Brief Encounter. Of romance & railways – Kenya’s SGR train ride [UPDATED]
Brief Encounter – the muzungu’s complete guide to Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) ‘Madaraka Express’ train between Nairobi and Mombasa

Ah, the romance of train journeys!
My love affair with trains started as a child when my Mum and I would take an occasional train journey to London. As the train pulled into the stately St Pancras station, passengers would pull down windows to open the heavy doors and jump from the still-moving train onto the platform. I can still feel the reverberations of those doors slamming shut behind them. I can smell the diesel. I can hear the whistle as the train gets ready to depart.

European culture resonates with train imagery: grand architecture, long cross-country journeys, meetings with strangers. The 1945 film Brief Encounter is centred around a railway station and is regarded – in Britain at least – as one of the best romantic films of all time. It’s a personal favourite, for its unspoken desires, and the dramatic tension between the two lead actors. The station’s night time setting heightens the drama of this clandestine affair.
My love for the railways was rekindled in East Africa when my friend Amy and I took the Rift Valley Railways commuter train across Kampala.

However, the romance was to be short-lived: the first stop was the abattoir. The Rift Valley Railways train service stopped, started, stopped and in 2024 has resumed once more!
Nonetheless, the short 20 minute journey fired my imagination and had me researching the Uganda Railway and its history. This led to a far bigger adventure: traveling from Nairobi to Mombasa on the infamous Lunatic Express – a journey many had warned me against taking. It took us an incredible 23 hours… in a heatwave no less.

Just last week, we finally got our act together to board the new Standard Gauge Railway train, but a few questions remained:
- Would the train leave on time?
- Would it be as exciting as our first rail journey between Kenya’s two biggest cities?
- Would it have the same sense of history?
- Would I be able to buy a cold Tusker on the train?
- Would there be romance… ?
This is the muzungu’s guide to taking Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway train between Nairobi and Mombasa, based on my personal experience of the original Lunatic Express, the bus and the SGR train. Branded ‘the Madaraka Express’, I compare the SGR train ride with the bus, I describe Mombasa and Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway stations and tell you what it is like on the train. I share tips for using the SGR train, the booking process and how to pay by M-Pesa. I also suggest a few ways the service could be developed for an even better traveling experience.

The SGR train is deemed to be a great success since its inaugural trip in May 2017. At 5,000 Kenya shillings (KES), even first class tickets represent good value for money (and are usually cheaper than flying). We opt for second class tickets, which are cheaper than bus tickets, at just 1500 KES each. (Prices updated June 2024). We take the bus from Nairobi to Mombasa and the SGR train for the return leg of the trip.
Here’s our story of the bus and the SGR train, and the pros and cons of each mode of transport. In summary, the train wins but the advantages are not clear cut. Here’s why:
As befits railway infrastructure grands projets, Mombasa Standard Gauge Railway station is an impressive structure. The building has been designed well to accommodate the flow of passengers. It is light and spacious.
There is high security at Mombasa SGR station. It starts with the (very inconvenient) stop before the bridge above the station. Julia persuades the police to let our tuk tuk full of baggage drive across the bridge and down the ramp, but not all train passengers are as fortunate. Many have to walk. (2018).
In a temporary-looking structure in front of the station, we dutifully place our bags in front of the sniffer dogs. I know I’m going to be asked to delete the photo, but I still risk taking one!

Next our bags are scanned and our bodies frisked. We go through this process a second time as we enter the main building. Julia is quizzed about her penknife and a glass bottle. At the entry to the main building are two security information boards but, by the time you’ve reached the SGR station, it’s too late to act on much of the information displayed. (An advisory email or SMS would be useful).
We eye up the futuristic-looking glass elevator.
“Are you first-class people?” Asks the security operative. “Yes! Of course we are.” (It’s a shame we only have second-class tickets though!) The elevator goes to the first class VIP waiting area only, on the floor above ours. We take the escalator, giggling.
Security is tight. Staff don’t like us taking photos and I am told off, more than once!
In the ticketing area, a large board shows the availability of trains for the coming eight days. It appears that first-class tickets are sold out quickly: all first-class tickets have been sold out for three days, and very nearly sold out for another three days. Afternoon trains are the most popular.

“Please go to the counter for real-time updates” says the sign but why not use the public address system to make life easier? It doesn’t make sense to ask several hundred people to queue at the counter for updates.
There are several toilets in the building, although not enough. Our floor has a disabled toilet, and three other stalls. We find them to be clean. Ladies, there is even toilet paper!
In 2024, there is a vending machine for drinks, crisps and sweets on the ground floor and a cafe upstairs (in stark contrast to 2018 when we were gobsmacked that there was nowhere to buy anything to eat or drink at Mombasa SGR station, not even water. Neither did we see a drinking water fountain. In 2018 I wrote: what happens if you are taken ill? It would take you between 15 and 30 minutes to exit the station, walk up the long ramp, cross the bridge, buy water, come back the same way – and then pass back through three lots of security. If you’re ill, disabled or with children, you’re going to struggle. Plan ahead.
The station has hundreds of seats, but more are needed. Is there Wi-Fi? (There still wasn’t any on the train in June 2024). You can’t smoke in the station.
There is a prerecorded announcement to advise when it is time to board the train. The lady has a Chinese accent. We leave exactly on time: 3.00 in the afternoon. Staff are smartly dressed in uniform and stand on the platform, making sure we board on time. They watch the train pull away from the platform.


What’s it like on the SGR train?
The train feels fresh and cool as we enter. It’s very clean. First impressions are good.


There is a small table between each set of seats. I feel like we’re travelling in a caravan.
Curtains allow you to block out the afternoon sun. Next to the window seat is a small hook for a coat or handbag.
Although we have three seats – 98, 99 and 100 – only two of the seats are next to each other. The seat numbering system is confusing.
A man and a woman push a snack trolley down the aisle. I fancy something to eat. Tea is 100 Kenya shillings, Tusker is 250 bob and a beef or chicken sandwich is 350. Sandwiches are fresh and tasty (although I’m not a big fan of sweet white bread). (2018 prices).

For the first hour of our journey, the train is quiet. After a while everyone starts chatting. That’s the upside of there being no WiFi.
To kill time, Julia and I tuck into some baobab fruit. Our tongues turn bright red with the food colouring. The baobab fruits looks as inviting as a fresh raspberry but are moss-covered stones that require several minutes hard sucking to release the sweetness.
Ten minutes after Voi station, Dianah calls out “Charlotte, you have missed elephants!” I’m sitting on the wrong side of the train to watch Tsavo’s wildlife. Our seats look onto the ‘transport corridor’ – the old railway line and the road, and that’s fine for now: I’m focused on comparing road and rail (the elephants can wait!)

