Ng'aali Inflight Magazine Oct-Feb Edition(2020-21)

TRAVEL TIPS

Is the thought of packing for your next vacation
daunting? These simple tips and tricks will save you the
headache.

• Freshen Suitcases

Is your suitcase a bit musty? The night before packing, pour a cup of
baking soda in it, close it and shake. In the morning, vacuum up the
baking soda and the smell should be gone.

• Make a packing list

When it comes to packing, procrastinators fall short. Start your packing
process days or even weeks ahead of your departure date; this gives you
time to write a complete list, and purchase any additional items you
might need for your vacation. Creating a packing list is a fail-safe way
to ensure that you never forget to bring something important.

• Know your airline’s baggage fee policy

The inconsistency among airlines (especially the budget variety) can
be pretty frustrating. Avoid surprises at the airport by knowing what
you’re working with right from the start. A quick Google search before
you pack can help save you loads of stress (and potential overweight
fees!)

• Roll and vacuum pack

Don’t arrive at your holiday destination and be faced with a pile of
ironing. To save space and stop creasing, roll your clothes instead
of folding them, then place them in vacuum compression bags. To
use these bags, put your clothes in, seal the bag, then squeeze the air
out. This will leave you with lots more space in your suitcase and will
prevent creases.

• Pack the first outfit you will wear last

If you know you’re getting off the plane and going straight to dinner or
a meeting, plan your outfit and put it into your suitcase last. That way,
when you arrive, you won’t have to dig through everything else to find
it (plus, it will be less likely to wrinkle).

• Pack hand luggage wisely

No matter how well we decorate our suitcase, sometimes the
unthinkable happens. Sometimes bags go missing. Make sure all your
valuables are in your hand luggage and always pack a spare change of
clothes in your hand luggage too, just in case the worst happens and
your checked-in bag is lost/delayed.

www.ngaaliinflightmag.com 101

TRAVEL TIPS

Safari
packing list

for gorilla trekking

Face masks and hand
sanitiser

Hiking gloves to Camera and
protect your hands extra batteries
and keep germs out to capture every
moment
Rain jacket
to keep you
warm and dry

Hiking poles
for support on
slippery slopes

Hiking boots for Healthy snacks and
great traction water to keep your
energy up

102 NG'AALI DECEMBER 2020 - FEBRUARY 2021

Travel TRAVEL TIPS
Health
Weather
Calendar

Don’t let sickness stifle your travel plans. Here are tips Best time to visit Uganda month by month:
to keep you in good health while in Uganda.
January to February
Covid PCR Test And Masks This is one of the two best seasons out of the year
All travellers will be required to present to the airline, to visit Uganda because this is considered a dry
proof of a negative PCR test result for COVID-19, season with little to no rainfall. It is a popular time
conducted 72 hours or less before departure and done for trekking mountain gorillas and chimpanzees
by a health facility accredited by the host Government. as well as birdwatching and viewing a variety
Passengers must carry along an official printed of wildlife.
certificate as SMS and digital certificates will not
be accepted. March to May
While in transit, the returnee will be required to This is when the Uganda climate changes to one of
adhere to the host country’s Standard Operating the wet seasons. Some rains can be heavy, causing
Procedures (SOPs) for safe travel and the SOPs provided flooding and road inaccessibility. However, if
by the airline while on the plane. This includes wearing you don’t mind the rain, you could save money
a face mask and sanitisation. during this time with reduced accommodation
rates. You will also appreciate the lush scenery and
Yellow Fever Health Card abundance of migratory birds during this period.
A must for most African nations, get these from
your doctor, and don’t wait until the last minute! June to August
Aside from vaccinations, don’t forget your necessary Another dry season, this period is one of the
medications. According to the CDC, yellow fever best times to visit for wildlife viewing. It is
vaccination is required to enter Uganda if you are possible that you could see some rains during
travelling from a country with risk of transmission. these months, but it most likely will not ruin
your itinerary.
First Aid Kit
Out in the wilderness, the nearest town could be September to October
hours or even days away. This means catching a cold While you can expect rainfall during these
could turn into a miserable experience. That is why months, you should still be able to enjoy excellent
it’s important to pack some cough drops, Sudafed, opportunities to view wildlife.
diarrhoea medication, Aspirin, Dramamine, and
allergy medication. You don’t need to bring a full November
first aid kit, as most lodges and guides have their own. November is when you may experience heavy rain
Simply think about the first aid medications you may showers turning the landscape green again. This is
need if you start feeling sick. another good time to see migratory birds.

