KIDEPO- Nestled above rocks, the Adere lies on the rugged, semi-arid Kidepo rocks that seem to be more than 1,000 years old.

Although deep in the Semi desert, the dazzling ‘Adere Safari lodge sits in green scenery, built above the rocks that spread like a white sheet in Kalukudo village, Lokori Sub-county in Karenga District.

The ‘Adere Safari lodge’, is meant to symbolize the ‘services offered at the Hotel,’ it also symbolizes a meeting place for adventure.

The Adere Safari lodge is designed to be a haven from the hustle and bustle; it is an ideal place for tourists.

With the name picked from the Teso/Luo ethnic tribes in Eastern/Northern, Uganda, Adere, loosely means Calabash, it is derived from Iteso Language, a term used for artifacts made from a hard shell of a fruit of the guard family.

And once the calabash is dried and hollowed out it can be used for serving or storing food and could also be used as cosmetic container for keeping certain special things, Adere, therefore, symbolises the care you will get, with splendor and delight while at Adere Safari Lodges in Kidepo Valley national park.

The ‘Adere Safari lodge’, is meant to symbolise the ‘services offered at the Hotel,’ it also symbolizes a meeting place for adventure.

Adere Safari lodge, in the Kidepo Valley National Park in Karamoja sub-region, a gateway to stunning beautiful Kidepo National Park, will surprise you.

Not only is Adere Safari lodge a hotbed of outdoor recreation, but it also has a relaxing, more refined side that even the most avid rock climbing, mountain climbing, and Park trekking will appreciate.

And, I have to add, the person looking for a relaxing, not-so-active getaway will find just what they want, as well in Adere Safari lodge.

I had the privilege of being hosted by Adere Safari Lodge 10 July and its adjoining restaurant, Adere.  From the moment I arrived, the hotel created plenty of wow moments, which started with a complimentary craft beer hour and desert.

Ms Lydia Nadongo, the assistant Lodge manager says that at Adere Safari and lodge, you become part of this logo of humanitarian values and service we give to humankind; we call this inspiring concept ‘hospitality with a conscience’.

“We offer quality services and make your comfort our priority during your stay with us. the hotel provides the same kind of comfort for all visitors irrespective of where you come from,” says Ms Nadongo.

Although deep in the wilderness, Adere Safari lodge is a wonder in the wilderness. The hotel is a getaway with a picture-perfect view of Kidepo valley national park.

If there was a place that you visited and your breath was not taken away, ‘Adere Safari Lodge’ would take away your breath.

Right from the entrance which is guarded by very old big stones, one is able to clearly see the magnificent Kidepo Valley national park and deduce that he/she has come in a new place with rich experience.

For those who love swimming, this is a perfect place for you to visit. It is no joke that the concept of a cascade of water falling in this semi-desert through the stones proves, again and again, to be one of Earth’s most captivating natural wonders.

Exterior décor at Adere Safari Lodge, according to Nadongo, counts as much as the interior. Although it is located deep in Kidepo valley national Park, the hotel maintains a feel of the wilderness. The result is a fine place for outdoor parties and for the children to run around.

“People will be treated to the natural colours around the compound that signify nature and life while the rocky and stony structures reflect the traditional art of Karamojong, the local people. The trees also provide a naturally air-conditioned environment,” says Ms Nadongo.

“The hotel aims to create a rendezvous that caters to both local and foreign tourists and anyone who wishes to meet in a setting that is both conducive for business and an intimate social gathering is welcome,” adds Ms Nadongo.

Why not realise African wild places instead of just imagining them? Tourists looking forward to have their time in the less congested rich African Savannah plains should never miss a visit to Adere’s Safari Lodge in Kidepo valley national park; you will be embraced with double wild safari reviews.

Sightseeing

At Adere Safari Lodge, you will have an opportunity to visit Narus valley, in the heart of the park, a savannah landscape that extends far beyond the gazetted area, towards horizons outlined by distant mountain ranges.

At the Adere view tower, you will see as far as Southern Sudan and notice that Kidepo is Uganda’s most isolated national park, and that a few people who make the long journey north through the wild frontier region of Karamoja would agree that it is also the most magnificent, for Kidepo ranks among Africa’s finest wildernesses.

Accommodation

Adere Safari lodge in the heart of Kidepo Valley National Game Park boasts of hand-made architecture by local craftsmen and comprises 20 self-contained rooms.

Adere Safari Lodges boasts of a Conference Hall, Board Room, a restaurant, a bar and a magnificent compound overlooking Kidepo valley national park, the place is sufficient for relaxing outdoor activities.

“And we also have a swimming pool deep in this African wilderness. The place being a Semi-desert, our swimming pool becomes ideal for tourists,” said Ms Nadongo.

Adere Safari lodge takes pride in the swimming pool at the lodge, describing it as “deep and cool – carved out of the big rocks and the kind of pool that makes you want to jump in, splashing and yelling, feeling like a child again.”

She explained that Adele provides family cottages at $ 700 dollar [about Shs 2570434.3] per night while single rooms go for $250 [ about Shs 918, 012.25] and double rooms go for $ 360 [about Shs 1,321,937.64] a night.