There are regular messages to throw litter in the bin. The toilets are clean throughout the journey. Three quarters of an hour before Nairobi, a member of staff picks up the remaining rubbish. They even mop the floor!
We arrive at Nairobi SGR station five hours later, at exactly the time expected.
Nairobi SGR station is a state-of-the-art piece of infrastructure. It’s easy to navigate and well lit. We cross over the railway line to take the 50 bob shuttle train to Nairobi’s original railway station. SGR staff tell us it will take 20 minutes. It takes us 50 minutes. From the station, we take an Uber. It’s been a long day for us: we left Watamu in a tuk tuk at 7.30 am. Next we boarded a matatu from Malindi to Mombasa before taking another tuk tuk from the centre of Mombasa to the SGR station.
Photos of the SGR stations and route: the muzungu’s guide to the SGR ‘Madaraka Express’ train between Nairobi and Mombasa
Advantages of taking the Standard Gauge Railway train
The SGR train journey time is five hours.
The train is safe – no dodgy overtaking of container lorries.
The journey is smooth – no potholes. (No sports bra needed! Unlike traveling in a bumpy tuk tuk!)
The train is more spacious. Tall friends may prefer first-class for its legroom but second-class is fine as you can easily stand up and stretch your legs by walking between the carriages.
Travelling by train is more secure than the bus. There are numerous security checks before you get on the train – cameras in the station? The train doesn’t have seat belts (neither does it have to overtake into oncoming traffic).
The train has toilets.
The train has air-conditioning. It is dust-free travel – even in the dry season.
You can drink alcohol on the train, but you can’t carry your own drinks. Bags are searched at stations and alcohol is confiscated. You can buy alcohol and other drinks and snacks on the train. If you’re in first class, you have access to a dining car. (2024)
It’s easier to watch birds and wildlife from the train!
Each train carriage has a dedicated member of staff. Our lady was very friendly.
The train is cheaper than the bus, if you buy a second class ticket. Ticket prices: 1500 Kenya shillings ($) standard class. First class tickets are 5,000 KES ($) each. (Updated 2024). (Discounts available for children). However, the train journey price works out substantially higher than the ticket cost alone since you have to factor in travel to and from the SGR stations (in remote locations outside the city centres).
Advantages of taking the bus
Some of us enjoy slow travel. The bus journey time is eight hours.
If you take the bus, you can get from the centre of Nairobi to the centre of Mombasa without having to change vehicle. If you have lots of bags, are travelling with children, or have mobility issues, you might prefer to simply take the bus.
You only have to buy one ticket for the whole journey, meaning less hassle. If you take the SGR, you have to allow extra time and additional cash for the connections to the stations.
Some buses have air-conditioning – but does it always work? The same applies to the WiFi.
We enjoy our brief lunch stops and the chance to try the local food en route. By contrast, SGR food is boring in its bland international style.
The bus has a few brief comfort break stops – a chance for smokers to step out.
You can choose your seats when you make your booking.
Ticket prices: MASH have seats ranging from 1,000 – 2,500 Kenya shillings ($10 to $25) according to the seat type. (2018)
Journey price = same as the ticket price. No extra costs.
Travel tips: how to book the SGR train AKA the Madaraka Express
The enquiry and booking process – online or in person
If you’re going straight to the last stop, choose the express train. The express journey time is 4 hours and 43 minutes. This runs in the afternoon, in both directions. The morning inter-county trains stop at Athi River, Emali, Kibwezi, Mtito Andei, Voi, Minsenyi, Mariakani. The inter-county journey time is 5 hours and 58 minutes.
Book early to avoid disappointment. Learn from our mistake! (We spent 25 hours on buses from Kampala to Mombasa – with just a half hour break between journeys – because we tried to book two days before departure when the train was already sold out).
You can book in person at the SGR stations but they are a long way out of town. Pay by cash in Kenya shillings or use MPesa. I have a reliable contact who can make all your train and bus reservations and payments.
Use your phone. Pay by MPesa (you’ll need a Safaricom Kenya SIM card to do this). If you want to book the SGR from outside Kenya, ask a tour operator to book your tickets or contact me.
“It ought to be plain how little you gain
by getting excited and vexed.
You’ll always be late for the previous train,
and always on time for the next.”
― Piet Hein
Click here to see the rates for the SGR train – or Madaraka Express – on the Kenya Railways web site. The web site also details fares between intermediate stations along the route.
If you want to choose your seats (and sit next to a friend or be by the window facing in the right direction), it may be better to book in person at a train station.
To make a booking or enquiry call + 254 (0)709 388888 / 0709907000 / 0728603581/2 or email info@krc.co.ke
Be at the station one hour before departure. There are multiple security checks and print your tickets at the station.
You can book up to 30 days in advance. (2018)
The Standard Gauge Railway station in Mombasa is in Miritini

To avoid Mombasa traffic, get on at the Mariakani stop. To do this you will need to get the slow (morning) train.

Three of us paid 700 KES for a tuk tuk from Fort Jesus to the SGR station. We had been quoted 1,500 KES for a car. (2018)
Trains depart from Mombasa twice daily. The morning inter-county train departs at 8.20 AM (arrives Nairobi 2.18 PM) and the afternoon express train leaves at 3.15 PM (and arrives Nairobi 8.14 PM). Tickets are on sale between 5:40 AM and 4 PM. Tickets can be purchased up to ten minutes before departure. (2018 info)
At Mombasa SGR there is a wide range of taxis, buses and matatus heading to Mombasa city and elsewhere. No need to book.
The Standard Gauge Railway station in Nairobi is in Syokimau, past the airport
Trains depart from Nairobi twice daily. The morning inter-county train departs at 8.20 AM (arrives Mombasa 2.18 PM) and the afternoon express train leaves at 2.35 PM (and arrives Nairobi 7.18 PM). 2018 info.
To get from central Nairobi to the SGR station, board the commuter train at Nairobi railway station. The fare is 50 bob (KES) between the two stations.
Would I recommend taking the SGR train?

I commend SGR for operating a reliable and affordable service. The infrastructure is excellent and the booking process easy but there needs to be more attention to the overall experience. Efficiency and cleanliness are important but the stations need water fountains, catering outlets and shops. (Not only is this useful for the passenger but it represents additional revenue streams for SGR – surely a no-brainer). SGR need to make Wi-Fi available at stations and on the train.

I had to hotspot from my Ugandan phone to order our cab.

“If I ran the railway”… I’d display information about the SGR project and its construction. Where is the history of the Uganda Railway? Where is the tourist information? Why not play some background music? Part of the travel experience is buying and reading a newspaper, finding something tasty to eat, learning something about the route and the destination, sharing photos and updates with friends online. People don’t only judge things by cost.
But was it exciting?
Did it live up to the hype?
Was there romance?
The boring issues of cost and logistics to one side, did the muzungu find the experience to be exciting?
Well yes, the novelty of the new experience made it worth the wait.
I can’t say the journey was romantic – unlike the Lunatic Express was. Everything about the SGR is too shiny and corporate.
For romantic interest, next time maybe I’ll just take a good book (or download a copy of Brief Encounter and daydream I’m there, underneath the clock, waiting …)
Have you been on the SGR train yet? How was it for you? Do tell.
If you enjoy train travel stories, my Lunatic Express story was an epic adventure.
For more views about the SGR / Madaraka Express, read East Africa tourism expert Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Thome’s blog ATC News.
We can’t wait for the day when we can catch the SGR train from Kampala to the coast for the week-end!
Love birds, butterflies and chimps? Then don’t miss Sunbird Hill, Kibale Forest edge
Scroll down to read all about the half-day Sunbird Hill Experience!
Sunbird Hill Nature Monitoring & Rewilding Site in western Uganda is a haven for nature enthusiasts that have ticked off the Big Five and are ready to search for the smaller – yet equally impressive – creatures of Uganda.
Sunbird Hill is ideally situated for anyone planning to track the chimpanzees or the Green-breasted Pitta in Kibale Forest or for general birdwatching around Kibale Forest. It’s also a wonderful location to relax and enjoy the pure forest air and the natural sounds emanating from the forest. I’ve been visiting this fabulous part of Uganda regularly since 2009. One definite plus about visiting Sunbird Hill is having the chance to meet Julia Lloyd, the resident primatologist. If you love chimpanzees, you’ll be amazed at her stories of her many years living and working deep in Kibale Forest.



National and international experts who visit Sunbird Hill on a regular basis include ornithologists, lepidopterists, herpetologists, botanists, entomologists and primatologists. Bird ringing (or banding) occurs periodically throughout the year. Bird ringing in Kibale Forest is one of my all-time favourite blogs. Contact me if you’d like to learn more about the next ringing trips.
What is Sunbird Hill?
Sunbird Hill Nature Monitoring & Rewilding Site is situated on 40 acres of private land bordering Kibale Forest. It is just off the Fort Portal – Kamwenge Road, 3 km from Kanyanchu Tourist Centre (base for chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park) and 3.5 km from KAFRED at Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary.
Julia writes:
We are a British-Ugandan family passionate about wildlife and conservation. Our compound is a traditional open plan dwelling, with grass thatched houses, a treehouse, a “camp kitchen” and the Birders Lounge. Guests are welcome to stay in one of the three elevated thatched cottages – with expansive views into Kibale Forest – to house visiting biology experts. These are open to the occasional tourist too.
Sunbird Hill is regenerating farmland. This, and its location on the edge of the forest, means the land has numerous microhabitats that give it a high species richness: plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles and mammals and our main passion: birds. Species lists are constantly being updated, and so far we have recorded 16 of the 38 sunbird species listed for Uganda. Our local naturalists, together with ornithologists Roger Skeen and Malcolm Wilson, have recently pushed our bird species list to 295! (A sighting of a lemon dove particularly delighted our Rog).
We know there are many more birds yet to be identified at Sunbird Hill (and we challenge all visitors to add to our bird list!) We know that NatureUganda members will definitely add many more ticks to our list. We are proud winners of the 24 hour Big Birding Day four years in a row (in the category Outside Protected Areas / Private Site).

