Diary of a Muzungu’s recommendations for Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda
Happy New Year, dear Diary reader! Thanks for your support.
Are you thinking about where the next 12 months will take you? Here are some of my favourite places …
UGANDA – Kampala “KLA”- coffee, culture and chimpanzees!
Denmark’s most popular newspaper, Politiken, asked me to recommend the Top Things To Do in Kampala for their Insider Guide. We agreed that Danish culture and cafe buffs would appreciate the Ndere Cultural Centre, Gaddafi National Mosque in Old Kampala, Kampala Art Biennale, the Bahai Temple and Acacia Mall in Kisementi (for the obligatory cappuccino fix).
There are many Kampala tours; uniquely, the Kampala Dark Day Tour is the creation of a criminologist! Namugongo Martyrs Shrine and Wamala Tombs are two of the tour’s most fascinating historical stops (blogs in draft folder!)
Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Lake Victoria
Our closest relative is bound to inspire you! Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary is perfect for a family day out, for camping with friends or as a romantic overnight getaway. It is internationally reknown for its high standards of primate care.
The whole family LOVED Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary!
Mount Gahinga Lodge, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, near Kisoro
Be the first of your friends to track the gorillas of Mgahinga! The little-visited but engaging gorilla family has now been resident for three years, so sightings are virtually guaranteed. Alternatively, track the rare golden monkeys, hike one of the Virunga’s three volcanoes or interact with the Batwa tribe who inhabited the forests for 60,000 years. Their story is unique. For all the info you need to plan your trip to one my favourite parts of Uganda, read Can you name the distant volcanoes of Mgahinga?. Fly with Aerolink from Entebbe to Kisoro for a real treat!
Promoting tourism across Uganda: Arua and West Nile
Enthusiasm for tourism in Uganda is at an all time high across the country. I loved visiting Gerald Iga’s hometown of Arua. Read what I discovered in “10 little-known things to do in Arua & West Nile.”
Birdwatching – anywhere and everywhere in Uganda!
Sunbird Hill, next to Kibale Forest, is named for its 14 sunbird species (I’m sure the birding experts will find more!)
Ornithologist Malcolm Wilson is planning his next bird ringing expeditions when he will be ringing at Sunbird Hill and other popular Ugandan birding locations. Read Malcolm’s blog of a previous bird ringing trip to Sunbird Hill.
KENYA – Nairobi nightlife, rail journeys & the coast
Come, we go! The East Africa Tourist Visa & Interstate Pass make travel between Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda cheaper for tourists and expats + easier for nationals. Read my blog and go!
Did you know…? In 2017 the ‘Lunatic Express’ train from Nairobi to Mombasa was replaced by new trains on a new track. This gives you two opportunities: to ride the old-fashioned trains for the last time and, after Easter, enjoy the far quicker four-hour journey to the coast.
Tawi Lodge was named Ecotourism Kenya’s Eco-Warrior Facility of the Year. The award-winning conservancy has arguably the best views of (Tanzania’s) Mount Kilimanjaro.
Have you visited the muzungu’s Kenya travel page?
RWANDA: Nyungwe Forest, Rwanda
Kampala to Nyungwe by road: 14 hours by bus + 3 hours by matatu minibus + hmmm… a bit longer on a smaller bus + half an hour ride on a boda boda through the dark forest + hitch hiking is not everyone’s dream journey but Jules and I LOVED it! Nyungwe Forest’s canopy walk and chimp tracking are both highly recommended.
Have you visited the muzungu’s Rwanda travel page ?
Nyungwe Forest is in a remote corner of East Africa that borders Burundi and the DRC.
And just for laughs, here are a few highlights that you may have missed:
… laughing & (crying?) at another of the muzungu’s dating disasters
… more dramas at the airport!
… stalking celebrities! I love #SityaLoss – still my favourite dance video!
DID YOU KNOW…? Daily updates, Uganda travel advice and random photos come thick and fast on my Diary of a Muzungu Facebook page or follow me @CharlieBeau on Twitter.
Toubab calling Mzungu,
One of my favourite places when I visited Uganda back in 2001 was Semiliki national park (the forest section as opposed to the savannah). I wondered if that’s regularly visited by tourists these days? After nearly bouncing off the back of a pick up whilst driving down an escarpment overlooking the Congo basin, we arrived to find very surprised looking rangers. They opened up a very dusty old visitors book and we discovered we were the first foreigners to visit in years. We camped near a Batwa village and were woken by the hoots of chimps. The walks through dense rainforest and past steaming swamps with hot springs fulfilled all of my fantasies of primeval African jungle.
Hi Simon, Semliki is rarely visited except by keen birders (for its unique endemics) and by those traveling between Kyaninga Lodge, Fort Portal, and Semliki Lodge, for example. I confess I still haven’t visited Semliki! I was invited there in 2010 but declined. Even then I knew I would want to stay in Uganda indefinitely! So I thought “let me save Semliki for another day…” – I sense that day approaching 🙂
very resourceful blog