Kidepo valley National Park is located in Kabong district northeastern Uganda and situated around 1442 square kilometers and about 700km by road from Kampala and Moroto is the largest town I the sub region the park makes another unchartered Uganda safaris, Uganda tours destination. Kidepo valley national park can be accessed by both road which takes 12hours to Kidepo and air, by air there are charter flights available from Entebbe airport or Kajjansi to Lomeja and by road you can take the Kampala through Mbale route or the Kampala through Karuma route because they all lead to Kidepo valley national park. Kidepo valley national park was ranked the third best national park in Africa and harbors extinct species of wildlife that cannot be found in any national parks in Uganda which include over 75 mammal species like cape buffaloes, Rothschild giraffes, side-stripped jackal, lions, leopards, bat eared fox among others, over 470 bird species and 5 primate species. Kidepo valley national park is comprised of open tree savannah vegetation, mountain forest in the high areas, Lorupei River which supports acacia Geradi forest and semi arid climate with one rainy season per year from April to September and the park is served by two seasonal rivers which are the Narus river and Kidepo river.
What is making Kidepo national park famous?
With about 450 bird species, Kidepo Valley National Park is an important birding safaris area in Uganda and a dream Uganda tour site for bird watching excursions. A dozen of Uganda’s 50 bird of prey species are indigenous to the Karamoja area.
Activities in Kidepo Valley National Park
Game drive: Kidepo valley national park is known as a popular viewing destination with a wide range of wildlife which can be viewed during the including different mammal species like buffalos, Oryx, lions, zebras,
leopards, elephants, giraffes, elands, antelopes, reedbucks, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, duikers, Oribi. Endemic species such as striped hyenas, bat-eared foxes, jackals, cheetahs, wild boars and hounds can also be spotted during game drives in Kidepo National Park. Game drives begin early in the morning at 6:00 AM and evening game drives begin at 4:00 PM. A guide to properly observing primates such as endemic bush babies, tatara monkeys and black and white monkeys is a good choice. It gives you the chance to enjoy the interesting grassland and savannah vegetation of Kidepo National Park.
Nature Walks/Hiking: Kidepo National Park has unique landscapes, including plains that offer great views of the animal species that roam the grasslands. Nature walks with Uganda Wildlife Service Rangers start at 7am from his camp in Apoka and can be done at any time. It can be done in various areas of Kidepo. This includes a 25 km new Ronhiri nature walk through the bush to his Napusmur which takes about 8 hours with a guide. It gives us the opportunity to see nature and animals that can be seen with a microscope. The Koniri Nature Walk provides a resting place during your trek, admiring the national park and animal species such as buffalo, elephants, baboons and lions.
The two hour walk in the southern Narus valley which is a great spot for birding like the unique Karamoja apalis, black-breasted barbet, yellow-billed, hoopoe, Nubian woodpecker, little weaver, red-cheeked cordon, superb starling,
vinaceous dove among others and view animals drinking water like the elephants, zebras, lions, buffalos among others. Hiking at Morungole Mountains to visit the IK people which are one of the smallest ethnic groups in Uganda. The Karamajong settlements and hiking on Idi Amin`s dream lodge that was never completed while he was still president of Uganda.
Bird watching: Kidepo valley national park is the second national park with a wide number of bird species apart from Queen Elizabeth national park. Kidepo National park is a home of over 450 bird species, 56 birds of prey and with 14 species endemic in the Karamoja region which include the ostriches that are only found in Kidepo national park, pygmy falcon, Verreaux`s eagle, Kori bustard, yellow-billed hornbill, Egyptian vulture, Karamoja apalis, and Jackson`s hornbill among others. Bird watching at Kidepo Valley National Park can begin at any time of the day. The best vantage point is Apoca Rest Camp and Park Headquarters, which overlooks the Southern Narus and Namamkweny Valleys and is home to a wide variety of bird species, including ruppels, great starlings, silverbirds and yellow-bellied hornbills. , vine pigeons, jackson’s hornbill, corybastard, lesser falcon, egyptian condor, karamoja paris and many more, providing bird watchers with an amazing bird watching experience on safari in Kidepo Valley National Park.
Cultural Encounters: Here, visitors visit neighboring communities within Kidepo National Park, including Karamojong Village. Karamojong village represents an interesting group of people who participate in subsistence
farming and animal husbandry as warrior nomads. They have to travel long distances to fetch water, and there have been occasional floods in the area, so they live in dry areas. It is related to the Maasai tribe in that they travel with animals in search of food. They build temporary structures wherever they go and carry traditional knives, stools, dress codes, arrows, beads, spears, art, etc. To visit the IK people, reach out to the community It takes about 8 hours to reach the summit, so an early morning walk is required to climb the Morungole Mountains to visit the IK people, one of the original tribes of the Kidepo Valley National Park in the northeast. Kidepo Valley National Park can be visited all year round. The best time to visit is during the dry season, from September to March, when the park is less crowded and has few guest accommodations, including Apoka Rest Camp and Nga Moru Wildlife Camp. , Uganda Wildlife Department Bandas, Apoka Safari Lodge offers visitors relaxation and clear views during a safari in the Kidepo Valley National Park.
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