KARENGA – When one talks about Adere, many people will definitely refer to a local potent gin or brew, [Ajono] prepared locally in Teso, but Adere Safaris Lodge goes beyond this.
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 lodges is designed to be a haven from the hustle and bustle, it is an ideal place for tourists.
Nestled above rocks, the lodge lies on the rugged, semi-arid Kidepo rocks that seem to be as old as 1000 years, the dazzling ‘Adere Safari lodges sit in green scenery, is 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 symbolise the ‘services offered at the Hotel,’ it also symbolizes a meeting place for adventure.
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.
Until recently, when I had the opportunity to get to Kidepo Valley National park in Karenga district, I was one of those people who believed that Adere only meant a calabash and those good hotels were only in Kampala.
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.
She explains that 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.
This place is designed to be a haven for tourists from the hustle and bustle of urban centres, it is an African wilderness; this is an ideal place for tourists, a place you must visit.
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.
Ms Nadongo says Adere Safari and Lodges offers 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.
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.
Ms Nadongo takes pride in the swimming pool at the lodge, describing it as “deep and cool – carved out of the big rocks. 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.
Adere will provide entertainment to all guests in form of local Karamojong music and dances, games and sports.
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 gastrodome in Kidepo valley national park, giving you a glimpse at why the place is named Adele that would literally mean to care.
Mr Johnson Masereka, the Kidepo valley national park chief warden described Adele Safari lodge as a pleasure fortress, it is all about attention to detail at this ravishing, deeply luxurious Adere Safari lodge.
“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 Mr Masereka.
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 Shs8000.
Ms Nadongo says the main course has a selection of grills such as chicken, lamb chops, sticks and fish fillet and adds that desserts like a platter of mixed fruits like pineapple, watermelon, and pawpaws.
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.
She adds that they take their visitors out for camping to various places at Kidepo Valley national park and beyond.
Mr Stephen Naydru, warden in charge of tourism says Kidepo Valley national park is surrounded by local communities of the Karamajong and IK people and that travellers to this wilderness national park can 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 of 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.
