Marije Boot (Netherlands), Tour of Karamoja 2022 – Marije participated for the second time in Uganda’s annual wilderness bicycle event and this year she brought a friend along.
Whats the Tour of Karamoja?
The Tour of Karamoja is an annual cycling tradition through the wilderness of Uganda. The route takes you through the most untamed landscapes of the Karamoja region, located in the outermost northeastern corner of the country, next to Kenya and South Sudan. During this route you will get to know the culture, the wild landscape and the wildlife.
The purpose of the bike tour is to connect culture, nature and education, including raising money for the education of young women to work in tourism and hospitality.
A tough but magical bike ride
If Marije and Adwin had to describe the bike ride in two words, it would be the words “difficult” and “magical”. Marije cycled full all seven days and Adwin only took a rest on day six. They were not the only ones: although a few people dropped out due to personal circumstances, more than a dozen brave people left on their bicycles. The cyclists were accompanied by the organization of the tour, who took along a mobile village consisting of all sleeping gear, outdoor toilets, tents and ‘kitchens’ during the ride.
While cycling it sometimes seemed like you were cycling the Tour de France because there were such large numbers of children standing along the road watching. While the pace of this tour may be a bit slower than the Tour de France, the children were amazed to watch the clearly
During such a trip you learn a lot about the culture and you notice how welcoming everyone is. The most special moment in this was when they were welcomed to a special meeting where all the tribes of the region had gathered. Normally only the oldest tribal men are allowed to attend a specific ritual, but for the tour they made an exception. For example, all participants experienced a special sacrificial feast, during which the blood of the animals was drunk.
In this way, the tribes hoped for prosperity for the time to come. At the end of the evening, the cyclists slept in a dried up river bed, right next to the village. The sacrificial feast lasted well into the night, with much talking and partying by the local population. Where the cyclists are not normally waiting for a night in which they do not sleep a wink, this was such a special experience that it should not spoil the fun.
The cycling tour was organized to create opportunities through tourism, unite tribes and give girls the opportunity to get an education. Join the next edition and signup at www.tourofkaramoja.org.
Relive the annual bike tradition ‘Tour of Karamoja, October 2021‘. “A caravan of 21 international riders has taken the challenge to ride 500Km through Uganda’s untamed wilderness to raise awareness for Karamojaland as destination, thereby create job opportunities, foster peace and raise money to educate the girl-child for an inclusive and sustainable sector.”
Memorable Tour in Karamoja with Kara-Tunga, Karamoja Tours – We enjoyed five memorable days in the Karamoja region in early October and highly recommend the services of Kara-Tunga Arts and Tours in Moroto. Theo, of Kara-Tunga, helped us organize our diverse itinerary before we travelled to Uganda.
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Testimonial: Tour of Karamoja, Heavy but Magical
Marije Boot (Netherlands), Tour of Karamoja 2022 – Marije participated for the second time in Uganda’s annual wilderness bicycle event and this year she brought a friend along.
Whats the Tour of Karamoja?
The Tour of Karamoja is an annual cycling tradition through the wilderness of Uganda. The route takes you through the most untamed landscapes of the Karamoja region, located in the outermost northeastern corner of the country, next to Kenya and South Sudan. During this route you will get to know the culture, the wild landscape and the wildlife.
The purpose of the bike tour is to connect culture, nature and education, including raising money for the education of young women to work in tourism and hospitality.
A tough but magical bike ride
If Marije and Adwin had to describe the bike ride in two words, it would be the words “difficult” and “magical”. Marije cycled full all seven days and Adwin only took a rest on day six. They were not the only ones: although a few people dropped out due to personal circumstances, more than a dozen brave people left on their bicycles. The cyclists were accompanied by the organization of the tour, who took along a mobile village consisting of all sleeping gear, outdoor toilets, tents and ‘kitchens’ during the ride.
While cycling it sometimes seemed like you were cycling the Tour de France because there were such large numbers of children standing along the road watching. While the pace of this tour may be a bit slower than the Tour de France, the children were amazed to watch the clearly
During such a trip you learn a lot about the culture and you notice how welcoming everyone is. The most special moment in this was when they were welcomed to a special meeting where all the tribes of the region had gathered. Normally only the oldest tribal men are allowed to attend a specific ritual, but for the tour they made an exception. For example, all participants experienced a special sacrificial feast, during which the blood of the animals was drunk.
In this way, the tribes hoped for prosperity for the time to come. At the end of the evening, the cyclists slept in a dried up river bed, right next to the village. The sacrificial feast lasted well into the night, with much talking and partying by the local population. Where the cyclists are not normally waiting for a night in which they do not sleep a wink, this was such a special experience that it should not spoil the fun.
The cycling tour was organized to create opportunities through tourism, unite tribes and give girls the opportunity to get an education. Join the next edition and signup at www.tourofkaramoja.org.
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Relive the annual bike tradition ‘Tour of Karamoja, October 2021‘. “A caravan of 21 international riders has taken the challenge to ride 500Km through Uganda’s untamed wilderness to raise awareness for Karamojaland as destination, thereby create job opportunities, foster peace and raise money to educate the girl-child for an inclusive and sustainable sector.”
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Memorable Tour in Karamoja with Kara-Tunga, Karamoja Tours – We enjoyed five memorable days in the Karamoja region in early October and highly recommend the services of Kara-Tunga Arts and Tours in Moroto. Theo, of Kara-Tunga, helped us organize our diverse itinerary before we travelled to Uganda.