We Killin it!

Big game (short) drive: The amazing luxury safari experience for Kate and Ann Wroblewski.
It was a fun filled moment for Kate and her grandmother Ann as they ventured out to explore the magnificent wildlife on a game drive and boat cruise in Murchison Falls National Park.

We always strive to deliver beyond client expectations thus making us the safari company of choice for would be travelers to the delightful East Africa.

Plenty of Wildlife

Rogers executed the safari once again and yes he did deliver.

Come witness the majesty and abundance of wildlife in Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest national park, by venturing out on a game drive at sunset and a boat cruise in the afternoon. Murchison Falls National Park lies on the Northern end of the the Albertine rift valley and is engulfed by Savannah Plains which further enhances the chances of spotting wild game during game drives.

“The only man I envy is a man who has not yet been to Africa, for he has so much to look forward to”

Come and travel with us this year to the Pearl of Africa

Contact us now: travel@adyeri.com

Memorable Bucketlist Experiences

A fantastic capture & rare bucketlist moment for David Cole and his mum on a recent safari with Adyeri Creations @treeclimbinglions. Its not an everyday affair that travelers to Queen Elizabeth National Park get to see a full pride of tree climbing lions up in the trees.

Congratulations to Rogers Muhumuza for yet again executing a successful and memorable safari.

And yes, David and his mum definitely did track and see the Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi National Park.

We know Uganda, drop us an email (travel@adyeri.com) to book your once in a lifetime memorable safari.

Memorable Safari Experiences

At Adyeri Creations we combine affordability with comfort and deliver the perfect safari experience in the delightful Pearl of Africa.

New Year, great safaris; We strive to deliver memorable Gorilla Tracking and Wildlife Safari experiences.

Be enchanted by these images, taken on a recent trip with, Cara Picton and our guide Tom. We thank Tom for a job well done.

Uganda Safari

Kidepo Valley National Park

About

The vast, semi arid plains of Uganda’s north east are home to one of the country’s real treasures: Kidepo National Park.  Indeed part of the park’s appeal is its remoteness guaranteeing that the visitor won’t be fighting off mini buses in an attempt to see wildlife. Gazetted in 1962, Kidepo Valley National Park is truly one of Uganda’s most spectacular parks, offering some of the wildest and most magnificent scenery to be found in East Africa, relatively un-spoilt by development.

The Kidepo Basin lies in a mountainous country side at an altitude of between 900 and 1200 meters and in encircled by wooded hills. It is dominated by 2750 meter Mount Morongole on its eastern flank and by the forested Lotuke in Sudan with peaks rising to more than 2700 meters.

The park covering 1,442 sq.kms is in the far north eastern horn of the country and it borders South Sudan and near Kenya.  This part of the country is generally referred to as Karamoja district where the famous Karimojong pastoralists graze their cattle across the plains.

Getting there

The ideal way to Apoka where the park headquarters and rest camp are located, is by air charter although the accessing the park by road is also possible though gruesome. Apoka is 504 kilometers from Kampala, 162 kilometers from Kitgum, and 255 kilometers from Moroto.

When to go

The best time to visit kidepo is during the dry season between December and early April. During the Kidepo rainy season from April to September travel is not easy and game is difficult to locate because of long grass.

Where to stay

The growth of the tourism sector in Uganda has led to the establishment of some luxurious and budget accommodation facilities in Kidepo Valley National Park. Facilities like Apoka Safari Lodge and Nga'Moru wilderness camp offer accommodation services within the park.

Sight Seeing

From Mbale head out of town on the Kumi road. You can take a couple of side trips along the this road to see the rock painting at Kakoro and Nyero . But to drive to Kidepo, turn right a few kilometers of town on the main gravel road heading north.
After the turnoff, you pass through the village of Sironko and soon afterwards the turnoff to Sipi. After about 50 kilometers you come to the village of Chepsikunya. Shortly after this the road passes through the lower part of the Pian-Upe Game Reserve one of the three large adjoining reserves in Uganda’s north east . The 2314 sq.km of rolling plains of black cotton soil run from the river in the south of Napak on the boundary of Bokora Game Reserve in the north.  The area which includes Pian-Upe, Matheniko and Bokora reserves is known as the Bokora corridor. 
From Chepsikunya village, its about 140 kilometers before the Moroto turn off which is 10 kilometers east of the Main road. There is an airstrip there as well as petrol, police, a hospital and the Mount Moroto hotel making it a good place to break your journey.

