The Daily Telegraph ran a series of letters from readers about remote vacation destinations. Among them was this report about Kidepo:
Cut off from the familiar in a Ugandan national park
Kidepo Valley National Park, in north east Uganda, is where I headed with my family in 1992. We were lucky enough to spend four nights there, in rugged savannah country dominated by Mount Morungole and studded with rocky outcrops.
Kidepo is in an area of Uganda fringed by the borders of Kenya and South Sudan – and it is very remote. A vehicle went ahead from Kampala (nearly 450 miles (725km) from Kidepo), laden with fuel, water, beer and soft drinks, while we chartered a small plane, packed with basic provisions, for an amazing flight over swamps to the national park.
We camped at a deserted lodge overlooking the valley where elephants, zebras, warthogs, bucks and three giraffes roamed; poaching in Idi Amin’s time had taken its toll on the game population.
Cut off from our familiar world, we walked in the bush, never saw another human being and were overwhelmed by the breathtaking landscapes, the huge skies and the unforgettable sunsets. It was a truly unique experience.
Patricia Kettle, Surrey