Kasoga Community Tour in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Kasoga Community Tour in Queen Elizabeth National Park is a community initiative on Lake George Ramsar site in Hamukungu Fishing Village, southwest of Kasenyi on the edge of Queen Elizabeth National Park that offers authentic experiences on how the community lives and works.
The aim of the initiative is to enhance the knowledge and experiences of the tourists but most importantly, to lengthen their stay and expenditure of the place visited.
Don`t let your clients wait for so long for the boat cruise in the afternoon in Mweya or any other accommodation facility after their morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park when Kasoga Community Experience is here to enable you, engage your Clients more with a 1 hour canoeing experience and a 2 hour community walk Or You can opt for a 3 hour Community Birding activity.
1. Canoeing
This involves giving information on the history of Irangara and Rubona Islands, showing different schools of Hippos that is, schools that are currently in existence, those that are rejuvenating and those that have varnished. More so, theres showing the best breeding zones of fish that are close to the community. On the Canoe, there’s an opportune of seeing the Rwenzori mountain ranges as clear as day but also, we capitalize on the park entry fees paid for game drives to access Irangara Island for a walk, to see fishermen who are camping on a bad catch day doing outdoor cooking.
Towards the landing site, adventurous clients are given chance to peddle towards the landing site before we land. Other attractions like birds on the edge of the lake, fishermen capturing their baits naked offer extra excitement.
2. Community Walk
The walk involves visitation of the landing site and information related to marine practices is given, the fish preservation stoves, traditional canoe making demonstrations, proceed for net sawing, a chance to see women making crafts, then to the location which is the only place in Queen to get as close as possible to Hippos, reach the spot that has the most beautiful view in the community, walk through the historical swamps in the community and the vacation palace of former king of Tooro. Also, many birds are seen minimum 26 bird species.
3. Community Birding
The activity involves taking a walk through the developed community birding trail to go bird watching within the bushy parameters of the community land. 80 bird species can be watched on the trail, when done after lunch, 30 birds can be watched. The estimated numbers of the birds are 150 bird species.
4. Fishing Trips
Taking a trip on the lake with the highest production rate of fish and the sweetest fish in Uganda and the world, fishing involves taking a local canoe with the right gear to the best breeding zones for a catch which is later prepared for a meal or a snack as preferred by the guest. Recreational and big game fishing trips can be organized.
5. Canoe Regatta
An activity that was first enjoyed in 1952 during the royal visit of queen Elizabeth National park. It involves a competition between the guests and the locals, on fast speed canoes to the northern bank on Irangara Island from the landing site on the southern bank and back. A fish snack of fried lung and tilapia fish which is fresh is given paired with locally made passion juice or banana whisky as preferred by the visitor.
6. Cultural Treat
The Kasoga Community Tour in Queen Elizabeth National Park involves fully immersing the tourist in both the cultural and marine practice of the community for half day tour. This involves taking tourists to see or participate in how milking is done, escorting cattle in the bush within the community parameters, how milk is used to make local yogurt and finally getting ghee. Time is taken off for breakfast. Later, we slope to the landing site to engage in the marine practices of the community. In general, all activities in the community are engaged in for 12 hours.
