Consulting with Coffee Farmers in Eastern Uganda

October 4, 2026

Colonial-era Campus of the Buweswa Growers Cooperative Society (BGCS)

In the Field

“We’re going to climb today to visit another savings group, remember?” Yes I remember, visiting farmers in the field is the best part of the week for me. The clouds look thick this morning, I am anxious and ready to move. He notices my eyes glancing towards the door, “We can’t get there before 11 AM, because the farmers are in the fields all morning,” says John. Yes, I remember this too, but all the same once the daily rains start the mountain roads are slick trenches of mud. “Good, you wore your good boots today, you will move very well,” John says appreciatively.

John is the Manager of the Buweswa Growers Cooperative Society (BGCS), located in Mufufu village. We have been working closely together since I arrived at site a fortnight ago. The BGCS property is the center point of the village, and my little colonial-era cinder block house is right on top of its hill. I can see mountainous coffee farms covered in mist from my front porch.

This will be the ninth savings group that I have visited. Our window of opportunity is narrow because the rains begin at 1 PM, or earlier. We begin trudging up the muddy road, still sticky from last night’s showers. Boda Bodas come from both directions hauling supplies going up, and people coming down. Villagers are heading to the main road several kilometers down the mountain. We reach the tiny village at the top of the mountain behind my house, about a 45 minute hike, and we keep climbing. I haven’t had a chance to really explore these high altitude villages because of the rainy season but this morning the clouds parted, and we feel the full force of the equatorial sun on our faces. Small holder farmer families have built their homesteads close to the mountain road; they tend to their various plots spaced throughout the district. We stop to greet everyone; they are all curious to hear a foreigner greet them in Lumasaaba.

After another 45 minutes of hiking, we reach the savings group who have gathered in a church building on top of an adjoining mountain. The church is missing a wall, a welcome open-air shelter. Our group of farmers are all very much at home, calmly looking over the coffee farms and mountain vistas, comfortable in the cool mist. “Let the meeting commence.”

Coffee Gardens, matoke, mountainous agriculture

Central Uganda

October 4, 2026

catching the rooster

At 17:16 the weavers flew in. There were well over 100 nests with male birds flitting about above my head.

We figure it out, often with support of family or friends, a community of love. Settling into routines, we fix our surroundings, we argue, and some of us flutter about more than others.

Technical Immersion

Somehow I find myself in a modest hotel in central Uganda. I was fed plates of matooke, rice, and beef two times today. I suddenly remember that rural communities world-wide graciously feed their guests out of pride and gratitude. Mennonites might feed you roasted chicken with green beans and potatoes. Malagasy will certainly offer an abundant plate of rice with a bit of tasty sauce. Here, west of Kampala we enjoyed hearty plates of steamed plantain, rice, and stewed meat with broth, always enough to keep us fortified for the day.

… back alone in my room, the weaver nests are quiet as guests are enjoying late night beverages at the bar. Sleep will arrive easily tonight.

Birds and Squirrels - Semliki National

August 4, 2026

Semliki National Park (but sometimes spelled Semuliki?)

I have been intrigued, ever since I heard Madame Reiss coo about her time in the Congo. She and her husband lived there with their young children to film footage for French documentaries. They would have been in the 1970s. I allowed Madame Reiss to freely reminisce, my French wasn’t sufficient to ask questions. It was evident that the Congo deeply impacted her and her husband. She yearned to visit, though by this time she was blind and frail of body. We both knew that a return trip to Africa was only but a dream.

I thought of her again recently, some 20 years after our meeting. We had stayed in her flat on our first visit to Nice in the early 2000s. Madame Reiss was a marvelous hostess. She made sure we knew our way around her neighborhood and shared a glass of sherry with us when we returned from a day of bicycle riding. Now I was living alone in Uganda as an American volunteer, somewhat overwhelmed by loneliness and the lack of natural space. I often wonder what Madame Reiss do in my place.

I contacted a travel company in Kampala to arrange a tour of Ugandan national parks. Since Semuliki National Park is the westernmost park, I added it to the itinerary. Semuliki is located in the Congo Basin. The Rwenzori mountains isolate Semuliki from the rest of Uganda, so the environment and its citizens have more in common with the DRC than with the rest of Uganda. Madame Reiss would approve of this choice.

Morning drive through the Rwenzori Mountains

The road from Fort Portal goes through the Rwenzori Mountains to Semliki National Park.

Brown-breasted Kingfisher, Semuliki NP

Scarlet-chested Sunbird in Semuliki NP

Grey Headed Kingfisher, Semuliki NP

Semliki National Park is known for its diverse birdlife, flying squirrels, and hot springs.

