Tired of the city? Take a break in the world away from the city and spend the weekend in an exquisite Italian villa on the shores of Lake Victoria. On the shores of lake Victoria in Kigo (equidistant between Kampala and Entebbe), the resort is 20 minutes drive (30 km) from Entebbe international airport and a thirty minutes drive to the center of Kampala (15 km).

Peacefully located on the breath taking shores of Africa’s largest inland lake, this stylish resort features ‘village clusters of pastel-shaded pan-tiled villas, each with its own uninterrupted view of Africa’s inland lake. The Lake Victoria Serena resort is a stunning 122-room leisure retreat, which has been styled to replicate a Tuscan palace. Each standard room is elegantly presented in shades of terracotta and cream and features a queen sized or two twin beds, a dressing table, work station, seating area, balcony and lavish marble bathroom with walk in shower. The executive suites also feature a spacious living area, with flat screen TV, office space and second balcony.

The two presidential suites are located on the pent house level of the main citadel and features a luxury unsuited bedroom with king-sized bed, an elegant reception room, dining room (with private kitchen), furnished terrace and staff accommodation. The presidential floor also features its own private event or conference space.

For the family, adjoining rooms can easily be arranged as well as additional beds, cots and baby sitting services, all with prior notice.

Set amidst terraced rose gardens where fountains play, it offers a tranquil pool terrace and pool side cocktail bar, an all- day Mediterranean restaurant with inviting dining terraces, and the SEA Fusion restaurant offering a delightful fusion of south East Asian cuisine and an elegant lounge and bar.

The hotel offers a wide range of dining choices; the citadel all-day brasserie offers extensive buffet break fast and lunch choices while the a la carte evening menu features both an international selection and the chef’s own array of typically Mediterranean cuisine. A wide selection of snacks can be enjoyed, either on the extensive lake view pool Terrace, in the courtyard Lounge or on the piano Bar Terrace.

Breakfast and lunch are presented in buffet-style and feature a wide range of international choices. The table d’hôte dinner menus feature a salad buffet, soup, entrée, pudding, cheese and biscuits and tea or coffee. Vegetarian options are always available. The majority of the meat and dairy products, as well as fruits and vegetables are sourced from the communities that surround the resort.

Finally guests are invited to re-energize themselves for the week a head in the ultra-luxurious ‘Maisha’ health spa with its state-of-the-art gym, steam, sauna, and massage and treatment rooms.

Options for the Escape to the lake Weekend include;

• Friday night sun downer cocktails on the terrace.
• Full dinner buffet at the elegant The Citadel Restaurant; where the chef will present a generous selection of the very best of Mediterranean, Ugandan and international cuisine.
• Saturday, atypically lavish Italian buffet lunch will be followed by a BBQ dinner around the pool.
• Sunday we will present our famous all day family Sunday brunch.

A young king. Intrigue. Conspiracy and harrowing brutality sums up the tale of 26 brave Ugandan martyrs who were burnt alive because of their faith. The story of the Uganda martyrs is a story of faith, courage and cruelty. It is from its ashes that Uganda’s and probably East Africa’s most important place of Christian pilgrimage was built. Their fate was climax of a two year wave of religious persecution of Christians, eight years after the first Christian missionaries set foot in the country with high hopes of spreading the gospel.

Missionaries were invited to Uganda by King Muteesa1 in 1875. Protestant and Catholic missionaries arrived and set up schools, churches and hospitals in the kingdom. Unfortunately the king died in 1884 and was succeeded by his 18 year old son Mwanga. The king misled by traditionalists and Arabs in his court, was threatened by coming of Europeans to Buganda and he realized that the first converts put loyalty to Christ above the traditional loyalty to the king. He then ordered that all Christian converts be burnt alive after giving them a chance to denounce their faith. The Namugongo martyrdom produced a result entirely opposite to Mwanga’s intentions. The example of these martyrs, who walked to their deaths praying for their enemies and executioners, so inspired many of the bystanders that they began to seek instruction from the remaining Christians.

Exactly how many Baganda Christians were speared, beheaded, cremated, castrated and clubbed to death is an open question. 45 deaths are recorded by name but the actual tally was probably several hundred. The persecution culminated at Namugongo on June 3 1886, when at least26 catholic and Anglican converts having rejected the opportunity to renounce their new faith was roasted alive.

Within a few years, the original handful of converts had multiplied many times and spread far beyond the court. The martyrs had left the indelible impression that Christianity was truly African, not simply a white man’s religion. Most of the missionary work was carried out by Africans rather than the white missionaries and Christianity spread easily. Uganda now has the largest percentage of professed Christians than any nation in Africa. The 22 catholic martyrs were finally canonized by Pope Paul VI on October 18 1964 during the Vatican II conference. In July 1969, Pope Paul IV visited Uganda, the first reigning Pope to set foot in sub-Saharan Africa to make a pilgrimage to Namugongo, where he instructed that a shrine and church be built on the spot where Lwanga, the young leader had been killed. The site of the massacre was visited by Archbishop Robert Runcie of Canterbury in 1984 and Pope John Paul II in 1993.

