#ugandaairlines

[pearlofafricavacations]

Uganda Airlines will be making its maiden flight to Dubai International Airport on Monday 4th October 2021. The Airbus A330-800neo will be leaving Entebbe International Airport at 11h25 and is expected to land in Dubai at 17h25. #visituganda #destinationuganda #visitthepearl #ugandaairlines https://www.instagram.com/p/CTuJpSCIfU_/?utm_medium=tumblr

[sandjsbeachbumbonanza]

Day 101 – Zanzibar

We woke up at 4:30am to meet Dona so we could catch our 8am flight to Zanzibar. It was a quick and easy ride to the airport. However, there was lots of security and we were forced to trolley our bags about a quarter of a mile on rough, unevenly paved road. The staff at Uganda Airlines was actually very nice and very efficient. They even walked us from check-in to the lounge.

The lounge was one of the better lounges we’d been in and had great food. S had a chicken salad sandwich, a mini pizza and a veggie samosa. J had hardboiled eggs and watermelon. The staff also kept our drinks filled without even asking. The WiFi was faster than the WiFi in our former London flat. When it was time to board, the gate attendant came to escort us to the gate. The plane was a brand new Bombardier CRJ-900, with engines in the back, so it was a very quiet flight. As we were the only ones drinking white wine, at some point a flight attendant came by and asked if he could leave the bottle with us. We did not say no.

The flight was just under 2 hours. Getting through passport control was fairly easy, though we had to fill out an unexpected landing card and show our yellow fever vaccination certificates to be allowed in to Tanzania. We met the Park Hyatt driver and headed out. It was then that J realised she left her important documents at passport control. Figuring there was a high chance we would never see these documents again, we headed back to the airport. J and the driver went into the airport and found a lady who tirelessly went around the airport until she tracked down J’s documents. Apparently a good Samaritan turned them in, rather than stealing them. We got very lucky.

The Park Hyatt is housed in a building that was formerly many other things, including the English Polo Club of Zanzibar. It is reasonably modern and nice. Our room looks out over the city and it’s a very nice room up to Hyatt standards. There is a famous mango tree in the hotel grounds. It is over 100 years old and still produces mangoes.

After we checked in, Nelson in Concierge came to our room to discuss the activities that are available through the hotel. He said that between 85% and 95% of the people here are Muslim. After getting to know us and J’s proclivity for pork products, he admitted that he is Christian, and knows where to find pork if J wants some.

After a bit of rest, we went on a 3-hour walking tour of the city. Zanzibar is an archipelago and has two main islands: Unguja, where we are staying, and Pemba. It has such an interesting history. At one point, the Sultan of Oman moved the capital from Muscat to Zanzibar and it is still heavily influenced by Omani culture. In 1890, Zanzibar became a British protectorate, but continued to be under the sovereignty of the Sultan of Zanzibar. In 1964, the Sultan was deposed and fled to Portsmouth, England. Zanzibar is now an autonomous region of Tanzania and it has its own presidents and two vice presidents. It joined together with Tanganyika (the mainland) in 1964 to form Tanzania.

Zanzibar was also the main port for the East African slave trade. It is horrific to understand what the Africans, Indians and Arabs did to the people. We learned that although slavery was officially banned here in 1873 by the Zanzibar Sultan following the advocacy of David Livingstone and pressure from England, the slave trade continued underground until 1919. We even visited former slave holding chambers at the former slave market, which is now an Anglican church. The conditions were worse than you could imagine.

The city is influenced by the different cultures that have left their mark here. Old town Stonetown (the capital of Zanzibar) is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Many buildings had a unique building material called ‘coral rock’, which is made of actual coral. To keep with the building standards, any renovations or rebuilds must be consistent with the original materials used. This means some less fortunate Zanzibarians have to leave their homes and sell them to wealthier people so they can be renovated using original materials. Many of the streets are very narrow with small shops all around. There are multiple markets where people try to sell you nuts, casava chips, fruits, vegetables, fish, meat and spices. Two little boys even tried to let J play with some small, pet monkeys. Unfortunately, we did not have any cash at the time, so we begged off.

