Run, cycle or swim? (Win fab prizes!) Kyaninga Triathlon May 2024
Are you a runner? Do you cycle? Swim? Or all three?
If you can do all – or even one – of these sports, then why not get a team together for the superb Kyaninga Triathlon on May 18th 2024? (We still have time to get in shape!) You can also sign up for a fun run, duathlon or bike ride.
The annual triathlon takes place in the glorious countryside around Kyaninga Lodge outside Fort Portal, western Uganda. Full details – prices + how to enter + race descriptions + contact details – are on the Kyaninga Events website.
I’ve also written extensively about all Kyaninga sporting / fundraising events here Run or Ride the Rift? Sign up for Kyaninga’s 2024 events now! NOTE: info is updated every year.
Fancy winning a cool prize, like a free night at one of Uganda’s top lodges?
Scroll down to read how to buy raffle tickets to stays at top lodges, free meals and more, including: Kyaninga Lodge, Ndali Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, Mihingo Lodge, Red Chilli Hideaway, Aramaga Rift Valley Lodge, Seasons Lodge Zanzibar, Little Elephant Camp, Kikorongo Safari Lodge, Rwakobo Rock, Turaco Treetops and Trekkers Safari Lodge.
Help change the future of children with disabilities in Uganda
All proceeds of these fundraiser events go to the amazing Kyaninga Child Development Centre who work with disabled children and their families. I have seen the positive impact of their work – it’s life-changing! 13% of children in Uganda – that’s more than 2.5 million children – are living with a disability
How to register for the Kyaninga Triathlon + how to buy raffle tickets to win awesome prizes at lodges, cafes and restaurants across Uganda
1. Visit the Kyaninga Triathlon website for more info.
2. If you’re in Uganda, register for all these events OR pay for raffle tickets by using MTN MoMo Pay 613517.
3. Got a question? WhatsApp Fiona at KCDC on +256 778277248 or events@kyaningacdc.org
4. Buy a ton of raffle tickets! You can even buy them remotely and your numbers will be sent via WhatsApp.
5. Looking for ideas on accommodation around Fort Portal? Send me a message.
Miss Tourism Uganda leads clean-up of Fort Portal
Miss Tourism Uganda to lead 3-day clean-up of Fort Portal 29th October 2021. Environment conservation is a top priority for the reigning Miss Tourism of Uganda as she makes her maiden visit to Tooro land
In this week’s Guest Post, Isaiah Mwesige of AFRIYEA (African Young Environment Activists) invites us to join 3 days of environmental activities in Fort Portal. I’ve been following Isaiah’s work for a little while. His passion and commitment are infectious – let’s do what we can to help suport his excellent environmental campaigns!
Isaiah writes:
The world is faced with adverse effects of global warming and climate change which define a crisis of our time. This is happening more quickly than we feared which has affected most major sectors of the economy not sparing the tourism industry as well. However, we are far from powerless in the face of this global threat. As António Guterre, United Nations Secretary-General pointed out in 2019, “the climate emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win.”
For Miss Tourism Uganda, majority of her efforts are being put into environmental conservation through activities such as tree planting, plastic collection, proper disposal of waste and awareness campaigns. These are among the key highlights on her agenda for her maiden visit to Fort Portal under the theme “An eco-friendly environment for sustainable tourism and economic growth,” organized by Fort Portal Tourism City Council in collaboration with AFRIYEA, scheduled for 29th October 2021.
Fort Portal has a mostly tropical climate characterized by stable rainfall patterns. However, the effects of climate change have turned the seasons around with the area experiencing shorter or longer rains and harsher dry seasons.
Since the elevation of Fort Portal municipality to a tourism city, different stakeholders have joined efforts to protect and conserve the environment
As we all know, the Rwenzori region in which Fort Portal lies is a hub for most of the tourism sites in Uganda and it is upon this basis that key regionl role players have collectively worked to create sustainable environments which will bring in more investment opportunities through tourism and other sectors.
