Delegates arriving early at this year's Routes Africa event in Kampala were able to gain an insight into life in Uganda on a couple of special tours that enabled them to see a little of the country ahead of the formal opening of the event. On the morning of Saturday July 6, 2013, two groups of delegates took a trip across the Equator to Ngamba Island to visit its chimpanzee sanctuary while one group went on an adventure to the source of the Nile.

For Centuries many have debated the actual source of the infamous River Nile, generally regarded as the longest river in the world but it was Britain John Hanning Speke, an army officer’s son from the West Country, who was the first to record a site in Uganda on Lake Victoria as the source.

He joined Captain Richard Burton on an expedition to east Africa in 1856, organised by the Royal Geographical Society. The purpose was supposedly to follow up rumours of a great lake in the interior, the so-called Sea of Ujiji, but in reality the search was for the source of the Nile. The expedition moved inland from the coast opposite Zanzibar and, in February 1858, it discovered Lake Tanganyika. But Speke, set off with a small party of individuals and in August came upon what he later described as “a vast expanse” of “the pale-blue waters” of the northern lake. He named it Lake Victoria and believed that it was the source of the Nile.

Burton and Speke disagreed over the findings, but Speke got back to England in May 1859 before Burton, and announced that he had found the source of the Nile. It was not until years later that Lake Victoria Nyanza was confirmed as the source of the White Nile, one of two major tributaries to the mighty River, though subsequently it was discovered that the lake has several feeder rivers with the most distant source still undetermined but located in either Rwanda or Burundi.

Meanwhile, fast-forwarding 150 years, Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary was established in October 1998 to care for orphaned chimpanzees that have been rescued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Many of these were rescued from poachers and are unlikely to survive reintroduction to the wild. The Island is a 100 acre (approximately 40 hectares) of rainforest situated a short boat ride (23 km) away from Entebbe, near the Equator in Lake Victoria, Uganda and supports a rich diversity of natural wildlife and provides a variety of natural foods for the chimpanzees.

The island is set up as an eco-friendly project with compost toilets, rainwater collection, proper waste management practices and solar energy for electricity and hot water and the Sanctuary is run as a non-profit organisation which is co-ordinated and managed by the Chimpanzee Sanctuary & Wildlife Conservation Trust (CSWCT), a partnership with six organisations committed to the welfare and conservation of wildlife. These trustees are Born Free Foundation, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Jane Goodall Institute, Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, Environmental Conservation Trust of Uganda (ECOTRUST) and Uganda Wildlife Society.

Many of the delegates were delighted to see what measures were being taken to protect the species, while also enjoying the opportunity to relax and see a little of Uganda ahead of the busy event and included a mix of airline, airport and tourism authority officials from Africa, Europe and even as far afiled as North America.

Speaking to The HUB while on the boat journey back from the sanctuary Stephanie Wear Pintado, Asesora Externa Promoción Económica for Turismo de Tenerife said: “This was completely unexpected. I never knew Uganda had so much to offer to visitors. From seeing the Chimpanzees, to a wonderful lunch on the Island and the chance to sail across the Equator, Routes and the host team have once again exceeded expectations.”

The delegates from Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling were also in positive spirits following the tour. Daniel Reus, Network Planning Analyst, said: “Routes Africa hasn’t even officially opened and I would class it a successful event before we have even taken any meetings due to the networking opportunities the programme provides. We are now even more excited about finding out what this amazing continent has to offer in terms of air services.” Meanwhile his colleague Ignacio Bosch, Network Planning Analyst, said: “This was an amazing experience - one of the best days of my life!”

Mark Gray, Sales Director, UBM Routes and Jon Howell, Tourism Development Manager, UBM Routes also joined one group on the tour to a local Chimpanzee Sanctuary yesterday afternoon on behalf of The HUB and provided the following images from the excursion.