Uganda: 20 days discovering authenticity (page 5 of 9)

Good evening Delphine,

The shoebill, which I’ve never seen and is one of my birdwatching Holy Grails, has the beauty of the ugly, like the marabou stork. A living fossil—it deserves respect, right?

With every one of your posts, I thank the heavens you weren’t adopted by gorillas—we’d have missed out on your informative and hilarious story. I loved everything, especially the shoebill (obviously), but also the chimps and the chameleons.

Thanks for sharing!

BL

PS: A little side note—I’m terrible at ornithology (except for diagnosing European goldfinch vs. African ostrich, which I’m apparently great at—at least when I can check my cheat sheets). So I’m constantly bothering my partner to ID birds with questions like, “Who’s that?” and “What’s this one?” and “Who’s that guy?”...

Hi Bernard,

Thanks so much! 🙂

Our guide, who specializes in ornithology, would tell us the name of every bird we spotted, but I’ve forgotten it all ! We met quite a few passionate birders there because Uganda seems to be a hotspot for ornithologists, and sure enough, we saw lots of different species.

The shoebill really does look like it’s straight out of prehistory—I was really hoping to see one! 🙂

More from the trip coming right up!

Have a great day.

The next day, we set off early for a cruise to the Nile Delta (sharp at 7:00 AM)!

The sunrise is gorgeous.



After a few minutes, we come across the famous shoebill again! Like in Ziwa, it’s still quite far away, and the photos are tricky. Murchison Falls Park is also one of the places where your chances of spotting this incredible bird are pretty good.



A few monkeys too.



A huge lizard.











The cruise wraps up around midday. Some lovely sightings, but I’ve got to admit, I found it a bit long—and I’m not even talking about our girls 😉!!!

In the afternoon, our first game drive in the park. First, we had to take the ferry, then wait for the elephants to kindly clear the road .

School run in progress! !













The park’s landscapes are stunning. An albino antelope.

Yes, Uganda is famous for its "birdies" 😉

I still find the shoebill just as fascinating 😎 I’ll share a photo taken by Nathalie (Girardinpho) so you can see the size of a shoebill.

And for the grand finale, a leopard 😊. So far away... !

Wow, this photo is amazing 😮 !

Thanks JF for posting this photo... it really is impressive 😮

Love the lazy leopard 😉 and Murchison is still as gorgeous—it’s really a stunning park 😎

Murchison is still as beautiful—it’s truly a stunning park

Not having seen Kidepo (yet!), MFNP remains my favorite park in Uganda 😉. Muriel

Both are stunning, yet so different 😎

Murchison Falls National Park is one of our favorites too 🙂. The landscapes are stunning and there are so many animals.

This morning, we set off for a game drive. We take the first ferry—it’s raining and the car roof has to stay closed ...



But the contrasts are amazing 😎.













The rain stops, and in the distance, we watch lions playing 🙂.





This little gazelle isn’t scared at all ! They’re getting closer... until they end up right in front of our vehicle! You can’t imagine how excited we were 😎!









Gorgeous.

The saga continues...









She's so beautiful... 😎

But don't get too close, though... 😮























This morning left us completely fulfilled 🙂.

Final game drive in Murchison at the end of the day.

I love giraffes...



























The day was splendid (despite a bit of unpredictable weather). This park is truly magnificent, both for its landscapes and its wildlife. Let’s hope the authorities will know how to protect it. Tomorrow, we’re heading to the northeast of the country and will reach Kidepo National Park, which borders South Sudan to the north and Kenya to the east.

I love the "field" of giraffes 😎

The birds are really beautiful too 🙂

We also saw fields of giraffes 😎... but since the grass was straw-yellow at the time, the contrast wasn’t nearly as striking—it was more like a monochrome look 🤪. I didn’t expect it to be so green in July, either... Muriel

Gorgeous series of lions, beautiful light, great poses. Well done!

BL

Continuing the trip, a long drive from Murchison to Kidepo. It’s pouring rain, and our guide is a bit worried. The closer we get to the park, the more stunning the landscapes become, but the road is disastrous and very slippery—several buses have ended up in the ditch. It’ll take us longer than expected. A few scares along the way too 🤪.

Mini safari before settling into the park’s bandas. Simple but nice (though they won’t hold up against the rain 😏).







The state of our vehicle upon arrival 😮.





Apoka Rest Camp’s facilities are pleasant, and the evening meal was pretty good.

The next day, game drive in the park. It seems like the season is great for big cats but not so much for other animals.

This hyrax isn’t scared at all... right on Lion’s Rock!

Who’s bothering me?







I’m fed up with the spectators... Gorgeous landscapes.



A young male lion.

In the afternoon, we go back to see if the lions are still in the same spot.

First, a tortoise: Rain threatens again. Bingo!











Ugh... it's raining... No joke, it's serious!









We need to hurry back because the road is getting so bad that if we wait too long, it’ll become impossible. Plus, we’ll pass a few vehicles completely stuck. Driving in this park isn’t easy.