THINGS TO DO AT PIAN UPE GAME RESERVE
Pian Upe Game Reserve is one of Uganda's greatest places for protecting animals. It is situated in northeastern Uganda in Karamoja region. It covers 2788 square kilometers and is currently administered by the Mount Elgon Conservation Area. This reserve is regarded as the country's second-largest conservation area, behind Murchison Falls National Park.
The Matheniko Game Reserve and the Bokora Wildlife Reserve encircle Pian Upe game reserve on both sides.
Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve's scenery includes: mountains, rocky outcrops, and expansive plains. There is a good diversity of birds, reptiles, and large mammals in Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve. The reserve offers visitors the chance to see zebras, elands, gazelles, and oribi. Hedgehogs, spotted hyenas, civets, jackals, leopards, topi, cheetahs, wildcats, buffaloes, roan antelopes, reebucks, Duikers, Dik-dik, waterbucks, hares, porcupines, the rock hyrax, aardvarks, and the Ugandan Kob are among the other fauna.
In pian upe game reserve, we also find vervet monkeys, olive baboons, and patas monkeys. It is also home to reptiles such as chameleons, rock pythons, puff adders, water snakes, skinks, geckos, and monitor lizards. The most exquisite bird in this area is the ostrich. The two main tribes that live near this vast wilderness are the Pian, a sub-division of the Karamojong, and the Upe, a cross between the Kalenjin and Karamojong. The name Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve comes from these two indigenous African tribes.
FACTS ABOUT PIAN UPE GAME RESERVE
To go to Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve from Kampala, you must first drive to Mbale town. This trek takes five hours to finish. The park offices are located next to the Mbale-Moroto highway. The extra 90 kilometers from Mbale to the park offices is a two-hour drive. The offices are where all reservations and other arrangements for activities within the reserve can be made.
ACTIVITIES TO DO AT PIAN UPE GAME RESERVE:
GAME DRIVES:
During a guided game drive throughout the vast plains of the Pian Upe wildlife reserve, there is a chance to observe rare animals like cheetahs, ostriches, and the Roan antelope. This is the only place in Uganda where roan antelopes may be found.
As said before, Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve game drives are great during the dry season but could become unpleasant during the rainy one. You will need a vehicle with adequate air conditioning in the dusty/dry season and a sturdy four-wheel drive vehicle to handle the muddy roads during the rainy season. You often have to make your own way to certain places because the roads inside the reserve are in terrible shape.
BIRDWATCHING:
When it comes to bird watching, Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve is comparable to the largest national parks. In terms of bird density, it is ranked second only to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The most exquisite bird species seen here is the enormous ostrich. Ostriches can escape from predators and tend to their young in the vast, parched plains. Because there are less large trees and other vegetation, they have a clear view of their environment and any potential threats. Ostriches are among the more than 240 bird species that can be spotted here.
CLIMBING ROCKS AND MOUNTAIN HIKES:
Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve is also surrounded by climbing rocks, beautiful hills, and mountains worth hiking through. You can embark on the less challenging hiking experiences on Mount Napak (2538m), Mt. Kadam (3063m) or go for Mount Moroto hiking adventures to challenge yourself on elevation of 3083m.
CULTURAL/COMMUNITY WALKS /TOURS
Pian Upe Wildlife also gives a terrific opportunity for you to understand in depth about the Karamojong customs, traditions and other activities. Residents of the Karamojong community will amuse you on your community tour, and interacting with them is really fulfilling.
Guides for nature walks are available from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Taking one of the nature walks is arguably the best way to experience the reserve. The walks will give you the amazing sensation that you are in the actual African wilderness because there aren't many people around. This cannot be said of Murchison Falls or other huge national parks.
CAVE EXPLORATION:
Some of the rocks in the game reserve have ancient rock painting on them. One such rock is the Napendio cave. This cave is considered sacred by the natives, but it also features amazing artwork of baboons and antelopes. These paintings were made thousands of years ago, when the first human settlers came to the area. Another interesting cave is the Napedet cave. The Napedet cave was a significant hunting area for the Karamajong and Pokwot tribes. Here, hunters were given meat that had been barbecued. Cooking stones that are over 500 years old may still be found here.
The Ancient artwork depicting giraffes, elands, warthogs, and roan antelopes adorns the cave's walls. In addition to the artwork, these tunnels offer a breathtaking perspective of the surrounding area and its incredible wildlife. For 15,000 shillings, you can camp in the bush next to the caverns.
One of the two dry seasons and one of the rainy seasons are the ideal times of year to explore Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve. The driest months of the year are January through March. After the April through October rains, the leaves stay green even though November and December are likewise dry.
The majority of visitors choose to travel during the dry season, which lasts from January to March. The animals congregate around the few surviving water holes during the dry season, making seeing them easier. Due to the poor state of the park's roads, visiting during the rainy season (April to October) is not recommended. Even with the toughest four-wheel drive vehicles, driving on the muddy roads became quite challenging.
For the majority of the year, Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve is quite hot during the day and cold at night, so wear light, warm clothing. You should bring light clothing (sleeveless shirts and shorts) and comfortable evening attire to deal with the increased heat, especially during the dry season. During the day, it can get rather hot, especially if you are coming from a cold winter back home. Travelers can make campfires to remain warm at night while admiring the magnificent Milky Way.
Bug repellents: Similar to the majority of Uganda's national parks, this wildlife reserve is home to a wide variety of bug species. Some cause excruciating stings.
LODGING AT PIAN UPE GAME RESERVE
Pian Upe Game Reserve offers two different kinds of lodging: Uganda Wildlife Authority-owned bungalows and inexpensive, male, self-contained tents. You can also camp at the reserve with your own tents for around $5. Rice, chicken, and Rolex are among the dishes. You can make and bring your own meals if you're camping.
For the people who enjoy learning new things, a trip to pian upe game reserve would be quite fulfilling.