Hand Sanitiser December
Why not protect yourself as much as possible? Getting December is when the rains slack off and
sick is tough, but getting sick on a safari could be a temperatures start to rise along with gorilla
nightmare. There are times when clean water for hand tracking rates. If you can’t stand the heat,
washing may not be available, so hand sanitiser will December may present a better month to visit
come in handy. than January and February.

www.ngaaliinflightmag.com 103

NG’AALI KIDS

Fun facts about

animals

Cats use their whiskers to check The horn of a rhinoceros is
whether a space is too small for made from compacted hair
them to fit through or not. rather than bone or another
substance.

Even when a snake has its eyes
closed, it can still see through
its eyelids.

104 NG'AALI DECEMBER 2020 - FEBRUARY 2021

NG’AALI KIDS

Giant Arctic jellyfish have
tentacles that can reach over 36
metres in length.

Despite the white, fluffy
appearance of Polar Bear fur
(which is transparent), it has
black skin.

Sharks lay the biggest eggs
in the world.

www.ngaaliinflightmag.com 105



GROUND SERVICES OPERATIONS:
Ensuring A Seamless Customer Experience

As the aviation sector slowly recovers from the Covid-19 • Regular health meetings to ensure compliance and explore new
pandemic, we at Uganda Airlines would like to reach out ways to serve our customers in the advent of Covid-19.
to all our valued customers and update you on some of the
measures we are implementing to adapt, and the different ways we can • Update our ground operations personnel (including Ground
enhance excellent customer service delivery across all our destinations. Handling Agents) in virtual online training) in light of new health
We are cognizant of the fact that our customers expect safety and requirements.
security to be the top most priority. Our ground services operations
personnel have ensured that our customers experience seamless safe • Ensure Covid-19 compliance by ensuring that adequate
and efficient service through elaborate Safety Measures, Safety Risk Protective Personal Equipment (PPE) such as gloves, masks,
Management, Safety Assurance, Safety Promotion and Safety Training sanitisers are available to passengers and staff at all our
in accordance with international regulatory requirements. customer touch points.
Despite the challenges we continue to face, Uganda Airlines is
committed to ensuring punctuality of all our flights across our network. • Regular sanitisation processes for all key areas such as
Since the relaunch of our flights, Uganda Airlines has posted 100% wheelchairs, counters, lounges, etc.
on-time performance for all our departures and arrivals. This has been
achieved through timeliness at check-in, and ease of boarding. In the Currently, the Uganda Airlines Safety and Quality Control Program
unlikely event of Flight Disruptions (due to weather, technical issues has taken a huge task to review existing handling capabilities including
etc) the airline has put in place effective measures to ensure that our training compliance with every Ground Handling Company. During
passengers are catered for at all times. the first phase of this task, we have targeted the current operational
We have also ensured effective management of mishandled baggage airports of Uganda Airlines and will then move on as we launch new
by making sure that our passengers travel with their bags on the same destinations.
flight. We are happy to report that since the relaunch of our services,
one month ago, there has been no case of mishandled baggage and Uganda Airlines is implementing the following approach in order
we intend to keep it this way! to mitigate the risk as much as can be, by applying the following
The COVID-19 crisis has shaken the aviation industry, putting it into measures in ground operations:
an extremely vulnerable position as airlines and stakeholders strive
to remain afloat. Having never faced a crisis of this nature before, the • Enhanced hygiene routines.
greatest challenges within Ground Services Operations in the context of • Physical distancing.
the COVID-19 crisis are: • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) e.g. sanitisers, medical
• Rapidly changing and varying local and regional regulations.
• Maintaining personnel readiness and staff training/retraining. masks, face covers, shields, goggles, gloves, gowns, aprons,
• Maintaining equipment and facility readiness. etc. appropriate for the job to be performed by the wearer.
• Maintaining/preparing for operational readiness for return to full- • Health monitoring, screening and testing such as temperature
measuring of personnel, symptom recognition, health declaration
scale operations. etc.
• Safety of customers and employees, including compliance to • Maintaining crew rotations for 14-day periods to minimise cross-
team infection.
new measures. • Limitation of person to person documentation handover,
In response to the crisis and to support the business, Uganda Airlines including the implementation of digital document systems and
has developed COVID-19/pandemic related guidance material for data exchange wherever possible.
Ground Operations, including aircraft cleaning and disinfection, ground • Maintaining awareness of human factors pertaining to additional
handling return to service, guidance for ground operations during safety measures. Companies need to pay attention to and offer
COVID-19, and safe transport of passengers. Additionally, Uganda employees all necessary support to help them maintain their
Airlines is constantly reviewing every aspect of our operations to ensure wellbeing and mental health.
business continuity. We are proud to be of service to you, and pledge to support our
In our effort to safeguard our valued customers, we have implemented airline and airport partners as best as we can. We hope that our entire
the following preventive, protective and awareness measures in ground industry will emerge from this pandemic soon – stronger and more
services, which will ensure operational efficiency including: resilient.
• Revised SOP’s based on guidance from IATA, ICAO, global
Harvey Kalama
health and aviation authorities. Manager Ground Operations
Uganda Airlines



