Monday, 30 October 2017

KAMPALA THE HILL OF THE IMPALA

KAMPALA THE HILL OF the IMPALA
Kampala is the capital and largest city of Uganda. The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee local planning: Kampala Central Division, Kawempe DivisionMakindye Division, Nakawa Division, and Rubaga Division. The city is conterminous with Kampala District. Surrounding Kampala is the rapidly growing Wakiso District, whose population more than doubled between 2002 and 2014 and now stands at over 2 million.
Kampala was named the 13th fastest growing city on the planet, with an annual population growth rate of 4.03 percent, by City Mayors. Kampala has been ranked the best city to live in East Africa ahead of Nairobi and Kigali by Mercer, a global development consulting agency based in New York City.
Before the arrival of the British colonists, the Kabaka of Buganda had chosen the zone that would become Kampala as a hunting reserve. The area, composed of rolling hills with grassy wetlands in the valleys, was home to several species of antelope, particularly impala. When the British arrived, they called it "Hills of the Impala". The language of the Buganda, Luganda, adopted many English words because of their interactions with the British. The Buganda translated "Hill of the Impala" as akasozi ke empala – “kasozi" meaning "hill", “ke" meaning "of", and ‘empala" the plural of "impala". In Luganda, the words “ka’mpala" mean "that is of the impala", in reference to a hill, and the single word "Kampala" was adopted as the name for the city that grew out of the Kabaka’s hills.
The city grew as the capital of the Buganda kingdom, from which several buildings survive, including the kasubi Tombs (built in 1881), the Lubiri Palace, the Buganda Parliament and the Buganda Court of Justice. In 1890, British colonial administrator Frederick Lugard constructed a forum along Mengo Hill within the city, which allowed for the British to occupy much of the territory controlled by the Buganda, including Kampala. In 1894, the British government officially established a protectorate within this territory, and in 1896, the protectorate expanded to cover the Ankole, Toro Kingdom, and Bunyoro kingdoms as well. In 1905, the British government formally declared the entire territory to be a British colony. From that time until the independence of the country in 1962, the capital was relocated to Entebbe, although the city continued to be the primary economic and manufacturing location for Uganda. In 1922, the Makerere Technical Institute, now known as Makerere University, started as the first collegiate institution both within Kampala, and within the British colonies on the east coast of Africa. Following the 1962 independence, Milton Obote became president of Uganda, and held the position until 1971, when former sergeant Idi Amin defeated his government in a military coup. He proceeded to expel all Asian residents living within Kampala, and attacked the Jewish population living within the city. In 1978, he invaded the neighboring country of Tanzania, and in turn, the government there started the Uganda–Tanzania War, which created severe damage to the buildings of Kampala. Since then, the city has since then been rebuilt with constructions of new construction of hotels, banks, shopping malls, educational institutions, and hospitals and the improvement of war torn buildings and infrastructure. Traditionally, Kampala was a city of seven hills, but over time it has come to have a lot more.
The main campus Makerere University is on the makerere Hill adjacent to the city.
Kampala also hosts the headquarters of the East African development bank on Nakasero Hill and the Uganda local governments association on Entebbe Road.
Kampala was originally built on seven hills, but as its size has increased, it has expanded to more hills than seven. The original seven hills are:
1.    The first hill in historical importance is kasubi Hill.
2.    The second is Mengo hill.
3.    The third is Kibuli Hill, which is home to the Kibuli mosque.
4.    The fourth is Namirembe Hill, home to the Namirembe Anglican cathedral.
5.    The fifth is Lubaga Hill, the site of the Rubaga Catholic Cathedral.
6.    The sixth is Nsambya Hill.
7.    The seventh is Kampala hill (Old Kampala). A mosque was built with monetary assistance from Libya on the hill in 2003, with a seating capacity of 15,000 people. The completed mosque was opened officially in June 2007.
The city spread to Nakasero Hill, where there are international hotels, including the Kampala Speke Hotel, the Grand Imperial Hotel, the Kampala Intercontinental Hotel, the Imperial Royale Hotel, the Kampala Serena Hotel, the Kampala Sheraton Hotel, and The Pearl of Africa Hotel Kampala.
There are also Tank Hill and Mulago Hill. The city is expanding rapidly to include Makindye Hill and Konge Hill.
Other features of the city include the Uganda Museum, the Ugandan National Theatre, Nakasero Market, and St. Balikuddembe Market (formerly Owino Market). Kampala is also known for its nightlife, which includes several casinos, notably Casino Simba in the Garden City shopping centre, Kampala Casino, and Mayfair Casino. Port Bell on the shores of Lake Victoria is 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) away.
Kampala hosts a Baha’i House of Worship known as the Mother Temple of Africa and is situated on Kikaya Hill on the outskirts of the city. The temple was inaugurated in January 1961.
The Ahmadiyya Central Mosque in Kampala is the central mosque of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, which has six minarets and can hold up to 9,000 worshippers.
While more than 30% of Kampala's citizens practice urban agriculture, the city of Kampala donated 32 acres to promote urban agriculture in the northeastern parish of Kyanja.
Kampala is served by Entebbe International Airport, which is the largest airport in Uganda.
A facet of Kampala's weather is that it features two annual wetter seasons. While the city does not have a true dry season month, it experiences heavier precipitation from August to December and from February to June. However, it's between February and June that Kampala sees substantially heavier rainfall per month, with April typically seeing the heaviest amount of precipitation at an average of around 169 millimeters (6.7 in) of rain. Kampala has been frequently mentioned as a lightning-strike capital of the world.
Kampala has a diverse ethnic population. The city's ethnic makeup has been defined by political and economic factors. A large number of western Ugandans, particularly the Banyankole, moved to the capital in the new government of Yoweri Museveni.
Inter-tribal marriage in Uganda is still uncommon outside large urban centers. Although many Kampala residents have been born and brought up in the city, they still define themselves by their tribal roots and speak their ancestral languages. This is more evident in the suburbs, where tribal languages are spoken widely alongside English, Swahili, and Luganda. In addition to the Baganda and Banyankole, other large ethnic groups include the Basoga, Bafumbira, Batoro, Bakiga, Alur, Bagisu, Banyoro, Iteso, Langi, and Acholi.
Mozes Mutungi
"the best safari guide"
0779 206 004
mozescristian06@gmail.com

