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Just One Boda Boda Horror Story
It would be rather irresponsible to run a Staying Safe and Healthy series and not address the issue of passenger motorcycles. They are available all over the Gorilla Highlands region, parked right at the cross section of affordability, practicality, traffic accidents and crime. The temptation to jump on one is huge both in traffic-jammed cities…
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Why Is Rwanda Safer Than Its Neighbours?
Rwanda is universally seen as the most secure country of the Gorilla Highlands region, and that is not a coincidence. My people have learned a painful lesson during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, and after that shared traumatic experience the country has changed significantly.Rwandans are constantly reminded of the importance of working together, and…
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The Many Surprises of Lwiro in Eastern DR Congo
Ladies and gentlemen,Greetings from Lwiro, a village on the edge of Kahuzi-Biega National Park that routinely surprises visitors to eastern Congo. I have been employed here for 30 years, at the enormous colonial-era Centre for Research in Natural Science (or CRSN, a French acronym for Centre de Recherches en Sciences Naturelles) next to the impressively…
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Shockingly Humble Beginnings (Lake Bunyonyi 2002)
This is the second instalment of a weekly series that marks 20 years of Edirisa and 10 years of the Gorilla Highlands Initiative. Click here for Part I. On my second day at Uganda Martyrs University a collision occurred. A “front of the library, books dropping” kind of affair, ha ha. Little did I know…
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Holiday Mode Problem
33mm, f5.0, 1/400s, ISO125I once showed up for a Gorilla Highlands Press Trip a bit bruised and bloodied, having been knocked down by drunk football fans in a half-hearted robbery attempt in Kampala the evening before. Seemingly completely random and opportunistic, this remains the only such experience I have had in over ten years of…
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Gut Feeling — Your Biggest Travel Safety Enemy?
What if “gut feeling” is merely personal experience accumulated over the years? Yes, people like to talk about instincts as something almost supernatural — or too natural for human brains to adequately process — but these “patterns of behaviour” are not necessarily innate.Take the example of smiling. As we grow up we may learn that…
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How Safe is Rwanda, Uganda, DR Congo? (Wide-Eyed Review of Top Search Results)
We are getting straight to the nitty-gritty of our theme Staying Safe and Healthy, tackling the question of the actual safety of a region that includes Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo …
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Breathe Our Rainforests In Like a Child
Not many will argue with the fact that spending time outdoors is good for your mental health and wellbeing. There are those who are acutely aware that it clears the mind by having a calming effect, allowing them to relax and reset. But there are also some who maintain that it has a beneficial physical…
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Not Many Nowheres
61mm, f/8.0, 1/320s, ISO100With this image we are opening the theme of Staying Safe and Healthy, following Regional Attractions that ended last week.When people think of going deep into Africa, they sometimes have concerns about being “in the middle of nowhere” — but the truth is, there aren’t quite as many “nowheres” as one might…
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It All Starts Here (Uganda Martyrs University 2001)
In 2021 we celebrate 20 years of Edirisa and 10 years of its offspring, the Gorilla Highlands Initiative. We will take you through our colourful history with a weekly story, year by year, and we can’t start anywhere else but on the equator.Here, at Uganda Martyrs University, Edirisa was born as a student club —…
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Essential Questions About GH Mega Trek [Updated]
![Essential Questions About GH Mega Trek [Updated]](https://gorillahighlands.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Grauers-gorilla-pair-in-Kahuzi-Beiga-NP-photo-by-Marcus-Westberg-624x322.jpg)
📁 HikingUPDATE, NOVEMBER 2021: The new GH Mega Trek time is May 2022. The details to follow.Exactly three months from yesterday, our Gorilla Highlands Mega Trek is set to begin at Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda. To celebrate 20 years of Edirisa and 10 years of the Gorilla Highlands idea, it will take a wonderful group of…
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Live Q&A: Kahuzi-Biega NP, an Attraction to Top It All
The unbelievable story about Uganda’s Kisiizi Falls was a transitional article. It takes us from the theme of Regional Attractions (that we began on 2 August) to Health & Safety (that we will kick off next week).But before we start talking about how to stay healthy and safe in our region, I have an invitation:Live…
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Kisiizi Falls: From Tragedy to Hope
I consider myself privileged to live right beside of one the gems of the Gorilla Highlands region, the 30m/98ft Kisiizi Falls. This beautiful waterfall gives life to Kisiizi Hospital, Uganda’s remarkable upcountry health institution where I work — in stark contrast to the tragic history of the place. Having experienced the peace and tranquility around…
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Member’s Guide: Pushing the Envelope Yet Again
We published the first Member’s Guide today, and its benefits to a casual reader are rather straightforward: a curated, visually appealing monthly selection from what we churn out daily.But there is more to this. There is a passion to experiment with the good-old magazine form, to create something that captures the allure of its paper…
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Rwanda’s Hidden Historical Landmark: Imbabazi, a Center For Hope
We are opening the last week of our Regional Attractions theme with Rwanda’s hidden jewel, the home of the famous Roz Carr presently known as Imbabazi — a Center For Hope.This is a historical landmark not to miss when you travel between the Virunga volcanoes and Lake Kivu, especially if you’re cycling or hiking. It’s…
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Exciting Lake Options on the Congo Nile Trail
The 227km/141mi Congo Nile Trail traverses the Western Province of Rwanda, following the shores of Lake Kivu. It was established in 2010 by the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) to show visitors and investors the opportunities in this amazing part of our country, and to create jobs for local people. As you cycle or hike on…
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The Lake Bunyonyi Poem
TRAVELLERAfter a night in ruins at a late disco –its relentless thump and monstrous decibelpitched on nearly till dawn outside my window – I am come to Lake Bunyonyi, and all is well.After a month of hurtling round Uganda –my days stretched out in an endless pell-mellof bus and over-filled taxi in road-delirium –I am come…
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Get To Know Rwanda’s Twin Lakes With a True Muturage
I am Rukundo, a Twin Lakes muturage from Gitare Village in Burera District. This is where I was born and grew up, all the 27 years of my life, making me a real member of baturage. I did translation and interpreting at university — this is why I am teasing you with Kinyarwanda in my…
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