Great Blue Turaco

Black-casqued Hornbill

What I learned in Semuliki National Park

Be prepared for all weather. It was very hot and sticky under the thick canopy of the rainforest. Later that afternoon the weather turned wet and chilly.
Mornings are best, birds will be singing and the soft light will enhance your photography.

A word about Semliki

Semliki Vally is in the Congo Basin in a very remote area of Western Uganda

Sometimes Semliki is spelled Semuliki
The Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve is on Lake Albert. It includes vast savannah and riverine ecosystems. It is a very different environment than Semliki National Park
Semliki National Park is a difficult 90 minute drive from Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve
Semliki National Park is a twitcher’s paradise, bring an expert birding guide!

Don’t do an injustice to this interesting area of Uganda by rushing through it. Too often Ugandan travel guides organize a visit to Semliki Valley as a day drive from Fort Portal. That won’t be enough time.

A drive into the Karamoja Region

July 30, 2026

road trip through the Karamoja Region, Uganda 2025

FEAR

Living in East Africa
A man attempted to break into my house, threatening to rape me from 2-3 AM
A young man was brutally murdered outside my bedroom window
I fell through a cement cap into a cistern of sewage

Through these experiences, when I was thrown off-course, I learned that the best coping mechanism is to control my landing.

“Not to have felt pain is not to have been human.”

— The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel SE5

The Karamojong

My Ugandan counterparts warned against visiting Northeastern Uganda. I was told, that the Karamojong men steal cattle and they are armed. After experiencing significant health and safety incidents in three different regions of Uganda, fearing cattle rustlers wasn’t pertinent.
Instead, I was intrigued by the idea of visiting a region that is overlooked by most tourists, Uganda’s most rugged and least-populated sectors. I hired Kanzira, a guide, to drive me through Northeastern Uganda to Kidepo Valley National Park both for safety concerns and for efficiency’s sake. I only had a week’s holiday from work.
The region named Karamoja pre-dates modern political boundaries. It encompasses the southeastern section of South Sudan, a bit of Southern Ethiopia, a large swath of Northwestern Kenya, and the Northeast corner of Uganda. Karamoja is a semi-arid, sparsely populated land that has supported pastoralists for 100s of years. Because of their remoteness and their unique cultural and political structures, the Karamojong people are generally misunderstood and disrespected by other ethnic groups. In actuality, the Karamojong pathways have sustained their regional resources up until the 21st century. Now, climate change, the discovery of minerals, and pressures from neighboring farmers that want their land rights will test Karamojong’s resolve to remain independent.

unmarried women dance late afternoon when the men return with their livestock

unmarried women dance, a chance to bond and have fun

My brief time in Karamoja has stayed with me and I plan to return to this beautiful, misrepresented region soon.

travel notes

July 30, 2026

travel africa, Karamojong, Pastoralists, Karamoja

A drive into the Karamoja Region

July 30, 2026

travel africa, Karamojong, Pastoralists, Karamoja

July 30, 2026

travel africa, Karamojong, Pastoralists, Karamoja

Holiday in Karamoja, Northeastern Uganda

July 24, 2026

Karamojong, Karamoja, travel africa, Pastoralists, African Agriculture, Uganda Birds, Twitchers

Holiday in Karamoja, Northeastern Uganda

July 24, 2026

Karamojong, Karamoja, travel africa, Pastoralists, African Agriculture, Uganda Birds, Twitchers

July 24, 2026

Karamojong, Karamoja, travel africa, Pastoralists, African Agriculture, Uganda Birds, Twitchers

Holiday in Karamoja, Northeastern Uganda

July 24, 2026

Heading North

I was on top of the world as we drove out of Mbale City early Sunday morning heading straight to Moroto. Away from the red mud and constant rain in the mountainous coffee growing region, where I lived. My house was in the village of Mufufu located in Manafwa District close to the border of Bududa District. The misty mountains of Bududa and Manafwa receive constant rain. Coffee plantations and cabbage farms had replaced the indigenous rain forest decades ago leaving the steep slopes prone to landslides. In fact, the road to Bududa could become so impassable during heavy rains, it was closed to all vehicular traffic at times.

Kanzira, on of the best Birders in Uganda!

