Uganda 2024 (Murchison to Queen Elizabeth National Parks)

=====JUNE 2024===

Leaving Murchison Falls National Park we traveled south to our next location.
Instead of following the main road out of the park we turned west soon after Paraa check point, where we received a friendly and amusing greeting.
A young attractive female National Park security guard approached our vehicle, and announced with a broad smile on her face: “Hi, I’m Marion your new daughter-in-law”, to which we replied: “We would love to have you as our daughter-in-law, but we don’t have a son”, her response was “Not a problem, I will find you one”. And with that she checked our papers and walked away, with the broad smile never leaving her face. One example of the friendliness of the Ugandan people we encountered throughout the country.
A short dirt road section connected us back to one that was tarred and our journey south continued.
We were now travelling parallel with the shoreline of Lake Albert, but most of the time, too far away to see it. As our journey progressed, Innocent explained what we were seeing around us. The rich fertile soil and weather of central and south Uganda provides ideal conditions for farming a great variety of crops. Something we would be reminded of during the rest of our trip.
We were just learning about cassava (Manioc or Yuca, a staple food in Uganda and a drought-tolerant crop) when suddenly we stopped by the side of the road. Innocent pointed out a family of cassava farmers preparing their crop and then suggested we go and see what they were doing. Although the visit was unplanned the family welcomed us and showed us what they were doing. They even let us try our hand in the preparation process and showed us where and how they lived (see below). An amazing and very memorable experience, especially as communication was difficult. The family only spoke their regional language which not even Innocent could communicate in. Instead we got by with facial and body expressions.

Cassava also called Manioc or Yuca depending which country you are in

Shredding cassava roots

Family home

This was a full day’s drive which gave us plenty time to observe our surroundings and engage with Innocent about what we were seeing. There was so much to see we never got bored.
Before our lunch stop we passed a great variety of fruit and vegetables crops being grown together with the farmer families selling their produce by the roadside.
We learnt that of the large number of trucks we were seeing, many had crossed the border from Rwanda and the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) to either deliver produce or buy stuff to take back. We also found out how to assess the age of a vehicle from its registration plate (see below).

Truck going back Rwanda after passing the police check

Local shop and product on display

Crops for sale

Coffee drying and other staples of food

We briefly discussed religion. Following Innocent’s enquiry, we informed him that in the UK more people identify as having no religion than any of the recognised faiths. He confirmed that this isn’t the case in Uganda, where 99% of the population identify with a faith. Catholic, Church of Uganda and Muslim faiths account for most of the population.
The provision of drinking water piped into individual home is almost unheard of in most of Uganda. Instead water has to be collected. The more wealthy can afford to pump ground water from beneath their property, then store it in giant black water tanks on the roof. Community storage in this fashion is available to others in the cities. But for the majority, fetching water is a daily task. The lucky ones have a water pump close by to collect potable water, but for many it’s a long walk to a stream or river where the water quality is unknown. For those who need to collect water the next issue is how to transport it. Yellow jerrycans are the container of choice and generally hold 10 or 20 litres. The age of the water collector signifies the size of the container. The very young carry 1ltr, progressing to 5ltrs then 10ltrs, with adults expected to carry 20ltr cans. The larger cans are generally carried on the head. Multiple containers require the assistance of a bicycle or motorcycle.

Transport Water

By the time we stopped for lunch our knowledge of Ugandan life had increased enormously. Lunch was taken at a hotel around half distance, which also provided shade to kept the vehicle cool whilst parked. We were also able to see cassava in its finished form. A paste like substance known as Karo.

Karo, it's cooked cassava

Parked for lunch

After lunch we continued our journey south with more things of interest to be observed from the car. One thing in particular caught our attention. A field full of cotton plants, in itself not unusual. But an armed guard sitting in a watch tower looking over the field of workers was. This became much clearer when we realised the workers were prisoners, denoted by their orange jumpsuits.
Towards the end of the drive we passed through the town of Kyenjojo. Its name means Elephant crossing. In times gone by Elephants would regularly cross the town going to and from the Kibale forest. Something that seldom happens now.
The final stretch to our accommodation in the Kibale National Park would normally require crossing the busy town of Fort Portal. However, Innocent knew a short cut, which worked out quicker and more interesting. A turning of the main road took us on to a bumpy dirt road and entered the Kiko Tea Estate. The estate covers around 530 hectares, most of which is covered by tea bushes. As well as the rolling hills covered in tea, the estate includes a village for the workforce with all the usual amenities. Our drive through was fascinating especially as many people were out on the streets, sadly due to a funeral taking place.

