Buhoma
Given that there are only 24 gorilla permits per day available, there are a whole lot of lodges competing for business. Most of the upmarket lodges cater to guests on safari and several almost exclusively work with their own clients. There are a couple of tiny hotels scattered throughout Buhoma village, but these are primarily catering for local drivers on safari with their clients. Buhoma Community Rest Camp camping US 3, bandas per person US 10 Enjoying a beautiful setting right next to park...
Nanyuki 1
To Nanvuki River Cam l Camp S f4 ml. El Harama Ranon 42km i Nyahururu 95km To Timau River Lodse 24km lien Trout Guest Cottagej 2Ckm' gt Meru 78km isiolo 81km To Timau River Lodse 24km lien Trout Guest Cottagej 2Ckm' gt Meru 78km isiolo 81km I n2 I Equator 3km Ahstilp 9km OI Rejeta Conservancy 15km ' Naro Moru 24km Nveri 60km I Nairobi 215km Marina Grill amp Restaurant 12 C3 Nanyuki Spinners amp Weavers 15 A1 I n2 I Equator 3km Ahstilp 9km OI Rejeta Conservancy 15km ' Naro Moru 24km Nveri 60km I...
Crater Highlands
The ruggedly beautiful Crater Highlands consist of an elevated range of volcanoes and collapsed volcanoes that rises up from the side of the Great Rift Valley and runs along the eastern edge of the NCA. The peaks include Oldeani 3216m , Makarot Lemagurut, 3132m , Olmoti 3100m , Loolmalasin 3648m , Empakaai 3262m, also spelled Embagai , the still-active 01 Doinyo Lengai 2878m, 'Mountain of God' in Maasai and of course, Ngorongoro 2200m . The main residents of the area are the Maasai, who have...
Chake Chake
Lively Chake Chake, set on a ridge overlooking Chake Chake Bay, is Pemba's main town. Although it has been occupied for centuries, there is little architectural evidence of its past other than the ruins of an 18th-century fort near the hospital, and some ruins at nearby Ras Mkumbuu. Adult Computer Centre connection fee TShlOOO, plus per minute TSh300 8am-8pm On the main Mkoani-Wete road, opposite the telecom building you can also place receive international calls here. Partnership Travel amp...
Eating Drinking Btf
When it comes to food in Entebbe, quite a few people end up eating at their hotel. The Windsor Lake Victoria Hotel has a massive selection of menus, encompassing Chinese, Indian, Italian and fast food. Most dishes cost USh6000 to UShlO.OOO, and they can be ordered poolside. Take a deep breath there's a Lao restaurant in Entebbe. No, not Thai, but Lao. Nuanchan 071 -980018 2 Kintu Rd dishes USh5000-8000 Run by two sisters from Laos living in Entebbe, the small menu is very authentic and includes...
DANGERS ANNOYANCES Uqa
It's difficult to generalise about personal safety in East Africa. While there are large risks in some areas, other places are as safe as you will find anywhere. The main areas where political turmoil and banditry pose security risks are in parts of Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo and Uganda, as well as some sections of western Tanzania, and in northern and northeastern Kenya see the country chapters for details, and check with your embassy and knowledgeable locals for security updates and advice if...
Cherangani Hills
Northeast of Kitale and forming the western wall of the spectacular Elgeyo Escarpment are the Cherangani Hills. This high plateau has a distinctly pastoral feel, with thatched huts, patchwork shambas plots of land and wide rolling meadows cut by babbling brooks. You could easily spend weeks exploring here and never come across a single tourist. You won't be alone though, as the plateau is home to the interesting Marakwet people part of the greater Kalenjin grouping , who migrated here from the...
Kigoma Babycome N Call Internet Cafe
There are consulates for Burundi Kakolwa St and DR Congo Kaya Rd , both southwest of the roundabout near the train station. See p252 for visa details. An immigration officer is posted at the port to take care of immigration formalities for travellers departing for Zambia on the MV Liemba. To arrange boat hire, or visits to Combe Stream and Mahale Mountains National Parks, contact Chimpanzee Safaris I280 4435 7, 0741-620154 www.chlmpanzeesafarls.com at Kigoma Hilltop Hotel, or Sunset Tours 280...
Ningaba Sylvestre
Buyoya finally bowed to international pressure, and multiparty elections were held in June 1993. These brought a Hutu-dominated government to power, led by Melchior Nda-daye, himself a Hutu. However, a dissident army faction, led by a Tutsi, Colonel Syl-vestre Ningaba, staged a bloody coup in late October the same year, and assassinated president Ndadaye. The coup eventually failed when army generals disowned the plotters, but in the chaos that followed the assassination, thousands were...
Lake Eyasi
Starkly beautiful Lake Eyasi lies between the Eyasi Escarpment in the north and the Ki-dero Mountains in the south. It's a hot, dry area, around which live the Hadzabe also known as Hadzapi or Tindiga people, who are believed to have lived here for nearly 10,000 years and who continue to follow hunting-and-gathering traditions. Also in the area are the Iraqw Mbulu , a people of Cushitic origin who arrived about 2000 years ago, as well as the Maasai and various Bantu groups. The area is...
