Bridgetown, Western Australia

I’ve heard people explain dreams they’ve had in which they’d reached some kind of heaven-like place or state of paradise. Where all your family are gathered together, time doesn’t seem to exist, and nothing bad can happen. Everywhere you turn some beautiful, tiny moment is unfolding, and you can tune in to whichever one you like.

This last weekend felt like that for me. It was time for our family’s yearly trip down to Bridgetown, a town in the South West region of Western Australia, approximately 270 kilometres south of Perth on the Blackwood River. We worked out that we’ve been going there for 30 years, since I was about 4 or 5 years old. It’s become such a family tradition that the idea of Bridgetown itself is (for our family) soaked in nostalgic memories of happiness, togetherness, cosy family bonding, growth, and quiet contemplation. Now the next generation of our family is approaching the age I was when I started going, which provides a opportunity for new memories to be created and the feeling of what “Bridgetown” means for us to be embedded in the hearts and minds of all my nieces and nephews.

Whenever I close my eyes and think of Bridgetown, this is the image that comes to mind.

Most of our memories of Bridgetown are etched in the confines of the farm stay accommodation we always stay at - Lucieville Farm Chalets. Imagine simple, cosy chalets in a picturesque farm setting. This is where all of those perfect moments have unfolded, and just looking at the chalets on the river instantly evokes a warm feeling inside.

The great thing for us is that because we’ve been there so many times, we never have to deliberate on what to do while we’re there. The options are perfectly limited. We (mostly) always do the same thing while we’re in Bridgetown - walk through the forest one morning, set up a fire by the river for dinner and toasted marshmallows at night, go to The Cidery one afternoon for a taste of the local brews, and relax on the balcony and admire the view. The phone signal on the farm itself is non existent (unless you’re with Telstra), which is an added bonus, and reminds you to switch off from the instant gratification of social media and mobile phones, and just enjoy the next moment.

I can’t remember having a bad time in Bridgetown. And yet I came away from this weekend feeling incredibly lucky that the events in all of our lives had led up to this moment, and allowed the last 4 days to unfold as they did - effortlessly, perfectly, unforgettably.

The Revival

After almost 7 years since my last post, I’ve decided to reactivate my blog and domain. There’s a few reasons for this. The idea had been rattling around in the back of my mind for a while after a few people reached out on Reddit and asked to see content from a previous post. Secondly, it’s a good excuse to practice my writing (and thinking) skills. And thirdly, I’d poured so much of myself into the recounting of previous trips that I’d like it to remain accessible as a memento of my previous trips for family, friends and strangers, as well as allow me to begin posting retrospectively on old trips which I’ve taken and not updated the blog (either before the blog existed, or during this recent hiatus).

Serengeti National Park & Ngorongoro, Tanzania

We camped overnight in the Serengeti, it was pretty tame but there was an insane amount of bugs everywhere. We went on safari all day, and saw a lot of incredible animal scenes. We managed to see a jaguar at the very end of the day, then had a long and fast drive back over rough roads to our camp in Ngorongoro crater. It’s a much nicer campsite, with great hot showers, and they even had a bar.

Lions in Serengeti National Park

Sometimes I have to pinch myself. I close my eyes and imagine I’m at home meditating, then open my eyes to realise I’m actually still in Africa living out some of what will undoubtedly be up there in terms of the top experiences of my life. I know soon enough I’ll open my eyes to find myself at home and back to reality.

But I had more pressing matters to take care of. Today I woke up at about 4pm and nearly shat myself. I ran outside my tent into pitch black darkness, and across to the bug infested toilets which involved narrowly missing a huge open gutter which would’ve easily caused a broken leg.

We went on more wildlife drives, this time exploring inside Ngorongoro crater. Surprisingly there was a coffee van inside the crater which made excellent coffee. We saw heaps of animals, and even though it was the last day of safari I feel well and truly satiated in terms of the animal experiences on this trip.

On the way back we stopped at Safari Land for shopping, and a nice lunch. The Serengeti beers were delicious. They probably taste worse than a standard beer back home - but because you’re in Africa on holiday, drinking a beer called Serengeti Lager - your brain just tells you that its delicious. And I’m okay with that.

Now, back to Arusha. I’m so glad I paid extra to get the flight to Zanzibar - the others have to get up at 2am tomorrow for a 13 hour drive.



Arusha, Tanzania

On Saturday 11th we headed into Tanzania, our first stop being Arusha - home of the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights. We were joined with some new travellers who were embarking on this leg of the tour with us. The accommodation was nice and so after a long bus ride and border crossing from Kenya, we had a fairly relaxed afternoon by the pool.

Our accommodation in Arusha

Today we head off to Serengeti National Park. It was a long drive, with lots of bumpy roads at the end. We are camping in the Serengeti tonight, which is a pretty cool experience. Something I’d imagined for a long time as a bucket list experience - camping out in nature, waking up to the sounds of wildlife, and perhaps a cup of coffee delivered to the tent (the last part didn’t happen unfortunately). After arriving at the campsite, I showered early and then we had dinner in the eating hall which was completely full of bugs, so we mostly ate in the dark. There were so many bugs I had to keep my hand over my mug of wine while I ate, and most conversation was interrupted regularly with someone spitting a bug out of their mouth. We sat outside by the fire afterwards (because there were less bugs outside) and I was talking With Chlöe and Dan. Now I’m in the tent, listening to the sounds of the night. Oh and we went on a wildlife drive this afternoon, and even spotted a Cheetah.