Back on the main road at the Moroto turn off head north once again.  After about 30 kilometers you pass through Lokichar, and shortly thereafter the road travels directly across the corridor linking the Matheniko Game Reserve and the Bokora Game Reserve. The Matheniko to the right of the road covers about 1,605 sq.kms but there is not much game left. To the left of the road is the tip of the huge Bokora Game Reserve a large dry flat plain where several species of antelopes still roam.

From Lokichar its about 55 kilometers to the town of Kotido, where there is a police station, and another 41 kilometers before the main road takes a sharp bend to the west.  Shortly after this bend you come to the village of Koputh where you turn right to continue north on the main gravel road. After about 24 kilometers you pass through the town of Kaabong and then 69 kilometers later you eventually reach your destination: Apoka.

The park consists of two shallow valley systems with rugged, dry, mountain terrain. The area’s remarkable variation in altitude has created a profusion of habits within the park including montane forests, grassy plains, open tree savannah, dry thorn bush, thick woodlands; borassus palm forest, and Koppies.

During the six dry months of the year in Kidepo, wildlife is attracted to water sources that remain in Narus Valley in the South West of the park. There is great diversity of Wildlife: 80 species more than in any other park in Uganda. 

You can expect to see Zebra’s, large herds of elephants, elands, lesser kudu and buffaloes. Visitors can get a good look at this bountiful wildlife and bird life from several game viewing loops in the Narus Valley where most of the game is concentrated.

In addition the park nature exhibit at the Apoka headquarters is open to visitors and contains Specimens of Lions skins, giraffe skulls, butterflies, scorpions and photographs of the rare albino buffalo. 

If you’re interested in a taste of the local life a visit to the local Manyattas (Karimojong homesteads) can be arranged for up close experience of see the traditional clothing, stools, spears, headdresses, bows, arrows, knives and jewellery.

How to survive freak accidents on holiday

They're highly unlikely eventualities, but freak accidents do happen. Your strategy in dealing with a dangerous encounter will depend entirely on the species of beast - a lion, for example, you should back away slowly from but never turn and run
 

While the vast majority of safari expeditions are safe, no drive is ever risk-free when it comes to wild animals. 

Your strategy in dealing with a dangerous encounter will depend entirely on the species of beast.

Find yourself face-to-face with a lion, for example, and you'll need to make direct eye contact and back away very slowly. Never turn your back, never run.

If you endure a stand-off with a leopard, the reverse is true. Here, you'll need to avoid eye-contact at all costs and hope they lose interest.

Elephants may look slow and peaceful, but they can be highly aggressive and very capable of harm. The trick here is to stand your ground and pretend to be brave. You're be hoping they'll make one or two mock charges, then saunter off when unchallenged.

As for a buffalo, there'll be no such warning. You'll never outrun one, nor survive them in combat, so your only option is to get a head start and climb a tree. 

Uganda Safari

Parc National Queen Elizabeth

About

Established in 1952, Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of Uganda's three oldest National Parks, with an area of almost 2000 sq. km of grass Savannah, open bush country, riverine forest, lowland rainforest, wetlands, rivers and lakes.
Bordering Lake Edward and Lake George, as well as the Kazinga Channel in the Western Area of the Great Rift Valley, the park has been designated as a Biosphere Reserve for humanity under the auspices of UNESCO. Despite some setbacks, it remains one of Uganda's national treasures.

The park (parque nacional queen elizabeth uganda) has its origins early in the 20th century, after many people fled the area when a wave of sleeping sickness plagued the country. Between 1925 and 1947, these abandoned area became two game reserves: Lake George and Lake Edward. In 1952, the reserves were merged into Kazinga National Park. Two years later, when Queen Elizabeth of England visited the national park it was renamed in her honor. During the Idi Amin regime the park was renamed Ruwenzori National Park, but it regained its original name in 1991 when the Ruwenzori Mountain National Park was gazetted.

One of the richest and best managed parks in Africa, supporting an astounding density of wildlife, Queen Elizabeth was hard hit by Uganda's wars, when the animal populations there and elsewhere in the country were decimated. After, peace and stability returned to the country the park steadily regained it's past grandeur. It remains one of the best places on the continent to see a high concentration of hippos and often at close quarters especially when you take the renowned boat trip along the Kazinga Channel.

Unlike Uganda's other national parks, Queen Elizabeth was created with several enclave villages within its boundaries. These include Katwe, which exists principally to exploit the natural salt in a highly saline crater lake and the Katunguru which along with a few other villages supports itself mainly through fishing.

