On the road in rural Uganda
Local butcher
Banana market
My Mt Elgon guide
In Mt Elgon crater
Dress shop
Golf at Jinja overlooking the start of the river Nile 
Busy Kampala market
Bonfire by moonlight, Sesse Islands
Sesse Islands in Lake Victoria *** Uganda ***
* Sesse Islands, Lake Victoria *
After crossing the border into Uganda on a rainy day, I took a small minibus along the some very rough dirt roads to the Sesse Islands. I camped here at a small beach for a couple of days just relaxing and enjoying the pretty setting. One afternoon I set out on a kayak (keeping as dry as I could to avoid getting the Bilharzia bug) for a paddle around the shore and to see some of the other islands, passing some fisherman in a boat who had a healthy catch of Tilapia fish.
I took the new ferry from the Sesse Islands up to Entebbe, passing by many floating plants as we sailed through the islands and alongside the mainland coast.
* Kampala, Golf at Jinja, and whitewater kayaking on the Nile *
Arriving to the capital Kampala, the traffic was horrendous, and people and things were just everywhere. I stayed here a day, checking out the extremely busy markets, and also getting along to a great jam session of local reggae and rap/hip hop music.
Moving on to Jinja, I firstly had a round of golf on a simple course that overlooks the start of the Nile river at Lake Victoria. The big thrill though was coming down the first 11 rapids of the White Nile on a tandem kayak. We went through some serious rapids (including 2 grade five rapids), and even got through some of them without coming out of the kayak, including a couple of rolls from upside down. I did come out down the second big rapid that throws you back into a huge wave just when you think you’ve made it past!
Here I camped at an excellent spot right beside the roaring Bujagali falls (one of the more difficult rapids you come down).
* Mt Elgon 3-day hike, and motorbike day-tour *
On the border with Kenya is Mt Elgon, a huge volcanic caldera that rises to 4300m. Here I went on a 3-day trek with my trusty armed guide/ranger. The first day was a bit of a slog through the forest to reach the moorlands. On the second day we reached the crater and camped right in the middle of this huge caldera, seeing the crater wall all around us. We visited some hot springs that flow into a pristine creek, and also trudged our way up to the summit of course, for great views of the caldera and surrounding landscapes.
On my last day in Uganda, I hired a small motorbike and went on a solo tour of some small mountain-side villages nearby. I happened to pass by a small town where it was market day, and the place was just absolutely thriving with people and activity. The main road was blocked with people just everywhere. There were thousands of green bananas changing hands, and also a rowdy cattle market. I visited a small town that rose steeply up a small creek on the mountain side, seeing lots of small-plot farming and agriculture, and simple living.
* Sesse Islands, Lake Victoria *
After crossing the border into Uganda on a rainy day, I took a small minibus along the some very rough dirt roads to the Sesse Islands. I camped here at a small beach for a couple of days just relaxing and enjoying the pretty setting. One afternoon I set out on a kayak (keeping as dry as I could to avoid getting the Bilharzia bug) for a paddle around the shore and to see some of the other islands, passing some fisherman in a boat who had a healthy catch of Tilapia fish.
I took the new ferry from the Sesse Islands up to Entebbe, passing by many floating plants as we sailed through the islands and alongside the mainland coast.
* Kampala, Golf at Jinja, and whitewater kayaking on the Nile *
Arriving to the capital Kampala, the traffic was horrendous, and people and things were just everywhere. I stayed here a day, checking out the extremely busy markets, and also getting along to a great jam session of local reggae and rap/hip hop music.
Moving on to Jinja, I firstly had a round of golf on a simple course that overlooks the start of the Nile river at Lake Victoria. The big thrill though was coming down the first 11 rapids of the White Nile on a tandem kayak. We went through some serious rapids (including 2 grade five rapids), and even got through some of them without coming out of the kayak, including a couple of rolls from upside down. I did come out down the second big rapid that throws you back into a huge wave just when you think you’ve made it past!
Here I camped at an excellent spot right beside the roaring Bujagali falls (one of the more difficult rapids you come down).
* Mt Elgon 3-day hike, and motorbike day-tour *
On the border with Kenya is Mt Elgon, a huge volcanic caldera that rises to 4300m. Here I went on a 3-day trek with my trusty armed guide/ranger. The first day was a bit of a slog through the forest to reach the moorlands. On the second day we reached the crater and camped right in the middle of this huge caldera, seeing the crater wall all around us. We visited some hot springs that flow into a pristine creek, and also trudged our way up to the summit of course, for great views of the caldera and surrounding landscapes.
On my last day in Uganda, I hired a small motorbike and went on a solo tour of some small mountain-side villages nearby. I happened to pass by a small town where it was market day, and the place was just absolutely thriving with people and activity. The main road was blocked with people just everywhere. There were thousands of green bananas changing hands, and also a rowdy cattle market. I visited a small town that rose steeply up a small creek on the mountain side, seeing lots of small-plot farming and agriculture, and simple living.
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