The East Africa Travel Podcast by Diary of a Muzungu

Standing on the sun-bleached white coral sands of Kenya's famous Diani Beach with a crowd of excited holidaymakers, I watch tiny turtles emerge from their sandy egg chamber for their maiden scramble into the sea. In Episode 30 of the award-winning East Africa Travel Podcast, I explore the fascinating world of marine conservation with the passionate Diani Turtle Watch team. Recorded as-it-happened...

The air resonates with the sound of tree frogs as I chat with a Ugandan legend. In this special, longer episode, we celebrate the life of the late Mzee Silver Kyamukama - and the life-saving survival tricks of our beloved poacher turned ranger! In Episode 29 of the award-winning East Africa Travel Podcast, Mzee traces his extraordinary transformation from being a prolific poacher to a lead ranger...

I thought I was seeing things when my airline ticket showed we were landing in Kigali Rwanda ten minutes before we even took off from Entebbe in Uganda! Breaking my own wellness rules for Sunday morning champagne was just one of the many temptations in transit to Tanzania for the annual Karibu KiliFair, a media trip to three National Parks and a week in Arusha. In Episode 28 of the award-winning E...

What a thrill to be chatting about parrots in the birdhide. At one point, they even fly overhead! Kibale Forest edge is the location for my conversation with Dr. Rowan Martin, Director of Africa Region Programmes at the World Parrot Trust. In Episode 27 of the award-winning East Africa Travel Podcast, we chuckle over the cheeky whistles and squawks of our favourite avian residents. First, we look...

This week, the foothills of misty Mount Meru in Arusha are the location for a conversation that bridges a whistle-stop safari tour of Tanzania's Northern Circuit with young African Gen Zs, a tourism trade fair, and a final twist to the dramatic night sounds from western Uganda. In Episode 26, I have a front row seat to the intense reality of human-wildlife conflict, not forgetting an aerial view o...

What happens when the tranquility of Kibale Forest is broken by the boisterous screams of chimpanzees? In Episode 25, a routine afternoon walk along the elephant trench at Sunbird Hill takes an unusual turn when I uncover an unexpected visitor. This week I ask: Are you allowed to enter the National Parks on your own? Why is wearing a face mask non-negotiable around wild chimpanzees (and gorillas)?...

This week, the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo in Kampala is the location for a conversation with our favourite Nigerian: tourism guru Ikechi Uko, a development expert who has done so much to showcase West Africa's energy and appeal. In Episode 24 I catch up with Ikechi after his emotional tour of Kampala's Namugongo Martyrs Trail. We discuss religious and intra-African tourism, the must-try African...

What's the reality behind the glamorous-looking life of a travel writer? This week the Serena Beach Resort & Spa on the white sands of Shanzu Beach in Mombasa Kenya is the location for a conversation with award-winning travel journalist Harriet Owalla. From 4AM wake-up calls to the urgent need for more local African voices in travel writing, Harriet pulls back the curtain on the "glamour and grind...

This week a tropical garden in suburban Makindye, Kampala, Uganda is the location for a conversation with my sound recordist Bryan Kisembo Delon. In Episode 22, Bryan swaps his headphones for a mic to share his experiences on the award-winning East Africa Travel Podcast: What are the challenges of recording in the wild? Who were his favourite guests from season one? Why we are venturing beyond bor...

"Kuli kayo!" As we say in Luganda. "Welcome back!" In episode 21, I'm at Sunbird Hill on the edge of Kibale National Park, recording trumpeting elephants and reflecting on how the sounds of the Ugandan jungle have traveled from my home to yours - from the streets of Paris to the trains of Lisbon. In this episode: How Kibale's giants outsmart the "elephant trench" and the local community where I li...

We're back in the bird hide talking about monkeys with Dr Pam Cunneyworth, Director of  Colobus Conservation in Diani on the Kenyan coast. It was at the young age of 7 that a teacher planted the lifelong love of Africa in her. At university, a lecture by Birutė Galdikas, a *trimate (one of Dr. Louis Leakey's famous primatologists) inspired Pam to take "the road less travelled," a journey that led...

Whether you're a fan of the Olympics, a runner - or just someone like me who loves Africa - episode 19 is for you. First off, a massive congratulations to everyone who participated in Paris 2024 - what an event it's been! Today, we celebrate the remarkable achievements of East African athletes and give a special shout-out to the 12 African countries that brought home medals, with Kenya leading the...

An elephant rumble or an earth tremor – can the Muzungu tell the difference? In episode 18, we're back in my wooden house on the edge of Kibale National Park in western Uganda, alert to the night sounds from the forest. Join me as I listen to the sounds of elephants – one of the many incredible experiences that inspired this podcast. Can you hear them breathing?  In this episode, you'll discover:...

