Colonial Days
Africa Uganda
Uganda’s Lakes and Rivers
Uganda’s lakes and rivers make it an interesting and beautiful country, providing a variety of attractions. It was this beauty that forced Sir Winston Churchill to crown it “The Pearl of Africa”. Uganda tours are made interesting and enjoyable mostly because of these Lakes and Rivers. This is because all the wildlife both flora and fauna depend on water for life. Their existence therefore depends on these water bodies.
One of these reservoirs is Lake Victoria; the largest fresh water body in Africa, and the second largest in the world. This magnificent Lake boarders the Country’s Southern and some parts of the Central. It is dotted with beautiful Islands characterised by unique flora and fauna thus offering the most beautiful scenery to the visitors in addition to well established and modern resorts all designed to cater for the needs of the tourists. The largest of all the Islands are the Ssese archipelago which is group of Islands totaling 84 covered in beautiful and ever green Forests and Swamps in the Northwestern part of the Lake. Some of the tourist activities on Lake Victoria are; sport fishing, swimming, boat rides, local canoe rides, sunbathing, and bird watching, among many others which make Uganda adventures the most memorable on planet Earth.
Lake Victoria is also the source to the mighty River Nile which is the World’s longest River. The source is at Jinja in Eastern Uganda and it is from here that the Nile starts its long journey to the Mediterranean Sea. From its source in Jinja, The Victoria Nile flows thorough the Murchison Falls National Park, cascading over the Falls through a seven meter cleft in the rocks into a pool below. The thundering noise can be heard kilometers away. It emits a fine spray, almost like rain and clouds of vapour, spitting out fish to the waiting army of crocodiles below.
The Victoria Nile then flows into Lake Albert and here it joins the Albert Nile and eventually flows into the Sudan to form the main source of the White Nile. Giant Nile Crocodiles are often seen along the river banks which are also abundant with plant, animal and bird life.
Lake Albert which stands guard at the Western border of Uganda is also a wonderful attraction on its own in form of a water body. It is a place of dramatic scenery, with the Rwenzoris; “The Mountains of the Moon”, rising up in the distance. The lake has endless birding opportunities to tourists particularly in the Delta region where the Albert Nile River joins the Lake.
Lake Edward and Lake George are also tucked away in the West of the Country. These two amazing Lakes are connected by the Kazinga Channel which is a wide, 32 kilometre long natural Channel and the dominant feature of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The Channel attracts a varied range of animals and birds, with one of the World’s largest concentration Hippos and numerous Nile Crocodiles.
Lake George is a small lake with an average depth of only 2.4 metres and which is fed by streams from the Rwenzori Mountains. Its outflow is through the Kazinga Channel which drains into Lake Edward. Lake Edward is the smallest of the African Great Lakes. It is located in the Western Rift Valley, on the boarder between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo with its northern shore a few kilometres south of the Equator. These two Lakes are a bird watchers’ Paradise and the Rwenzori Mountains make a spectacular setting on Lake Edward’s Horizon.
In the Central of the Country is also Lake Kyoga. This is a large shallow Lake complex also with a great importance to Uganda’s tourism. The Victoria Nile flows through the Lake on its way from Lake Victoria to Lake Albert. Over 46 fish species have been recorded in Lake Kyoga. The bird life at the Lake is also abundant.
Other Lakes that are worth a visit on any of your Uganda safaris because of their many attractions and water games taking place along them are; Lake Bunyonyi, Lake Bisina and Lake Mburo. Lake Bunyonyi which means “place of many small birds”, is located in Southwestern Uganda and the second deepest in Africa. It is among the few Lakes in Africa with the safest and cleanest water for swimming. The Lake offers the most beautiful scenery for visitors especially its shape and the glittering Islands. Just as the name suggests, Lake Bunyonyi is a bird watchers’ Harvard.
Lake Bisina is smaller in size but deeper than Lake Kyoga and it is located in the shadow of Mountain Elgon. Lake Mburo is the only Lake in the country that is accommodated in a single national park. It is the best place in the Country to see the gigantic Eland Antelope, Zebra, Topi, Impala and several acacia-associated Birds. It is also one of the best places in the country for boat rides.
