Roger first came to me a few years ago looking for a holiday in the Deep South USA to immerse himself in the history and the musical cities of the region. He had an amazing trip, visiting Graceland in Memphis, Nashville, and partying at Mardis Gras in New Orleans.
He continued his love of music with a small group tour in Cuba just as travel borders were opening and has since been camel trekking in the Sahara and wandered the streets of Fez in Morocco.
As a solo traveller, joining tours allows him to explore the world with ease and enjoy the company of like-minded companions.
His latest bucket list request was to track mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. We settled on a safari in Uganda as a safe area to visit with a good chance of seeing these wonderful primates in their natural habitat.
I've been on five safaris, and hearing how commercialised many were becoming, it was important to have an authentic experience. This is why I tasked Sarah once more with the challenge of finding my next adventure!
The trip was booked well in advance of travel and despite a few flight time changes resulting in an extra night being added, Qatar Airways were excellent. Being the August holidays, Heathrow was very busy, so I managed just a quick drink in the lounge before boarding my flight to Entebbe via Doha.
On arrival I met my three fellow travellers booked on the tour, all of a similar age, and we immediately got on well.
Uganda is a very special country. Lush and green with banana plantations everywhere and very friendly and welcoming locals.
The vast game parks have a variety of animals, and we quickly encountered the Big Five. Exactly as I had hoped for, being a less touristy destination, you do not experience the horror of 20 vehicles surrounding the animals vying for the best position.
The unique gorilla and chimp tracking was stunning and it's difficult to express in words how truly amazing it was.
The Impenetrable Forest is very aptly named - the toughest hike I've ever done. Five miles trekking up and down steep hills, clearing the undergrowth as we went but the ultimate reward was spending time with these beautiful creatures - unquestionably a once in a lifetime experience.
Safaris are full-on holidays, up early and long travelling days in 4x4s. Over half the trip was on dirt tracks, all great fun but I was glad to get back onto the main roads (which are better than here in the UK!).
The lodges in which we stayed were very comfortable with both excellent local and western food, leaving us refreshed and raring to go the next day.
Ten national parks in Uganda provide visitors the opportunity to view wildlife in a variety of habitats. I thoroughly enjoyed the boat trip on the Nile heading towards Murchison Falls, the world's most powerful waterfall. Seeing the animals in and around the water gave a completely different perspective and made for a very varied trip.
Sarah has been planning and organising my holidays for over five years and has a vast knowledge and much experience. I thoroughly appreciate the level of support and attention she puts into each one. Thank you once again for planning another memorable adventure - Uganda is firmly in my top 3!
