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A long day of travel
An early start, boarding the Swiss A320neo while still bleary-eyed.
A short flight to Belgium, followed by a seamless connection on a Brussels Airlines A330-300 to Entebbe—our arrival point in Uganda—with a stopover in Kigali, Rwanda.
After the entry procedure—welcome to Uganda—there is a short drive to "Papyrus," where we will spend the first night.
Back home
After a restful night, we experience the Papyrus Guest House by day.
A custom-made local breakfast...
...and then we set off to explore.
On our way to visit our friends at the tour operator Kikkoko, we realize we have truly arrived.
Uganda has us back!
We really appreciate the pleasant quiet of the guest house at night.
Searching for the shoebill in Mabamba Swamp
Uganda spruces itself up:
"National Cleaning Day" takes place on the last Saturday of each month. From 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., the country is spruced up before people head to work.
We are using the morning to go in search of the shoebill in Mabamba Swamp.
After a 45-minute ride on the "somewhat larger boat"...
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...we switch to the "somewhat smaller boat."
Narrow waterways lead us through impressive terrain to our destination.
For the second time, we are lucky enough to encounter one of the approximately ten rare birds native to this area.
Then, in the afternoon, it’s time for a siesta.
And after dinner, a bit of "office work."
And then, night takes the helm with the familiar, varied sounds of nature.
And then, night takes the helm with the familiar, varied sounds of nature.
The "group stage" begins.
The tour group has now fully arrived in Entebbe ...
... and heads to the lake for lunch after the briefing.
To continue, the route leads on along the lake...
... to the ...
... Botanic Gardens.
Here, the British colonial rulers created a large planted area featuring trees from all over the world as a minor show of power.
Older termite mounds - and therefore largely uninhabited
Lychee tree – not native here, like the other trees
Vervet Monkeys – very much at home
A fig tree – from another corner of the world
A very old mahogany tree – approximately 200 years old
And it is from this tree—which, at around 250 years old, is somewhat older—that we obtain, among other things, the resin for frankincense.
Another—fully grown—vervet monkey
Very, very tall palm trees – lots of trunk and few leaves
The velvety, supple leaf of the "Umbrella Tree"
Ironwood tree—its very hard, durable wood is said to be ideally suited for making coffins; the ants will leave you in peace for a few decades longer...
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* - with respectful greetings to the LGBTIQ+ community ;)
Lianas – large parts of the original Tarzan film were shot in the Entebbe Botanical Gardens around 1940.
Lake Victoria – with an area approximately one and a half times that of Switzerland, the second-largest freshwater lake in the world.
Chinese stuff, also known as bamboo
This staircase, also built by the British well over a century ago, led to one of the freshwater springs that were highly prized at the time—it served as the backdrop for the opening scene of the Tarzan film.
And then there's a spider - both native and harmless - that...
... unlike the blogger, had not yet fully spun out his thoughts that day.
Crossing the Equator to Lake Mburo National Park
Today we leave Entebbe. During the morning, we cross the equator and enter the Southern Hemisphere.
At lunch, the buffet offers a first taste of the diverse local cuisine.
Well-fed, we continue our journey southwest.
"Well-fed" is relative—there’s always room for a local snack freshly prepared by the roadside. The local community appreciates the support.
You can read more about the varied impressions gathered during these sometimes long drives in our previous travel blogs—or join us on a future trip and experience it all firsthand on site ????
There, just as we did today, you will surely encounter the Grey Crowned Crane, Uganda’s national bird.
Later in the afternoon, we reach our destination for the day: Lake Mburo National Park.
Until just under two weeks ago, everything here was dried up, parched, and brown. The animals could find neither food nor water; they were stressed and had retreated.
Then, about ten days ago, the long-awaited rainy season began; the animals have since calmed down and returned.
We are very lucky—this means we get to see a great deal during our walking safari.
Enjoy the photos below—additional information and more professional-quality images will follow in due course after our return.
By and on Lake Bunyonyi
While staying at "Eagle's Nest Camp," the blogger unfortunately spilled his second beer over the keyboard - any future shortcomings in the blog are solely due to the keyboard's misbehavior...
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After yesterday's five-hour drive, we enjoyed a restful night.
Today, the journey continues to Lake Bunyonyi in the Kabale region—the area in the southwest of the country where "our" school is located.
