Uganda - Mountain Gorillas of Bwindi

In January we set off to Rwanda to only have our airplane break mid air and have to turn back. This little delay made us miss the most sought after part of our trip. Determined to make it happen we booked our trip again once home with an even larger agenda in mind. 

Original Post: https://www.tripnwithtrina.com/blog/2019/1/27/roaming-in-rwanda

We decided this time to make an overnight trip of the hike instead of the day trip. I am completely glad we did as the views at Rushaga Lodge were a definite highlight. The lodge is tucked in the middle of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park close to all the gorilla trek start points. Our guide Christopher picked us up promptly at 8am from our Kigali guesthouse. 

Below is a breakdown of the inclusions and itinerary. I do not add full costs as its dependent on the number of people, budget range and number of nights.

Permits in Uganda at this time are $600 per person versus $1500 in Rwanda. In July 2020 permits in Uganda will increase to $700 per person.

******************************************

Safari cost Includes

• Gorilla permit

• 1 night accommodation (Budget/Mid-range) - Triple room

• Meals

• Bottled Water

• 4x4 Safari car to and from Kigali

• Fuel

• English speaking driver-guide

• Hotel pickup and drop off in Kigali

• A stop at Lake Bunyonyi/Lake Mutanda

Safari Itinerary

Transfer to Uganda

Our driver will meet you at the hotel to kick-start our safari. You will then head to Uganda through Katuna Border. Upon crossing, you will head to Kabale Town known as "The Switzerland of Africa". We can have a stop at lake Bunyonyi for relaxation (or stay there for the night) and pictures and then settle in our lodge for gorilla tracking the following day.

Day 2: Gorilla trekking and transfer back to Kigali

This is the gorilla trekking day. Early in the morning, you will gather at the park offices where you will find fellow trekkers.

Please make sure you let the ranger know your interests before attaching you to a group. Some gorilla groups require a certain amount of physical fitness and might not be favorable to every one. Therefore availing this information to your ranger will help him to organize the best gorilla group to track.

Here you will be grouped(8 people) and the ranger will take you through the rules or Do's and Dont's of gorilla trekking.and then he will lead you into the forest to track the gorillas. The ranger uses radio communication to stay in touch with the trackers who head into the forest way before you start on your way into the forest. The trackers inform your ranger about the whereabouts of the gorillas and direct him to the actual location of the gentle giants.

You will then spend a maximum of 1 Hour in the presence of the gorillas. Here you will be able to take pictures and observe the way of life of these primates. After the experience, you will trek back out of the forest. Our driver will be waiting for you and will take you back to Kigali. 

****************************************

Now lets get back to the journey. The trip takes around 5 hours from Kigali to the Bwindi area. We came in rainy season this time so roads were washed out in places. Ebola has been found in the area so we did have to go through checkpoints both ways at the borders. 

The lunch in route was impromptu as the Coffee Pot Cafe we intended to eat at was closed on Sundays. We stopped at the hostel across the street for a quick lunch. There are no complaints as the views of Volcanoes National Park were amazing from their courtyard. The roads take you into some remote villages overlooking numerous lakes around Bwindi. 

As you can see in the itinerary its an early morning meeting with the rangers. The family we were assigned to was the Mucunguzi group which had 8 members; including 1 male silverback and 3 babies. There are ton of packing suggestions all over the internet, but personally the must have for the hike was a porter, walking stick, water, gloves, bug spray and gaiters. 

The cost for the porter are around $15 each and it includes the trekking pole. Please tip your guides, rangers and trackers. This maybe the closest you get to helping someone who devotes their time and effort everyday to save these amazing animals. You will get two trackers, two guides and one ranger on your trek. Any tip is honestly welcome, but $5 each for a full day with them is standard for tipping. 

Our car drove us to the start and we setoff into the jungle. About an hour into our trek we found out we accidentally started tracking the wrong family. All the food and drinks we packed and the porters were carrying were coming in handy. Plan for the worst and hope for the best in terms of length of hike. You could be out there for nearly 6 hours if the family is further into the forest. 

The trackers located our group and we started off again around 11am. The hike was straight down the mountain through some crazy foliage; which took a lot of effort to stay upright. We slipped often and even with the best shoes it was hard to navigate through the wild vines they had recently hacked away with machetes. About an hour into the hike and we located the group. We left all our belongings with porters and went to meet the gorilla group. 

We came upon the male silverback first. The first rule of gorilla trekking is do not run when the gorillas approach you. The trackers were hacking at some bushes around the very massive gorilla and lets just say it got agitated. He did charge us showing his teeth. It is something I will always remember, as most in the group tried to run. Its funny now, but in hindsight it was pretty scary in the moment. A real reminder that while they have been habituated to human contact over the last 20 years. They are still wild animals in the jungle. 

