African Adventure
Uganda
STEVE BLOOM IMAGES / SUPERSTOCK
MILEAGE PLAN ADVENTURES
African Adventure
Uganda and neighboring Rwanda are the only places where endangered mountain gorillas can be seen in their natural habitat.
Primate trekking in Uganda By Candace Dempsey The brawny mountain gorilla we call “Silverback”—a dominant male with gray streaks in his thick brown fur—treats our camera-toting, eight-member trekking group with various degrees of tolerance. We’ve hiked for several hours over the steep, intensely green hills of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwest Uganda to reach the lush thicket where the patriarch lounges with a mother and two babies, chewing on bright leaves and bark. In addition to neighboring Rwanda, Uganda is the last place on earth where you can see the endangered mountain gorillas
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in their native habitat, earning the East African nation a spot on any wildlife lover’s must-see list. With circling birds of prey, steamy hilltops, jungles, flowery swamps
and monkeys swinging from vines, the 126-square-mile rain forest park reminds me of the Tarzan movies I saw as a kid, and of Dian Fossey’s Gorillas in the Mist. This sanctuary harbors some 300 mountain gorillas, about half of the world’s wild population, plus numerous elephants, chimpanzees and monkeys. Seeing Silverback’s family topped my seven-day, primate-focused tour of southwestern Uganda, organized by U.S.-based
AUGUST 2013
ALASKA AIRLINES MAGAZINE
7/17/13 3:42 PM
south sudan
uganda Kampala Entebbe L ake Victoria
rwanda tanzania
ALASKA AIRLINES MAGAZINE
AAM 08.13 MPA.indd 139
AUGUST 2013
CANDACE DEMPSEY
Terra Incognita Ecotours. My search first took me to Kibale National Park for chimpanzee trekking, then 62 miles south to Queen Elizabeth National Park, where I spotted rhinos, crocodiles, tree-climbing lions, exotic birds and red-tailed monkeys. I finished up more than 100 miles south in Bwindi and then drove nearly 300 miles northeast to Entebbe for the trip home. I never tired of the baboons, chimpanzees and monkeys, but found gorillas the most regal and mysterious of all the creatures I encountered. Park rangers have worked to habituate seven families— including Silverback’s 18-member “Habinyanja” group—to the proximity of human visitors, and also endeavor to keep the gorillas safe and undisturbed. Permits for viewing gorillas cost $500 in Uganda ($750 in Rwanda), and tour guests approach on foot, not in safari vehicles. Hiking the rugged terrain turns out to be a delightful way to enter this jungle world. In order to keep primates safe from human diseases, visitors must stay at least 20 feet away from the animals and linger only an hour. According to the Bwindi rangers, Americans make up the largest percentage of gorilla trekkers, arriving mainly in June and July. During my trip, I also met animal lovers from Great Britain, Germany and
before you go Visitors to Uganda need passports valid for at least six months beyond the date of entry, visas, and yellow fever certificates, showing proof of vaccination. Taking malaria pills is a good idea; check with your physician for details. Visitors must be at least 15 to get a gorilla-viewing permit; the cost is $500 (off-season rates may be available for
Park Ranger Medard Twongyeirwe briefs visitors about gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Ukraine. Some trekkers brought teenage children—not an easy group to please—but they, too, were enthusiastic. About twice as big as Pennsylvania, Uganda is a microcosm of Africa, with jungles, savannas, deserts, active volcanoes and giant lakes. Positioned on the western edge of the Great Rift Valley, Uganda spans the equator but enjoys a temperate climate. Wherever I look, I can see blue mountains in the distance and the edges of another nation. Land-locked Uganda borders Congo to the west, South Sudan to the north, Kenya to the east, and Rwanda and Tanzania to the south. Once a British protectorate, Uganda gained independence in 1962. The nation’s brief history has been marked by conflicts and political unrest, as exemplified by the 1971 military coup that brought dictator Idi Amin to power until he was deposed in ethiopia 1979; the current president, Yoweri Museveni, has ruled since 1986. Today, remnants of the British influence remain: Vehicles drive on the left side of the road, and many Ugandans kenya converse in English as well as tribal languages. I start my primate trekking in Kibale National Park, after boarding a tiny AeroLink plane
November, April and May). Terra Incognita Ecotours can order permits and
arrange internal air flights, ground transport and accommodations. Terra also organizes gorilla trekking in Rwanda. 855-ECO-TOUR (855-326-8687), ecotours.com. LODGING Primate Lodge in Kibale offers luxury
tents and chimpanzee trekking inside Kibale National Park. 256-0-414-267-153, ugandalodges.com/primate. Mweya Safari Lodge is a luxury hotel
inside Queen Elizabeth National Park. 256-0-312-259-390, mweyalodge.com. Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp
offers luxury cottages inside Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and easy access to gorilla trekking. 254-0-206950-002, sanctuaryretreats.com/ uganda-camps-gorilla-forest. Protea Hotel Entebbe, a luxury hotel,
popular with business travelers and tourists, is on the shores of Lake Victoria and convenient to Entebbe airport. 256-0-312-207-500, proteahotels.com/ protea-hotel-entebbe.html.
at Entebbe airport and flying west to an airstrip in Kasese. There, my guide, Robert, waits in a refurbished Range Rover. A dignified man from Kampala, the nation’s capital of 1.7 million people, Robert proves to be a game-spotting genius who can answer wildlife questions, point out a lion and steer around a pothole—all at the
139
7/17/13 3:42 PM
STEVE BLOOM IMAGES / SUPERSTOCK
MILEAGE PLAN ADVENTURES
African Adventure
Uganda and neighboring Rwanda are the only places where endangered mountain gorillas can be seen in their natural habitat.