Friday, 15 September 2017

THE CARACAL AURATA (African golden cat)

The word caracal comes from the Turkish word "karakulak", meaning "black ear. In terms of stealth, agility and sharpened senses, it's one of the most efficient cats in the world.
Males curacals typically weigh 13-18 kgs, while females weigh about 11 kg. It has a tail nearly a third of its body length, and both sexes look the same. The caracal is 65-90 cm in length (about 2-3 ft), plus 30 cm tail (about 1 ft). Compared to lynxes, it has longer hind legs compared to the pair in front and a slimmer appearance. 

Young caracals bear reddish spots on the underside; adults do not have markings except for black spots above the eyes. Under parts of chin and body are white, and a narrow black line runs from the corner of the eye to the nose.

The pupils of a caracal's eyes contract to form circles rather than the slits found in most small cats. The most conspicuous feature of the caracal is elongated, tufted black ears, which also explain the origin of its name, karakulak, Turkish for "black ear". A juvenile has black on the outside of the ears, which disappears as it becomes an adult. Its ears, which it uses to locate prey, are controlled by 20 different muscles.
The chief habitat of a caracal is dry steppes and semi deserts, but you will also find this cat in woodlands, savannah, and scrub forest. It dwells either alone or in pairs. The caracal may survive without drinking for a long period, the water demand is satisfied with the body fluids of its prey.

The Caracal hunts at night (but in colder seasons also in the daytime) for rodents and larger kills, and avoids eating hair by shearing meat neatly from the skin. However, it will eat the feathers of small birds and is tolerant of rotten meat. It is among the smallest felids to attack prey larger than itself.

