It was only after I caught my breath and my heart went back down to its usual spot, did I realise that I was actually and finally looking at The Nile River. In all it’s glory. It came thundering down a towering rapid towards us making our way over the Kurua Bridge, where it narrowed and produced a jet of water travelling at unimaginable speed. It careened into the jungle cutting a huge swathe with the sheer volume of water it was taking to Lake Victoria.
And on it’s wild careen through the thick Uganda jungle, it spills out at a magical place. A widening in the river gives the waters a chance to recompose and spread out wide travelling through the countless islands it reveals Chobe Lodge.
Video Chobe
But as usual, nothing in Africa is easy, and to get yourself so far into deepest darkest, you have to start a long way away. In this case, we travelled from Johannesburg, on a delightfully colourful flight of smiles and greetings. We flew through the afternoon, over the glorious Lake Victoria, and landed in bustling Entebbe at dark. An hours interesting drive to Kampala, and we could finally relax into the unique smells and sounds of a new city.
Early bells, and the convoy of land cruisers aptly driven by our soon to be friends Ali and Mili, headed north and way out of town. Green. And deeper green. What a contrast to the drier regions I had recently been frequenting. It is shocking. And people are growing all sorts of produce and even sapplings of all kinds of trees. Right on the verge of the busy road! The green and the jungle never really retreated on the drive, and a few towns and 300 odd kilometres, we were flanked to the West, by the Kuruma Nation Park, and then Murchison Falls National Park, in which Chobe Lodge is carefully esconsed.
Uganda video
The drive in from the gate revealed gnarly jungle with Tarzan type vines and heaps of wildlife. A monitor lizzard and a bunch of his smaller but pretiier cousins started the spotting list, right from the gate. Uganda Kob were next, warthog too, and then we were at the lodge. The game viewing board was chalked up with elephant on the runway, a lion a few kilometres south, many kob, buffalo on the east track…from the day before! But the real shock come as we walked into the lush luxurious and tastefully appointed reception area, and peered over the verandah into the eyes of a bunch of huge hippopotamus and a crocodile.
The river still flows at an alarming rate past the lodge, and you dare not go near it, day or night. The lodge is built up, way up, and out of harms way, but dinner each evening is spent trying to chat over the grunts and moans of hippos, barely twenty metres away.
Murchison Falls National Park has every animal you can find, and more, including chimps! The savannahs open up as you venture south – far better for spotting lions and other predators.
And there is another huge attraction, or fish, should I say. The gigantic Nile Perch (not the capitals), come from this exact river! And you can catch them! A permit is available, and you may be lucky enough to get a guide and boat to assist you in not becoming part of the food chain. It is almost always fishing weather at Chobe. An umbrella will keep the sun at bay, and also the afternoon thunder storm that angers down some afternoons.
But for the most, equatorial weather is what we came here for, and enjoyed thoroughly. And if it gets a bit hot, jump into one of the four terraced swimming pools spilling down from the lodge. And being a 5 star establishment, there is a helpful and pleasant staff member around every corner, to turn the air conditioning down, or to refresh you with a damp napkin, a blast of the misters, or a well earned refreshment.
The staff of Chobe, and therefore management, deserve all relevant commendations for their enthusiasm and quality of everything. From the breakfast buffet with tailor fried eggs through to locally flavoured lunch and dinner, everything was top notch. The rooms are super, and the views will catch your breath, again and again.
Our arrival had us wondering where all the guests could be. The lodge is expansive, with many suites, tented luxury chalets, rooms…but we had arrived on a Monday, so we were pretty much alone. But as the week went on, a host of interesting looking people started arriving. An aeroplane brought in a crowd. The carpark filled up. And by Wednesday we had met a lovely diverse and once again, interesting flow of people.
For that is what Uganda is. Interesting. Interesting people, places and wildlife. What more?
