The East Africa Travel Podcast is hosted by Charlotte Beauvoisin, Diary of a Muzungu
I’m thrilled to be named a finalist in African Travel and Tourism Association ATTA®’s Media Voice for Action, an awards scheme whose values are close to my heart! Wish me luck – the winner will be announced on June 23rd at Experience Africa, ATTA® event in London.
“The ATTA® Media Voice for Action Award recognises the importance of creativity, accurate storytelling, ethical focus, and audience impact to amplify the message of responsible tourism in Africa.”
This recognition by African travel colleagues means a great deal to me: it reflects the purpose behind everything I have been doing in Uganda over the past 15 years: to share East Africa’s stories in a meaningful, responsible – and fun! – way.
What is the East Africa Travel Podcast?
I created the East Africa Travel Podcast as a personal and upbeat way to explore sustainable tourism in Uganda and beyond. It captures unscripted moments and conversations with tourism changemakers, blending storytelling with East Africa’s natural soundtrack: the dawn chorus, the grunting of hippos, the call of the great blue turaco and chimpanzees calling deep in the forest.
From walking safaris in Kyambura Game Reserve with Wildplaces, to the Original Maasai Lodge in Tanzania that is run entirely by the Maasai community, the stories are designed to inspire. Another highlight was chatting to Queen Sylvia, the Nnaabagareka of Buganda Kingdom after she returned from tracking mountain gorillas in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Fascinating expert guests include Ian Redmond OBE, Professor Richard Wrangham and Uganda’s official sports tourism ambassador Rob Walker. For the full list of season 1’s episodes and guests, click here.
Why I started the East Africa Travel Podcast
The idea was born during lockdown. Friends overseas loved the tropical bird backdrop to my audio notes – so I asked myself: how could I capture the sounds of nature to inspire travel, and to showcase the conservation heroes I’ve met over 15 years of travelling around Uganda and East Africa?
With so much noise online – and AI producing endless generic (and sometimes misleading) content – I wanted to create something more personal. The podcast gives listeners a strong sense of place and a human voice behind every story.
Who’s listening?
Listeners from around the world tell me they feel closer to booking a trip after hearing “the everyday sounds of life in Uganda.” Comments include:
- “I had no idea you could get so close to nature.”
- “This episode made me want to return.”
Who is Diary of a Muzungu?
In 2009, I left London life to volunteer with the Uganda Conservation Foundation through Voluntary Service Overseas, supporting rangers tackling poaching and human–wildlife conflict. That experience changed my life. Life has come full circle: I now live on the edge of a Protected Area in a wooden house on the edge of Kibale Forest.
Over the past 15 years, I’ve dedicated myself to developing and promoting Uganda and Africa’s tourism potential. Since 2013, I’ve trained over 1,200 guides, lodge staff and tour operators in digital marketing. In 2024, I became a sustainable tourism trainer. I’m known locally as Nagawa, protector of the Nkima (red-tailed monkey) clan.
What’s next for the East Africa Travel Podcast?
Season 2 launches mid-2025 and will feature:
- Watching baby turtles with Diani Turtle Watch in Kenya
- Ikechi Uko, tourism guru visiting Uganda from Nigeria
- Harriet Owalla, Kenyan travel journalist on location in Mombasa
- Rowan Martin of World Parrot Trust discussing the impact of the pet trade on wild birds
- Cuthbert Ncube, Chair of the Africa Tourism Association, visiting Uganda from South Africa and Eswatini.
…and more stories from forest walks and gorilla tracking to long-distance travel by bus, train and ferry from Kampala to the Kenyan coast. Listen to the podcast here on Diary of a Muzungu, Apple, Spotify and all podcast directories.
What are the ATTA® for Action Awards?
Tourism is competitive, and in the race to make quick profits, local communities and the environment are often overlooked. There is a growing business case for sustainable tourism – one in which local communities gain meaningful social and financial benefits, where the overall impact of tourism is neutral or even positive. I’m honoured to be a finalist in these well-designed awards, which go far beyond the prevailing narratives of ‘business as usual’ or the often superficial CSR efforts that amount to little more than greenwashing.
The ATTA® for Action Awards celebrate those who are making travel in Africa more ethical, impactful and sustainable. Each category recognises innovation and leadership—whether in community uplift, zero-waste tourism, or storytelling. Learn more at awards.atta.travel.
ATTA® for Action Awards are in their second year. Read about all the 2025 finalists here. Award categories are: Purpose & People, Earthkeepers, Eco‑Innovation, Zero Waste Trailblazer, Community Upliftment, Marine Impact, Collaborative Impact, Traveller Education and Awareness, Media Voice for Action, Emerging Changemaker.
