Visit Karamoja region on a Uganda Safari : Karamoja region is an area in Uganda with the most manyatas (grass-thatched huts). For a very long time, this place was considered as a really dangerous region because of the wars that were going on in the northern areas of Uganda however today, it is safe and therefore one of the best places you can go to if you wish to spend to have a very wonderful cultural safari in Uganda. This is so because the Karamanjong people have the best cultural believes and a sometime enjoying the beauty of nature.
Despite the stability, so many travelers both Ugandans and international are still avoiding the place for fear of their own safety while there. Today, Karamoja region is on the list of the must visit place in Uganda especially because of the existence of the Kidepo valley national park which is a really beautiful national park with a lot to offer to the tourists who are interested in wildlife and birds too. This is the only park in Uganda where you will find the ostriches as well as the cheetah, the landscape its self is amazing with lots of hills and valleys and in each of those valleys have blessed with different attractions.
The main challenge hindering people from visiting Karamoja is the fact that it is located very far, passing via a very rough and bumpy road thus making it hard to get there if you do not have private means of transport. When you get there, you will be amazed by how friendly the Karamajong people, these people have been known to be so rough for a very long time. Regardless of the difficulties that you may have to encounter to get there, you will definitely have the best and very memorable experience during this Uganda safari. Our safari guide will be available to take you around the park, to the local communities and he will provide you with all the information you may need to know about the region.
Aside from the cultural visits to the Karamajong communities, nature walks will be very rewarding. The walks take you through different landscape and the existence of such landscape supports the view that this country has it all that is to say the jungle, the savannas, there are the lakes and the rivers as well as the mountains and in that case the only thing missing the desert condition and may be the sand dunes.
Hiking and nature walks are the main activities that are done the different valleys for example in Narus Valley, a guided walk take about 2 hours. Together with the guide, there is an option of visiting the amazing Kidepo River Valley in between there and the edges of the wonderful borassus palm forest. From here, you can visit Namamkweny Valley and this will take you just about an hour from Apoka. During the nature walk, you will get to see various animal,s which include hundreds of zebras, elephants, there are leopards too and lions are often seen sunbathing on the rocks and the bush duikers. Lots of jackals and buffaloes are often seen closer to the lodges during both daytime and night time, the bushbucks and the bush pigs are also in plenty thus making Kidepo the best place to go for wildlife watching since animals even come to you at your lodge.
You can also visit the Kidepo Valley only to enjoy the scenery since there are no many animals living in that valley. From there, you can visit the famous Kanangorok Hot Springs although they are located a bit far, the journey is worth it. You will go through that beautiful landscape to the northern side of Apoka after the river crossing. This road is in between outcrops and in some areas it passes in between hills just before you start descending into this famous Kidepo Valley. There is a Sand River and most of it is basically an open plains extending beyond the Kanangorok Hot Springs almost close to the mountains located beyond the Sudanese border. If you are interested in watching the ostriches, this part of the park is the best place you can find them.
For those that are interested in hiking, you will go hike the Lomej Mountains. You need just about four hours to walk up there and the hiking sessions begin at 7am together with a ranger. There is another hike that you can do which takes you to Morungole Mountains. The hike has to be pre-organized otherwise you will be disappointed when you cannot go because of the booking has been made on short notice and may be you can’t get a ranger to take you. During your hike adventure, you will meet the some members of IK group of people who living close to Morungole Mountains outside this national park.
Bird watching is yet another activity done in this park because it has a big number of bird species, which makes it a really great birding place. You can always start your birding adventure from somewhere like at Apoka rest camp and proceed to other parts of the park. There are often lots of birds flying along the fringes of the famous Narus valley and the Namamukweny Valleys. There are lots of bird species living in this area for example the popular Abyssinian Roller, there is also the Purple Heron and the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill is also there and in plenty as well as the Clapperton’s Francolin, among so many others as you will see during the walk through the Kidepo national park. You will surely have an amazing time and you will see more than you are expecting like the great cultures, the variety of vegetation, lots of wildlife species.
