Gorilla Safaris updates

CONTINUING ADVOCACY FOR GREAT APE ECOTOURISM BY VOLCANOES SAFARIS

The unique model Volcanoes Safaris has created for developing sustainable mountain gorilla ecotourism in post-conflict Uganda and Rwanda is increasingly recognized as being important for the development of sensitive ecotourism with other great ape communities in the Congo Basin. Since we became the only safari company to become a signatory to Kinshasa Declaration on Safeguarding the Great Apes in 2005, we are being asked to advise conservation organizations, governments and donors on how to launch ecotourism elsewhere.

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SITUATION IN KENYA 9 April 08

Efforts continue in Kenya at forming a government representing the different political parties following the disputed Presidential elections in the country in December.

The situation in Kenya does not affect the security situation in Uganda and Rwanda where Volcanoes Safaris operates safaris and lodges. Flights to and from Nairobi are operating normally and travellers transiting through Nairobi airport to fly on to Entebbe in Uganda and Kigali in Rwanda are arriving normally.

We look forward to taking clients on safari. Volcanoes Safaris is continuing to monitor the situation and if there is any change we will advise clients/agents accordingly.

TRIBUTE TO KULDIP RAI MOMAN

The directors of Volcanoes Safaris would like to pay tribute to Kuldip Rai Moman, father of Praveen Moman, co-founder of Volcanoes Safaris, who passed away in London, aged 89 on 26 November 2007 and became one with the Earth again, as they say in the Hindu tradition. Without his inspiration Volcanoes Safaris would not have been founded. May his soul rest in peace. Om shanti shanti.

Click here for more information about KRM

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KYAMBURA GORGE LODGE, UGANDA

In October 2007 Volcanoes started building Kyambura Gorge Lodge near Queen Elizabeth National Park, in Uganda, a site we have been painstakingly putting together for 5 years. The original site had about 25 acres and we have since increased it to about 60 acres to protect the neighbouring areas of the gorge as well as the site of an illegal brickworks which will be reconverted back to wetland. We expect to open the eco-lodge in the first half of 2009 and details will be announced later. Nicole Simmons, a researcher from the USA, has been based at the Volcanoes site for two years, studying the threatened chimpanzee population of seventeen individuals in the pristine riverine forest of Kyambura gorge in conjunction with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Volcanoes is putting together a major long term Kyambura gorge eco-tourism partnership project to see how best to help protect them further, by creating a buffer zone, by increasing benefits for the communities and by upgrading tourism facilities on which further details will be released.

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THE GORILLA PARKS OF UGANDA/RWANDA/DRC

The price of a gorilla permit in Uganda and Rwanda remains at $500.

The highlight of a safari with Volcanoes is to go gorilla and chimpanzee tracking. Seeing these endangered species in the forgotten forests on the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo is a fantastic experience. There are only about 700 mountain gorillas left in the wild. The mountain gorilla lives in four parks in Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC. Every park has its unique attractions and the most exciting safari is to visit all three gorilla parks with our eight day Gorillas in the Virungas and Bwindi safari from Kigali.

The chain of nine Virunga volcanoes are part of the Virunga massif and are divided into three gorilla national parks in Rwanda, Uganda and the DRC, each under the separate management of the governments, park authorities and military of the three countries. The Ugandan side is called Mgahinga; the Rwandan side is called Parc des Volcans; the DRC side is called Parc des Virunga. The Bwindi National Park in Uganda is a separate park north of the Virunga massif.

Click here for further information and to see a map of the gorilla parks.

UPDATE ON SAFARIS AND LODGES for 2008

Latest information about our lodges, about our itineraries and prices for 2008 and about gorilla and chimpanzee viewing is given below.

Click here for the latest information about our lodges, about our itineraries and prices for 2008 and about gorilla and chimpanzee viewing.

SITUATION IN UGANDA

Over the last few years the number of tourists visiting Uganda has steadily increased and travel to all areas usually visited by travellers is proceeding normally. The security on Uganda's Western border with the DRC and Rwanda remains stable and travel to the Mgahinga and Bwindi Gorilla parks, the Rwenzoris, Queen Elizabeth, Kibale National Parks and Semliki Reserve continues normally. In the North, travel to Murchison Falls is continuing normally. The sporadic instability in Northern Uganda related to the Lords Resistance Army does not affect travel to the main tourism destinations in Western Uganda. In the East travel to Sipi Falls and Mount Elgon continues normally. In the North East, clients continue to travel to Kidepo by air; travel by road via Karamoja, is unpredictable and should be done after seeking local information.

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SITUATION IN RWANDA

Travel to all areas of Rwanda is proceeding normally and security remains stable. Visitors to the main national parks - Parc National des Volcans, Akagera and Nyungwe have been increasing steadily. Gorilla tracking by international travellers in Parc National des Volcans continues normally.

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VOLCANOES SAFARIS BLCF PROJECT IN RWANDA

DEVELOPING TOURISM, ENHANCING PRIVATE SECTOR CAPACITY AND HELPING COMMUNITIES AROUND PARC NATIONAL DES VOLCANS AND NYUNGWE IN RWANDA

Volcanoes Safaris, in conjunction with the British government, has implemted a major linked project bringing together ORTPN, Rwandan private sector partners, non-profit conservation organisations and communities to develop eco-tourism around Parc National des Volcans and Nyungwe.

"This project is a very good example of how the private sector can cost-effectively and efficiently manage the use of donor funds. Coordinating between so many partners has required Volcanoes Safaris to invest significantly in building and maintaining the linkages (more so than had originally been anticipated), but the outcomes appear to justify the challenges involved.

Volcanoes Safaris has taken a sector-wide approach to their vision of improving the tourism infrastructure in Rwanda: rather than focusing solely on their part of the business, they have worked to the belief that improving the entire sector will have benefits for all involved - and ultimately for local communities as well. This is the belief that has underscored the linkages in the project, and it appears to be an approach that could be replicated elsewhere."

BLCF Project Managers

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