Can you still find Authentic Africa Today?
In Search of Authentic Africa on Safari – Does it Still Exist?
Can you still find Africa as you imagined it in the 21st Century?
In Search of Authentic Africa on Safari in Uganda. Can you still find Authentic Africa on Safari in Uganda? The quest begins with your definition of Authentic Africa – of Real Africa.
Finding Authentic Africa, the continent as it used to be in the 21st Century, is becoming a fast-fading memory. It is easier to see in books and films that show the Africa that once was but is rarely experienced on today’s beaten tourist path. There are still a few places, even in Uganda. But they will always be on off-of-the-beaten Tourist Paths.
To most, Authentic, Real Africa means Tribes, People Groups, Villages, Wildlife, Scenery untouched by commercialization and Mass Tourism.
Most Cultural Encounters come in planned, commercialized Villages and Walks and Visits. Often the so-called interactive encounters are re-enactments of what once was. Today they are another cultural performance, not the authentic cultural experience you seek.
Here is the Question? Can you still find Authentic Africa? Can you still be an Authentic Africa with its culture and traditional ways? Yes, but each year it becomes harder to find. As Tourism expands, the path to what you might see and experience is further from what it was. Sometimes as in Uganda, more challenging to find and certainly off of the beaten way on the road, in most cases, less Traveled.
In Search of Authentic Africa on Safari in Uganda
You can still find Authentic Africa – Africa as it used to be on a Safari with us.
Embarking on a safari in Uganda is an excellent way to experience the authentic beauty, wildlife, and people of Africa. Here are some tips for finding an authentic African safari experience in Uganda:
Remote Karamoja, where you can visit Kidepo Valley Park:
For those in Search of Authentic Africa on Safari in Uganda. One of the best areas where one can still find the Africa that used to be, as you imagine, is n the remote Karamoja Region of Northeast Uganda.
Most Ugandan Presidents, including the British, ignored the Karamoja Region. President Museveni took a more hands-on approach, even appointing his wife as the Minister of Karamoja.
The Karamojong are fierce Warriors- Pastoralists were disarmed, the area was secured, and today is safe to travel. The region is also home to East Africa’s most remote and unvisited park, Kidepo Valley Park.
The park has received many accolades, including being one of the Wanderlust Movement’s Best Parks on the continent. Rated Number 3 Park on the Continent by CNN has less than ten new visitors enter it each day. You will encounter no other people on a game drive or hike than the abundant and varied wildlife found here.
Other people groups found here, such as the Ik People who live on the extinct Volcano, Mount Morungole. There is no road, only a path; visiting them will take a whole day. The views of the Mountains and the Rift Valley are breathtaking. Still, the authentic experience begins as you enter one of the villages of 11,000 remaining Ik, communities without stores, without most semblances of modernity, where the Bride’s Price are Beehives.
If you are In Search of Authentic Africa Safari in Uganda will take you to the Karamoja Region and Kidepo Valley Pak:
The Karamoja Region, Kidepo Valley National Park, and Pan Upen Wildlife Reserve in Uganda are excellent for an authentic African safari experience. Kidepo Valley National Park is located in northeastern Uganda, near the border with South Sudan. It is known for its remote and untouched wilderness, stunning landscapes, and diverse wildlife.
Kidepo Valley National Park is often called Uganda’s most remote national park, providing a unique safari experience away from the crowds. The park has many wildlife, including elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, and numerous antelope species. It is also a birdwatcher’s paradise, with over 475 bird species recorded in the park.
The Karamoja Region, where the park is located, is culturally rich and offers a chance to experience the traditional way of life of the Karamojong people. The region is known for its pastoral communities’ distinctive culture, formal dress, and cattle herding practices. Engaging with the local communities, such as the Iks on Mount NMorungole, can provide an immersive cultural experience and an opportunity to learn about their customs, traditions, and unique way of life.
When planning your Safari to the Karamoja Region and Kidepo Valley National Park, booking through a reputable tour operator or travel agency specializing in Ugandan safaris is advisable. They can arrange your accommodation and transportation and provide experienced guides knowledgeable about the region and its wildlife.
Remember to check the latest travel advisories and requirements before your trip, as conditions may change. Enjoy your adventure and have a memorable safari experience in Uganda!
In Search of Authentic Africa on Safari in Uganda- Here is Our Take:
We have taken quite a few clients on an Africa as used to on a Safari to the remote Karamoja Region of Northeast Uganda. A park with many Cultural and Natural Wonders, including Kidepo Valley Park, one renowned Photographer called “A lost Eden.”
If you are searching for Authentic Africa, we might be able to help. We are taking you to a region of Uganda, which today is as Africa was 50 Years ago.
The magical continent of Karen Blixen, Ernest, Beryl Markham, Winston Churchill, and others.
Most visit Uganda to see the Mountain Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Wildlife, and scenery. A few come to have what is called an authentic experience. The Real Question has to be asked, “What does Authentic Africa” mean to you?
Please contact us if you want to discover Authentic Africa in Uganda.
In Search of Authentic Africa on Safari in Uganda is often found off-the Beaten Tourist Path:
Authentic Africa, as you imagined, can still be found in Uganda. It is a long and arduous journey. The best way is to travel through the region and take in some of the hidden-away places along the Route that takes you along rugged Eastern and Northeastern Uganda. A journey that you will never forget. You can fly to Kidepo, but it is expensive, and you miss what you came for.
Reality: If you are coming to find the Africa that Winston Churchill encountered during his 1907 African Journey, you will be disappointed. You will not find it. Neither will you find Africa as Karen Blixen or Beryl Markham described, even that of Ernest Hemingway. History may evoke feelings of nostalgia that get you here, but the continent is changing daily.
In Search of Authentic Africa on Safari in Uganda
Uganda, since 1986 under the leadership of Yoweri Museveni, has steadily moved towards its destiny as an African Nation. Development is a permanent part of Uganda’s wealth creation, and a repeat visitor can readily see the progress in cities such as Kampala, Entebbe, and Jinja.
Ugandans might speak the best English on the continent, yet there are parks and places where the Africa you are looking for can still be found off-the-beaten-Tourist paths without the crowds.
Uganda’s Tourism Sector has mushroomed with a drastic increase in tourists because the country offers affordability, including Luxury Travelers. Gorilla Permits are $800 less than in higher-priced Rwanda.
Yet Uganda, unlike Rwanda, offers you places where you can find the Africa you imagine, only better. Safari experiences as they were 50 years ago but with much-improved transportation and lodging.
It is all a matter of expectations, wishes, and desires. You have to choose the experience you are looking for on your Safari.
