I just came back from three weeks in Uganda and want to share with you my experience:
Kidepo NP
The first week I went with Africa Adventure Safaris to Kidepo NP. Most of the travelagengies I contacted where not able to arrange this tour for one person but they managed it and very well! Their credentials was also very good on Lonely Planet.
The guide (Douglas) was a very skilled and friendly person, always on time and fun to be with. When you travel single a guide can maken or brake the experience. He made a big difference!
Accomodation was amazing and a suprise. In Kidepo NP I stayed in the new and unkown NGA Moru. What an amazing place to be. Almost in of the park wht views I hve never experienced so far in 20 years of traveling. With looking into both Kenia and Sudan in the same view!
Thas place might be far above normal buget but was worth it every dollar.
Wilbur the manager of this family business (Africa Adventure Safaris) understands how to make his customers feel like a king and reaaly took time to find the right guide and driver for me. As soon as I arrived in Kampala he arranged a meeting to meet in person and to explain about him and his angency so I felt at home.
Getting into Kidepo in something else. Besides conflicting messages about safety we went there anyway but driving there is an adventure to begin with. Roads (if you can call it a road) starting from Gulu is really bad and goes through nowhere...
I have to say I was extremely lucky with the weather.
But on our way back it rained and the road are so bad and slippery we had to drive at the speed of walking and you had to fallow the track. This sounds so easy but prooved to be very difficult. We got stuck one time but within a minute 20 soldiers came out of the bush (and there was only bush and now villages or whatsoever)
and pushed us out! So all together 5 special day in the north of Uganda and this was just the beginning)
If you can afford it and what to go to Kideop I can really recommend Wilbur from Africa Adventure Safaris
Around Fort Portal and Semliki NP
This trip was arranged by a guy I met on this uganda branch of the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree. I had some questions about Semliki NP which he answered properly and then suggested to organsise things with his onw travel agency (simbasafaris).
My impression was these guys are just starting (nothing wrong with that) but I could experience it in every part of the trip. Arthur (manager of simbasafaris) really did his best to make it work but he clearly lacks experience.
The trip to Semliki Np was amazing though and walking in the park was beautiful! It was not primary forest but so much to see like different animals and hot springs. Most of the people that come there just take the short walk of one or two hours (according to the rangers). But Arthur arranged a long walk for me (6 hours) so we could really walk deep into the park.
If you are going there ask for ranger and guide Johnson for he loves the long walks and enjoys to show you the special places in the forest and takes time to enjoy!
Accomodation (vanilla) in Bundibuqyo is very basic. Food was okay but no flowing water and pretty noisy of the tv and people comming there. I wouldn't go back there!
All together the lack of experience and the way they communicated with my during the tour, make me to recommend them for Semliki NP but that's it. The day before and after had a very strange atmosphere and it dindn't feel good to me...It felt they used me to find out fro themselves...
In and around Bwindi NP
What a way to end your trip. Walking with Everist from Nkuringo Walking Safaris. And what a difference with experience of the travel agency of the previous trip. Every hour a pleasure of being there, getting information, getting involved in the whle way of living in and around Nkuringo and the Rushaga area.
We started from Kisoro and took the tree canoo on the lake Mutanda. Stayed one nigth on the beatiful Nkuringo Safari Lodge. And then four days of walking. I wlak between six and eigth hours a day and I have to say I was sometimes very hard of the heat, the climbing and descending but woth every step of it. Along the border with Congo where children don't even know the word "Mzungu" and other run away for seeing a white person!
Robert the manager knows what his client want and this tour met with my expectations. Accomodation and food matched the surrounding and atmosphere of the area ± basic rooms ,good food, friendly and experienced staff.
Everist the guide is the best you can get if you want a friendly enthousiastic and a skilled guides. He knows so much about the forest, the people and the animals.
Email me If you want more info.
Regards and enjoy Uganda!
Peter
