It was supposed to be an easy drive from Namagunga to Kampala, but 39 kilometers took us 7 hours. Uganda’s capital and largest city occupies a series of hills at an elevation of about 1,190 meters and is situated just north of Lake Victoria. Kampala lies just north of Mengo, the...
We have realized that we could not manage it in Kampala today. So we have decided to overnight next to the perfect Bannz Grill, just a few kilometers from the Sezibwa Falls (🎟️20000 UGX, tip for guide 5000 UGX). After a lovely breakfast in Bannz Grill in the morning, we took a local boda...
We drove slowly from Jinja to Kampala and decided to stop somewhere to explore the Mabira Rainforest. It was pretty unclear where to stop, so we decided to try it in Najembe, where we could find a small car with a driver to go inside the forest.
Our other stop on the way to Kampala was the Mabira Forest, the largest semi-deciduous rainforest in Uganda, situated halfway between Jinja and Lugazi and stretching across 120 sq km. The rainforest is home to 311 tree species, some of which are ancient. Before the 1800s, the forest...
We stopped at the oldest standing historical building in Jinja, where the Uganda Railway Museum (🎟️20000 UGX) is based. It is the country’s oldest remaining former railway station, built in 1928. Visiting this museum is like taking a step back in time. The photographs, artifacts, and...
The other day, we hired a local small car with a driver (85000 UGX) and drove to Itanda Waterfall (🎟️30000 UGX, tip for guide 5000 UGX). The Nile rapids north of Jinja are some of the most sought-after in Africa by adventure seekers due to their incredible power and water volume. Then, we...
After the overnight stay in Iganga, we drove to the famous JInja town in southeastern Uganda, where the Nile flows out of Lake Victoria, situated at an elevation of 1,140 meters above sea level. The city was founded in 1901 as a British administrative center and became one of...
We finally arrived at the final frontier, the lakeside city of Kisumu. Since its founding in the early 20th century, Kenya’s third city has always had a bit of a different flavor than the rest of the country. Kisumu has been home to many Luo people, a community with roots in the Nubian...
Since there were no safe parking spots, we stayed overnight at the Impala Sanctuary in Kisumu. This 1-sq-km sanctuary is home to a small impala herd and provides substantial grazing grounds for local hippos. In addition to the impala, there are cages of other Kenyan antelope and monkeys...
The pretty good road from Nakuru brought us to the cooler and hilly area around Kericho. The town remains a mesmerizing wallpaper-worthy sea of greens in the landscape and is home to several tea farms and factories. One of Kenya’s largest exports and oldest industries is its black tea...