It is best known for its spectacular skill at hunting birds, able to snatch a bird in flight, sometimes more than one at a time. It can jump and climb exceptionally well, which enables it to catch hyraxes better than probably any other carnivore. Its life expectancy in the wild is 12 years, and 17 years in captivity.
Mating may occur at any time of year; however, it is more likely to occur when nutrition status is optimal, which stimulate estrous in females. Gestation last 68–81 days, and litter size ranges from 1 to 6 kittens. 

For litters born in their natural environment, the maximum number of kittens of three; however, larger litters are more likely to occur in captivity where nutrition needs are adequately met. 

Kittens reach independence at 9 to 10 months of age, but do not successfully mate until 14 to 15 months of age.
In Uganda the caracal has been rarely spotted in Kibale Forest National Park
                                                              
                                                                     
                                                        @Mozes Mutungi 2017

Wednesday, 6 September 2017

Mozes Mutungi (travel dairies): MURCHISON FALLS 03 DAYS 02 NIGHTS SAFARI HOLIDAY P...

Mozes Mutungi (travel dairies): MURCHISON FALLS 03 DAYS 02 NIGHTS SAFARI HOLIDAY P...: MURCHISON  FALLS 03 DAYS 02 NIGHTS SAFARI HOLIDAY PACKAGE Day 1: Kampala – Murchison falls NP You will be picked up at the hotel ...
MURCHISON FALLS 03 DAYS 02 NIGHTS SAFARI HOLIDAY PACKAGE


Day 1: Kampala – Murchison falls NP
You will be picked up at the hotel or airport by our guide and headed towards the southwestern part of the country. A stop over at kabalega dinners for breakfast is a must do and enjoy amazing local dishes like locally made juice and all sorts of eateries. Proceed to Murchison in time for the ferry crossing to Paraa, for lunch and relaxation in the evening. Dinner and overnight at paara safari lodge.
Day 2. Game drive, boat cruise and hike to the top of the falls.
Wake up for an early moning game drive to the northern side of the park in kasenyi on the lookout for early prey like lions, leopards,elephants,hyenas,several antelopes,buffalo herds and many more. Our expert guide will arrange for you a breakfast in a wildsetting at kasenyi wild game lodge after the 4hours drive in the amazing kasenyi plains.
Return to the lodge for lunch and prepare for an launch cruise to the bottom of the falls viewing the amazing edges of the nile and great photo scenes of the murchsion falls amid large nile crocodiles an extensive number of birds, hippopotami, elephants and the scenic beauty of the nile. Embark on a 1 hour hike to the top of the falls enjoying the magnificient views of the nile and its sister uhuru falls on ahigher elevation. Return to the lodge for dinner and over night at your lodge eithe paara safari lodge/red chilli safari resort. Dinner and overnight at paara safari lodge.
Day 3: Return to Kampala via Ziwa Rhino sanctuary / Entebbe airport   
Wake up at leisure, breakfast and checkout of the lodge, drive out of the park heading to the Ziwa rhino sanctuary for rhino trekking. Arrive in time for the trek and head out in the savanna grasslands looking out for these members of the big five. Lunch at Amuka safari lodge and proceed to Kampala dropping off at your hotel or ebb airport
ACCOMODATION
USD
MID RANGE
736
LUXURY
1031
End of safari
NB: PACKAGE INCLUDES.
ü  Enroute lunches
ü  Transport in a fueled 4WD station safari vehicle
ü  Full board accommodation as per the journey plan
ü  Park fees
ü  Game drive
ü  Rhino trekking

The package excludes all optional activities, and those not mentioned in the itinerary, all expenses of personal nature like telephone, cigar, laundry, tips to guides, visa, insurance and any other programs not mentioned above.

Mozes Mutungi
Uganda's best safari guide
Certified by USAGA

Friday, 25 August 2017

Mozes Mutungi (travel dairies): Tales of crossing the Kazinga channel on a leaking...

