Self-drive in southwestern Uganda, February 2020 (page 4 of 5)

Hello Bénédicte,

gorgeous blue turaco

How lucky😎, we looked for it so much... with no success 😕

Thanks again for this wonderful trip 🙂

Thanks also for continuing to follow our Ugandan journey 😉

Regarding the blue turaco, it's true that on that day, in Bigodi, we were really lucky. We first saw one, and then, further on, there was a tree with at least 5 or 6 of them. But birds, in general, are definitely tricky to photograph. I’ve lost count of how many times we’ve missed the shot 🤪, whether here in Uganda or in South Africa. We have amazing photos of blurs, tail tips, branches, sky, ... 😛

Have a great weekend !

Hi Régis,

That’s absolutely stunning!

Thanks!

For the eagle, I think it’s a Banded Eagle

Apparently, it’s more likely a Crowned Eagle ;) That’s what the owner of Isunga Lodge told my husband when he showed him the photo. The eagle was really big. I just checked in my pocket Sasol guide to confirm, and I found this (sorry for the photo quality):

Looks like we’ll have to go back to check 😛

Have a great weekend!

You're right, I think :)

13 February Today’s plan is lighter. We’re exploring the crater lakes region by car. It’s hot, but the sky is really milky (not great for photos).

We hit the road around 10 a.m., and we won’t leave it for the next three hours. It’s stunning—the contrast between the track and the vegetation is amazing. We pass through many villages.







As we leave a village, we make our first stop to admire the view of a lake. Five kids on their way to school join us. We chat with them, and one little girl says she wants to sing for us. She does, and afterward, my stepdaughter and I get a hug session from her. It’s a really special moment.





We continue on our way. The scenery is still breathtaking. Birds are out in full force, including the blue turaco again.







We reach a spot where you can see a lake on each side. We stop, take a short walk, and soak in the views.





Next, we head to Lake Nkuruba Nature Reserve, where we decide to take a short guided walk. We spot red-headed monkeys again and easily observe black-and-white colobus monkeys. All four of us really enjoy the moment.













We head back to the lodge, still on dirt roads, passing through a few more villages along the way.





In the afternoon: not much to report ;) With the end of the trip coming up fast :/, we take the chance to relax and soak up some Ugandan sun and energy.

February 14 Second-to-last day of our Ugandan trip. Today will be a travel day to get to Entebbe.

We take our time in the morning to pack, chat with the lodge owners, and savor our last moments in this peaceful little spot, which we leave around 1 p.m.



The road is generally in good condition. The landscapes seem less "interesting" to us, but maybe we’ve already seen so many stunning ones since the start of our trip that it’s hard to top that 😉 Still, the colors and unusual "things" aren’t lacking 😛







Dangerous transport... of bananas

We stop at a small shop to buy some pineapples to bring back to Belgium (to prolong the taste buds’ pleasure 😊).







Rain makes an appearance, but it doesn’t bother us for long.



The closer we get to Kampala, the more trucks, boda-bodas, and traffic reappear.



It’s Friday late afternoon, music blasts from all sides, life buzzes everywhere. And we love this vibe.





Once we reach the outskirts of Kampala, we take the expressway to Entebbe (in February, it wasn’t toll yet) to avoid the capital. And there, almost no one—hardly any cars.



We arrive around 7:15 p.m. at Precious Guest House, where we’d stayed when we first arrived in the country.

At 7:30 p.m., the car rental company comes to pick up the Land Cruiser. It’s not without a little pang in our hearts that we hand over the keys. Apart from the windshield wiper issue on the first day, we didn’t have any problems, and it let us travel comfortably. It was a key part of the team for this trip 🙂

Thanks Bénédicte for those wonderful moments we shared. It makes me want to go back...🙂. Muriel

Thanks Bénédicte, it was amazing! It always makes me want to go there even more, and it almost makes me reconsider self-driving. What was really making me nervous wasn’t so much the difficulty of the tracks, but the condition of the rental vehicles 🤪

Thanks Bénédicte for these wonderful moments we shared.

There’s still one more moment to share. Our return flight isn’t for another 24 hours 😉

Makes me want to go back...🙂.

Writing this travel journal let me relive our trip, and it feels so good in these confined times. And looking back at it all, I feel the same way—it makes me want to go back 🙂

There will still be a moment to share

Cool 😎. Muriel

Thanks Bénédicte, it was magnificent!

Thanks Régis. As I just wrote to Muriel, we’re only flying out in 24 hours. So our Ugandan adventure isn’t quite over yet 😉

It always makes me want to go, and it almost makes me change my mind about self-driving. Because what scared me wasn’t so much the difficulty of the tracks, but the condition of the rental vehicles 🤪

About self-driving, I had my concerns too after reading what others had said—worries about the state of the roads and the rental cars. In the end, we didn’t have any major issues with the car. That said, don’t expect brand-new vehicles. If I remember right, our Landcruiser was from 1994 and had seen better days. But at least we weren’t stressed about scratching it 😛 As for the roads, it’s true they weren’t always easy, but we managed just fine. The weather, though, has a huge impact on the condition of the tracks. So it’s important to pick the right time for your trip, even if you’re never completely safe from rain no matter the season.

