KENYA: (1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007) Photo album is here (1993-2001) and HERE (2006/2007)
Nairobi:
Where to stay:
New Kenya Lodge (1996) is very popular and a great place to gather info and maybe even find a travel companion. It's run down but still worth the Ksh 180 (US$ 3) for a bed (mind - there are no mozzie nets but quite a few mozzies). It's located on the Latema Rd in a not too safe area....
Dolat on Tom Mboya St. is no place to meet anyone and has no atmosphere. The YMCA (2001) gets increasingly expensive and increasingly run down every year. It's no longer good value at US$ 20 for a noisy (at front) double but very safe and conveniently close to City center. Hillcrest Hotel (2001) in Westlands (5 min drive from City center - US$ 0,10 with matatu and US$ 4 with taxi in the evenings) is a real bargain at US$ 22 for a spacious and clean double. If you want a little more comfort than the tight budget backpacker style New Kenya Lodge and like to feel secure, Hillcrest is the best place you'll find in Nairobi for a reasonable price. It's a cozy little hotel, very friendly and helpful staff, good rooms and a huge breakfast. The area (Westlands) is much more pleasant than City center anyway, and has a great curio market for inexpensive good souvenirs (across from parking entrance to Sarit center).
For longer stays, there are a number of furnished apartments for rent in and around Nairobi. For the upper class style you have Yaya Apts (ph. 020 2713360) and Woodmere Apts (ph. 020 2712511) close to Yaya Centre at Euro 1600,- pr month for a one bedroom. In Westlands, only a 2min safe walk Sarit centre, you have the more reasonably priced and very coveniently located Bid Apts (020 3743226) from Euro 600 pr month. They have a lot of garden areas and a swimming pool and also offer rent pr day if availability (from euro 35 pr day). Slightly up, pleasant but more inconveniently located Forest Court (020 3743119) on Forest Rd in Parklands with one bedroom apts at Euro 700. All of the above have a swimming pool (and prices are pr January 2004, except Bid which is pr January 2007).
What to do:
Nairobi has a reputation and yes, you do need to be careful and to move around with others as much as possible until you know your way around.
Shopping:Nairobi has great shopping opportunities, especially art and jewellery. City Market is very expensive and I would recommend to take the trip to Westlands (next to the Sarit center) where there are lots of stalls with everything you could desire in handicrafts. Bargain away! The Sarit center is where expatriates and well-to-do Kenyans shop. There's a meat shop where you can get game meat (giraffe, zebra, gazelle) and they'll vacuum pack and freeze it for you to bring home. There's also a food court with inexpensive lunches. A great place to sample traditional Kenyan dishes like sukuma wiki, ugali, githeri and kienyeji, is the "African flavours". Even if you're not buying jewelry, "window shopping" is quite a feast in Nairobi - check out the East African exclusive gem stones Tanzanite and "Tsavorite".
I strongly recommend buying some African literature while in Nairobi. Recommended reading is everything by Ngugi wa Thiong'o, "Kill me Quick" by Meja Mwangi (these will give great insights to life and history in Kenya) and "the Concubine" by Nigerian writer Elechi Amadi. The best bookshop in Kenya is without doubt the Stanley Bookshop on Kenyatta avenue around the corner of the New Stanley Hotel. However, the best way to find the classics of Kenyan an African literature is to vist the educational department of the Text book centre at Sarit Centre in Westlands. They have a section of standard literature for Kenyan students which includes the classics of Kenyan authors like Ngugi wa Thiong'o, Meja Mwangi, as well as classics by other african writers such as Chinua Achebe, Elechi Amadi and Miriam Ba. This is also a good place to get local stories, cartoons and standard school text books in Swahili if you're learning or in command of the language.
Talking about Swahili: For courses in Swahili, Cornerstone is a team of graduate educators that teach one-on-one at your place of convenience. They charge Euro 5,50 pr hour. Going to a class will cut your cost considerably but you'll go at the pace of the class instead of at your own, as well as having to share the time of the tutor with others.
