Tour Guide, Kampala, Uganda
| 3 mins read
My story: The longest river in the world starts from Uganda; the world must know.
My name is Tarasis. I was born in a village in Western Uganda and studied in Uganda. I am passionate about tourism and environmental conservation. I work at Alps Trendy Safaris, and tourism and environmental conservation are inseparable. For instance, all the national parks in Uganda earn from tourists, and this money goes directly or indirectly to the locals around these parks. More resources go back to the wildlife, especially where they are conserved, like at the Uganda Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) or Ngamba Island, where rescued chimpanzees are kept. The survival of these animals depends on the number of tourists who come to see them. That is where their food comes from. Therefore, my dream is to see these places being flocked by many tourists so that these animals can survive.
Currently, there is a government program where the local people around the national parks receive a certain percentage of the funds collected from tourists, such as around Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, where tourists track mountain gorillas. The local community has also learned the value of wildlife and nature conservation and how to live in harmony with these primates. They earn from tourism by supplying food to lodges and through direct employment, which has boosted economic activities in these areas.
Uganda boasts attractions found nowhere else in the world. While some countries are known for the Big Five, Uganda has the Big Five plus two more: the mountain gorilla and chimpanzee, and an additional two: Lake Victoria and the source of the River Nile. Indeed, the longest river in the world starts from Uganda, and I want the world to know this.
Snow at the equator is found on Mount Rwenzori, a range of mountains with its highest point, Margarita Peak on Mount Stanley, at 5,109 meters above sea level, making it the second highest in Africa. It is crossed by the equator and is permanently snowcapped, a phenomenon not found anywhere else in the world.
The world's longest river, the Nile, has its source in Uganda. Yes, the River Nile begins in Uganda, and it is a perennial river.
Uganda is home to 54% of the world's mountain gorillas, primarily in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, making it a premier destination for gorilla tracking.
Each national park in Uganda is unique and cannot be fully described here. Hence, my dream is to showcase these wonders to the world. The world must know and visit this amazing country.
We have started a YouTube channel specifically to showcase this at https://www.youtube.com/@big9wonders.
When our viewers wish to plan their trips, they can get in touch with us.