White-headed buffalo weaver

Purple Roller, dry savannah

Red and Yellow Barbet, dry savannah

Purple Roller with 'tude

Ring-necked pigeon

Black-headed lapwing

Yellow-necked spurfowl

Silverbird (a flycatcher)

White-bellied go-away bird

White Crested Helmet Shrike, common but pretty

Black-throated seedeater

All that cold unstoppable rain was behind me for a week. By early afternoon my guide, Kanzira, and I were driving through the Pian Upe Game Reserve. Here the landscapes changed to open plains with the mountainous Kenyan border to the east of us. Our final destination would be Kidepo Valley National Park, Uganda’s northern most park. This is my first trip to Northern Uganda.

Village Tour

I was scheduled to spend the night in a Karamoja village outside of Moroto. Kara Tunga, a local travel agency, organized my stay. I was accompanied by a Karamojong woman in her late 20’s for the next 16 hours.

The livestock are well taken care of, I had not seen such beautiful chickens, cows, or goats anywhere else in Uganda.

Unmarried women dance and sing and interested suitors join in

There are many misconceptions, myths, and stories about the Karamojong people. As a visitor, it isn’t my place to judge or even try to interpret what is believable or not. I am simply curious about how people live together and how they care for the land that has always been home. The Karamoja region is absolutely stunning, and the Karamojong people, born of their environment, are custodians of their unique culture.

Women prepare millet beer, the drink that everyone enjoys

granary

Black Lives Matter in Karamoja

Karamoja men singing into the night.

Schedule:

Kanzira, an expert birding guide, spotted birds endemic to the region all afternoon
Late afternoon Karamojong village tour
Slept peacefully in my private mud hut
Kanzira picked me up early on Monday morning, continuing our trip to Kidepo Valley NP.

P was celebrating New Years with friends in Minnesota, a universe away from Northern Uganda. I couldn’t wait to tell him about my trip.

Sunbird Hill, a rewilding and wildlife monitoring site

May 5, 2026

Link Bus Line - Regional Travel

All eyes were on me as I stood in the aisle en route to Fort Portal Jan 3, 2026. A much preferred position than sitting on an old bus seat that had been flattened by hundreds of passenger’s asses until it is little more than bits of ripped vinyl stretched over a metal frame.

I breathed a sigh of relief when we arrived at Fort Portal that afternoon. Located in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, Fort Portal is one of Uganda’s prettiest cities. After a bit of site seeing, I was introduced to a driver who could take me to Sunbird Hill Monitoring and Rewinding Site (Sunbird Hill), my next destination. We left Fort Portal and motored through lush agricultural landscapes, towards Kibale National Park.

Sunbird Hill

Sunbird Hill is primarily a research facility that abuts Kibale National Park, one of my favorite national parks in Uganda. I was eager to learn more about their story of land reclamation, rewilding, and community involvement.

Upon arrival I was escorted to my treehouse feeling quite grand as I sat on my private veranda watching the birds and monkeys in the trees around me.

Sunbird Hill offers an entirely different experience than a typical lodge. Here I was staying right smack dab in privately-held forest with three acres of trails winding through the trees and swamps around me. I was immersed by nature and the possibilities for discovery.

The unmistakable call of chimpanzees started later that evening. Rushing down the treehouse steps, I followed the path into the forest and soon found a chimpanzee casually eating leaves in a tree along the property line between Sunbird Hill and Kibale. I watched him as he carefully plucked the choicest leaves. He was thoroughly comfortable with my presence.

The next morning, before daybreak, I woke to chimpanzees calling. Different groups were vocalizing from the forest around me. Dressing quickly, I walked down to the camp’s open kitchen to boil water for my coffee. It was still too dark to find chimps in the forest but I spotted elephant tracks everywhere. Forest elephants had stomped through camp to eat the Bird of Paradise flowers that were planted adjacent to the reception area. I had slept so soundly that I didn’t hear a sound the entire night!

Elephant food

Yellow Crested Wookpecker

After breakfast two Sunbird researchers came to take me on a guided forest walk. With them I saw the forest in an entirely different light. We observed insects, butterflies, birds, and four different types of primate species. The researchers are knowledgeable about all aspects of the local ecosystem and are a lot of fun to hang out with.

cicada

In the cool evening hour, I sprawled out on the couch and listened to the forest from my veranda as I sipped small glasses of whiskey. Although there are different lodging options at Sunbird Hill, plan to stay in a treehouse. Mine had a king-sized bed, a double, and a single sized futon, easily accommodating 4-5 people.