Tea plantation

We emerged from the estate onto the road that dissects the Kibale National Park. From here it was just a short drive to our accommodation. Our home for the next two nights was the Kibale Forest Camp. A tranquil place deep in the Kibale forest, set in manicured grounds with comfortable Safari Tents for the weary traveller. To our surprise, Pamela, the lady we shared the Victoria Nile boat trip with, was staying at the same place. So we had diner together.

The next day was a big day for us and one of the key activities we had come to Uganda to experience. We were going Chimpanzee tracking.
Today there are very few places in the world that provide a chance of seeing Chimpanzee’s in the wild and Kibale National Park is arguably the best. As we left our forest retreat our hopes were high. A short drive got us to the park headquarter where we joined other wildlife enthusiast with the same desire.
A briefing was then delivered by the park rangers in respect of what we might encounter in the park and how to behave in the presence of Chimpanzee’s, should we be lucky enough to find them. This also included the mandatory wearing of face masks when with the Chimpanzee’s, so as to not transmit any human related illnesses. We were then split into groups of six, allocated a ranger guide and two armed trackers. The guns were just a precautions should we encounter Forest Elephant and need to scare them away.
Each group went to a different starting point in the forest and by 08:30 the tracking had begun. There are several groups of Chimpanzee in the Kibale National Park but their location is not monitored, so skilled trackers are required to find them. Chimpanzee’s communicate with each other using what appears to be a high pitched screams and it was this that was to be used to locate them.
It wasn’t long before we heard the first set of Chimpanzee calls and the tracking began. To begin with we followed well marked forest paths, constantly changing direction, until the rangers pinpointed were they might be. It was at this point that the going got tougher. We were now scrambling through thick undergrowth, up and down steep slopes. But it was worth it, because after about a hour we were standing in the presence of our closest relative.

Kibale Forest

Cutting our way through the forest to find the Chimps

Whilst keeping a respectful distance we watched them interact with each other. Every so often a new member of the group would appear from the dense forest and greet the others. Some members were in the trees while others were lounging on the ground. Although not habituated they were used to the company of humans and didn’t seem concerned by our presence. We did our best not to get in their way but on the odd occasion that we did, our swift movement avoided any conflict. Our allocated time with the Chimpanzee’s seem to fly by and when it was time to leave most of the group had moved on in search of food.
All that was left was to retrace our route back to the forest pick up point and to reflect on this incredible and privileged experience we had just had.

One just came down from a tree

Are you lot going to be much longer?

A leaf is better than a flower

Too much, this too much!

Spending time with the Chimps

Resting after breakfast

Thoughts for the rest of the day: What I am going to do!

We had no further activities planned for the day and were happy to relax in the beautiful environment of our forest camp. As the sun peeked through the forest canopy we sat on our deck reliving the amazing experience we had just had. We were treated to another one. First a Black and White Colobus monkey made a brief appearance in a tree in front of us then a Red Colobus monkey sat feeding on a branch just around the side of our Safari tent. What a day!

Red Colombus

The next day we were on the move again. Still heading south with the Queen Elizabeth National Park our destination. A brief stop in the small town of Kanyanchu to photograph a Chimpanzee statue and a chance encounter with the Banana Man (see below). Then we left the Kibale forest and started another fascinating drive.
It wasn’t long before we left the main tarred road and turned into the hills along a dusty dirt road. The dust created along these types of road is known as “African Powder”.
This part of Uganda is full of crater lakes, some quite large and many filled with water. This ready source of water has aided the irrigation of the small privately owned banana plantations that can be seen everywhere. We stopped to photograph a couple of the most scenic lakes, including the one that is featured on the Ugandan 20,000 Shilling bank note, Lake Nyinambuga.

One of the Crater Lake, the one on the Ugandan Shilling Notes (money)

The Chimp Statue, just for tourists like us

As we progressed along these hilltop roads there was lots to see, as usual. People were dressed in their Sunday best cloths as they made their way to church. Young children where always ready to wave as we drove past, to which we responded with a wave back. Boda Boda motorcycles were everywhere, transporting huge bunches of banana’s and multiple passengers. It was at this point that we realised that lady’s sat side saddle on the back of the Boda Boda, looking very elegant in the process.