Calls from wild chimpanzees are regularly heard, especially at night and early in the morning when chimps call out to each other from their night nests (making ‘contact calls’ as they are known in the primatological world). These primates are often seen when the fig tree at the end of our garden is laden with fruit; half of the tree’s canopy is in Kibale Forest National Park. Often elephants can be heard breaking trees during their nightly forages whilst the distinct calls of the Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl and Black-shouldered Nightjar reveal their identity.





Activities at Sunbird Hill
The Sunbird Hill Experience: explore our nature trails on the edge of Kibale Forest
The Birders Lounge



The Birders Lounge is a large thatched bird-themed shelter that houses our growing reference library and covers topics including: ornithology, mammalogy, primatology, entomology, herpetology, and botany, as well as ecology, conservation and African travel. Comfortable chairs, desks and work benches are surrounded by Ugandan natural history paraphernalia. The garden around the Birders Lounge is full of native and naturalised flowering plants carefully selected to nurture a diversity of birds and butterflies – perfect for the armchair nature enthusiast (and those of you with heavy photographic equipment!) Our bird baths, bird hide, butterfly mud puddle and pond just keep pushing our species lists up!

Paths wind through the 40 acres of land that borders Kibale Forest taking you through forest edge, woodland, bushland, grassland, farmland, wetland, and riverine habitats. (Pre-booked) visitors are invited to follow the nature trails with one of our expert naturalist site guides.

Sunbird Hill was set up to support the local NGO In the Shadow of Chimpanzees. Our concept is that national and international experts train our Sunbird Hill team. Our team pass this learning onto the youth of our Village Bird Clubs. Wildlife identification and information sharing inspire conservation.
In the Shadow of Chimpanzees has created a number of initiatives on the section of Sunbird Hill land that is dedicated to community use. They include a butterfly house and gardens, medicinal plant garden, bee hives, elephant trench and village football pitch.
On the Sunbird Hill Experience, one of the highly knowledgeable naturalist site guides will point out and provide insightful information on birds, butterflies, moths and plants as well as the occasional primate, reptile and amphibian sighting. What cannot be identified during the walk is photographed and identified at Sunbird Hill’s extensive reference library back at the Birders Lounge.



Guess who are staying overnight at Sunbird Hill Nature Monitoring & Rewilding Site are welcome to join nocturnal nature adventures with the team, as well as a nature walk the following morning before heading back to the Birders Lounge for refreshments, consultation with the reference books and documentation of our findings. As the birds quieten down, the birding morphs into butterflying, an interest that has been growing rapidly among our naturalist site guides.

Recommended activities within a few minutes of Sunbird Hill
We live in a truly Ugandan village environment so if you would like to see more of the rural village of Kyabakwerere, a member of our staff will be happy to escort you.
Chimpanzee Tracking (Kanyanchu Tourist Centre, Kibale National Park), Swamp Walk in Bigodi (managed by KAFRED, the original and best provider) and Tooro Cultural Museum (Bigodi) are less than 10 minutes drive from Sunbird Hill.
Accommodation at Sunbird Hill

Eat in or out at Sunbird Hill
The Treehouse and three elevated cottages are available on a ‘bed only’ basis. There is a well-equipped Camp Kitchen available for your use.
Alternatively, Kiconcos Kitchen can provide simple meals when booked in advance at 30,000 UGX per lunch and 35,000 UGX per dinner per person. A special breakfast can be prepared by our homeschooled teenager Dillon for 25,000 UGX.
How much does it cost to visit Sunbird Hill?
The elevated cottages are based on two adults sharing. Add $20 per extra person (each elevated cottage has one double and two single beds). (The construction of the cottage makes it unsuitable for little children).
The Treehouse – everyone’s childhood dream! – is cosy and self-contained with one double bed and is based on 2 people sharing.
Rates include accommodation, access to the Birders Lounge for armchair birding, use of the reference library and bird hide and a walk with our expert naturalist site guides.
The Sunbird Hill Experience fees include tea and coffee and nibbles at the Birders Lounge. Cold beers, sodas, local gin tots and snacks are available at extra cost.
Please note: access to the nature trails is strictly only available to visitors who are accompanied by our site guides and who have booked and paid in advance. Be aware that you are not allowed to enter Kibale National Park from Sunbird Hill.
Discounts are available to members of NatureUganda, NatureKenya, East African Natural History Society, Explorers’ Club, Lepidoptera Club of Africa & African Bird Club. (Proof of membership required). “We want you naturalists here!” Says Julia.
Directions. How to get to Sunbird Hill

Sunbird Hill is 3 km from Kanyanchu Tourist Centre, Kibale National Park and is 3.5 km from Bigodi off the Fort Portal-Kamwenge Road.
Keep up to date with Sunbird Hill via their Facebook page or WhatsApp +256 (0)701 577784 to make an enquiry. Booking in advance is essential.

Diary of a Muzungu adds:
Sunbird Hill is a favourite destination of mine. If you love nature and are looking for an authentic experience, in a relaxed homestay environment, this is it. Sunbird Hill isn’t run as a lodge so isn’t for your mainstream tourist. Early mornings are filled with splendid forest birdsong. At night you often hear the PANT HOOTS of chimps from the forest. It’s magical! In fact, it is the biggest inspiration behind the East Africa Travel Podcast. (And if you’re serious about birding then you can’t miss a trip to this lovely corner of western Uganda).
The day my suitcase got upgraded to business class
My favourite route from Entebbe to London: via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines
My hands were full. With one hand I pulled my suitcase on wheels; in the other I was carrying – and trying to quickly drink – a hot cup of coffee before boarding my early morning flight to Istanbul.
A member of Turkish Airlines staff smiled at me and grabbed hold of my trolley to help me walk down to the plane. She introduced herself as Kesvar. “You’re the nicest person I’ve met all day,” I said, relieved to be past Heathrow’s hard-nosed, sarcastic security personnel.
“I believe in karma,” she said. “I always help pregnant ladies and old people.” (Which category did she think I fell into – I had to wonder!)

A special thank you to the lovely Kesvar, a member of the Turkish Airlines ground crew at Heathrow Airport
My new friend Kesvar and I chatted all the way down to the plane. We talked about Istanbul, my next stop. “You must go and eat fish and bread next to the Bosphorus,” she insisted. We talked about fabulous Turkish food. We agreed how easy it is to get into Istanbul city centre from the airport. It’s cheap too! Istanbul has made sure that a short stopover in the megapolis is as easy as possible. Talking to Kesvar was like being welcomed to Istanbul and I hadn’t even left London!

Marvel at Istanbul’s incredible architecture on a boat ride along the Bosphorus. The journey takes you through hundreds of years of history
By the time my little suitcase and I boarded the plane, I was one of the last. Everywhere I looked, the overhead lockers appeared full. There was no room in the locker above my seat so I wandered up and down the aisle looking for a little space. There was none in economy.
I managed to get the attention of one of the airhostesses who invited me to follow her into business class. We giggled as we shuffled the other bags around so we could wedge my lucky little suitcase into a corner of one of the business class lockers. It was quite a workout!
Finally in my seat, I settled down to watch the quirkiest airline safety video. I’ve watched these videos so times that I tend to switch off when they start. The Turkish Airlines video grabbed my attention though. Even though it was played in Turkish to start with (then later in English), I couldn’t help but be drawn in by the clever graphics. Meet internet sensation Zack King!

