Uganda was perhaps the highlight of the journey. I only wish I had more time. Kampala was a crowded chaotic city, but with some really nice areas. There were great markets, restaurants, and backpackers was a great and friendly place to stay. There were lots of other friendly travelers to hang out with and exchange information. One of the unique things about kampala is the absolute throngs of boda-bodas. These are moped like taxis that shuttle people all over the city, some loaded down with two people plus gear. There are literally hundreds of accidents every day and most people will warn you not to take one. That being said, I fully recommed a short ride through the chaos, in a strange way its an addictive rush.
The bujagali falls region with the nile river headwaters and villages was really fun. Rafting was scary but exciting and I took a long unintentional swim through a class five rapid, I truly thought I might drown and was scared. The camping out there was excellent and very relaxing.
Sipi Falls and Mt Elgon had the best trekking of the trip, great walks through a mixture of villages and rainforest, for miles and miles. The eagles nest was a top place to stay with a great view of the falls. There were lots of other waterfalls in the area as well.
Overall Uganda and its forests (I visited and hiked through several others) were in some ways the Africa I was searching for, the deep jungles and equatorial forests that I had conjured up in my mind day dreaming about this journey for over a year. I will never forget it or all the wonderful people I met. Journal Entry Uganda Posted On: 6/1/2005