Ideal for eco travel writers; includes community experiences & nature tours. Covers particularly the Greater Northern Part of Uganda.
Introduction
Incomparable to any other country, Uganda represents the changing faces of recent African history with the horrors and ruins of a dark and gloomy past lying behind the people's cheerfulness and the country's natural beauties; northern Uganda is a tourist destination worth visiting.
Populary regarded as the Greater North, the area stretches from West Nile on the border with Congo and southern Sudan through Lango and Acholi up to the Karamoja region, reaching further down to Elgon and Teso areas bordering Northwestern Kenya. Northern Uganda still possesses a tremendous ecological heritage with one of the highest diversities of large mammals and broad intact habitats than any other region in Uganda. The national parks and nature reserves in the region harbour exceptional biodiversity on a global level. We shall purposely pay a visit to the area, not only because of its awesome landscape and its incredible biodiversity, but also simply moving to see how the people overcome the nightmares of the past and how they fight for a normal, settled and peaceful life enjoying full security.
The Adventure
We shall begin our exploration by visiting Alur, Lugbara and Madi of the West Nile who predominantly depend on agriculture and learn their traditional ways of survival. We shall also take time to explore the ‘ancient capital of pan-Africanism’ – Arua town and its natural surroundings like the former Rhino camp and the Ajai wildlife reserve, Lugard's Fort in Maracha County, etc. As we stroll along the village streets of this area, we shall experience the picturesque agricultural fields including tobacco gardens and thunderbolts, nice people, breathe fresh air, and enjoy local cuisine. The beauty of the rocks, the Golf Course can get you closer to God!
We shall continue and move eastwards to the Acholi and Lango region as we drive through some of the former internally displaced peoples camps and communal grazing grounds, witnessing how the separation of these people from their land (central part of northern Uganda conflict) ruined their economy and social structure.
We continue our journey driving on relatively flat and straight roads alongside flooded plains of wetlands, past bicycles carrying everything from pots to live chickens, passing through the streams of people. The voyage ultimately takes us deep into the world’s greatest wilderness through an ever-changing vista of arid savannah; we are in Kidepo Valley National Park. We shall spare time here and do game drives in the park and visit the nearby communities. As we visit the Manyattas – the ancient homesteads of the Karamajong, we shall enjoy the unique Naleyo dance performed by the Karimajongs where women line up and men strike their breasts using fingers as they dance. Here in Karamoja, "human beings here are expressions of their landscape."
We wind up our adventure by exploring the Teso region which harbors the Mount Elgon Nation Park. Culturally, the Iteso people are closely linked to Karimajong and are also pastoralists. We shall explore the beautiful Sipi falls, walking beneath inspiring rock-covered volcanos and wander trails in lush clouded-forests and hills. We meet local people, study fascinating flora and glimpse birds and wildlife on this captivating adventure. A hike to the Mount Elgon will be an optional activity. During our journey here, we shall also take a short tour to the ancient Nyero Rock Paintings. This is an archaeological site that dates back in the late Iron Age.
Purpose of the trip
This trip is specifically designed for curious travelers with their 'demand' for the exotic - getting to see sights in Uganda or travel to places that others can’t imagine; expose the traveler to a part of planet earth that they, would probably never think of going or never thought “such a thing existed on earth”, i.e., the African people and the ecosystem. The trip blends people with nature and takes you to places where you will have the chance to view some of the most endangered ecosystems and the most vulnerable tribal groups of people in the world.
We also intend to help travelers access safe “out of their comfort” zones, and into the realm of where big percentage of Uganda disadvantaged population live; day-to-day survival, and the ability to be happy with few of the material comforts in life.
We want our prospective clients to experience life of a struggling rural Ugandan on a small scale farm on which local farmers today depend by using traditional / ancient agricultural methods to work the land. We want our clients at the end of this trip, to be able to empathize with those - anywhere in the world, including their home country- who, though not direct fault of their own, are not able to enjoy the same comforts as people in the 'underdeveloped world' like Uganda.
