Visit the Ik tribe in northern Uganda one of the African mountain tribes. An Ik tribe Cultural Encounter, Kidepo is an exhilarating experience while on your Uganda safari.
The Ik is a tribe in Africa, and this group of people live in Morungole Mountain. This mountain is in North-eastern Uganda nearer to the Kidepo Valley National Park. The Ik people live in most remote areas in Uganda far away from all the tribes in Africa. This group of people became famous in 1972. By then, the British-American anthropologist Colin Turnbull Published his book, ‘’The Mountain People’’. The book referred to the IK people as the ones who did not love. But the visit to these villages will surely disapprove of what he wrote about the Ik people. They are loving, caring, and very interesting people to live and interact with.
During your safari visit to Kidepo Valley National Park, also take a tour of the Ik tribe Cultural Encounter. This is one of the unique cultures you ought not to miss. You can do this activity on foot, hiking on steep slopes which will require physical fitness and energy for this stroll. This activity lasts for the whole day Hiking through the scenic Morungole mountain near the Kidepo valley. The area is also the perfect game park for fascinating wildlife viewing. You can do a game-viewing safari in Kidepo Valley National Park.
To have the best and enjoy your safari tour in this remote area, you require a minimum of 5- 6 days. These help you to have a complete safari tour in Kidepo Valley National Park with an Ik tribe Cultural Encounter.
The Ik Tribe Lifestyle
The Ik tribe in northern Uganda has a total population of over 10,000 to 11,000 people in number. Many believe that they migrated from Ethiopia and first settled in Kenya. Then, later they migrated to the current Kidepo Valley Park. They were mainly hunters and gatherers and also kept some cattle. However, after some time, they lost a lot of cattle to raiders. The raiders included the Karamojong from Uganda, the Turkana of Kenya, and the Tubosa of Sudan. Thus, later adopted subsistence farming, reared some goats, and beekeeping for honey.
They lived most of their lives in the forest where they gathered and hunted. Meanwhile, later, the government came up to gazette all the national parks to protect the animals. Thus, they lost their hunting grounds and therefore, they migrated up to Mount Morungole. then, they started their life from. Up to date, they have lived on the mountain, and it’s where you can find them in isolation. They were the first people who migrated to North-eastern Uganda and they were the ‘’head of the migration’’.
Visiting the Ik Tribe;
Trekking high up on the mountain where these people live is not easy it requires some stamina and physical fitness. But there also some trails that the US Forest Service created to ease access to the Ik people. You can also drive to the top which is a shortcut for the long hiking, and a guide will lead you. the guide will be speaking the Ik language for easy communication. A visit to the Ik villages takes approximately a whole day to experience ascending and descending the steep mountain.
When you arrive at the Ik villages, the locals will welcome you. Then, they will showcase some of their traditional dances among others. They are so welcoming and friendly people that you will love. The fees you pay for this activity go back to the local community. This helps to sustain the continued existence of the Ik people. This also happens with other cultural visits in other regions of the country. These include the Batwa community and the Karamojong.
You can ask the guide for some questions and you will be able to get the answers, you can also donate some money to help these families, life is hard here, there is no better education, raising the children is different here, feeding is poor here, the life here is beyond what you could imagine. You can also visit them, and put a smile on their faces, have time with them, and enjoy some of the local foods and local beer with them.
In case you need this safari visit to the Ik villages, please let us know. We will plan and include the activity in your safari tour plan so that you will have the best of your safari visit in Kidepo Valley National Park, and the visit to the Ik communities in Mount Morungole.
How to Visit the IK Tribe Northern Uganda
This is a stand-alone activity that requires one full day for the complete adventure. It’s an activity in which you can combine a safari with one of the best parks in Africa. You can visit the Kidepo Valley and the community visit to the IK communities. Kidepo Valley is situated far in one of the remote areas in Uganda and takes some time to get there but while here, you will enjoy it. One day is enough to visit the Ik villages.
Walking- Hiking Safari Advice and Tips for Uganda
There are various places in Uganda and beyond to enjoy the walking and Hiking safaris. The walking and Hiking best safari advice works in various regions of Uganda and Rwanda. Other activities that you can partake in include savannah safaris, forest, and jungle safaris, mountain hiking, volcano hikes, and trekking among others. Uganda is rich in what to do and see in various regions and national parks in Uganda. One of the best and missed activities in Uganda is the visit to the IK people of mount Morungole in Uganda. All you need is to be fit at all times to hike the steep slopes. The hike to the Ik villages takes about 8 hours to get to the top and to descend the mountain, this time enables you to learn about this group of people.
We recommend that you wear properly, wear proper clothing, and hiking boots, and carry enough drinking water. You should also carry energy-giving snacks and a packed lunch while hiding out for this activity it’s a bit tiresome but worth it.