The crater lake hills and banana plantation in the background

Once back on the tarred road we continued our journey south. It was at this point we started to see a different type of industry to farming. Factories started to appear, a large cement operation at Hima followed soon after by Colbert mine. However, the change of scenery didn’t last long and after the bustling town of Kasese, the greenery reappeared. It was also at this point that we crossed the Equator, moving from the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern. A road side monument was being constructed to mark the point.

The Equator, big display to come in the future (not sure when)

Soon after the Equator we turned into the Queen Elizabeth National Park (formally known as the Kazinga National Park until HRH visited in 1954) and arrived at our Safari Camp. Here we had a palatial Safari Tent with a vast deck that provided views out over a saline lake. Salt is harvested from the lake and provides employment for a small number of workers. It’s also a stop over for a large flock of Flamingoes, which happened to be there during our visit.

Flamingos

The day was completed by a late afternoon game drive. With the highlight of seeing tree climbing lions. Two adultescent cubs were first spotted resting up in a cactus tree (see below). Then the mother and three older cubs appeared. With the family all together the younger cubs descended the tree and began to play with the others. We watched them for as long as we could, but with the light fading we had to return to camp.

Lion (young one) coming down the tree

Tree Climbing Lions

Best suncream ever!

The following day we had an early morning game drive and were lucky to spot an Eagle Owl hunting. Then after lunch it was a boat ride along the Kazinga Channel. The Kazinga Channel dissects the park between the northern and southern sections with water flowing east to west. From the higher Lake George into the larger Lake Edward.
We boarded our boat at the small town of Kyambura and were joined by two other tourists. We started down stream and soon realised that the channel was full of life, plenty of different birds, Hippo’s, Croc’s, Elephants and even a buffalo wallowing in the shallows. Our knowledgable boatman helped with bird identification and explained how the residents of Kyambura made a living (see below). Our time on the water raced by, but we fortunately got back to the jetty before the rain arrived.

Young Nile Crocodile

Malachite King Fisher feeding it's young one

Baby Water Monitored Lizard

Flock of White Egrets

Hadada Ibis

Elephant leaving le Channel

Kazinga Channel resident

Back at the safari camp we dined to the sound of Hyena’s and Lion’s in the distance. Before being escorted, by armed guard, back to our tent. As the camp is not fenced an escort is required after dark, in case you meet one of the other park residents on your way back. More of Uganda in Part 3 ……

Personal Observations & Interesting Facts

Vehicle ageing from its Registration Plate
All Ugandan vehicle registration plates start with the letter U (for Uganda). The next two letters normally indicate its age by the date of registration. Therefore the oldest vehicles would start with UAA and the newest (as of 2024) would be UBQ. This knowledge provided me with another form of amusement during long road journeys. However, the condition of some vehicles didn’t seem to align with there assumed age. This confusion was cleared up when I found out that many vehicle were bought second hand from the UN, then registered on year of purchase.

Cassava Farmers home
The family of cassava farmers we met were kind enough to show us their home. A circular dwelling made from wooden poles and mud plaster. A single story building with a thatched roof. Inside there was room for two adults and some young children, plus a general purpose area. Access was through a small doorway where a cloth curtain shielding the inside from unwanted insects. What was surprising was how cool it was inside.

Traditional abode

Banana Man
During a brief stop in the town of Kanyanchu we noticed a bright yellow car with banana themed phases written all over it. We approached the car and was greeted by the driver. He told us about his social media activities and where we could follow him online.

The Banana Man Car

Cactus trees of the Queen Elizabeth National Park
Before becoming a National Park this area was for grazing cattle. To protect their livestock from predators at night, they built Boma’s (enclosures). The herders used cactus trees to build their Boma’s, which they had brought in to the area from what is now the DRC. When the area was made a national park and the herders ejected, the cactus trees remained and are now found throughout the park.

Cactus Tree

Kyambura and the Kazinga Channel
The small town of Kyambura is sandwiched between the east and west section of the Queen Elizabeth National Park. The creation of the national park has restricted access to the land the locals once used to cultivate. That now means there is a heavy reliance on fishing in Kazinga Channel. Fortunately, the fishing in the channel is pretty good. The only draw back is having to share it with some formidable other residents. Just three weeks prior to our visit a fisherman lost his life, taken by a Nile Crocodile, while wading in to the water to cast his net. Hippo’s used to be a hazard as well, during the night they would wander in to town looking for grazing. However, the recently installed solar generated street lighting seems to have now deterred them. On the plus side, employment in tourism has created some new opportunities.

Fishing village Kyambura