EXCLUSIVE予算 safari... priceless 遭遇（する）s: An exhilarating night in Uganda in a two-man TENT, with a 洗面所 十分な of 粗野な人間s and a 神経-shredding big-cat 訪問者 to the campsite

• Laura Sharman goes wild （軍の）野営地，陣営ing in the?Queen Elizabeth 国家の Park
• She is 扱う／治療するd to a 'savannah sonata' from hippos, hyenas and 粗野な人間s?
• READ MORE:?The 'world's most expensive safari' - which costs £140k per person

By Laura Sharman

Published: 17:01 BST, 24 April 2024 | Updated: 08:30 BST, 25 April 2024

Croaking hippos. Whooping hyenas.?Screeching 粗野な人間s.

These are members of the 野性生物 orchestra playing a 'savannah sonata' that's stopping me from drifting off to sleep.

There is nothing but a thin 層 of canvas between me and the performers. Thankfully, I am not alone and I wonder whether my fellow campers, in their own テントs, are also 'enjoying' the 2am 業績／成果.

I'm in a two-man テント in Queen Elizabeth 国家の Park in western Uganda, a very?different experience to my usual （軍の）野営地，陣営ing trips in?フラン,?with their rhythmic lullaby of chirping crickets.

My Uganda adventure begins on the opposite 味方する of the country in Jinja, which lies at the end of a 選び出す／独身 dusty road a three-hour 運動 from Entebbe Airport.?

?Laura Sharman travels to Queen Elizabeth 国家の Park in Uganda in search of its tree-climbing lion 全住民

Pictured: The bush campsite where Laura spends the night in a two-man テント. Not far beyond the trees is the 国境 with the Democratic 共和国 of the Congo

Hippos swim in the stream at the 底（に届く） of the bush campsite. Their 注目する，もくろむs and ears pop up 'like periscopes' as they 冷静な／正味の off in the water

The city 構成するs burnt orange dusty 跡をつけるs, emerald green trees and motorbike taxis. It's also home to the source of the Nile - 示すd by a blue 調印する - which we visit on a sunset river 巡航する.

With just three days in Jinja, I'm told the next must-do activity is その上の 石油精製 at the?流浪して?river base.

Here, my friend and I put on helmets and lifejackets in 準備 for a five-hour trip whitewater rafting through 猛烈な／残忍な 早いs.

均衡を保った to start paddling with gusto whenever the captain shouts 'now', we remain perched on the 辛勝する／優位 of our inflatable raft - until we 転覆する and 再編成する.

Our city stay is 一連の会議、交渉／完成するd off with a いっそう少なく adrenaline-inducing trip to the 地元の high street, famed for its trendy deli serving flakey pastries that would 競争相手 those of French boulangeries.

Laura takes a 巡航する along the River Nile to its source in Jinja (above), eastern Uganda

Go with the flow: A 調印する 場内取引員／株価 the source of the River Nile

The tree-climbing lions are unique to Queen Elizabeth 国家の Park and parts of Tanzania

The に引き続いて morning, we wake at 5am to 乗る，着手する on a nine-hour 運動 across Uganda, from east to west.

The 280-mile (451km) 旅行 will lead us to Queen Elizabeth 国家の Park and its 全住民 of tree-climbing lions.

We 戦う／戦い bumpy roads with 解決する in the hope of catching a glimpse of the rare cats, which are only 設立する in Queen Elizabeth 国家の Park and Lake Manyara 国家の Park in 隣人ing Tanzania.

'I'm Marley, like （頭が）ひょいと動く Marley,' says one of our two guides from the 前線 seat of our Toyota Landcruiser.

He points at the other one and 追加するs: 'He's Emmanuel, but we call him Emma.'

Reaching the park at nightfall, we spend the first night at Ishasha Wilderness （軍の）野営地，陣営.

Kobs, a type of antelope, are の中で animals spotted in the park's golden 牧草地s

Laura travels in a?Toyota Landcruiser 類似の to the one pictured here

Our glamping-esque safari テントs each 構成する a 二塁打 bed, a self-含む／封じ込めるd hot water にわか雨, a 紅潮／摘発する 洗面所 and a thatched veranda overlooking the Ntungwe River.

Only here, hippos wander the campsite after nightfall and 圧力（をかける） their noses up against the canvas.

After daybreak, we 投機・賭ける その上の into the bush on our first game 運動 and cannot believe our luck.

いっそう少なく than an hour in, '（頭が）ひょいと動く Marley' 位置／汚点／見つけ出すs a trio of lions lazing in a 独房監禁 acacia tree with their 脚s dangling from its 支店s.?

On the first game 運動, Laura's group 位置／汚点／見つけ出す tree-climbing lions 'lazing in a 独房監禁 acacia tree with their 脚s dangling from its 支店s'

肺ing over the 味方するs of the Landcruiser, we gaze up at the pride and soak up the moment in silence for several minutes. Soon after, we are 横断するing the golden 牧草地s once more.

A herd of buffalo cross in 前線 of our jeep, swooshing 飛行機で行くs away with their tails, and hyenas skulk past, barely 明白な in the sunburnt grass.

As we approach another section of the river, hippos are 冷静な／正味のing off in the water with their 注目する，もくろむs and ears popping up like periscopes.