DID YOU
KNOW?



The New Uganda Airlines

A330-800neo:

Comfort Beyond Expectation!

ROUTES

112 NG'AALI DECEMBER 2020 - FEBRUARY 2021

Expansion Map

www.ngaaliinflightmag.com 113

TRAVELLER REVIEW “There is no denying that a gorilla trek in the steep, damp forests of Bwindi National Park is

MIKE UNWIN one of the world’s great wildlife experiences – as is the equally thrilling chimp trekking at
Kibale. However, this focus on the two great apes does not do justice to the breadth of Uganda’s
Mike is an award-winning wildlife writer, appeal. Yes, the country may not offer quite the same sense of scale and spectacle as some of its
editor of Travel Zambia Magazine and larger neighbours. Small and heavily populated, it has fewer tracts of undisturbed wilderness.
author of the Bradt Guide to Southern Yet, for its size, it is arguably the most biodiverse destination in Africa – a fact largely
Africa Wildlife. explained by its straddling of two very different biomes: the equatorial rainforests of the
Congo Basin and the tropical savannahs of East Africa. A safari here offers both plains game
WHAT TRAVEL and forest dwellers. Add to this the semi-arid country of the north, and you can end up with an
EXPERTS THINK amazing haul of species.”
ABOUT UGANDA
STUART BUTLER “It’s been said by famous people (Sir Winston
The best way to know what to expect of a
destination is to seek what the experts say. Stuart is a travel writer and author of Churchill for one) that Uganda is one of
Here are three travel experts who have numerous Lonely Planet guidebooks, the most beautiful countries in Africa. As
visited Uganda several times and what they including some about Kenya, Rwanda far as I am concerned, it’s one of the most
think about it. and Tanzania. beautiful countries in the world and I don’t
just mean physically. The people, who
are always smiling, are as beautiful and
welcoming as the landscape.
Uganda is fairly small, which means that
within only 5 or 6 hours of landing at
Entebbe International Airport, one can
easily be in a rainforest tracking habituated
chimps, watching a lion prowl a golden
savannah-scape in the national parks, or
put-puttering over the waters of Lake
Victoria to the idyllic Ssese Islands. It’s
geographically and climatically diverse;
you can shiver through the snowfields of
the Rwenzoris, more romantically known
as the Mountains of the Moon, one day, and
drive across an arid semi-desert landscape
in the northeast the next. It’s friendly, safe
and ethnically diverse.”

