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Heart of Africa – Uganda and Rwanda

Author: Charlie Gray

Charlie Gray fulfils a boyhood dream and meets the mountain gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda.

Having visited the big players of the safari world - Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana and Zambia - over the last two years, I couldn’t wait to get out and see Uganda and Rwanda. Less developed than their well-known safari neighbours, Uganda and Rwanda are not generally perceived as classic safari destinations. They are, however, home to the world famous mountain gorilla, many different types of primate including the chimpanzee, and large tracts of primary rainforest that play host to countless bird species, many of which are endemic. For the seasoned safari goer, these attractions stand out like a tasty pudding menu in your favourite restaurant. If it’s your first trip to Africa, then you are in for a treat, as you’ll get the best of everything if you include areas like Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Rwanda’s Akagera National Park which harbour all the regular plains game.

Landing in Uganda at Entebbe airport after an eight hour direct flight from London, I was immediately presented with one of Africa’s most beautiful natural gifts: sunrise over Lake Victoria. Africa never fails to show its generosity in this manner. The lake, and more specifically Ngamba Island, were to play host for my first two nights.

Ngamba is no ordinary island and not the kind of place to go if you want a deserted island to yourself; you’re the guest of 39 orphaned chimpanzees. In a scene similar to that of the film Jurassic Park, you find yourself on an island divided in two with fences of which Korean border post officers would be proud. This is to protect the human visitors from the chimps rather than the other way round, and while it doesn’t look 100% wild and natural it allows you a fascinating insight in to the lives of these normally elusive but intelligent creatures that share so much of our own DNA.

From Ngamba Island my journey began in earnest and with our driver, Charles, we set off north in the direction of Murchison Falls, an amazing natural feature that squeezes the Nile from a 60 meter wide river into a 7 meter wide raging torrent. From this, our northernmost point, we continued south along the shores of Lake Albert towards the Mountains of the Moon (now known as the Rwenzoris), one of the targets of those pioneering Victorian explorers Burton and Speke. The long drives gave me time to reflect as I looked out of the window at the cultivated landscape. After years of civil war during the rule of Idi Amin, when communities were torn apart by its effects, it was encouraging to see thriving villages and towns with bustling markets.

Further south still we came across Lake Edward and Lake George. Here the open plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park open up and play host to the regular plains game one normally associates with safari, but the primates are never far away. Chumbura Gorge is a thick vein of lush forest that bisects the grasslands and offers opportunities to see wild chimps up close. The chimps are few and far between and they move fast so sightings can be rare, but we got lucky and found three males for an undisturbed hour long viewing.

By this stage of the trip we were just a day’s drive from the mountain gorillas of Bwindi’s Impenetrable Forest. The name alone conjures up images of Conan Doyle’s ‘Lost World’ and I was about to fulfil a childhood dream by seeing these wonderful animals face to face. The experience didn’t disappoint. Our trek was a lengthy three hours there and three hours back, so it felt like a true expedition and that we had earned our sighting, but the hour we spent with the group of 13 gorillas was truly magical. The canopy was thick so the photographic opportunities were not great, but this forced me to just sit and watch rather than try and capture a prize-winning photo.

From Bwindi we wound our way through the mountainous countryside to the border of Rwanda. Just thirteen years ago this crossing was amass with people fleeing the genocide, but it couldn’t have been calmer as we waited for the official to stamp our passports. The contrast between the countries at the border was surprising. On the Ugandan side the road was rough and dusty, but as soon as the barrier was lifted we crossed from the left hand side of the road to the right and straight on to smooth tarmac. Electricity pylons ran alongside and road signs looked as if they came straight from France; all features of foreign aid that were constructed after the atrocities.

The drive to Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, was a swift three hours, and having checked into the famous Hotel Milles Collines (Hotel Rwanda) we visited the genocide memorial, a large white house that can be seen from most parts of Kigali. It contains a museum of human suffering. Not something that everyone wants to see, but something I felt I must see to try to understand a little more about Rwanda. Inside the story of the genocide is told in harrowing detail. I followed a group of Rwandan men speaking local Bantu and wondered what they made of it all. I left feeling numb and angry.

After such a depressing experience of social history I was in need of some natural history to lighten the mood and Nyungwe National Park was the place to do it. A full day’s drive from Kigali, this little visited area of Rwanda is the largest swath of undisturbed rain forest in east central Africa. Whilst accommodation is simple, the guides are knowledgeable and the walking opportunities are amazing. We wound our way through the undergrowth on well established paths to a beautiful waterfall where birds flew from tree to tree and the sound of rushing water soothed the experiences of Kigali. The forest is rich in primates and birds and with so few people it’s a real hidden gem.

Our last port of call was to visit the gorillas of the famous Volcanoes National Park. I felt truly privileged to be given a second chance to see them and in different surroundings from that of Bwindi. Once again the trek was arduous (it has been known for groups to walk half an hour through the fields to find the gorillas), but the experience was even more up close and personal this time. We found a group of 15 gorillas in an area of chest high ground vines with open blue sky above, so the light was perfect for photography. As most of the group clambered for position like an unruly mob of paparazzi, I sat further up the hill looking down at the dominant silver back gorilla. He looked over in my direction.

It could have been the sight of the lush vines behind me or maybe he thought I looked lonely, but either way he decided to come and sit next to me. As 200kg of black hair and muscle approached I bowed my head in submission, but kept the video camera rolling. He slumped down next to me and grunted. Nice to meet you too, I mumbled. The rest of our group looked on in amazement whilst the wardens helped me move to a safe distance. What an experience.

As we drove back to Kigali for our flight home I reflected on what had been an amazing two week trip that offered so much more than the usual safari. For those of you who are seasoned travellers to Africa I urge you to visit and for those of you who are looking for a first experience both countries will offer you a unique introduction to the safari experience.



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