Uganda Blog Posts

When I was a younger man, the name of Uganda was evocative of the dangers and thrills of Africa, the superlative wildlife, the psychopathic dictator Idi Amin, the raid on Entebbe and the multiple civil wars.

There are certain magical names in Africa, names which conjure up images of mystery, of exotic fauna and flora and even of a certain danger. I had the pleasure of visiting one of these places last year; the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in the south west corner of Uganda, home to troupes of mountain gorillas.

The best Whitewater rafting on the Nile River adventure ever started from the Nile River Explorers backpackers in Jinja. We were given a very thorough safety briefing by our guides, which included multiple compulsory practice flips in the boat.

Called "The Pearl of Africa" by Winston Churchill and in more recent memory the scene of great civil war under the mad dictator Idi Amin, it throws up many images. Most people go to Uganda today to see the famed mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei).

The capital of the pearl of Africa is booming. Like many other African cities, a burgeoning middle class enlarged by a stable Ugandan government and consistent economic growth over the last two decades has created a dynamic city.

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of a very special family, the Mubare family group in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in the south western corner of Uganda. They are, of course, gorillas. Why are they so special?