ARIADNE VAN ZANDBERGEN “Uganda’s biggest attraction is mountain gorilla tracking. Seeing these gentle giants

Ariadne is a renowned African wildlife has been one of my best wildlife experiences ever. Aside from gorillas, the forests of
photographer whose work is featured Uganda are a good place to see a wide variety of primates including the charismatic
in many well-known guidebooks chimpanzees. Many pop over to Uganda for a quick gorilla visit after their Kenya or
and magazines. Tanzania safari, but Uganda is a worthwhile savannah safari destination in its own
right. Both Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls national parks offer good sightings
of lions, elephants, buffalo and other savannah wildlife. The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is
a great place to see White Rhino on foot.
One of my highlights is the boat trip on the Nile to the base of Murchison Falls, where
the water forces its way through the narrow gap in the Rift Valley escarpment. With
more than 1,000 bird species, Uganda is a fantastic birding destination – even non-
birders will enjoy seeing specials like the prehistoric-looking Shoebill.”
 

114 NG'AALI DECEMBER 2020 - FEBRUARY 2021

BOOK SHELF

Our best travel book recommendations

Seeking inspiration for your next trip to Africa? Pick up a book, be it a biography, historical page-turner or mesmerising novel.
Our top Africa travel books all feature irresistible African settings and protagonists (real and fictionalised) who show tremendous
passion, resilience and humanity in the face of adversity. We bet you’ll want to get on that plane to these destinations before you turn
the last page!

DARK STAR SAFARI
By Paul Theroux
In Dark Star Safari, the wittily observant and endearingly irascible Paul Theroux takes
readers the length of Africa by rattletrap bus, dugout canoe, cattle truck, armed convoy,
ferry, and train. In the course of his epic and enlightening journey, he endures danger,
delay, and dismaying circumstances. Gauging the state of affairs, he talks to Africans,
aid workers, missionaries, and tourists. What results is an insightful meditation on
the history, politics, and beauty of Africa and its people, and a vivid portrayal of the
secret sweetness, the hidden vitality, and the long-patient hope that lies just beneath
the surface.

LONELY PLANET EAST AFRICA
Lonely Planet East Africa is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what
to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Feel the pounding of hooves as
wildebeest stampede across the plains of the Serengeti; get close to gorillas in Volcanoes
National Park, Rwanda; and hike on the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro. All with your trusted
travel companion. Get to the heart of East Africa and begin your journey now! Lonely
Planet is a leading travel media company and the world’s number one travel guidebook
brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller
worldwide since 1973.

FODOR’S GUIDES
Written by locals, Fodor’s travel guides have been offering expert advice for all tastes
and budgets for 80 years. Fodor’s correspondents highlight the best of Africa, including
Kenya’s Maasai Mara, South Africa’s Kruger National Park, and Botswana’s Kwando
Reserve. Our local experts vet every recommendation to ensure you make the most of
your time, whether it’s your first safari or your fifth. This travel guide includes dozens of
full-colour maps and hundreds of hotel and restaurant recommendations, with Fodor’s
Choice designating top picks covering Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Rwanda, Uganda,
Botswana, Namibia, Victoria Falls, and The Seychelles.

