Gorilla Trekking and Karamoja Tour
Did you know you can do a gorilla trekking safari and Karamoja tour in one trip? Uganda, as a tourism nation, does not stop at providing visitors with epic flora and fauna displayed in her national parks but also offers cultural tours. These tours help the visitors to uncover and trace the origin and foundation of its people.
Gorilla trekking in Uganda
Uganda is the epitome of a spanning gorilla trekking experience like no other. This is why Uganda is a top gorilla trekking destination in the world. The country is located in the East Africa region, a hotspot for any wildlife adventure in the world. Gorilla trekking is a major tourist activity in the country. It refers to identifying a particular gorilla family and, with the guidance of the rangers, traverse the dense vegetation to the family habitat and spend an hour in the presence of the gorillas.
One may wonder why it is a major activity, well, it’s because the country is among the only three remaining natural habitats of mountain gorillas. The other two are Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is for this reason that the mountain gorilla primates are considered endangered species. The Virunga conservation area is the only natural habitat of endangered mountain gorillas. This area starts in Virunga National Park of the Democratic Republic of Congo, stretching to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and then circles Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park of Uganda. These two Ugandan national parks are the only places in the country that offer gorilla trekking adventure experiences.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in the southwestern part of Uganda. It stretches through the districts of Kabale, Kanungu, and Kisoro. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the best gorilla trekking destination in all of the destinations in the Virunga conservation area. This is because the park hosts over half of the remaining mountain gorilla population in the world. This guarantees any visitor to the park to encounter these endangered mountain gorillas.
Bwindi also has the most gorilla families of about 50 and even the most habituated one of 26. The park goes further with the four gorilla sectors that ease the location of the trekked gorilla family. These gorilla sectors include Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija, and Nkuringo. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park was gazetted in 1992, soon after the discovery and sighting of mountain gorillas in the area. Long before that, it was a forest reserve that protected some rare flora species and also one of the oldest forests in the world, dating to over 25,000 years ago.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park comes second to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park as a gorilla trekking destination in the country. It was established in 1991 from a forest reserve following the sighting of mountain gorilla primates in the mountains of this area. The park borders Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park in the south. It harbors over 100 mountain gorillas with only one habituated gorilla family, fitting for its 33.1 square kilometer area size.
Cost of a gorilla trekking permit in Uganda
Gorilla trekking in Uganda requires a gorilla trekking permit presented to the guide ranges at the briefing point to allow you to trek the gorillas. This permit can only be purchased from the Uganda Wildlife Authority through a locally registered tour operator. Gorilla trekking permit costs range from nationality to region of the visitors. Foreign non-residents pay USD 800 for a gorilla permit, foreign residents pay USD 700, and East African citizens, including Ugandans, pay UGX 300,000 for a gorilla permit.
Karamoja Tour in Uganda
The Karamoja tour is incredible. It takes visitors on a rollercoaster of adventure and discovery of the cultural heritage and history of the Karamoja people. Karamoja is a place in the northern region of Uganda that borders South Sudan in the north and Kenya in the east. This region is one of the few remaining places in Africa where you can explore the untamed African culture on display. Among the cultures in the country, the Karamoja region has failed to bow down to civilization with many efforts taken by the government. This region of Karamoja is still up to date, practicing its cultural norms and values. Embarking on a Karamoja tour feels like a trip down ancient memory lane.
The origin of the Karimajong
The Karamoja region is made up of three groups of people, including the Dodoso, Jie, and Karamojong. They are part of the Nilotic ethnic group believed to have migrated from Ethiopia. History has it that as this large group of Nilotic people was moving, it separated into many other smaller groups that settled in areas of Kenya, South Sudan, and Uganda, with others staying in Ethiopia.
The Karamojong people of Uganda are our main concern. It is believed that the Karamojong people were originally the Jie people. As they were migrating, they reached a point and, in their language, exclaimed that “ekar ngimojong,” which is translated as the old men can no longer walk. This led to them settling in this area of Uganda and the cluster of the Karamojong people was born.
The Karamoja tour is a one-way ticket to discovering the virgin culture of the Karamojong people. While on this tour, visitors can explore the cultural villages and interact with the cultural elders who will feed them with up-to-date information about their culture and history. The Karamoja tour has a lot in store for its visitors as unveiled below.
Village tours
A Karamoja tour takes visitors on a discovery documentary of the villages of these Nilotic ethnic people. The Karamojong villages are well-designed, with architectural genius from the local engineers. The villages represent the culture, heritage, and history of the people of this area. These tours give a virtual insight into the traditional African settling pre-colonial era.
Cultural experiences
The Karamojong people have jealously protected their culture from the outside world by standing up to Western civilization pressures that would erode their culture. In the whole of Africa, there are very few places left that showcase the virgin and untamed African cultures. And Karamoja is one of those very few. Visitors on Karamoja tours can experience the cultural experiences of these people who have just been recently allowed in their area. The people of this region are mainly pastoralists who move with their livestock in search of pasture and water. Their region lies in the semi-arid climate region and hence receives a prolonged dry season. Their herding practices and love for their cattle are one thing that will stand out as you explore their culture. Visitors can also participate in their cultural games like wrestling.
Over the years, the Karamojong people have been refusing people outside their region to tour and explore their land and even have been labeled hostile because of this. However, now visitors have a chance to explore the cultures of the Karamojong people.