Getting there
 

Mweya, the main park headquarters is 41 kilometers from Kasese, 115 kilometers from Fort Portal, 144 kilometers from Mbarara and about 420 kilometers from Kampala (via Masaka and Mbarara). A good tarmac road leads to the main gate turnoff, and from there its a 20 kilometer drive on a dirt road easily negotiated by two-wheel drive vehicles. Nearby Kasese is also served by an Airstrip. There is also a small landing strip near Mweya Safari Lodge for charter aircraft. The drive to Kampala takes about six hours.

When to go

Queen Elizabeth National Park is at its best after the rainy seasons of March-April and October-November. The air is fresh, the grass green, and there is an air of spring time and renewal.

Where to stay

In Mweya, visitors can choose from a wide array of accomodation facilities that include the Mweya Safari Lodge, Irungu Forest Safari Lodge, Tembo Safari Lodge, Ihamba Lakeside Safari Lodge. There is also a campsite at Mweya and some others near the banks of the Kazinga Channel. Campers should travel totally self sufficient with tent, gear and in the case of campsites near the Kazinga Channel, food and drink as well. Near Ishasha, in the southern sector of the park, there are basic campsites and some bandas. Again, carry everything you need.

Sightseeing

From the Ruwenzori National Park turnoff on the main Fort Portal - Kasese road, head south after 10 kilometers you reach Kasese which is a good base from which to explore either the Ruwenzori Mountains National Park or Parc National Queen Elizabeth.

Kasese escaped the looting and destruction that befell so many other Uganda towns, and remains unblemished. It was once important to the Uganda economy because of the nearby Kilembe mines which are now closed. To reach the mines you can hire a bicycle and cycle the 11 kilometers or so to the old copper mine site. Its a long , gradual uphill climb to get there but the downhill return is easy. On the way, keep a lookout for a colony of thousands of fruit bats along the side of the road. Once at Kilembe, you can tour the copper mine site and what remains of the surface equipment free of charge but you are not allowed underground.

Much of the park is open Savannah dotted with Acacia and Euphorbia trees. It is home to a variety of mammals, including elephants, buffalo, warthog, baboon, lion, leopard, several monkey species, chimpanzees, spotted hyenas, Uganda kob and bushbuck. The interesting Sitatunga, a semi-aquatic antelope lives in the papyrus swamps around Lake George.

Lake Edward, another of Uganda's large lakes, was "discovered" in 1889 by Henry Morton Stanley and named after the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII. The Rutshuru river flows into the lake, which covers 4,000 sq. kms and is 80 kilometers long and 50 kilometers wide.

From Mweya, there are a number of well established game viewing circuits which can be explored from the convenience of a vehicle. Hiding in the scrub near Mweya are bushbuck, Defassa waterbuck, banded mongoose and warthog while large herds of the graceful Uganda Kob graze further along the track.

North of the main gate is the crater area, one of the most scenic parts of the park. Head for bamboo cliffs which are surrounded by a series of dramatic craters and are home to buffalo, waterbuck, kob, lions and elephants.
At Lake Katwe, one of the crater lakes in the area, its possible to see salt being mined using rudimentary methods.

To the east of the main tarmac road lie the wetlands of Lake George, a wetland of international importance protected under the Ramsar convetion. Bird watchers will delight in this place, with a large number of species present. You may even see the elusive shoebill stork. On the drive to Kasenyi on the shores of Lake George keep an eye out for Lions hiding in the grass.

One of the major delights of any visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park is the launch trip along the Kazinga Channel from Mweya. Many who experience it consider it the highlight of their entire African Safari. From the relative safety of your boat you can watch hundreds of hippos at close range. From this point of view you can observe buffaloes, waterbucks, elephants and sometimes the Lions and Leopards coming down to drink water at the water's edge and enjoy the tremendous display of bird life.
The many fish in the channel attract a number of waterbirds, such as pelicans, saddlebill storks, fish eagles, cormorants, skimmers and kingfishers. Look closely along the shores and you will see monitor lizards in the grass.
The trip lasts about two hours and there are three trips each day: at 0800 (the best time to go), 1100 and 1500.

Another unforgettable experience to be enjoyed in the north sector of the park is the foot safari through Kyambura Gorge. As you walk quietly through an enchanting rainforest along the river, you're likely to see black and white colobus, red tailed monkeys and chimpanzees.

For those seeking a more individual experience, make your way down the south sector of the park, which has its headquarters at Ishasha. The rugged experience of this area is quite a contrast of the relative comforts of Mweya and its surrounding areas.

The rest camp and game viewing loops are less accessible and more isolated; the topography is open grassland with scattered acacia trees as well as a remarkable floating fig forest along the banks of Lake Albert.