In many ways, this trip is quite unlike any of the others that we have taken as a group. The locations are more varied and the reasoning for them a little more obscure than planned safaris before this one. This leads to some interesting travel dynamics and an equally interesting choice of things to look at.
I’m actually always pretty content to enjoy the journey itself, revelling in the road trip as much as the wildlife. This trip is a really big winner because of this. I love crossing land borders – even if they are often chaotic – and being driven through varied and interesting scenery is a safari in and of itself. The downside to this is the fatigue that comes from a 350km drive on a hot day on less than perfect roads with terrible driving discipline. For this trip, perhaps more than any previously, I took to taking photographs with my phone to document a part of this journey and that varied landscape.
Both Fred and Chris were keen to ensure that, with Emmy driving for us, it wasn’t going to turn into a bird-first experience. I always appreciate this, as, no matter how much I like to see new and interesting birds, I prefer to see big game much more. The original plan saw Bugiri-Chato, the Serengeti and Akagera as the three national parks that were key to this with Rubondo Island offering a lower chance of seeing big mammals. In the end, we had to make do with a quick drive through the Chato sector of Bugiri-Chato and missed out on the big-game experience there.
Rubondo actually made up for this with bushbuck, sitatunga, giraffes and elephants all managing to make an appearance. When we also got great views of bush pigs, hippos and spot-necked otter, that was a great bonus from a truly wilderness park.
Our choice to spend an additional full day in the Serengeti was a well-made one. We got some great lion encounters and added plenty more elephants to our tally. The chaos of conservancy fees outside the park makes it a complicated place to visit for the uninitiated.
Finally, Akagera National Park in Rwanda lived up to pretty much all of its own hype. We didn’t manage the big five, but four out of five in a five-day visit is pretty good by any standards and the viewing of rhino and elephants was truly excellent.