ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE IN UGANDA
JANUARY 9 - 16, 2010
USD$3683. LAND ONLY per person, double occupancy. Add USD$443. for single supplement
(if available). SORRY, NO CHILDREN UNDER 15 PER CONDITION OF GORILLA TRACKING OPERATOR.
This is a 'land only' tour that begins in Kigali, Rwanda and ends in Kampala, Uganda. Countries visited: Rwanda, Democratic
Republic of Congo and Uganda. Observation of the annular solar eclipse will occur near the southern limit of the
eclipse path where the Baily's Beads phenomenon will last over two full minutes.
POST TOUR
The great animal migration period occurs while we are in Africa. Consequently we have selected a post tour to the
Serengeti (Tanzania) which should be a real treat! A link is located at the bottom of this web page just after the
description of the main tour.
Overview of the region in which our tour takes place.
Our 37th solar eclipse expedition features a ring or annular eclipse of the sun that will
be visible from Uganda in the early morning hours with the sun about 20 degrees above the horizon as it
comes up above Lake Victoria. This tour will be coordinated and led by Paul D. Maley of the
NASA Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society. Although eclipse observation sites will be pre-determined,
we reserve the right to change the locations in real time in order to attempt to maximize the chance of successful
eclipse observation due to local weather changes.
Map of the tour. Numbers show where we will be on each day of the tour. The shaded area shows the path covered by the annular eclipse.
January 9 (Saturday): KIGALI, RWANDA (1)<--Numbers correspond to the map above.
Arrive at Kigali Airport, where you will be met and transferred to the Novotel. 30 mins drive .
The Novotel is a 98 room hotel on top of one of the numerous hills in a nice botanical garden and 5 km from Kigali
city center, 7 km from the international airport. The hotel features 4 meeting rooms, bar and restaurant,
swimming pool, sauna, tennis, terrace, shuttle and car park. Additionally the hotel offers a business center,
shops and bank.
Novotel Kigali
Shopping street in Kigali
Visit to Genocide Memorial - this visit explains the horrors of Rwanda's recent past , and the great strides
being made towards peace and reconciliation being made in the country. A beacon of hope for the world.
This evening we will go for a drink at the Milles Collines Hotel, made famous in the film 'Hotel Rwanda'.
May have dinner here, or go out somewhere local instead. Dinner your own account tonight. Overnight at the
Novotel Hotel on a bed and breakfast basis.
The real "Hotel Rwanda" in Kigali
January 10 (Sunday): RUHENGERI, RWANDA (2)
Breakfast at leisure at the Novotel.
After breakfast, depart to Parc National Des Volcans. Travelling time to the Park Des Volcans is approximately 2 to 3 hours.
Overnight at the Mountain Gorilla's Nest Hotel on a full board basis. The Mountain Gorilla's Nest Hotel
is the best available currently in the area, located close to the Parc National des Volcans. It is nestled under a
grove of trees, with all the rooms surrounding a large courtyard. There are comfortable nicely appointed rooms
with en-suite chalets with modern bathrooms and hot water. It has a spacious restaurant with large bar and reception
area and friendly service. On a clear day the views across to the volcanoes and surrounding hills are spectacular.
Rooms: 40 rooms, 18 singles with 2 small beds per room, 22 double rooms (1 x double bed) 13 of which are VIP rooms
with extra lounge area.
Bird friends such as the sunbird and wagtail can be seen in the park.
PARC NATIONAL DES VOLCANS--In the heart of Central Africa, so high up that you shiver more than you sweat,"
wrote the eminent primatologist Dian Fossey, "are great, old volcanoes towering up almost 15,000 feet, and nearly
covered with rich, green rainforest - the Virungas". Situated in the far northwest of Rwanda, the Parc des
Volcans protects the steep slopes of this magnificent mountain range - home of the rare mountain gorilla -
and the rich mosaic of montane ecosystems, which embrace evergreen and bamboo forest, open grassland, swamp
and heath.
After lunch, a walk in the area and up the Parks HQ is suggested, through the farmlands and local villages (1 –2 hrs).
There is also a small 9 hole golf course attached to the hotel, borrow some clubs and have a game !!
Overnight Gorilla's Nest Hotel. (B,L,D)
Animal helpers checking the f/stop and front lens coating of a tourist camera.