As everyone gets ready for the homecoming of Queen Suzan Adyeeri, the Uganda Miss Tourism 2021, notable leaders are pledging full support towards the success of this event. These include: the City Mayor, the Resident City Commissioner, the Security Forces and their respective offices. Through good terms and coordination, AFRIYEA has been able to organize Miss Tourism Uganda’s homecoming event. This will be followed by 2 days of environmental conservation thus making it a 3 days event of thorough cleaning of Fort Portal City, tree planting, and proper waste management especially along the banks of River Mpanga.
The prestigious visit of Miss Uganda to Fort Portal is aimed at conserving the environment whilst boosting the tourism potential in Tooro.
Fort Portal city has embarked on her journey of being the cleanest city in Uganda. The campaign is fronted by His Worship Asaba Edson Ruyonga, the Mayor of Fort Portal City. His team are working with stakeholders that include learning institutions (Mountains of the Moon University, FINS Medical University), religious institutions, private companies (Kalya Courts Hotel, Nyaika Hotel, AADI Enterprises), civil society organizations (KRC, RFPJ), non-governmental organizations (JESE, IDP, AFRIYEA, Protos, Enabel) and several other partners both new and old. All of these shall be taking part in the prestigious visit of Miss Uganda to Toro region and you are welcome to join us!
Are you in Fort Portal on 29th October?
We welcome volunteers from all walks of life to plant trees, make a donation, promote the event or help clean the streets and River Mpanga.
“I have liked you”
Gonja and roasted goat: bus travel from Kampala to Fort Portal
The bus from Kampala to Fort Portal leaves at 7 o’clock in the morning and I am told to be there an hour beforehand. I catch a boda boda across the city as the early morning traffic gathers. It’s refreshing to be driving through the cool early morning air with my bag packed for five days on the edge of Kibale Forest – away from the laptop.
Our boda heads downtown – avoiding a certain saloooon – where we are surrounded by thousands of people all jostling to get to work, to sell their wares, gearing up for the day ahead.
As we turn a corner, a tall man in bright green overalls shouts “Link? Link?”
I wasn’t sure where to find the Link bus park but there’s no mistaking the man in green who runs up the street to a yard filled with buses of the same bright green. The word LINK is written in large yellow letters.
I don’t have change (balance) so the man in green offers to take my money and buy a ticket for me and come back with the change for my boda boda. No thank you. He seems legitimate enough but I’m wary. (Once-upon-a-boyfriend-ago, a similar move in Cairo by a very helpful stranger separated us from all our money – on the first day of our holiday). Alert for similar tricks, I walk to a shop opposite the Link bus station, buy two bottles of water and have the change I need to pay for my boda boda and my bus ticket without using an intermediary.
On board I squash myself in near the back of the bus. I choose to sit near a lady and her baby. She beams at me as I sit down.
“But I need some water,” she says very loudly (to me?)
I’m not sure what I’m supposed to make of this so I choose to ignore her.
Before the bus departs for Fort Portal, a man walks up and down the aisle selling cakes. A small round cake is 500 Uganda shillings; a big square slab of cake is 1000 shillings. I opt for the smaller cake to accompany my breakfast apple.
The bus leaves on time.
I check WhatsApp while we are still in town. The guy next to me seems very interested in everything on my phone screen. “Ooo Facebook!” He exclaims. I try and ignore him and shield my screen from his interested eyes. His gaze keeps coming back to my phone. I glare at him. Out of the corner of my eye I see his ‘Nokia’ phone. I guess he is envious of my Smartphone. I feel bad for thinking mean thoughts.
We are seated one row in front of the back row. In my rush to get a seat I have (again) forgotten how I will regret sitting over the back wheel of the bus.
As the bus hits the open road to Fort Portal, phone networks go off and everyone settles down for a snooze. There’s a blast of cold wet air. Every time we slide the window shut, the juddering and shaking of the vehicle reopens it. The lady pulls the blanket over her child’s head. I try and keep myself warm by putting my bag on my lap.
The lady is trying to keep the window closed to keep her baby warm. The man sitting between us has fallen asleep. “Typical husband,” I think. “He’s asleep while she’s worrying about the baby.” I’m worried the baby is as cold as I am, so I fold a small piece of paper and pass it to her, thinking she may be able to use it to wedge the window shut. “Do you want me to put it out of the window?” She motions.
No!