Sightseeing: A visit to the Giraffe Center is good fun and you get to feed them (Their heads, and tongues, are huge!). Next to the Nairobi National Park is Sheldricks, part of the Kenya Wildlife Center, and you can meet baby rhino between 1100 and 1130, and then baby elephants between 1130 and 1200hrs. Read Karen Blixen's (Isak Dinesen) "Out of Africa" before visiting her Museum - actually it's worth a visit even without having read the book. It has an incredible atmosphere and is the most beautiful place.
The Natl. Museum is quite interesting with skulls from excavations in the Rift Valley and artwork. The Snake Park across the road is also good fun with lots of snakes constantly trying to escape the snake pit (I've seen them climb the water hoses and even try jumping out from the tree in the middle).
Dining and nightlife: Take an evening splurge at Carnivore where you can feast in a great atmosphere. They used to offer game meat of Zebra, Hartebeest, Crocodile, ostrich, and sometimes giraffe, but now (January 2007) they struggle with the license to serve game meat and it's limited to ostrich, crocodile and camel. Still, it's a great feast. If you want to try the genuine local "Nyama choma" (BBQ) you should try Sagret or Nyama Village on Millimani Rd, or even more fun at Makuti in South B (Industrial area) with "Lingala" all night (music and dance from Congo). For the best seafood you should visit the Tamarind in city center. The Rickshaw is a nice place for Chinese and China Plate just outside city center (towards Nairobi Hospital) is maybe even better. The Minar in city center has good Indian dishes, but the Minar at Yaya Center is better. There are new pubs, hangouts and restaurants popping up all the time in Nairobi. In The Mall in Westlands, Handi's is still there with great Indian food, but has now a new (2001) neighbor on the same floor, Tamambo. A great place for lunch with its Kenyan/Mexican innovative menu. Deep fried strips of ugali should be a winner with many Kenyans at least, and the food is all over tasty. For travelers on a tighter budget, Trattoria is highly recommended for great and not too expensive Italian food. For Nightlife Florida and Florida 2000 are the hot nightclubs, but be warned - the attention guys get has more to do with money than personality.... For less madness try the Dolce Club on Koinange st, or the Simba Saloon at Carnivore. By the way, the Kenyan beer "Tusker" is superb... !
Safari:
The big parks like Masai Mara deserves 3 days minimum (where you'll spend 5-6 hours just getting there) but the wildlife is amazing and in great numbers. We did a half day safari in the small and easily underrated Nairobi National Park in January 2007 and had a fantastic day. The wildlife are not in huge numbers here but you can see lion, giraffe , zebra, hartebeast, impala , grant gazelle, ostrich, warthog, hippo, rhino, buffalo, baboons, vervet monkeys, and a wonderful variety of birds including secretary birds and crowned cranes . It is also a wonderfully beautiful park and you will most likely have it pretty much to yourself.
Getting there and away:
The train to Mombasa is quite a nice trip and leaves both stations around 1900 and arrives other station around 0800 the next morning. It's US$ 30 + pr person (1996) in 1st class including dinner and breakfast. There are frequent buses to Naivasha and Nakuru, and onwards to Uganda, and also buses to Arusha from Nairobi, and even cheaper and more frequent are the matatus (mini buses). If you fly to Zanzibar or Dar es Salaam from Nairobi, ask for a seat on the right side of the plane and you will have fabulous views of Mt. Kilimanjaro !
General info: ATM machines are now in plenty in Nairobi so it's easy to get cash on any credit card. However, upcountry travelers cheques are still the safest way to get cash.
Scams, danger and annoyances: First of all - there is a lot of frustration in Nairobi and you need to be careful there!
Leave jewellery and nice watches at home and don't walk to get anywhere (take a taxi)! If you're driving you need to be aware that you should not stop if hitting a person in the outskirts of Nairobi - people may beat you up badly, rob you and worse...! It is better to drive on and report to nearest police station!