Waterfall.............................Indigenous Columbus monkey
January 11 (Monday): GISENYI, RWANDA (3)
This morning you will be collected and taken to the gorilla tracking base for your trekking experience. An
early morning transfer to trek into the forest, led by experienced trackers will bring you amongst a family
of Mountain Gorillas. These massive primates are extremely rare, only approximately 650 remaining.
Telephoto shot of gorilla family
You will get within meters of the family, and be privileged to spend time amongst them. Return to the camp
for a late lunch . The trekking may be fairly strenuous; up to six hours or longer is not uncommon at relatively
high altitude. Please refer to our information sheet. Mountain Gorillas are wild animals, as such sightings
cannot be guaranteed, however the success rate is well over 95%.
Gorilla encounter. Note the gear you will need to wear.
In the afternoon you will be driven to Gisenyi, the journey taking about 1.5 hours.
Up in Gisenyi town there is a large and busy market, and various other shops. In the hotel, the Kivu Sands
Restaurant with its outdoor terrace offers a buffet breakfast as well as lunch and dinner, while at the open
air Lake View Bar and Terrace there are snacks and meals.
Kivu Sun Hotel is situated in Gisenyi, Rwanda's most popular and developed resort town, a scenic two-and-a-half
hours drive from the capital, Kigali. It is only an hour away from the Volcanoes National Park, home of the
renowned and highly endangered Mountain Gorillas. It has 6 luxury suites, 23 family suites as well as 37 superior
rooms and a specially equipped room for physically disabled guests. All offer lake and mountain vistas. They
have an informal Lake View Bar & Terrace that overlooks the majestic lake, a beautiful restaurant offering
mouth-watering meals. Services included: Room service from 6am-10pm, same-day laundry and valet service,
and many more. Overnight at the Kivu Sun Hotel on a full board basis. (B,L,D)
Kivu Sun Hotel
January 12 (Tuesday): GOMA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (4)
Today you will go on an excursion to Goma, DRC (5 minutes across the border from the Kivu Sun). Visa formalities
are handled at the border. Goma, in the DRC, is the capital of the province. A small, busy border town on the
shores of the lake, its main drawcard for tourists is the remains of a recent lava flow from the nearby
Nyirangongo Volcano, which is just outside town (and still active). The lava almost destroyed the town,
and areas are now covered in up to 5 meters of rock, which flowed around and over houses, cars etc., and
into the lake. Houses and roads are now being built on top of this flow, but there are still areas where
examples of this amazing event are still seen. There are some decent curio dealers etc to visit, and one
has to try the local beer, Primus, one of the best in Africa. Note that a 'visa' must be bought at the
border, about USD 30, but you will get a DRC stamp in your passport! This payment is not included; your
guide will sort this out and you pay him.
The steaming Nyiragongo volcano, located not far from the Goma airport
You can safely view Mt. Nyirangongo from a distance. One of Africa's most notable volcanoes, Nyirangongo contained a lava lake in its deep summit crater that was active for half a century before draining catastrophically through its outer flanks in 1977. In contrast to the low profile of its neighboring shield volcano, Nyamuragira, 3470-m-high Nyiragongo displays the steep slopes of a stratovolcano. You will have an opportunity to view effects of the lava flow which entered the city in 2006.
Lava flow effects in Goma
Return for lunch and then drive to Uganda. The drive will take 2.5 hours from Gisenyi to Kisoro. Transfer to the
Travellers Rest Hotel and overnight on a full board basis.
The Travellers Rest Hotel is situated in Kisoro, the town bordering Congo and Rwanda. A historic hotel set
up by Walter Baumgartel, the father of gorilla tourism, and used
by many involved with the mountain gorilla conservation, including Diane Fossey the celebrated primatologist
who was based in the area for many years, has recently been refurbished and renovated to provide a cozy atmosphere
reminiscent of a bygone era. Rooms: 8 double rooms with en suite bathroom facilities and 1 suite. Overnight
Travellers Rest Hotel. (B,L,D)
Travellers Rest Hotel, Kisoro
January 13 (Wednesday): LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK, UGANDA (5)
Today we will drive to Lake Mburo National Park, taking approximately 6 hours. Mantana is Uganda's oldest
established safari company and presents a unique collection of tented
camps that combine seclusion and exclusivity in enchanting surroundings, offering extraordinary contrasts
of comfort and wilderness. The Mantana Tented Camp is situated high up on a hillside off the main route to the park
headquarters is this tented camp with views stretching far and wide. The camps are luxurious retreats
with an emphasis on personal service and idyllic settings, from the spacious, airy tents and well stocked
bars, where guests can unwind after the days activities. Each tent caters for two persons and has its
own bathroom area with hot showers provided, eco friendly toilet systems and a private dressing area.