I doze and am woken by the ringing of a phone. This lady does love to chat. I hear her cough and I get up to retrieve the second bottle of water from my bag. If she’s breast-feeding, she must need water.
We are halfway to Mubende before I buy my ticket. The ticket seller slowly works down the aisle, writing out each ticket by hand. The guy next to me peers into the pocket of my bag. I try and retrieve my money without showing him exactly how much I am carrying. He’s craning his neck to have a good look. The guy selling tickets doesn’t have enough change so he writes 5,000 UGX and his signature on the back of the ticket to denote that he has to pay me my balance.
At Mubende, plastic bowls full of roasted gonja and cardboard boxes of water and sodas are pushed up to the bus window. Someone waves roasted meat at us through the gap. I opt for a chapati. “Roasted or dry?” The young man asks me helpfully. I understand enough of the lady’s Luganda to know that she is complaining about the prices. She sends the young man to the shop with her order for orange squash and goat.
“I have liked you,” she said. “You can give me your number so I can call you.”
She tells me that she is going to Kasese (the stop after Fort Portal) to visit her parents for a few days and that she will go back to Kampala to see her husband.
“I thought this one was your husband?” I ask.
“No. This one I just met him on the bus.”
The young man jumps back on the bus brandishing wooden skewers of glistening roasted goat. He offers me one. It’s kind of him but I’m not in the mood for roasted goat. (I also recall the advice not to accept food or drink offered by strangers on public transport). This pair seem kind enough though.
He removes the flimsy bag (polythene paper in Uglish) from around the meat and screws into a small ball. He passes it to the woman who knows exactly what he wants her to do with it: she forces it out of the window.
He sits next to me, tearing at the meat with his teeth. His teeth hit a bone which he spits at his feet. A small heap of goat bones accumulate on the floor between us. The smell of roasted meat fills the air.
The chat chat chat starts again. I like this couple. She and her baby remind me of my niece and her baby. She is loud but friendly. He reminds me of someone from the village. He appears uneducated but innocent.
More passengers squeeze onto the bus. A lady passenger places her big bag on the aisle and sits on it and we’re off again. I am still standing up when the driver slams on the brakes. The guy next to me grimaces; I hang onto the side of the seat. There’s never a dull moment on the bus to Fort Portal.
On the other side of the aisle is a Muslim lady wearing a bright yellow headscarf and pink lipstick. She wears a bold kitenge print dress and an eyeful of cleavage.
I pull out a large tourist map of Kampala, fully expecting the young man to ogle at it and start asking questions. I’m rather pleased with my new map: KCCA have launched a tourism map of the city and I’m interested to see which places feature on it.
Nothing! The young man doesn’t even glimpse over. I read the map, unfold it, turn it over, fold again. I’m amazed – the guy doesn’t register interest even once! Is tourism just ‘a white people thing’ I ask myself?
I ask myself: I wonder if he can read? Or perhaps it’s only money and phones that make him tick?
The ticket inspector returns to check our tickets and I politely remind “sebo (sir)” whether he has my balance yet. He doesn’t seem to hear me.
“*Gwe!” Yells the young man, trying to back me up.
*It’s a little rude considering “Gwe” is old enough to be the young boy’s father!
Road travel from Kampala to Fort Portal via Mubende – tips for travelers
- There’s a universal price of 300 ugx for a short call whether at Kampala Link bus station, en route at Mubende or at the bus station in Fort Portal.
- For the best HOT gonja and chicken, buy directly from the women who are grilling (on the way back from the toilet!)
- If you take the afternoon bus from Fort Portal, you may be lucky enough to see the sun set over Lake Wamala. What a wonderful, unexpected sight that was.
- Link have made a lot of investment over the past few years: new buses, redesigned depots and generally helpful staff. The CCTV security system at the Kampala depot is another positive development too.
- Buying bus tickets is a lot easier and more secure since Link introduced a new digital ticketing solution with the KaCyber app. It’s great because it promotes social distancing (avoid the scrum at the booking office!) Book your ticket in advance and pay using mobile money or PayPal. The KaCyber Go App is free to download but not available on all Link bus routes yet. The app is particularly useful now since it is a ‘contactless’ solution (no need to touch money or paper tickets so no need to sanitise your hands!)
- I wrote this story before COVID-19 disorganised us.
