Visitors Welcome

Many of you have asked about coming to visit. I checked with the zoo and they actually are encouraging me to have visitors! They feel it will ease my transition to have friendly faces from home. For sure I will be there Feb 1ish though Aug 1.

According to lonely planet "Uganda is Africa condensed, with the best of everything the continent has to offer packed into one small but stunning destination."

Here are the details:

Getting to Uganda
You will fly in to Entebbe International Airport (EBB) which is located on the shores of Lake Victoria about 40km south of the capital which is Kampala. Entebbe International offers direct connections from Nairobi, Kigali, Dar es Salaam, Addis Ababa, Khartoum, Cairo, Johannesburg, Dubai, London, Amsterdam and Brussels. I believe I will be flying on British Air to London than to Entebbe. I think we'll fly from Greensboro to London then to Entebbe. It'll be two overnight flights with a 10 hour layover. I think flights range from $1500-$2000.

Getting to Bigodi/Kibale National Park
You'll want to arrange for a tour company to make the five hour trip from Kampala to Bigodi. Once I know who we are using, I'll let you know.

Where to stay
There are few places to stay in Bigodi where I'll be living. One is www.traveluganda.co.ug/safari-hotel-bigodi, which is run by the family that I'm living with. You can make reservations online. There are also other places in Bigodi, in Kibale National Park or in nearby Fort Portal.

What is there to see
Other than coming just to see me there are lots of great things to see and do in and around where I'll be living.
Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary
I've never been much into birds but I can't wait to explore the wetlands. Birdwatching and swamp walk activities are available daily at the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary just outside Kibale Forest National Park. The sanctuary was formed to protect the Magombe Swamp, a haven for 137 bird species. The sanctuary is operated by the local community.

Kibale Forest National Park
The more I read on Kibale the more I can't wait to see all the plant and animal diversity. Here is a great description from www.lonelyplanet.com/uganda

The chimpanzees are the stars at Kibale. There are hundreds and hundreds here, plus great hordes of monkeys, giving this small national park (admission 1/2/3 or more days US$20/30/50) one of the highest primate population densities in the world. It’s not as strenuous as tracking the gorillas. The chimps tend to keep a safe distance in the tall trees, chomping on fruit and defecating at will, but it’s still a fascinating experience for the uninitiated. An excitable chimp makes mountain gorillas look decidedly shy.

From the park headquarters at Kanyanchu, guided walks in search of the chimps (3km to 5km, two to four hours) can be arranged along well-marked tracks. The walks start at 8am (the better time) and 3pm and cost US$70 per person, plus park fees.

Other things to see
In addition to the sites right around where I'll be, the entire country looks amazing. Again from www.lonelyplanet.com/uganda

Uganda is home to the highest mountain range in Africa, the Mountains of the Moon in the Rwenzori National Park which is not to far from Bigodi. It is the source of the mighty Nile, and around Jinja offers the best white-water rafting in the world! It has the highest concentration of primates on earth, including the majestic mountain gorilla, one of the rarest animals on the planet. Head to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for a chance to get close to these great apes.

On top of all this, the scenery is so striking that it looks like an oil painting, the beautiful national parks see far fewer visitors than in neighbouring Kenya and Tanzania, and the capital, Kampala, is safer and friendlier than most in Africa. In 1907 pioneering tourist Winston Churchill called it the ‘Pearl of Africa’. He was right.

General information on Uganda from www.lonelyplanet.com/uganda

• Borders

Safe and accessible land borders with Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania;

• Seasons

  Wet (March to May, October to November), dry (December to February, June to September). Uganda can be visited at any time of year. It is about 75 degrees year round and will drop down to 50 at night. The hottest months are from December to February.

• ATMs

  Kampala, Jinja, Mbale, Mbarara

• Budget

  US$20 a day in town, US$50 in parks

• Capital

  Kampala

• Visa

  US$30 for one month; issued at most borders

• Languages

  English, Luganda

• Money

  Ugandan shilling; US$1 = USh1760