Uganda Airlines staff comprising nine (9) members from across the East African region; Kenya and Tanzania, Uganda Tourism Board staff, and the media last week starting Thursday 25th March 2021 embarked on a week long expedition taking on destinations of Bwindi National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and destination Jinja City for a roller-coaster life thrilling River Nile white water rafting excursion on the last day.
The team kickstarted the trip setting off from Imperial Royale Hotel parking in Nakasero, Kampala to South Western Uganda, making stopovers at the Uganda Equator in Kayabwe for photoshoots and insights on how the Equator operates.
The entourage thereafter hit road and next stop was the Igongo Cultural Centre for a sumptuous lunch break and Museum tour where they were enriched with the diverse and rich traditional history of the region including; culture, food, dressing, music, housing among more before their next stop in Kabale, Western Uganda for beautiful evening views of the Kigezi region based district.
After traveling all long throughout the day, check in was at Nkuringo Bwindi Safari Lodge where the team caught up a night before taking on an adventurous Gorilla tracking activity on Friday early morning at Bwindi National Park. Divided into two groups of staff; the Nkuringo group and Christmas group, next was trekking through the tinny rocky walkways of the thick forest covering approximately 7 Kilometres to and from for the Christmas group while the Nkuringo group covered tentatively 10 kilometres to and fro lasting about 3-5 hours so as to locate the actual site the endangered species family was camping at to get a glimpse of the World’s adorned primate and later received certificates for completing the activity on Day 2.
Day 3 and 4, started off with a 15 hour journey long from Nkuringo to Queen Elizabeth National Park where the team spent two nights at Kasenyi Safari Camp enjoying every feel of what the Pearl of Africa has in offer before waking up to an early morning game drive for an eye catching observation of wildlife species such as; Buffalos, Antelopes, Lions, Bush Pigs, Birds, among other wildlife species not forgetting the natural green Uganda has in offer as a well endowed Country. After the Game drive, next visit was Kasenyi Community and fishing site thereby spicing up the entire day with a lunch treat of tasty fish and salads prepared with Kalo – a local Ugandan food delicacy mostly adorned by several Ugandan tribes.
After the lunch break, enroute was Kazinga Channel where the team enjoyed an exciting boat ride along the fresh water body conduit covering 20 kilometres lasting 2 hours enjoying every bit of Nature and wildlife such as; Buffalos, Elephants, Hippos, among many more before they could return to Kasenyi Safari Camp for dinner and catch some rest after a long day of memory lane adventures.
During the due course of the trip, Uganda Airlines – Kenya Sales Manager Lenny Malasi revealed that he didn’t know Uganda possessed all these amazing wonders as its truly indeed the Pearl of Africa.
Lenny Malasi – Uganda Airlines
He said, ‘’Uganda is attractive but also for this natural magnificence to be showcased to Kenya and the World at atlarge, Uganda Airlines is opening up new routes and therefore the Airlines will be used as a big tool to promote destination Uganda to wherever it operates both commercial regional and international flights to routes like , Mumbai, Ghuangzou and Bangkok as these markets are very criticial interms of Tourism figures that they bring in, one of the high inbound markets for tourists is China and therefore we must prepare for our new routes between UTB and Uganda Airlines staff, reason this trip is on so as we explore and experience what Uganda has to offer to the World interms of Tourism’’.
Uganda Airlines – Lenny Malasi and Christine Kimbugwe at Queen Elizabeth National Park road View.
He added,’’ By now we can probably go back and seat and lay synergies on what we can do better to improve Uganda’s Tourism and where possibly we could have gone wrong so as to target big markets. Foristance we are looking at source markets like London and by the time we start off flights to Heathrow, we would have have sorted the wrongs and focus on what is important to keep Uganda’s tourism flourishing along the lines’’.
Uganda Tourism Board CEO, Lilly Ajarova also stressed that Uganda Airlines is quite a big tool for promoting destination Uganda hence reason for the partnership.
She said, ‘’If Uganda Airlines is flying to London, the biggest experience starts with someone onboard the aircraft, whatever the services aboard Uganda Airline among others they get to experience upto Entebbe, its what Uganda already has to offer, therefore its important that we work very closely with Uganda Airlines because people can get diversity of Uganda’s experience based on the flight.
She added,‘’Even if its just from Nairobi to Entebbe they should have to notice the beauty of Uganda’’
Ajarova noted that, ‘’According to the Tourism Policy, we are catering for all categories, high end, mid range and budget as well. There are definitely high end source markets that we go reach out to like North America who get to come.
She concluded that, ‘’The budget travelers also have provision as Uganda Wildlife Authority is building more hostels to accommodate the back packers and the low end travelers’’.
Christine Kimbugwe, Uganda Airlines in-charge for Holiday Packages and Tours
Christine Kimbugwe, Uganda Airlines incharge for Holiday Packages and Tours addressed that, the basis for the trip is to sale an experiential product to the World.
She said, ‘’This trip comes as part of the treaty signed between Uganda Airlines and Uganda Tourism Board in 2019 while the Airline had just been relaunched.
She added,’’Part of the clauses in the Agreement was to have a FAM trip for Uganda Airlines staff so as they get a test of the product they are to sell to some of their customers, although this trip was supposed to take place last year, the Covid – 19 and entire situations that followed didn’t create an enabling environment for us to embark on since the Tourism Industry was also on Lockdown so as to curb down the spread of the Coronavirus’’.
The trip concluded on Tuesday 30th March as the team got to experience amazing wild water moments on River Nile in Jinja City with adrift Uganda Limited on a 20 kilometre kayaking and rafting along the Nile lasting upto 3 hours of the water expedition.
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