One of the main attractions, the House of Wonders, was closed because part of the building collapsed recently, resulting in a few casualties. It is called the House of Wonders because it was the first building in Zanzibar to have electricity, a water tank and a lift. It was gifted to Zanzibar by the English to commemorate the abolition of slavery.

Last, but not least, we stopped at the former house of Freddie Mercury, AKA Farrokh Bulsara. He was born and grew up in Zanzibar, but moved with his family to England after the Zanzibar Sultan was deposed. We got to see a copy of his birth certificate.

After the tour, we sat outside at the hotel bar looking over the waterfront, for a few drinks and casava chips.

We spent some time considering where to eat dinner. The most ‘local’ and authentic restaurant here is strictly Muslim and does not allow any alcohol. We therefore looked for other options. One restaurant, Six Degrees South Grill & Wine Bar, was recommended to us as it serves some Zanzibari dishes, but is also tourist friendly. We couldn’t find the current menu online, so they brought it to us on the veranda of the Park Hyatt. We decided it was fine as there were two Zanzibari dishes on the menu.

One of the hotel employees walked us to the restaurant. It was only a 5-minute walk, but because the streets aren’t marked here, it’s easy to get lost. We were surprised to see that the place was packed with tourists. We haven’t been to a restaurant that busy since Rishi Sunak’s Eat out to Help Out programme was going on in London.

J had the chicken breast with mango couscous and S had the grilled kingfish in a tomato and coconut sauce with chapati. The food was fine, and reasonably priced. The first bottle of wine we picked out, a Pinot Grigio, was undrinkable, so we ordered a second bottle, a rosé. The server recommended it saying it was a popular choice. It was a struggle to get down, but we managed.

We made the short walk back to the hotel. S went to the bar for a nightcap and J went to sleep early. S spoke to a group of 5 Koreans and asked them how they managed to get out of Korea in the current circumstances. It turns out they work in Africa and hadn’t been back to Korea during COVID.

[rweteerasafaripark]

Uganda airlines will start direct flights to London, Mumbai and Guangzhou. Fly to the Pearl of Africa and travel with us to various parks. Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: [phone] #visituganda🇺🇬 #uganda🇺🇬 #entebbeairport #ugandaairlines #kibaletours (at Entebbe Airport) https://www.instagram.com/p/CMBbSS3LY3z/?igshid=kwu9ytk0yn1a

[firstherringflapsuitcase]

China to repatriate stranded Ugandans The People's Republic of China has offered to bring back Ugandans stranded if they are able to pay for their airline tickets. Official statement from the Ugandan Embassy in Beijing says that China has agreed to use a special flight arranged to pick Chinese nationals stranded in Uganda due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to repatriate some Ugandans who can afford the fare set by the airline. The flight No. CZ5245, operated by China Southern Airlines, according to the statement, is set to depart from Guanghzou Baiyun Airport on August 28, at 5:20am and fly direct to Entebbe, arriving at 11:28am the same day. The ticket will cost 15,000 RMB (8 million Uganda shillings only). The embassy says it is currently registering those willing to take the flight and will submit the list to the foreign affairs ministry, for booking. After booking is confirmed, the tickets will then be paid for directly. For one to register, they need to submit their names, passport number, visa expiry date, gender, province/city, school/company they are in, contact number and sponsor. They can also register through their associations like such as China-Uganda Forum, USAC or directly to the embassy in Beijing or consulate in Guanghzou. #aviation #travellers #ugandaairlines (at Beijing, China 北京) https://www.instagram.com/p/CELWyi6hcIe/?igshid=1vyx9ber0by0s

[firstherringflapsuitcase]

𝗔𝘃𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲? Follow me @moaviations for more aviation content on Instagram and @amoaviations on Facebook Credit 🎥 @aircraft.ig #aviation @aviators #airplanespotting #airplanephotographers #airplanespotters #ugandaairlines #ugvotes2021 #nbsupdates #nerandramodi #Bobiwine #zarihassan #sheebahkarungi #travelblogger #traveltheworld #airforce #usamilitary #airforcelife #usarmy #usaf #internationalaviation #pilotseye #airplanespottermuc #military #privatejet #repost #airliner #usarmy #usarmysoldier (at Dallas, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCSa2aQBmyc/?igshid=1a3v7gygmzhe2