One common scam in Nairobi is guys coming up to you on the street and pump you for info about yourself, and you can be sure that by coincidence the fellow is going to your country but needs some extra funding. These guys you can wave off with a smile (humor is always better than anger). Another story is that they're refugees from Sudan or other war-ridden neighbouring countries, and need financial help. You may be approached later by new guys with fake IDs saying they're police or government people and that they've arrested the same refugees you talked to earlier, in possession of drugs and US dollars/TCs. The story is that they claim you gave them the goods (whether you donated a few bucks or not) and you've broken the law. Now you're in trouble and should not be in a deserted place. Don't follow them anywhere - stay confident and get them off your back - just walk away!
In towns like Nakuru people may pour oil on your tyres and say you have an oil leakage. They'll change good parts on your car and replace with old ones and charge you big time. You may also be waved down on the highways by people pointing at your tyres (as if something's wrong), but it may just as well be to stop you and rob you!
Just be careful and you'll have wonderful time!
Lake Naivasha: (1996)
Where to stay:
Fishermans Camp by Lake Naivasha is a great place to camp, but they also have cabins for rent. It has a very European atmosphere though, but is really pleasant.
What to do:
You can hire bicycles at Fisherman's camp and take a bicycle safari in Hell's Gate Natl. Park . This is quite a different experience to the traditional minibus safaris in the big parks. From the bike you'll be a lot more free and the park is not crowded so you'll have a wonderful time alone with the zebra, giraffe, hartebeest, warthogs, impala, thompson gazelle and the fun little hyrax. The only dangerous animal in the park is the buffalo but they're not on the main route. There's a masai village for tourists in the park also. It's a beautiful park but it's very hot so you need to bring lots of water, and it's big enough so that you should be in reasonable shape to do it on bicycle.
I also recommend a trip to Crater Lake. This is a beautiful crater but not easily accessible without car or bicycle.
Getting there and away:
There are matatus and buses on the route Nairobi - Naivasha, and you can take a matatu from Naivasha to Fisherman's camp. From Naivasha there are matatus going on to Nakuru and then buses/matatus on to Uganda.
Lamu: (1997)
Where to stay:
In Lamu town there are lots of places in pretty much the same quality, however we recommend to head straight for Shella and stay there. We stayed at Powa House (ask for Ali or Bongo Man) which was fabulous. Prices are negotiable. Powa House has an incredible cook, Kahindi, who will make you dinner by request (try his grilled lobster or crab curry) at bargain prices. There are quite a few alternatives here also, ask around! Don't hesitate to let the locals take you "room shopping" - the locals are persistent but a far cry from the touts you meet everywhere else in the world.
What to do:
Lamu is quite relaxing, but Shella is paradise! Lamu is fun to walk around in but for the peaceful "away from it all" atmosphere - Shella is the place! Shella has fabulous beaches for miles and miles, few people and is the perfect place to do nothing. However there are a few activities to take part in: you can windsurf or take boat trips around the islands. Fishing on the reefs is great and there are snorkeling opportunities.
Getting there and away:
There are daily planes going to Malindi, Mombasa and Nairobi.
Malindi: (1997)
Malindi, between Mombasa and Lamu on the Kenyan coast, is a tourist trap that is more Italy than Kenya. The Beach is nice but there's so much seaweed you can't swim comfortably. It's possible to have a great time, of course, just staying inside the walls of one of the resorts and go on boat trips, but I'd move on to Lamu if I were you.
Mombasa: (1996)
Where to stay:
No point in staying inside Mombasa - go to the beach right away. Believe me, it's a lot nicer to make a day trip to Mombasa than to make day trips to the beach!
We stayed at Tiwi Beach and loved it. There are several budget alternatives where Twiga probably is the cheaper. More cozy and secluded is Coral Cove on the northern end of the beach where you can rent everything from small cottages for 2 people (ca US$ 7 total), to a big house for whole families (ca US$ 30 total). The atmosphere is wonderful and the bird- and monkey life is lively....
What to do:
Mombasa has some interesting sights. The old part of town is good fun to walk around in and quite a beautiful miniature Zanzibar. Fort Jesus is worth a visit.
