A circular tour of East Africa with a steamer on lake Tanganyika, gorillas in the mountains and a safari to Ngorongoro Crater July-August 1989 Our route by train, boat, bus and car around East Africa, from Tanzania through Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya, back to Tanzania and Zanzibar. Tanzania - Dar es Salaam 28th July. We flew to Dar Es Salaam on Ethiopian Airlines. We stayed at the New Africa Hotel on the first night, then moved to the Kilimanjaro Hotel. It was expensive, but it had a swimming pool! We found a really good dual Indian-Chinese restaurant. We made good use of the swimming pool .... .... we saw a dhow approaching Dar es Salaam harbour .... .... and visited the the bustling fish market. - Kigoma, Ujiji and Lake Tanganyika 3rd August. We got the sleeper train from Dar es Salaam to Kigoma .... .... and stayed at the New Kigoma Hotel (Railway Hotel) on lake Tanganyika, where we had refreshing slices of pineapple. We also visited Ujiji, where Mr Stanley met Dr Livingstone. 6th August. We boarded the old steamer Liemba on Lake Tanganyika, for the journey up the lake to Bujumbura. Burundi - Bujumbura Our first glimpse of Bujumbura harbour through the porthole of the Liemba. 7th Aug. We lived in luxury at the very posh Source du Nil Hotel in Bujumbura. We went to visit the actual source of the river Nile (the White Nile). It's a little pyramid, miles from anywhere. Water that falls on one side flows north up the Nile, all the way to the Mediterranean, while water that falls on the other side flows south into the African lakes. Along the way we saw one of the hazards of motoring in Burundi, a collapsed road, .... .... and passed a country farmstead by the road. Then we went by bus to Rwanda. Rwanda - Kigali and Gisenyi 8th to 9th Aug. We stayed at the very posh Hotel des Mille Collines in Kigali, and had two superb French meals in their restaurant. Then on the road in Rwanda we saw the Tour de Rwanda cycle race in full swing, all four bikes of it. We passed a farmstead and cultivated hillside. Whenever we stopped to take a photo, we immediately had an audience! 10th Aug. We went to Gisenyi on Lake Kiru and stayed at the very picturesque Edelweise Hotel with a view of the lake and Zaire (Congo) beyond. Had an excellent meal at the Meridian Hotel. Then we went to see the mountain gorillas! 12th Aug. We went back to Kigali and stayed at the Gloria Hotel at a fraction of the cost of the Mille Collines. Uganda - Kampala We went to Uganda via the Katuna border crossing and stayed overnight at the Highlands Hotel in Kabale. Then we caught the bus to Kampala. We caught a taxi from the bus station into the centre of Kampala, but it ran out of petrol and we had to push it! We stayed at the old colonial Speke Hotel in Kampala .... .... but we ate at the Sheraton nearby, with its very impressive spinning fountain outside. We visited the historic Kabaka's Tombs near Kampala. We were at the very confusing bus station in Kampala, which we luckily did not have to find our way around .... .... debating whether to get the very run-down train or the equally ropey bus to Nairobi, when a very nice man called Raoul offered to give us a lift in his car all the way, which he very kindly did. Kenya - Nairobi 16th - 17th Aug. We went up-market again and stayed at the New Stanley Hotel in Nairobi. We had the best meal of the trip at the Carnivore barbecue restaurant on the outskirts of Nairobi. We had Zebra, Wildebeest, Giraffe, etc - a safari on a plate! No good for vegetarians! We went to the Snake Park and saw snakes and crocodiles. Check the signpost - not a good idea to trespass in their cage! Then we got the bus to Arusha. Tanzania again - Arusha and Lake Manyara 19th Aug. In Arusha we booked a safari, and set off in a Land Rover with Yolande from America, who had booked the same trip. First we went to Lake Manyara National Park where we saw giraffes, hippos and various birds. - Ngorongoro Crater Then we stayed in the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, which was very expensive but there seemed to be no alternative. The next day we went into the crater, which was teeming with wildlife and was great. On the way back we had to walk the last part of the way out of the crater because it was too steep for the poor old Land Rover. On the way back to Arusha we stopped for lunch at Gibbs Farm near Karatu, which was a wonderful, relaxed survival from more elegant times. Then we had a dreadful bus ride on the potholed roads from Arusha back to Dar es Salaam, and then got the fast boat to Zanzibar. Zanzibar 22nd Aug. We stayed for one night at the expensive Hotel Da Bwawani with a swimming pool, then moved to the much cheaper and much more atmospheric Spice Inn in the old town. Checking out the view of the rooftops of Zanzibar from the Spice Inn .... We spent a couple of days wandering round the fascinating old streets of Zanzibar town, looking at the elaborate old doorways and the crowded markets. We saw the People's Palace, formerly the Sultan's Palace, by the harbour .... .... and dhows in the harbour at Zanzibar. We also went on the spice tour with Abdul in his taxi, seeing plantations of cloves, cardamoms and black peppers, and passed a wedding celebration at Bwejuu along the way. There was a lonely island on Mangapwani beach in Zanzibar! 26th Aug. We returned to Dar es Salaam and stayed at the Palm Beach Hotel. Then we flew back to London. On the way, the flight stopped at Kilimanjaro airport. As we took off, the pilot commented that the summit of Kilimanjaro was clear of clouds today, which was most unusual. In fact, so unusual that he did one complete circuit of the mountain as we took off, so that we could get a good view, courtesy of Ethiopian Airlines! If you would like to see more of our travels just click the map.