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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | MV Vanessa, the new Vessel operated by Mwanza Maritime Department is scheduled to start plying the Entebbe-Kalangala route. The vessel will be supplementing MV Kalangala to transport people and cargo to and from the Island district.
Vanessa that carries 54 passengers docks both at Lutoboka pier in Kalangala district and waterfront pier in Entebbe municipality. The high tech Yatch runs at a speed of 40 knots from Entebbe to Kalangala, which means it takes less than an hour to reach its final destination.
It travels to Kalangala on Friday Evening taking revelers to tour the island. The vessel returns on Sunday evening to Entebbe. It costs 35,000 for a single trip to Kalangala and UGX 70,000 for a return journey.
The first official voyage to the island district will take place on May 31st, 2019. Augustine Kibaya, the Operations Manager MV Vanessa, says the vessel has been making trips to the island district to map out the shortest route.
“We can now ably traverse through the different islands so as to reach our final destination quicker and safer,” he said. The Vessel was expected to start the maiden Kalangala voyage in June 2019 after the purchase of the second marine Vessel as MV Vanessa Operates the Entebbe- Jinja route.
The vessel uses approximately 300 liters of petrol for a return journey to Kalangala. Amos Kasingye, a tour operator in Kalangala, says the introduction of MV Vanessa will provide tourists options on how and when to travel to Kalangala.
“We have for long had a problem. Tourists would fear coming to the district only because many would love to spend a weekend but instead spend a day and don’t fully enjoy all sites within the district. This has been mainly because the MV Kalangala often leaves Kalangala in the morning,” Kasingye said.
Kalangala Tourism Focal Person, Maurice Bafiilawala says the operators should also consider introducing daily trips to the island district to enable more business partners and tourists get to the district.
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