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Grand Escapades’ Travel Guide To Morocco

A Few Glimpses Of A Great Travel Destination

Ksar of Ait Ben Haddou

Itinerary And Time Of The Visit

We traveled 10 days in the beginning of November 2019, and drove a loop starting from Marrakech to Essaouira, Taroudant, Agdz in the Draa Valley, Ait Ben Haddou (including the spectacular drive to Telouet), and back to Marrakech. This is only a small part of this huge and very diverse country, but it was an amazing road-trip nonetheless, that really put Morocco high on our list for the near future. Continue Reading →

Grand Escapades’ Budget Guide To Morocco

Catering For All Budgets

Djebel Kissane near Adgz, Draa Valley

Type Of Travel

Morocco was our fourth trip with an infant (at the time of travel, Jules was 16 months old), and given the overall price level & our need to rest and relax, we decided to splurge a little and actually upgraded our standards of travel, going to a mid-range (upper mid-range ?) type of travel: Continue Reading →

Morocco: A Selection Of 50 Pictures

The Fortified Walls of Taroudant

Morocco took me by surprise, honestly! It had never been somehow on my radar in the past, and I didn’t really know what to expect – Though I must admit I was surely biased about a country I considered mass-tourism orientated.

True, you will not be the only tourist in Marrakech… By far not! But as soon as we left Marrakech, we could enjoy a beautiful country with most of the time surprisingly few other foreign visitors, even though we covered a very classic route: Marrakech – Essaouira – Taroudant – Agdz in the Draa Valley – Ait Ben Haddou – Marrakech. Continue Reading →

Grand Escapades’ Travel Guide To Uganda

Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Some Wildlife, Unique Landscapes… And So Gentle People!

Tracking the Isabukuru Gorilla Family, Parc National des Volcans, Rwanda

Itinerary And Time Of The Visit

I visited Uganda twice. In August 2011, during 2 weeks, I discovered the string of National Parks in western Uganda, starting with Lake Bunyonyi, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elisabeth National Park, Kibale Rain Forest, Semliki National Park, Murchison Falls National Park and last but not least Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. The 3rd week, I used Jinja as a base to discover the area. Continue Reading →

Grand Escapades’ Budget Guide To Uganda

Simply Overpriced!

Public Transport at Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda

Type Of Travel

The type of travel you choose in Uganda will have a direct and significant impact on your travel budget:

  • Either you decide to go on a Safari type of experience, and Uganda will be one of the most expensive countries you can experience, actually much more expensive than other Safari destinations like South Africa, Kenya, Zimbabwe or parts of Tanzania
  • Or you decide to ignore the National Parks and focus on the actual country, and you can discover Uganda on a tight budget.

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Uganda 2017 – A Selection Of 50 Pictures

Chimpanzee, Kibale Forest, Uganda

I visited Uganda twice. In August 2011, during 2 weeks, I discovered the string of National Parks in western Uganda, starting with Lake Bunyonyi, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elisabeth National Park, Kibale Rain Forest, Semliki National Park, Murchison Falls National Park and last but not least Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. The 3rd week, I spent in Jinja.

In January 2017, I spent 2 weeks and refocused on the National Parks I preferred most (except Bwindi, as I went Gorilla Tracking in Rwanda): Lake Bunyonyi, Queen Elisabeth National Park, Kibale Rain Forest, Murchison Falls National Park & Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Continue Reading →

Mixed Feelings About Murchison Falls National Park

Rothschild Giraffe or Ugandan Giraffe

During my first trip to Uganda back in August 2011, I had an outstanding experience at Murchison Falls National Park: both game drives & the boat trip to the falls offered excellent wildlife watching opportunities. I came back with a few excellent pictures and found memories.

So I went back with high expectations! Maybe too high, actually… The second visit to Uganda’s most famous National Park in January 2017 was actually good, but somehow, the premium prices that are now common in Uganda’s National Parks are no longer in line with the experience offered. Continue Reading →

Chimpanzees Habituation In Kibale Forest

Chimpanzee, Kibale Forest, Uganda

I went twice Chimpanzees Tracking on my previous trip to Uganda back in summer 2011, once in Kibale Forest and once in Budongo Forest – And honestly had mixed feelings about this experience, as we had only poorly seen Chimpanzees. When I heard about the newly introduced Chimpanzees Habituation, I turned curious. True, it is an expensive undertaking (225 USD for the day), but what an experience! Local agencies do not push this opportunity, and that’s a real shame, but you definitely should insist and choose this option, in my opinion almost as stunning as Gorillas Tracking.

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Tracking Mountain Gorillas

Mountain Gorilla, Parc National des Volcans, Rwanda

I had already tracked Mountain Gorillas in Uganda back in Summer 2011, but somehow I wanted to live this unique experience once again. This was actually one of my main motivations to go back to Rwanda & Uganda in January 2017. And yes, even a second time it is pure magic, a very privileged hour spent with those majestic creatures in their natural habitat… An experience that should be high on anyone’s list!

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Is It Worth Visiting Queen Elisabeth National Park?

Disappointing Game Drives But Scenic Cruise On Kazinga Channel

Lion (Pantera Leo)

At the western end of Uganda, Queen Elisabeth National Park is considered a “must-do” on most itineraries through Uganda’s National Park. But for the very pleasant and scenic boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, I found it grossly overrated, especially considering the extravagant prices now asked for by Uganda agencies…

Continue Reading →