A central area provides dining and bar facilities. Meals are generally of a high standard with several
courses for most. Rooms: 9 x en suite double tents
Mantana Tented Camp
We will probably take a game walk with guides, or a boat cruise on the lake this afternoon to stretch legs
and get out of the vehicles.
The skies are generally quite dark here. If the sky is clear we will plan on an early evening observing session of
the southern sky. Overnight at Mantana Tented Camp on a full board basis.
A clock driven exposure of the southern Milky Way: Eta Carinae (right), Southern Cross (center), Alpha & Beta Centauri (left).
LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK covers a 260 square kilometer area and was designated in 1982 as Uganda's fourth national
park. It is composed
primarily of grassland, wetland, and acacia woodland habitats. At the center of the park lies Lake Mburo, which
together with 14 other lakes in the area forms part of an extensive wetland system. The park has topi, eland,
kilpspringer, zebra, buffalo, oribi, sitatunga, leopard, an excellent variety of water and acacia savannah bird
species, like crested crane, marabou stork and bronze-tailed starling. Overnight Mantana Tented Camp. (B,L,D)
A water buffalo at Lake Mburo in need of a real bath.
January 14 (Thursday):LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK - MASAKA, UGANDA (6)
Morning game drives in Lake Mburo National Park. There are good plains game and buffalo to see. If we are really
lucky--perhaps a leopard.
Zebra, hippo and deer in the park.
Lake Mburo.
Drive to Masaka, taking about 2 hours from Lake Mburo National Park. Lunch at Masaka. Transfer to Hotel Brovad
and overnight on a full board basis. Hotel Brovad guarantees your stay in Masaka to be a uniquely pleasant experience.
The hotel has 125 comfortable rooms offering a variety of accommodation, all with full en suite bathrooms,
satellite TV, video and 24 hour room service. There is a well-equipped conference and business center with secretarial
and fax services. Before dinner, a briefing on the upcoming eclipse will be given by Paul Maley. Overnight
at Hotel Brovad. (B,L,D)
Note: If local conditions do not suggest that viewing will be good at this site, we will change this routing.
The 'plan B' that we have in hand is to travel to Jinja this afternoon, and view the eclipse from
the centerline. This will decided on route by Paul Maley based on reports received from our people in Masaka and Jinja.
If we decide on the Jinja Option, the place we stay is the HAVEN, which is situated on the centerline.
Hotel Brovad
January 15 (Friday): ECLIPSE DAY - EQUATOR CROSSING - ENTEBBE, UGANDA(7)
Determination will be made the night before and confirmed during the early morning hours of expected weather conditions
in the area. We will depart before sunrise and travel to eclipse site. Observation of the eclipse beginning
at first contact and continuing through mid eclipse or after depending on group needs. Prime site will be the southern
limit where the remarkable Baily's Beads can be seen slowly moving across the edge of the junction of the moon-sun
intersection point. From our site south of Masaka about 147 seconds of Baily's Beads can be seen.
However, if weather problems are expected, the group will move northward toward the center which
will require departure several hours before sunrise in order to be in the proper position. First appearance of the
moon on the sun's face (called 'first contact') occurs at 7:00am with the sun at 1 degree above the eastsoutheast
horizon; mid eclipse at 8:23am with the sun 20 degrees above the horizon; and the eclipse ends at
10:00am with the sun at 42 degrees above the horizon. Breakfast after the eclipse. Local time is GMT+3 hours.
This model shows an exact prediction of Baily's Beads as seen from the south edge in two snapshots shown about seven seconds apart. The beads are caused by sunlight streaming through lunar mountain peaks. The Beads are expected to be visible for 2m 27s at one site.
The annular eclipse as seen from the center of the eclipse path.
During the afternoon, return to Entebbe, crossing the equator, taking about 4 hours, stopping en route to shop for curios
and at the Royal Drum makers at Mpigi if desired. The stop at the equator is a must; apart form the obligatory photograph,
a young entrepreneur will show you how the water in your sink flows clockwise and anti-clockwise depending on which side
of the Equator you are on!! There is also a really good coffee shop there, which supports AIDS orphans in the area.
We will use a GPS to precisely locate the equator and take a photo
at this point. Transfer to the Windsor Lake Victoria Hotel and overnight with
breakfast and lunch. Windsor Lake Victoria Hotel is an old colonial-style hotel with lovely views over Lake Victoria.
