Category: Explore

A Karamojong Manyatta Visit in Moroto

The best way to really know the nomads is by spending a day with them as they go about their day-to-day life. A visit to their Manyatta homesteads will not only unveil to you their best-kept secrets but also unveil to you magnificent huts.

The outskirts of Moroto have so many of these. They have been preserved so well and still look as they used to in pre-historic times. They are carefully fenced off by a mix of thorn plants that are about a meter thick and head high. This barrier is purposed to bar cattle raiders from invading their cattle. The traditional huts are also known as ‘ere’ are incredibly beautiful and stay cool in the year-round heat. At the heart of these eco-friendly huts is a large kraal where the cattle are kept.

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Kyando with Bishop Hannington

A memorial site – Bishop James Hannington Memorial Site – has been constructed at Kyando in Mayuge District. October 29, annually is a pilgrim day when Christians in Busoga Diocese make pilgrimage to Kyando village to commemorate the day when Bishop Hannington was murdered while preaching the gospel of salvation.

Located in Eastern Uganda some 20kms from Mayuge District main town and 30km from Jinja Town, Bishop James Hannington Memorial Site, is the spot of the first and largest Christian martyrdom in Uganda. This is because it is the place where one of the first missionaries to have visited Uganda from Britain was killed, in cold blood.

Your ride will be a bumpy one due to the nature of the road – bumpy and dusty. Along the way, you can be intercepted by trucks loading sugarcane parked in the middle of the road but all this is worth it when you get to the memorial site.

The story is told in bits and pieces by the locals some of whom visited the site after it took shape in 2012. Though fast-growing into a big tourism site, there are no tour guides and all one can depend on are the passers-by and locals who have acquired the story from elders.

But this is no problem at all as the site has signposts most of which explain the significance of the spots on which they are erected.

Most of the locals recall the story behind the Bishop’s death with empathy. “He was killed with so much brutality yet he was innocent, poor man,” Musa, a boda boda rider in Mayuge Town recounts

Just like the biblical Herod and Jesus’ birth story, Bishop Hannington’s death, it is said, was prompted by longtime suspicion and prophesies that KabakaMwanga’s rule would be overthrown by people coming from the east.

So, when the Bishop together with his group of 48 helpers, entered Busoga in current Mayuge, a territory that was under Chief Lube, one of KabakaMwanga’s collaborators, a message was sent to Mwanga who out of panic immediately ordered for the elimination of the invading strangers.KabakaMwanga’s fear was that Christianity was growing fast among his subjects and this, to him, became an increasingly great threat to his rule.

Today, a stone to mark and commemorate the point at which bishop Hannington was murdered still stands. It is sheltered in an iron-sheet hut-shaped shelter which is located downhill, at the end of the road that leads to the rocky Kyando hill where the bishop did most of his activities in the rocks before his death.

The Memorial Site

At this place, you will be able to relive the life that Bishop Hannington and his men lived many years ago through the various marked spots and rocks that are said to have been very significant to the bishop.

The centerpiece, which is an enclosed stone – found downhill – marks the spot or shrine where the bishop was tortured and killed, the site is composed of other spots that mark the different activities the bishop was involved in. On the rocks on Kyando hill is a cave that is believed to have been the bishop’s bedroom. The path that leads to that cave has been marked with a tree fence making it easy for tourists to find it.

Across from the bedroom is a painted rock which is believed to have been the spot where the bishop used to preach from. Another important cave is under a rock that stands opposite the ‘pulpit’ and that is the library. It is believed that is where the bishop during his time-off pastoral work, did some reading.

“Away from here is another cave where the bishop waited eight days in custody before he was killed by spearing him in both sides,” Musa narrates.

Just close to the shrine, is a well now modified into a spring, from which Bishop Hannington used to drink. It has been reconstructed to preserve it for generations to come. As a visitor to the site, you will probably be intrigued to drink from the same well that Bishop Hannington drunk from more than 130 years ago.

For those driven by the love to discover the beauty of nature, the rocky Kyandohill is the place for you. The magnificent view that you get of Busoga’s green belt while at the hill is proof that your visit despite the hurdles was not in vain. It is not only a leisure place but also one where people get spiritual renewal thanks to Bishop Hannington memorial site.

And judging from the way Christianity has taken root in Busoga, Uganda over the years, the bishop indeed purchased its road to Uganda with his blood.

