Cycling and mountain biking have taken off in Uganda over the last few years – indeed the Uganda Cycling Trail gets a mention in CNN Travel’s Where to travel in 2023: The best destinations to visit! During lockdown, there was a worldwide surge in bike riding too. There is no doubt about it, Uganda is a superb place to cycle! The great weather and endless, marvellous scenery make for a stunning combination.
Alexander ‘Lex’ Bongers is one of Uganda’s passionate Dutch expat cyclists. I was amazed when he told me he was planning to cycle from one corner of the country to another with his colleague Lawrence Kakande. It’s pretty nuts to hear they did this on a local bicycle without gears! Read their story below and keep following Diary of a Muzungu for more brilliant cycling stories.
Diary of a Muzungu: Lex, cycling from Kisoro to Kidepo sure sounds like a big adventure! But it must also have been physically challenging. How is your body feeling now?
Not that bad actually, which surprises me as well! Lawrence hurt his knee on one of the last days, but personally I feel fitter than ever!
Diary of a Muzungu: You are and your friend Lawrence are probably the first people to ever ride this journey, certainly on a village bicycle. How did you ever come up with this crazy plan?
I am the coordinator of Adventure Tourism Uganda, wherein we aim to further develop the adventure tourism sector in Uganda. If there is one kind of tourism that has a lot of untapped potential throughout the country (and has a lot of social, economic and environmental benefits) it’s adventure tourism.
Thies Timmermans of Red Dirt Uganda has developed the Uganda Cycling Trail, a cycling route that links the extreme southwest of the country to Uganda’s extreme northeast. The idea is that these routes can be used by any cyclist. Testing this route on a village bicycle started off as a joke to be honest: we wondered whether it was actually possible to complete it on a village bicycle, so that you don’t need a fancy bicycle with a hundred gears. To prepare for our trip, we simply bought two steel roadmaster bicycles (the ones you see throughout the countryside). These bicycles have no gears, no suspension and are pretty heavy. They even have a sticker on them that reads “extra heavy.” Despite all that, they ride quite nicely.
Diary of a Muzungu: The fact that I am now able to talk to you, with you having a bright smile on your face, shows that it was possible… You guys made it!
Exactly! I am quite proud that we were able to finish the journey of about 1,600 km in 24 days (with an additional 5 days of rest mid-way). The only motorized vehicle we used between Kisoro and Kidepo was the ferry to the Ssese Islands as well as a stretch between Moroto and Kotido where cycling was currently not advised. But we entered Kenya to compensate for that!
Diary of a Muzungu: What about Uganda’s mountains? Were you able to cycle up Mt Elgon or the Kigezi hills without gears?
Not in the slightest. I don’t think anybody would. But the thing is, you become very humble: you know your limits and just walk. On a previous occasion, I cycled up to Sipi on Mt. Elgon on a mountain bike, and it was quite tough. But on this trip, Lawrence and I just walked and it wasn’t too difficult. Sometimes however, I felt like a Nepalese sherpa, with my bicycle a yak carrying my bags. There was something oddly satisfying about it.
Diary of a Muzungu: So are you saying your marathon trip wasn’t difficult at all?
Oh no, don’t get me wrong, sometimes it was challenging, but generally it was doable!
The last six days were part of the Tour of Karamoja, organized by Kara-Tunga Tours. It was exactly the type of epic final we hoped for.
The longest day comprised a 133 km journey from Lake Turkwel in Kenya to Moroto in Uganda. At only halfway through that day, my bum was causing me so much pain that I felt we would have to amputate the whole of my lower body. To add further misery, we cycled through a whole day of thunderstorms and pouring rain between Kaabong and Kidepo. I even fell into a big pool of muddy water. In an attempt to keep my phone dry, I had wrapped it in a plastic cavera bag. Sadly, my “phone-in-cavera” died in that muddy pool. But when we finally reached Nakaba gate in Kidepo Valley National Park, the sky cleared and we had a incredible ride through Kidepo; everyone who visits Kidepo says it’s Uganda’s most beautiful park.