This is Zack King. The off-the-wall style of the Turkish Airways in-flight safety video was great viewing – I loved watching it (twice!)
It’s a brilliantly done piece with animation and subtitles throughout. My sister Sarah is deaf. I know how left out she feels when other airlines don’t provide subtitles on in-flight entertainment. The Turkish Airlines safety video even has an interpretive signer. Sarah would love it!
I always enjoy Turkish Airlines’ meals and they were as good as ever: a tasty salad, a pasta dish and chocolate dessert.
Although I had planned three days in Istanbul, unfortunately commitments in Entebbe meant I could not delay as planned. Nonetheless, my short stopover at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul allowed me time to sample some delicious honey-flavoured baklava and a cold Efes beer and stock up on boxes of Turkish Delight for friends in Kampala. Two hours free Wi-Fi gave me plenty of time for me to catch up with everyone.

Drink a Turkish Efes beer in Istanbul! Or better still, take a few days and explore the city, en route between London and Entebbe
There is so much more to see in Istanbul! Read my blogs about this superb and accessible city.
Crossing continents – the Muzungu’s Istanbul city tour and A day in … Istanbul.

Breathtaking! An aerial view of Istanbul at night
Travel tips
- – Since my flight departed early, I slept overnight in a futuristic pod at Yotel in Terminal Four. Turkish Airlines depart from Terminal Two. It took five minutes to reach the lower ground floor and catch the Heathrow Express train which runs free of charge between the terminals and arrives every 15 minutes. The journey between terminals four and two takes five minutes. Once inside Terminal Two, there is a five-minute walk (with travelators) to the departures area.
- – I had checked in online. At departures, all I had to do was scan my passport at the booth, input the number of hold bags and the machine printed out my luggage tags and boarding pass. It could not have been easier. On this flight I had two 20 kg bags (thank you very much) + 8 kg allowance for cabin baggage. I always plastic wrap my bags (£12.50 each at Heathrow). Having a light canvas holdall means the weight allowance goes on the contents of the bag, not the bag itself. The bag drop next to check-in was quick. All I had to do was show my boarding pass.
- – Before you pass through security at Heathrow Airport, double check for small amounts of liquids hidden in hand luggage. I left a tube of toothpaste in my carry-on bag so security insisted on going through the whole bag with a fine toothcomb.
- – If you are in a rush, avoid standing in line behind people with kids and a pushchair. Every single part of the pushchair has to be scanned. The poor mother of the family in front of me was totally unprepared for this – she had turned up at the airport with bags full of liquids and creams for the baby. Each liquid had to be tested individually.
- – Don’t get on the plane last if you have a suitcase to stow in the cabin – learn by my mistakes!
My flights from London via Istanbul and onto Entebbe went without a hitch. Air travel isn’t always so smooth – you might get a giggle out of these two air travel stories:
Why I believe there’s witchcraft (A tribute to my dog)

“Omukazi twala, leeta embwa…” — “Take my wife, give me a dog…” goes my clan motto.
See, I belong to the Kkobe Clan of Buganda Kingdom and here, every clan is named after a totem: literally something to which a clan ought to accord maximum respect; something the clan is never supposed to eat, if edible to others — or risk a hefty punishment by an unforgiving oracle. My clan has a rather unusual totem, Ekkobe, which is not an animal like most other totems in the kingdom — it is from a plant… a potato-like tuber… it is food. So we normally introduce ourselves as Abazira Mmere (those to whom food is a taboo) — mysterious! Isn’t it?


My great grandfather was a Mwami Wa Kabaka (King’s Minister), one of the few landlords in the present-day Kyaddondo East (forget these ones of today who don’t even own a mile of land). He was blessed to marry a daughter to Ham Mukasa, one of the survivors of the Uganda Martyr Killings. For that reason, I treasure my name. For it is an indelible mark of my heritage. Like a heartbeat it sounds — Mutumba… Mutumba….
I guess you’re now wondering why I’m feeding you with all this history mumbo-jumbo. I just intend to state that my clan motto is indeed one of the kingdom’s most famous.
I am not one of the many that perceive this motto as chauvinistic and patriarchal; I rather think our Mubala shows love for the dog, but not disdain for the woman. You wonder who thinks otherwise? Well, our neighbours of Lugave Clan have a mubala (clan motto) that goes,
“Bw’ompa akawala ako, ng’ebbanja liwedde…” — “If you give me that little girl, I will forget all you owe me…”
So it is obvious that those folks would look at our motto as misogynistic; which to me, is not true.
Don’t get me wrong: I don’t say this because of the immense support I have for my heritage — I in fact have been hating most of it since I was born. I never believed that the seedling my grandma planted for me to wash my face on, every morning, was the reason why I got back my appetite — though truly I started eating well again, after a few mornings of my ordered irrigations. I never believed that the big python whose big tree-house people visited from far and beyond, had any supernatural powers. I never believed that the trances that I underwent were the famous Eyaabwe, which the Ganda say are ancestral spirits, which disturb children who don’t go back to the village; to Kulima Ebiijja (cleaning the burial grounds) of the long-gone Jajjas (ancestors). I never took seriously anyone who spoke in tongues and rolled on the ground at family reunions, claiming to be possessed and/or passing on our ancestors’ message to us. I never believed that the failure to wipe my body with herbs after cleaning our ancestral burial grounds was the reason why I got demented and vomited vehemently — without a single infection — only to feel better after being forced to gulp on a concoction of bitter herb juice. The exorcism, to me, was just luck and not magic.

Amidst all this disbelief, only one thing could sway my guarded heart — a dog. For as far as my memory serves me, I grew up with a dog by my side, her name: Police. Whether I was out to hunt squirrels, trapping guinea fowls, or swimming in clay-mine ponds, Police was always by my side, sharing the depths of the water with me when she could — like a Guardian Angel.
“Shaw…”, I would tell her; pointing at anything that I wanted her to chase after. Not only enemies though, sometimes she would be chasing the ball in our thrilling soccer game of two.
Police died a very early death, in my opinion by then. And if I were to say she didn’t leave a hole in my heart, I would be lying. None of her offspring understood me half the way she did, and neither did their own. They died off one by one till her entire lineage was done.
The Indians fancy the theory of reincarnation: I somehow started believing it too when I got myself a beautiful pup from my neighbour’s litter. Cobra was white like cassava milk; the only things on her body that weren’t white were her dilated pink pupils. For some weird reason, I could see Police whenever I looked in Cobra’s eyes — reincarnation? She was the closest among all dogs to being like my Police. But at about 20 years in dog age – 17 months of age in reality – Cobra meddled in classified business! She trespassed into a shrine of a renowned Native Doctor during a ritual. The Witch and her congregation praised Jajja Nalumoso for appearing to them physically in form of a white creature — a known habit of the Spirit of Nalumoso. Since then, my dog has not come back home. She carelessly bypasses me when she’s out on a walk – to God-knows-where – with the Witch’s son. She doesn’t even remember her name, Cobra; Nalumoso is all she hears. I can’t believe she forgot about her baby boy, Doddie — he misses Mom so dearly. His black fur and golden brown patches, get more melancholic every new dawn. His eyes… well… mine get teary whenever I look in his. He keeps his tired gaze, everyday, fixed on the path his mother took before she failed to return.
I don’t care much about anything else. I just wish the Witch knew at least my clan’s mubala; so she could take anything and leave my dog with me.
The Muzungu: thanks Bash for a cultural tour of Buganda! The totem system fascinates me: “Bampita Nagawa” – “they call me Nagawa” and my totem is Enkima, the red-tailed monkey.
If you’ve been reading Diary of a Muzungu since the early days (2009) you will remember how I was lucky enough to have my first dog when I came to Uganda. He was my best buddy (and the inspiration for my logo). Tragically, he had an accident. But look at him, isn’t he a carbon copy of Bash’s mutt?