Nairobi, Kenya - Part II

Yesterday we crossed back into Kenya and stayed at Greenwood’s lodge. An impromptu game of football broke out, which quickly became World XI vs. Kenya. It was one of those beautiful experiences where you realise you’re just a group of completely random humans who happen to have congregated in the same small patch of the world, and yet we can all quickly organise into a game of football, and everyone understands it and enjoys it. Someone had the brilliant idea of grabbing a few beers, and the post game beers were extra satisfying. We set up our tents, and sat down for a buffet dinner. Even though it wasn’t the end of the tour, our tour guide made a speech and we all went around the room and shared our favourite part of the trip. It was a great moment that brought together different perspectives of the trip.

World XI vs Kenya

The next morning we packed up and drove back to Nairobi. We did pub trivia to pass the time, and Sadhbh and Chlöe ran a competition across the different crisps you can get in Africa. Back at the accommodation, I had a nap in the afternoon and sat by the pool. At night we went out for a final dinner together at Carnivore and then to a bar (The Alchemist). It was a fun night with lots of drinking and dancing - a great way to end this leg of the tour. There were of course a few wounded soldiers the next morning, with some barely managing to get up in time to make the bus ride. A few were finishing up their leg of the tour today, but most of us were continuing on, eventually to Zanzibar.

Jinja, Uganda

On the 7th we were up early, and started making our way back to Jinja. The camp here is beautiful, and this afternoon we had an amazing cruise up the Nile river. Then we came back and kept drinking and chatting, but that’s all it is and I feel like I get bored sometimes when it’s just drinking and talking. The started doing shoeys and at that point I really start to question if I’m in the right place. Yes - the experience has been great, the people are awesome - but drinking beer out of a shoe and cheering wildly isn’t my idea of fun.

Team photo on the Nile booze cruise

Our stay in Jinja provided a nice break from the past week or so of big days of early starts and long driving. The lodge (Nile River Explorers River Camp) is right on the lake and provided a scenic backdrop at meal time.

The next day I took a boda (motorbike taxi) into Jinja and walked around Main Street, stopping in some coffee shops and gift stores. I walked up and down a few times, getting followed by a group of young kids asking for money, and locals staring at me. I bought a few gifts and headed back into town. It was only after I got back to the group at the camp that I found out the US and UK had issued high terror warnings for Jinja and warned against all non essential travel due to the music festival happening there.

In the afternoon I did chip ratings with Chloe and Sadhbh, then we tubed down the Nile in the afternoon. The second night was much more calm, and we all had an early night.

Kalinzu Forest & Lake Mburo, Uganda

The day following our little jaunt into Rwanda, we drove a few hours to Kalinzu Forest Reserve. It was raining pretty heavily, and water was leaking from the air conditioning vents (the joys of budget travel). On top of that, at the next accomodation (Leopard Rest Camp), there were limited room upgrades available. They were snapped up pretty quickly, and so most of us ended up setting up mattresses in the “conference room”. Not ideal, but it was only for one night. I also didn’t really want to put a tent up outside in case it rained and my gear was soaked. Interestingly - there were one or 2 bats perched up on the ceiling of the conference room, which added to the ambience.

The camp offered a “coffee experience” which was actually pretty cool. The host brought over some locally farmed and roasted beans, we grinded them using an oversized wooden mortar and pestle, and enjoyed the freshly brewed coffee with some bananas - both were surprisingly delicious. We sat around the fire in the evening and turned in relatively early. Before going to bed however, someone in the group found out about a couple murdered in the area recently while they were on tour at the Queen Elizabeth National Park. Whilst it was probably unlikely to happen to us, it was interesting to see our guides handle the conversation, and really what could they say? Yes it was possible, and no there’s not really a lot they can do to avoid it - if some crazy terrorists from across the border happened to run into us at the wrong place at the wrong time. I was already resigned to accepting the risk - I was already this far into Africa, a long way away from home, and there wasn’t really an option to do anything else. Funnily enough, the camp had actually hired some guards to patrol the camp site (not sure if it was just for show or they were actually equipped to stop a terrorist attack - one of them only had a bow and arrow).

Making fresh coffee, Africa style

On the morning of the 6th November, we ventured into the Kalinzu Forest to see the chimpanzees, and also visited a tea plantation, stopping for a brief lunch by the bus afterwards.

We headed back across the equator in the Lando (Uganda is one of the few countries int he world where you can cross the equator on land), and then headed to our accommodation for the night at Nile River Explorers River Camp.