Diary of a Muzungu: Any other highlights of your trip?
Lake Mutanda and Lake Bunyonyi in southwestern Uganda are of course very beautiful, and their shores are great for cycling and so is the far side of Murchison Bay, just opposite Gaba in Kampala.
Mt Elgon was fantastic as well, particularly a tricky downhill section just beyond Kapchorwa.
A personal highlight was to cycle to Malaba, at the Kenyan border. I lived there for half a year in 2014 and I hadn’t told anyone I would pass by on a village bike. The fact that I could tell my friends that no, I wasn’t cycling from nearby Tororo but from Kisoro, several hundred kilometres away, was something I spent weeks looking forward to! My old friends absolutely loved my story (but also had difficulties believing it!) But still, none of these highlights could compete with the sheer adventure and beauty of Karamoja.
Diary of a Muzungu: Did you have a lot of punctures along the way?
No, not at all! The only real modification we made to the bicycle was to make it tubeless. To do this, we removed the tube and replaced it with sealant. This reduced the chances of punctures. Actually, I don’t know how to explain it well, as I do not know anything at all about bike mechanics: I just know how to ride them. I really, really owe everything to Lawrence as without him I would probably still be in Kisoro, trying to figure out how to secure my bag to the bicycle!
Diary of a Muzungu: What are you going to do now? Are you planning to do something similar again soon?
I am not sure yet. I am thinking of cycling to West Nile next year, or participating in the Kyaninga Ride the Rift Race on this very bike, outcompeting all the gravel bikes. (I might also just grow fat and start living on past glories, like those retired football players). Time will tell. But I will definitely keep on spreading the gospel of the Uganda Cycling Trail and promoting cycling in Uganda generally, as it is simply fantastic!
Diary of a Muzungu: And what about your bike?
For now, the bike will get a break. He deserves it…
After a few days visiting community tourism projects in Ishasha, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Julia and I drive north through the crater lakes of Fort Portal and to the edge of Kibale Forest. We swap notes about places we want to visit. We’re usually rushing to one destination, or rushing back to Kampala, but in an ideal world, we’d travel at a more leisurely pace.
Camera required! Admire the eight volcanic Virunga peaks reflected in the lake’s surface as you are paddled across the lake. Combine this with a trip to Kisoro, a hike with the Gorilla Highlands project and a stay at Chameleon Hill.
Strictly speaking, tea is an invasive species and the plantations were created at the expense of ancient woodlands, yet the bright green young tips of tea leaves remain alluring to this Brit (a committed tea-drinker!)
Mabira Forest Canopy Super Skyway is over 200 metres of canopy zip-lines through the tops of 40 metre high trees and across the River Musamya.
Go for the day or stay at Griffin Falls Eco Campsite, Mabira. Here you can see Red Tailed Monkeys and shy Grey Cheeked Mangabeys (if you’re lucky). You can also walk or hire mountain bikes to go on the trails through the Forest. Tell Hussein the muzungu sent you 🙂
Viewing Uganda’s solar eclipse in Pokwero / Pakwach took my breath away. It was spell-binding.
Imagine if you had experienced an eclipse without expecting it? The story of Uganda’s 15th century eclipse at Biharwe changed the boundaries of traditional kingdoms.
Stretch your legs on the long drive west: take twenty minutes to climb Biharwe Hill and admire the monument (sited directly opposite Igongo).
TIP: if you’re stopping for lunch, eat the buffet. If you order from the menu, you may have a very LONG wait … we did.
If you’re a coffee drinker like me, you’ll LOVE Gorilla Conservation Coffee and their brilliant cafe in Entebbe! Do visit the cafe if you’re driving to Entebbe Airport.
Pictured on my T-shirt is Kanyonyi (RIP), the legendary silverback gorilla from the Mubare family. The coffee blend is named after him. Keep his memory alive by visiting the Gorilla Conservation Cafe or buying coffee at numerous outlets across Uganda or online. Gorilla Conservation Coffee is a social enterprise that buys the coffee of farmers – who live adjacent to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – at a premium price. Helping farmers protects the forests and thus the mountain gorillas. Profits from the sale of Gorilla Conservation Coffee support the ground-breaking work of Conservation Through Public Health.