Thanks Bénédicte for this beautiful travel journal! 🙂

You were really lucky with the chimpanzees. Is this a new way of telling time, starting from when they come down from the trees? Anyway, it wasn’t like that during our visit. 🙁 Fortunately, we had much better luck with the gorillas.

Indeed, the blue turaco is a beautiful bird. We saw several, but they weren’t easy to photograph.

After reading your journal and Esther’s, I really want to go back to Uganda. But with the current situation, it won’t be anytime soon. 😕

Carmen

Thanks Bénédicte for this beautiful travel journal.🙂

Thanks Carmen for reading it.

You were really lucky with the chimpanzees. Is this a new way of telling time, starting from when they come down from the trees?

No idea. But in any case, we were really happy about it 😉

Ever since I read your travel journal and Esther’s, I really want to go back to Uganda. But with the current situation, it won’t be anytime soon.😕

It’s certain we won’t be able to travel soon, but at least travel journals let us dream about it 😉

February 15 Just a few hours left in Uganda, and we plan to make the most of them 😎

A taxi picks us up from the hotel around 7:30 AM, heading to the port of Entebbe. It's pleasant out, but the sky is overcast. We drive through part of the city and, just before reaching the port, a small street turned into a market this Saturday morning. It's packed with people, buzzing with energy, scents, and colors. Now we're on the docks, not far from the pier where passengers and cars gather to cross Lake Victoria.



We meet the guide who’ll accompany us and wait for our boat—a small wooden one, not exactly new 😅—that’s supposed to take us to Mabamba Swamp. This morning, we’re off to look for the shoebill. We weren’t about to leave Uganda without at least trying to see it 😉



After about 45 minutes of sailing, we reach the edge of the swamp. We switch to another boat, even smaller, narrower, and no newer than the last one. We enter the swamp. It’s beautiful and so peaceful.





We quickly turn left. The passage is tricky through the vegetation, and the pilot has to step into the water to push the boat (small detail: he can stand 🙂).



We move forward little by little, and… the famous shoebill shows up!



There’s another boat with tourists, but they leave pretty quickly. We stay for a long while, alone, watching it, and we’re lucky enough to see it catch a fish. These moments of observation are pure magic.







We turn back, go through the tricky passage again, but this time the pilot manages without getting his feet wet. We continue our ride through the swamp. We spot a Goliath heron, kingfishers, jacanas, ducks, white-winged lapwings, and many more.











And then—another shoebill! We’re really lucky today 😊



We head back to where we need to switch boats. Once we’re on the other boat, we set course for dry land. The sky gets cloudier, and we can’t avoid the rain, but it passes quickly, making way for the sun.



We reach the docks. The taxi driver from this morning is right on time to take us back to the hotel.

A short break, and then we walk to Lake Victoria (±15-minute walk). It’s hot, and the sky is blue. We have lunch at the beach restaurant of the "2 Friends" hotel, which has a stunning view of the lake and a very relaxed vibe.



We have plenty of time to watch fishermen casting their nets and, as always, birds.







We could’ve spent the rest of the day there, but the suitcases won’t pack themselves

On our way back to the hotel, we make a small detour to the "Craft Market" and then to Victoria Mall for the very last purchases.

We spend the few remaining hours before our departure playing "Tetris" to try and fit everything into the suitcases , soaking up the Ugandan sun one last time, and taking a little rest and a shower to be fresh for the flight. We leave for the airport around 9:30 PM. Like when we arrived, the ride is very quick. We scan our suitcases and backpacks at the airport entrance. Then check-in, drop off the luggage, and go through immigration—all pretty fast. Our plane takes off 20 minutes early.

February 16 We land in Brussels at 6 AM, 30 minutes ahead of schedule. All four of our bags are there 😉; and so is the friend who came to pick us up.

And now, the end of this magical parenthesis and back to reality!

A huge thank you, Bénédicte!! What an amazing travel journal! I’ve decided—Uganda is at the top of my short list, and I think I’ll do it as a self-drive trip as soon as possible!! Safe travels

This time, it really is over... and it ended beautifully! Thanks again for this travel journal—it makes me want to go back (who knows, maybe next February 😇). Muriel

Thanks for this amazing travel journal! 🤩

PS: A destination to keep in mind for a future trip!

Oh yes, that’s definitely the shoebill—it was missing from the trophy list! What a magnificent bird.

Once again, huge thanks for this amazing travel journal! 🙂

A huge thank you, Bénédicte!! What an amazing travel journal!

Thanks so much!

I’ve decided—Uganda is at the top of my short list, and I’m thinking self-drive! As soon as possible!!

Yes, yes, yes—go for it! This country has so many beautiful things to offer. And if my travel journal helped confirm your decision to go, I’m super happy 😉 When it happens, don’t hesitate if you have any questions.

This time, it really is over....

Sure is 😛

And it ended beautifully!

Yes, this country amazed us right to the end.

Thanks again for this travel journal....

Thanks for reading so attentively and for the encouragement. It’s really motivating 🙂 And thanks for your travel journal too—it helped me a lot when we were planning our trip.

Which makes me want to go back (who knows, maybe next February 😇).

I hope you get to. At least dreaming about it is always allowed 😉

Thanks for this amazing travel journal! 🤩

Thanks for reading and commenting! 🙂

PS: A destination to keep warm for a future trip!

Warmly recommended by the team 😉