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UGANDA HOTEL
DEVELOPMENTS SIGNAL NEW ERA
 May
2005. New hotel developments in Uganda are
a sure indication that tourism to this
East African nation is on the increase.
International visitor arrivals have grown
33% in the past year. With strikingly
beautiful scenery and friendly Ugandans
eager to welcome foreigners, the country
is once again opening its arms to
travelers seeking the authentic African
experience.
The
Emin Pasha Hotel, a luxury boutique
hotel in the heart of Kampala offering 16
rooms and 4 suites, opened its doors at
the end of March 2005. Set in 2 acres of
landscaped gardens, part of the hotel is
in a restored old colonial house built in
the 1920's, while the rest is a modern
interpretation of an old-style hotel with
courtyards, open spaces, pergolas and
terraces. All the rooms are individually
decorated with vibrant fabrics, deep
armchairs, artwork in hardwood frames,
antique desks and natural slate bathrooms.
Jonathan Wright, one of the owners,
named the hotel after one of the region's
most revered explorers. "We wanted a name
that had historical relevance. Emin Pasha
was a real character in the history of
Uganda," says Wright. "He absolutely loved
this part of the world. He felt at home
here and had no interest in returning to
Europe. He was a naturalist who had
learned the cultures and languages of this
country, had studied the wildlife and the
plants, and had a real affinity for the
region. As the governor of Equatoria, he
was well respected both here and abroad.
In turn, he deeply respected the Ugandans.
He was very much against the slave trade
and was, in fact, killed by slave-traders
some years later."
The
Emin Pasha Hotel features elegant public
areas, like the Fez Brasserie and Wine
Bar. Fez Brasserie is a small restaurant
with a varied menu offering the best of
continental fusion cuisine. The wine
cellar will be stocked with wines found
nowhere else in Uganda, specially imported
for the hotel. "We have started with an
initial list of good wines from South
Africa. Some of our items on the menu have
been devised to go with these specific
wines. The menu will change every month
and we will be constantly updating our
wine list as well," says Des're Reck, the
Food and Beverage Manager.
The
Kampala Sheraton Hotel is
undergoing total refurbishment and will
have a new look by October 2005.
Surrounded by its own beautiful gardens,
the hotel stands on an elevation
in the center of the capital.
Serena
Tourism Promotion Services (a subsidiary
of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic
Development) has agreed to invest US$18
million for extensive refurbishment and
upgrading of the former Nile Hotel, which
will reopen in November 2005 as the
Kampala Serena Hotel.
Announcing
the investment, Prince Amyn Aga Khan,
Chairman of the Executive Committee of the
Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development
(AKFED) expressed the hope that 'this
initiative will advance tourism
development throughout Uganda and act as a
spur to other investors in this sector.
When the Kampala Serena Hotel reopens, it
will be with a new concept in design,
style, comfort, and service.'
The
Kampala Serena Hotel will have
refurbished rooms, increased from 85 to
146, two new theme restaurants, a new bar,
a new health spa and sports facilities as
well as upgraded conference and banqueting
facilities. Uganda's flora, fauna and
distinctive topographic features are the
inspiration for design themes for the new
hotel, which blend the skills of Uganda's
celebrated woodcarvers and skilled weavers
with local artisans. The new hotel will
also provide the capital with a
much-needed modern business and conference
facility of international
standing.
Construction
work on a new deluxe-tented camp has
started in Kidepo Valley National Park by
Uganda Safari Company. Activities
offered will include day and night game
drives and walking safaris. The wildlife
in this national park includes lion,
leopard, cheetah, hyena, aardwolf, kudu
and oryx.
Buhoma
Homestead, owned by African Pearl
Safaris and located in Bwindi National
Park, is being upgraded and expanded. It
will accommodate 30 guests when completed
at the end of July.
Just
over 40 km from Kampala, on the road to
Jinja and the Uganda-Kenya border, a new
eco-tourism luxury-tented camp is nearing
completion, right in the heart of Mabira
Forest.
Volcanoes
Safaris has created three unique
eco-lodges in Bwindi, Mount Gahinga and
Sipi. Bwindi Lodge overlooks the primeval
Bwindi forest, home to gorillas, monkeys,
chimpanzees and birds. The tented camp
that was there previously has been
replaced by a permanent eco-lodge
comprising eight cottages.
Mantana
Tented Camps have three luxury tented
camps in Kibale, Lake Mburi and Bwindi
that are currently being upgraded. Each
camp can accommodate from 14 to 20
guests.
For
more information, please visit the
official website of the Uganda Tourist
Board at
http://www.visituganda.com
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