*Gorilla Conservation Cafe has a new location* on Plot 13 Portal Road, Entebbe. Call +256 752 330139. Here you can order a fresh coffee or buy coffee beans to drink at home (a great gift too!)
The crater lakes of Fort Portal are gorgeous.
In this same region are Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru Caves. (Caves always sound exciting to me!)
Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru means “the breasts of Nyina Mwiru.” The ‘breasts’ are in fact stalactites made of calcium carbonate. The white-coloured water that drips off thus called “breast milk” by the local Toro people.
Local folklore has a rather gory interpretation of the cave’s name. Enough said on that point (or two points, should I say) …
Thanks to Bosco and Keseloni for making sure I saw my first Narina Trogon on my last stay at the splendid Ishasha Wilderness Camp. What a fabulous bird!
(Do you love birds like I do? Read some of my birding stories here).
You don’t need to track the Mountain Gorillas to love Bwindi’s forest and birdlife. The first time I saw Bwindi’s rainforest, I thought I was going to cry; the place is pure magic. Did you know… Bwindi was voted no. 1 in Travel African magazine’s list of top 10 birdwatching sites?
The plan: overnight at Buhoma Lodge – or the recently refurbished Bwindi Lodge for a real treat – then take the day-long hike across Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to Nkuringo to the south.
In 2013, Robert Brierley hosted us at Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge from where we walked the 17 km Ivy River trail. The lodge is set high on Nteko Ridge between the Virunga volcanoes and the breath-takingly beautiful Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
The Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary tour is entertaining and educational for the whole family. Relaxing, bird watching, crossing the Equator by boat and looking out for the 50,000 fruit bats that fly overhead every evening are other unforgettable Ngamba experiences. All trips must be booked in advance. A stay at Ngamba’s luxury tented camp is highly recommended too.
Unlike the day tour – in which you are separated from the chimpanzees by a high platform and an electric fence – you can have a far more intimate experience with the chimpanzees, if you sign up for the volunteering programme. This takes the Ngamba experience to a whole new level.
Whether it’s cleaning the cages where the chimps come to sleep at night, preparing food, collecting behavioural data, assisting in medical procedures, typing up ‘chimp diaries’, selling merchandise in the Ngamba Island shop or helping maintain the island’s facilities, volunteers on week (or longer programmes) are active members of Ngamba’s dedicated family. You have to meet the Ngamba Island team to appreciate how dedicated they are to each individual chimp…!
Fancy a night in the wild but without the travel to the National Parks? Stay in the bandas at UWEC, the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (once known as Entebbe Zoo). You will think you are in the bush – and may wake up to the sounds of chimpanzees, monkeys – or even a lion!
You can take part in some very cool, interactive experiences at UWEC, such as feeding the animals and walking with Hamukungu Charles, the young elephant (a lot bigger than he was in this photo of six years ago!) UWEC’s Behind-the-Scenes experiences need to be booked in advance. UWEC is open daily 8.30 am – 6.30 pm. Call +256 (0)414 320520 for more information.
Horseback safaris along the northern bank of the River Nile outside Jinja can be for a few hours or even a few days – it’s up to you. Nile Horseback Safaris’ professionally-run riding stables also offer riding classes. Horse riding – and a few refresher lessons! – are high on the muzungu’s travel bucket list this year!
The Throne Room is located in the Omukama – Traditional King’s – (very modern) Palace in Hoima. Here we were told about the “empire of traders, hunters and metalworkers, built and lost on ivory.” The cultural history was illuminating. The experience taught me that I have barely scratched the surface of the country’s history and culture. There’s so much more to touring Uganda than wildlife and adventure. I was honoured to be given the pet name Akiki at our audience with the Omukama, the traditional king of Bunyoro kingdom.
All credit to the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) guides who have plenty of interesting facts about these gorgeous creatures and their stunning bamboo habitat. Just like Uganda’s chimps and mountain gorillas, UWA rangers are constantly monitoring the golden monkeys, so you are (almost) guaranteed to see them.