Getting there and away:
The train from Nairobi is quite a nice trip and leaves both stations around 1900 and arrives other station around 0800 the next morning. It's US$ 30 + pr person in 1st class including dinner and breakfast.
There are planes going to Malindi and Lamu
Nanyuki: (1996)
Where to stay:
Mountain Rock, a few km south of Nanyuki, is a pleasant place to stay. This place has beautiful green lawns and hiking trails onwards to Mt Kenya. However, for travellers on a budget you'll have to stay in Nanyuki itself.
What to do:
Nanyuki is a quiet little town by the slopes of Mt. Kenya and one of the better places for views of this beautiful mountain. It's also a great place for those photos of yourself on the Equator.... You can make hiking trips up Mt Kenya or go trout fishing in the rivers.
Getting there and away:
There are frequent matatus to Nanyuki from Nairobi
Lake Magadi: (1996)
Lake Magadi is a dry and hot place with quite a few flamingos in the large natron lake. It's a nice trip there but you need your own car
Embu: (1996, 1998, 2001, 2003)
Embu is a nice little town south-east of Mt.Kenya. You can catch beautiful views of the mountain on the way there.
Getting there and away:
There are frequent matatus to Nanyuki from Nairobi
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TANZANIA (1993, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006)
Arusha: (1993)
Arusha is a nice little town on the slopes of the beautiful Mt. Meru. You'll be hassled a lot by touts from the safari companies and that's what Arusha is all about. SAFARI!
Where to stay:
The cheap places are situated around the bus station, but it's quite a bit nicer in city center. The YMCA is quite nice and very friendly. Across the street is a nice "beer garden".
What to do:
Safari: Among the reasonably priced companies, Hoopoe and Roy's safaris stand out. Hoopoe is run by a wonderful English lady, Terri Rice, who makes sure you get the safari you hoped for. Other companies can be very unreliable. There are plenty of options for your safari - from one day to a full week and options of the fabulous parks around Arusha: Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Lake Manyara and Tarangire. Ngorongoro is incredibly beautiful, but also packed with tourists and like a natural Zoo. It's without doubt still a must due to it's beauty, but one day is enough. I recommend a combination of Ngorongoro with one or two of the other parks and a minimum of three days. A camera with zoom lens is pretty much a must and I highly recommend a video camera for your safaris.
Mountain climbing: I didn't climb Kilimanjaro, but hope to one fine day...
Olduvai Gorge: For those interested in the origin of mankind, a visit to Olduvai should be of interest. This is the cradle of mankind where they've found some of the earliest skulls and bones of our ancestors.
Getting there and away:
There are frequent matatus to the border of TZ from Nairobi, but I recommend the big buses. If you take the matatus, beware of scams on TZ shillings. Find out exchange rates before you leave Nairobi and preferably change money in the banks there.
There are buses going on to Moshi and Dar es Salaam daily.
Dar es Salaam: (1993, 2003, 2005)
Dar is a very pleasant big city. It is quite relaxed and very safe compared to for example Nairobi. It is hot and humid, though, temperatures always above 30 degrees celsius. Dar is not touristy, as most tourists in Tanzania either go to Arusha and the game parks, Moshi for climbing Kilimanjaro, or Zanzibar for the beaches and wonderful Stone Town.
Where to stay:
There are cheap hotels close to the bus station, but the best and safest place we found was Lutheran House (93) on the ocean side. It's clean well kept and friendly. They also have a great lunch! There's a new hotel called Sleep Inn (2003) with spotless, modern, good rooms. It's very friendly with good security. Single/Double room with AC and TV in room at USD 25,-/35,- . Without AC 20/25. There's a restaurant also in the hotel. It's on Lumumba Rd close to Kariokou market, so the area could be better. This street however, is being turned into a new hotel area it seems. Their mail address is sleepinn@catz-net.com and phone is 255 22 2183100. You also get good rooms at Bumbire Royal Inn (2005), close to the Mwenge curio market, not far from the University of Dar es Salaam. A single room is Euro 15,- a night. They also have a small cozy bar. Bookings by phone: +255 744 55845.
