KoiKoiUG Archives -

It was a bright and beautiful Thursday and it was *drum rolls* Wanderlust Thursday!!!!!!!!!!

But at first, I was worried about how I was to engage more than 5,000 African bloggers without making a fool of myself while at it *phew*

Little did I know what was in store for me. It was Wanderlust Thursday and the country we were wandering to was none other than the great pearl of Africa, UGANDA!

Turns out it all started well with different Ugandans contributing to the live chat. Uganda is a very beautiful country and quite a lot of experiences were shared. Some travel nomads joined the conversation late but were assured that all the tips and must-see places in Uganda would be together for them.

At this point, I really appreciate Evelyn Masaba @NoirEnBlanca for coming through. She created a massive thread about must visit places in Uganda.

Evelyn also shared the following:

You must be ready for anything while traveling in Uganda. For lazy wildlife drives, go to Kidepo, Q. Elizabeth, Murchison, L. Mburo. You will see lions, elephants, giraffes, buffalo et al. My favorite is Murchison, as it has everything from meerkat and warthog to elephants and of course, the gorgeous roaring falls.

There you will find so many Elands, Zebras, Meerkats, Warthogs and whitewater bucks at the Lake Mburo Park. No elephants here though
Queen Elizabeth is the actual Queen of the parks because of the amazing wildlife, the Lions lazy up in the trees plus there are lots of buffalos.

I haven’t been to Bwindi or Kidepo yet, but the former has so many chimps, gorillas whilst Kidepo has leopards and giraffes et al. For bird watching; the Mabira forest will be your favorite location and make sure you head on to the Elgon where rare bird life is spotted., hike through Rwenzori Mountains National Park and explore the largest Mahogany Forest in East Africa right in Budongo Forest Reserve.

Relax on the shores of Lake Victoria and visit the Ssese Islands. The Ssese Islands are an archipelago of eighty-four islands.
Jinja will thrill the life out of you. Go white water rafting, kayaking as well as Bungee jumping on the thundering Nile.

Mountain climbing? Uganda got you! Mountain Rwenzori is also known as mountains of the moon and the dormant volcano Mount Elgon are scale worthy.
In Kampala: pass by the Munyonyo shrines (in the photo), visit the Baha’i temple, make your way to the National Museum, Kisubi tombs.

So much culture to explore around Uganda, the tribes are colorful and have a strong heritage that you will want to soak it in. Try tasting all the food you find around Uganda too because it all comes with a story and tradition. Street food? Try Rolex, TV chicken, lusaniya

At this point, I had to ask……

‘Why are we eating ‘Rolex’ and what’s TV chicken guys?!’

I was told Rolex – is a street food/quick snack. A combination of eggs and vegetables wrapped in a chapatti…

Ever been to Soroti? It became my favorite district after Manafwa and Fort Portal. It’s so sleepy and rocky. 😍

Nvannungi @Nvannungi_ handled the travel tips and gave lifesaving insights and things to put in consideration while planning your travel to Uganda.

1. Time

Our people in and out of Kampala have a much-skewed view of time. It gets worse as you draw further away from town. Plan your trip with a provision for delays; that includes issues arising from random road works to bad weather, late arrival of meals, etc. If a guide who spends most of their time in districts outside Kampala says a hike will take 40 minutes, make that an hour and 20, and factor in numbers and physique or fitness of your travel party. #Travel #Uganda.

2. Weather

It’s not the culture in Uganda to pack and plan travel with the weather in mind so people end up hiking with rubber sandals on rainy days. Tour guides too never think to mention the season when you make bookings so do it for you and your could-be dope vacation.

