Category: Advice for Travellers
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Cyimbili on the Congo Nile Trail: Now & 50 Years Ago
Cyimbili may well be the most peculiar overnight stay on the Congo Nile Trail. It’s staggeringly picturesque, lying right on the sandy Kivu waterfront and with an iconic island just off shore — yet it does not feature on everybody’s itinerary! Cyclists skip it because it’s a bit too close to Gisenyi/Rubavu while some hikers…
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Why Get a Guide for the Congo Nile Trail?
Are you wondering if it’s worth getting a guide for the Congo Nile Trail (CNT)? Whenever our team meets hikers or cyclists with a guide, they start talking about the greatness of their experience. But when we run into self-guided travellers, they ignore everybody else and head straight to the guide in our group. They…
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Mt Gahinga, the Volcano for Families & Beginners
If there’s a neglected child in the Virunga family of volcanoes, it’s Mt Gahinga. This “pile of stones” — as its name translates — is an ancient offshoot of Mt Muhabura, dating back some 100,000 years. At 3,474 metres (11,398 feet), it’s a proper mountain by any measure. But Gahinga sees remarkably few hikers. It…
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Virungas vs Bwindi: Where to Track Gorillas in 2025?
If you’re not a huge fan of crowds, wrestling through dense bushes or sweaty hikes, you may find that the Virunga volcanoes offer a more enjoyable gorilla tracking experience than the better-known Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi is Uganda’s go-to spot for seeing gorillas, but the Virungas — linking DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda —…
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5 Historical and Cultural Curiosities of Lake Mutanda
Lying in between Uganda’s Mgahinga and Bwindi National Parks, Lake Mutanda is a handy spot to relax after your gorilla tracking. There is much more on offer here, however, than its awesome views of the Virungas and many water sports … 1. Island of the Dead, Kyangushu The island was traditionally used as a burial…
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How to Get Out of Musanze Caves with Photos You’ll Treasure
It’s always nice to be surprised, to come across something unexpected. A field of wildflowers on your game drive, perhaps. Or a cave system when you think you are in Musanze merely to hike the Virungas and see gorillas? It’s a nice way to spend 2.5 hours with an expert local guide, and you don’t…
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How Safe Are Rwanda and Uganda in 2025?
Do you believe Rwanda and Uganda are a danger zone right now? They’re not. At all. Yes, the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), fuelled by the M23 insurrection, has raised concerns. And recent reports of Ebola in Uganda’s capital have added to the fear. But despite the headlines, life in…
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How to Avoid Visa Complications? Decoding Uganda’s Immigration Scribbles …
Look at that scribble in the photo, below “08” on the stamp. Look very carefully. No, it’s not an abbreviation for “Immigration”, it’s something else that can cause you trouble when you leave Uganda! It says “1 m” and limits your stay in the country to one month, regardless of what your visa might otherwise…
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The Shadowy Secrets of Sunbird Hill: Who Would Visit Kibale for Chimps?!
National park megastars can be annoying. Allow a park to get famous for one specific thing and that’s all people are going to think about. In the case of Kibale NP in western Uganda, it’s the chimpanzee! But picture an enchanting place — right on the jungle fringe — where a nature lover can get…
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