Uganda: the latest not so gay-friendly destination

by Andrew Evans on

While every city council and national tourist board seems to know the equation gay + traveler = big bucks, the central African nation of Uganda wants none of it. A controversial bill may soon pass that would not only outlaw homosexuality, but would also impose the death penalty against certain “offenders” and make it criminal to not report known homosexuals.

Whence in Africa, most gay travelers know to keep it on the down low, however the new legislation would be sure to sniff them out by criminalizing anyone who “aids, abets, counsels or procures another to engage in acts of homosexuality”. If convicted, people who know gay people would face seven years in prison. That includes hotel owners and landlords who rent rooms to homosexuals.

So forget Utah, the gay witch hunt of the century will occur in lovely Uganda, land of gun-toting child missionaries and toxic breasts.

The ultimate road trip: 12,500 miles across Africa on a motorcycle

by Sean McLachlan on

Thomas Tomczyk is serious about motorcycles. He’s done three motorcycle trips across India, from the steamy southern tip all the way up to the frozen highlands of Ladakh. Now he’s starting his childhood dream–an epic trip 12,500 miles (20,000 km) across Africa.

His zigzag tour will take in 22 African nations including South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, the Central African Republic, Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, the Saharawi Republic, and Morocco. . .

. . .before he ends up skinny, exhausted, and happy at my house in Spain, where my wife will fatten him up with her excellent paella.

Full disclosure: Thomas is a friend of mine. We covered the massive Hindu pilgrimage of Kumbh Mela together in 2001 and barely managed not to get trampled to death by hordes of naked holy men. But even if I didn’t know him, this trip is so thoroughly cool I would have reported on it anyway.

Thomas isn’t just going on vacation; he’ll be visiting innovative grassroots projects that are making life better for the average African. Through his website Africa Heart Beat he’ll be telling us about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, such as creating a job center for landmine victims in Mozambique, an AIDS theater group in Botswana, and a Muslim-Christian vocational center in Mali that’s bringing the two communities together.

“The idea of crossing Africa came to me when I was 10,” Thomas says.”A large map of the world hung above my bed in a small Warsaw apartment. I would study the geography of each continent, its road and railroad network. The most prominent continent would be Africa, placed in the middle of the map, right above where my head would rest on the pillow. The idea stayed in my mind for years. I would eventually learn to ride motorcycles in India and cover the Horn of Africa for publications in Poland and US. In January 2009 my grandmother passed away and I decided it was time to do the trek I’ve been thinking about for so long. Traveling for travel’s sake was past me, and I decided I needed to find a purpose as I travel, something that would give meaning to the journey and benefit others.”

While 20,000 km is a long way to ride, he’s done it before in India. His longest journey there was 20,000 km on a 1950s technology 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet. I’ve ridden that bike and it’s a monster– heavy and tough enough for the task. This time he’ll be probably picking up a KTM 640 LC Adventure, a lighter but rugged off-road bike from a dealer in South Africa when he flies there Thanksgiving Day.

He’ll be crossing some very remote areas but will keep in touch as much as possible with an array of communications equipment. There will be regular updates on his blog, Facebook page, and YouTube channel. On the day after Thanksgiving, when Thomas is safely in Johannesburg and on the first day of his eight-month journey I’ll be writing about some of the gear he’s bringing along and share some advice he has for covering your own journeys as you do them.

Know of a project Thomas should cover? Tell us about it in the comments section!

The Catch-22 of Adventure Travel and the Environment

by Kraig Becker on

When it comes to adventure travel, the terms “sustainability” and “eco-friendly” get tossed around a lot these days. In some cases, these are just buzz words in a travel brochure designed to help travelers feel good about themselves before they head off to exotic locations. But for the best travel companies, these are the building blocks of a philosophy that they have followed for years. In some cases, even before eco-tourism was even an accepted term.

If there is one type of travel that has a responsibility to go easy on the environment and take care of our natural resources, it is adventure travel. Many of these types of trips take place in remote locations, far from civilization, often in pristine settings that are seldom visited. But those locations also happen to be the most fragile and easily damaged by eager visitors. That is one of the contradictions of this type of journey. You get to visit some of the most amazing places on the planet, but in doing so, you may be causing more harm than good.

There are a number of high profile examples of this Catch-22 situation. One of the most famous is on Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. Environmentalists tell us that the famed Snows of Kilimanjaro are receding at a rapid rate, and that they may be gone completely by 2015. I’ve even seen articles suggesting that we should “go before they’re gone”, urging us to make the famous trek to Kili’s summit before the glaciers have completely melted away. This has led to increased traffic on the mountain, which has definitely had an impact on the environment there, with more trash and human refuse on the slopes. In our rush to see the effects of climate change on Kili, are we having an even more direct and profound impact on that environment there?
A similar story is told on Mt. Everest, where climbers have been leaving behind all manner of trash for years, including spent oxygen bottles, abandoned gear, and more. Even the bodies of mountaineers who have died while climbing are often left where they have fallen. But Nepal has recognized that Everest is an important resource that needs to be protected, and because of that, there has been a concerted effort in recent years to clean up the mountain. Teams of Sherpas have worked hard removing tons of trash from the tallest mountain on Earth, and to ensure that Everest stays clean, Nepal has instituted rules that require all climbing teams to carry their trash back off the mountain or face substantial fines and other penalties.

