To most, Paraa Safari Lodge is the name of a lodge on the Nile River, deep in the Murchison Falls National park. However, to the layman's language, it means the “Place of Hippos”. Paraa, according to my guide is a Luo word, with Pa meaning place and Raa meaning hippos. I was paying the UWA guide, so I took this snippet of information as great value and worthy of my money.

The way to really enjoy travel in Uganda is to take your time getting to your destination (This is better anyway, because of the standard of the roads and other drivers). The country is really great and to rush through any part of it, is a sin.

We set out on Thursday at around 3.00 pm from Kampala heading towards Masindi. (The main road to Masindi from Kafu bridge onwards is really bad, so the trick here though is to not take this road, but travel an additional 20 KM past and take the Masindi Port road. The condition of this road is much better and a far more pleasant drive. )

We then spent the night at the Masindi Hotel, in a fairly decent room which costs us 90K for a double room, inclusive of breakfast. Dinner at the hotel is reasonable (although there are several other places we could have stayed).

Dinner can be had at the Masindi Hotel or at one or two restaurants in town.

On the Friday morning we set off for Paraa Safari Lodge. This time, rather than going the normal route, we chose to take the longer route along the shores of Lake Albert, as I wanted to see Port Butiaba, the old trading harbour from the forties.

The scenery along this route is kind of a desert type scrub bush and very different from any other I have seen in Uganda. The trip is about 50 KM longer but well worth the extra time. We arrived at Red Chilli bush camp at 12.30 pm, had a quick lunch then down to the ferry to go across the river to Paraa lodge at 2.00 PM.

The ferry, for the record runs in the morning at 7.00, 8.00, 10.00, 11.00, and 12.00 then again at 2.00, 4.00 and 6.00 PM in the afternoon. Fees are 20 000 UGX per 4x4 vehicle and is per return crossing, plus 1000 per person.

The return crossing must be within 12 hours or charge is repayable.) We arrived at Paraa Safari Lodge at around 2.30 and we offered a warm welcome and cold juice. After a brief check-in were escorted to our room.

Paraa Safari Lodge is a very attractive lodge, although it seems more a like a luxury beach resort, than a game lodge because of the way it is designed overlooking the pool (unlike the other Madhvani Lodge in QE park, Mweya Lodge).

It has a stunning pool area with the view of the river in the background. The rooms are fairly standard, ours having two beds, a single and a double. A nice sized balcony overlooking the pool was also great.

On arrival, the check in lady asked if we wanted to go on a game drive, we said yes and she said she would reserve it. We had decided that we would relax that afternoon, have a couple of sundowners and head off for a drive in the morning. We did the basic unpacking, took a relaxing walk down to the ferry to stretch the muscles and see the view.

The area around Paraa Safari Lodge is fairly safe (I assume so, as the guides and staff walk around freely and there are no signs around to the contrary, although it is in a game park).

A couple of mean looking baboons hanging around was all that we saw. I asked one guide if the baboons are dangerous and his major concern was that they steal their food.

After a relaxing and most enjoyable walk, we returned to the room, had a shower and headed off to the Explorer bar to have a beer. Paraa Safari Lodge has that this aspect right, the beers are cold – COLD – as in ice-cold and it is served with a chilled glass. After a few beers it was dinner.

Dinner is a buffet type of affair, with a whole variety of dishes covering most tastes from starters (Soups / Salads) to desserts, with the exception of vegetarian as the variety is limited and if you are not a fan of curry, then your choice is severely limited, fortunately I eat most things, and ate heartily.

At 6.00 AM we had a knock at the door for the morning wake up call for the game drive. The drives start at 7.00 am and if you want breakfast, you need to eat it before you leave for the drive.

Breakfast is served from 6.30 AM to 10.00 AM and there is no way you can get back from a decent drive in order to have breakfast when you return, so it’s eat before you leave or not at all.

We hooked up with the UWA Guide and off we went. Park regulations are that you must take a guide with you on all game drives. The drive was rewarding and James (the guide) has a tremendous knowledge of birds and an incredible knack of spotting them.

I learnt a heap during that trip. The drive to the part of the park where most of the game resides is around 20 KM, but you do see game along way.

On our drive, we saw buffalo, loads of giraffe, elephants, bush duiker (rare) waterbuck (too many), bush buck, lion (Nice try, not once, ever in Uganda), baboons, Jackson hartebeest and Uganda kob. Birds are too many to mention, but the highlight was the African Snake Eagle perched directly above us in the tree, about 3 metres away – superb.

Back to Paraa Safari Lodge, the sun was out, so on with the costumes and off to the pool. While my girlfriend was baking under the hot African sun, I was in the pool bar enjoying a cold beer – what a life. We ate lunch at around 13h00 (again a nice choice for me, curried vegetables for the vegetarians). In the afternoon we booked a boat trip to the falls.

The hotel (you must book at reception as there are no refreshments on the boats) packed us some beers and waters in a cooler and we left at around 3.00pm. Here the animals and birds are again stunning to see and we saw elephants (lots) and hippos, plus the usual, waterbuck.

The highlight for me was the red throated bee eater – not seen that before. The trip takes around three hours and costs 30K per person. The falls are magnificent (Although you must also take the drive and see them from above, on the way back home if you have time) and the boat trip a worthwhile experience.

Back at Paraa Safari Lodge, we had dinner, which for me again was a good choice, for the vegetarian, well if you don’t like curry, sorry.

After an early night, we had an early breakfast, settled the bills, (The hotel accepts most CC, but adds commission) and most drinks are, by hotel standards priced reasonably.

There is also a gift shop that carries a good selection of products, plus some necessities should you run out. Then it was off home to Kampala – On the whole a really great trip, I would do it again, and again, and again………………………………………………and for that matter why not say thumbs up to Paraa Safari Lodge.

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