Nyeri 1
Headquarters 11km Gliding Club J Kenya 11 km Mweiga 13km Aberdare Country Club 13km Allmendinger's Guesthouse 14km SoJio.Game. R eserxa 422km lt Nanyuki 60km Kenya Commerci al B ank Standard Chartered Bank Vegetable lt ioQ w Q Market Clothing Kenya Commerci al B ank Standard Chartered Bank Nyeri Star Restaurant amp Board amp Paresia Bahati Bar amp Restaurant 11 B2 Green Impala Place Town View White Rhino Local Lower Bus Upper Bus Vegetable lt ioQ w Q Market Clothing rougher around the edges...
Conversation Essentials
Greetings are probably the most important vocabulary for a traveller to East Africa. It's worth taking the time to familiarise yourself with the few we include here. Jambo is a pidgin Swahili word, used to greet tourists who are presumed not to understand the language. There are two possible responses Jambo meaning 'Hello, now please speak to me in English' , and Sijambo or 'Things aren't bad with me, and I'm willing to try a little Swahili' . If people assume you can speak a little Swahili,...
Matthews Range
West of the remarkable flat-topped mountain 01 Lolokwe and north of Wamba is the Matthews Range. Its thick evergreen forests support elephants, lions, buffaloes and Kenya's most important wild dog population. These dramatic mountains highest peak 2285m offer great opportunities to explore the depths of Kenya's wilds. With few roads, only those willing to go the extra mile on foot will be rewarded with the spoils. In 1995 local Samburu communities collectively formed the Namunyak Wildlife...
Njombe
Njombe is a workaday town that would be completely unmemorable but for its highly scenic setting on the eastern edge of the Kipengere mountain range at almost 2000m, surrounded by hills that roll into the horizon. There's no tourist infrastructure, so any hiking will need to be under your own steam and with a GPS. For a few route suggestions, look for A Guide to the Southern Highlands of Tanzania, available at some hotels. chani Motel 0 278 2357 s d TSh8500 10,500 is Njombe's best, with running...
Kasese 1
To Golf Course 2km x Margherita Hotel 2.5km Kilembe 20km INFORMATION Centenary Rural Development Reroc Internet Stanbic Bank Western Union Rwenzori National Park Office 3 B1 To Golf Course 2km x Margherita Hotel 2.5km Kilembe 20km Rwenzori National Park Office 3 B1 Good Times Restaurant 7 B2 Titi's Supermarket 8 B2 Comfort Zone 10 B3 Friends Comer 11 B3 Taxis to Kilembe 13 B2 To Rwenzori National Park 17km To'rt Porta 74Km ' National P rk i,40km gt Mba ariil lkmi . i abale 201km iff Kampala...
Sleeping Eating
Surprisingly, there are lots of good hotels and restaurants in Goma. Most of the popular places are located on or just off the main road to Rwanda. There are plenty of good local restaurants in the city centre turning out brochettes kebabs , fresh fish and lashings of Primus beer. International restaurants are incredibly expensive. Stella Matutina Lodge s 085 87616 Himbi r USS80-100 This lodge has the most comfortable rooms in town, set in the spacious grounds of a grand villa to the west of...
Information Its
Zanzibar Gallery Map p134 223 2721 galleryt swahilicoast.com cnr Kenyatta Rd amp Gizenga St 9am-7pm Mon-Sat, 9am-1 pm Sun A large selection of books and maps, including travel guides and Africa titles. There are dozens of Internet caf s in Stone Hasina Soft Telecentre Map p134 Kenyatta Rd per hr TShlOOO 8am-10pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-10pm Sat amp Macrosoft Internet Caf Map p134 Hurumzi St per Shangani Internet Caf Map p134 Kenyatta Rd per hr TShlOOO 8.30am-10pm Just down from Shangani Shamshu amp...
Organised Treks
If time is limited or you'd prefer someone else to make all the trekking arrangements, there are plenty of possibilities. All-inclusive packages - which include park entry and camping fees, food, huts, a guide, cook and porters, and transfers to and from the mountain - can be a good deal, particularly if you don't have any equipment. Picking the right company is even more important here than on a normal wildlife safari, as an unqualified or inexperienced guide could put you in real danger as...
Sleeping Hfy
The following places are on the eastern edge of town near the Anglican cathedral St Monica's Hostel Mapp134 223 0773 monicas zanzibariahotmail.com s d tr with shared bathroom US 12 24 36, s d with private bathroom US 28 32 An old, rambling place next to the Anglican cathedral, with spacious rooms, including some with a small veranda, and an inexpensive restaurant next door. Flamingo Guest House Map p134 223 2850 flamingoguesthouse hotmail.com Mkunazini St s d The archipelago's turquoise waters...
