“There is no such thing as a query in my thoughts that Uganda is one of the best birding vacation spot in Africa when you mix the scale, the compactness of the circuit, the convenience of motion between the totally different habitats, and simply the sheer number of birds.”
This assertion was made not too long ago by world-renowned South African journey author, Philip Briggs whereas talking to Charlotte Beauvoisin on The East African Journey Podcast often known as Diary of a Muzungu. Beauvoisin, famed for her Diary of a Muzungu weblog, is a British tourism skilled who has lived in Uganda for the final 15 years. She wants no introduction. She is so at dwelling in Uganda that her Ugandan mates named her Nagawa, a Kiganda identify. That is often an indication {that a} foreigner is now thought-about Ugandan.
However in case you are like most individuals, you’re in all probability questioning who Philip Briggs is and why he must be taken so severely. He’s an acclaimed South African journey author, thought-about by many because the world’s most skilled guidebook writer and definitely one of the skilled writers on Africa.
African gray parrots in Kibaale Forest. Picture/Charlotte Beauvoisin.
On the earth of tourism, Briggs is a god. His phrase carries water. He’s well-known the world over of tourism because the writer of guidebooks to South Africa, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Malawi, Ghana, Mozambique, Kenya, Senegal and the Gambia, Namibia, and Rwanda, to say however a number of.
Nearer to dwelling, Briggs is the writer of the Bradt Uganda Guidebook, arguably among the finest guides of Uganda for any vacationer planning a visit to Uganda. He began researching the e-book throughout his first go to to Uganda in 1988.
The primary version of the e-book was printed in 1994, and the tenth version is popping out in December this 12 months. The e-book is co-authored by Ugandan resident Andrew Roberts. It’s the first e-book that the majority travellers and expats purchase earlier than coming to Uganda. It is stuffed with data together with historic background, detailed data on all of the nationwide parks, what you are able to do and see, and details about Kampala.
Such is the tourism connoisseur that declared Uganda one of the best birding vacation spot on the continent, to hundreds of people that go to the Diary of a Muzungu weblog and take heed to the podcast each month.
Briggs went forward to qualify his assertion thus: “There’s simply unbelievable variety of birds right here. The guiding caters to chook watchers. There are such a lot of guides who know their birds rather well, and most parks provide birding walks.
Uganda has the birds, it’s straightforward to get round, and persons are birding-savvy, which isn’t a lot the case in nations that cater extra to simply the final ‘Massive 5’ tourism. South Africa is the one different nation I can consider the place birding is such a recognised pursuit and curiosity.”
He added, “I believe that anybody who has executed a safari wherever else in Africa and finds themselves taken with birds would then discover Uganda the apparent nation to return to.”
This weekly podcast is barely two months previous having hit the online on April 30, however with this sort of content material, the potential to advertise Uganda’s tourism is limitless. On high of showcasing Uganda’s tourism choices, the podcast offers journey suggestions and hosts a spread of fascinating friends.
Left to Proper: Dr Gladys Zikusooka , the Nnabagereka (C), and Beauvoisin on the celebration of 20 years of Conservation By means of Public Well being (CTPH). PHOTO/CONAN TUMUSIIME.
The very first visitor was the Nnaabagareka who spoke excitedly about monitoring gorillas and inspired Ugandans to discover Uganda extra. The podcast offers digital excursions of the wild to listeners, full with sounds of forest leaves shaking within the wind, a wealth of birdsong, even hippos and pant-hooting chimpanzees.
“Cousins and shut mates in Europe have been saying for a really very long time, ‘Why don’t we come to Uganda for a few weeks?’ However since listening to the podcast, they’re now saying, give us dates after we ought to come. Which airline ought to I fly with?’ So simply having bought this nearer connection to me and my life by means of the podcast and the cool those who characteristic on it, I do know they’re one step nearer to coming right here now,” Beauvoisin says.
Conception
The podcast concept was conceived throughout lockdown. Beauvoisin had all the time been a blogger. That’s how she grew to become so well-known on Uganda’s social media and within the tourism circles. However as a result of she was locked down in Kibale Forest the place she lives and the web was unreliable, it grew to become tougher to weblog.
“Sending voice notes by WhatsApp was the best strategy to hold in touch with folks as a result of upcountry (Kibale), the cellphone community just isn’t very dependable. Our Web was horrible after we first went into lockdown and it was very irritating. Not having the ability to entry the Fb group I’ve labored so laborious to construct didn’t assist my morale both.
“But when I despatched a voice notice, it might simply add every time the Web was working. And I wouldn’t stress about not being on-line at a specific time of day. Buddies then began telling me ‘Oh, it’s superb to listen to the birds within the background. It sounds so tropical there!” she says.
Beauvoisin with Gaetano on Diary of a Muzungu. Picture/Diary of a Muzungu.