- Diary of a Muzungu readers know I regularly take the bus from Kampala to Fort Portal and in October 2020 I took my first bus journey of the pandemic. All travellers have to wear facemasks and everyone’s hands are sprayed with disinfectant. I sat between one empty seat and the aisle. For social distancing purposes, the pattern of vacant seats was repeated throughout the bus.
Do you travel by bus? What are your travel tips? If you enjoy my bus journey stories, I have plenty more 😎
Billing and cooing around Lake Saka, Fort Portal
Pelicans and Great-crested Grebes – monitoring birds at Lake Saka on behalf of NatureUganda
Billing and cooing around Lake Saka – or “more birdwatching with Rog!”
The sight of four Sacred Ibis flying overhead is “a good sign” according to Roger, as we drive down the dusty back roads of Fort Portal towards Lake Saka. “I’m surprised to see them here,” he says. A minute later two Grey Crowned Cranes follow their route. The road to Mountains of the Moon University is so dusty a boda boda drive towards us with a face mask on.
Roger is anxious about what birdlife we’ll see or more correctly what we won’t see at Lake Saka. When he lived in Fort Portal he walked around this lake four times a week. He is concerned at what damage may been done in the year since his visit. Roger is prepared to be disappointed.
We park at the university and within minutes Roger’s face lights up as he hears the sound of a Red-winged Francolin. “I didn’t think they’d still be here!” He says. “There were three pairs here before. It’s the only place I’ve seen them in Uganda.”
At an elevation of 1,576 metres, we are around 400 metre higher than our forest edge home and this is reflected in the different bird species.
Our group of guides and casual birders sets to work following the transects designated for the NatureUganda bird population monitoring. “There’s no time for birdwatching, we have to focus on the transects,” orders Roger. “We can dilly dally later, on our walk back.”
Julia takes notes and Dillon (aged 8 1/2) watches the clock for us.
I spy a Red-eyed Dove on the overhead wire.
“Palm nut Vulture!” Calls Ambrose.
“A Windchat – a migrant.”
A Pink-backed Pelican sits on the surface of the lake. “This is fabulous!” Exclaims Rog.
“African Fish Eagle in the distance” calls Ambrose.
Roger points out the African Stonechat. What a pretty pair of birds they are. The female is quite different to the male and has a reddish pink breast.
Sightings come quickly. There’s no time to watch the birds, only to record them and march on. A small flock of Black and White Manikins sit on bleached ears of maize.
“Chubb’s Cisticola” someone shouts – and a pause to check its ID in Fanshawe’s “Birds of East Africa.”
The striking Baglefecht’s Weaver poses in Erthrynia.
“Ants!” Shouts Dianah. We step over a trail of red (biting) ants across our path.
We walk down a quiet marram path that slopes gently downhill. We’ve been walking for twenty minutes and only passed two of three other people. There are no cars, no boda bodas. All we can hear are the sounds of nature.
In the distance are the misty foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains. A speck of white passes high in the sky, lit by the sun. “Little Egret,” calls Roger.
A Cinnamon-chested Bee eater perches on a branch above our heads.
“Ah BEAUTIFUL… !” Everyone coos at the same time.
“Charlotte – take a photo!”
“There’s no time for birdwatching” Julia shouts sarcastically, mimicking Roger, pushing us on.
There is the sound of running water and the air cools as we cross a small stream. Above it is a large messy Hammerkop nest in the crook of a tree. A man washes his boda boda in the flowing water.
“Isn’t there a law against that?” Muses Roger loudly as we file past the naughty boda driver.
We climb a long slope that opens high above the lake. “African Open-billed Stork!” Ambrose shouts. (I love those prehistoric-looking birds).
A lone cow bellows loudly.
We see another six African Open-billed Storks, then three more. Close by, eleven Bronze Manikins fly through the tall grass. In this lovely unspoiled piece of countryside there are few houses.
“We haven’t found a Grebe yet,” Roger. Despite some good bird sightings, his anxiety persists.
As we wander along the path, the team calls out bird names:
Two Northern Black Flycatchers… Short-winged Cisticola… Yellow-throated Longclaw… Eight Pink-backed Pelicans. “This is brilliant, there only used to be one!” Cries Rog.
