Ndali and the Crater Lakes

The last two nights of our trip were spent at Ndali Lodge, a one of a kind, eight unit, thatched roof English cottage inn with a gorgeous garden, perched on a sharp ridge between a large crater lake (long dormant volcano) and a hundred mile view of everything from the very tall and snow covered “Mountains of the Moon” (check your Heroditous for first reference) and the rift valley and large lakes we had just left. The surrounding hills are lush and crammed with fields of bananas, maize, coffee, tea and other stuff. This is the so-called “Switzerland of Africa”, we had breakfast and lunch under a bower of climbing vines of dutchman's pipes, purple and lime green orchid like flowers. Birds everywhere. A wonderful young Ugandan-Brit couple ran it. We had pots of tea and coffee delivered to our room each morning early to watch the sunrise and there was always at least one dog nesting under the coffee table on the porch. Naomi became fast friends with all the hounds. We also ate wonderful food, mostly fresh from the area, with two Ugandan cooks the owners have trained very well indeed. Took hikes, visited a vanilla bean plantation and factory, and played with Naomi in pool. There were lots of other kids in families visiting, including folks Kate and Lendell knew from Kampala. The drive back took six hours, roads here either very good or a bloody dust-filled nightmare. As in life, it alternates. (as ever, told by Moo Moo)

Our guide Robert at the local vanilla processing factory

Sunset over the Rwenzori mountains