Kenya and ecotourism

This year, the Kenya Wildlife Service has been actively involved in raising awareness among communities that co-exist with wildlife to get involved in its management in order to use their heritage sustainably. The organization has realized that without actively engaging with the community, it has undermined the direct benefits of wildlife-based tourism for ecotourism to be successful; the emphasis should be on the rights of communities that co-exist with wildlife. In the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Reserve in Kenya’s Coastal Province, for example, KWS realized that while it is their duty to preserve rare plant species there, community interests in harvesting certain medicinal species must be recognized. KWS allows limited and controlled collection by the community of these rare plants and trees in situ.

Ntungano-Rukungiri highway completed in Uganda

A new highway connecting the two municipalities was recently opened, reducing travel times from the previous four hours to less than 45 minutes. Branching off the main Kampala – Kabale road, the road also allows easier access to the major Bwindi Gorilla National Park and the Southern Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The highway is planned to extend further to the Congo border at Ishasha and then become part of the trans-African highway system, connecting the coastal port city of Mombasa with the interior of East and Central Africa.

The Ark, Kenya

Located in the heart of Aberdare National Park, this unique hunting lodge overlooks a lighted water hole and salt lick that attracts an abundance of wildlife: elephants, rhinos, leopards, antelope and the occasional elusive bongo. or a giant forest pig. Resembling and named for Noah’s Ark, The Ark consists of three decks from which numerous balconies and lounges provide excellent vantage points for game viewing. A ground level bunker provides excellent photo opportunities and brings you closer to the animals than you would think possible. The Ark has 60 cabin-style rooms, comprising 6 single, 37 double, 10 double and 7 triple cabins. All rooms have a private bathroom with a shower; all are comfortably furnished and enjoy a view of the forest watering hole. The Ark has four game viewing areas from which to watch for the ever-present wildlife.

Community tourism in Uganda

The Uganda Community Tourism Association has now created a sample home stay product to help Ugandans in areas ripe for tourism development meet the expectations of potential guests. Homestay visitation inquiries have grown considerably in the last 2 years and the introduction of guidelines and standards will help in the proper development of the product for the benefit of visitors and hosts.

Tourism figures in Uganda unexpectedly drop by 9%

Overall tourist arrivals in Uganda fell 8.7 percent last year due to a sharp reduction in visitors from Kenya and Tanzania, but tourism officials are optimistic that prospects for 2006 indicate the country will attract more visitors. Statistics released by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics last month show that 467,700 visitors came during 2005 compared to 512,378 in 2004. The Uganda Gifted by Nature campaign launched on CNN last year and visits from high-profile actors are expected and travel journalists bring more numbers this year.

Luxury Camp Mara Syria

Mara Siria is a luxury tented camp specially designed for those travelers who want to experience a true wildlife safari off the beaten track. Mara Siria Camp returns to the original spirit and true meaning of “Safari” by offering individual services and a private environment. The location of the camp at the top of the Syria Escarpment offers an absolutely unique and breathtaking view of the plains of the Maasai Mara Triangle and the Mara River. Eight spacious luxury tents, each with an en-suite bathroom and its own private terrace, are generously distributed along the Syria Escarpment line to ensure guests optimum privacy and recreation.

Railway concessionaire takes possession on July 1

The Rift Valley Railway Consortium, which has taken over the concession to operate the Kenya and Uganda Railways, will formally take over management of the two former parastatals on July 1 this year, but has already relocated workforce to the two corporations to allow for a smooth transition. . It was also learned that the proposed extension of the Uganda Railway to South Sudan has progressed and substantive announcements are expected soon.

Glaciers disappearing in Africa

The glaciers of the African Ruwenzori-Massive on the border between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo will have disappeared in the next 20 years. This is according to scientists from Great Britain and Uganda. This means that the tropical belt will be free of ice, as Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya are also expected to lose all their ice cover. Global warming is responsible for it.

