In October of last year, we traveled to scenic western Uganda to check in on the production of the beautiful woven baskets we co-designed and developed for The Citizenry’s second collection. (I shared lots more about the collaboration and inspiration behind the products in this post).
Months later, I’m still dreaming about the incredible scenery, open roads, and lake swims that made our trek so memorable, and I thought I’d share a little glimpse into the adventures we had together.
Laren and I, Carly of The Citizenry, and new friends Nicole and Ashley, the brilliant photography duo behind Hazel & Pine, all piled into our 1994 Land Rover Defender and experienced action-packed, laughter-filled days traveling through the incredible scenery of western Uganda. Our first stop was Lake Mburo National Park. Driving through it meant enjoying open skies, the occasional zebra sighting, and at one point, a roadblock caused by a herd of Ankole Cattle. But we didn’t mind — it was beautiful to witness.
We arrived at Mihingo Lodge just in time for a late lunch and white wine overlooking the pool, which had a stunning backdrop of endless savannah. Our rooms for the night were large, light-filled, free-standing canvas safari bungalows, boasting incredible views from a wood deck with safari chairs. That evening, we ventured out on horseback to witness golden hour in the wild.
The next day, we made our way to Fort Portal, a beautiful, quaint town neighboring the Rwenzori Mountain Range. This is where the women’s weaving cooperative that we partner with live and hand-weave each of the baskets that are part of our collaboration. These women radiate so much joy — and it’s truly contagious. (Also, we can’t wait for the release of a couple new basket designs coming out of this region on our online shop this Summer!)
We couldn’t venture to Fort Portal without taking a dip in the large crater lake at Kyaninga Lodge, so the next morning after breakfast, that’s exactly what we did. The water was cool, clean and refreshing (a real treat in Uganda) and was the perfect way to end our journey together. I feel incredibly lucky to have the opportunity to partner with such talented groups of female weavers in Uganda — especially in such stunning regions as this, that continue to inspire and keep me dreaming.
Shop the full Rose & Fitzgerald + The Citizenry collection here.
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This is really beautiful…. Inspired to take that trip soon
Great job & thank you for partnering with the Ugandan ladies
Thank you for the kind words!