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.

The air on the edge of Kibale Forest in western Uganda is alive with anticipation as we gather round the ringing table to see which feathered firsts will be revealed by our birding experts.

In Episode 33 of the award-winning East Africa Travel Podcast, the muzungu adds tantalising new bird sightings to her lifelist and I sit down with legendary birder Malcolm Wilson and explore the science - and magic - of bird ringing.

Listen as my guests handle delicate sunbirds and dodge sharp raptor talons as we discuss:

• Which nocturnal animal did I identify through its footprint on my morning walk along the forest trails?
• What's the scientific purpose behind bird ringing?
• Which rare bird species and elusive wildlife were attracted by the newly dug pond at Sunbird Hill?
• Chattering Yellowbill is the new name for which shy forest cuckoo? (And why does the renaming of birds drive amateur birders like me around the twist?)

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.

The all-night bus trip across the Kenyan border passes in a blink of an eye knowing that I'll soon be gazing out of the train window at Tsavo's elephants! From midnight border checks to a spice-scented market in Mombasa's Old Town, the muzungu's making her sustainable travel visions a reality (or at least trying to) in this sometimes-gruelling cross-border journey by bus and train.

In Episode 32 of the award-winning East Africa Travel Podcast, I complete my multi-leg journey from Uganda to the Kenyan coast for a sustainable tourism summit at Serena Beach Resort & Spa.

Recorded on location - just for you - you'll hear:

• How did I travel all the way from Kampala to Mombasa using public transport (and what is my top tip for bypassing downtown Nairobi)?
• Why do you need to swot up on the strict security rules before riding Kenya's SGR train down to the coast?
• Which wildlife highlights can you spot on a 'free safari on rails' across Tsavo National Park (with or without binoculars?)
• The kindness of strangers. How does travelling solo open the door to the most memorable travel moments?
• How does a major coastal resort run on 90% solar power, eliminate single-use plastics, and protect nesting sea turtles? I chat with Serena's Alphaxad Chege.
• What is it really like to cross the legendary Likoni Ferry alongside thousands of foot passengers on the way to Diani? (And would you do it?)

Join me, Charlotte Beauvoisin, author of Diary of a Muzungu, as I board the train to the coast, hop on a tuk tuk, and explore Swahili cuisine in Mombasa.

Welcome to my world!

Tune in to the award-winning East Africa Travel Podcast by Charlotte Beauvoisin, author of Diary of a Muzungu, 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 to illuminating chats with conservationists and intrepid travellers in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda.

Sign up to sign up to my occasional newsletter.

Visit www.eastafricatravelpodcast.com for detailed transcripts.