After the silverback decided it was nap time we moved on to find the rest of the family. A few minutes later we located the mother and two of the babies. The babies were super playful and we really had to stay still as possible, as they became quite curious of our presence. You try to maintain at least 7 meters in distance between yourself and the gorillas at all times. The hour passed by so quickly as we moved positions for better views of the family. 

The trek back out of the jungle was completely straight up. We used vines to pretty much swing ourselves up to higher levels, as the undergrowth was so thick you could barely place your feet on the ground below. We are given a completion certificate for all our efforts. We hugged our guides and thanked them for all the memories we made with their help. We headed back to the van where the rest of our packed lunch remained and drove onward to Kigali. 

Happy Traveling,   

Katrina 

No fee was paid for this review by the company and my trip was not compensated for a review. 

Tour operator: 

https://gorillaandadventuresafaris.com

Photos are a combination of efforts from Debbie, Diane, Krystle and myself.

Colors of Cartagena

Our time was short in Cartagena, but it was incredibly memorable. We started the morning with what many say is a must-do while visiting this gorgeous city riding in a Chiva Bus. A Chiva bus cam only be described as a party on wheels. Upon arrival to the bus we were handed a bucket of ice, local rum and coke. The entertainment on board was a 3-man band located in the middle rows of the bus; which truly bring the party to life. While some shy away from 8am cocktails, we embraced the experience like a local. When in Rome, right?  

We took a short site seeing tour stopping to take photos at San Felipe Castle and Las Bóvedas. Las Bóvedas at one time was the cities dungeon and now turned into a tourist hub for souvenirs. Outside the shops was an authentic Colombia coffee kiosk made out of an old Willys jeep. From Las Bóvedas you can capture views of the ocean or even start a bike ride along the city walls. 

We headed back through the city on our party bus and were dropped off at the clock tower to finish the city highlights. Beyond those walls were some of the most colorful buildings I had ever seen. The balconies, flowers and colorfully dressed ladies carrying baskets of fruit on their heads were along every street. We strolled for hours just taking in each and every square block of this fantastic city. We even stopped into the famous Juan Valdez. 

Cartagena sparked our curiosity for Colombia and we cannot wait to go back to see more. 

Happy Traveling, 

Katrina

Roaming in Rwanda

Rwanda is a country that is known by many for the devastation that happened in 1994. What Rwanda is today is a country vast in culture, pride and beauty. It’s a country that will leave you in awe and coming back for more. The country is clean, I mean so clean you would think that litter did not exist in the country. In 2006 Rwanda banned plastic bags and even has a day a month dedicated to cleaning (Umuganda Day).

 Our original intention was to visit Bwindi from Kigali for an incredible Gorilla trek, but our Brussels Airlines flight was diverted back to Brussels due to plane malfunction. As fun as it was to come in for an emergency landing with fire trucks chasing us in; it was bittersweet that a full day in this country was missed. It was a guarantee we would be back in the near future.  We did not let the little hiccup get us down. Arriving a day late, but ready to visit the most underrated African safaris.

Upon arrival we were whisked away by our driver Emmanuel. We stayed in The Nest boutique guesthouse, which was in the heart of Kimihurura. A standard room with a city view, comfy bed and warm shower is what they delivered. Just a short walk away from the hotel we grabbed a quick dinner with city view from the infamous Republic lounge. The food was incredible and I was dreaming of my grilled goat and garlic potatoes the rest of the trip.

The next morning Kagera Safaris picked us up before the sun for our day trip to Akagera National Park. Nearly a two hour drive through the Rwanda countryside; it was definitely a highlight of our trip. Akagera is a point to point safari, meaning we came in the south and came out the north of the park. There is an optional boat safari, which in hindsight wish we had booked. The park offers all of the Big 5!! It is one the most affordable safaris I have done so far in Africa.

After 100km of driving through the park spotting wildlife at every turn, we headed back to Kigali at dusk. The infamous Republic Lounge was closed for the day, so we headed to the Crêperie next door for some sweet and savory creations.

To occupy our last day in the city we found GoKigali Tours to show us around. Boy we were in for a treat. The guide Eric was authentic and the tour ticked every desire. We visited markets, tasted local fruit, sailed on boats, drank coffee & milk. We even visited the Genocide Memorial, which is worth the visit to learn more about the Rwandan devastation.

If you visit Rwanda you are in for a treat. It was definitely the best country I could have picked for country number 100!!

Happy Traveling,

Katrina

(Photos credit by D. Miraballes)

Georgia and Beyond- Journey through the Caucuses

When people say Georgia, they usually think of the small state in the USA and not the country squeezed in between Armenia, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey and the Black Sea. Georgia is known for its vast vineyards, snowy mountains, ancient sites and UNESCO Monasteries. The country first sparked my curiosity as its proximity to the famous Silk Road and ancient sites. Georgia for me is where religion is a way of life and wine is the sacred nectar of all social functions.

