Apoka safari lodge is a luxury lodge located in Kidepo valley national park and owned Wild places, a group that has been operating in Uganda since 1993. The aim of the owners is to preserve Uganda’s wild places, the business has grown steadily over the years.
Kidepo Valley National Park is located within the rugged, semi-arid valleys between Uganda, Sudan and Kenya borders. It was gazetted as a national park in 1962 and the park has the big game, hosting over 77 mammal species as well as 475 bird species.
The park is most isolated and a few who make the long journey north through the wild region of Karamoja would agree that it’s the most magnificent. Apoka is located in the heart of the park, with its savannah landscape up to the gazetted area.
Kidepo Valley National park is found near Karenga in Kaabong District in the north-eastern corner of Uganda, Moroto, is the largest town in the sub-region. It is approximately 520 kilometres by road from Kampala, Uganda’s largest city.
Wild places Uganda also operate Semliki Safari Lodge in the 1990s and virtually saved the Toro-Semliki Game Reserve from de-gazetted Working hand in hand with (UWA) Uganda Wildlife Authority and Indiana University Wild places Uganda runs Semliki Chimpanzee Project in the Semliki Wildlife Reserve. These attract Uganda Investors and earn the prizes for Contributing to Conservation’. Jonathan Wright served on to the board of trustees of UWA and is now a lifetime Honorary Warden.
Four of their lodge properties are scattered across the country and a fleet of vehicles with talented and charming safari guides. The lodges were established by Jonathan & Pamela Wright. One is born in Uganda on the banks of River Nile and the girl is born in a small town on the shores of Lake Ontario.
The lodges came up because Inspiration and passion for wildlife conservation and other ecological approaches, with help from friends and family, Jonathan and Pamela launched the Uganda Safari Company and the Wild places collection of properties.
Great Blue Turaco and Kingfisher are regular visitors on the veranda of the lodge. Owners move into Kampala two or three times a week.
Wild places seek out the pockets of Uganda that still remain wild and secret. In its tracts of glorious wilderness they have built small, fantastically comfortable safari lodges and camps. Properties have enough space at the buffet table, visitors expect no queuing with other vehicles for a glimpse of a lion or a herd of elephants.
The lodges are intimate, private and unique. Service is gentle and discreet. They hire from the local community and are active in building community projects, everything is done for the purpose of conservation.