In my hands is a copy of Exploring Uganda, a magazine with a sturdy foot in tourism. In these very hands, curved into the pages of this magazine, is a list of all the things to do whilst at the Pearl of Africa-Uganda.
Trust me, it doesn’t get more Easterly (if that’s even a word) than this! Next to the entire Christmas-New Year’s break that renders the city empty, I think Easter is what the urban youth would call lit.
Unlike the Christmas season where we all throng the villages, how about exploring Ugandan instead?
Seriously though, if a mammoth 1.3million people are seeking out destination Uganda annually, believe me, we must be a touristic magnet! So how about you bundle a whole four days of no work into a whole four days of exploring this giant of a tourism destination. It doesn’t matter which side of the campus your journey would lead you to, Uganda’s beauty knows no bounds.
If you are headed North and or North West, the rambling falls that are humbled into the Albert Nile should soothe you. The animals at the Murchison Falls National Park, or just the Murchison Falls itself, should get you all ‘easter up (pardon the urban youth word choice.). The journey alone, the people, the beauty, everything will make it worth your while. Don’t forget to stop and eat some nang-nang, don’t ask me what that is, just go and ask for it.
Maybe like me, you would be taking the Eastern route, right? You might not even need to step out of your car to nod to the beauty that is Uganda. The forest in Mabira, the waters of the Nile, which if you allowed yourself a few more minutes, can be traced back to their source at, well, The Source of the Nile. Yes, our very own Nile! It’s the majesty of the Elgon Mountains or the shy yet wildly flirtatious falls at Sipi. Maybe you want to see an ancient rock painting in Ngero or is it all the animals that call the breath-taking Kidepo home? What is it you are into?
Agreed, we all can’t go North and East at the same time, how about West and or South West? Look out for the hills, oh my God! It’s the cheeky folds as if a game of hide-and-seek. Naughty-naughty hills they have over there in Kabale, Kanungu, and Kisoro districts. It’s the green that courts the creator lakes in Kabarole. I am talking blue and clear waters, nature’s own swimming pool, free of the toxins of course. It’s the scenic Lake Bunyonyi, our very own ‘Wakanda’. Oh yes! Don’t get me started on Queen Elizabeth National Park or the impenetrable forest that is home to the Gorillas of Bwindi. Folks, we would need all day.
Okay, not all of us will be out of the city and might just want to explore the central region. Ever heard of the king of Buganda? Of course, you have! He is called the Kabaka and yes, he has a lake. Go check out the Kabaka’s lake, will you? How about where the royalty of this kingdom is buried? These are not just tombs, they literally have risen through the ashes and are bursting with history. Okay, maybe you are not into traditional kingdoms, then a boda-boda ride, a chance to journey into the history of the seven hills that birthed this Kampala City, might do the trick. Are you into fish? I would suggest a trip to the shores of Lake Victoria, a lake whose belly carries the waters of the Nile. It’s all about the beach and the fish over there! Hell, songs have been composed rhyming about beach and fish. How about the islands of this very lake, go watch some birds and become one with nature.
Try as I may, I can’t list it all, not in a day. It’s just not possible to do this as Uganda is a buffet of tourism your plate just wouldn’t hold. Take it like a coursed meal, or maybe different parties; each region comes with its own buffet. There is just so much to see, to do, and experience. Travel my good people, travel through the fiber of this country and you will know why it is called the pearl of Africa.