I get a close-up shot of a Lavaillant’s Cuckoo in an avocado tree next to the path.
We hear the plaintive sound of cranes in the distance over the lake. A Variable Sunbird perches on the tip of a matooke leaf. “Pretty!” Says Dianah.
Eastern Grey Plantain eater… two Palm Swifts in flight…
“New section guys!” Shouts Julia every few minutes, as she records all the data.
Roger points to a ridge of the Rwenzori Mountains. “I’ve seen Angola Colobus up there,” he says.
I point to a Little Brown Bird. I know what it isn’t but I don’t know what it is. I have a feeling we haven’t counted it yet. “It’s a Tawny-flanked Prinia,” he corrects me, “a type of warbler.”
On Lake Kigere, we see four Yellow-billed ducks and – finally – two Great-crested Grebes!
This is the first in a series of blogs about the NatureUganda bird population monitoring of Kibale Conservation Area, which is carried out twice-yearly by a team from Sunbird Hill. The Kibale Conservation Area comprises Toro Semliki Wildlife Reserve, Semliki National Park, Kibale National Park (Sebitoli, Ngogo Road Kanyanchu, Mainara, Kanyawara), Lake Saka and Lake Bikere and Toro Botanical Gardens in Fort Portal and Katonga Wildlife Reserve.
Our friend Roger Skeen takes centre stage in many of my birding blogs. Here are a few favourites:
A birding safari here in my backyard. Traversing the swamp from Kampala en route to Port Bell
Operation Shoebill – Uganda’s Big Birding Day Mabamba Bay
A disgusting day out – counting vultures in Kampala’s abattoirs
Where shall we go birding next?
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.
Kyaninga Lodge – the dancing, running (and relaxing!) lodge
Kyaninga Lodge‘s breathtaking views
Since the recent launch of the Disney film ‘Queen of Katwe,’ Ugandans have been discussing how we can attract the film industry to film in Uganda. I first visited Kyaninga Lodge in 2011. Since then I’ve been unable to picture the lodge without imagining James Bond parachuting down into the crater lake below the lodge and jet-skiing across it! Kyaninga Lodge is unique. Read my review and you’ll quickly see why!
Kyaninga Lodge, near Fort Portal – early morning view of the crater lake from my cottage from @CharlieBeau Diary of a Muzungu on Vimeo.
What is so special about Kyaninga Lodge?
Stunning view? CHECK!
Helipad? CHECK!
Well-stocked bar serving the muzungu’s favourite tipple? CHECK!
Swimming pool with ridiculously gorgeous view? CHECK!
Superb food? CHECK!
Fab company? CHECK!
Driving to Kyaninga Lodge from Kampala
Despite a warning that we might find the dirt road from outside Fort Portal to the Lodge to be tricky driving in the rainy season, we had no problem. We didn’t even need to engage the four-wheel drive. The 20 minute drive on dirt roads show scenes of rural Ugandan life at its most picturesque.
Richard gave us a lovely welcome upon arrival. The keys to each cottage come in a tiny cloth bag, complete with your own personal mobile phone for the duration of your stay. The main lodge living area, lodge manager and all the rooms have their own phone number which are already keyed into the phone. What a great idea.
About Kyaninga Lodge – geography
The view from the lodge shifts and changes constantly thanks to the combination of the Rwenzori Mountains (seen in the distance) and the deep water of the lake. At times the mountains are clearly visible, sometimes they are obscured by cloud; in the early morning, mist lies in the valleys. It’s breathtakingly beautiful.
Over time, two volcanic craters have come together to form one of the deepest crater lakes in Uganda. The lake plunges a formidable 224 metres into the earth. Although water of this depth should be very cold, thanks to the semi-active properties of these craters the water is a comfortable temperature for swimming.
According to the lodge’s owner and designer Steve, “the lake is warming up. They have been measuring the temperature for the last 25 years and it is due to erupt again in 10,000 years!”
The lake water has a very high mineral content which stops the formation of any algae. This, and the fact that the lake has no shallows because of its deep sides, keeps the lake Bilharzia-free. Kyaninga is therefore one of the very few Ugandan lakes that is safe to swim in. A path leads from the lodge to steps that take you down to a floating jetty at the water’s edge.