The rock under which Bishop Hannington spent his free time reading thus named his library

Bishop Hannington’s well now modified into a spring

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10 Interesting Trails Not to Miss in Bwindi

Do you love nature? Is hiking one of your treasured adventures? Bwindi Impenetrable National Park offers you with yet another tremendous adventure that will help you extend your stay during a gorilla safari in the misty hills of South-Western Uganda. Besides tracking the rare mountain gorillas, you can also engage in hiking experiences in and […]

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5 Popular Islands in Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria is the largest fresh water body in east Africa covering an area of 68,800 square kilometers. Lake Victoria stretches through three East African countries; Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Lake Victoria is naturally breath taking because of it do many islands that a home to thousands of people and wildlife. Would you like to […]

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My Breathtaking Road Trip to South Western Uganda

I will never forget my road trip in Uganda! The southwestern part of Uganda indeed it’s a breathtaking moment in life very difficult to forget. On my way to the south of the country, it become very clear immediately that this country lives up to its name ‘’ the pearl of Africa’’. Since Uganda is […]

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5 Best Places to See Shoebills in Uganda

When it comes to bird species, Uganda is one of the few places in the World with numerous species totaling to over 1061 exceptional species of birds, one of which are the elusive shoebill storks. Shoebill storks are one of the extraordinary species of birds within the African Continent thus has drawn individuals as well […]

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Recommended Rental Cars for Family Safaris in Uganda

Are you looking to taking a safari in Uganda with your family? There is nothing funnier than having a self drive in Uganda with your family recorded as one of the best experiences one would get in his/her lifetime. Many people in the world during vacation time, they travel with their family along and most especially during summer holidays. There is that euphoric moment one get when one watches his/her family having a good time and also strengthens the bond with in the family thus leading to a functional family.

Uganda is of no doubt one of those exciting places in the world where one can take his/her family for holidays as it has lots of attractions a family can enjoy for example a family can take up a wildlife safari tour to see those exotic animals that are not usual in their daily life: animals like lions, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, leopards, monkeys, antelopes among the special. There also so many resort beaches and islands where a family can enjoy themselves on the very many water bodies with in Uganda.

However for a family to have a safe and convenience Uganda holiday, they need to rent a car to traverse them everywhere they want to go through some of the most eye catching destinations which are seemingly a distant apart. There is no better ground traveling options to the various holiday destinations for a family other than using Uganda car rentals. Many rental car companies Uganda are found online as one can book with his/her preferred one online or by calling it on the numbers.

Hiring rental cars online comes with lots of merits for a Uganda family holiday and they are as follow:

Convenience and flexibility

It is very easy to hire a car of your choice online, be it an SUV or a van that can best suit for your family holiday. There is always a variety of cars exhibited online; it is always upon you to choice a car of choice, needs and budget. Rental cars Uganda have both luxury cars and cheap cars for their esteemed customers.

In additional to the above, there is nothing like waiting in a long queue. All you need to do is sit on your computer send an email to the car rentals then the car will reserved for you. You can also opt to use the phones as the websites are mobile friendly for reservation and search. Booking is always available 24 hours a day.

Varieties of cars to choose from

Online car rental companies Uganda also display variety of cars for their customers, it is always up to the customer to choose a car that fits his/her needs. There always cars of different kinds that is large, medium, compact, crossovers, sedans, luxury, mid range and budget cars. All you need to do is the disclose the nature of holiday, the family is taking then our sales teams will be at your service to advise you the best car to hire for Uganda holiday.

Privacy and confidentiality

While booking car rentals online, there is always room for you to make a discrete reservation as your personal information only stays with the car rental company. The websites have security certificates where by your information cannot leak to other parties. It is always private and pirate free.

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Exploring Kidepo Valley National Park

The park was established in 1952 and is situated in the north east of Uganda in the district of Kabong which was also the traditional home land of the karamajong, who are also the unique people to visit on any Uganda safari to the pearl of Africa. This park is also considered to be among the largest remaining intact wilderness areas not only in Uganda but in Africa in general. It has got a broad expanse of the semi-arid land scapes that are dotted with multitudes of typical African game making Kidepo an admirable item of many travelers planning to safari Uganda.

Due to its distance from the capital of Kampala, the park has kept its green nature which has helped in increasing its visitor numbers hence high safari arrivals to the park. The park also contains a great deal of wildlife, some of which are endemic to it for the case of the country, these include; cheetah, Kavirondo bush baby, patas monkeys, the ostrich and many more. The other species also include; the lions, zebras, greater kudu, antelopes, dik dik. Etc. These are also spread in the scenic land scapes of the nurus valley which also provide a perfect ground for the many game drives for the safari travelers in Uganda.

Kidepo national park also lies in the rugged, semi-arid valleys which are between Uganda ‘s boarder with Kenya and Sudan, its 700km from Kampala and was gazette as a national park in 1962 thus a profusion of the big game and over 77 mammal species as well as 475 bird species which attract birding safaris to the country. It’s also Uganda’s most isolated national park; however everyone would agrees that it is also the most magnificent in Africa. Just from Apoka in the heart of the park, there is a savannah land scape which extends far beyond the gazette area, towards the horizons outlined by the distant mountain ranges.

During the dry season, there is only one permanent water source and it’s found in wetlands and remnant pools in the broad Narus Valley near Apoka. The seasonal oases, combined with the open, savannah terrain, making the Nurus Valley the park’s game viewing location. The park has greatly attracted many people to come for safari tours to Uganda.

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