My first impressions of Georgia were a 3am arrival at the airport, in which I could not find my driver. In country where my friends and family only knew it as war ridden and unstable, I will admit going alone had me on edge. People could sense I was looking for something or someone as I paced up and down the corridor searching the signs to see if I could find my name. They were helpful, but my guard was up and not prepared for so many genuinely helpful people. A quick phone call to the hotel and I heard my name over the intercom. A 30-minute transfer and I was in the heart of Tbilisi.  

I entrusted Envoy Hostel and Tours to keep me safe and show me around the amazing country and beyond.  On about 3 hours sleep, a simple breakfast and 2 cups of coffee I was ready to start my day in Georgia. A trip to Jvari, Mtskheta, Gori, Uplistsikhe and the infamous Stalin Museum offered a nice variety of culture and scenic beauty. What I loved the most about the Envoy tours was the knowledge of the guides and the people who joined the tours. Every day was truly an adventure which usually had some consumption of delicious food and wine. The lunch with the locals was a highlight for me on this day as our host was from the region where it is now forbidden for Georgians to go. 

Our first stop was the hilltop church of Jvari which was built overlooking Mtskheta the oldest village in Georgia. This church is said to be the holiest church among the Georgians. The church was built between the 5th and 6th century over the original location of the wooden cross; which was erected by King Mirian.  We made our way down to Mtskheta and stepped into what felt a boutique village. The fences, houses, and flowers were in perfect order within the village. You could see the amount of pride the Georgians have in preserving their longstanding heritage here. After a few hours walking around the churches and village we made our way to Uplistsikhe.

Uplistsikhe I think is a nice place to visit if you do not plan to see David Gareji, in my own opinion. While some of the buildings were intact it was truly just an afternoon of crawling through caves, but not much factual information to be told about the site. The Stalin Museum in Gori gives you a chance to visit Stalin’s hometown and you can see his childhood home on site. The museum was one-sided and all the good was told about his life in the museum and none of the bad, I would leave it at that.

We headed back after a long day into Tbilisi. I was completely exhausted at this point and searched for a good place for dinner. I found Pastorali and ate their everyday as the food was so delicious and the staff was super friendly. Its always really awkward for me showing up to a restaurant asking for a table for one, but the staff always let me pick a great seat to people watch from.

I truly loved Georgia and cannot wait to plan my next visit to the area to see more of what this country has to offer.

Happy Traveling,

Katrina

Uniquely Tokyo

When most people think Japan, they think technology. Japan is so unique in its own right, that Tokyo truly lives up to the hype. 

Imagine ordering food from a vending machine, cuddling cats in a cafe or riding Mario Karts through the city. Well its all available to try in Tokyo.  

I headed to Tokyo to run the 2017 Marathon. Having lived in Japan before, I already had my heart set on some of the top crazy things to do in the city. 

I used Shinjuku as a good base, staying at the Keio Plaza Hotel. The hotel was centrally located near metro and JR stations. The hotel offers a penthouse Karaoke bar if thats something to tick off your bucket list. 

Vending machine restaurant  

Tokyo is truly the city that never sleeps. Suffering from jet lag made it easy to wander out late to see what crazy things happen after dark. The night life is incredible and you will be spoiled for choice on what to eat and see.  I mean even the man hole covers are gorgeous. After a long day I headed in to get some rest before the adventure truly began. 

Man hole covers.  

Shinagawa Port Area

A lot of things in Tokyo book up in advance, so I highly recommend prebooking if possible. While I came for the race, a chance to dress up and drive go-karts through the city was a dream come true. I left busy Shinjuku for Shinagawa port. What I found there was ornately painted temples and beautifully done metal doors. Each one offering a different part of the port towns story. 

I turned the corner to find about 20 cars all tucked in and ready to tour the city. This experience is truly a MUST do!   

After 2 hours wizzing around Tokyo it was time to find more fun. Now off to see what the Cat Cafe and Robot restaurant were all about.  For a small fee you can go in and pet cats!! 

And if thats not enough. Go have dinner with a few robots. 

Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto, you know you were thinking it. Dinner was not open yet, so I did my robot moves out front and moved on. I was on a mission now and in search of the holy grail of Japanese treats, the KITKAT. No, I am not kidding. The flavours are unique and endless. Don Quiote is where you can find these magical treats. 

I loaded up on flavors such as red bean and sake. This store was packed with so much!! I decided a costume for the race was a must. 

I mean how many times will I have a chance to run in a Kimono with Pikachu and the gang. Tokyo lived up to all its expectations and a little more. 

Happy Traveling,  

Katrina