IN JANUARY 2012, THIS IMAGE WAS SELECTED AS A JUDGES’ FAVOURITE IN THE TRAVEL WORD’S PHOTO OF THE YEAR 2011.
This beautiful shot of two sleepy lions resting in a tree was taken in Kidepo Valley National Park – the most remote and spectacular safari destination in Uganda. Enclosing two river valleys, it is an oasis in the middle of a vast area of inhospitable territory.
The park offers vistas of rocky outcrops (kopjes) and this is where the lions are usually spotted. Uganda’s famed ‘tree-climbing’ lions are more often found in the southern part of the country in Ishasha, Queen Elizabeth National Park. Kidepo, however, is the only park in Uganda where you can catch a glimpse of an ostrich.
As well as taking in its diverse wildlife, no visit to this region would be complete without paying your respects to the ‘tired old men who stayed behind’ or local Karamojong homesteads. These nomadic pastoralists – who live and die for cattle – have an immeasurable pride in maintaining their traditional way of life amidst an arid expanse of sweeping gold savannah and bush.
Accommodation options in and around the park range from the luxurious comfort of Apoka Lodge or the