Kyaninga Lodge – cottages
Each self-contained cottage is a little walk from all the others, meaning you have total privacy. Each cottage overlooks the crater lake and has a spectacular view of the Rwenzori’s. Every cottage has a wide self-contained veranda; no-one else can see you. Using your nifty little mobile phone, it’s possible to call for drinks to be served on your deck.
Thanks to its wooden construction, in and out, the lodge has a strong Alpine feel to it, although Steve told us he had never been inside a log cabin before he designed and built Kyaninga!
It’s wonderful to see how the lodge’s trees and beautifully landscaped gardens have matured. There is constant birdsong all day, always a healthy sign for the environment. In the valley to one side of the lodge is rumoured to be Uganda’s only lawn tennis court, which also doubles as a badminton court. Lodge guests can also play croquet and boules.
The Wi-Fi works well in the main lodge building and the rooms have three power points, so you’re well equipped for power. Helpfully, each room has an umbrella that you can use when moving between your room and the main building
Kyaninga Lodge is a labour of love and took six years to build. The timber (Eucalyptus and Elgon Olive) are found locally, as is the Semliki variety of grass, used for thatching.
Interesting fact: “Kyaninga Lodge is equipped with six fire hoses each capable of sending a jet of water over the top of the cabin or the main lodge building. The fire hoses are connected to a pump that is in turn connected to the swimming pool, meaning we have approximately 120,000 litres of water available – which should be plenty!”
The swimming pool itself is carved out of the rock face.
The main lodge building sits at the summit of one of the area’s famous rolling hills. The individual cottages hug the brow of the hill and slope down to either side of the main building in an equilateral pattern. The high ceilings and bare wood give a feeling of space. I imagine it might get chilly here but every evening, around sunset, the open fireplace is lit as guests congregate for pre-dinner drinks.
In addition to the main dining area, guests can choose to dine privately in one of the upstairs galleries.
What can you do at Kyaninga Lodge?
There’s a long list of complimentary activities:
- – Swimming in the lodge pool.
- – Lawn tennis, badminton, croquet and boules (lodge guests can borrow tennis balls and rackets from the Lodge).
- – Crater rim walk
- – Two private terraces below the swimming pool are perfect for a sundowner. One of the terraces even has a small fireplace.
- – Birdwatching
- – Swimming in the crater lake
- – Village and cultural walk
- – Forest walk inside the crater for a good chance of seeing monkeys and forest birds and the chance to peer inside a bat cave!
Kyaninga Lodge, crater rim walk
On our first morning, we set off on a circumnavigation of the crater lake ‘the crater rim walk’ below the lodge. We took our time, stopping every few minutes for photographs, admiring Kyaninga from different angles as we passed through fields of crops. The farmers told us of the crops they were planting: Irish potatoes, beans, cassava and yam. We saw fabulous birds including Cinnamon-chested Beeeaters, a male black and white Pin-tailed Wydah bird (complete with its long breeding plumage), an African Open-billed stork and a striking black and red Ross’s Turaco. The walk took us around two hours.
A spot of birdwatching – before breakfast
On our second morning, we’d arranged for one of the lodge staff to take us on a short birdwatching walk in the grounds of the lodge. I’m so glad we got up early and had a chance to catch the magical sight of the mist over the lake. The birdwatching was a bonus!
Birds we spotted included: Baglafect Weaver, Copper sunbird, Black-crowned Tchagra, Fan-tailed Widowbird, White-browed Robinchat, African Fish Eagle, Red-billed Firefinch, Tawny flanked Prinia.
African Firefinch “like posho” said our guide. “You often see them congregating outside houses where people are washing their plates.”
We listened to two different types of monkey: the Vervet and the black-and-white Colobus, who were chattering and communicating with each other from different sides of the lake. The guide told us that baby Colobus are born with white fur.
He also explained the medicinal uses of the Omunyara tree and the ‘Five-fingered leaf plant.’
More activities at Kyaninga Lodge
There are a range of massages and beauty treatments available.
To explore the area further, the lodge can organise:
- – Walks in the Great Rift Valley – at the edge of the escarpment you can see the vast expanse which is the convergence of the Congo basin and the Great Rift Valley.