Along the way, in addition to plenty of coffee and new impressions, we’re broadening our horizons a bit with some local news from the daily press:
Today, Edward Rukidi Nyabongo - likely to be better known henceforth as Nyabongo I - is expected to be installed in office in Tooro, one of Uganda's five traditional kingdoms.
By mid-afternoon, we arrive at the Keije Resortand settle into our room with a lake view.
Next, we are taken by boat to a nearby small island and initiated into the secrets of crayfish fishing.
The traps are prepared and baited with termites to lure the crayfish.
Afterward, the traps are placed in the shallows near the shore.
Then comes the waiting game - and the hope for a big catch.
It’s time for a boat tour past some of the lake's many islands. Naturally, this includes "Punishment Island" - the smallest of them all. Anyone who doesn't yet know the story behind it is welcome to hear it back home over a beer or a glass of wine.
We head back to the traps, eager to see if our efforts have paid off.
222!
And for the vegetarians, there are also a few beehives on the island's shore.
Visit to the Kigezi Community School
Today, Micha’s parents, Micha, and I commandeered one of our two vehicles—driver included.
After a drive of about two and a half hours, we arrived at the Kigezi Community School.
Julius, Egidius, and Leviticus took us on a tour and updated us on the current status of the project.
After lunch, we planted a tree for each of the four visitors.
There is still plenty of room for a few more...
These four children...
...are children I met in the spring of 2024 at a remote house a few kilometers away from the school. At that time, they were sickly and too weak to manage the long walk to school. The school regularly provided them with food to take home until, a few months later, they were strong enough to make the journey to school on their own. Today, they are all doing well in school, and almost all of them showed up for an impromptu photo session.
We are still a long way from consistently upholding children's rights in many respects—but in this specific instance, everyone involved did a great job.
That includes you, the donors; we would like to take this opportunity to pass on the thanks of the local project team.
Among the Mountain Gorillas
After the first of two nights at "A Ride 4 a Woman"—including a game night—we set off for gorilla trekking.
IMAGE: Lodge
IMAGE: Game
IMAGE: Flyer
Our two groups experience quite different days. Comparing notes upon our return makes for an especially exciting exchange.
For now, we’ll let the day’s photos speak for themselves.
You can also find a video link further down.
IMAGES: Trekking
Today, even the blogger dared to step into the picture.
IMAGE: Blogger
Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kazinga Channel
After an impressive day with the gorillas, we enjoy the evening at the lodge.
The Han restaurants might as well pack it in...
Today’s drive of just under two hours takes us to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Through authentic, rural countryside:
Coffee
Charcoal
Sorghum
And yet, we also find ourselves within perfectly ordinary civilization.
In front of the house: Somewhere between arts and crafts and everyday objects – it makes sense!
Naturally, Uganda relies heavily on tourism—a thoroughly appropriate and sustainable form of tourism...
... with a gentle dig at Swatch, Trauffer & Co.
Behind the house: local production for the lodges, restaurants, and, of course, the local community.
And before continuing on to the park for wildlife viewing, we’ll naturally also stop by the house...
That makes sense, too!
And then, finally, it’s off to the park.
The photos (by Micha) will remain without commentary for the time being.
After the time spent in the park—including lunch...
... the "piste vehicle" paves the way for us to continue on to the Kazinga Channel.
The boat trip along the canal then allows us to continue observing wildlife:
Dusk has already set in as we make our way to our accommodation for the next two nights.
The Bush Lodge within Queen Elizabeth National Park
Extremely cozy—except when the Hxpos show up at night...
After the blogger pushed himself into the spotlight a bit yesterday, today—with many thanks—we have a picture from the court photographer.
Visiting the Chimpanzees
At dawn, we set off on another safari drive, hoping to spot a leopard today as well.
For the moment, however, we’re a bit stuck...
While we wait for the vehicle that will pull us out, we’re already enjoying the sunrise.
After that makeshift moment of relaxation, it's time for breakfast.
Afterwards, we get to see some more lions.
Unlike yesterday, however, we aren't completely alone out there today.
A veritable car-avan
And right after that, another hypo—just chilling.
After the lunch break, we head out for chimpanzee trekking in the Kyambura Gorge.
First of all, we get to see two or three of our closest relatives above the gorge in the steppe
After they have retreated into the dense steppe grass, we descend into the gorge and spend another half-hour there with a different group of monkeys.
