Ep. 34 Cycling down the Nile with Uganda's birdwatching pioneer Malcolm Wilson

Birdsong, banter, and a burst of turquoise - the sight of one, two, three shining blue kingfishers has left me buzzing with excitement! In Episode 34 of the award-winning East Africa Travel Podcast, we leave the bird ringing table at Sunbird Hill to continue my conversation with legendary birder and tour leader Malcolm Wilson. His travels really define the spirit of adventure! Listen as we sip tea with ambassadors (and pity the donkey thrown into the air by a jubilant crowd in Khartoum!) How did a 1927 bicycle, bought from a scrap yard for the price of a cup of coffee, kick off an epic journey across Europe down the Nile and deep into Africa? What was it like cycling through the Sudan's desert at night, pursued by hyenas? Stranded without water, an arsenic-laden local remedy in the Central African Republic saved Malcolm's life Why did his first attempt to enter Uganda in 1985 end in a hasty retreat back to the DR Congo (then known as Zaire)? What makes Uganda such an ecological wonderland? Hear about Uganda's first bird guide training programme, the pioneers who now run their own safari companies, and the origins of the Queen Elizabeth National Park Bird Observatory Why does Malcolm call the African Bird Club-sponsored Village Bird Clubs around Kibale Forest "the most spectacular bit of conservation work ever"? Join me, Charlotte Beauvoisin, author of Diary of a Muzungu on location to hear how one person's passion for birds trained the first generation of Uganda's expert birders.   Welcome to my world! Tune in to the award-winning East Africa Travel Podcast for the dawn chorus of a tropical rainforest, gorilla tracking adventures and the sound of waves lapping on an Indian Ocean beach. Join me on my morning nature walks (mind we don't slip in an elephant pothole!) and listen in to illuminating chats with conservationists and intrepid travellers in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. Sign up to my occasional newsletter. Visit www.eastafricatravelpodcast.com for detailed transcripts. Follow Charlotte Beauvoisin, Diary of a Muzungu on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.