- – Mountain biking to Semliki Safari Lodge.
- – Kyaninga Lodge is a convenient base for exploring Kibale Forest, Semliki National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and the Rwenzori Mountains.
- – Visit Toro Botanical Gardens in Fort Portal and the Toro Golf Club, a nine-hole golf course which is open to non-members.
Can you dance? Would you like lessons from a pro?
The second ‘So Kyaninga can dance’ was held in 2017. The event was held on Kyaninga Lodge‘s purpose-built dancefloor.
Can you run? Swim? Cycle?
Another popular event held at Kyaninga Lodge is the Kyaninga Triathlon. Read about all the sporting events on this blog post, which I update every year.
Before I sign off…
To enquire about lodge availability, email info@kyaningalodge.com or call +256 772 999750. Remember to say the muzungu sent you 😎
Chimp alert! Muzungu bolthole? Kibale Forest
Three dogs bark excited greetings as we drive up the steep hill on the approach to Julia’s house on the edge of Kibale Forest.
The four hours from Kampala to Fort Portal on tarmac are easy. The last hour of the journey is the hardest: balancing a plastic bag full of raw eggs on my lap, as Julia races down the rutted dustbowl that passes for a road. Cool crater lakes beckon right and left.
I’m having a break from the midday sun. Julia suggests I haul my Jerry can of cold water up into the sunshine so it’s warm for my afternoon shower. Butterflies circle around the water dripping into the washing bowl beneath the Jerry can. Julia’s world is full of her dad’s home-made inventions, contraptions in which Jerry cans feature prominently.
Determined to finish her Ph.D., Julia is spending most of her time in Kampala this year. We arrive in Kibale to find the inverter is broken, so there’s no power; the solar panel isn’t working either. There’s no gas left in Fort Portal, so we borrow a gas cylinder from a local lodge. At least we won’t have to rely on the charcoal stove to cook dinner and heat water for eight people for the next three days! This weekend may be classed as a trial run for future tourism endeavours! (Fast forward a few years and Julia’s place has developed in leaps and bounds: home is now known as Sunbird Hill).
Hope has prepared dinner: it’s ‘Irish’ (potatoes) from the garden, and g’nut (groundnut) sauce. The home-grown groundnuts are stored in a gigantic Ali Baba basket. Swimming in my g’nut sauce is a Lungfish, whole. I can’t face eating it and guiltily leave the fish in the pot. The kids found it in the river when they were collecting water this morning – I guess someone will have the stomach for it.
After dinner, a slither of moon to guide us, we check out the park boundary paths. As we inch past, torchlight reveals spiderwebs suspended between branches. We duck under the washing line. The dogs bound ahead of us into the trees.
Freshly broken branches are evidence of a recent elephant visit.
“Wake up, the chimps are here! Come quick!” Yells Julia the following morning.
Bleary-eyed, I climb the viewing platform and we watch a solitary chimp warming himself in the early morning sun some 30 metres above ground. It’s my first sight of a chimpanzee in the wild.
Julia spent many years living in a treehouse deep in the forest studying Kibale Forest’s chimpanzees.
Baby Dillon points at the sweet bananas. He’s eaten four bananas by the time we arrive at the lodge on the edge of Kibale Forest. I’m covered in banana (there’s no chance of keeping clean around dogs and babies). Ornithologist and bird ringer Malcolm Wilson arrives shortly with five visitors, here to do a bird census and to advise Julia on how to maximise the biodiversity to attract more birdlife from the forest.
Before he arrives, we walk down to the forest boundary a few hundred metres away and check the ‘slashing’ (cutting back of the Bush). Four men have been working all morning to clear an access path for the nets.
We stop for a minute to debate whether to cut down a slender branch hanging over the path.
“Don’t touch that,” says Julia, “that’s the National Park.”
We look up, straight into the eyes of a Green Mamba! It’s a message: he is protecting the forest.
I’ve added four new birds to my bird list this morning; I can’t wait to add more over the next two days.
We notice freshly broken branches across our path – “The elephants must be close,” says Julia.
Next installment from Kibale Forest: a ticking off – ringing birds in Kibale Forest
