June 28, 2011
Nairobi to Nakuru
The Qatar Airways flight arrived at Nairobi Airport around 1 pm. There were not many people at the visa desk but the female visa officer asked me many questions before issuing me a visa for $25. Nairobi is infamous for its safety issues so I decided to bypass this city and go to Nakuru directly. I took a taxi from the airport to Mololine bus stand on Cross Road (Ksh 1,200). Mololine is considered the best company running the Nairobi – Nakuru route. They use 14-seat minibuses and charge Ksh 300. The one I took run quite smoothly and took about three hours and a half to reach Nakuru. Sleeping at Kivu Retreat I booked in advance (Ksh 4,200 half board) was not bad. It seemed no other guests stayed there that night. Staff were friendly, though not particularly efficient.
 |
| Nairobi |
June 29, 2011
Lake Nakuru National Park
Kivu Retreat helped me get a tour company for Lake Nakuru National Park. After negotiation we agreed on Ksh 5,000 for a half-day game drive in the park (plus park fee $60 and vehicle fee Ush 800). I was a little bit excited since it's my first game drive. Lake Nakuru National Park is famous for thousands of pelicans and flamingos. We also saw more than ten kinds of other animals, including some white rhinos. Very good experience.
Around lunch time, I arrived at Kampala Coach office in Nakuru. Staff told me there would be a bus at 1 pm going to Kampala that passes Jinja. I bought the ticket for Ksh 1,900. The bus actually arrived around 3:30 pm. When I arrived at the border, it was almost midnight. I paid $50 for my visa and got my finger prints collected (as everybody else did) at the immigration office.
 |
| Pelicans at Lake Nakuru National Park |
June 30, 2011
Jinja
When the bus reached Jinja, it was already 2 am. The bus driver got a motorcycle taxi for me for Ush 10,000 to take me to Bellevue Hotel. It’s a short distance. However, because of the uncivilized time, the motorcycle driver asked for another Ush 10,000 upon arrival. I had no choice. Actually I was glad that I was safe.
After getting up in the morning, I had some Indian food for breakfast/lunch at the Indian restaurant attached to the hotel. Jinja has a notable Indian population. Motorcycle taxis are major means of transportation to get around. It was not difficult to find one to take me to the main tourist destination of the city, the Source of River Nile. Most motorcycle taxi drivers don’t know other ways of seeing the source except for the main entrance of the area (Ush 20,000). While inside the park, it’s a short walk to the river. However, you cannot see the real source there and a boat hire is a must. After some negotiations, I reached agreement with a boatman for a very short ride to the source for Ush 30,000. The view there is nothing special but the significance of seeing it is what’s worth the money.
Ush 3,500 took me from Jinja to Kampala by one of the frequent buses (two hours). After having a peep at the busy Ugandan capital of Kampala, I got on a Link bus heading for Masindi (Ush 12,000, four hours). I stayed overnight at the charming New Court View Hotel run by an old & nice western lady (Ush 50,000). Food was not bad either.
 |
| The Source of River Nile |
July 1, 2011
Murchison Falls National Park
New Court View Hotel has a driver for tourists and after negotiation I agreed to pay Ush 230,000 for a day trip to Murchison Falls National Park (car hire only). We left around 9 am and arrived at the park before 12 noon. The park entrance fee has been increased to $35 due to high season and the boat trip has been changed to $26 as well. I had lunch at the popular Red Chilli Rest Camp near the pier. The boat started a little bit after 2 pm. Along the river, we saw hippos, crocodiles, and waterbucks among others. The “hike to the top” ($10) after the boat trip is a must to see the best of the waterfalls and the view on top of the falls is also magnificent.
 |
| Murchison Falls |
July 2, 2011
Masindi to Fort Portal
Other than going back to Kampala and then Kabale, I decided to go to Fort Portal first and continue to Kabale from Fort Portal. The trip from Masindi to Fort Portal involves three journeys. From Masindi to Hoima, then from Hoima to Kagadi, and finally from Kagadi to Fort Portal. Most roads on this route are unpaved and it’s very crowded on the buses – a good way to get into the local life of the Ugandan people. By using buses, each leg costs no more than Ush 10,000. For more comfort, special hire is always available at about twice the price of the bus.
