Uganda Wildlife Education Centre Banda Review
In October, I ventured over 8,700 miles East with a group of Midwives and Doulas from the Seattle area to Uganda. With open hearts and minds, we made our way to Luwero, Uganda to volunteer with an organization called Shanti Uganda. Shanti Uganda is a birth house and midwifery provider that is doing amazing work.
Our stay was rooted in learning and volunteering, but we also got a chance to drink in the beauty of Uganda and it’s many attractions.
One of my favorite parts of the trip was visiting the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe, Uganda! It places a strong emphasis on being a conservation organization, although for some it may feel vaguely similar to a zoo.
After exploring the grounds of the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, we got the opportunity to stay overnight INSIDE the center/zoo!
They offer the amazing experience of staying in traditional African bandas.
The Banda I stayed in was essentially a studio with a bed, desk, and ensuite bathroom. The added bonus was HOT water for showers. The hot water was a welcomed friend from the chilly temperatures I had endured in the previous weeks.
Can you imagine the feeling of listening to monkeys screech at each other and lions roaring as you fall asleep? I know, it sounds awful, and initially it was. As much as I wanted to love sleeping a zoo, I have to admit that once the wildlife centre was closed for the evening and I was surrounded by the sound of animals I was terrified. I found myself trying to remember how high the enclosures were and wondering if one of the groups of monkeys that roam free would come waltzing up to my banda.
However, none of these fears materialized because once I got comfortable under my mosquito net the sounds of wildlife drifted me away like a dream into sleep.
Before I knew it, I was greeted by yet another breathtaking African sunrise sadly signaling my final day in Africa. I can’t wait to return to Africa and the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre with the whole family!
*Current rates and information for the Uganda Wildlife Centre can be found here.
Check out my entire Uganda journey:
