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.