US Navy Presence Off Africa’s East Coast Could Threaten Marine Life

The use of sonar by the US Navy may have caused in part the deaths of hundreds of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in the tourist archipelago of Zanzibar in Tanzania in May this year. Scientists are still contemplating the sudden cause of 400 dolphins off the Indian Ocean coast of East Africa, but some have pointed fingers at the US Navy task force unit operating in the coastal zone. from East Africa on his anti-terrorist mission.

Marine biologists in Tanzania said the dolphins, which are probably not endemic to Zanzibar, could have been pushed into the area from deep waters off the coast due to high frequencies from US Navy submarines.

The tourist archipelago of Zanzibar is famous for the dolphins in its Kizimkazi area, where thousands of tourists flock to dive and play among schools of dolphins.

Dolphin safaris make up a large part of Zanzibar’s tourist activity and have placed this East African Indian Ocean archipelago among the competitive destinations for beach and marine tourism. More than 115,000 tourists flock to the archipelago each year to visit its rich marine resources and enjoy the warm, soft sands of tropical beaches.

Maulidi Celebrations, Lamu

This year’s Maulidi Festival to commemorate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad was well attended and rated as one of the most popular and successful of this annual event in the island city of Lamu. Kenya Airways was one of the main sponsors of this year’s Festival, sponsoring the cross country and poetry categories. Participants of all ages participated in the celebration. Lamu was established as a Swahili trading post and settlement in the 14th century; the island is believed to have been settled as early as the 7th century. In Lamu, the Maulidi Festival lasts for four days, from Tuesday to Friday. People recite one of the four Maulids; Sharaful-Anam, Malid ya Dibei (ya Rama), Baranzanji and Simt-Al Durar (pearl necklace).

KTB marketing campaign stimulates Kenya’s tourism industry

The tourism sector expanded last year due to aggressive marketing by the Kenya Tourism Board and improved security at tourist sites. Consequently, the sector’s earnings increased 27 per cent to Sh48.9 billion (USD 700 million) in 2005 from Sh38.5 billion (USD 550 million) in 2004. Of the 1.5 million international arrivals, vacation visitors increased by 20.1 percent, while business visitors decreased by 16.4 percent in 2005.

According to the 2006 Economic Survey published by the Government, the increase in arrivals caused the number of occupied beds to rise marginally to 10.8 million in 2005 from 10 million the previous year.

Europe led the occupation of beds with a total of 2,456,000 overnight stays, which supports its position as the main source market for tourism in Kenya. The United Kingdom, Germany and France are some of the main countries from which Kenya gets its tourists.

Hippo Point Private Estate and Wildlife Sanctuary on Lake Naivasha

Tower and Hippo Point House are two exclusive retreats in the heart of the Great Rift Valley, surrounded by yellow acacia trees, between Lakes Naivasha and Oloidien and home to hippos, giraffes, antelopes, buffalo and 300 species of birds. Both retreats are exceptionally luxurious. The Tower is a fabulous creation built as a personal folly, it stands on the shores of Lake Naivasha, towering amongst the acacia trees. The Dodo Tower is an icon, a personal tribute to the breathtaking beauty of the Rift Valley lakes. Peaceful, beautiful, luxurious, this is a place to go and be one with yourself and nature. Most of the antiques, including the Gothic Revival table in the sitting room, came from the English heritage of Mary, Lady Delamere. Hippo Point House, the magnificent 1933 Tudor home, remains a “happy valley” relic set in a traditional English garden of scented roses and lush lawns. Restored to the highest standards, the house is furnished with beautiful imported antiques from the family’s European ancestral homes.

New Sport at Turtle Bay Beach Resort, Kenya

There’s a new product for divers at Turtle Bay. Enriched air nitrox is the ultimate tool that supports one’s efforts to stay underwater. Especially in the 18 to 30 meter range, Enriched Air Nitrox gives you more of what you’ve been looking for: time underwater. Enriched air does this by replacing some of the nitrogen in the air with oxygen. This means you absorb less nitrogen during a dive, giving you more time with no decompression limits. As an enriched air diver, you will blow bubbles underwater instead of seeing them emerge.