What to do:
You can get tailor made baggy trousers and shirts in fabulous fabrics at Afro Shop on the main street in Dar (1993). The best place to buy souvenirs (wood carvings, drums, and other curio artifacts) is the Mwenge market on the way to the University (Mwenge area - alongside the main road. Can't miss it).
A sightseeing trip to Bagamoyo is recommended, especially on sundays when you can hear the kids singing in the church there. It's a beautiful place on the coast and worth the trip.
Getting there and away:
There are buses daily from Nairobi through Arusha. There are also daily boats to Zanzibar (US$ 20 in '93) and trains go to Kigoma and to Zambia.
Moshi: (2006)
Moshi is a small town at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro. Overshadowed by its neighbour Arusha where most of the tourists stay before their safaris and climbs to the top of Kilimanjaro (even though a lot of the treks actually start in Moshi), Moshi is less hassle and keeps a very pleasant atmosphere. On a normal day the famous mountain is where the clouds are... and most likely you will see its snow-capped top in the late afternoon. You can stay at the pleasant KKKT Umoja hostel for euro 8 for a double room. They serve good food and it is a clean and quiet place. If you're there in the end of June you will have the chance to see the great football tournament for youth, East Africa Cup. This is a special tournament that includes workshops on leadership, first aid, interfaith dialogue and HIV/AIDS information. Check out its web site here and a few of my photos here .
Kigoma: (1993)
I highly recommend the trip to Kigoma. It's very peaceful and not frequented by the stream of tourists you find in Arusha and on Zanzibar. Kigoma is the gateway for the boat trip down Lake Tanganyika to Zambia, for Chimpanzee safari in Gombe streams Natl. Park and for visits to Ujiji where Stanley met Dr.Livingston.
Where to stay:
Kigoma hotel is very run down but also very cheap (ca US$ 1 pr.person). For more comfort you can stay at the Old Railway Hotel (it's changed its name now but you'll find it - around US$ 7 in '93) lakeside in fabulous surroundings. You can sit under the parasols at Railway hotel for days just watching the kingfisher birds and the eagles fish right in front of you with the mountains of Congo as a backdrop while you sip an ice cold Primus beer.
What to do:
Relax!
You can also make a day trip to Ujiji and walk around in this beautiful little town and stop by the Livingston monument under the mango tree.
Don't miss the chimpanzee safari at Jane Goodall's Gombe Streams natl. Park . You can take a boat there from the beach (3km walk from train station). Get to the beach in good time as the boats are infrequent and not on any reliable schedule. This was the highlight of my first visit in East Africa - the chimps are fabulous fun and shouldn't be missed. Make sure you have plenty of time as you might have to wait for a day or two at the camp before you get your safari.
Getting there and away:
The train from Dar es Salaam takes 48 hours and is quite an experience. Make sure you get 2nd class minimum as this is not a comfortable train or train ride...
There's also a weekly boat to Zambia and Burundi on the Lake.
Zanzibar: (1993, 2001, 2003, 2005)
Where to stay: The Pyramid (ph +255 747 461451 or e-mail: pyramidhotel@yahoo.com) is friendly and has great Swahili atmosphere at US$ 20 a double w/rooftop breakfast (2003, 2005). The building is true Stone Town with steep wooden stairs and the rooms have traditional Zanzibar doors and big four poster beds with mozzie nets. I've ended up staying here every time - it is one of my favourite hotels in the World.
On the other side of the island there are great beaches. We stayed at Bweju Dere (93) which was nice and laid back backpacker style.
What to do:
Walking around in Stone Town is quite an experience. It is a labyrinth of tall white buildings and narrow paths between them. The architecture is truly special and some of the doors are work of art.
