Five more gorilla families available to track in Bwindi + Tracking fee increases in Uganda. Got a thing for great apes? This is what you need to know if you want to track gorillas and chimpanzees in Uganda in 2024 and beyond There are now at least SIX more great reasons to track gorillas in Uganda! Did you hear that five more gorilla families are now available for tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest? Scroll down for full information. And to make gorilla tracking even more appealing, we’ve just heard that another baby has been born in Rushaga, to the south of the forest. Is there anything ..read more

The Giant goliath beetle! When I moved to Uganda 15 years ago my no. 1 one fear was insects – now look at me It’s amazing what interests people: one of my British friends is planning to visit me in Uganda. This is the very thing that she wants to see! Sadly, this particular beetle was attacked by a black and white casqued hornbill. (You can see the damage to its wing). Did you know the giant goliath beetle is the world’s heaviest beetle? We see them occasionally at Sunbird Hill, on the edge of Kibale Forest. They love tree sap. In fact I have seen them fighting with butterflies for it. They ..read more

15 years ago this month, I was packing up my life in the UK as I prepared to fly to Uganda for the very first time… Uganda was a blank page to me then. Queen Elizabeth National Park soon became my backyard. In the meantime, Diary of a Muzungu has been welcomed across East Africa. What a buzz it’s been. Thanks to everyone I’ve met along the way! Being a developing country, things change quickly here in Uganda: I’ve never lived anywhere that evolves so fast. Uganda has mushrooming numbers of lodges and guides, new subjects such as adventure tourism and every other person I me ..read more

You read it right! 1000s of travelers and SafariBookings experts agree For those of us who live in this insanely beautiful corner of the world, it’s no surprise to read that Uganda has just been rated “Africa’s best safari country by travelers.” This is the result of a survey by SafariBookings, the continent’s biggest online platform for tour operators and safari companies. 2023 RANKINGS: Ranked no. 5 overall, Uganda received a whopping 4.83/5 from travelers This remarkable performance takes into account a whole range of categories, from wildlife and scenic beauty to birding and bush credenti ..read more

Diary of a Muzungu is excited to share that Volcanoes Safaris “the pioneer of gorilla and chimpanzee ecotourism in Uganda and Rwanda since 1997” will soon be opening their fifth lodge, right on our doorstep: Kibale Forest!* Although best known for its group of 1500 raucous chimpanzees, Kibale Forest’s chimps even have their NetFlix series. The whole Toro region has a mesmerizing landscape: mile after mile of rolling green hills, crater lakes and the essence of rural Ugandan life. Built by hand, Kibale Lodge is thoughtfully designed to harmonize with the rocky outcrop that dominates the 150-acr ..read more

Have you heard about Jim Justus Nyamu’s cross-continental walks? Read about Ivory Belongs to Elephants’ East-Central Africa campaign walk An amazing feat! (Or should I say feet?) Jim campaigns tirelessly to protect elephants. He’s walked 1000s of miles / km and this is his 16th Campaign Walk for Elephants. His aim: to encourage African nations to work closely to protect this species that knows no borders.  Jim Justus Nyamu, *OGW, is the Founder and Executive Director of the Elephant Neighbors Center, a non-profit whose mission is “to protect the African Elephant and secure landscap ..read more

Back from extinction? Or just back for the day? African wild dogs recorded in Uganda for the first time in over 40 years Recently, the grainy photo [below] from a wildlife ranger’s phone went viral on Uganda’s conservation and tourism WhatsApp groups. There’s no mistaking the dog’s lollop and it’s smudged tricolour coat: African wild dogs have been recorded in Uganda for the first time since the 1980s! Reports say that two individual dogs were seen. African wild dog pictured in Kidepo, Uganda, 27th June 2023. PHOTO by Gilbert Manyimanyi, Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger The wild dog sightings ..read more

“Do the baby gorillas attend Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony?” has to be one of the funniest questions I’ve ever been asked!* The #FOMO [Fear Of Missing Out] is real this week as Rwanda hosts a week-long celebration of conservation and tourism, most visible at the 19th edition of Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony on Friday 1st September. It’s a brilliantly organised event that attracts people from near and far: locals attend for the free performances by local artistes; international ambassadors jet in to name baby gorillas; the rest of us love networking with tourism and conservation col ..read more

The Red Rocks Cultural Festival is a week-long celebration of traditional Rwandan culture and community conservation that takes place at the end of August / early September every year. Would you like to learn a few words of Kinyarwanda? Fancy taking part in a cooking demonstration? Do you LOVE dancing? If you’re heading to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda to track the gorillas or to attend Kwita Izina gorilla naming ceremony, then make sure you don’t miss the 11th Red Rocks Cultural Festival taking place in Musanze in Rwanda’s Northern Province. The 11th edition of the Red Rocks cultural fest ..read more

The Muzungu’s top reasons to travel to Tanzania, the ‘soul of Africa’ This is why I travel… to sit at a table overlooking the beach at the Serena Inn, Stone Town, Zanzibar. Want a glass of mimosa? “You just have to ask.” Fresh frangipani flowers, custard apple juice, mimosa sparkling wine cocktail and ‘madafu’ coconut juice decorate the Diary of a Muzungu, Swahili-style! It’s taken me a long time to visit Tanzania. There’s so much that is familiarly East African, yet so many charming delights that are uniquely Tanzanian! Here are the muzungu’s top reasons for visiting Tanzania (click on the li ..read more