I stayed at Mount Gahinga Lodge: a hidden gem in a divine part of the country, a few kilometres from the Rwandese border and just five minutes’ walk from the park. Did you know you can also track the gorillas in Mgahinga? Read my multi-page Ultimate Guide to Mountain Gorilla Trekking for everything gorilla!
I am fascinated by traditional beliefs and customs. The Nakayima – or ‘witch’ – Tree at Mubende is estimated to be 650 years old and is named after a princess who is believed to have cured smallpox. The tree has 18 “rooms” – these being spacious gaps between the tree’s buttress roots. Read about travel writer Edgar Batte’s visit to the Nakayima Tree.
Every year one million pilgrims congregate in Namugongo, east of Kampala to commemorate the several dozen Uganda Martyrs who were executed between 31 January 1885 and 27 January 1887. Pilgrims travel from across Uganda and East Africa for this event.
The Martyrs Walk across Kampala – launched in 2014 – retraces the last few hours and days of the Martyrs’ fateful journey as they were forced to walk towards their death. Embarking on the Martyrs’ Walk will give you a greater understanding of their contribution to history. The story of St Balikuddembe (namesake of Owino market) will stay in my mind forever. I revisited the Uganda Martyrs’ history when Pope Francis visited Uganda.
In Pakwach I drove past piles of bright yellow smoked Angara fish – without buying any – en route to the best viewing point of Uganda’s solar eclipse, a day I can never forget.
I loved West Nile. Read “10 little-known things to do in Arua, West Nile” to see a few of the new foodstuffs I found there.
This year, the Muzungu has been invited to climb Mount Wati (“what to the what?”)
According to some, Goli in West Nile is the location for the world’s smallest church – although my attempts to verify this have been hit and miss. I need to visit in person. It’s surely Uganda’s smallest church since it’s certainly standing room only. (What a great venue to book if you want to reduce the cost of your wedding!)
Read Solomon Oleny’s story about his visit to the church.
The award-winning Entanda Traditional Hunting and Cultural Experience is a community experience like no other. We jumped off the bus in the countryside near Mityana to be greeted by loud ululating, drumming and singing. We danced as one before being invited to eat the freshest fruits straight from the gardens. Oh my, we ATE! Next, the men in our group were invited to take in part traditional hunting as we ladies were taught how to prepare a luwombo lunch and invited ‘to the bush’ (and what happens in the Bush stays in the Bush!) Oh the stories! This is authentic community tourism at its best.
To visit the Entanda Traditional Hunting and Cultural Experience (AKA “Kojja and Senga’s retreat”) call +256(0) 772 340576 or visit the Entanda Facebook page. Entanda is near Mityana, 60 km along the Kampala to Fort Portal Road. Go visit!
Down at the shorefront restaurants of KLS, there are no frills, just fried whole Tilapia, Nile Perch and reasonably priced drinks beers, sodas and Uganda Waragi gin. KLS is a relaxing spot for watching the sun go down over Lake Victoria. You can also buy fresh fish – gutted and descaled – to cook at home.
It was from here, in the 1870s, that Kabaka Mutesa embarked on hippo hunting expeditions to Lake Bulingugwe and beyond. The hippos are gone, and so is the Kabaka’s fleet of canoes, but Mulungu is still known as the Royal Port.
Read my blog “Eating fish” – where to eat fish on Lake Victoria for the full lowdown on Kabaka’s Landing Site and other places you can eat fish by the lake.
Located along the new Fort Portal to Kamwenge Road, the Bee Hive Bar & Bistro opened mid-2017. The reasonably priced menu at this great little restaurant and bar has local favourites like goat stew and rolex. Beers are just 3,500 Uganda shillings (one US dollar). This is a great stopover after tracking the chimpanzees in Kibale Forest and is located directly opposite the KAFRED project at Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary. The Bee Hive also has a pool table and satellite TV (although the muzungu is happiest on the top deck gazing across Bigodi Swamp looking for primates and birds!) Click on the link above to read more about this must-visit stopover. The Bee Hive is also on Facebook. (P.S. You’ll find clean toilets here!)