It has good facilities including a formal dining area with an outside terrace, 2 bars, breakfast room and pool with
its own bar and restaurant area. The meals include European style food, an Indian and Chinese menu. The atmosphere
is quiet and relaxing. The rooms are in a quadrant around a central garden with some facing the lake. All rooms
are en suite, have air conditioning and satellite television. A complementary shuttle service operates to and
from the airport for all flights about 8 minutes drive away.
Windsor Lake Victoria Hotel.
Entebbe is a small town, located on the edge of Lake Victoria. Depending on your time of arrival, you may like to
spend some time exploring the town on foot. In Entebbe there is the Wildlife Education Centre, and you can see
close up the large slow-moving Shoebill Stork as well as the Botanical gardens which are great for bird-watching.
Overnight Windsor Lake Victoria Hotel. (B,L,D)
January 16 (Saturday): NGAMBA ISLAND, UGANDA (8)
Today you will be transferred (time to be arranged locally) by a representative to the Entebbe Pier for your half
day trip to Ngamba Island. Depart from Entebbe Pier on the mainland, after a short briefing and travel by boat
approximately 45minutes by speedboat or 1.5 hours by motorised traditional boat), to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Reserve
on Lake Victoria, where orphaned chimpanzees have been relocated under the management of a group of dedicated
conservationists including the Jane Goodall Institute.
Cool drinks, tea and coffee are also available on the island. Please take along some cash for curios etc, all
of which helps toward the upkeep of the island and its chimpanzees.
We will arrange for the local Womans Group from a neighbouring island to come and prepare you some lunch today:
fresh grilled fish and bananas, fruits etc.
Ngamba Island is part of the Koome group of islands located on Lake Victoria 23km south of Entebbe, Uganda.
It consists of approximately 100 acres, 98 of which are forested and separated from the visitors area by an
electric fence. The island was officially opened to visitors in October 1999 and is currently home to
35 orphaned chimpanzees, 15 of which have been confiscated and brought to the island since its opening.
Chimp poses
Ngamba Island is a project of the Chimpanzees Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT), established in
1997 by the Born Free Foundation (UK), International Fund for Animal Welfare (USA), the Jane Goodall Institute
(Germany and Uganda), The Uganda Wildlife Education Centre Trust (UWECT) and the Zoological Board of New South
Wales (Australia) and it provides these orphaned chimpanzees with a secure home to live out their lives, since
a return to their natural habitat is not possible, while educating visitors and local communities about their
remarkable species and the importance of conserving their fragile forest habitat. You can help support this
project by visiting. The entrance and activity fees paid goes directly towards helping cover the recurring
costs of the island sanctuary and ensuring the well being of the chimpanzees.
Return to Entebbe by boat during the afternoon for flight out in the evening. (B,L)
BASIC TOUR PRICE INCLUDES:
This procedure is actually required - although there has been no problem for any clients so far who has arrived
and not done it - but the fact is that it at least goes much faster as those who have done it have actually found
their entry facility waiting for them upon arrival to Kigali airport.
The cost for tourist visas to Rwanda is 50 US$ per person payable in CASH US$ (Credit card payments NOT possible).
The US$ notes have to be of year 2001 or newer, older notes are not accepted anywhere in Rwanda.
NOTE; Countries not required to pay for 90-day tourist visas are only the following: USA, GERMANY, CANADA,
TANZANIA, DRC, UGANDA, MAURITIUS, SOUTH AFRICA, KENYA, GREAT BRITAIN, SWEDEN, HONG KONG & BURUNDI (30 days).
BASIC TOUR PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
POST-TOUR TO THE SERENGETI JANUARY 16-. CLICK HERE.
PAYMENT SCHEDULE (per person)
CANCELLATION FEES (per person)
Carlson Wagonlit Future Travel recommends that each client purchase adequate trip cancellation insurance, medical, baggage, accident and other personal effects insurance. Trip cancellation insurance must be purchased at time of initial deposit. Clients should be aware that we cannot guarantee the weather for this astronomical event or any other.
TO PURCHASE THE "CRUISE, TOUR AND TRAVEL" INSURANCE PACKAGE PERFORM THE FOLLOWING STEPS:
1) Read a description of the Travel Guard package: COVERAGE INCLUDES
2) Fill out the forms to buy the package here: TRAVEL GUARD INSURANCE LINK