Kitulo Plateau
Nestled at about 2600m in the highlands northeast of Tukuyu is this flower-clad plateau, part of which is protected as Kitulo National Park. During the rainy season from about November until April, it explodes in a profusion of colour, with terrestrial orchids over 50 species have been identified thus far , irises, aloes, geraniums and many more flowers carpeting its grassy expanses. The best months for seeing the orchids - the plateau's most renowned resident - are December through March,...
Sleeping Eating Pby
Coffee Tree Campsite 275 6513,275 6604 kiliman jaroiaiwayafrica.com camping US 8, per person per day fireplace use fee TSh500, rondavel per person US 10, chalet per person US 12 Prices are high for camping, but the grounds are green and well maintained, and there are hot-water showers, tents for hire, and a few four- to six-person rondavels and chalets. It's about 700m east of the main road down a steep hill and signposted near Capricorn Hotel. Babylon Lodge 2751315 www.babylonlodge.com camping...
Uganda Directory
This section covers information specific to Uganda. For general information applicable to the region, see p617. Almost every destination in Uganda offers some sort of camping, so it's worth carrying a tent if you're on a budget. Kampala has several options, as do most other popular towns and all the national parks. The cost of camping is usually USh3000 to UShlO.OOO per person per day, plus the entry fee if you're staying at a national park US 10 to US 20 per person per day . When it comes to...
Kasanga Kalambo Falls
The 250m Kalambo Falls, southwest of Sumbawanga on the Zambian border, is the second-highest single-drop waterfall in Africa. Several significant Stone Age archaeological finds have been made in the surrounding area. It's possible to reach the falls from Kasanga you'll need to look for a lift towards the falls, and then walk for about four hours in each direction. There's a very basic guesthouse r with shared bathroom about TSh2000 in the Muzei section of Kasanga. Tracks go sporadically between...
Karatu
This small, scruffy town about 15km east of Lodoare Gate is surrounded by some beautiful countryside, and makes a convenient base for visiting Ngorongoro. There is a post office, an NBC branch that exchanges cash and travellers cheques and has an ATM, and Bytes Internet Caf per hr TSh2000 8am-11pm , which is also good for food. In addition to the following listings, there are several basic guesthouses in the centre of town, all of about the same standard, and all with rooms for about TSh3000....
KENYA Qnf
Whether you take a camping safari or a lodge safari, there's a plethora of options available ranging from two days to 15 days and, in some cases, up to six weeks. Most shorter itineraries of half a week or less concentrate on Masai Mara National Reserve and Lake Nakuru National Park, while short Amboseli and Tsavo National Parks safaris are also common. You'll need a little more time to head north to the popular Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves, while a week will give you time to...
Getting There Away Pab
There are three entrance gates to Lake Bogoria - Emsos in the south, Maji Moto in the west and Loboi in the north. The turn-off for Acada Camp Fig Tree Camp Island Camp Barlngo Lake Bogoria Hotel Samatian Island To Mar ich 195lfn Cherangani Hi Js J Emsos and Maji Moto gates is at Mogotio, 38km past Nakuru on the B4, but both these routes are inaccessible without a 4WD. Loboi gate is a far more straightforward point of entry, reached by taking a turn-off shortly before Marigat. It's 20km from...
Land Tcb
Entering Kenya by bus is possible on several major routes, and it's generally a breeze while you need to get off the bus to sort out any necessary visa formalities, you'll rarely be held up for too long at the border. That said, arranging your visa in advance can save you time and a few angry glares from your fellow passengers. Crossing land borders with your own vehicle is straightforward as long as you have the necessary paperwork see p452 for details on requirements and general road rules....
Information Bxh
EMERGENCY Ambulance 0 30575 Fire 1031001,0733-550990 Police 031555 Kenyatta Rd Bling Net 0 30041 Lamu Rd per min KSh2 Also serves food. Inter-Communications 0 31310 Lamu Rd per min Y-Net 0 30171 y-netinternational yahoo.com Stanchart Arcade, Lamu Rd per min KSh2 Dollar Forex Bureau 0 30602 Lamu Rd Rates may be slightly better here than at the banks. Kenya Commercial Bank 0 20148 Lamu Rd Standard Chartered Bank Stanchart Arcade, Lamu Rd TOURIST INFORMATION Tourist office 0 20689 Malindi Complex,...
Bus Grd
Rwanda has a reasonable road system, for the most part due to its small size and a large Don't cross into Burundi by land without carefully checking the current security situation in the north of the country. At the time of research, we were able to safely travel by bus from Bujumbura to Kigali, but there is no substitute for double checking the latest story. At the time of writing, one rebel group is still fighting the new government and that means ambushes are a remote possibility. dose of...
Public Holidays
In Tanzania and in parts of Kenya, especially along the coast, major Islamic holidays are also celebrated as public holidays. The dates depend on the moon and fall about 11 days earlier each year. The most important ones Eid al-Moulid Maulid The birthday of the Prophet Mohammed. Ramadan The annual 30-day fast when adherents do not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset. Eid al-Fitr The end of Ramadan, and East Africa s most important Islamic celebration celebrated as a two-day holiday in many...