After a 25-hour journey from Ha Noi, Viet Nam to Kampala, Uganda (three layovers later), four colleagues and I traveled eight hours by land to one of Uganda’s most well known reserves, Murchison Falls National Park. The ride was rough, mainly on red earth that had been hardened by years of human traffic. Our small van kicked up a great deal of dust as we drove by small villages, as small children waved feverishly at the “whites” passing by.
By the time we arrived at the lovely Paraa Lodge, overlooking the meandering crocodile and hippo-infested Nile River, we were wiped out from the long journey. Fortunately, the lodge had all the comforts of home: cold beer, comfortable beds, and great food! We rested well and woke up at the wee hours of the morning to venture out onto the lush grasslands on safari, searching for Africa’s big game. As luck would have it, we saw all big game that live in the immense national park. About an hour into the safari, one of my colleagues spotted a lion in the grassland. We were able to track the lion all the way to his den, where his pride rested with several cubs. Our group was absolutely mesmerized by the close encounter with the pride. We gazed with fascination for nearly 30 minutes.
In the afternoon, we took a lovely riverboat on the Nile and made it as close as possible to the famous Murchison Falls, where the water becomes white with froth from the intense force of the water fall. The scene was amazing! We saw elephants and cape buffalo grazing at the edge of the Nile, as crocodiles soaked in the sun meters away, and hippos propped their ears and eyes above the surface of the water. At one moment, I counted 11 crocodiles swimming in a V-shaped formation slighted under the surface of the water. The rickety riverboat did not appear to be very sea worthy and all I kept thinking was “If this things sinks, we are all croc meat.”
After three days of glorious nature, wild game, comfy lodges, and blue skies, we returned to Kampala for a 7-day conference. I won’t bore anyone with the summary of that meeting, since the highlight of our trip to Uganda was the safari at Murchison Falls.
