{"id":432132,"date":"2011-05-29T20:54:06","date_gmt":"2011-05-29T20:54:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/05\/29\/breathtaking-samuka\/"},"modified":"2011-05-29T20:54:06","modified_gmt":"2011-05-29T20:54:06","slug":"breathtaking-samuka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/29\/breathtaking-samuka\/","title":{"rendered":"Breathtaking Samuka"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"New<\/a><\/p>\n

28 May 2011<\/p>\n

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Samuka Island has over 50 species of migratory and resident birds<\/p>\n

A gentle boat ride from the Source of the River Nile leads you to Samuka Island, a nine-acre piece of natural beauty with a bird sanctuary, the perfect way to delight your senses after a long week, Frank Mugabi writes<\/p>\n

Tucked away from Jinja town is a small but magnificent island on the turquoise waters of Lake Victoria and filled with everything you need for a perfect gateway.<\/p>\n

The journey to Samuka Island is a 10-minute speed boat ride that starts from Rumours Pub at the Source of River Nile.<\/p>\n

First opened in 1999 by Daniel Tyler Junior, son of American Missionary Daniel Tyler, the island temporarily closed in 2005 due to circumstances Tyler says were beyond his control.<\/p>\n

But for the last three months, the nineacre islet has been a centre of activity as a group of people have been working in earnest to get the place back onto its feet.<\/p>\n

The cottages have been redone to enhance their strategic position that offers the guests a panoramic view of both sunrise and sunset. All a guest has to do is draw the curtains, lie down on the crafted bed in the cottage and see nature unfold.<\/p>\n

The ‘watch tower’, which is a new addition to the resort, is a storeyed wooden structure with a platform where one can relax while sipping a cold drink, read a novel or take in the sight of the lake beyond.<\/p>\n

For those who love camping, a part of the island with tropical vegetation has been reserved for that purpose.<\/p>\n

How the idea developed<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tyler Jr. first came to Uganda as a little boy in 1960. He went to Nakasero Primary School. In 1998 he attended a workshop in Jinja and was impressed<\/p>\n

by the beauty of the town.<\/p>\n

“I thought to myself, ‘This could be the Mombasa of Uganda.’ We don’t even have a river back home, let alone a lake,” Tyler says.<\/p>\n

“And most importantly, the weather in Uganda is conducive for tourists. I saw a lot of potential and that’s when I made up my mind to develop a place where people could make a never-to-be-forgotten trip.”<\/p>\n

Rumours Pub, which has also been undergoing renovation, started off as a landing site for Samuka Island guests, but now stands out as a stopover for every visitor to the Source of the Nile.<\/p>\n

Adventure<\/strong><\/p>\n

With the renovations complete, Samuka Island offers great opportunities for adventure and relaxation. The ambience is great and the amenities<\/p>\n

have been redesigned for guests to have everything they need.<\/p>\n

Food<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the romantic kind a moonlit dinner, either in the gardens or by the swimming pool can be served. You can have your meal where you want it and be sure it will be five-star service.<\/p>\n

Bird viewing<\/strong><\/p>\n

Samuka Island is a bird sanctuary with over 50 species of migratory and resident birds, including the longtailed cormorants and little egrets.<\/p>\n

Transport to the island is readily available at Rumours. A pontoon that can carry up to 30 people is always stationed at the pub. There are also speed boats that can comfortably carry 20 passengers.<\/p>\n

The transport fare for each passenger ranges between $25 (sh59,000) and $35 (sh83,000), depending on the number of passengers. The more they are, the lower the fare for each one.<\/p>\n

Every passenger on the pontoon gets a free drink and a snack. The pontoon could also be hired for a sundowner cruise on the world’s second largest freshwater body.<\/p>\n

Accommodation<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are four double and three single cottages. The single cottages full board cost $180 (sh428,000), including bed and breakfast as well as transport to and from the island.<\/p>\n

A single cottage with bed and breakfast goes for $100 (sh238,000), but this does not include transport. For the double cottages, a single person’s full package costs $230 (sh547,000), while double full board costs $320 (sh761,000).<\/p>\n

At Rumours, meals cost between sh10,000 and sh15,000, while a beer goes for sh3,000. Tyler says the resort is being expanded and they hope to have two more double rooms, two deluxe cottages, three singles, a clubhouse, pool bar and a spur.<\/p>\n

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Follow this link:
\nBreathtaking Samuka<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

28 May 2011 Samuka Island has over 50 species of migratory and resident birds A gentle boat ride from the Source of the River Nile leads you to Samuka Island, a nine-acre piece of natural beauty with a bird sanctuary, the perfect way to delight your senses after a long week, Frank Mugabi writes Tucked away from Jinja town is a small but magnificent island on the turquoise waters of Lake Victoria and filled with everything you need for a perfect gateway. The journey to Samuka Island is a 10-minute speed boat ride that starts from Rumours Pub at the Source of River Nile. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-432132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nBreathtaking Samuka - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/29\/breathtaking-samuka\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Breathtaking Samuka - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"28 May 2011 Samuka Island has over 50 species of migratory and resident birds A gentle boat ride from the Source of the River Nile leads you to Samuka Island, a nine-acre piece of natural beauty with a bird sanctuary, the perfect way to delight your senses after a long week, Frank Mugabi writes Tucked away from Jinja town is a small but magnificent island on the turquoise waters of Lake Victoria and filled with everything you need for a perfect gateway. 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