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Meet the Leader – Shaq from East Africa

By Gecko's eNews editor on Mon, 21/02/2011 - 4:35am, 16 comments

My name is Shafiq but everyone calls me Shaq.  I have been a tour leader with Gecko's for over seven years now.  I love my country (Uganda) and love to sightsee and travel.  I also love meeting different people from different cultures so when the tour leading job with Gecko's was advertised, I had to take it up.  The best thing about tour leading is that I get to show people around my country and share our culture with the groups.  I also like to learn about the cultures the Gecko's groups come from.  I find this very interesting.

My favourite tour is the Gorilla Express. Bwindi National Park and the gorilla trekking experience are always the highlight.  Bwindi is a beautiful rainforest and seeing the gorillas in the wild always amazes my groups.  I love to see the look on their faces when they first see the gorillas.

My other favourite activity on the tour is when we camp on Bushara Island, after the gorilla trek.  We teach the group how to play bongo drums and dance our local dances.  I always tell my groups to 'shake what their mama gave them' which is how African people dance – by shaking their lower waists.  It is lots of fun and very enjoyable.

I hope that you will all come to my country to see the gorillas.  The best time to come to Uganda is during the dry season which is June to September.  If you are going to come to my country, I would like to give you the following advice:
- always try our food
- it gets very hot so please bring sun screen and mosquito repellent from your own country as it is difficult to buy in Uganda
- roads in Africa are very dusty and very bumpy but this means my groups get a free massage!
- respect the cultures and beliefs of the people of Africa
- listen to your doctor and take the medications they tell you to take and don't miss any doses

Thanks Shaq!  If you'd like to take up Shaq's advice and visit the gorillas in the wild, check out our 8-day Gorilla Express.

Comments

Hi Kelli I have left my

Submitted by Christine kirlew on Wed, 19/10/2011 - 6:59am.

Hi Kelli

I have left my details on your facebook, any luck with Shaq's email address if possible.

Thanks Chris

    Hi Christine, This is such

    Submitted by Kellie - Gecko's on Tue, 18/10/2011 - 9:28am.

    Hi Christine,
    This is such lovely feedback, thankyou for sharing it with us. There really is a big, wide world out there. And good on you for embracing it! We hope to have you back for mor tours in the near future.
    In terms of Shaq's email address, I will need to speak with our Destination Managers and get back to you. If you could email uson facebook@geckosadventures.com we will get in touch. Cheers, Kellie

      Hi forgot to ask could i

      Submitted by Christine kirlew on Mon, 17/10/2011 - 6:15pm.

      Hi forgot to ask could i please have Shaq's email address as i lost in with my baggage in JHB.
      I would love to stay in touch with home as i hope to one day go back to Uganda.

      Cheers Chris

        Hi my name is Christine and

        Submitted by Christine kirlew on Mon, 17/10/2011 - 6:09pm.

        Hi my name is Christine and my sister Wendy and I have just recently returned from a Safari in Uganda and Kenya, our Ugandan part of the trip was the most amazing time, beautiful people, a world away from we as Australians know but such an experience we will never forget.
        The Gorilla experience was just mind blowing, never did i expect to be so close to an amazing animal, they are just unbelivable.
        I have to say though that this part of our journey was made even so much more enjoyable because of our guide Shaq, from the moment we met him he made us laugh, feel so comfortable, made us feel as though we were all part of a big family, he was very knowlegable and very organised, i must admit i didnt want to leave Uganda and especially Shaq as after loosing my husband recently he made me feel as though there is a big wide world out there waiting for me and on the journey more people just like him.
        Thankyou Shaq so much. Oscacasa (are you serious).

        Chris

          Awesome trip! Africa is so

          Submitted by Dee on Tue, 12/07/2011 - 11:51am.

          Awesome trip! Africa is so amazing and the the tour guides were great. Hope you enjoyed your trip to Aus Shaq.
          Cheers
          Dee

            Awesome tour and great funny

            Submitted by Dee on Tue, 12/07/2011 - 11:46am.