www.ngaaliinflightmag.com 115

Travel GENERAL INFORMATION

Guide VOLTAGE
The primary wall outlet type is Type G (BS-1363). Voltage
WELCOME TO THE PEARL! is 220-240 volts AC @ 50 Hz.
Laptops and gadgets in general have chargers that are
GETTING AROUND already compatible with 100-240 volts. If yours is higher
or lower, you will need a simple plug adapter. The
1.Transfer to the city/your hotel recommended adapter for a Type G outlet is #EA7.
Thanks to reliable Internet at the airport, it's possible for you to
order an Uber ride to your next destination in Kampala or Entebbe. SECURITY
If you are in a hurry, you can take advantage of the availability of Uganda’s towns are safe to visit any time of the year.
the many cabs at the airport whose drivers are always stationed at This development has been achieved through effective
the arrivals terminal, ready for a win-win bargain with travellers. collaboration of the different security organs like the army
(Uganda People’s Defence Forces), Uganda Police and
2.Visa Tourism Police. That said, like any other city, Kampala too
Visitors to Uganda must have a valid visa in accordance with has its share of trouble makers. It is thus not advisable to
national immigration laws, guidelines and formalities. Uganda walk alone in isolated areas, especially at night.
visas can now be obtained online at https://visas.immigration.
go.ug/ WATER
Alternatively, you may obtain the visa at Uganda's missions It is safer to drink boiled or bottled water. The average
abroad or on arrival at the ports of entry around the country’s price of bottled water is Shs1,000 per 500ml.
borders. The costs of visas are as follows: Single entry $50 per
individual, multiple entry visa 6-12 months $100 and East African TRANSPORT
tourist visas cost $50. Accompany your application documents The easiest and fastest way to get around cities is
with a valid yellow fever certificate. For more information, visit boda-boda rides; a motorbike mode of transportation
https://visas.immigration.go.ug/ that offers taxi services - each is limited to carrying one
passenger. The most professional service provider in this
3. Nationals who don’t need visas case is Uber Boda, Safe Boda and Taxify, all of which can
Nationals of the following countries don’t need visas when be accessed via their mobile phone applications.
visiting Uganda: COMESA (Angola, Eritrea, Malawi, Madagascar, If you prefer using vehicles/cabs and wish to avoid traffic,
Seychelles, Swaziland, Zambia, Comoros, Kenya, Mauritius, the recommended time for travel is 6am to 8am, 10am
Zimbabwe and Botswana), East Africa (Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania to12pm and 3pm to 5pm.
and Burundi), others (Antigua, Barbados, Fiji, Grenada, Lesotho,
Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, The Grenadines, Vanuatu, Ghana, LANGUAGE
Cyprus, Bahamas, Belize, Gambia, Jamaica, Malta, Singapore, St. Uganda is home to over 50 ethnic groups, the majority of
Vincent-Tonga and Ireland). whom speak the national language, English. If you wish
to get interpreters of foreign languages, visit the website
IMPORTANT CONTACTS of your country’s high commission / embassy in Kampala.

EMERGENCY CONTACTS FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS
Uganda Ambulance Services: Mob +256782556878 The most used currency is Uganda Shillings, the
Medical flight evacuations: Mob Aero Club, Fly Uganda national currency. Tourist areas and facilities accept
Mob +256772712557 foreign currencies too, particularly US dollars. Cash is
Uganda Police: Emergency 999/112. UPF Headquarters the preferred means of transaction in Uganda. Credit
+256414233814; +256414250613. cards are less dependable because of unreliable internet
Department of Immigration: Mob +256414595945 connection in some areas.

OTHER CONTACTS FOREX
Uganda Wildlife Authority (manages national parks): The foreign exchange rates at forex bureaus are more
+256414355000/+256312355000 favourable than those at banks. The main street of most
Uganda Tourism Board: +256414342196/7 towns is where you will find the highest concentration of
forex bureaus. In Kampala, go to Jinja-Kampala road.

BANKING AND OFFICE HOURS
Most commercial banks and corporate offices operate
from 8am to 5pm on weekdays and 9am to 12pm on
Saturdays. Most don’t open on Sundays.

116 NG'AALI DECEMBER 2020 - FEBRUARY 2021

A PERFECT ESCAPE

FOR BUSINESS OR LEISURE

With 144 rooms, an outdoor swimming pool, a health club, conference
facilities, 3 restaurants, 3 bars, laundry services, a business center, gardens
with a natural ambience, Lake Victoria Hotel - Entebbe is a fitting choice
for a retreat away from the bustle and noise of the city.

Day Offer Price
Friday Show-cooking with live Band Ugx 60,000 with a soda
Saturday BBQ Dinner Ugx 60,000 with a soda
Friday - Sunday Weekend offer on accommodation $140 double, $100 single
Daily Drought Beer – buy 2 get 1 free, from 6pm Ugx 16,000 for 3 beers

Plot 23/31 Circular Road | P. O Box 15, Entebbe | Tel: +256 312 310 100/+256 414 351 600
Email: [email protected]

Want to Hire the Right
person Faster? Call us

1 Save 2 Save 3 Get the
Time Money Best

ADVISORY +256 772 159 740/ 704 607 167
CONSULTING [email protected]
OUTSOURCING www.welcometoebc.com