Unwinding with the group at Nile River Explorers Camp

Kigali, Rwanda

Today we visited Rwanda. As this was just a day trip from Bunyonyi, we were on a fairly tight schedule to make it across the boarder, spend a day visiting a few sites, then getting back across the border into our Uganda accommodation. The drive into Rwanda took a couple of hours, and it quickly became clear the driver was in a rush. They were absolutely flying down the highways, taking corners far too quickly (we heard the tyres screetching a number of times), and although we joked about it in the car, I think all of us were at least in part legitimately concerned about having an accident. But we survived, and made it into the capital of Kigali.

Kigali, Rwanda

The first stop was a grim experience at the Genocide Museum. I’d only just recently learned about the Rwandan Genocide of the early 1990s, and found a podcast to listen to on the drive over. The gravity of the atrocities quickly dawned on me, which only became more apparent as we entered the museum. The museum was a horrific account of what happened in Rwanda during the genocide against the Tutsi people during the war, and I found myself wanting to learn more and more about what actually happened, the history behind it and the impact on Rwanda and African history since. I learned about the UN’s involvement during this period, and ended up reading a few books written by the UN General in charge of the peacekeeping mission at the time, after I returned back home from the trip.

We were all in a sombre mood after the museum, but still had a few more sites to hit up - mostly related to the genocide still. Later we visited the spot where Belgian UN Commandos were killed, and then had lunch at Hotel des Mille Collins. The hotel became famous after 1,268 people took refuge inside the building during the genocide, and the story of the hotel and its manager at that time, Paul Rusesabagina, was later used as the basis of the film Hotel Rwanda in 2004.

In Rwanda I bought a football kit for Dad, and a kitchen magnet which still sits on my fridge and reminds me of my experiences in Rwanda, and the history of its genocide. My little time in Rwanda left an outsized impression on me, where I become increasingly curious to learn more about just how tragic the genocide was. It was (and is) hard to get my head around how we as a species can turn so dark and inflict such unspeakable horrors upon each other. After reading Shake Hands with the Devil by Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire, I watched the film Hotel Rwanda, and then read Dallaire’s second book about the crippling PTSD he experienced following his time in Rwanda. It still fascinates and saddens me, which is why I’ll never forget my time in Rwanda.

A daily reminder of Rwanda





Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda

We spent most of November 1st driving. We stopped at a local craft store for some good coffee, and as per a very loosely kept tradition, I bought a football shirt from a roadside shop, right next to the equator. Our accomodation in Bunyonyi had some fantastic views over Lake Bunyonyi, and the bar there had a version of Guinness I’d never seen before, which is supposedly popular in Africa. A bit tired of camping, I upgraded my accommodation to a cottage, and it’s here that we set off to see the mountain gorillas - a bucket list experience I’d been thinking about doing for years.

With the group about to start our trek

The day we set out for the gorilla trek was November 3rd. It was absolutely incredible. It was another early start, and a 2.5 hour drive to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. After arriving, we were split up into smaller groups, each one assigned a family of gorillas to track down (the local trackers had set off earlier in the morning to find them, so we had a plan of how to get there). We were warned that, depending on how far away the family was or if they had moved, it could be anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours to locate the family of gorillas. And whilst some walking “paths” were well worn, we’d likely be having to cut our own way through the forest at some point. On top of all that, we’d be fighting bugs, mosquito, and any other surprises that might fall our way.

Mid-trek: no gorillas spotted (yet)

We set off on our group and, luckily, ended up having the easiest experience out of all of the groups. After about 1.5 hours of trekking e came up close and personal with a family of gorillas, and one of them even came up and was trying to play with us. One ran up to Shaun and hit him (playfully), and then started doing roley-poleys, rolling in to my legs as the guide pulled me away. Whilst this young gorilla was friendly and outgoing, the silverback of the group sat at the back and observed everything happening around us. I was glad he did, because he was absolutely huge, and I don’t think I’d have been able to hold my nerve if he started heading towards us. We hung around this family of gorillas for about an hour, and it was far better than anything I could’ve expected for this experience.

One of many gorillas we got up close and personal with

Our time with the gorillas was up, but the experience wasn’t over yet. As we started to walk away, the young playful gorilla came running over through our group, bowling over a few of our members. The guides said it was just “being playful”, but it certainly was an unnerving experience to be around wild animals, and I kept checking over my shoulder to see what the silverback was doing. Luckily he stayed in his spot and we were able to get away in one piece, starting to the long journey back to our campsite for a well earned beer - while we waited for the rest of the groups to make their way back.

Kampala, Uganda

Early start (4:30) today. We packed up our tents and then hit the road for Kampala, Uganda. A long day of driving (11 hours). We make a few stops, but there’s hours on end of driving in between. And it’s impossible to get a decent coffee anywhere.

Crossing the border into Uganda


At 2pm we rolled into Java House which was a welcome surprise. Finally, good coffee! And we only had a few hours left of driving. We made it to the camp site around 5pm, and not long after news spread around the group of a couple who were recently murdered on their gorilla trekking tour. Whilst I still felt “safe”, it is unsettling to hear about these kinds of things happening, to tourists doing exactly the same thing you are, in exactly the same place.

We had some beers by the pool, and welcomed some new campers into our group during dinner. Tomorrow it’s another early start and a long day of driving, but at least there’s a good coffee stop along the way.