Primate trekking in Uganda By Candace Dempsey The brawny mountain gorilla we call “Silverback”—a dominant male with gray streaks in his thick brown fur—treats our camera-toting, eight-member trekking group with various degrees of tolerance. We’ve hiked for several hours over the steep, intensely green hills of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwest Uganda to reach the lush thicket where the patriarch lounges with a mother and two babies, chewing on bright leaves and bark. In addition to neighboring Rwanda, Uganda is the last place on earth where you can see the endangered mountain gorillas
138
AAM 08.13 MPA.indd 138
in their native habitat, earning the East African nation a spot on any wildlife lover’s must-see list. With circling birds of prey, steamy hilltops, jungles, flowery swamps
and monkeys swinging from vines, the 126-square-mile rain forest park reminds me of the Tarzan movies I saw as a kid, and of Dian Fossey’s Gorillas in the Mist. This sanctuary harbors some 300 mountain gorillas, about half of the world’s wild population, plus numerous elephants, chimpanzees and monkeys. Seeing Silverback’s family topped my seven-day, primate-focused tour of southwestern Uganda, organized by U.S.-based
AUGUST 2013
ALASKA AIRLINES MAGAZINE
7/17/13 3:42 PM
south sudan
uganda Kampala Entebbe L ake Victoria
rwanda tanzania
ALASKA AIRLINES MAGAZINE
AAM 08.13 MPA.indd 139
AUGUST 2013
CANDACE DEMPSEY
Terra Incognita Ecotours. My search first took me to Kibale National Park for chimpanzee trekking, then 62 miles south to Queen Elizabeth National Park, where I spotted rhinos, crocodiles, tree-climbing lions, exotic birds and red-tailed monkeys. I finished up more than 100 miles south in Bwindi and then drove nearly 300 miles northeast to Entebbe for the trip home. I never tired of the baboons, chimpanzees and monkeys, but found gorillas the most regal and mysterious of all the creatures I encountered. Park rangers have worked to habituate seven families— including Silverback’s 18-member “Habinyanja” group—to the proximity of human visitors, and also endeavor to keep the gorillas safe and undisturbed. Permits for viewing gorillas cost $500 in Uganda ($750 in Rwanda), and tour guests approach on foot, not in safari vehicles. Hiking the rugged terrain turns out to be a delightful way to enter this jungle world. In order to keep primates safe from human diseases, visitors must stay at least 20 feet away from the animals and linger only an hour. According to the Bwindi rangers, Americans make up the largest percentage of gorilla trekkers, arriving mainly in June and July. During my trip, I also met animal lovers from Great Britain, Germany and
before you go Visitors to Uganda need passports valid for at least six months beyond the date of entry, visas, and yellow fever certificates, showing proof of vaccination. Taking malaria pills is a good idea; check with your physician for details. Visitors must be at least 15 to get a gorilla-viewing permit; the cost is $500 (off-season rates may be available for
Park Ranger Medard Twongyeirwe briefs visitors about gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Ukraine. Some trekkers brought teenage children—not an easy group to please—but they, too, were enthusiastic. About twice as big as Pennsylvania, Uganda is a microcosm of Africa, with jungles, savannas, deserts, active volcanoes and giant lakes. Positioned on the western edge of the Great Rift Valley, Uganda spans the equator but enjoys a temperate climate. Wherever I look, I can see blue mountains in the distance and the edges of another nation. Land-locked Uganda borders Congo to the west, South Sudan to the north, Kenya to the east, and Rwanda and Tanzania to the south. Once a British protectorate, Uganda gained independence in 1962. The nation’s brief history has been marked by conflicts and political unrest, as exemplified by the 1971 military coup that brought dictator Idi Amin to power until he was deposed in ethiopia 1979; the current president, Yoweri Museveni, has ruled since 1986. Today, remnants of the British influence remain: Vehicles drive on the left side of the road, and many Ugandans kenya converse in English as well as tribal languages. I start my primate trekking in Kibale National Park, after boarding a tiny AeroLink plane
November, April and May). Terra Incognita Ecotours can order permits and
arrange internal air flights, ground transport and accommodations. Terra also organizes gorilla trekking in Rwanda. 855-ECO-TOUR (855-326-8687), ecotours.com. LODGING Primate Lodge in Kibale offers luxury
tents and chimpanzee trekking inside Kibale National Park. 256-0-414-267-153, ugandalodges.com/primate. Mweya Safari Lodge is a luxury hotel
inside Queen Elizabeth National Park. 256-0-312-259-390, mweyalodge.com. Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp
offers luxury cottages inside Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and easy access to gorilla trekking. 254-0-206950-002, sanctuaryretreats.com/ uganda-camps-gorilla-forest. Protea Hotel Entebbe, a luxury hotel,
popular with business travelers and tourists, is on the shores of Lake Victoria and convenient to Entebbe airport. 256-0-312-207-500, proteahotels.com/ protea-hotel-entebbe.html.
at Entebbe airport and flying west to an airstrip in Kasese. There, my guide, Robert, waits in a refurbished Range Rover. A dignified man from Kampala, the nation’s capital of 1.7 million people, Robert proves to be a game-spotting genius who can answer wildlife questions, point out a lion and steer around a pothole—all at the
139
7/17/13 3:42 PM
