Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve

Expert Reviews (3)

Sort By: Most helpful 1-1 of 1 Reviews

Expert

Charlotte Beauvoisin –

Visited: November

Charlotte lives in Uganda and is a writer, blogger, volunteer and promoter of birding, conservation and responsible tourism. She writes for Fodor’s, Horizon Guides and Bradt, and runs an award-winning blog.

An Altogether Different Country

Overall rating

4/5

Wildlife:

Bush Vibe:

Scenery:

Birding:

If you think of Uganda and picture forests and hilly banana plantations, then the northeast will be a revelation: wide stretches of flat ground with a scattering of tiny villages and the mountains of Napak, Kadam and Moroto frame expansive horizons.

Pian is one of the few places in Uganda where you can see cheetah, Bohor reedbuck, ostrich, klipspringer and roan antelope. Our bird-monitoring team added greyish eagle owl, endemic Karamoja apalis and stone partridges to their life lists.

On my last trip to Pian Upe, we drove mile after mile of dusty red marram roads, as (slow) works were underway to tarmac the road. Thankfully, we had a plan (and a guide who spoke one of the local languages). Without one, you’ll find few tourism facilities, but changes are afoot. Nubian giraffes have been reintroduced, the airstrip at Kidepo is being worked on, and the reserve is due for an upgrade to national park status. I’m curious to return for longer: not only to search for ‘Karamoja Special’ birds but to explore local cultures. Despite the very obvious human poverty, I was really struck by the colourful traditional-style dress and the radically different peoples they represent.

Was this review helpful? Yes No