Kidepo valley national park is located in the Kabong district in the North Eastern region of Uganda which boarders with South Sudan. In 1958, kidepo valley national park was gazette as a game reserve by the colonial government and later it was established as a national park in 1962 after the country acquired its independence. This national park is a beautiful destination for one to visit while on their safari in Uganda due to the fact that it is surrounded with woodland and savannah grasslands, stunning valleys, hills and Morungole mountains, beautiful landscape and a variety of wildlife species which are among the major attractions in the park because they make kidepo national park a best destination for game viewing such as; it is a home to over 76 mammal species like; zebras, leopards, lions, buffaloes, wild dogs, cheetahs, bush duikers, hyenas, Uganda Kob, bat-eared fox among others and it also harbours 474 bird species.
Activities done in Kidepo national park.
Game drives.
Tourists visiting in Kidepo valley can embark on game drives where they explore through the open savannah plains while they are in comfortable Uganda safari vehicles where they are able to sight see at different animal species with in the park like; Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi, Uganda kob, giraffes, buffaloes, bushbucks, leopards, hyenas among others.
Games drives in kibale national park are done in two sessions and that is; tourists can either choose to go for the morning game drives or afternoon drives. However, morning game drives are seen as the best since during this period of time get to see many animals because they are more active in the morning unlike in the afternoon when the animals are tired and hiding away from the sun.
Guided nature walks.
Tourists can decide to involve in guided nature walks activity through the national park where they are always accompanied with park guides and rangers whose role is to lead and protect tourists from any harm. Kidepo valley national park has many areas where tourists can go for nature walks such as; through the Narus Valley, Namamukweny valley, Apoka camp, kakine circuit along the Rionomoe trail and many others. during the nature walks, tourists enjoy to listening at the melodic sounds of the bird species singing, enjoy the cool nature breeze and get opportunities to look at animal species like; elephants, reedbucks, zebras among others.
Bird watching.
Kidepo valley national park is considered as the birders paradise because it is a home to over 480 bird species and these birds include; savannah birds, forest birds, migratory birds, somali-masai biome birds. The bird watching activities within Kidepo valley national park are best done in areas like; Namukwenyi valley, fringes of the narus, Apoka rest camp where they have chances of sightseeing at a variety numbers of bird species like; Verreauxs eagle, scarlet chested sunbird, golden pipit, Dark chanting goshawk, pygmy falcon, jackson’s hornbill, karamoja apalis, ostrich , Abyssinian ground hornbill, white bellied go-away bird for kestrel, sperb starling, goshawk, clappertons francolin among others.
Community visits/ cultural encounters.
Tourists in Kidepo valley national park can also opt to go visiting the community areas neighbouring the national park where they are always able to interact with the local people. Therefore, these community tours, tourists will get opportunities to meet the Karamojong people and visit their traditional homes, which are known as the “Manyata”. These community people always tend to welcome their visitors by entertaining them with their traditional cultural dances and singing their folk songs. Tourists get to learn more about the history of the Karamojong people as they listen to their stories, there is also more they learn about their daily lifestyle, how they prepare their local meals, and tourists also visit the museum where they sell handmade souvenirs such as; sandals, art paintings, bags, arrows, beads, stools, bows, jewel among others to even take for their people back at home.
Accommodation facilities in Kidepo valley national park.
Kidepo valley national park has a variety of comfortable and affordable accommodation facilities that are always available for their visitors. However, these accommodation facilities are ranged differently and put in different classes such as; Budget, mid-range, and luxury lodging facilities and this gives a chance to the guests to choose according to their preferences and what matches matches with their budget. Some of the lodging facilities include; Apoka safari lodge, Adere safari lodge, Apoka rest camp, Nga Moru wilderness camp, Kidepo savannah lodge among others.
Best time to visit Kidepo valley national park.
Tourists planning to travel to Uganda to Kidepo valley national park can choose to move at any time in the year. However the dry season is considered as the best time for tourists to travel to the national park because during this period of time, there are less rains and the grass is short which helps tourists to capture good classic views of many wildlife species within the park for example; animals always have a tendency of gathering around the Narus valley to drink water. The dry season is between months of July, August to September and from December to March.
How to get to Kidepo valley national park.
Tourists planning to go on a safari in Kidepo valley national park can opt to use road transport or Air means of transport to reach the park.
Air Transport.
Tourists who want to skip the long trips can choose to book their flights from Entebbe international airport, aero link Uganda or Kajjansi airfield to Apoka airstrip and then take a short drive to the park headquarters.
Road transport.
Kidepo valley national park is about 521 kilometers away from Kampala city and tourists driving from Mororto town will take a drive of about 219 kilometers to reach the park. More so, tourists from Kampala can drive through Karuma, Gulu, and Kitugum to reach the park headquarters, which takes about a 10 hours’ drive.
Contact our tour operators companies in case of any inquiries and more information about this national park and Book with our tours and travel companies such as; Focus East Africa Tours who offer the best tour packages on your Uganda safari to Kidepo national park in Uganda.