While at Adere Safari Lodge, you will be provided with entertainment in form of local Karamojong music and dances, games and sports.

For Tourists

The hotel also occasionally provides guide in conjunction with Kidepo Valley national park management for visitors to Kanangorok hot springs, Ik ethnic tribe, Narus Valley, Mt Morungule, Namamukweny Valley, Lomej Hills, Mt Lonyili and many wild animals.

Adere Safari lodge is naturally modeled and the way the food is prepared and served, makes this place a unique gastronome in Kidepo valley national park, giving you a glimpse at why the place is named Adele that would literally mean to care.

“Some hotel stays are utterly forgettable—decent food, standard sheets, and a middle-of-the-road location. But some, you’ll remember for the rest of your life like Adere Safari lodge, you can luxuriate in one of the family suites, all with lavish surroundings,” said Ms Nadongo.

Special Adere Dish [Cuisine]

Being a place that attracts tourists, there are different types of foods from which to choose from but the Hotel offers a special menu only characteristic of Adere Safari Lodge.

Ms Nadongo says the hotel gives on special days a traditional dish Atapa and ebo, ekyadoi (vegetables] in Groundnut source or local chicken prepared locally without oil.

“Although the main course has a selection of grills such as chicken, lamb chops, steak and fish fillet, deserts like mixed fruits, fresh fruits, pineapple and fruit platter are also served, we want to entertain our visitors to our local foods, we want them to feel the taste,” said Ms Nadongo.

Wine and dine

Adere Safari lodge hotel sells French wines, brandy, vodka, vintage champagne, rum, cherry, gin, special mint julep plus many other spirits.

The bar’s most popular cocktails include the Caribbean cocktail, which has banana, mango, lime and orange, the Nairobi night cocktail made using coffee, cream, ice cream and crushed ice, and the Strawberry delight made from strawberries, ice cream and soda. I had strips of bacon, fish fillet and queen prawns in mushroom sauce and tomatoes topped with cashew nuts and served with pasta twists at only Shs8,000.

Other activities

At Adere Safari lodge, Ms Nadongo says they will take you for bird watching, trekking, traditional Caves, safari game drives and the animals seen on game drives in Kidepo include lions, elephants, buffalo, zebras, jackals, warthogs and different types of antelopes that include the beautiful klipspringer.

UWA public Relations officer Mr Bashir Hangi says Kidepo Valley national park is surrounded by local communities of the Karamojong and IK people and that travelers to this wilderness national park should include a cultural tour on the top activities to do in Kidepo Valley National Park.

He adds that the Karamojong and IK are similar to the Masai of Kenya and a cultural tour to these people will help you discover the unique culture of this remote tribe with the Lorukul Cultural Group or other cultural groups bordering the park.

So for the ardent traveler, who has been keeping Kidepo valley national park off their itinerary for fear of not having the comforts of a good hotel, worry not.

About Kidepo Valley National Park

Kidepo Valley National Park lies in the rugged, semi-arid valleys between Uganda’s borders with Sudan and Kenya, some 700km from Kampala. Gazetted as a national park in 1962, it has a profusion of big game and hosts over 77 mammal species and a total of about 475 bird species.

Kampala to Kidepo valley national park is 571 km off tarmac and murram road, this park is little visited by tourists yet its wild rich experience embraces gem such as the Narus river valley with lines of buffalo stretched to the horizon, hundreds of elephants are always met streaming along this valley close to Lonyili Mountains.

New rankings by the World Statistics website Worldometer have placed Uganda among the top countries that are managing the Covid19 pandemic better globally.

The country which is currently undergoing the second total lockdown after the emergence of the Delta variant of the Covid19 virus has so far recorded only 1,873 deaths from 84,852 positive cases confirmed.

Out of the total 84,852 positive cases recorded since March 2020, 54,845 have so far been treated using both local remedies and pharmaceutical remedies and have totally recovered.

This places Uganda on top of many developed economies both in Africa and overseas as far as management of Covid19 is concerned including our East African counterparts Kenya, West African giants Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, and Tunisia among others.

Since the first Covid 19 infection was confirmed in the country in March 2020, Uganda focused on preventing the spread of the novel virus to its large population. The country underwent a lockdown that led to slowness in the spread of the virus.

The second lockdown that was imposed in June 2021 has been credited for reducing the speed the way the virus was spreading. The number of deaths are also going down and the panic for need of hospital beds has reduced.

The Uganda Police in Nwoya District in Northern Uganda is hunting for a 24-year-old man over allegedly killing his father after he mocked him for being single and impotent.

The resident of Pakiya Village, Lii Sub County in Nwoya District reportedly kicked his 50-year-old father, Mr Richard Oneka, on the abdomen twice on Wednesday evening after his father mocked him. This led to the death of the father. He died instantly after the incident.

Seeing that his father has died the suspect flee the scene. He took off and the police is on search for this 25 year old man.

The police officer in charge of Nwoya Central Police Station (CPS), Mr Kenneth Agaba said the incident happened a few minutes after the duo returned home from a drinking joint.

Whereas police were still investigating what exactly led to the incident, Mr Agaba explained that a preliminary finding indicated that the suspect was reportedly angered by the deceased’s utterances prompting him to react.