Shoestring or luxury travelling

While there is mounting pressure to reduce our carbon prints to help save the environment, among other factors, travelling seems to be a culprit. We are advised to travel less, especially leisure air travels, alternatively taking fewer but longer vacations, ones where we can do more walking and biking and of course much closer to home. With the advancement of technology, it is also advised that business people use cyber world mediums such as Skype, to conduct long distance meetings without the need to jump from plane to plane and hop from one city to another.

Memorable
But then, it seems there is another deterrent that may be a blessing in disguise: the cost. It has been some time now that we are trying to plan a safari in Uganda. Our amazing trip to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and the subsequent gorilla trekking in 2012, was by far the best trip of my life. It was also one of the most costly, considering that it was what they call closer to home travelling. Of course, there are valid reasons for such high costs ,which include the upkeep of such places.

So, in our search to renew the friendship with the gorilla family we met some years ago, we were hit with the reality that prices were still high, or even higher now. I have also tried to encourage some friends, especially youth who live outside of Uganda, to visit and embark on a safari that I guaranteed, would become the best trip of their lives.

However, when the cost issue came up, there were few takers. There are other safaris that many tourists visiting Uganda do, some are on shoestring budgets, groups driven through East Africa in big trucks, camping, sleeping in tents and bucket showers! A little bit more luxury, and the prices start hiking. A luxurious hotel out in the wilderness can cost you more than $300(about Shs980,000) per person, per night.
When travelling in Kenya, competition brings down prices, and a good example is the many hotels on the coast of Mombasa, each offering good all-inclusive packages that attract tourists and locals at the same time, especially during low seasons.

Forthcoming trip
A trip is in the pipeline, not yet sure when or where, but when we were younger and could do some serious walking and biking, no one was making such a fuss about CO2, or they were, but not being heard at that time. But you know what, we were informed that while tracking gorillas, if you are exhausted and unable to continue, you can be carried by one of the porters. The cost was determined by your weight, oh dear. Stay tuned.