Across the globe countries have taken similar steps to protect their natural resources which often play a big role in their tourist trade. In Peru, the Inca Trail has become so popular that the government was forced to put a cap on the number of hiking permits that it issues each day in an effort to limit the damage to the environments there. Similarly, the Ugandan government has very strict limitations on the number of visitors to its national parks which are home to the last mountain gorillas. The permits to visit those primates are also quite expensive, with fees going directly to funding their care. This program is often cited as being one of the very best examples of sustainable tourism being used effectively and successfully. In fact, the Ugandan approach has become a model for other countries around the globe.

Of course, much of the responsibility for protecting these environments that we travel through falls on the company we elect to travel with. The good ones will have policies in place that demonstrate that their commitment to the environment is more than just lip service. For example, while traveling in the Amazon earlier this year, I went trekking with guides through the rain forest. At one point, we stopped in a small clearing, and each of the members of our group planted a tree in a ceremony that reaffirmed the importance of the Amazon’s role in our global climate. But in strange contrast, upon returning to our river boat, we were handed bottles of water, a product that is known for not being exactly good for the environment. (For the record, I brought my own aluminum bottle and refilled it from the mostly unused water dispensers positioned around the boat.) Lesson learned. Choose your travel company wisely.

Adventure travel can be very exciting and provide an experience that is unlike most any other kind of trip. But it also offers the potential to do substantial damage to fragile ecosystems. Fortunately, the travelers who gravitate to these kinds of trips are generally outdoor enthusiasts who take an active role in protecting the environment, both on a local and global level. Those kinds of travelers understand the concept of visiting remote places and leaving no trace of their passing. They also tend to reward companies that share those philosophies, and together, traveler and tour operator, can work together to ensure that these amazing locations remain accessible and viable for future generations of travelers as well.

12 great safaris from Nat. Geo.

by Kraig Becker on

Thinking of heading to Africa on your next big trip abroad? Planning on going on safari while you’re there? Then you’re in luck, because National Geographic Adventure has a list of the 12 best safaris on the continent, with some amazing suggestions on where to watch wildlife in East and Southern Africa.

Most of us already know what Kenya and Tanzania have to offer. Both countries are home to the classic safari experience on the Serengeti. That trip still gets a tip of the hat from Nat. Geo., but there are plenty of other great places to encounter Africa’s diverse wildlife. For example, traveling to Uganda gives you the chance to visit Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home of the mountain gorillas. That safari is unique and life-changing, and every visitor contributes directly to the preservation of those noble primates.

For a completely different experience, the article recommends you head to the iconic Kruger National Park in South Africa, and go on a self-guided safari. Visitors to Kruger can rent their own vehicle, sleep at designated camp sites, and even get out of the car and trek through the wilds. Those treks do require that you go with an armed ranger however, as there are still plenty of wild animals that would gladly have you for lunch.

If you’re considering a safari in your near future, then this article is definitely for you. There are plenty of great tips on where to go and what to see, and even who to travel with.

Sustainble Farming Program in Uganda Offers Hope and Help

by Kendra Bailey Morris on

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP) in Uganda is well-known throughout the world as the home for nearly half of the world’s population of critically endangered mountain gorillas. However, gorillas are no longer the only entity on Uganda’s endangered list. Bwindi’s local people have also felt the brunt of years of illegal logging and other activities which have slowly degraded the area.

Fortunately, the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was established as a national park in 1991, and was initially designed to protect both its treasured gorillas along with its precious and deteriorating forestland, and as of today, the program has been a great success. Yet, while the park itself has benefited from a surge in tourism (thousands of visitors pass through the park every year on pricey gorilla treks), Bwindi locals have not been able to reap much financial benefit from the increased tourism, which in turn, has caused considerable conflict amongst the community.

Much of this socioeconomic dichotomy has been contributed to revenue loss due to the procurement of food products designed for local lodges and restaurants coming from outside the area (as far as a ten hour drive away). Considering the most common livelihood for locals is subsistence farming, and that the area’s soil is extremely fertile, developing a farmer’s association where locals could gain cash income by supplying fruits, vegetables and other products to a growing tourism industry seemed a natural solution.

Thus, the Bwindi Advanced Market Grower’s Association (AMAGARA, which means ‘life”, in the local language Rukiga) was born, and it has been evolving ever since.

Situated only four kilometers from the BINP gate, visitors can get a firsthand glimpse at the association’s gardens, which boasts everything from fiery red chili’s to sweet honey (harvested from their own bee hives). Guests of AMAGARA can take a personal tour led by on-site team members which offers education on how the association operates and how a wide range of growing techniques are taught to local farmers. Cooking classes featuring the traditional cuisine of Uganda are also offered daily, and are led by the institute’s professionally trained chef, Moses, who shares his personal recipes and cooking tips, including a few rather interesting twists on classic dishes.

An on-site garden shop sells a wide selection of gifts including packaged honey and tea from Bwindi. Purchases from the garden shop directly support the work of AMAGARA as well as that of the local community.

For traveler’s looking for a complete African Mountain Gorilla safari, Volcano Safaris, a company that specializes in great ape ecotourism and who is a well-known leader in its industry, has recently partnered with AMAGARA. As part of their gorilla trekking safari, which already includes tracking in the BINP and lodge accommodations, guests can also tack on a visit to AMAGARA when staying at the Volcanoes Bwindi Eco-Lodge. The lodge, which overlooks the forest, features eight bandas and utilizes only local materials and solar energy. Meals are prepared on-site and highlight produce purchased directly from AMAGARA.

–Kendra