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

BY DESTINATION

Uganda Airlines has undertaken the necessary safety measures All international arriving passengers shall dispose of their masks
in compliance with approved guidelines by host Governments after use during travel at designated waste collection containers
aimed at protecting passengers and crew. The following upon arrival.
guidelines will be applicable for all our flights. In case of any medical emergency while in the United Republic of
Tanzania, please call the toll-free Health Emergency Number 199.
All travellers will be required to present to the airline, proof of For more information check: https://www.traveldoc.aero /
a negative PCR test result for COVID-19, conducted within 72
hours of departure and done by a health facility accredited by SOUTH SUDAN (JUBA)
the host Government. Passengers must carry along an official No quarantine is mandated in South Sudan.
printed certificate as SMS and digital certificates will not be All arriving passengers are required to present a valid Covid-19
accepted. certificate from an approved laboratory in a departure country,
tested within 72 hours before travel, and must provide a letter of
While in transit, the returnee will be required to adhere to the No Objection while entering South Sudan.
host country’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for safe For more information check: https://www.traveldoc.aero/
travel and the SOPs provided by the airline while on the plane.
This includes wearing a face mask and sanitisation. KENYA (NAIROBI, MOMBASA)
Passengers will be refused entry if not holding a hard copy of a
Every individual traveller is advised to carry a spare mask(s) in negative PCR test certificate obtained within 96 hours before
case they need to replace the original one that they have. Used departure. This does not apply to passengers holding a diplomatic
masks will only be disposed of in a facility provided for that passport and their accompanying family members, provided they
purpose. are holding a negative PCR test certificate obtained within 7 days
before departure.
UGANDA (ENTEBBE) Passengers are required to submit a Travellers Health Surveillance
All departing and arriving passengers will be subjected to Form online at https://ears.health.go.ke/airline_registration/.
temperature checks and enhanced screening. Passengers Passengers are required to fill a Passenger Locator Form during
who may have a body temperature above 37.5℃ (99.5°F) their flights to Kenya, due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus.
or any symptoms of coronavirus will be referred to further Passengers must have a body temperature not above 37.5℃
management which may include testing and/or quarantine. (72 (99.5°F) and must not have any symptoms of coronavirus.
hours) They must hold a QR code showing they have completed a
No quarantine will be applicable for travellers with a negative Travellers Health Surveillance Form online prior to departure.
PCR test, body temperature below 37.5℃ (99.5°F), and who do This is completed online here: https://ears.health.go.ke/airline_
not present any symptoms of COVID-19. registration /
For more information check: https://www.traveldoc.aero / For more information check: https://www.traveldoc.aero/

TANZANIA (DAR ES SALAAM, KILIMANJARO, ZANZIBAR ) SOMALIA (MOGADISHU)
All travellers whether foreig or returning residents entering or Check: https://www.traveldoc.aero /
leaving the United Republic of Tanzania will be subjected to
enhanced screening for COVID-19 infection. There will be no 14 BURUNDI (BUJUMBURA)
days of mandatory quarantine. Check: https://www.traveldoc.aero /
All travellers whether foreigners or returning residents whose
countries or airlines require them to get tested for COVID-19 and Travel advisories
turn negative, as a condition for travelling, will be required to Please note that some travel advisories have been issued by
present a certificate upon arrival. Travellers from other countries a number of countries and may include travel restrictions.
with symptoms and signs related to COVID-19 infection will Some of the countries on our network that have issued travel
undergo enhanced screening and may be tested for RT-PCR. restrictions include Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, South
While in the country, all international travellers should observe Sudan, and Bujumbura. For more details, please visit: https://
adherence to Infection. Prevention and control measures www.iatatravelcentre.com/international-travel-document-
such as hand hygiene, wearing masks, and keeping physical news/1580226297.htm
distancing are deemed appropriate.
All travellers are required to truthfully fill out a Traveller’s Important: All travellers on Uganda Airlines are required to
Surveillance Form available onboard or in any other transport reconfirm their flight within 72 hours to their travel date.
means and submit to Port Health Authorities upon arrival.