Beauvoisin would quickly uncover that individuals who had been studying her weblog and checking her Fb updates for your entire time she had spent in Uganda, had been now freshly . Listening to the wealthy sounds of nature, they lastly understood why she lived right here. The voice notes had abruptly made the fantastic thing about Uganda she had all the time blogged about lastly come to life.
“Though many people in Europe love nature, it isn’t as accessible as it’s in Uganda. We’ve smaller birds, and they aren’t so vibrant, so it means they’re tougher to determine but in Uganda, everybody generally is a chook watcher. It’s because there are such a lot of birds that are so shiny and they’re in all places,” Beauvoisin says.
That’s how the concept of the podcast was born in 2020. Since then, she has been devoted to doing loads of analysis, following totally different podcasters on social media and going by means of an internet course on podcasting.
“I like consistency. Diary of a Muzungu has identify as a model as a result of I’ve saved going. Even internationally, there should not many bloggers which have been going for 15 years or 16 years it’s coming to. The typical weblog (95 per cent of them) doesn’t final the primary 12 months.
“I didn’t wish to begin a podcast and really feel so overwhelmed with it after a number of weeks that I ended. So I’ve labored laborious on growing a brand new platform that has legs, that I hope will change into widespread for its inspiring content material. However now it’s all as much as my viewers!” she says.
As she researched the podcast idea, she seemed round to see what was on Spotify and Apple Podcasts by way of Africa journey content material. She would uncover that there was no devoted Ugandan journey podcast or East African one for that matter. Solely a few safari firms had a number of tales from the bush.
“So I realised that there was a spot out there,” she says.
Fascinating folks
Her alternative of friends is particular. They have to be folks with an fascinating story associated to tourism and conservation in East Africa.
“I’ve bought some fascinating interviews arising over the following couple of months. The World Parrot Belief discusses the endangered African gray parrots that now we have in Uganda. Do you know, 95 per cent of the wild parrot inhabitants has been killed or captured for the pet commerce? We’re fortunate sufficient to have wild parrots fly over my dwelling at Sunbird Hill each day. We all the time search for and shout “Parrot!” each time we see them. They’re such fabulous birds, we wish to do the whole lot we will to guard them. Plus, the extra we find out about their habits, the higher we will encourage vacationers to return and see them,” she says.
In a single episode, Beauvoisin interviews Chris Ketola, a Canadian researcher primarily based within the Amazon, one of the biodiverse spots on earth. Ketola not too long ago concluded a 10-week journey in Uganda along with volunteers finding out Uganda’s biodiversity. Throughout his dialog on the East Africa Journey Podcast, he stated he was blown away by Uganda.
“Think about somebody like Chris has studied wildlife for 25 years but in Uganda he noticed numerous wildlife and chook species that he’s by no means seen earlier than. I believe that’s a really sturdy endorsement of the nation. I’m positive that the episode will convey extra guests to Uganda as a result of he offers very highly effective testimonies,” she says.
Journey suggestions
Beauvoisin makes use of her expertise within the nation’s tourism to present journey tricks to her audiences, whether or not the right way to get a vacationer visa, the place to remain, the right way to act culturally acceptable, simply little insights that she has discovered from her expertise residing in Uganda and touring across the area.
“After I go to a rustic and I meet a British particular person like me they usually have cherished a specific lodge, I do know that there’s a good probability that I’m going to love it too. The significance of getting worldwide promoters is that potential guests can relate extra simply to folks from the identical background as them. That’s simply human nature,” she says.
Background
Beauvoisin got here to Uganda in 2009 as knowledgeable volunteer. She gave up her job in infrastructure growth to journey and have an immersive expertise in Africa.
“I got here to Uganda as knowledgeable volunteer working with Voluntary Service Abroad. I used to be the advertising growth supervisor for the Uganda Conservation Basis and our work centered on constructing the capability of Uganda Wildlife Authority within the nationwide parks,” she says. She continues to assist a number of conservation NGOs, notably Conservation By means of Public Well being and Within the Shadow of Chimpanzees, the NGO that’s primarily based at Sunbird Hill, the place she lives.
Six months previous to leaving the UK, she began writing the Diary of a Muzungu weblog to report the life-changing expertise of shifting from the company world in London to sub-Saharan Africa. Her Fb web page rapidly grew to become widespread. She has written for magazines, guidebooks, web sites and tour firms. The podcast is a brand new inventive outlet for her.
When she just isn’t writing, podcasting or travelling. Beauvoisin is a coach. Many tourism entities in Uganda know her as a coach in digital advertising and sustainable tourism. Her expertise residing at Sunbird Hill on the sting of Kibale Nationwide Park has given her an excellent deeper appreciation of nature.
“The life-affirming energy of nature is what saved me motivated throughout lockdown. Forest birdsong is what impressed me to launch the podcast. I’m excited to see how this could contribute to selling tourism in Uganda.”
