A little bit of Walking Safari

Some walks are worth remembering and those are moments when you walk through valleys, mountains, forests and grasslands.

Grasslands present unique experiences just as do the forests, hills and mountains. We took a walk for about five hours in the islands of Lake Victoria defining every detail of the attraction. While on top of Nsadzi Island in Mukono, we came a cross unique species of birds, community life styles, agricultural practices and scenery viewing. The highlight of the experience however, was Black-bellied Bustard in a savanna grassland. To include Nature Walks, landscapes and hill climbing on the tour plan please email stonegatesafaris@gmail.com and we make the dream a reality.

Chimp Trekking with Innocent

by Alyson Baker and Tim Leyland

We went chimp trekking in Kibale National Park with Innocent in 2018. From the moment we were picked up from Entebbe Airport till we said our farewells, we were looked after. The accommodation Innocent had booked was great and the travel was efficient and fun.

Our trek in Kibale was amazing, we were lucky to see many wild chimpanzees and from two different groups. We saw lots of other wildlife, and even had a hippopotamus and her calf in the lake at our Kibale accommodation.

At the end of our trip, we visited Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary. The sanctuary staff provide education about the chimps, the danger they face and efforts to protect them – and of course you get to see the wonderful chimps who live on the island.

We had planned another trip with Innocent in 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic stopped that. But we look forward to travelling with him again.

After the mist there was paradise

by Joseph Masereka

A night before the trip was one of the longest, I have ever had because I was not imaging it was going to happen after the lock down, we were going through and all the pandemic stress. I only realized it hearing my alarm in the morning and the beautiful sounds of birds checking outside I could not see my neighbor’s house. My heart quickly thought about the driver and my friends we were going with on a trip. Moving to the meet up point I found Innocent Ampeire who was our trip planner then I felt relieved. Within few minutes a driver came with a nice land cruiser then I starting realizing it that am not dreaming.

We had to proceed to the next hotel to pick two other friends of ours from Kenya, I could not see them till we got close to their room only smiles would tell how we are excited for the trip. Immediately we started driving through the Entebbe express high way on a slow speed with fully lights to create way through the mist. Only to see we were at the equator crossing point where we had a stop over and stretch a bit. As the mist started disappearing, we also started seeing the long-horned cattle welcoming us to the Ankole region and we were fascinated by the stories our Guide told us about the traditional belief with the cattle.

We had a stopover at Igongo Cultural Center for lunch and we were welcomed by smartly dressed up ladies with a really smile and I felt at home. There lunch was good and I recommend their carrot soup. The back ground African music was interesting. Immediately our driver Patrick told us that we need to proceed. We passed through Mbarara city and had to proceed to our destination. We reached a point we branched from the high way and we started rolling through hills and valleys with banana plantations and rivers running I reached a point where I felt like we should stop and just watch the scenery it felt like my destination and asking the driver he said it’s just the beginning.

It took us almost the whole day till I started seeing sign posts welcoming us Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, going through the villages we bought a whole jackfruit to test when we arrive at our hotel. We arrived at our hotel and we were fully welcomed by the manager and quickly he took us to restaurant where he briefed us as we were having a glass of fresh Juice with sounds of different birds I have never had of and the decoration at the reception could not allow me to move my eyes to other places. At that time everyone was tired and we had warm shower as it was getting cold In Buhoma. Dinner was served on time and quickly we went to bed I could not imagine that the next day I shall be meeting the silver back.

As I was sleeping, I heard sounds of animals couldn’t tell what they are but it was not a surprise because we were staying within the park. Early breakfast was served to us before proceeding to the Uganda Wildlife Authority headquarters for briefing. It was a heavy breakfast but I couldn’t focus on eating because all my minds were thinking about Gorillas. Immediately we arrived at there offices we were briefed and allocated the group of gorillas and the Ranger guide to track with. Quickly we when into our car and had to drive some kilometers inside the park and left our vehicle to started climbing. Before all of us were given walking sticks and there were community people who could help on request, I was fine but my friends had to get a helper.

A journey I had thought for years was real when I started climbing into the impenetrable forest. We walked and passed through bushes as our ranger guide was telling the details of the gorillas and the forest in General. After walking for about an hour we started meeting fresh branches and fecal materials and then our guide told us to stand still my heart started pumping a bit faster within no minute I saw a gorilla moving meters a way everyone was like its there with a lot of excitements. Other gorillas also joined and we had to watch them looking at what they were doing and by that time I was already in paradise. After 1hour our guide told us that we are done but none of us wanted to go but because it’s the protocol we had to start moving back to where our vehicle was to proceed back to the head office. At the head office we received our Certificates and went back to the hotel for lunch.

After lunch we visited the community where we participated in traditional coffee making and the local beer making process and actually their coffee had a nice aroma. After we visited the community of Batwa who used to live in the forest and were relocated in the neighbor village. They took us through the way of life they used to live in the forest and it was interesting learning their culture.

By the time we went back to the hotel I was tired only watching the photos we took kept it up till dinner and then went to sleep as I was sleeping, I dreamt about tracking again the gorillas only to be woken up by my alarm for early breakfast as we were leaving early back to Entebbe for our friends to fly back to Kenya.

Driving back was so easy because all my minds had a lot of things to watch and we had two stopovers and the last was at the Equator where we had lunch before getting to Entebbe at our hotel. By the time we reached in Entebbe I felt like going back but our friends had a flight so we took them to the airport and it was Hard to say Good bye to them with a belief that we shall meet again.