Bountiful Bigodi

An overview of Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary.

Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary protects the 4 square kilometer Magombe Swamp and is a haven for birds butterflies and a number of primates. We took a 3-hour tour and the following is just a taste of what you can see at Bigodi.

A mated pair of Black-and-white-casqued Hornbills.

A Black and White Colobus Monkey.

We think that the 2 monkeys are what we have them listed as, but we are not quite sure.

The Red-tailed Colobus monkey.

The Red-headed monkey.

Chimps' Nest

How'd you like to run into one of these guys on your leisurely stroll up to the lodge?

The Bates Clan high among the boughs of the trees on the porch of one of the tree house cottages offered at the Chimps' Nest. Unfortunately or perhaps fortunately, these could only accommodate 2 people, so we ended up in the family cottage. It would have been a real challenge getting all of our luggage up the steps to the room far above the forest floor.

Just a small sampling of the bazillions of butterflies at the Chimps' Nest.

From Katara and Queen Elizabeth, we headed North and East to Kibale National Forest. This is a rainforest that is host to a number of primate species, bazillions of butterfly species and birds! We stayed on the edge of the forest at a lodge called the Chimps' Nest. Our cottage was a 15 minute walk down from the main lodge building along an earthen path and across a board walk. The cottage stood on the banks of a creek from which our wash water was taken by the staff and warmed in a wood-fired donkey. I hope we don't end up with any kind of skin lesions or parasites as a result! The accommodations and food (aside from the salads) weren't all that great, but the location was killer.

The butterflies were so thick upon our arrival that we spent over an hour taking photos of the different species hovering near our cottage and along the foot path. In the morning, we woke to baboons in the trees across from our cottage staring us in the face. They also liked to hangout on the board walk leading to from the creek to the lodge. We were often surprised coming around the bends of the path by a few members of the troop foraging. What an amazing experience.

Other interesting sights at Queen Elizabeth

A beautiful sunset over the Kazinga Channel.

A crocodile.

A Waterbuck.

Elephants enjoying themselves at the water/mud hole.

A baby and a mama hippo in the Kazinga Channel.

A Cape Buffalo.

An elephant reaching for a tree branch.

Crossing the Equator

Crossing the equator. Bates trio pose at the equator monument in UGANDA. Papa took the liberty of relieving himself amongst the roadside brush, hence his absence from the photo. He is now bragging that he peed on the equator.

Birds of Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda

A trio of Pied Kingfishers resting at the boat launch.

A Goliath Heron, which puts Louisiana's Blue Heron to shame.

A Saddle-billed Stork.

An African Pygmy Kingfisher.

A Woodland Kingfisher.

Both spotted on the way to the boat tour of the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth Park.

An unidentifiable species of owl. We think it is a Verreaux's Eagle-Owl, but we aren't quite sure. Help us out here Mr. Larkin for some confirmation of our suspicions! Even after forking out the money for a bird book we are still having trouble.

A Long-crested Eagle caught in flight. It wasn't easy but well worth the effort.

The Malachite Kingfisher. Sorry it's so blurry the boat driver wouldn't stop for anything!

The African Fish Eagle.

Our Stay at Katara

From Lake Bunyonyi, we traveled north to the Kichwamba Escarpment where we stayed at Katara Lodge. Although a little pricey for a family of 5, it was well worth the expense. The manager is a young German fellow who sported a French moniker, Pascal. He has obviously been schooled in the art of hosting. He and his staff were extremely attentive and the personalized service was unparalleled during our tour of Southwestern Uganda. The accommodations consisted of thatched-roofed cabins whose tent netting unzipped to the view of Queen Elizabeth National Park from the height of the escarpment. There was even a full-sized bathtub in the cottage. The food was decent even for us picky Cajuns and the coffee was strong. The lounge area and pool were spectacular. We would have loved to spend more time there and highly recommend it to those looking for something a little more luxurious in lodging.

Above: Reid and Emma make their way along the path from our cottage to the main lodge at Katara.

View of the sunset from the pool lounge at Katara from the heights of the Kichwamba Escarpment overlooking Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda.

Fun at Habuharo

Gus, Emma, and Annie swimming in the chilly waters of Lake Bunyonyi.

Canoeing in a dug-out canoe.

Posing in front of Heritage Lodge landing, Habuharo Island.

Lake Bunyonyi's Crawfish Beckon

Just returned from a week in Uganda. First stop was Lake Bunyonyi in Southwestern Uganda. Lake Bunyonyi is renowned for its crayfish a.k.a. crawfish. Stayed at the Heritage Lodge on Ha’Buharo Island. Had to take a boat to get to the island, so piled all the luggage and kids in and headed across the deep green waters to the “Island of Birdsong”. The variety of bird life there was indeed surprising and Gus got some awesome photos. The kids also got to swim to their hearts’ content in the Lake’s chilly waters. Although Lake Bunyonyi is close to the equator, the altitude is so high that at night the staff supplied us with hot water bottles to warm the sheets before bed.

Tried the Crayfish Masala. It looked exceedingly like Crawfish Etoufee and was served with some of the best tasting rice I’ve ever had. Although tasty, when one is accustomed to what Cajuns do with crawfish, it just doesn’t measure up. We were able, nonetheless to satisfy our craving for crawfish. Would have loved to take some home with us, but didn’t think it would survive the rest of the trip and then home again.
Went canoeing, relaxed in the lodge’s lounge and enjoyed the nightly campfire while being attentively waited on by the staff. We had the very good fortune of being the only guests during our stay. It was a most welcomed change from the hectic schedule of Kigali.

Above: Heritage Lodge's version of Crayfish/Crawfish Masala & Emma battling the little critters caught in a hand-woven trap.