Cathy Namagembe and Ray Gutt have been the Uganda editors at Wandering Educators since March, 2011.  Uganda is an amazing country that offers a wealth of natural beauty combined with ancient cultural traditions.  Winston Churchill referred to Uganda as the Pearl of Africa, because of its charm and beauty. 

Cathy is a native of Kampala, Uganda, where she is a college student in her final year at Kyambogo University.  She is majoring in Tourism and with a minor in French.  Tourism was a natural selection for a college major because of her keen interest in nature and wildlife, especially gorillas.  One of her favorite memories as a young girl was gorilla trekking in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in the Ugandan mountains.

She has worked for several years with one of Uganda’s top tourism / travel agencies and has recently started her own business, Namagembe Adventure Travel.  Between classes at school, helping others with their exotic trip plans and writing about her homeland, she also enjoys spending quality time with her friends, watching English football (soccer), playing table tennis, going to the beach, reading and learning more about photography.

Like most of the younger generation, she is fluent in English as well as her native tongue, Luganda.  Cathy believes that hard work and a good education will help her prosper in all of her endeavors.

Cathy Namagembe

Ray has worked in the TV research industry for the last 14 years.  He has also been active in several home remodeling projects and was the co-owner of a flooring store.   He lived in Central America for 5 years teaching English and working as a travel reporter.  He has more than 150 articles published throughout Latin America and in the U.S.  Some of his other jobs have included: manufacturing supervisor, a consultant with new start-up businesses in rope manufacturing, started a one-hour photo processing store, consultant for a travel agency and as a lab technician in the food industry.

Now a Florida resident, Ray is originally from Chicago and is still an avid Chicago Bears fan.  He has a B.S. in Marketing and an M.B.A. in Operations Management from Illinois Institute of Technology.  He speaks Spanish as well as English.  His interests include traveling, learning about new cultures, photography, bowling, bicycling, watching sports, traveling and helping start new businesses.

Ray Gutt

In Uganda, you will find snow covered peaks at the Rwenzori Mountains National Park, which is Africa’s tallest mountain peak reaching 15,765 feet.  Mount Elgon National Park, an extinct volcano, is another of the highest peaks in Africa.  It is great for exploring with several caves, gorges and waterfalls.  Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s largest National park and is home to some breath-taking waterfalls and large, open savannahs.  This is a great location for watching big game.  Moving back to the city, Lake Victoria is the second largest fresh-water lake in the world and features excellent swimming, boating and fishing. 

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a rich eco-system featuring more than 100 types of mammals, 350 species of birds, 200 species of butterflies and more than 150 types of trees.  It is also home to 350 of approximately 750 mountain gorillas worldwide, making it the best option for Gorilla Trekking.  Trekking along to find a highly endangered Mountain Gorilla is more than just an adventure, it is a once in a lifetime experience.  You will be surrounded by lush, tropical plants, thousands of birds and many native animals, possibly including a rare face to face meeting with a Mountain gorilla     

Mountain Gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Uganda has much to offer any nature enthusiast featuring high mountains, large lakes, waterfalls and abundant wildlife combined with tropical temperatures.  It is a paradise for bird watchers, butterfly collectors and big game enthusiasts.  You will find monkeys, gorillas, giraffes, hippos and elephants during your adventures.

Giraffes near Murchisson Falls

Throughout the continent most African cities have modern conveniences, but they are generally more limited than in the US or Europe.  Rural Africa is in a state of transformation, and is where you will see the largest diversity.  The elders still follow traditional customs while the younger generation has adapted modern technology.  Traveling outside of the major metropolitan areas can be very adventurous.  Many roads are unpaved and difficult to navigate during the dry season and virtually impossible during the rainy season.  A good 4-wheel drive is recommended for all rural adventures. The rewards are worth the effort.  Once you are outside of the normal city limits, the scenery opens up with an array of beautiful scenery and wildlife.

Our goal is to share with you the rich East African culture, along with the stunning natural beauty of the country so that you will understand why Uganda is The Pearl of Africa.