Uganda is globally renowned for gorilla and chimpanzee trekking and rightly so. Over half of the world’s mountain gorilla population lives in Uganda, making it a once-in-a-lifetime experience to track them in the rainforests of Bwindi or Mgahinga.
But there’s so much more to Uganda than gorillas.
If you come only for the great apes and leave, you’ll miss out on some of the most fascinating and lesser-known parts of the country like Karamoja, a region in northeastern Uganda that deserves a top spot on your 2025 travel list. Here’s why:
- A Living Culture
Karamoja is one of the few places in the world where traditional pastoralist culture is still alive and thriving. Despite modern influences, the Karamojong people take deep pride in their customs from distinctive dress and dances to community gatherings like the vibrant edonga courtship ceremony.
What sets Karamoja apart is that visitors aren’t just spectators. Through community-based tourism, you’re invited in to visit homesteads, walk with cattle herders, attend traditional markets, and even meet with local herbalists. You don’t just observe the culture. You experience it.
- Wildlife Without the Crowds
Karamoja is home to one of Uganda’s most impressive national parks: Kidepo Valley National Park often called the country’s hidden gem. Bordering South Sudan and Kenya, it offers vast open savannahs, rugged ridges, and outstanding wildlife viewing, including four of the Big Five (everything except rhino).
Expect to see elephants, lions, leopards, giraffes, zebras, and large buffalo herds often without another vehicle in sight. The region also includes lesser-visited reserves like Pian Upe, Bokora, and Matheniko, where conservation efforts are growing and rhino reintroduction is on the horizon.
- Birding Paradise
With over 460 bird species, Karamoja is a dream for birdwatchers. Kidepo Valley National Park alone is one of Uganda’s best birding destinations, home to dry savannah species you won’t find elsewhere in the country like the Clapperton’s francolin, Karamoja apalis, and superb starlings.
In the green and expansive plains of Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, you might spot ostriches striding across the landscape, bustards rising from the grass, and secretary birds stalking their prey. Whether you’re a seasoned birder or just beginning, Karamoja’s birdlife will surprise and delight you.
- Unforgettable Landscapes and Hiking
Though much of Karamoja is open plains, volcanic mountain ranges rise dramatically from the land. Mount Moroto (3,083m), Mount Kadam (3063), and Mount Morungole (2,749) are excellent for hiking — offering solitude, panoramic views, and cultural encounters with mountain communities along the way.
If you enjoy walking off the beaten path (literally), Karamoja offers that rare kind of raw, unfiltered beauty where trails are shaped by footsteps and each summit tells a story.
- Stay at Our Guesthouse
Since 2018, Alakara Guest House has welcomed travelers looking for more than just a place to sleep. Located on the border of the Karamoja and Teso regions, our guesthouse is built for connection to land, culture, and community.
Here, you’re not just a guest. You join the rhythm of daily life. Help out on the farm, pump water from the borehole, cook with local ingredients (many grown on-site), and participate in music and dance workshops with local artists.
We don’t aim to be a hotel. We aim to be a home where visitors and locals meet, share, and grow together.
In 2025, come for the gorillas but don’t leave without discovering Karamoja.
Reach out to us at Alakara Reiser to plan your journey. We’re here to help you explore Uganda’s best-kept secrets.
