Apoka Safari Lodge
LOCATION: Remote wildlife-rich Kidepo Valley National Park in northeastern Uganda.
SETTING: The Kidepo and Narus Valleys, with their sweeping grasslands punctuated with rocky outcrops and surrounded by mountains, offer some of the best animal viewing in East Africa, in what many consider to be one of the most spectacular settings anywhere in Africa.
ACCOMMODATION: With everything handmade by local craftsmen, the 10 spacious and well-appointed rooms feature private verandahs, sitting areas with overstuffed couches, writing desks, and of course, views over the plains and wildlife passing by.
HIGHLIGHTS: Wildlife in Kidepo is abundant: lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, giraffe, zebra (this is Uganda’s only park where giraffe and zebra are found together), some of Africa’s largest herds of buffalo, along with hartebeest, waterbuck, bushbuck, warthog, and more. Open landscapes ensure quality sightings and excellent safari walks.
ACTIVITIES: Included activities are morning and evening game drives, and walking safaris. Optional cultural visits to a Karamajong village or Morungole Mountain trek to the remote IK Tribe, who are among the most traditional in Uganda.
CHILD POLICY: Children of all ages are welcome.
GETTING THERE: Regular scheduled flights to the Kidepo Airstrip near the lodge. Private charters are also available. Driving from Murchison or Kampala is possible, but not generally recommended due to the distances involved, though The Uganda Safari Company has options to break up the drives and also for exploring seldom visited, but culturally and scenery-rich, Eastern Uganda.
OPEN: Year round.
End of June/July – mid October: Rain season begins though this does vary from year to year
Temperatures are still warm and storms typically do not last for more than an hour
Mid-October – May: Dry weather with warmer temperatures.
(In either season it can get chilly in the evenings and early mornings)