In Fort Portal, I realized that the direct bus from Fort Portal to Kabale runs in the evening, not morning as indicated in the guide book. That’s not very good for my plan and I decided to stay at Continental Hotel in the town center (Ush 25,000 non-negotiable) and go in stages to Kabale the next day.
 |
| Students in Rural Uganda |
July 3, 2011
Lake Bunyonyi
There are also three stages for the Fort Portal – Kabale trip. The first is to take a bus from Fort Portal to Kasese (Ush 10,000, 2 hours), then another bus from Kasese to Mbarara passing Queen Elizabeth National Park (Ush 12,000, 3 hours), and last from Mbarara to Kabale (Ush 10,000 big coach from Kampala, 2.5 hours).
Upon arriving in Kabale, I walked from the bus stand to Bunyonyi Overland Resort office. They told me that shuttle service is not always available and I had to hire a car to get to the resort for Ush 12,000. The price for a double cottage at Bunyonyi Overland Resort is $50 including breakfast. Lake Bunyonyi is a quite relaxing place and the pace is very low. I can understand this but I was a little bit upset when I waited one hour to get my dinner served.
 |
| Lake Bunyonyi |
July 4, 2011
Kigali
Kabale is not far from the border with Rwanda and there are dedicated buses for this route. At the immigration office in Rwanda, I handed over my visa acknowledgment letter already printed. They told me that the visa fee had been decreased from $60 to $30 – good news.
After immigration office, buses were not clearly visible. Luckily, some other travelers found me and we shared a car to Kigali.
While in Kigali, I checked in the famous Okapi Hotel for $50 and had some coffee at the ever popular Bourbon Coffee Shop in the city center. Since I decided not to do gorrila tracking (too expensive for me) and pass Lake Kivu, Kigali is the only place in Rwanda to check out. First I paid respect to the famous Hotel des Mille Collines, then got a motorcycle taxi to Kigali Memorial Centre. Unfortunately, the centre is closed on Mondays. Although I didn’t see many “sites” in Kigali, the city is quite impressive and presents itself in levels.
 |
| Kigali |
July 5, 2011
Bujumbura
I took the 9 am New Yahoo! Express bus for Bujumbura. It’s the best bus I took during my entire East Africa trip. The bus arrived at the border around 12:30 pm and stopped for an hour for immigration clearance. The visa fee for Burundi has been increased to $40 from $20, at least that’s what the immigration officer told me. It’s not possible to see how many days you are allowed to stay in Burundi from the stamp.
The bus continued for another three hours and arrived in Bujumbura in mid afternoon. After getting off the bus, all passengers were required to register with the police. The bus station is quite messy and I took a taxi (BFr 5,000) to my destination – Saga Plage Resort on the beach ($50), the only “site” I wanted to check out in Burundi.
Saga Beach is considered one of the best inland beaches in Africa. When I arrived, I found the place a little bit dirty than expected. There were some local people on the beach (they didn't stay at the resort) and no foreigners. The beach was still relaxing - especially after my seven hour bus journey. And the restaurant on the “boat” is also nice. Language can be a small issue but there is always one or two people who can speak English finally.
 |
| Saga Beach, Bujumbura |
July 6, 2011
Bujumbura to Kigoma
There is one direct bus from Bujumbura to Kigoma every morning at 6 am. Considering the security situation in Bujumbura, it’s too early for me and I decided to go in stages. At the entrance to Saga Plage Resort, it’s not very easy to get a taxi. Finally a private car stopped and I got on the car. First he took me to the same bus station I used the previous day. We learned that’s not the right place. Then he drove me to another place where buses for Mabanda are available. I paid him BFr 10,000 and that guy seemed quite polite to me. The Bujumbura – Mabanda journey takes 3 hours and runs mostly along the scenic Lake Tanganyika coast. At Mabanda, passport was stamped and another vehicle took over to the border. Somehow, this vehicle had some problems and run very slowly. They finally called somebody on the Tanzanian side to send another vehicle to get the passengers. Two hours later, the two cars met and passengers transferred. Another half an hour passed and we arrived at the Tanzanian immigration office. For $50, I was given a two week visa without hassle. The car continued to send passengers all the way to Kigoma with extra cost. Just before dusk, we arrived at Kigoma. The New Mapinduzi Guest House (Tsh 12,000) I stayed at that night doesn’t have any food but there are quite a few restaurants nearby and they seem to be very good places to taste some local food (good prices too). New Mapinduzi Guest House is very basic with many mosquitoes. Although it’s “self-contained”, there is no hot water for shower. However, I didn’t see any other “better” hotels in the city center.
 |
| Mabanda Immigration Office |
July 7, 2011
Kigoma to Gombe
In the morning, I went to Gombe Stream National Park office in Kigoma to get some information and arranged through them to have a private boat hire to the park for $150 return. Although quite expensive, being in Kigoma without checking out Gombe Stream National Park is almost a crime. There are public boats leaving Kibirizi (the pier near Kigoma) at 2 pm and returning from Gombe at 10 am. Unfortunately, my schedule was tight and hiring a private boat was my only option.