After they have retreated into the dense steppe grass, we descend into the gorge and spend another half-hour there with a different group of monkeys.
For the first time on this tour, a thunderstorm moves in, bringing the adventure to an abrupt end.
While fleeing the rain on the drive back to the lodge, we finally spot that first, long-awaited leopard.
Visiting a community in the Kibale region
Our journey continues today with a drive of just over three hours heading north to Kibale National Park.
(As a reminder to myself, in case I should ever find myself looking for good coffee in this region again...)
Outside Kasese, the quality of the roads quickly deteriorates significantly again.
Just a few minutes outside the town – a completely new landscape.
Typical landscapes seen during today's drive
Laundry day, take one...
... and laundry day, take two
And there it is again—the '20,000-note lake'.
Lake Nyinambuga
Soon after, we reach the community we plan to visit today.
There, we are served a wide variety of local products for lunch.
In at the top – and...
Afterwards, we take part in some community tourism activities.
Banana refinement: banana juice, banana beer, banana schnapps "single" and banana schnapps "double"
Vanilla
Coffee
A very close interlinking of tradition, culture, and tourism—though one that, for us, also raises some questions.
We picked up some jackfruit (stink fruit) for the rest of the journey to today's accommodation—though it’s actually much better than its reputation suggests.
After checking in at the KFC—which in this case stands for "Kibale Forest Camp"—there is still some free time before dinner.
And—to ensure the reporting remains truly authentic:
... out the bottom
Murchison National Park
It’s a great way to wake up.
Today, a long drive to Murchison Falls National Park is on the agenda—past many tea pickers...
... and just as many Baboons
"Coffee" break
And it works ...
Over the course of the afternoon, we drive into the national park amidst a somewhat somber atmosphere...
... and head straight for the waterfalls.
Unfortunately, just a tiny waterfall now.
Until 1962, this was the narrowest point of the Nile—measuring just seven meters across—through which the entire volume of water had to force its way.
Then, following heavy rainfall, the river carved out an additional, wider channel, which now carries the majority of the flow.
Consequently, both channels are visible in the image below:
On the right, the original "Murchison Falls," and on the left, the "Independence Falls"—formed in 1962, the year Uganda gained its independence.
On the way to where we’re spending the night, we’re lucky enough to encounter some lions.
So many animals – on land, and in and by the water.
At breakfast at Fort Murchison Lodge we see the Nile in the background and the elephant in the foreground, who pays us an early morning visit.
After a rainy night, we set off in the sunshine along the Nile for today's wildlife viewing.
Original tone of our driver (without sarcasm):
“I have never seen this road in such good condition.”
However, other roads in this area are currently undergoing major expansion.
Oil production is set to begin in the coming years in the area between Lake Albert and Murchison National Park.
That is why Uganda's second international airport will eventually be built in this area.
Back to the national park – with a rather peculiar-looking tree, the "sausage tree".
Now, let's move on to the animals:
Before lunch, a quick trip down to Lake Albert—specifically to the spot where the Nile, arriving from Lake Victoria as the Victoria Nile, flows into Lake Albert, only to leave it shortly thereafter as the Albert Nile.
On the way to lunch, these lions lie in wait for us...
In the afternoon, we embark on a two-and-a-half-hour river cruise on the Nile.
... up to Murchison Falls and back.
There is a great deal to discover there, too:
Visiting the Rhinos
Today, a very long drive from Murchison Falls back to Entebbe lies ahead.
On the way, however, we also visit the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
In 2005, this project began reintroducing the rhinoceros—threatened with extinction due to poaching—within a highly protected environment.
7,000 cattle had to make way for the first six rhinos.
Today, the reserve, with its 40 to 50 animals, has reached its capacity limit.
This year, therefore, the relocation of the first rhinoceroses to other national parks began, where they continue to be under protection and observation.
Then, as the journey continued, one final culinary highlight—very much in the African style:
Here, the crawling inhabitants are coaxed out of the anthill—only to be processed into various delicacies.
One would really need to sleep on such profound experiences to make sense of them and process them without ill effects...
...but a change of plans means sleep is off the agenda for now.
The journey now leads not merely to Entebbe, but right through it—more or less directly to the airport.
Since the return flight scheduled for tomorrow has been cancelled, we unfortunately have to forgo the rest day before the return journey.
It was great—thanks for your interest—and see you next time.
Micha & Jürg