In the evenings people gather at Africa House for cold beers while watching the sunset. Another great hangout for sunsets and cold beer (and good food) is Mercury's on the beach front. It's named after Freddy Mercury of Queen who was born in Zanzibar, and yes, they have the Greatest hits album. The best place to eat though is at the BBQ stalls in Forodhani Gardens by the sea front. Where else can you get giant sweet lobster grilled for only Euro 3,50 (smaller ones for Euro 3,-)? Also skewers with tuna, shark, marlin or king fish for Euro 1,-. Lots of other goodies also, just make sure you choose the fresh ones (they sometimes sneak in skewers from yesterday's cooking among today's fresh catch). A trip to Prison Island is a nice way to spend the day. There's a beautiful beach there and a turtle farm. The coral reef just off the island (200m swim at high tide) is excellent for snorkeling with an abundance of beautiful fish in all colors. The boat trip there takes 20 minutes and cost Euro 19,- for the boat (so share with others). It's another Euro 3,- to actually enter the island (including the beach). Spice tours can be arranged everywhere. They're US$ 10 and good value. You'll try lots of exotic fruits and spices, you get a great lunch of tasty pilau, and visit a Persian bath, a small cave and spend 1 hr at a good beach. Tours only operate from morning.
Getting there and away:
There are several daily boats to Zanzibar from Dar es Salaam (US$ 35 one way in 2003 and 2005).
Pemba: (2001)
Pemba lacks the exotic Stone Town of Zanzibar. However, after seeing Stone Town, Pemba is a great choice to spend the rest of your vacation. The beaches at Zanzibar are good but low tide makes it quite a long walk for a swim. You'll not exactly be alone either. On Pemba you will probably not live on the beach, as there are only a couple of expensive resorts offering this at the moment, but you'll live quietly and pretty much alone as a tourist. You'll have fabulous beaches to yourself all day and enjoy the pleasant atmosphere of this laid back and bautiful island.
Arriving at the port in Mkoani, the nicest place to stay is half a km north of town on a hill overlooking the sea. Jondeni's Guest House have lots to offer and the veranda is perfect for chilling during sunset. The young Hassan will take good care of you. They have dorm beds for US$ 8, doubles for US$ 20 (shared bathroom) and US$ 25 self contained. Dinners are great and in big portions (enough for two if you're on a budget), fresh seafood at US$ 5! They offer several day excursions for US$ 20-30. For a few dollars extra they will take you fishing on either of these trips. Highly recommended! We caught some small sharks and other fish that Jondeni's Guest House prepared with wonderful spices and grilled for us in the evening. A thrill and a real treat! You can also hire bicycles for US$ 5 and explore Pemba on your own. The boat trip to Misali island is great and a must. Wonderful white coral sand beach with good snorkeling, small caves and a turtle beach where sea turtles nest in June-July. Its a small paradise! If you're lucky you can see dolphins (even swim with them they claim) on the day trip to Wambaa beach. The beach is good, but here there are no coral reefs. Jondeni is building bandas here, so in 2002 or 2003 you should be able to stay at Wambaa for US$30-50.
Getting there and away:
There are basically three options to go to Pemba and back. By plane which is US$ 65 one way. Fast boat (Sepideh) taking two hours at US $ 40 one way (Mon, Wed, Fri and Sunday), or slow boat (Serengeti) at US$ 20 taking 5 hours leaving Zanzibar late evening and arriving early in the morning, and return from Pemba in day time opposite days of Sepideh.
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UGANDA (1996)
Uganda is an incredibly beautiful country with it's mountainous lush nature. The north is not very safe and apparently the border area to Congo is not safe any longer either. However, Kampala is one of Africa's safest capitols and it has a very pleasant atmosphere.
Kampala:
Where to stay:
Kampala is quite expensive. The cheapest option is YMCA but you have to be out of the rooms by 07:30. Best place to stay is Natete Backpackers (dorm room beds for US$ 4) just outside city center (10 min with a matatu costing 25 cents US). It's also a beautiful place and it's possible to camp if you have a tent. They also serve nice meals.
What to do:
You may be lucky and obtain cancelled permits for Gorilla safaris at the Head Quarters for Natl Parks outside city center (finding it is almost as difficult as getting the permit!). There's a great bakery called Hot Loaf close to the popular café Nile Grill.