About the Author
Carol
Connect Hemisphere Safaris
Our Trip to Uganda, Africa 
(Part 1)
|
|
Uganda Natural Rwenzori Bowl $29.50 You will receive a basket very similar in color and pattern to this one pictured, but please keep in mind every basket is uniquely handwoven and differs in design. Baskets are woven from discarded Millet stalks, naturally dyed raffia and sometimes local grasses. The natural portions are dried millet leaves. The vibrant natural dyes used on the raffia for these tightly woven baskets come from flowe… |
|
|
Basket Bowl Raffia & Reed Handwoven (Uganda) Tricolor Swirled O/R/N – Bamboula #BSKU96 $34.00 This Basket Bowl Raffia & Reed Handwoven (Uganda) Tricolor Swirled O/R/N – Bamboula #BSKU96 is hand-woven by women living near Kampala, the capital of Uganda. To make this colorful, bowl-shaped basket, raffia is coiled over reeds for strength and durability. Practical for use as a fruit bowl or to serve breads and rolls, beautiful enough for hand towels and soaps in a guest bathroom, while it’s un… |
|
|
Basket Bowl Raffia & Reed Handwoven (Uganda) Cream/Orange – Bamboula #BSKU91 $30.00 This Basket Bowl Raffia & Reed Handwoven (Uganda) Cream/Orange – Bamboula #BSKU91 is hand-woven by women living near Kampala, the capital of Uganda. To make this colorful, bowl-shaped basket, raffia is coiled over reeds for strength and durability. Practical for use as a fruit bowl or to serve breads and rolls, beautiful enough for hand towels and soaps in a guest bathroom, while it’s unique desig… |
|
|
It takes a Whole Village $8.00 Early in the 1980′s, Ray Barnett traveled to Uganda after hearing a report saying, “Over 150,000 orphans are dying of starvation in Uganda”. Ray, raised as an orphan himself, desperately wanted to do something. He knew if people back home could only see these beautiful children in person, they would help. That’s when the idea of a children’s choir came to mind. After much prayer and the financial … |
|
|
Abayudaya: Music From Jewish People of Uganda $11.21 Abayudaya: The Music of the Jews of Uganda presents a unique collection of African-Jewish music in which the rhythms and harmonies of Africa blend with Jewish celebration and traditional Hebrew prayer. This compelling repertoire is rooted in local Ugandan music and infused with rich choral singing, Afro-pop, and traditional drumming. The repertoire includes lullabies, political and children’s song… |
|
|
Pearl of Africa Reborn $11.48 Samite of Uganda resides in the United States now, so his frequently autobiographical music tends to romanticize his homeland, the titular “pearl of Africa,” as well as his mother, to whom this album is dedicated. Accompanying himself with rolling, repetitious figures on a variety of kalimbas (thumb pianos), Samite sings in a dry tenor voice about his mother’s cooking, her storytelling, the introd… |
|
|
Mississippi Masala [VHS] $14.45 Mira Nair, the Indian director, scored an international art-house hit with her feature debut, Salaam Bombay!, a tale of life in the streets of seething urban India. Her next film was a surprising turnabout: Mississippi Masala is a cultural study and a love story set in the rural American south. The love story comes courtesy of Denzel Washington, as a rug cleaner, and Sarita Choudhury (from Nair’s … |
|
|
ABC Africa [VHS] $24.95 … |
|
|
The People & Places of Africa: Uganda, Saharawi, Mozambique The People & Places of Africa explores the unique cultures, marvels of nature, indigenous peoples and remote lands of the undiscovered and untainted continent of Africa. We will travel through this captivating region, visit its glorious wonders and learn about the social, ecological and political challenges that face Africa and the people who inhabit it…. |
|
|
LiteFuze Grounded Universal 2 in 1 Plug Adapter Type G for UK, Hong Kong, Singapore & more – High Quality – CE Certified – RoHS Compliant WP-G-GN $4.99 US Patented Universal Input: Accepts plugs from all countries (except the Type M – big S. Africa 8.7mm Plug) ? Output: “Type G” Suitable for UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, UAE, etc. |
