PASSPORT & PIXELS
Tanzania
Ol Doinyo Lengai – Climb the Mountain of God

Ol Doinyo Lengai – Climb the Mountain of God

Most climbers travelling to Tanzania have only one target in mind: the towering summit of the six-kilometre high Mount Kilimanjaro.  Ask them if they’re planning on climbing Ol Doinyo Lengai and odds are you’ll get a blank stare.  Ol Donny-who?! But if you want a serious challenge, in …
View Post
Uganda
Two Weeks In Uganda – A Suggested Itinerary

Two Weeks In Uganda – A Suggested Itinerary

Regular readers of this blog will know that last year I spent four months living and working in Kampala, Uganda.  During that time I took a few weekend trips out of the city, but I didn’t get a chance to explore the rest of the country until the very …
View Post
Photography
19 Wildlife Photography Tips for Beginners

19 Wildlife Photography Tips for Beginners

It’s fair to say that my absolute favourite type of photography is wildlife photography.  There’s nothing quite like the feeling of getting up close and personal with a beautiful creature, and when all the stars align and the animal is in the right place, at the right time, …
View Post
Uganda
A Boat Trip on the Kazinga Channel, Uganda

A Boat Trip on the Kazinga Channel, Uganda

One of the absolute highlights of any trip to Queen Elizabeth National Park is a boat ride on the Kazinga Channel.  On a sunny afternoon there’s literally no better way to relax, enjoy the scenery and feast your eyes on more wildlife than you can shake a stick at, …
View Post
Uganda
Close Encounters in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Close Encounters in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Welcome back! This is Part 2 of my trip to Uganda’s most popular National Park, Queen Elizabeth.  It contains more wonderful wildlife, some song lyrics, and three too-close-for-comfort encounters, so if that sounds good, read on! Part 1 includes epic landscapes and masses of gorgeous photos of animals, including elephants…
View Post
Uganda
Craters & Creatures in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Craters & Creatures in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

No visit to Uganda is complete without a visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park.  If you want to see wildlife, and you only have time for one park, make it this one.  Trust me, you won’t regret it.  You can thank me later. It’s for very good reason …
View Post
Uganda
Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale, Uganda

Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale, Uganda

The 42-year-old chimpanzee lounges lazily on the branch, eyeing us congenially. Far from being bothered by our presence, he seems to be actively enjoying it, striking the sort of poses a catalogue model would be proud of, working the crowd, playing to his audience. This, after all, is almost certainly&…
View Post
Uganda
What To Do In Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda

What To Do In Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda

While Uganda might not be quite as celebrated as Kenya or Tanzania for its wildlife, there’s no denying that if you’re a nature lover or a wildlife enthusiast, there’s still plenty here to delight and surprise you. The country has an impressive ten National Parks offering an …
View Post
Uganda
Gorilla Trekking in Rainy Season, Uganda

Gorilla Trekking in Rainy Season, Uganda

“Does everyone have waterproofs?” asks the ranger, looking around him.  The thirty-two of us, crammed into the tiny room, nod grimly.  Yes, yes we do.  And we know we’re going to need them. The gorilla trekking briefing is normally held outside, but today we’ve been shoehorned into the …
View Post
Uganda
A Visit To Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Uganda

A Visit To Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Uganda

“It isn’t going to rain,” says Moses, as he hands out ponchos and rubber boots. “These are just in case.” I don’t share his confidence. It’s the middle of Uganda’s rainy season, ominous clouds are hanging low in the sky, and I’m about to stride …
View Post
Tanzania
Behind the Scenes on Safari in Tanzania

Behind the Scenes on Safari in Tanzania

Africa. The Serengeti. The Ngorongoro Crater. The names alone conjure up thrilling images of vast open plains, with hundreds of wildebeest peacefully grazing while a dignified herd of elephants cuts a ponderous path across the landscape.  Or of nature, red in tooth and claw: a cheetah stalking noiselessly through swaying&…
View Post
Uganda
Things To Do In Entebbe, Uganda

Things To Do In Entebbe, Uganda

When you arrive in Uganda, the chances are that unless you come overland, you’ll enter the country via Entebbe International Airport, about an hour south of Kampala on the shores of Lake Victoria. At this point, most people hop in a car or a bus and are immediately whisked …
View Post
Uganda
Video: Uganda Wildlife Education Centre

Video: Uganda Wildlife Education Centre

In January I went away for the weekend to Entebbe, about an hour from Kampala on the shores of Lake Victoria.  As well as being the location for Uganda’s international airport, the town also has another attraction: the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre. There I did the ‘Behind The Scenes’ …
View Post
Uganda
A Day At Uganda Wildlife Education Centre

A Day At Uganda Wildlife Education Centre

East Africa is world-famous for its wildlife.  Think of Kenya or Tanzania, and what immediately springs to mind are romantic images of herds of wildebeest traversing the Serengeti, or a lioness stalking a zebra through the long grass of the Maasai Mara.  It’s with very good reason that safaris …
View Post
Australia
How to Grow a Pearl – Inside an Australian Pearl Farm

How to Grow a Pearl – Inside an Australian Pearl Farm

Ah, pearls.  Those gorgeous, lustrous, perfectly round jewels that seem to glow and shimmer with an internal light, like a full moon, or a lightbox, or a text message that wakes you in the middle of the night.  We’ve all seen them, some of you may even have some –&…
View Post
Tanzania
How To Climb Kilimanjaro In 10 Steps

How To Climb Kilimanjaro In 10 Steps

So your itchy feet have got the better of you and you’ve decided you want to climb Kilimanjaro?  Excellent decision!  But now you’ve got to actually organise and (eeek!) do the damn thing!  Here’s how… (Disclaimer: it does take a few more than 10 steps to get to …
View Post

Some of the links you will see on the blog are affiliate links. This means that if you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. 

All thoughts and opinions are my own.  I don’t accept freebies or payment in exchange for positive reviews.  All prices are correct at the time of writing.

Where to next?