Colourful Karamoja
Absorb the vibrancy of eastern Uganda as you explore off the beaten track with unforgettable experiences! Feel the thrill of abseiling through rainbows at Sipi Falls and imbibe the knowledge of fresh coffee roasting techniques on volcano slopes. Feel the freedom of motorbiking through a vast wilderness landscape, share in the arts and culture of traditional Karamojong life and spend an unforgettable night kraal camping under the stars with nomadic warriors. A truly unique trip through eastern Uganda lies outside of the national parks!
Destinations: Sipi Falls, Karamoja
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Itinerary - Colourful Karamoja [TACP6-014]
Day One
Abseiling at Sipi Falls
Drive from Kampala or Entebbe to Sipi Falls, Kapchorwa.
Estimated journey time: 6 hrs
You’ll walk from your accommodation along to the top of the ridge above Sipi Falls to where you’ll begin your 100m/300ft abseil. Once you reach the ridge, your guide Rob will carry out a safety briefing and either he or a colleague will demonstrate the descent. Take a deep breath and look out across the savannah and marvel in what you’re about to achieve. You will abseil 10m to the right of the waterfalls which will start with a 30m rock face which you can walk down backward in your harness whilst talking to your guides above. At 70m you’ll kick off from the rock and start to spin slightly. The total ascent takes about 10 minutes. Look down and you’ll see lush green foliage and a circular rainbow that you’re about to pass through. It's at this point that you’ll be able to relax as your certified guides lower you to two colleagues at ground level where you’ll land in paradise.
Estimated excursion time: 2 hrs
Meals included: Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Sipi River Lodge, riverside banda.
Day Two
Coffee Processing
Meet a local guide who will accompany you on a coffee processing tour, along a network of trails leading through the lush farmland surrounding Sipi Falls. Sipi Arabica coffee has received worldwide recognition for quality and is widely produced in the region, creating an important source of income to local farmers. Your route also offers some fantastic views as you pass along hillsides and ridges, with commanding views up to Mount Elgon and across the savannah plains below. Along the way you'll pick, prepare and roast your own coffee beans; hopefully resulting in a tasty cup of coffee! As well as being an insightful visit to allow you to learn about the source of coffee production, it’s an excellent way to meet the local community to learn about their lives. The proceeds from this walk are donated to the local farmers to supplement their income, allowing them to further develop their production of Sipi Arabica in a more secure environment.
Estimated excursion time: 4 hrs
Drive from Sipi Falls to Moroto.
Estimated journey time: 5 hrs
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Karamoja Backpackers, furnished double room.
Day Three
The Ultimate Karamoja Experience
Experience a lifestyle that has been passed on for many generations by visiting a traditional manyatta homestead. This is a participatory excursion and not a sightseeing tour, which will see you being introduced to the beating heart of the community. The community that you will visit will be continuing with their daily life during your visit, which has remained relatively unchanged from that of their ancestors. On arrival you will be sure to receive a warm welcome and be invited to join in with the local daily domestic activities. This unforgettable experience will have you learning to prepare local meals, the songs and dance of traditional folklore, skills to craft traditional Karamojong beads, experience the ancient traditions of foreseers, listen to elders who will impart traditional stories and play traditional Karamojong games! By visiting this manyatta, you are supporting the community to preserve their unique and vibrant culture.
Estimated excursion time: 2 - 3 hrs
This evening you will gain a taste of the typical Karamojong pastoral life by spending time with former Karamojong warrior nomads and now passionate cattle herders. You will be camping for the night with all equipment provided in a local kraal, a traditional enclosure used by herders to protect their livestock overnight. In the late afternoon as the heat of the day is passing, you will join a group of herders from the Karamojong tribe and bring the cattle into the kraal for the night. Here you will have time to socialise with the herders, learn to identify the local greens, experience local traditions such as spearing a cow for blood to drink, eating roast with a communal meal, then listen to traditional stories and even get your own Karimojong name! All set around the crackling campfire and under a breathtaking starry sky.
Estimated excursion time: 10 hrs (overnight)
*Any group member can decide at any time not camp in the kraal and return to town for the night to sleep, this is included in your safari price as standard.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Kraal Camp or Karamoja Backpackers, furnished double room.
Day Four
Karamoja Boda Boda Tour
Take some time out to relax and unwind from your safari. The blend of traditional friendly hospitality with modern comforts lends Karamoja Backpackers as the ideal place to do this. Enjoy a cool drink from the bar and relax under a shaded tree or from the public verandah away from the heat of the day.
Truly explore off the beaten track and immerse yourself in the landscape of Karamoja on a two-wheeled adventure. Along with your local guide you will travel on peaceful rural roads by motorbike, following the routes known only to the locals. You’ll be making your way into the foothills of Mount Moroto, where you can take a walk along the hillside to the villages perched on the mountain slopes and explore a local market. This trip offers you a more personal experience as you’re removed from the confines of your car and you imbibe the sights, sounds and meet the local people of Karamoja.
Estimated excursion time: 4 hrs
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Karamoja Backpackers, furnished double room.
Day Five
Journey Home
Drive from Moroto to Kampala or Entebbe.
Estimated journey time: 9 hrs
Meals included: Breakfast, Packed Lunch.
Accommodation: Not included.
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