3. Travel Party

Are your people tourists, travelers, storytellers or other? Understand your travel party before letting a tour operator pursue you into certain (possibly amazing) adventures. Your people might just be happy to be driven around & not walk/hike. Luckily #Uganda offers so much to do and to see for all types of travelers. Indigenous, Bougie, etc. #Travel #Uganda

4. Travel. See #Uganda

Whatever you fancy, you can find it. Uganda is so rich and so beautiful. Plus, you’ll be wiser for it! Most importantly, learn something & tell that Ugandan story in a picture, a caption, or a blog. #KoikoiUg

Kalangala islands have White sand beaches, great stories by the locals, boat rides. It’s a place away from the bustle of town noise. Gorilla highlands are rich in history, nature and you’ll return so relaxed. There are about 29 islands to visit, adventure awaits you.

Image credit: JoelJemba , Raft Uganda

*Re-write, original crashed with the old server*

I have appreciated art right from a very young age. Even though I can hardly pick up a brush to paint to save my life. I took 3 months of photography lessons some years ago, I can still remember some basic things as I plan to get a lovely camera someday. Came across Aaron Kajumba images from a Ugandan friend’s page, Aaron is part of a team of young Ugandans who created a platform called KoikoiUg which they use to bring creative people together to explore their beautiful country and show it to the world. Aaron’s work is amazing and I had to listen to the story behind his art. Enjoy!

A little bio about Aaron.

Hey! I am a pastor, yes haha a pastor living in Uganda on a mission with Fishers Of Men Uganda. My passion for the art started when I was given an iPhone 3G in 2009, which had a great camera at the time. Soon after, Instagram was launched! Through the years, I was able to culture my own unique style and even added drone photography to my belt. I grew very fond of capturing the raw emotion of when, where, who and what I shot. I guess I shoot for the feels.

What drew you to Photography?

I think it was being able to immortalize moments. To make people feel how that moment felt years later. I thought that was awesome.

What inspires your kind of photography? In what way do you intend to inspire Africans with your photography?

I love to shoot for emotion, would love that my photography inspires Africans to stop and see the beauty in the simple things around us. There is so much color, life and character in our communities to revel in as people. We just need to take the time to stop and look.

Do you feel there’s a relationship between your art and Uganda?

That’s an interesting question. I believe my eye did change when I moved back here because of the ten thousand things I had missed growing up. People, places and was able to appreciate the beauty of Uganda much more through a photographer’s eye.

Which Photographers inspire you?

I don’t particularly follow anyone religiously but there are a few people I was amazed at when I started out.

Joel Nsadha, he started #soulofman, an online portrait gallery of people he has met. He is also from Uganda and currently lives in New York.

Brian Woeffel is a photographer I like truly for hos Lightroom edits! Till this day I still edit off of my phone using the VSCO app. But this guy’s stuff always moved me to make that Lightroom switch. Maybe I will this year!

Now, Temiloluwa Coker is widely known for his creative approach in photography and design. Being creative is more than just a hobby to him, it’s his passion and everyday he gets the opportunity to teach the younger generation the power of creativity and how it can change the world. He is originally from Nigeria.

Pei Ketron is a photographer, educator, speaker and traveler based in San Francisco. What really caught my eye back then was that she was getting these really professional looking images shot off her iPhone! Her work encouraged me to push the boundaries of my iPhone photography.

Isaiah Kajumba is definitely on this list. Haha yes, we are brothers. Photography for him is a creative outlet that lets him be much more expressive. We actually got dslrs in 2015 and shooting with him has definitely matured how I see life through the lens.

Mutua Matheka is a Kenyan based photographer who became known because of his architectural photography. His pictures of Nairobi at night blew my mind and totally gave me a new perspective on what African cities could look like through a creative eye.

What is the Photography scene like in Uganda?

There are a lot…literally myriads of upcoming photographers in the country and workshops to help people grow their craft. It’s really cool to see people enjoying what they are doing and learning from each other.

Other photographers will you like to work with?

I would love to work with, (by work with I mean even carry the lens of) Mutua Matheka. He was one honestly one of the African photographers that I saw truly embodied what it meant to be a photographer and love it!