This week, we are slowing down to reconnect with nature on the edge of the tropical rainforest. Come with me as we navigate waterlogged "elephant potholes," the lockdown playground I shared with my 10-year-old nephew, Dillon. It's a delightfully squelchy episode! Put on your gumboots and find out: What will I see from the bird hide? Who might need rescuing from the elephant trench? Why is life so...

In this episode, I resume my conversation with Ian Redmond, OBE, "a self-confessed gorillaholic who's been hooked for 40 years!" Ian is also known as Mandevu "the bearded one," one of his African names. In episode 15, we talked about the interconnectedness of life: how the elephant, chimpanzee and gorilla 'gardeners of the forests' of the Congo Basin are connected with a loaf of bread in England a...

In the first of two conversations, renowned conservationist (and personal conservation hero) Ian Redmond OBE discusses the interconnectedness of life – from the elephant, gorilla, and chimpanzee gardeners in the rainforests of the Congo Basin to a loaf of bread in England! Ian has been in love with East Africa since 1976 when he first travelled to Africa to study and protect the mountain gorillas...

In this week's episode, we take a short walk through the village bordering Kibale National Park . It's a lazy Sunday and everyone's in a good mood: drivers wave hellos and boys herd goats.  Do all white 'muzungu' women look the same? I giggle with my neighbour as he mistakes me (for a friend I do not resemble in the least).  Tune in to hear: Friendly greetings on a gentle walk through the village....

In episode 13, we go niche! When I moved to Uganda, one of my biggest fears was how I would cope with insects! Here at Sunbird Hill, Nature Monitoring and Rewilding Site, Kibale Forest, Uganda , on the edge of Kibale Forest, we see shiny green beetles with purple wings and swallowtail butterflies that are as big as your hand. Look at my social media now, and you'll see me holding a giant goliath b...

In episode 12, we're in Kibale Forest, agog at the sight of chimpanzees. (You'll never guess where they are!) Listen in as 'Papa' Les Lloyd and I compare notes about our unexpected primate visitors. Then, I discuss my recent trip to Kenya and preview some of the upcoming episodes: How many modes of public transport do I take on the long journey between Kampala, Uganda, and Mombasa, Kenya?  What ar...

In episode 11, I'm joined by a visitor from Peru: ecologist and field researcher Chris Ketola . With 25 years' experience working with wild animals, I'm intrigued to know how time in Equatorial Africa compares with his life in the Amazon. During a ten-week tour of Uganda, Ketola and Fauna Forever co-founder Chris Kirkby led a team of 14 volunteers. Together they covered 3000 km, capturing (and rel...

In this week's episode, we have 150 square kilometres of unspoilt wilderness to ourselves as we venture on safari in Kyambura Game Reserve, Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area, western Uganda. The night is alive with the sounds of the wild, from the hippos munching next to my tent to the near-encounter with a leopard! On our walking safari, we witness the unexpected drama of a warthog showdown. Late...

In episode 9, join me - Charlotte Beauvoisin, author of Diary of a Muzungu - as I introduce you to my first South African guest, the acclaimed travel and guidebook writer Philip Briggs. Join us in the bird hide to hear: Mountain gorillas vs. chimpanzees - how does he compare the two tracking experiences? Where is the best place to track chimps in East Africa? Why does Philip Briggs say Uganda is A...

In episode 8, we're back on the edge of Kibale National Park, stretching our legs after a long road journey from Kampala, Uganda's capital. The air is alive with song as the birds catch the last rays of afternoon sunshine after a day of heavy rain. Join me for a duet with the rare white-spotted flufftail and find out:  What friends and colleagues are saying about the first episodes of the East Afr...

In episode 7, join me - Charlotte Beauvoisin, author of Diary of a Muzungu - as we travel to Tanzania to meet Lesse Laizer and the Masai community at the Original Maasai Lodge in West Kilimanjaro. Listen in to hear: What is the Muzungu doing in Tanzania? How do you say good morning in the Maasai language? What did I watch while sitting between Mt Meru and Mt Kilimanjaro? What does sustainable tour...

In episode six, join me - Charlotte Beauvoisin, author of Diary of a Muzungu - as I chat chimpanzees with Harvard University Professor - and close friend of Sunbird Hill - Dr. Richard Wrangham whose work combines primatology, evolutionary biology and anthropology. Listen in to hear: What do sex, violence and cooking have in common? How do bees protect villagers' gardens from hungry elephants? How...