The tour will take you through the awe-inspiring story of these young men. It begins at the Kasubi tombs where the King first welcomed the first Europeans to his kingdom and where the four great kings are buried. It will then lead through the oldest Catholic and Protestant churches and then through the various sites some of the martyrs were killed on their long walk to the final execution grounds where they were finally burnt alive at Namugongo.

The news of Yeezy star Kanye West and wife Kim Kardashian flying to Uganda for a weekend safari first broke publicly on Friday 12th October, but the celebrated American-based rapper had previously announced plans to travel to Africa to record his new album.

Little did we know that Kanye would be joined by multi-talented and award winning American rapper Sean Michael Leonard Anderson, known professionally as Big Sean.

The rapper who is popular for his 2017 “Dark Sky Paradise Album” is staying at the same luxurious resort in the Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda, the pomp Chobe Safari Lodge; which has been exclusively booked and blocked off by the West family until the 19th of October.

The news of Big Sean in Uganda was confirmed on Saturday 13th October, by US-based tabloid news website TMZ. The TMZ writer confirmed that he is most likely to collaborate on Kanye’s upcoming ninth album, Yandhi, which had been scheduled for release on Saturday 6^th October 2018, but was delayed because Mr. West’s Management Team felt he needed some more time.

Big Sean who is also famous for his relationship with American popstar and actress, Ariana Grande, has been signed to Kanye West’s GOOD Music record label since 2007.

Confirming his visit to Africa in an article shared by UK-based BBC News, Kanye said he just needed to come to Africa and grab the soil… and have the mic in the open, so that his fans could hear nature while he put together what he called the biggest album he’s ever made.

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are joined by their oldest daughter, North West, who since Saturday has appeared in a couple of photos flying around on social media with her mom and dad at the luxurious resort.

The couple enjoyed a game drive in Murchison Falls National Park, a wildlife safari area that is home to four of the safari Big Five animals (lions, elephants, buffalos and leopards); giraffes, hippopotamuses and beautiful birds.

Mr and Mrs. West were on Saturday afternoon also airlifted to Pakuba airstrip in Murchison Falls National Park, from where they drove to the banks of River Nile for a boat cruise to the bottom of the Murchison Waterfalls using the “African Queen”, a boat owned by Marasa, the proprietors of Chobe Safari Lodge.

Kanye also traveled with quite a huge crew comprising security detail, music producers, videographers; and while in Uganda he will be assisted by Ugandan-based record label, Swangz Avenue.

They want to extend their stay!

TMZ reports that they have since arrival been awestruck by the incredible beauty in Africa, presenter in Uganda. Kim is actually so stoked that she wants to extend their stay.

Series of photos have been shared showing Kim Kardashian enjoying the views of the Nile River from the resort’s terrace.

Kanye who had recently temporarily suspended both his Instagram and Twitter accounts for the second time, has while in Uganda revived his Twitter handle (@Kanyewest) with the map of Africa as his profile photo. The artist has since shared a series of LIVE-recorded videos from the resort located along the Nile River.

In one of the videos, the songwriter who seemed impatient about waiting for the morning to show off the beautiful resort is heard saying, as he walks around the resort “Yo… I know it’s night time, but…” Watch the video below

In another video titled “mind control” the rapper while getting back to the negative energy thrown at him on Social Media confirms that he is in Africa recording music.

Another video of Kanye West dancing to an African song was also posted by Nigerian-based music manager Abisagbola Oluseun John, popularly called Bankuli. You can watch it here.

How they booked their trip to Uganda? 

Trysted sources reveal that the initial contact was made by Kanye’s team who reached out to one of the tour companies in Uganda (name witheld).

It is however not clear why they resorted to eventually go their own way and book the different services directly with the different service providers; but the same sources reveal that the team is still following the same itinerary which they had received from the tour company.

Being the celebrities that they are, there was absolutely no bargaining with the reservations team at Chobe Safari Lodge for a better rate despite the fact that they were exclusively booking the entire resort; and this left the lodge management and staff dumbfounded.

Other sources reveal that the itinerary initially planned to have the couple and their team stay at the elegant Bakers Safari Lodge, also in Murchison Falls National Park and the beautiful Kyambura Gorge Lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, but these were turned down because they didn’t have enough rooms to accommodate Kanye’s entire crew.

Kanye Omari West, who recently rebranded to Ye, contracted the services of locally based aviation company, Kampala Executive Aviation (KEA) to handle their domestic flights and Heritage Holiday Safaris to handle the ground transfers. The same sources confirm that Kanye’s private jet is parked in the special flights and charters section at Entebbe International Airport.

About Uganda

Located in eastern Africa, Uganda is a land-linked country that is dubbed the pearl of Africa because of its mesmeric beauty.

The country is an uncompromising expanse of lush green forests, pristine savanna grasslands dotted with countless species of bird, plant and animal life; many water bodies, high mountains, and the most friendly people on this planet.

Uganda is a compacted paradise stretching from the source of the River Nile to the edge of the western arm of the Great Rift Valley, to the world’s largest volcanic base, close to the origins of man, and she features permanent snow just a few meters from the equator.

Uganda is a place undiscovered but one offering an opportunity to taste modernity juxtaposed with rural life, home to so many differently diverse peoples and cultures; she might just be a summary of the entire African continent, let alone our own planet, Earth.