Enjoy our new short video on the essence of the private guided safari experience in Africa. The Original Ker & Downey Safaris has been in operation for more than 70 years, and I am so proud to be a partner and director of the company that outfits my safaris.
A visit with the mountain gorillas of Rwanda and Uganda has been celebrated as one of the very best wildlife experiences on the planet. Immersing ourselves for a day or two within the tangled montane forests that are home to these magnificent creatures is something that my guests and I count as an enduring privilege. The Virunga and Bwindi forests have also been a conservation success story with gorilla populations nearly triple what they were in the early 90s! Now with some of the most stylish boutique safari lodges in Africa, Rwanda has become one of my more popular – and favorite – safari destinations.
I take my guests to Murchison Falls National Park whenever I get the chance. Although this place in northwestern Uganda is not on many peoples’ radar, I find that a day on the Nile here is unlike any other day on safari.
We stay in a private mobile camp along a stretch of the Nile just upstream of Lake Albert, and below Murchison Falls – treacherous rapids and twin waterfalls of some 40 meters in height.
Murchison Falls
Our camp along the Nile
An early morning game drive on the north bank of the river can be spectacular. The park is a golden and green savanna full of honey-colored kob and oribi, dotted with buffalo, giraffe, ground hornbills, and patas monkeys. There are several prides of lions here, and leopards are often seen resting in the tree branches.
Murchison Falls National Park
Uganda kob
Ground hornbill
We spend the rest of the day on the water. Our boats are perfect for both fishing and cruising, as well as for getting close to the bottom of the falls. In the midday heat, we enjoy the river’s cool breeze as the wildlife come down to drink. We catch baitfish hiding along the water’s edge, and then put out serious lines with the hopes of catching a big Nile perch! We even fish at the bottom of the falls, and disembark for a hike up to the top to get a feeling for just how mighty the Nile really is.
Cruising the Albertine Nile
Colobus monkeys
Elephants along the edge of the Nile
A lone giraffe coming down for a drink
The bottom of Murchison Falls
Fishing for Nile perch at the bottom of Murchison Falls
Ollie with a nice catfish
Hauling in the Nile perch
Ollie with the 15kg (33 lb) Nile perch!
Solomon and Halina at the top of the falls – the first trip to Uganda for both of them!
Being on such big water means that the birding is exceptional here. Thousands of cormorants commute to the nearby lake each morning, kingfishers dive for food next to the boat, egrets pluck bugs from the backs of elephants as they graze on papyrus, and bee eaters feed their chicks nestled in holes in cliff banks. Drifting by these scenes closely, in silence, is incredibly relaxing.
Madagascar bee eaters
The giant kingfisher
A very relaxed croc!
We also have a very special viewing of one of nature’s most interesting species – the shoebill. On most birders’ bucket list of sightings, this huge bird can reach almost five feet in height and has the world’s largest bill. We were able to get quite close to one of these prehistoric-looking creatures, and even saw him successfully catch a fish!
The shoebill is hunting…
…he strikes…
…and he gets a fish!
We return to camp at dusk to enjoy drinks by the fire on the riverbank, followed by dinner in the open mess tent. We fall asleep surrounded by the sounds of the river’s nightlife, a unique chorus of hippos and frogs.
The end of the day
-Nairobi, Kenya
We’ve launched our new website, with a new logo and blog. As my safari interests have grown both locally and internationally, I have slightly changed my identity to reflect this growth. “Howard Saunders Safaris” has become a brand in its own right and you’ll see this clearly in the new website and other materials. While I remain a partner and director at Ker & Downey Safaris here in Kenya, I am also embracing new African and global travel interests.
All of my Kenya safaris continue to be operated with the Ker & Downey luxury safari tents that guests have so enjoyed over the years, and every hand-crafted journey that I design and run will continue to be within the top class of personalized travel available. So please explore my new website and subscribe to the blog for some exciting updates from the safari season that we just kicked off!
