My exploration of the ‘Pearl of Africa’ Uganda and magical Kenya
August 31, 2016
By Theo Osborne *
It’s always been a dream of mine to visit Uganda. This destination, famously known as the ‘Pearl of Africa’ is the smallest country in East Africa but is well-known for its scenery, famous for having a large gorilla population in Africa, as well as amazing birdlife and wonderful national parks. We ventured from Uganda over to incredible Kenya and uncovered natures playground in the process. If you are an adventure seeker this trip is one worth doing!
We wanted to stay in a variation of places, which celebrated the beautiful natural surroundings of the places we were visiting. In particular, we were hoping to find wonderful eco lodges to rest our weary limbs after daily safari visits and long hikes spotting the incredible game inhabiting these parts of magical Africa.
‘Volcanoes’ Kyambura Gorge Safari Lodge, Uganda
To get here we flew from London to Nairobi then a short flight onto Entebbe followed by a drive through the National Park to reach the lodge, which is situated on the edge of the Kyambura Gorge and Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Kyambura Gorge Lodge
The Kyambura Gorge Safari Lodge has stunning views overlooking the Queen Elizabeth National Park and the mythical Mountains of the Moon in the far distance – it is a lovely, intimate, eco-friendly place with delightfully friendly staff. We had an amazing outdoor bathroom, which was by the gorge giving us beautiful views. We would have been totally happy just relaxing in this beautiful lodge enjoying the surroundings but we had to get an early night in order to make the most of the reason we arrived, to seek out the chimps!
The morning after we arrived we eagerly headed off to find the chimps with a guide – they proved to be quite hard to spot but so worth the trip. Hiking through the rainforest in the natural gorge you travel with an armed guard as there is all sorts of wildlife in the forest including lions, elephants and lots of hippos – this truly is natures playground and the sounds that accompany your trek are outstanding. When we heard the chimps calling in the distance, the guide took off after them with us trailing behind. The chimps were up the tree to start with and then gradually came down after they had finished feeding. They are so human like, all their tendencies so similar to ours – a really rewarding and incredible experience. Once you discover them you are allowed an hour with them and this gives you ample time to enjoy their company and appreciate them.
To reach our next destination we had a six-hour drive through the Queen Elizabeth National Park. The game viewing is really very good here – and sometimes you can be lucky enough to spot the big 5 but this cannot be guaranteed, regardless the drive is beautiful and well worth the long journey. As we were visiting in the rainy season, the game tended to be more spread out so we got sporadic views of animal sightings, yet there was still a lot to see.
Wandering giraffe
Majestic Elephants
Our next destination is totally based on eco tourism and we wanted to stay there especially to spot the gorillas, this is an ideal place as it is situated about 500m from the gorilla trailhead, perfect for us in our quest to see these magnificent creatures up close.
Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge, Uganda
We arrived at Bwindi Lodge, which is situated right at the edge of the Impenetrable National Forest, an incredibly dense jungle like Forest full of amazing species. Bwindi National Park consists of multiple stunning landscapes which change colour throughout the day and as you approach the Park you notice the mountainous layers and just how lush it is – an ideal spot for our gorilla scouting. This is a once in a lifetime experience, and walking with these gentle giants is something I have always wanted to do, we were seriously excited for what we were going to see and knew it would be an experience like no other.
Surrounding views
As it was rainy season when we were there we ended up being the only people in our lovely lodge, so we had true exclusivity which was amazing – the weather was great with just the odd short bursts of showers for about half an hour so don’t let the season put you off! As the lodge is situated so close to the trail, the gorillas do quite often make an appearance within the grounds and can sometimes be spotted from your room – this would be a real treat but this apparently tends to be a sporadic sighting and we didn’t spot any until we were hiking. All the rooms are rustic chic but super comfortable and really they are all you need as the scenery and mystical surroundings are beautiful and the staff are so hospitable and welcoming that you instantly feel part of the family.
Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge Staff
On the first day of hiking we set off hugely excited, there were a few others in our group (8 people maximum at one time in each group). We decided to take a porter to carry our bags which contained our water and supplies – this is an effective way to prevent poaching as until not too long ago these porters used to be poachers so this is a great preventative method, they are incredibly strict here and there is absolutely no poaching happening at the National Park. At all times the gorillas have trackers with them, keeping an eye on them and so on the morning of our trek our guides roughly knew their whereabouts. We were quite lucky that they were about 2½ hours hike away as they can be up to 11 hours away! Saying that, being fit definitely helps as the walk is more of a climb through layers of rainforest, which was seriously tiring, however nothing can prepare you for the first time you lay eyes upon these majestic gorillas.
Human-like gorillas
The Gorillas
We visited the Mubare gorilla family first which was a family with three baby gorillas. Although you are meant to stay six metres away from them, the gorillas do not take this into account and we were immediately surrounded, whilst the adults tend to ignore you the babies are much more intrigued and inquisitive. The silver backs are huge and the many wives seem totally submissive to him, it was one of the most awe-inspiring and incredible moments I have ever experienced. After the hour was up we started our descent down the mountain stopping for a picnic lunch on the way down.
Once back at the cosy lodge I then indulged in an authentic African massage and had an early night back in our lovely lodge where the wonderful staff had lit a comforting, warming fire – perfect for resting our weary legs. The staff are all so kind and gracious here and they really will try to help you with anything. Their love of the country is infectious and you feel so passionately about it too. You can get involved with the local orphanage and visit the children there. It puts our life into stark perspective but they are loved and looked after which is brilliant to see.
The following day we were incredibly lucky to be the only ones in our group, this time we headed off to visit a different family of gorillas. Being the only ones visiting this group made the trip even more wonderful. This family had two tiny babies who were so inquisitive and would hide then pop their heads out at us, a truly amazing experience. Feeling lightheaded from all the excitement of our personalised experience with the gorillas we felt so lucky to have had such a private and one to one experience and ready for the next part of our adventure!
Playful young gorillas
The next day we were up bright and early ready for our drive and short flight from Entebbe to Nairobi followed by the flight on to reach Borana Lodge. Perched on the edge of the Samangua Valley with views of Mount Kenya, Borana Lodge is really magical and has been family owned and run for the last three generations, which is evident in the personality of the staff there and the homely touches throughout the beautiful spaces. The 8 lodges are beautifully decorated – they are each rustic yet minimalist in style with open fires lit each night and unreal views over the water hole – number 6 is definitely the nicest lodge to stay in if you can!
Beautiful Rooms
The lodge is also a working ranch so all the produce is organically produced from the farm and this shines through as the food is so fresh and delicious. There are a huge amount of activities on offer, from quad biking or mountain biking to horse riding. We went on a riding safari and it was incredible to have a totally different perspective on horseback riding through the bush. Generally the wildlife are scared of humans on horseback in particular lions although they try to avoid them. During our ride we rode straight into the path of an elephant and later on a herd of buffalo – such an amazing experience. The game viewing is fantastic here as there is no fence between Borana and Lewa game wanders freely around so you have ample opportunity to see the Big 5 and plenty of rhinos too! The walking safaris and mountain biking adventures are so much fun and enable you to feel fully deserving of sundowners on Pride Rock before indulging in delicious dinner.
Riding Safari
Back in Nairobi we visited the local markets for some last minute shopping and then stopped in at the Elephant Sanctuary (David Sheldrick) to sponsor an elephant, well worth doing once you have seen all the incredible wildlife that need our help and protection!
If you are thrill seeking and looking for a safari with a difference and plenty of activity and hiking make sure Uganda and Kenya are on your hit list, as they are must visit destinations!
*Culled from Forbes
