Travelgirl Magazine: The Charms of Chobe

A hippo bellows at sunset.
Image copyright
amandacastleman.com

The hungry, hungry hippos come out at night. They wallow up from the mud, near the source of the White Nile in Uganda, and graze the lawns of Chobe Safari Lodge. Which means I have to call for a golf-cart lift to the main building for an elegant al fresco dinner. But the inconvenience seems slight, compared to the thrill of hearing Africa in stereo-surround-sound, from hippos bellyaching at dusk to young bull elephants crushing undergrowth at dawn. And all from the comfort of the Murchison Falls National Park resort, which recently underwent a $13m investment.

Political instability has had a drastic impact on Uganda's tourism industry. The country has suffered some setbacks – most notably dictator Idi Amin Dada (deposed in 1979) and war criminal Joseph Kony, who fled around six years ago – but just past the headlines lies one of Africa’s most heartfelt destinations: a country rich in charismatic animals, but not yet jaded about tourism. And at $335 per night (all-inclusive for two people), the five-star Chobe Safari Lodge may be the most smooth and genteel introduction to this area, which is poised to boom.

Read the official version in Travelgirl Magazine's spring 2013 print or digital versions, page 15.

The five-star Chobe Safari Lodge in Murchison Falls National Park. Image copyright www.amandacastleman.com.