            Awesome tour and great funny tour guides. So many beautiful contrasts to Africa. Hope u enjoyed your trip to Aus Shaq :)
            Cheers
            Dee

              Hi every body out there ,hope

              Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 13/06/2011 - 3:16pm.

              Hi every body out there ,hope you fine.i am very great full
              that you all enjoyed you gecko trip to Uganda and Rwanda.
              hope may be one day you will all come back to Uganda or send friends and families to come to the GORILLA'S.

                We had Shaq as our guide when

                Submitted by Patsy on Sat, 09/04/2011 - 10:35am.

                We had Shaq as our guide when we toured Uganda and Rwanda in June 2007, and he is absolutely fabulous! He is a huge asset to the Geckos team, and anybody who travels with him is very lucky indeed. It is so great to see his him featured on the website, and if there is any voting to be had for an outstanding tour guide, he gets my vote!

                  Shaq!! nakumisi sana :) what

                  Submitted by Emma Jacobs on Fri, 01/04/2011 - 9:05pm.

                  Shaq!! nakumisi sana :) what an awesome tour guide and fun caring person. My tour guide for 2 weeks in 2006 - Rwanda, Uganda. Very helpful and full of stories, rocking the old 'Stacy-mobile' :) Pigia Shaq, sawa? Steph - I have his email..

                    Hi Steph, Thank you so much

                    Submitted by Hélène on Fri, 25/03/2011 - 11:44am.

                    Hi Steph,

                    Thank you so much for sharing this feedback. We have emailed further details about getting in touch with Shaq, so check your inbox!

                    It's great to see how excited you are about your experience in Uganda. Hélène

                      Shaq!!!!!!!! wow great to see

                      Submitted by Steph on Thu, 24/03/2011 - 9:12pm.

                      Shaq!!!!!!!! wow great to see your face again! Shaq was our tour guide in 2007 and he is seriously the best you could ask for, such a character and from below seems like he won a tour guide award, awesome and well deserved.

                      Shaq you rock!

                      Does anyone at Geckos know a contact for Shaq? he gave us phone numbers but if he has email now that would be great as he works with some local charities that we would like to give to

                        I did the Gorilla express

                        Submitted by brian richards on Fri, 04/03/2011 - 11:57pm.

                        I did the Gorilla express tour in June 09, Shaq was my tour guide, he was an excellent guide and good fun to be with, i know he would be very proud to be named tour guide for 2010, he deserves it.

                        cheers

                        Brian

                          Another amazing gecko trip.

                          Submitted by Catherine on Thu, 03/03/2011 - 7:14pm.

                          Another amazing gecko trip. The gorilla's were the highlight of the trip but the counrty and its people were inspiring. Shaq and George showed off there amazing counrty that they were so proud of. Well done guys

                            My husband and I had Shaq as

                            Submitted by Heather LoFaso on Thu, 03/03/2011 - 2:42pm.

                            My husband and I had Shaq as one of our guides in 2006. He was an awesome guide and sooooo much fun. We missed him after we moved to the next lag of our trip. We kept in touch for a bit after we got home but have since lost touch!!!!!! So Shaq if you read this look me up on Facebook ( Hadley Graham) Cosmo and I think of you often!!!!!!

                              My husband & I toured in 2007

                              Submitted by Wendy & Karl on Thu, 03/03/2011 - 2:06pm.

                              My husband & I toured in 2007 and had Shaq and George - Unforgettable!!! They are excellent tour leaders, friendly and helpfull - they made our tour to the gorillas amazing !! Glad to see they are still there doing what they love, cheers guys.

                                Shaq and George we're my tour

                                Submitted by Corey Parsons on Thu, 03/03/2011 - 12:02pm.

                                Shaq and George we're my tour guides through Uganda - both top blokes who made the tour extremely enjoyable for myself and the rest of the group.

                                Great to see them both working for Gecko's.

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