back from Kidepo and it was the best part of my trip!!!! (BooBoo thanks for the info and inspiration! here's my experience:
Went there via Gulu and Kitgum. From Kitgum to Karenga by truck (15000UsH / 4 + hrs) got stuck for an hour in Karenga (from the kids reactions I reckon there are extremely seldom any outsiders) before somebody there found me a working motorbike and drove me to the local UWA baracks outside the Park. No UWA jeeps there, another hour waiting, luckily a big truck left for Apoka. All in all started 9:00 in Kitgum and arrived at around 5:00 pm in Apoka. Was the only tourist at the Apoka Camp at that day.
The Bradt Guide says you can make it in one day from Gulu with an early start there, probaly optimistic, wouldn't count on it especially if you haven't organised onward transport from Karenga; and trucks from Kitgum seem to leave usually only in the morning. when I was in Kitgum somebody offered me to take me all the way on a bike, but I would definitely go for the trucks.
Think it's not a bad idea to allow for things to go wrong. we got stopped just 4 km outside Karenga by a cop with (of course) an AK47. Either the guys on the truck where smuggling something into Sudan or hadn't paid duty on their cargo. they were a bit vague about it. The cop wanted us to drive back to Kitgum which really dampened my spirits. I wasn't allowed to just walk the 4km to Karenga either.... all in all it took us almost an hour to negotiate a bribe to carry on.
Kidepo was unbelieveable beautiful. They got food (chapati and rice and something). really basic. take something with you if you ned more choice. everybody nice and very helpful.
on the way out a ranger drove me to Karenga and there was a truck to Kitgum. Was running out of time so I couldn't make the eastern leg through Karamajong which I still regret so much!
Had only around 3,5 days left to reach my flight out of Entebbe and there was no truck to Kaboong that day and would have been pretty optimistic with that timeframe to try it.
I asked the rangers for the roads in the east anyway. they said no problems, ambushs whatsoever in 2010 and the last incident they heard of was an NGO car being shot at in 2009. So with a few more days left I would have felt safe and comfortable enough to take this route.
the second day I was in Apoka a spanish tourgroup flew in, staying at the UWA camp continuing by bus. Probably nothing to count on, but I reckon if you're lucky you could "hitch a lift" with a charter plane that flies back empty to Kampala. probably one every other week.
p.s. next to the Acholi Pride guesthouse in Kitgum there's a UWA office. they hadn't any cars going the day I showed up but seemed nice and helpful.
Edited by: dr_fergusson
Edited by: dr_fergusson