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Please read my Guests Posts page for guidelines on the kinds of stories I feature on Diary of a Muzungu.
A rainy season journey: ‘nsenene’ grasshopper road trip to Fort Portal
A rainy season journey: nsenene grasshopper road trip to Fort Portal
Our dawn departure from Kampala is marked by streaks of pink and orange daybreak filtering over Port Bell and Lake Victoria. Houselights twinkle in the darkness. Kampala is so pretty at this time of day.
We are driving to Fort Portal. Along Hoima Road, a traffic policeman dressed in white leaps out into the road to intercept a passing saloon car that has large white canvas sacks billowing out of every window.
An excited Julia shouts “nsenene!”
Grasshoppers are back on the menu!

It’s rainy season and there is a glut of nsenene (grasshoppers). The sacks contain live insects that are hung out of the window of the moving vehicle to keep them cool as they are transported to Kampala markets. Ugandans are going crazy for the delicacy, with queues of people lining up downtown to buy them.
Vehicle after vehicle drives towards us laden with white canvas sacks.
It’s 7 o’clock on a November morning.
Julia recounts the story of the day she bought a quarter sack of nsenene on a previous road trip between Fort Portal and Kampala. The kids were screaming with excitement at the thought of feasting on them. Grasshoppers do not have a long shelf life. They have to be ‘cleaned’ (their wings and legs removed) before they can be washed and cooked. Everyone arrived home from the long journey exhausted, she said, but then had to spend several hours plucking off wings and legs! “I think everyone was too sick to eat them after that!”
I remember opening the fridge the next day to find it full of grasshoppers (in addition to the chicken feet and cow hooves reserved for the dog!)

On our journey, Malcolm likes reminding us that Julia was a full-on vegan when they first knew each other many years ago on the Mweya Peninsula in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Back then a grasshopper would not have passed her lips.
At a small trading centre we see some lovely looking chapatis. “Let’s stop for a rolex,” Malcolm says. Everyone loves a rolex. The popular Ugandan street food (of an omelette wrapped in a chapatti) has gone global this year (thanks to an article called ‘The African dishes you should be eating’ on CNN.com)
Our car pulls up next to an open-air butchery. Next to the car, the butcher hacks at a lump of meat with a machete. His face is covered with tiny flecks of meat. Big slabs of beef hang on hooks, intestines lie glistening on a table.
“I’m just going to get some cow hooves for the dogs,” Julia informs me. (Barf. Did you need to tell me? I beg).
As she walks towards the butcher, she stumbles over the head of a recently butchered cow. It sits upside down on the muddy ground, bright red blood draining onto the dark floor. A man straps the cow’s head to the back of his bicycle and wheels it away.
Malcolm gets back into the car frustrated. “That guy has a chapati, the other guy has eggs, but no-one can make me a rolex!” He is on a mission. He decides to return to the stall and get the vendors organised.
Meanwhile, I should not be surprised to see Julia instruct a man to tie a bag of grasshoppers onto the front of our vehicle!

A woman rushes over with a basket of roasted gonja (bananas) on her head. A young man walks up to our parked car and shows me a gold coin. He asks me how much I want to buy it for. He’s trying to sell the muzungu a 20 cent Euro coin. (I wonder if he’s been asking every passing muzungu to buy it).
A happy Malcolm gets back into the car with three monster-sized rolex. The chapatis are thick and well-cooked. They are delicious! We are ten minutes south of Mityana.
“One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve!” Malcolm counts twelve Great Blue Turacos. “They must have just come out of roost,” he says (meaning the birds have just left their overnight perch).
As we continue our journey towards Fort Portal, more cars come towards us, overloaded with grasshoppers.
“I could carry three sofa sets on the roof of my car today and none of the traffic police would notice!” Exclaims Julia. This morning, the traffic police are only interested in watching the vehicles heading to Kampala.
En route we talk about birds, we talk about conservation, we talk about the many poacher snares and traps that have been recovered by Uganda Conservation Foundation and Uganda Wildlife Authority.
Last time I drove this road I had to slam on the brakes to avoid crashing into a cow that walked straight into the road without looking (it seems to be a Ugandan trait!)
We pass lines of bright shiny corrugated iron sheets, set in horizontal lines to catch grasshoppers. The insects are attracted by a bright light bulb that reflects onto the metal. The insects crash into the metal sheets and land in the buckets at the bottom.

At Mubende, we pull over for Julia to buy some fried grasshoppers and mbuzi roasted ‘goat on a stick’.
“That’s baboon meat!” Shouts Malcolm.
“It’s not baboon!” Laughs the meat-seller.
A man selling water and sodas bangs on the window and tells me to put the window down. I bang back at him angrily. He gets the point and we smile at each other through the glass.
I spot three Hooded Vultures at the top of a tree “the ones with pink necks” I say. The birds’ necks are feather-free to stop them getting covered in blood and core as they eat corpses. “Vultures are known as coprophages,” Malcolm corrects me “because they eat turds!”
Driving through Kiko tea estate, outside Fort Portal, thousands of grasshoppers float above the bright green tea bushes like a layer of green mist. The emergence of grasshoppers floats above the tea and up into the air.
A troupe of eight black and white Colobus Monkeys sit at the top of a tree in a clearing next to the tea plantation. I’m surprised to see them in such an open area. “They do very well in disturbed forest,” Julia – the primatologist – tells us.
We are travelling to Kanyanchu where Julia’s land touches Kibale Forest. For many years she lived in a treehouse in the middle of the forest while she followed, studied and habituated the chimpanzees that are now so popular with tourists.
Malcolm grabs his binoculars to take a closer look at large flocks of Abdim Storks that are circling high in the air, to our left and to our right. “Must be thousands of them,” he says.
According to Fanshawe and Stevenson’s The Birds of East Africa (the best book for identifying Uganda’s birds), Abdim Storks are “nomadic and gregarious.” They are seen in Uganda between October and November as they follow “the rains and burns” on their flight from northern Africa. They are known as “opportunistic” feeders and are undoubtedly making the most of the grasshopper season.
We talk about migration and Malcolm explains how birds use thermals to cover vast distances. “You will notice that vultures are never in the air at the start or the end of the day. They need the hot air rising off the land to allow them to climb high. Vultures can go up 1 or 2 km and then slowly guide for 400 miles. Doing this, they expend very little energy.”
He tells us about a Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture that was seen 12 km above the surface of the earth by a commercial pilot. Vultures have incredible eyesight and watch each other from up on high. I like hanging out with Malcolm Wilson. He is an expert ornithologist and ringer or ‘bander,’ at the very top of his game, and revered by many birders in Uganda. Not only can Malcolm identify a bird, he has a mine of fascinating facts to explain what we’re looking at. “A vulture only drops for one reason: a kill. When one drops out of the sky, the others follow.” Read about his ringing expeditions and bird watching tours across Africa on his web site.

At Tooro Botanical Gardens, a young man called John guides us through the various plants, telling us both the English names and the Latin names. With John’s help, Malcolm and Julia pick out a selection of tree seedlings. Julia and I share a moment of realisation. Julia has been wanting to invite Malcolm to advise her on which plants and trees will help develop her land for birding tourism. Finally we are here. This weekend has been many years in the planning. I am so excited to be part of it.
There is a small fishpond in Tooro Botanical Gardens. It hasn’t been stocked with fish yet but there’s already a heron inspecting it. Julia correctly identifies it as a Black-headed Heron. The girl’s birding knowledge is coming on!

We drive on the new road through Kibale. The Chinese (of course) construction company have been working on it for a couple of years. It’s a good road in many respects but too wide. We bemoan how big and fast the road is. It passes directly through Kibale National Park, described as having “the highest concentration and density of primates in Africa.” We are worried how many of the forest’s animals will be killed by speeding motorists. There are a few road humps but nowhere near enough. We hope and pray that the speed humps will proliferate.
Our car passes through a troop of baboons. One stands on its two back legs to peer into the car looking for food.
I am appalled to see that one of them has had its whole snout (large pointed nose and lips) are missing. Its normally 3D face is flat. His front teeth are permanently visible but beyond this appalling wound, the animal looks healthy enough. Will he survive?
Another baboon, in the bush above the verge, picks at something that it holds in its right paw. It appears to be an animal skin. The baboon pulls the last bits of flesh off some skin “it’s most likely a vervet monkey,” Malcolm says.