118 NG'AALI DECEMBER 2020 - FEBRUARY 2021

ROOM WITH A VIEW ROOM WITH A VIEW

YoUR fRee CopY JANUARY- MARCH 2020 Mahogany Springs Lodge

JANUARY - MARCH 2020 BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK www.ngaaliinflightmag.com 95
Mahogany Springs is situated in one of the
Bugisu’s Imbalu DESTINATION KENYA
most intimate, secluded, beautiful, and most
A teenager’s bittersweet importantly, natural settings in the world – Crazy times on the
rite of passage Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda. The mist
covered hillsides of Bwindi are blanketed by one Lunatic Express
The African Kanga of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse
www.ngaaliinflightmag.com rainforests, a habitat for over 450 mountain The plan to build a W ith the blast of a horn, like a wounded
A traditional form of gorillas, roughly half of the world’s population, thousand-kilometre bull elephant, the old train rumbled
African twitter including several habituated groups which can be railway track from the into Nairobi Station. There was a flurry
tracked. Surrounded by over 300 sq. km of tropical Indian Ocean into the of activity as passengers hauled luggage to the
Trekking The Magnificent rainforest, Mahogany Springs makes the most of heart of Africa was edge of the platform. To the Swahili travellers,
RWENZORI MOUNTAINS its location, offering guests privacy and serenity considered by many to this train is known as gari la moshi (the car that
in a spectacular setting. be utterly insane. Mark smokes), but most tourists know it as The Lunatic
NAIRoBI • MoMBASA • MoGADISHU • JUBA • DAR eS SALAAM • KILIMANJARo • BUJUMBURA • ZANZIBAR Eveleigh boards the train Express.
All 11 huge luxurious suites have their own that, a century later, is still There have been accusations of lunacy ever
exquisitely designed terrace with magnificent called The Lunatic Express. since the idea was conceived to build a railway
panoramic views over the forest, lodge gardens line from the Indian Ocean over a thousand
and Munyanga River, giving a feeling of total Words and photos by Mark Eveleigh kilometres to Kampala, in the heart of Africa.
immersion in this lush rainforest. Now, more than a hundred years after the project
was started, friends in Nairobi looked at me like
Being in the middle of the forest means gorilla I was equally crazy when I told them that my
families in the surrounding area often pay a visit girlfriend Nina and I planned to take the train to
to the lodge gardens, giving a surprise gorilla Mombasa.
experience for guests. “But the plane is so much faster,” a bush-pilot
friend exclaimed. “Even the matatu minibuses
Spend the day tracking gorillas through the are quicker and cheaper and probably more
forest, engaging with the local community and comfortable too,” a park ranger told me. “You are
tribes, or sitting on the terrace of your room crazy to go by train,” they all seemed to agree.
listening to the sounds of the forest, and maybe Just as I was on the verge of being convinced,
the odd primate visitor as time slowly passes by. an old friend who is an experienced East Africa
correspondent weighed in on the side of lunacy:
Mahogany Springs is open year-round and “The building of that railway line was one of the
offers luxurious suites from $240 per person per crazy things that could really only happen in
night sharing, including all meals. Africa. Everybody should experience the Lunatic
Find out more at www.mahoganysprings.com Express while they’re in Kenya,” he said. “I’ve
done it three times.”
94 NG'AALI JANUARY - MARCH 2020 Reassured by his enthusiasm, I booked two
tickets and by mid-afternoon the next day, we
DESTINATION KENYA were already dragging our bags into a surprisingly
crowded Rift Valley Railway carriage. “Either
62 NG'AALI INAUGURAL ISSUE OCT - DEC 2019 there are a lot of crazy people in Nairobi, or there
are a few good reasons for taking the Lunatic
Express after all,” Nina pointed out.
Within a few minutes, we were already
convinced that our decision had been the right
one. The tracks slithered quickly away from the
grumbling traffic on Mombasa Road and further
ahead, we passed within a few metres of the

www.ngaaliinflightmag.com 63

Reach your target audience!

Acacia Mall, 4th Floor +256 782 555 213 www.ngaaliinflightmag.com
14-18 Cooper Rd +256 772 666 370
P.O Box 400 Kampala, Uganda

NAIROBI • MOMBASA • MOGADISHU • JUBA • DAR ES SALAAM • KILIMANJARO • BUJUMBURA • ZANZIBAR