Getting there and away:
There are daily buses to and from Nairobi. There are also daily buses (from post office) to Kabale. There's also a daily bus (except weekends) to Butogota which is only 17 km from Bwindi (the impenetrable forest - famous for its population of 300 mountain gorillas). It's possible to get taxis from Butogota to Bwindi.
Bwindi:
Where to stay:
At the park entrance there's a camping place that also rents out cottages (bandas) for ca US$ 6 pr person (the bandas take 4 people). There's a small café where you can get a meal and drinks, but you can also cook yourself (bring the goods, though) and they'll lend you pots and coal for half a dollar..
What to do:
Gorilla safari! Gorilla safari is a must and Bwindi is one of the best places to do it. Mind you, you will not be allowed into the forest if you have a flu or any other contagious disease, and please don't try to fool the guards on this as our bacteria/virus can cause big problems for the gorillas. The safari costs US$ 150 + park entry fee of US$ 15 (1996) and is worth ten times that. In '96 two groups (of ca 12 gorillas) could be visited by 6 people (each group) once a day. If you don't have a permit it was possible (in '96) to put your name on a waiting list (some three openings were available pr day for visitors without prior bookings). The safari can be quite tough (impenetrable forest!) but tracking the gorillas down is also very exciting; starting out from where they were seen the previous day , finding their "bed" for the night, and following their trail - knowing you're close by the freshness of their dung.... Finally you are among them and these animals are very fascinating and the silverback quite impressive. You may also stumble upon them after a few minutes walk in the forest, but I wouldn't be without our three hours of struggle through the thick forest.
Getting there and away:
There are daily buses from Kampala (from post office) to Kabale. From there you'll have to share a taxi or minibus (they are few and charge accordingly outrageous prices for E.Africa - US$ 60-100, negotiable of course) to Bwindi. Either make arrangements for pick up on your return or take a chance that someone else is leaving with space for you. There's also a daily bus (except weekends) from Kampala to Butogota which is only 17 km from Bwindi. It's possible to get taxis from Butogota to Bwindi.
Kabale:
Where to stay:
Visitours (US$ 3) is really cozy and very popular with backpackers. They serve solid dinners for 2-3 dollars.
What to do:
A trip to Lake Bunyonyi is highly recommended. It's quite a walk though, so bring plenty of water and some fruits.
Getting there and away:
There are daily buses from Kampala (from post office) to Kabale. From there you'll have to share a taxi or minibus (they are few and charge accordingly outrageous prices for E.Africa - US$ 60-100, negotiable of course) to Bwindi. Either make arrangements for pick up on your return or take a chance that someone else is leaving with space for you.
Kamuli:
Kamuli is a very pleasant town north of Jinja. You can get there by matatu from Jinja. There are nice excursions to the Nile river in this area.
Sese Islands:
The Sese Islands are famous for their hospitable and friendly habitants and the relaxed atmosphere. It's a beautiful place and well worth a visit
Where to stay:
Most people stay at Adronica's the first night on Buggala island. Some make their way down to Hornbill on the beach the next day and have to go all the way back up to fetch their backpacks and move. Hornbill can not even be compared to Adronica's - Hornbill is the place to stay on Buggala! The sunsets on the beach are beautiful, you can rent a canoe, the food is incredible and the atmosphere very pleasant. Bewarned that the monkey "Punky" is a notorius thief of food, letters and what not, and he loves to "play fight" with both humans and the big german sheperds there. There's a magnificent birdlife on the beach with white headed fish eagles fishing ten meters out from the beach, kingfishers, hammerkopf, storks, herons, and hornbills of course flying around in the trees around you. You can camp there but they also have bandas for rent at US$ 3 pr person.
What to do:
Relax! You can go for walks on the island. It's also possible to charter fishing boats for island hopping.
Getting there and away:
There are two ways to get to the Sese Islands. Yo can hitch a ride from Masaka to the ferry crossing to Luku on Buggala. The other is by boat from Hornbill (via other ports on the island) to Kasinga just north of Entebbe.
