Our plans for an early escape were almost scuppered by the locked hotel gate. However by the time Drew had re-packed her rucksack (never a 5 min task) there were a few more people around. Driving from Kabale the mountain roads began to flatten out, we passed miles of tea plantations and then in a space of less than hours drive we reached Queen Elizabeth National Park, a large expanse of savannah wilderness with the Rwenzori Mountains in the distance. As Cara asked “do you think there are elephants here” we spotted several lumbering around in the distance.
We found Little Elephant Camp easily, our tented camp bore absolutely no relation to our usual family style camping. Chairs, tables, a full kitchen, separate sleeping tent and the world’s most awesome indoor/outdoor ensuite. Our host Godfrey gave us a few tips, don’t wander off into the grassland after dark, and don’t panic if you hear lots of noise or even the odd gunshot nearby it’s just the villagers chasing away a herd of elephants trying to eat their crops!
It’s so peaceful here (apart from the elephants) that it was tempting just to stay in camp but we managed to motivate ourselves into heading to Kisenyi to pick up permits and a ranger who could show us the best wildlife spots. We were so lucky to see 2 leopards but the lion proved elusive. Lots of waterbuck, uganda kobs, warthogs and cape buffalo plus a myriad of birds. The sunset was spectacular and Drew took some great photos of the view whilst Cara and Geoff perfected their wildlife photography skills.
Drew had her first off road driving experience on her way back to camp – quite strange having a 3rd person to share the driving with.
Back at camp we revelled in the pleasure of a simple home cooked meal of pasta and tomatoes. Cara and I sat for a while chatting by the camp fire enjoying the stars.
Pirate Travels 