At our final destination, Sunbird Hill, Malcolm teaches us all about tree felling and the best plants to attract more birds to the forest edge. It’s an enlightening few days.
If you enjoy my insect stories, read Grasshoppers – nsenene: eat them or smoke them? Discuss.
Travel options for seeing the mountain gorillas
Can I fly to see the Mountain Gorillas? How long is the journey by road from Kampala or Kigali to the gorillas’ habitat?
The main roads leading to Uganda and Rwandas’ gorilla tracking areas are generally good but travel is much slower than on European or American roads, for example. Secondary roads are often slow and bumpy, especially approaching Uganda’s gorilla parks. Be prepared for long car journeys often taking most of the day. Four-wheel drive vehicles are required for certain routes in the rainy season. I’ve travelled to these areas by every possible means – private car, coach, public transport, boda boda and plane. However you travel, enjoy the journey! The scenery is fabulous.

Have you read Diary of a Muzungu’s Ultimate Guide to Mountain Gorilla Trekking?
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – home to the world’s biggest population of mountain gorillas – is 8+ hours’ drive from Kampala or Entebbe. If you’ve never visited this part of the world at all, the drive is a fantastic opportunity to view African life in the trading centres you pass through. En route through the gloriously green Pearl of Africa you will cross the Equator (and the obligatory stop for photos!)
If you have time to spare, you can easily make a detour for a safari in Lake Mburo National Park or Queen Elizabeth National Park.
If you prefer to fly, buy a round trip air ticket from Entebbe to the Bwindi area (at a cost of $350 – $450). This one and a half hour flight in a small aircraft is out of this world! You pass over the islands on Lake Victoria, swampy marshlands, trading centres and the mist covered valleys of south-western Uganda. Seeing the cloud covered peaks of the volcanoes approaching the distance is an unforgettable sight. The transfer from the airstrips of Kisoro or Kihihi is approximately 30 minutes to one hour, depending where you are tracking the gorillas.
If you’re pushed for time, or you don’t fancy a long road drive, a flight to Kigali and a short drive is the easiest option. The drive to Ruhengeri (Virunga) Volcanoes National Park, home of Rwanda’s gorillas, takes just two hours from Rwanda’s capital city Kigali on very good roads. En route you will quickly understand why it is called ‘the Land of 1000 Hills’!
It is also possible to fly to Kigali then drive across the border to see Uganda’s gorillas. Both options take considerably less time than driving from Kampala.
For gorilla trekking stories and Uganda and Rwanda travel advice, click on the hyperlinks in the Ultimate Guide to Mountain Gorilla Tracking. Looking for more info? Check out my Travel Directory or Contact the Muzungu.
Welcome to Uganda
If you’re new to Uganda, here’s some basic information on what the country has to offer tourists.
Kampala is the capital of Uganda and known historically as the ‘city of seven hills.’ Click on the link to read an intro to this great and crazy city! I love Kampala!
If you’re looking for just one guidebook about travel in Uganda, buy the Bradt Uganda Guide. The latest edition was published in 2019. Guess who features as a contributor? 😉 Read more about the Bradt Uganda Guide here or listen to my podcast interview with author Philip Briggs here. Edition 10 of the Bradt Uganda Guide will be published late 2024.

Safari or bust!
Most tourists land in Entebbe and head straight to track the gorillas or go on safari. Learn more about Uganda’s National Parks. While each National Park boasts hundreds of species, their ‘go to’ highlights include:
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (mountain gorillas)
- Kibale Forest National Park (chimps, monkeys, birds and butterflies)
- Kidepo Valley National Park (the only park for ostrich and cheetah)
- Lake Mburo National Park (zebras and giraffes)
- Mgahinga Gorilla National Park (mountain gorillas and volcanoes)
- Mount Elgon National Park (for funky vegetation, lakes, waterfalls and caves)
- Murchison Falls National Park (for safari game drives, Uganda’s biggest crocodiles, and boat rides on the Nile)
- Queen Elizabeth National Park (for safari game drives, birdwatching, a ‘water safari’ boat ride and chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge)
- Rwenzori Mountains National Park (glaciers, chameleons and awesome ‘Big Botanical Game’ montane plants)
- Semliki National Park (hot springs and a forest home to Central African bird species you won’t find anywhere else in Uganda).
In addition to the National Parks, the Uganda Wildlife Authority manages twelve Wildlife Reserves and fourteen wildlife sanctuaries. The National Forest Authority manages the Central Forest Reserves, the most popular ones being: Budongo, Kalinzu, Mabira, Mpanga and Echuya.
The Ssese Islands on Lake Victoria is an archipelago of 84 islands, many with beautiful white sandy beaches. Only half of the islands are inhabited. Some measure just a few thousand square metres. The largest Ssese Island is Buggala (at 40 kilometres in length), a popular tourist destination.
Other popular Ssese Islands include: Banda Island and Bulago Island. Ngamba Island is one of our best-known islands for it is home to the chimpanzees and sanctuary of the same name. Ngamba Island is a 45 minute boat ride across the Equator from Entebbe.
Where NOT to swim in the River Nile
Where NOT to swim in the River Nile
If you’re planning to go swimming in Uganda or white water rafting, kayaking or canoeing, don’t worry, the River Nile near Jinja is mostly fast flowing so there’s little chance that you will catch Bilharzia, although it’s not impossible.
The Bilharzia (snail) larvae breed in the shallow waters of the reed beds. Just to be on the safe side, if you plan on swimming in Uganda, first read my page on How to avoid Bilharzia.

Swimming in Uganda. Oh, the life of a volunteer TRA LA! Taking a dip below The Haven, River Nile, Jinja.
I’ve been Grade 5 White Water rafting three times in Uganda. Adrenalin rushes aside, I found that gently floating along next to our raft between the rapids is one of the best things I have ever done. I felt completely safe.
The dams at Owen Falls and Bujagali are very effective barriers to the rare crocodiles that you find on the Jinja shores of Lake Victoria. Any renegade crocs are quickly picked up by the Uganda Wildlife Authority so there’s nothing to worry about if you’re messing around on the river.
There are hippos and a few crocodiles on Lake Victoria itself (above the Owen Falls dam), so I’d give the midnight swims a miss until you’ve checked with local people whether any have been seen in the vicinity!
Swimming in Uganda – or in the River Nile at Murchison Falls National Park to be precise – is an altogether different matter: do not under any circumstance consider dipping even a toe in the river. As well as having very strong currents, here the River Nile is a fantastic mass of man-eating crocs and hippo!

Did you know….? The hippo is Africa’s most dangerous mammal. Hippo chasing man at Paraa, Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda
Some of the wildlife highlights of the River Nile in Murchison Falls are the pods of Hippo, and the huge Nile Crocodiles – you have been warned!
Do you enjoy swimming in Uganda? Have you swum in the River Nile?
Do you have any other Uganda travel tips or expat travel advice you’d like to share?
Please leave a comment here or check out the Diary of a Muzungu Guest Post page for more information, I’d love to hear from you!
Uganda’s National Parks – An Introduction
Uganda’s National Parks

Still my favourite elephant photo – taken as we drove along the Ishasha Road through Maramagambo Forest in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Within living memory, elephants wandered across three quarters of Uganda. These days the larger mammals are mostly confined within Uganda’s protected areas: the National Parks and Forest Reserves managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and the Forest Reserves, managed by the National Forestry Authority.
You’ve heard of the Big Five, but how about the Big Seven?

