I wouldn’t go there if I were you (Why where we choose to travel matters)
The landline rings. I immediately know it’s my mother calling. From the way she says ‘hello’ I know something else—that I'm not going to like the conversation. I'm tempted to feign a poor connection and hang up. ‘A woman was kidnapped in Uganda', my mother says, her voice measured, with frantic undertones. 'At gunpoint’, she continues, ‘alone, while on safari.’ ‘I'm not going to Uganda for four months, Mom', I say, my voice measured, with annoyed undertones. ‘And, I'm 49 years old. I'm a grown-up.’...
Uganda, what to see beyond the famous silverback gorillas
What to see, where to stay, and what to do, in Uganda / The famous silverback gorillas are certainly what put Uganda on the map for tourism. And rightly so, as it is the only part of the world where one can see these peaceful, majestic primates. There are none in captivity, so in order to spend any time with them, one must be prepared to travel far. And travel far I did, for a fleeting two hours observing them that I wouldn't trade for...
The Mighty Silverbacks of Uganda: How To Find Them
Last January, I received a text from a friend of a friend: ‘Happy New Year! Would you like to go gorilla tracking with me in Uganda?’ I stared at the screen for a nanosecond and wrote back, ‘Yes!’ A nanosecond later, I wrote, ‘Wait... what?’ So began nine months of planning that would eventually take us to see the indigenous Batwa Pygmies, through dusty local villages, over the golden savannah of Ishasha, into the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, and ultimately, to the magical moment of finding...