Mozes Mutungi (travel dairies): Tales of crossing the Kazinga channel on a leaking...: Tales of crossing the Kazinga channel on a leaking canoe manned by a drunkard I have been to Queen Elizabeth National Park for over 10 ...
Tales of crossing the Kazinga channel on a leaking canoe manned by a drunkard

I have been to Queen Elizabeth National Park for over 10 times and usually I have never missed the boat cruise on the Kazinga channel, for all this time I was sailing on an engine propelled boat manned by experienced coxwines and a life jacket has been must before my cruise trip starts. What makes the channel a must visit is the amazing but dangerous aquatic inhabitants of the 32km long channel for example the channel has the world’s largest concentration of hippos and numerous Nile crocodiles.
All that in my head I never knew that there is a human being that would risk his or her life crossing the 10minutes channel ride to the other end of the channel or I taking one of the riskiest return journeys of my life, “crossing the channel to Kazinga village to and from on a leaking canoe” manned by a drunk fisher man.
So as fate would have it, I had to collect some data about the relationship between the community and park authorities in the conservation of Queen Elizabeth national park and my case study was Kazinga village with some classmates of mine. This is in real sense had seconded us to cruise to the other end of the channel by all means, as a students who had just finished campus, we had no money to book the more comfortable and secure UWA boat condemning us to the more cheap but dangerous means.
THE JOURNEY
On that fateful day, we (3) woke up in the morning from the Mweya hostels and we consulted a friend, ranger guide on which route we would use to the docking area, where we are supposed to board to Kazinga village, we got the directions though we all seemed not conversant with the route to down the channel from the higher elevation of Mweya peninsula. We took on the journey by foot but remember we were in the park with no guide, nor were we armed, the most scary part of it was coming across fresh hippo dung in one of the small paths we were using down the Kazinga channel, but that didn’t bother us either. We sloped down up to the first open channel bank of the Kazinga channel but we weren’t seeing anything like a canoe service, what was visible was the fishing village some 400metres across the channel and two big hippos swimming near land in the water. Still puzzled on what to do we spotted some people on an adjacent open bank and we moved there and to our delight they were also waiting for an approaching canoe with red writings “transport Kazinga”
The now transport operator Park and was delighted to meet us and he quickly told us how he had crossed to and from another student some days back for the same purpose. For a minute we felt at home as he also offered to help and take us to the fishing village and guide us to the village chairmen and the people at large. He quickly told us that the fare was 2000ugx for a one way journey and the same for return which we found very cheap and we quickly entered the canoe anxious to get to the other side.
TO KAZINGA
Boarding the canoe was one other hurdle, its team work every one has to help each other in holding/balancing the canoe for everyone to enter, then later balancing it but later off we went and we are on water and the operator quickly starts telling us stories of how one of their friends was eaten by a crocodile a few days back and all they could discover was one of his legs. We started engaging him on how they manage to cross a highly infested hippo channel with canoes every day but the guy was speaking with confidence which at one time I thought it was because of the influence of alcohol which was smelling all over the canoe on top of chewing herbs (amailungi) but in 10 minutes we were at the other side of the channel safe and sound and I whispered to one of my friends that I think God still loves us.
We did our research for the next 3hours with the help of the canoe rider now turned site guide. Though some of the members weren’t willing to give us information we managed to get and fill all the questionnaires and it was time to make our return journey back to the park side. The canoe operator bragging around his fellows how he is nowadays high class because he transports university students and high profile people than his peers, we took some few photos and he later helped us board the canoe and of we went.
Every one of us would easily notice his braggery but no one would talk because once we were on water he was the king; halfway the journey we realized the was a crocodile watching all our movements in her territory and he decided to tease us by leading the canoe near her and there was sudden dead silence on the canoe, since we all feared telling him to stop risking our lives but he again diverted to the seemingly right way. He started telling us stories of how crocodiles can easily view something in water even in a two kilometers long distance, at this time my heart was in overdrive and my only prayer was reaching the bank safe. The boat was leaking and we had to keep on fetching out water which my friends later found interesting and they even recorded a video of me fetching the water out of the canoe until we arrived. I have done frightening trips, activities, like zip lining, but that was adventurous, mind blowing, and I would probably do it again but this time with my life jacket.
By Mozes Mutungi
Uganda’s best safari guide



