Kidepo valley and the K’jong cultural experience (5 DAYS)
Many consider Kidepo Valley National Park to be the most isolated National Park in Uganda but this “virgin park” as it is also referred to by others has a lot to offer. With 75 mammal species and 470 bird species, the Kidepo Valley National Park will be worth every penny. During this tour, you will also get the opportunity to meet the dominant ethnic groups of the North and get a feel for their culture and lifestyle.
ITINERARY
DAY 1 TRAVEL TO KIDEPO VALLEY
Our driver/guide will transport you from Kampala/Entebbe northwards via Kitgum town which is about 452km. We shall stop over in Luwero town for refreshments and photo opportunities and then continue through Nakasongola district which is a largely populated area with open savannah grasslands. We will have lunch in Gulu City after which we will proceed to your lodge/hotel overnight.
DAY 2 GAME DRIVES IN KIDEPO NATIONAL PARK
Early in the morning of day 2, breakfast will be served and then we will set off for a drive to Kidepo National park through, Kakwanga, Loitanit Villages. This journey is expected to take a maximum of 3 hours. On arrival, we shall relax at the lodge/ Uganda Wildlife Authority bandas, have lunch and then brace ourselves for an evening game drive were you will have a chance to view many animal species including; the Cheetah, caracal, aardwolf, greater and lesser kudu, mountain reedbuck and Guenther’s dik-dik, Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi, eland and klipspringer, lions and many more.
DAY 3 KARAMOJONG CULTURAL EXPERIENCE
Karamojong is part of a group that migrated from present-day Ethiopia around 1600 A.D. and split into two branches, with one branch moving to present-day Kenya to form the Kalenjin group and Maasai cluster. The other branch, called Ateker, migrated westwards. Ateker further split into several groups, including Turkana in present-day Kenya, Iteso, Dodoth, Jie, Karamojong, and Kumam in present-day Uganda, also Jiye and Toposa in southern Sudan all of them together now known as the “Teso Cluster” or “Karamojong Cluster”.
On day 3 of this tour, you will immerse yourself in Karamojong culture by participating in traditional games, daily activities as preparing staple foods, harvesting, beading, learning, dance, how to shoot bow and arrow and traditional friendly wrestling.
Prepare to have your mindset and worldview totally challenged on this day.
DAY 4 SIPI FALLS HIKE, COFFEE TOURS
On day 5, we will have breakfast and an early scenic drive to Sipi Falls. These falls are found on the foothills of Mountain Elgon just at the edge of Mount Elgon National park nearing the Kenyan border to Uganda. The name sipi was derived from the word ‘sep’ which is a name of a wild banana-like indigenous plant that grows along the banks of the Sipi River, this plant can be used as medicine for treating fevers and measles by local people in that area.
The sipi falls is comprised of 3 waterfalls each flowing from a different altitude. The highest fall drops from an altitude of 100m referred to as the main fall since it is the last fall in the series, this fall is a little bigger than the other two falls, but all give Uganda a beautiful scenery. Hiking up to these falls gives a beautiful scenic view, like Lake Kyoga, the karamoja low lands, coffee plantations and other surrounding areas.
In the afternoon, you will visit the coffee farming households and, if interested, you will learn about the entire process of how Ugandan coffee moves from the farm up to the cup.
Later, you will return to your hotel for late lunch and rest in the evening enjoying the magnificent sunset.
DAY 5 TRANSFER TO KAMPALA/ ENTEBBE
You will enjoy your final breakfast in the North and then experience a mini-drive through the park for a final glance at the wild beauties s we safely drive you back to Kampala or your preferred drop-off point.
**END OF TOUR**
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VISIT UGANDA
Uganda intimately referred to as The Pearl of Africa is blessed with undeniable natural beauty. In the west, the Rwenzori peaks reach towards the sky, the perfect challenge for bold explorers – Across the nation, parks are home to some of the world’s most exotic animals: Silverbacks, Africa’s big 5, and the friendliest people in the World.