Recent stats suggest arrivals to East Africa are recovering. Kim Emmanuel takes a look at the bucket-list activites for itineraries to this part of the world.
1.Gorilla tracking
“Rwanda itself is a bucket list destination,” says Chris Roche, Chief Marketing Officer at Wilderness Safaris. He suggests visiting the Volcanoes National Park to track gorillas.
Volcano National Park spans 160 square kilometres in Musanze, northern Rwanda. The park can be accessed by public transport from Gisenyi, Kigali or the airport
Visitors will need to arrive at headquarters of Rwanda's Office of Tourism and National Parks in Kinigi, at the park entrance by 07h00.
Additional activities at the Volcanoes National Park park include hiking Karisimbi volcano (3 800 m), a one day Mount Bisoke volcano hike, and visiting the twin lakes of Ruhondo and Bulera.
Gorilla encounters and experiences are also available in Uganda. The Gorilla Habituation Experience with the mountain gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest includes four hours with the gorillas as well as the trek into the forest to the gorilla group and back out.
Travellers will need a gorilla permit, gloves, trekking boots, long-sleeved wear, rain jackets, snacksand a walking stick.
2.Climb Mount Kilimanjaro
Travellers can visit Mount Kilimanjaro inside the Kilimanjaro National Park of Tanzania, the highest mountain in Africa and the tallest freestanding mountain on earth. Climbs range between five to eight days.
Climbers will need to have the following equipment: all necessary travel documents, duffel bag, sleeping bag, ski-pole or walking stick, water bottle, and a map (can be bought at the park gate).
Clothing should include high altitude gear, such as windproof jacket and pants (outer layer), polar fleece (middle layer), thermal underwear and socks (inside layer), and gloves.
3.Birdwatching in Uganda
Kibale National Park is 560 square kilometres with 340 recorded bird species.
Birdwatchers can look out for the Nahan’s Francolin, an endangered species. Other interesting species include Yellow-spotted Nictor, Yellow- ramped Tinker bird, Speckled Tinker bird, Little shouldered Robin Chat, Scarlet-tufted sunbirds, Purple-Breasted sunbirds, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Masked Apalis, Tiny Sunbird, White-collared Olive-back and the Black bee-eater, along with others.
The majority of the park, 77%, is covered by forest, while the remaining 23% consists of swamps, grassland, and plantations with exotic conifers.
A number of tours which include birdwatching on the itinerary are also available in other parts of Uganda. The 17 day Wildlife exploration and birdwatching tour presented by Bird Uganda visits Mabamba Bay, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Semliki National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Budongo Forest and Entebbe Resort.
4.Island of Zanzibar
Zanzibar is located in the Indian Ocean about 40 kilometres off the Tanzanian coast. Bawe and Prison Islands provide ideal daytrip opportunities for snorkelling activities. Mnemba is a private island, surrounded by a rich coral reef, which is ideal for scuba diving and snorkelling and is visited by several water-sports centres in the area.
Stone Town of Zanzibar is a Swahili trading town and is also viewed as being the site where slave-trading was abolished. The town consists of winding alleys, bazaars, mosques and grand Arab houses. Stone Town was recently declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Places to visit in Stone Town include the market Old Dispensary, a grand four story building, and the Peace Memorial Museum to learn more about Zanzibar’s history.
The Jozani Natural Forest Reserve is located in the central east region of Zanzibar Island and is home to the rare Red Colobus Monkey that roam freely.
Jozani is also home to Syke’s monkeys, small buck and bushpigs. The elusive Zanzibar leopard (last sited several years ago) is said to feed here at night.
5.Rwenzori Mountains National Park
Rwenzori Mountains National Park is located in southwestern Uganda. The Rwenzoris, Mountains of the Moon, are equatorial snow peaks, one of which is the third highest point in Africa.
The national park hosts 70 mammals and 217 bird species, according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority. The Rwenzori is also a hiking and mountaineering destination. Skilled climbers can summit Margherita in a nine – twelve day hike, while shorter less technical treks are available for the surrounding peaks.
Nature walks, homestead visits, and home cultural visits are also available at the neighbouring Bakonzo villages.
6.Kigali Genocide Memorial
The Kigali Genocide Memorial is the final resting place for more than 250 000 victims of the 1994 Genocide and is located in Gisozi, Rwanda. Visitors can choose between guided tours or purchase the Kigali Genocide Memorial digital guide which provides an audio-visual tour of the memorial. Many of the guides at the memorial are survivors of the genocide. Touring the entire memorial can take approximately one hour and 30 minutes to complete.
A 1 200 seat amphitheatre was constructed at the memorial to mark the 20th commemoration of the genocide. The amphitheatre hosts memorial events, educational workshops, dramatic performances, cultural and historical events and film screenings.