I arrived at Gombe Stream National Park in mid afternoon and was advised by park officials not to do chimpanzee trecking that day. They said mornings are much better and guaranteed to see chimps. I then walked along the beaches near the park headquarters that afternoon, quite nice and relaxing.
The only accommodation option is at the park hostel ($20 per person, very clean room but no hot water for shower). Breakfast ($10) and lunch/dinner ($15) are expensive but there are no other options unless you bring your own food.
 |
| Sunset over Lake Tanganyika |
July 8, 2011
Gombe Stream National Park
The park entrance fee $100 is actually a 24 hour permit for trecking, not the time you are allowed to stay in the park. So if you have time, it’s possible to stay in the park for two nights with one permit ($100). This is convenient for people using the public boat. There is another $10 for the guide per group. Gombe Stream National Park is probably the easiest place to see chimpanzees in the world and the experience is unforgettable. I even saw a mother chimp carrying her baby got down from the tree and walked just past me. Very fascinating!
Because of my time limit, I only did a half day trecking and returned to Kigoma in the afternoon.
 |
| Chimpanzees at Gombe Stream National Park |
July 9, 2011
Kigoma to Mwanza
The most difficult day in the entire East Africa trip. I was asked to get to the bus stand at 5:30 am. I did that and walked in the dark in this early morning hour for ten minutes. The bus actually left at 6 am. The first two hours were not bad, there were even some empty seats on the bus. After Kasulu, the bus started to get very crowded and there was no room in the bus! It’s very bad for people who just want to get to the toilet on the way.
In mid afternoon, the bus arrived at Kahama and passengers for Mwanza were transferred to another bus. This bus is much better and we finally arrived at Mwanza around 9:30 pm. Staying at G & G Hotel near the bus station for Tsh 40,000 is a delight. Very clean and comfortable room.
July 10, 2011
Mwanza to Serengeti
I got up early at 5 am. After a good breakfast provided by the hotel, I took a taxi to another bus station in town some 7 km away. From there I got on a Musoma-bound bus that passes Serengeti Stop Over near Ndabaka Gate. The bus arrived at Serengeti Stop Over at just 8 am – the time I arranged in advance with some other tourists and a tour guide for a four-day safari trip in Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater.
After saying hello to everyone and some basic chatting, we entered Ndabaka Gate and Safari Day 1 started. Apart from the usual impalas, buffaloes, zebras and giraffes, we also saw some lions in the morning, not a bad start. However, in the early afternoon, the car went broken and we waited for almost the entire afternoon and didn’t have a chance to see more animals. We slept at Seronera Public Campsite.
 |
| A Sausage Tree at Serengeti National Park |
July 11, 2011
Serengeti National Park
The safari continues. In the morning we saw many Thomson's gazelles, the running of this kind of animal is extremely elegant. We also saw two leopards on the tree, although not very clearly. Later on the driver guide took us to some areas to see cheetahs. The cheetahs were too far away and we couldn’t see them clearly either. Suddenly the guide drove the car into the bushes and we saw the two cheetahs at close distance.
In the afternoon, we saw some groups of elephants and some male lions (the so-called “lion king”). Back to Seronera Public Campsite for the evening.
 |
| A Dik Dik at Serengeti National Park |
July 12, 2011
Serengeti to Ngorongoro
We got up early on this day and saw some good stuff. Near a bridge a group of young lions were eating a dead wildebeest. The wildebeest was probably taken in the evening and the baby lions seemed quite hungry for it. Later on, we saw one mother cheetah with her two babies at close distance on the road. The guide told us that the mother had six babies and now only two remained.
There were not much exciting things to see in the rest of the day, except for some hyenas. After lunch, we departed Serengeti for Ngorongoro. On the way we visited a Masai village (with extra cost). Around dusk, we arrived at Simba Public Campsite for the night. While preparing for the camps, we saw an elephant coming into the campsite and some people took out their cameras… People told us that elephants often come to the campsite looking for water. We realized this campsite is very different from those at Serengeti. As a matter of fact, it’s the coldest night I spent during the entire trip to East Africa.
 |
| A Cheetah at Serengeti National Park |
July 13, 2011
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
We spent the whole morning inside Ngorongoro Crater. There are many animals in the crater but not much different from those in Serengeti National Park. The biggest attraction here is the possibility to see black rhinos. Unfortunately we could only see some at very far distance using the telescope, provided the guide told us the truth.