Tuesday, 25 July 2017

QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK

03 DAYS 2NIGHTS QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK SAFARI
Image result for queen elizabeth national parkDay 1:- Arrival at Entebbe airport OR pick up from hotel in Kampala - drive to Queen Elizabeth 
Early morning you will be picked at your hotel and head of the country, a stopover at kayabwe for a photo moment at the equator. Proceed to mbarara in time for lunch at Agip motel, and proceed to Queen Elizabeth national park arriving in the evening, for dinner and overnight at either Simba safari lodge/Kasenyi safari camp/Mweya safari lodge.
 .
Day 2:- Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga channel. 
Image result for queen elizabeth national parkWake up for an early morning game drive northwards to the kasenyi plains for an amazing game drive where you stand chances of seeing lions, leopards, hyenas, hippos a wide range of antelopes and elephants. Return for lunch at the lodge and then at 2pm head for the afternoon boat cruise at the kazinga channel an area rewarding for birdwatchers, and lots of aquatic animals like hippos crocodiles, buffaloes on the edges of the channel and many other animals. Dinner and overnight at either Simba safari lodge/Kasenyi safari camp/Mweya safari lodge.
Day 3: Return back to Kampala or depart at Entebbe airport 
Wake up at leisure and head back to Kampala using the fort portal route lunch enroute at gardens restaurant, proceed to Kampala you will be dropped off at your hotel or airport.
END OF SAFARI
Accommodation Type
1 Pax

BUDGET
1071

MID RANGE
1120

LUXURY
1204

NB: PACKAGE INCLUDES.
ü  Enroute lunches
ü  Transport in a fueled 4WD station safari vehicle
ü  Full board accommodation as per the journey plan
ü  Park fees
ü  Game drive
ü  Boat cruise
The package excludes all activities not mentioned in the itinerary, all expenses of personal nature like telephone, cigar, laundry, tips to guides, visa, insurance and any other programs not mentioned above.

 



Friday, 7 July 2017

Why fortportal is the only English named municipality in Uganda #30daysInthewild diaries
The African finfoot is an aquatic bird from the family Heliornithidae. The species lives in the rivers and lakes of western, central, and southern Africa.The African finfoot is an underwater specialist with a long neck, a striking sharp beak, and bright red, lobed feet. The plumage varies by race, generally pale underneath and darker on top. The males are usually darker than the females. It superficially resembles South America's torrent duck.

The African finfoot can be found in a range of habitats across Africa, where there are rivers, streams and lakes with good cover on the banks. This range includes forest, wooded savanna, flooded forest, and even mangrove swamps.
The finfoot feeds on aquatic invertebrates, including both adults and larval mayflies, dragonflies, crustaceans, also snails, fish and amphibians. They are thought to be highly opportunistic and take some of their prey directly off the waters surface. They are adept out of water and will forage on the banks as well, unlike the grebes, which they resemble but are not related to.
Finfoots are usually seen singly or in pairs. They are very secretive. Even experienced ornithologists see them very rarely, making them a prized sighting for birders and twitchers. Because they are so elusive, it is not known if they spend most of their time in the water, where they are almost always seen, or on land.
Their time of breeding varies by area, usually coinciding with the rainy season. They build a nest, nothing more than a mess of twigs and reeds, on a fallen tree above the water. Two eggs are laid and incubated solely by the female. The chicks leave the nest a few days after hatching. The African finfoot belongs to a family, Heliornithidae, whose only other members are the masked finfoot and the sungrebe. Their relationships between this family and other birds are poorly understood.
The African finfoot's conservation status is hard to determine, given its elusive nature. It is not considered threatened, as it is not persecuted or targeted by hunters, and while scarce, it is very widespread. However, there is concern that it may become threatened, as wetlands are cleared and watercourses altered and polluted. It is also thought to tolerate only minimal disturbance. This and increased habitat fragmentation mean that the species needs to be monitored to safeguard it. There are currently no African finfoots in captivity.
Image result for the african finfootImage result for the african finfoot

#30daysInthewild

KAMPALA THE HILL OF THE IMPALA

KAMPALA THE HILL OF the IMPALA Kampala is the capital and largest city of  Uganda . The city is divided into five boroughs that oversee l...