Kabalega is said to be ‘the last great king of one of the greatest kingdoms in the Great Lakes region.’ His kingdom stretched well beyond the modern day borders of Uganda. The Mparo Tombs monument outside Hoima marks the spot where in 1877 Kabalega granted an audience to Emin Pasha. Read my blog On my knees again: an audience with the King of Bunyoro.
TIP: visit the Mparo Tombs in May and you can stuff your pockets full of the sweet mangoes falling from the huge trees!
Last year I fell in love with the Rwenzoris. Read my #RwenzoriDiary series.
You don’t have to be mega fit and commit to climbing Margherita, Uganda’s highest peak – there are many peaks to choose from and many shorter routes in the foothills. It is here on the lower slopes that you find the most interesting vegetation, birds and animals. Did you know the three-horned chameleon can easily be seen in the Rwenzoris? This mountain range covers over 120 km² and has an amazing 50 lakes and several waterfalls. Keep reading for more stories from the Rwenzoris.
Sunbird Hill is a favourite destination of mine, named in honour of 18 of Uganda’s 38 sunbird species recorded here (so far). If you love nature and are looking for an authentic experience, in a relaxed homestay environment, this is it. Early mornings are filled with splendid forest birdsong. At night you often hear the PANT HOOTS of chimps from Kibale Forest. It’s magical!
If that’s not heaven enough for an amateur birder and conservationist like me, Sunbird Hill Research and Monitoring Site has an extensive reference library and a resident expert primatologist, Julia Lloyd. Read all about the Treehouse, the Birders’ Lounge and the Village Bird Clubs on my blog Love birds, butterflies and chimps? Then don’t miss Sunbird Hill, Kibale Forest.
Karamoja (in northeast Uganda) is now firmly on Uganda’s tourist map thanks in part to the great work done by the team at Discover Karamoja. (Crucially for tourists, the UK Government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has finally cleared Karamoja as safe to travel to).
Theo Vos writes “Karamoja suffers from a negative image due to decades of isolation and insecurity. However, after peace has returned (2011), the perception of the region by fellow Ugandans and the international community hasn’t changed. The Discover Karamoja project aims to address this through positive imagery and gorgeous photography.”
Karamoja culture is like nowhere else in the #PearlofAfrica. Look at the colour! The landscapes! I’ll be visiting Karamoja very soon.
The region is also home to Kidepo Valley National Park, named one of Africa’s top 10 parks for its ‘spectacular landscapes and large herds of buffalo.’
I hope you’ve enjoyed some of our travel ideas.
Set in the remotest northeast corner of Uganda lies Kidepo Valley National Park, said by the few people who have visited to be their “favourite park in Uganda.”
The remote Kidepo Valley is arid savannah and boasts a long list of 77 mammals, according to the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Generally, the best time to see game is when the animals migrate south to access the water in the valley during the long dry season from December to late March. (Climate change means it is harder to predict the rains so it is worth checking the weather projections first).
Kidepo Valley National Park boasts over 475 species of birds and has been named one of the top 10 parks in Africa for its spectacular landscapes and large herds of Buffalo. CNN calls Kidepo “possibly the most picturesque in Africa.” CNN wrote “Why this hidden gem in Uganda is a top destination for 2016.”
Local communities around Kidepo include the Karamojong people, famous for keeping cattle and surviving on their milk and blood. The Karamojong are similar to the Maasai tribe. The Ik are hunter-gatherers.
The easiest way to travel to Kidepo is to fly. For many years, flying was virtually the only safe way to get to Kidepo. Nowadays, road travel from the capital of Kampala is easier and safer and averages 10 hours. If time is on your side, split the journey over two days; you may well need to allow longer during the rainy seasons too. Most of the road journey is fine in a 4×4 vehicle, but the roads on the last couple of hours drive can be tricky during the rains.
Tourism in Kidepo (and Karamoja) is developing slowly with new lodges, campsites and mobile camps coming online in 2022.