As comfortable as my treehouse was the surrounding forest was far too intriguing for me to stay put. On one of my solo afternoon walks several researchers from Kibale, with an armed ranger, walked over the property line ignoring me as they made their way towards the Sunbird Hill reception area. Thinking to myself “they are tracking chimpanzees!” I quietly sat behind a tree to watch the path. Soon four mother chimpanzees emerged from the bushes and crossed back into the Kibale forest with their young babies. Not making a sound, I watched until this small group of chimps disappeared into the shadows. They moved together so quietly, keeping one step ahead of the Kibale researchers.

Guests at Sunbird tailor their own experience, perhaps you want to visit the local community to learn about their culture. Perhaps you want to go bird watching, or learn about parrot introduction, or help inventory butterflies. Me? I just needed to chase monkeys and sleep in the forest canopy for a few nights. I reignited my sense of wonder at Sunbird Hill.

Spectacled Weaver

Black-headed Paradise Flycatcher

Vieillot's Black Weaver

Speckled Tinkerbird

Logistics of Camp

Sunbird Hill is a true eco-friendly compound. Expect bucket showers, HOT water is provided! Rooms do not have electricity; there will be solar-charged lanterns in your room; and a charging station is in the reception area.

Catered meals cost extra. I ordered breakfasts and suppers from the kitchen, though guests can request to cook their own meals too. Another option is to hire a boda boda driver to motor you to a restaurant in town. Any of these meal options should be organized in advance due to Sunbird Hill’s remote location.

If you are traveling to Kibale National Park I encourage you to spend a bit of time at Sunbird Hill either to learn more about the area’s ecosystem or to reignite your own sense of wonder in this beautiful corner of Uganda.

Photographing Insects… it’s really fun with like-minded hosts!

Last night in Buweswa

November 9, 2025

I scream for help; no one comes. I quietly listen. The man seems to be alone. He doesn’t have tools and will be unable to break open the shutters or doors with his bare hands.

Kazinga Channel Uganda

August 18, 2025

Our private boat ride on the Kazinga Channel began well after sunrise. Our expectations were high after reading reviews from other photographers describing the abundance of wildlife along the banks and in the channel. Photographers recommended hiring our private boat so we could take our time at sitings to compose photographs at our pace.

Expectations Adjusted

It was a very bright and sunny day to start with, well after the glow of early morning hours had burned away. We waited for our skipper to ready the vessel then off we went into the sun. Peter and I gamely kept our spirits optimistic during the boat ride but the little wildlife we saw sat stoically still, watching us closely as we floated past. We did not encounter the herds of wildlife that so many other photographers have posted from the very same boat ride.

Our private Kazinga Channel experience was simply a birding exhibition. Birds’ common to swamps across Africa such as herons, skimmers, and stilts. We were disappointed at the time but did realize no one can choreograph herds of zebra, antelope, or elephant.

Palm Nut Vulture

Wahlberg's Eagle

By definition, wildlife are wild creatures. They move and migrate throughout Queen Elizabeth National Park. We were lucky for the opportunity to boat on the Kazinga Channel together surrounded by birds and with the knowledge that this is a special place in Uganda. We never know what will happen in nature.

Grey-headed Kingfisher

Blue-Cheeked Bee-eater

Pied Kingfisher

Whattled Lapwing

Great (white-breasted) Cormorant

African Skimmers

Featured

August 17, 2025

Black-lored Babbler

August 17, 2025

African Green Pigeons

August 17, 2025

Finally got a shot of the African Green Pigeon species

August 17, 2025

Lugogo Swamp

August 9, 2025

African Green Pigeon

Hadaba Ibis

Speckled Mousebird

These were long shots for my 400 lens, but chasing birds is still loads of fun.

An early morning boat ride through the Lugogo Swamp is what I was sold. Instead we walked on a brand new tarred road that has efficiently dissected the Lugogo Swamp into two. All signs of shoebill storks have evaporated.

I did see new bird species on the walk but was greatly disappointed since I was expecting an in-tact swamp ecosystem, so very rare.

Black Crakes walking on water as they do

White Crested Turaco, a notable species that is known to frequent Lugogo Swamp

Purple Breasted Sunbirds

Spectacled Weavers

Heading back to Lira City, boda boda the best transport on our roads

Meeting at TAF Agribusiness Farm with UFAAS members

June 22, 2025

Meeting with the Sorioti branch of the Uganda Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (UFAAS) at TAF Farms.

Mabamba Swamp Entebbe Kampala

June 16, 2025

Mabamba Swamp, a wetland of extreme importance and a designated RAMSAR site by the IUCN. Located close to the capital city, Mabamba Swamp is a testament to Ugandan’s commitment to conserve this biodiverse ecosystem.