Identifying a Sunbird – not always easy, even with the bird guide! Photo taken at Sunbird Hill, edge of Kibale Forest
Uganda has arguably Africa’s greatest variety of birdlife with over 1,030 species recorded. Uganda’s Birding Big Five are: Shoebill, Secretary Bird, Green Breasted Pitta, African Green Broad-bill and Pel’s Fishing Owl.
It’s possible to spot over 450 species of birds in Uganda in a two or three week trip, if you’re well prepared with a professional bird guide. Even if you don’t see yourself as a birder, I defy you not to fall in love with birds after visiting the Pearl of Africa!
Uganda’s National Parks
Rwanda
The Muzungu’s top reasons to #VisitRwanda
1 – Go mountain gorilla trekking in the Virunga mountains, northern Rwanda. I have written extensively about gorilla tracking in Rwanda. Click on the links for more information or refer to my Ultimate Guide to Mountain Gorilla Tracking.
2 – Learn about gorilla conservation. Visit the grave of famous primatologist Dian Fossey and her favourite gorilla, Digit

3 – Rwanda is an eco-tourist’s dream: 670 bird species, 400 butterfly species, primates galore!
4 – Golden monkey trekking is highly recommended!
5 – Enjoy safari game drives in Akagera National Park, bordering Uganda, a ‘small but perfectly formed’ savannah safari destination where animal numbers are on the increase. Read Rhinos to Rwanda: the largest ever transport of rhinos from Europe to Africa begins today.


6 – Take advantage of free WiFi across Kigali! Oh yes! You can even check your email or WhatsApp when you’re on the city’s buses.
7 – Learn about the genocide of 1994. Visit the Gisozi Genocide Memorial Centre in Kigali. Incredibly moving and a must-visit experience.
8 – Lie on the tropical beach at Lake Kivu. Rwanda has a number of crystal clear lakes. The sandy beaches and tropical weather of Lake Kivu, shared with neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo, make the lake a popular weekend and holiday spot. Gisenyi and Kibuye are two popular resort towns.



9 – Go chimpanzee trekking in Nyungwe Forest. Birding in Nyungwe Forest is popular and the forest is home to big groups of Black and White Colobus monkeys. I travelled to Nyungwe Forest with my good friend primatologist chimpanzee expert Julia. Julia Lloyd features in the World Atlas of Great Apes and Their Conservation (and is best known for her work in habituating the chimpanzees of Kibale Forest in Uganda).

10 – Hike the magical volcanoes of the Virunga

11 – Watch fabulous traditional Intore dancing. The traditional culture of Rwanda is evidenced everywhere: the Intore dancers are captivating!

12 – Rwanda is a small, accessible country with good roads
12 – English is the (new) lingua franca and French is spoken by many in the capital and in hotels and tourist destinations
13 – The East Africa Tourist Visa makes travel to Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya more affordable.

The small landlocked country of Rwanda is known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills,” something which you will very quickly appreciate on a road trip. I still have the feeling of being thrown from left to right, right to left, for hours on end, when we drove up and down the hills, round one bend, then back around another, as we travelled from Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, down to Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi. (Historically connected, the two countries share very similar geography).
Rwanda is flourishing, and tourists love to visit this safe and popular little country that has invested heavily in tourism and infrastructure over the last two decades.


Many visitors are lured to Rwanda by the famous and critically endangered Mountain Gorillas, who make their home in the staggeringly beautiful Virunga volcanic chain.
It is even possible to fly into Rwanda for just 24 hours to see the gorillas, but I wouldn’t recommend that, there’s a lot more to Rwanda than the mountain gorillas.

Did you know…? The East Africa Tourist Visa makes it easier and cheaper to combine a trip to Rwanda with a visit to Uganda and Kenya.
Are you planning a Rwanda tour? Check out my Travel Directory or read reviews of 100s of Rwanda tour operators on SafariBookings.com
Kenya
The Muzungu’s top 10 reasons for visiting #MagicalKenya

The divine Karen Blixen Camp seen from the river. In the Mara North Conservancy, the Maasai work with lodge owners to conserve wildlife
I LOVE Kenya – for a hundred – THOUSAND – reasons – but let’s just start with ten …
- Kenya is the home of the classic African safari and the Big Five
- Kenya is a vast country of contrasting landscapes
- Kenya has 48 national parks, reserves, marine parks and private sanctuaries
- Kenyans are world-class leaders in wildlife conservation. Read Why Kenya’s ivory burning makes sense #worthmorealive
- Kenya has 400 mammal species and 1057 bird species, the most of any country in Africa
- The Great Migration passes through Kenya’s Maasai Mara
- Kenyans are proud of their 42 tribal cultures, who play a big and colourful part in welcoming tourists
- Kenya offers an unmatched range of beach holidays, think: sunbathing, snorkelling, scuba diving, SUP Stand Up Paddling, kitesurfing, sailing
- English is widely spoken throughout Kenya. Swahili is the official language
- The East Africa Tourist Visa makes travel to Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda even better value
Famous as the birthplace of the African Safari, you can never tire of Kenya’s limitless attractions for visitors and incredible diversity of landscapes and natural diversity.
Kenya’s world-famous wildlife is exceptional by any standards, and is protected in 48 national parks, reserves, marine parks and private sanctuaries, although many say that it is outside Africa’s national parks that the majority of wildlife still resides (meaning those animals need greater protection too).

The ‘Sleeping Warrior’ AKA Lord Delamere’s Nose is a stunning backdrop to views of flamingos from Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp
Have you visited a conservancy? I loved my three days at Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp in the Soysambu Conservancy in Kenya’s Rift Valley.
Read 10 fascinating flamingo facts (I bet you didn’t know). Lake Elmenteita is a birder’s paradise! (And a superb place for horse riding; game drives to see eland, Rothschild’s giraffes and leopard; the lakeshore breakfast among flamingos and pelicans was unforgettable too!)
Hot air ballooning safari: the sun rises over the Maasai Mara, Kenya – the GoPro view! from @CharlieBeau Diary of a Muzungu on Vimeo.
Kenya offers visitors an infinite array of authentic wildlife experiences, on land, on the ocean, and even from the air!
Kenya is most famous for the million and a half Wildebeest (and other four-legged friends) that, twice yearly, traverse the Maasai Mara in the epic migration.
Cheetah with three cubs, Maasai Mara safari, Kenya from @CharlieBeau Diary of a Muzungu on Vimeo.
Lesser-known ecotourism attractions include the Marine Big Five: sea turtles, dolphins, whales, whale sharks and billfish.

Hawksbill Turtles. Photo Turtle Bay Dive Centre Watamu
Did you know you can now experience the Twin Migration – uniquely – in Kenya? Watch the migration in the Mara and watch whales migrate along the coast too! Read all about whale watching trips from Watamu.
The highest point is the snowcapped peak of Mount Kenya, the intersection of the Equator and the Great Rift Valley.
Kenya is a geographer and naturalist’s dream: a country the size of France and Spain combined, featuring mountains, extinct volcanoes, soda lakes, Equatorial rainforest, alpine glaciers and arid deserts.
On the Indian Ocean coast, the white sandy beaches of Watamu, Malindi, Lamu and Mombasa, and the Swahili coast’s blend of African and Arab cultures, add an extra dimension to this must-visit country. Read 17 must-try experiences in Mombasa.
The snorkeling in Watamu is out of this world. Diary of a Muzungu on the beach at Watamu, Kenya

TripAdvisor Winner 2015: Medina Palms’ clients voted this resort the BEST of all hotels, lodges and establishments across the whole country. A series of infinity pools lead down to the white powder sand beach
With eight swimming pools cascading down to the Indian Ocean, Swahili Beach Resort in Diani is high on my list of places for ‘a proper holiday.’🌴🍹🌊🥥👙⛱️
Read Swahili Beach – confessions of a travel blogger.

The 5 star Swahili Beach Resort in Diani – SWOON! Click on the image above to read my blog and view a gallery of this resort’s amazing architecture and interiors

A technicolor start to our morning’s sightseeing in Mombasa. Shree Cutch Satsang Swaminarayan Temple, Haile Selassie Avenue
When it comes to food, I can’t think of any better combination than the Kenyan coast combination of fresh seafood and spices: crab samosas, fresh fish and lobster, with a Swahili twist (washed down with an ice-cold Tusker beer, of course!)
Kenya is famous for her colourful human culture, notably the Maasai, the Samburu and the Turkana, just three of the country’s 42 tribes.
Kenya’s rich heritage can be traced back a staggering 4.5 million years. Didn’t we all come from Africa once?

