. This  can be seen easily because it the dominant  one with grey hair on its back . Usually the sliverback is usually reserved and will keep on watching you at distance. He may demonstrate  his ability and authority by pushing himself through the family moving forward and backwards his sheer size and stature casting a shadow of respect. He may pose momentarily , flick at one of the juveniles absently or crash to the forest floor but it realizes no body is questioning his authority  yourself will feel a tingle going down your spine.

 

Having watched for an hour viewing your forest hosts then your guide will  tap your shoulders signaling that time is over to start trekking back slowly back to your location of  stay. As move and walk back  will be exalted the life of these mountain gorillas in such cold environments and have existed here from time immemorial .

Mountain gorillas are trekked throughout the year and booking gorillas expedition will require you to purchase and secure gorilla permit in time before  visitation date. Travel hemispheres has been leading in gorilla safaris and securing mountain gorillas on behalf the clients . We offer full packages of gorilla safaris combining them with other wildlife  Uganda safaris. We scale out down budget gorilla safaris that will fit your pockets.

  

What is  a Mountain Gorilla Sliver Back Gorilla?

Mountain gorillas differ from lowland gorillas (Western Gorillas). At first scientists thought there was no difference between these gorillas.  The sliver back  gorilla is from the  is Mature male mountain gorillas of about 12 years that have grown a sliver grey hair on its back. A saddle of grey hair grows on its back after attaining sexually maturity age. Gorillas are very social animals and each group call it a family may have 5 up 30 or 40 members headed by 1 sliver back mountain gorilla.  A such group will have a sliver back or two of them heading the family. Other members of the group may contain females who are wives to the sliver back thus sliver back gorillas are polygamous in nature. Others are Juveniles and infants. The dominant sliver back commands the family and gives protection and other young sliver backs take orders from the head. Orders may include the directions to take while searching for food and if threatened who should fight first . A silver back enjoys the center of attraction at any time in the group or family.

What can Africa do for Covid Tourism Losses

What can Africa do for Covidd19 Tourism Losses

Here in Africa  if we are to wait for  the world to get healed of Covid 19 virus  and countries to get out of lockdown , local tourism to be  explored  and promoted  , it may take time without making any sales. This will mean loss of income and jobs in tourism industry. Unfortunately African tourism was built on White man  foreigner –MUZUNGU  mentality  not African tourist citizen. People in tourism industry need to appreciate that Africans have less income to spend on traveling and hence travel less. However this is the time now we  tour operators in African safaris start by taking fellow country men to places where we take white people. The earlier we re- designed our itineraries to favor fellow citizens than we shall keep on waiting for Americans who, yes will come but when will this be? Better adjust early and we start promoting internal tourism rather than relying on foreign tourists. Let us turn Ugandans, Kenyans, Rwanda safaris into tourists in their countries in their regions and overcome the safari covid-19  hang up safari doom. 

Here at Travel Hemispheres we are encouraging now the to be Newly weds should not spend a lot of their money into partying but set it aside and convert that income /funds into Uganda honeymoon tours that will help them understand their country better , We have good honeymoon packages for Ugandans .  Our tours are educative , informative and cultural rich to benefit newly weds. We give you a mature old person to guide you all  along your tour  who has an experience  in Senga and Kojja aspirations that will build your longtime togetherness of your lifetime marriage.

The safari Covid 19 Hangup in Africa Tourism Industry

As I write here in Uganda the country is at lockdown. By the way is lockdown a new word or it has been created because of this pandemic. Uganda has been safari destination country in Africa featuring mountain gorilla safarisand primate tours . Uganda has e featured in the best magazine among the best destination places by CNN that were likely to feature in 2020 -2022 window.

Today as the world is at bay – stay where your are!  Hang up! No flights and I pity the airline  travel industry being the backbone of the whole tourism industry. Anybody without a back bone cannot stand. Simply the safari and tourism will not be back until the airlines can again fill up the skies .   In Africa an increased flights to our airports  from other continents it meant increased number of tourists to that very country. Say departure of British airlines   from some cities in Africa meant decrease of tourists to that destination loss of revenue and loss of jobs.

As  moments of  days and nights pass and , flights are not hovering above Africa  means a lot to our continent. The tourism industry will get shocks of losses in  jobs , loss of revenue of foreign exchange and will see our local currencies  getting devalued. In most of African economies where safari industry has been booming , was the leading foreign exchange earner in our case in East Africa for Uganda safaris , Kenya safaris , Tanzania and Rwanda tourism was the top foreign exchange earner. What does that one mean if the country cannot receive tourists and we don’t know when this will end.  No vaccine yet discovered nor cure so far got. The airline industry most likely to be back in air , there will be when assurance that you will not fear to sit near Chinese whom you think is still carrying the covid-19 virus. Even the Trump American is equally to  be feared and labeled a carrier as we see lots of Americans are being effected and dying than other parts of the world. At one time  the virus was referred to  be Chinese but now all most all countries of the world have tested the wrath of the virus.  So who is safe? May be Ugandan who has not seen single dead body of covid -19.  Uganda as it could be in other African countries not seeing many effected  its because we travel less.

Between January and  February 2020 those countries that had many nationals booked flights and travelled got more chances  for  interaction  with all other global people that were travelling from one point to another and hence got exposed to this virus.  This increased their chances of  getting in contact with those who were effected without knowing . Who does not know that Americans have the highest numbers of people booked in flights in the travel industry and who were in air travelling from different parts of the world around this period. Hence getting many people dying of this virus. So for Africa we had very few people in air  around this period  and less affected .  An American is our tourist, A British is our tourist,  An Italian is our tourist, etc  if these countries are not yet healed, shall then  tourism industry in Africa get healed too.  The answer is BIG NO.

Here in Africa as we if we a wait  the world to get healed and countries to get out of lockdown , local tourism to be  explored  and promoted. Unfortunately African tourism was built on white foreigner –MUZUNGU  mentality  not African tourist citizen. People in tourism industry need to appreciate that Africans have less income to spend on travelling and hence travel less. However this is the time now we  tour operators in Africa start by taking fellow country men to places where we take white people. The earlier we re- designed our itineraries to favor fellow citizens than we shall keep on waiting for Americans who, yes will come but when will this be? Better adjust early and we start promoting internal tourism rather than relying on foreign tourists. Let us turn Ugandans, Kenyans, Rwandans into tourists in their countries in their regions and overcome the safari covid-19  hang up safari doom. Here at Travel Hemispheres we are encouraging now the to be Newly weds should not spend a lot of their money into partying but set it aside and convert that income /funds into Uganda honeymoon tours that will help them understand their country better , We have good honeymoon packages for Ugandans .  Our tours are educative , informative and cultural rich to benefit newly weds. We give you a mature old person to guide you all  along your tour  who has an experience  in Senga and Kojja aspirations that will build your longtime togetherness of your lifetime marriage.