We left Ngorongoro Conservation Area in early afternoon and arrived in Arusha in the late afternoon. We all stayed at Hotel Aquiline near the city bus station ($15 per person).
 |
| Wildebeests at Ngorongoro Crater |
July 14, 2011
Arusha to Dar es Salaam
Dar Express is considered the best bus company running the Arusha – Dar route. They are not cheap though (Tsh 25,000). I took the 8:00 am bus and near Moshi I had a peep at Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. The bus stopped at a designated area for lunch (not included in the ticket price) and arrived at Dar es Salaam around 6:30 pm. For safety reasons, I hired a taxi from inside the bus station to take me to the pre-booked Green View Rombo Hotel not too far away. The taxi charged Tsh 10,000 plus Tsh 2,000 parking fee at the station.
 |
| On the Way from Arusha to Dar es Salaam |
July 15, 2011
Stone Town
A lady at Green View Rombo Hotel offered to use her car to drive me to the pier for Tsh 20,000 and I agreed. When I arrived at the pier, I found that I just missed the 10 am boat for Zanzibar. I had to wait another two hours for the next boat. The boat I took is not the fastest boat and not a slow boat either. It took three hours and a half to arrive at Zanzibar Town. Altough Zanzibar is part of Tanzania, there is an immigration office at the pier. They will stamp your passport and check the yellow book (the only place where I got checked for this document in my East Africa journey).
In Stone Town, many budget hotels were full due to the high season. I finally found one called Annex Island Guest House at the edge of Stone Town for $30 - not too bad.
I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Stone Town (and got lost). I also checked out Anglican Cathedral ($3) and paid respect to the slaves. At dusk, I watched the sunset in front of Africa House Hotel, before heading for a Chinese restaurant nearby for dinner.
 |
| Stone Town |
July 16, 2011
Jambiani Beach
On the second day in Zanzibar, I decided to visit one beach on the east coast, Jambiani Beach (described as the best one in the Rough Guide). I took the tourist bus going there (Tsh 10,000) and it took about one hour and a half to arrive at Jambiani.
The first view at the waters in Jambiani was not very impressive. Many local women were in the sea near the shore working on seaweeds. I later learned the seaweeds will be dried and exported to China and Japan. After having a very relaxing (and slow) lunch at Starfish Restaurant on the beach, I watched the sea again and amazingly it changed! The tide was higher and there were no people in the sea - they were replaced by a few boats. And the color turned to Turquoise green – “extremely beautiful” is the only phrase I could use to describe the view. I suddenly realized the best time to see Jambiani Beach is in the afternoon.
I wish I could spent more time at the beach but I couldn’t. Since there is no tourist bus in the afternoon, I had to take the local 309 bus (a pickup truck) back to Stone Town (Tsh 2,000, last bus around 3-4 pm). Quite crowded but it took the same one hour and a half. I had my dinner at Forodbani Gardens by eating different snacks, including some Zanzibar pizzas.
 |
| Jambiani Beach |
July 17, 2011
Zanzibar to Dar es Salaam
My boat back to Dar es Salaam is at 12:30 pm and the checkout time at Annex Island Guest House is 10 am. So I spent some time at Forodbani Gardens in the morning, not to kill the time but just to watch people. The boat back is probably the real “express” boat and it took two hours and a half to arrive in Dar. Not too far from the pier, there is a bus stop. Buses heading for Gongo La Mboto stop here and pass the airport. It’s only a 30 minute ride and costs about Tsh 350. Sitting inside the airport waiting room, I was talking to myself: “This is the end of my 20 day East Africa trip”.
 |
| Old Fort, Zanzibar |
Summary
East African countries (especially Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania) are some of the most popular and easiest destinations in Africa. Because of security concerns, I didn’t spend much time in Kenya. The short visit to Lake Nakuru National Park was pleasant. Uganda is considered the safest country in East Africa and I visited most tourist sites in this country. Rwanda and Burundi are tiny countries and people speak French mostly. I only spent one night at each country and had some nice time in both capitals. Finally, I spent 12 days in Tanzania, partially because it’s a big country and partially because the safari itself takes 4 days. Tanzania is a bit of mix of everything, and the unique Zanzibar shouldn’t be missed.
No comments:
Post a Comment