The Eye Uganda                                                                                                                                                                                        

The Eye is a free bi-monthly magazine containing listings and directories, maps, reviews, tour and travel information plus articles of interest. It highlights everything to do with Uganda, from hospitals to hotels,shops to sporting events and from embassies to entertainment. It is distributed for readers and advertisers through national and regional airlines and tour operators, the airport information office, foreign diplomatic missions and NGOs, selected restaurants and bars, supermarkets and gift shops, all major hotels in Uganda, the Uganda Golf Club and government offices including the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

THE EYE TURNS 10 – HAPPY BIRTHDAY - By Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome

March 12, 2010

There is a saying that time flies, but this truth was driven home afresh with the recognition that Uganda’s premier web and print guide for travellers and visitors, The Eye – www.theeye.co.ug – has just completed their first decade in existence and is now entering into the next, brighter, bigger, more colourful and more interesting than ever before. When the first edition appeared in 2000, it was only 44 pages strong, printed in black and white and a modest 2.000 copies were printed and distributed then.

Today, the current edition is 122 pages strong, printed in four colours of course and has just reached a record distribution of 14.000 for the anniversary print. It was also learned that after Uganda and Rwanda The Eye was going to spread its wings to Malawi next, visible on the net through www.theeye.co.mw and more countries were on the list for expansion.

The Eye, free for readers through dedicated distribution points, finances itself entirely through advertising sales and has obviously weathered the global economic and financial crisis better than many other publications. Visit the bi-monthly magazine through the website shown above or see the quarterly Rwanda edition via www.theeye.co.rw. It is a must see and read material for any intending visitors to Uganda and Rwanda! And of course, in closing, CONGRATS to the entire The Eye team!

Articles in This Issue

Main Article - Uganda’s Birds

	Review by Christine OMaley With over 1000 different birds – more than half the total species recorded in Africa - and more being discovered every day, Uganda isn’t just a birder’s paradise, it’s one of the richest countries in the world in terms of winged wonders. The East African nation is the place to go to see the majestic Crowned Crane - with its golden crown it rightly rests opposite.........                                                 More
Accommodation Review : Wildwaters Lodge
	By The Eye I have always loved living near vast amounts of water, whether it is near the sea, a lake or a river and if I can actually hear it, then I am at complete peace within myself. So, you can only imagine how I felt when I arrived at Wildwaters Lodge – I was overwhelmed! I was surrounded not only by the sight, but by the sound of the Nile River and her thunderous, rolling rapids - I was at peace! The lodge is at the heart of the newly formed Wildwaters Reserve, a group of mid-stream islands in the Nile, mostly widely recognised as the home of the legendary whitewater rafting on the Nile.                                             More
Restaurant Review : Il Patio Restaurant
	Review by Fiona MacCulloch Choosing to dine at the same restaurant in Kampala twice in one month might seem unusual, given the breadth of choice in restaurants we have in this city. However, our first visit to Il Patio – the Italian restaurant in Kisozi Close, Nakasero, which is located in the internal gardens of the Mayfair Casino, was so enjoyable that we decided to try it a second time with friends, to celebrate a special occasion a couple of weeks later. We were glad we did. The food was delicious and beautifully presented on both occasions.              More
Sports & Outdoors Review : Flametree Sstables
	By Sonja McLaughlan (BBC Sports Journalist & Presenter)It’s sitting on my mantelpiece all silver and shiny. It has pride of place for a very good reason. I recently got back in the saddle and rode to victory at a horse show in Kenya. I have to give the trophy back at some stage, but the memories will live forever. So how did I fulfil a childhood dream, in East Africa of all places? Well, the answer lies a short drive from the centre of Kampala along the Gayaza Road. You would never guess it was there, these things are usually found deep in European countryside. But as you head towards the main entrance it opens out in all its glory, an equestrian.............                                      More
Health Review : Yellow Fever
	By Dr Dick Stockley Kampala is a city built on 7 rumours and now we have a new disease to keep the chattering classes happy, Yellow fever. Though always reluctant to let the truth ruin a good story here goes with the basic facts of yellow fever. Yellow fever is caused by an arbovirus of the flavivirus group which includes Dengue and West Nile among others. It is a haemorrhagic virus and the name “yellow fever” is unfortunate. The old adage says that if there is an epidemic of a severe, fatal fever                                                                                                 More
Art Stories : Kampala Art Scene
	By Abigail Bartels. A friend of mine told my husband that it might be nice to get me a gift after the birth of our first child. My husband knew me well enough to know that the perfect gift for such an occasion would be a piece of art. Thankfully this tradition continued after we had our two daughters here in Uganda. So, let me begin what I hope to be a helpful series on buying art in Uganda with this personal journey, sharing some of the experiences we’ve had in this Kampala art scene. The first “baby” piece we bought was painted by David Kigozi, a lovely [painting] with flying birds against a bold, blocky patterned sky. I bought it from Tulifanya gallery, nestled into the valley opposite Crested Towers.                         More
Art Stories : Kampala Art Scene
	Article by Panta Kasoma & Peter Apell (Jane Goodall Institute – Uganda). Budongo Forest in Masindi and Buliisa districts in Western Uganda is the largest in the country and has a high biodiversity with 24 recorded species of small mammals; 9 primate species; 465 species of trees and shrubs; 359 species of birds; 289 species of butterflies; and 130 species of moths. A number of species in Budongo are in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) endangered category. Among mammals, the chimpanzee and leopard; among birds, Nahan’s Francolin (Ptemistis nahani) a terrestrial game bird of deep forest. The African Giant Swallowtail Butterfly, Papilio antimachus is also endangered. Endangered tree species include Cordia milleni, Irvingia gabonensis,                         More