An elephant on the march in Elizabeth 国家の Park

Laura, pictured, 解任するs feeling 'exhilarated to step outside the jeep and into the bush'

Then as the sun begins to 始める，決める, we turn 負かす／撃墜する a 狭くする dirt 跡をつける and are met with a final surprise in the form of three eleph ants waving their trunks.

Taking one last corner, we arrive at a （疑いを）晴らすing to the words 'we're here' from our guide.

Looking around at the wild bush, I am 混乱させるd as to what he means. But it soon 夜明けs on me that this is our campsite.

One of the few things 指示，表示する物s that this is a campsite is the 洗面所 - a small, 固める／コンクリート hut with a 穴を開ける in the ground.

But even this is off-限界s thanks to the?軍隊／機動隊 of 粗野な人間s perched 頂上に its roof with fangs 明らかにするd.?It's a far cry from last night's 高級なs and Ishasha.

にもかかわらず this, it feels exhilarating to step outside the jeep and into the bush where, only moments ago, we had come 直面する to 直面する with wild elephants.

I pinch myself as I wander 自由に around the field, 株ing the same space as these magnificent creatures.?

Laura says the campsite 洗面所 - a small 固める／コンクリート hut with a 穴を開ける in the ground - is 'off 限界s thanks to the 軍隊／機動隊 of 粗野な人間s perched 頂上に its roof'?

Laura at the wild campsite. She 令状s: 'I pinch myself as I wander 自由に around the field, 株ing the same space as [some] magnificent creatures'

The guides 安心させる us of our safety by pointing to a 孤独な 'askari', an 武装した guard who will watch the campsite at night. A firepit will also be 燃やすing throughout the night to 区 off lions in particular, he explains.

Our evening begins with a BBQ dinner and wholesome conversations around the firepit, which looks の上に a stream with 居住（者） hippos and crocs. Beyond it comes a whooping sound that I have not heard before and I turn to Emma for answers.

'Hyenas,' he says. 'From the Congo. The DRC [Democratic 共和国 of the Congo] is just through the trees on the other 味方する of that river.'

Guides 示唆する 向こうずねing a headtorch at 後継の hyenas to 脅す them off at night

This trip doesn't 中止する to amaze me.

After watching the sun 始める，決める over the plains, covering everything in a burnt orange hue, we place our rubbish inside the jeep, to 避ける waste and attracting 野性生物, and retire to our テントs.

'When you visit the 洗面所 at night, take a headtorch with you,' says Emma.

'If you see a hyena on the way, 向こうずね it in their 注目する，もくろむs to 脅す them away.'

He proceeds to 警告する us that elephants are the real ones to watch as they 'trample on anything in their path'.

I spray myself with mosquito repellent and 勇敢に立ち向かう the now 砂漠d 洗面所 before climbing into my sleeping 捕らえる、獲得する.

Soon, my surroundings are pitch 黒人／ボイコット.

First, the hippos make their presence known by bellowing into the night.?Next, the 粗野な人間s take their turn with their high-pitched shrieks. The musicians in the 野性生物 orchestra are 成し遂げるing a call and 返答 composition, with the 時折の whooping of hyenas.

Pictured: Laura's pitch テント (centre) at the wild （軍の）野営地，陣営ing 場所／位置

'They're の近くに,' I think to myself, enjoying the absurdity of it all. The atmosphere is electrifying and it keeps me awake.

By the 早期に hours of the morning, the excitement takes its （死傷者）数 and I am about to 落ちる asleep when the 'savannah sonata' stops.

I am discombobulated by the 厚い sound of silence and feel desperate for the 安心させるing 宙返り飛行 of croaks and shrieks to return.

Lying still in my sleeping 捕らえる、獲得する, every muscle 緊張した with 予期, I wait for it to return.

Instead, I hear the faintest sound of footsteps beside my 長，率いる, each one broken up by a panting noise. Step, pant, step, pant.

A lion walks 権利 next to Laura's テント during the night. She 令状s: 'I hear the faintest sound of footsteps beside my 長，率いる, each one broken up by a panting noise. Step, pant, step, pant'

These pictures by Laura show a yellow-法案d stalk (left) and a herd of buffalo (権利)

Terrified to move, my neck 強化するs and my 武器 lock into my 味方するs.

I 持続する this position until the sun begins to rise on the other 味方する of the canvas.

'Did you hear the lion last night?' asks '（頭が）ひょいと動く Marley', popping his 長，率いる out of his テント. 'That's a first for this campsite. We'll have to （軍の）野営地，陣営 どこかよそで next time,' he says, turning to Emma.

'A lucky escape? Or a lucky 遭遇（する）?' I wonder.

As I 緊急発進する out of my テント, I can feel my muscles relaxing into a dull ache and squint as the gentle, morning sunlight 攻撃する，衝突するs my 直面する.

'I am still here,' I think, breathing in the fresh scent of the grass beneath my 明らかにする feet.

As the hippos begin to croak and the 粗野な人間s start to shriek, I feel 感謝する for my 生き残り and for the 新たにするd enchantment of Uganda's wilderness.

Laura visited Uganda with?Buffalo Safari （軍の）野営地，陣営s - visit www.buffalosafaricamps.com/目的地/queen-elizabeth.

For more on Uganda in general visit the 観光旅行，事業 board 場所／位置 - utb.go.ug.?