|
|
Uganda: Beautiful Mabira Forest
 |
 |
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
||||||||||
The Monitor (Kampala)
OPINION
27 April 2008
Posted to the web 28 April 2008
Nafha Maani-Ebrahimi
Kampala
For all the years driving through Mabira Forest, I followed the advice of a good friend who said: once you reach the forest, inhale the fragrance of the trees and shrubs, it is such a refreshing experience. Indeed.
Recently we got a chance to do more than inhaling Mabira scent when we stayed at the Rainforest Lodge situated in the heart of Mabira Forest.
To start with, walking into this lodge is like stepping onto a paradise island in the middle of trees and plants. A unique décor, all inspired by nature, executed by elements from nature, and if one day the lodge falls apart, it will all go back to nature without leaving hazardous material behind.
The reception area is very impressive, a glass of chilled, fresh passion juice was a welcome drink and we were swiftly checked into our room. I was pleasantly surprised to see the rooms were raised on solid stilts to such a high level as to provide one a beautiful view of the forest.
I have to be honest I remembered Tarzan living in the jungle. The room was both simple and sophisticated, built from timber with a contrast of metallic lamp shades made in the shape of the sun! A simple bathroom unit with cream colour curtains and then a shower unit with ceramic tiles in the colours of the rainbow.
As they say here, lunch time got us there! And what a nice catch. A four course lunch of soup, salad, a main dish and yummy desert for a very reasonable price specially prepared for walk-in clients. As the night approached, the lights came on and with the singing birds and a gentle wafting breeze we said goodbye to sunshine and welcomed the night. The place was very well lit but we were always accompanied by a guide to our room to ensure maximum safety. We came back for another food festival; a four course dinner in the dining hall that was decorated with art work from Mama Mo's gallery. But there was more in the dining room than the meal and décor. It was a wonderful surprise to meet the lodge owner, Mr Zahid Alam.
Also present was Ms Emily Wissanji the general manager of GeoLodges Uganda under which umbrella the Rainforest Lodge is operating. Ms Emily's father -Alfred-accompanied her; he had just arrived in Uganda for the first time to visit and assist the opening of the next project of the GeoLodges, the Bwindi Lodge. Being a physicist and earth scientist, I am sure he will find Uganda with its bio diversity a very rich study case.
That night we retired to the room to sleep with the sounds of the forest, something to get used to if you like to sleep without background noise, birds and insects talk to each other at night and you should remember it's their territory, not yours. We woke up in the morning with a gentle call from room service bringing us some warm coffee and tea on the beautiful terrace of the room, not to be missed on your visit there. Later on we walked to the breakfast table (yes, food again!) and then I had my chance to talk to Mr Zahid and Emily about their visions and challenges running these lodges.
"The story of our lodges goes back to 1993", Mr Zahid said. "We were the first company to put up a luxury lodge in Murchison National park, Nile Safari Camp" and as our conversation went on, I discovered how both of them had this amazing love for nature and its conservation. What more does one want than to find such ardent activists for our dilapidating environment.
|
This lodge and the other upcoming ones are meant to bridge the gap between nature, people and environmentalists, some kind of interdependency, they both stressed. And what Emily finally said only emphasised my belief in Uganda's tourism industry. She said that here in Uganda we have the potential to overtake Kenya and Tanzania in tourism with the wide range of bio diversity given to us by nature! A lot of support is needed, a handsome budget for the Uganda Tourist Board and of course collaboration between all the stakeholders in the industry and the concerned ministries.
That morning we missed our guided forest walk because it was raining, but nothing could spoil our good mood of this memorable stay and to console us, Mr Zahid jokingly said: it is raining, but it is a rainforest after all and it is supposed to rain!
And before I forget, there is an amazing presidential suite in that lodge all ready to convince "anyone" while having a sauna and a massage in the middle of the wilderness, that the forest is sweeter than sugarcane!
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copyright © 2008 The Monitor. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Make allAfrica.com your home page | RSS Feed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Top | Site Guide | Who We Are | Advertising | Search | Subscribe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Questions or Comments? Contact us. Read our Privacy Statement. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