Walking to school through Uhuru Gardens, Central Business District, Nairobi. In November, the Jacaranda trees are in full and glorious blossom
I love Nairobi more every visit. The streets are becoming more familiar to me now: I LOVE this incredible video!
Nairobi- A Timelapse Portrait from xixo collective on Vimeo.
The capital Nairobi is the only African city with a national park in its centre. Even if you don’t get a chance to leave the city perimeter, it’s still possible to go on a game drive if you are visiting Nairobi. Read my blog all about Nairobi National Park: the muzungu’s first city safari!

If you’ve seen the incongruous-looking photographs of wildlife in front of a modern urban background, then you may know I’m talking about Nairobi National Park (which is actually IN Kenya’s capital, making it very accessible for weekend or business visitors).
I recently stayed at the 5 star Nairobi Serena Hotel, conveniently situated on a quiet and leafy corner of the Central Business District. The hotel has been totally refurbished and offers a complimentary Architectural, Cultural and Conservation to guests. The creativity is quite mind-blowing! If you’re a fan of African history and culture, the Murumbi Gallery and Heritage House, you must read How to tour Africa from the comfort of your Nairobi hotel.

Admire the fabulous wood carvings in the Bambara Lounge, Nairobi Serena Hotel on the Architectural, Cultural and Conservation Tour

This delicate brass box derives from West Africa. Isn’t it gorgeous? Click on the images to see more artefacts you can see on the Nairobi Serena’s Architectural, Cultural and Conservation Tour
Did you know…? The East Africa Tourist Visa makes it easier and cheaper to combine a trip to Kenya with a visit to Uganda and Rwanda. Read the Muzungu’s definitive guide to the East Africa Tourist Visa here.
I’ve only just skimmed the surface of what Kenya has to offer as a tourism destination but the country has blown my tiny little mind, I can tell you!

View from the Lunatic Express train from Nairobi to Mombasa
If you are travelling between Kampala to Nairobi, you might enjoy reading my cross-border bus journeys.
Travelling between Nairobi and the Mombasa coast? The photo above was taken on the Lunatic Express train – a real highlight of my travels across East Africa. It’s been replaced by the rather less romantic – but infinitely more reliable – Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) train. Read my detailed comparison between the bus and the train journey between Nairobi and Mombasa here in Brief encounter – of romance and railways.
Keep reading Diary of a Muzungu for more travel tips and adventures from across Kenya and East Africa.
Burundi
The Muzungu’s top reasons to travel to Burundi
I loved visiting Burundi. My Burundian and Rwandese hosts treated me like royalty; I will never forget their kindness and hospitality. Sadly, few people will travel to Burundi until the political situation improves. When it does, here are the muzungu’s Burundi travel tips!

Map of Burundi. “Bujumbura welcomes you” but without a local guide, you may find touring Burundi a challenge
The official lingua franca is French, which is fine if you’re at a tourist hotel or bar, but I found few street vendors, for example, spoke French. Educated Burundians generally speak French – the man or woman on the street may not. English is not widely spoken either.
Burundians are not used to tourists, nor having their photo taken – although the guys below completely disprove that point 🙂

One of my favourite photos from Bujumbura. “Kiosque le silence” – the silent kiosk – what a wonderful name for a public telephone booth!
Watching the hippos at Rusizi Nature Reserve was a nice day out but can’t honestly match up to other East African safari destinations for wildlife numbers, diversity or even tourism infrastructure.

Watch out for the crocs! Rusizi Nature Reserve is home to crocodiles, hippo, antelope and birds
Burundi is an excellent destination for birdwatchers (sharing almost the same birdlife as neighbouring Rwanda).

Rusizi Nature Reserve is a short drive from Bujumbura. Part of Burundi’s charm are the wonderful handpainted signs
Burundi’s two other National Parks are Rurubu National Park and Rusizi National Park. Kibira Forest once formed a continuous forest with Nyungwe Forest, Mukura and Gishwati Forests in Rwanda. We drove through Rusizi on our journey from Kigali. Burundi also has six nature reserves: Bururi Forest, Kigwena, Lake Rwihinda (Lac aux Oiseaux), Rumonge, Rusizi and Vyanda Forest.

Shop in Bujumbura’s markets for woven baskets and mats, vibrant kitenge and huge multicoloured umbrellas

You can’t beat drive-by shopping! En route from Bujumbura to Kigali, my friends stopped to buy beautiful handwoven baskets

The muzungu and the must-have fashion accessory! Burundians love these huge multicoloured umbrellas

Ugali flour seller in Bujumbura. No day is complete without at least one serving of ugali… !
Burundi may be off the travel and tourism circuit for now, but let’s pray normality returns to the ‘Heart of Africa’ as quickly as possible.

Looking to the future. My two young friends from Rwanda and Burundi, arm in arm, overlooking Lake Tanganyika
Burundians eat well!

Lake Tanganyika has a variety of fish. Mukeke is very tasty!
Burundi has scrumptious ‘fusion’ cuisine.
In addition to the traditional African foods of matooke (banana), ugali and cassava we ate a variety of fish from Lake Tanganyika, French-style crusty baguette bread and fantastic beers. (I can’t say I’m a fan of ugali though…)

Popular beers in Burundi include Primus, Amstel and Heineken
I wanted to visit Bujumbura the moment Lonely Planet wrote “Bujumbura has the best inland beaches in Africa.” Lake Tanganyika is safe to swim in (there is no Bilharzia, like in many of East Africa’s lakes).

It had been raining on the morning we went to the beach. The beach was deserted except for one fisherman. The low cloud semi-obscured the Blue Mountains of the Congo
“Lake Tanganyika is second largest of the lakes of eastern Africa. It is the longest freshwater lake in the world (660km or 410 miles) and the second deepest (1,436 metres or 4,710 feet) in the world. It is comparatively narrow and varies in width from (16 to 72 km or 10 to 45 miles). Lake Tanganyika covers about (32,900 square km or 12,700 square miles) and its shores are in Burundi, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia. It occupies the southern end of the Western Rift Valley, and for most of its length the land rises steeply from its shores.”
Burundians love to party at the beaches’ many bars and nightclubs. The capital city of Bujumbura boasts a vibrant beach nightlife of bars, restaurants and nightclubs (you can see why I want to go back, can’t you?!)

The sun sets on the beach of Lake Tanganyika

Dusk over Bujumbura. City view from the Monument de l’Unite (Unity Memorial)
Lake Tanganyika’s white sandy beaches are just a stone’s throw from Bujumbura. The city is laid out in a classic European colonial grid-type layout. There’s an interesting variety of architecture.

Art deco style architecture of Palais des Arts et de la Culture – art museum – Bujumbura

Palais des Arts et de la Culture, painted in the colours of the Burundi flag

Postal boxes. I love the symmetry of La Poste, the European-inspired Post Office, Bujumbura

Bicycles all in a row. La Poste, the old colonial Post Office, Bujumbura

“La Poste d’Usumbura” – the Post Office of Usumbura. The city was renamed Bujumbura in 1962 at independence, circa 1940s
Bujumbura is an interesting mix of European influence of the 1940s – and earlier – of eclectic hand-painted African shop signs and, sadly, even more potholes than Kampala.

The handpainted signs and shopfronts give Burundi a very original feel. I loved the painted “boucherie” butcher’s shop

A rainbow lights up an otherwise cloudy day in Bujumbura

As the sun set, we drove to the highest point of Bujumbura. View of Lake Tanganyika from the Monument de l’Unite (Unity Memorial)
The beaches attract Burundians and expats from neighbouring DR Congo to wile away their Sunday afternoons.
On a future visit, I plan to visit Chutes de la Kagera (Karera Waterfalls) and Faille des Allemands (German Gorge). One place I would not recommend visiting is the “Musée Vivant” (Living Museum) in Bujumbura. The living conditions of the animals were appalling. This was in 2016. (Has it improved?)
One of the cultural highlights – and most noteworthy tourism exports – are ‘les Tambourinaires de Burundi’ the traditional drummers. A must-see (hear!) experience when in Burundi.
Did you know…? The East Africa Tourist Visa makes it possible to buy one visa for travel to Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. Tanzania still looks unlikely to sign up to the EATV (January 2020). The muzungu sincerely hopes that Burundi will join the East Africa Tourist Visa party one day.