Kim309

I had been having a difficult time in Tanzania. To the point that I considered cancelling the safari that I had booked onto. It was only because Donna, who runs Maasai Wanderings (the company I had chosen because they support local communities), had been so helpful that I even got as far as Arusha. After 18 hours on a bus that went from Musoma via Nairobi (a border crossing at 4am is never fun) and only 2 hours sleep, the aggressive, persistent, ubiquitous touts of Arusha were unbearable. I had thought, indeed expected, to see plenty of wildlife on a safari, but not as much, as close, or as easily as we did. Day 1: The first giraffe The Maasai Wanderings vehicle with Doto (our guide/driver), Elias (our cook) and Matthew (the other person booked onto ... read more

En route from Burundi, we stopped for one night in Kigali. The following morning was when I went to the Memorial Centre and then had lunch alone, feeling like chopped liver (New York slang). We then arranged a lift back to Kabale, in Uganda, with Milton, who delivers Ugandan newspapers to Kigali daily. For an additional fee, he took us straight to the Overland Camp at Lake Bunyoni. A gorgeous place! The safari tent rooms are erected on wooden platforms with stunning views over the lake. We walked to the local school and 'commune' where travellers volunteer through the House of Edirisa in Kabale. The school was impressive for the painted wall charts on the outside walls - I have seen this in many countries where there are few resources, but this is the first time ... read more

"This chapter is a bitter part of our lives, but one we must remember for those we lost and for the sake of the future." Quote from the Kigali Memorial Centre Sadly, the main thing that most people associate with Rwanda is the 1994 genocide. Rwanda is a beautiful country with a sense of healing and worth a visit. Much of the countryside is cultivated, which is to be expected in a country with one of the highest population densities. Terraces climb hillsides, allowing crops to be grown on even the highest slopes. But, the genocide is part of the story of Rwanda. I had decided not to visit the Kigali Memorial Centre before travelling around Rwanda, feeling that I wanted to see the country without a shadow. Instead, I went there on my return to ... read more

My first glimpse of mountain gorillas at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park made the high prices and the journey to get here so worthwhile. I’d left Masaka a week earlier by Post Bus, having failed (twice) to see Shoebills. The Post Buses literally carry post and passengers between post offices along a route. Unusually, or so I was told, the bus I was waiting for was over 2 hours late due to a breakdown. The time was filled by a Ugandan woman occasionally striking up conversation with me: it’s not the first time in my life that I have been asked, “Are you saved?” but I think it is the first time I’ve been asked, “To what tribe do you belong?” I had thought that I would stay for a couple of days in Kabale, but the ... read more

Inevitably, having flown from Addis Ababa to Kampala, I am making comparisons. The main differences seem to be things that are missing: Fewer beggars, fewer shoe shines, and definitely less hassle. Kampala is a lovely place - small and compact. Finding my way around was helped, however, by the fact that Fiona and Steffen (friends I am staying with) gave me an orientation tour the day after I arrived. We visited the National Museum as part of the tour which was, as Steffen said in the comments book, 'interesting'. There is a mixed bag of exhibits and a small natural history section with animals missing from labelled diaramas. I loved it! There are few tourist sites in the capital, but just wandering around, especially in the market area is great fun. There is such a nice ... read more