Kidepo Valley National Park is one of Uganda’s most spectacular and remote parks that you will visit when you travel to Uganda for a Uganda wildlife safari tour & Uganda cultural safari photo tour located in the northeastern corner bordering Kenya and South Sudan. Kidepo valley national park covers an area of 1,442 square kilometres and has an altitude ranging between 914m and 2750m. Kidepo Valley national park harbours scenery that is not in any other parks in East Africa and it’s this reason that makes Kidepo national park can’t miss the bucket list to visit places while on Uganda safaris ad Uganda wildlife safari tours. Kidepo valley national park has a semi-arid climate with one rainy season year in April – September.

Kidepo valley national park has two rivers i.e. Narus River and Kidepo River and the two rivers are seasonal. This means that in the dry season they dry out, as such the only water in the national park is in the wetlands and remnant pools along the Narus valley. Stroll along the Kidepo River in the dry season and enjoy its 50m bed of white sand between banks covered by Borassus palm trees. You will be surprised to find heavily flowing rivers during the rainy season, such a unique setting, and a ‘beach’ during the dry season.

WILDLIFE IN KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

Different & Animals in Kidepo valley national park

Kidepo Valley National Park is one of Africa’s most magnificent wildernesses. The park boasts of 77 species of mammals including; Elephants, Rothschild’s giraffe, Burchell’s Zebra, Oribi, Klipspringer, Bohor Reedbuck, Eland, Hartebeest, Lion, Hyena and Cheetah, Leopard, striped jackals and perhaps Africa’s largest single herd of Cape buffalo roaming grasslands that extend in all directions towards distant ranges that you will enjoy while on our best of Uganda wildlife safari tour and Uganda cultural safari photo tour with Amstel Tours and Travel. Some species in Kidepo valley national park are not found in other parks except some game reserves like Cheetahs, Eland and Kudu. On occasions, you will sight a white-eared Kob from neighbouring South Sudan while on the Uganda wildlife safaris game drive in the Kidepo national park

Different Bird species in Kidepo Valley national park

Kidepo valley national park is rich in birdlife with 465 bird species some of which are only found in Kidepo valley national park and the Karamoja region in Uganda and will be seen when you visit Uganda on your Uganda safari tour and Uganda birding safari tour and Uganda cultural safari photo tour. The birds to look out for include; Ostrich, Secretary bird, little green bee-eater, Kori bustard, Pygmy falcon and Karamoja Apalis. Kidepo valley national park is notable for its 58 species of prey including the Verreaux’s eagle, Egyptian vulture, and the pygmy falcon and 14 of these are believed to be endemic to Kidepo and Karamoja region.

SAFARIS AND ACTIVITIES IN KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

Areas of Interest in Kidepo valley national park

Apoka Tourism Centre – Great views overlooking the game-rich Narus valley.

Kidepo Valley – stroll along 50m wide bed of white sands between the banks in the dry season, in the rainy season, it is a river.

Kanangorok Hot Springs – a good picnic place with impressive views of the mountains. The biggest attraction is the ostriches that roam the area.

Mount Morungule – home to the IK people, the smallest ethnic group in Uganda.

Namamukweny Valley – meaning ‘a place with no birds’ even though it is inhabited with lots of birds including the Eastern paradise-whydah, white-crested turaco, Abyssinian roller, greenwood hoopoe and common bulbul among others.

Lamoj Hills – Great spot for viewing the mountain reedbuck among other wildlife

Wildlife Safari Game drives in Kidepo valley national park

The major activity is game drives in search of the various exotic animals and plants. The best times for game viewing are early morning at 6 am or later in the evening at about 5 pm. The game drives are usually done in the Narus valley which is a plain enclosed by distant mountains because the valley has to water much of the year, many animals congregate here making it easier to sight them. Watch the animals in the grasslands across a large spectrum. Visit the Katurum kopje, which will provide superb views of the scenery across the valley.

Bird watching in Kidepo Valley National Park

Birding is a pleasure in Kidepo valley national park. The bird count in the park is 465 bird species. The Apoka Rest Camp and Park Headquarters overlooking the swallow, southern Narus Valley is a grand spot to start your Kidepo valley national park birding adventure. A small permanent water hole at the edge of camp attracts swallows and a variety of seedeaters including Yellow-rumped Seedeater and is visited at night by Four-banded Sandgrouse, elephants, Buffalo and occasionally Lion. Clapperton’s Francolin, Black Coucal, African Moustached and Broad-tailed Warblers, Marsh Tchagra and Crimson-rumped Waxbill may be seen in the rank grass along the normally dry stream bed adjacent to camp or along the track to Apoka lodge.

Nature and Hiking walks (Walking Safari)

All the different mountains in and outside Karamoja can be hiked but the most common hikes are to Lamoj mountains. It takes about 4 hours to hike and to start early morning before the heat picks up.

Nature walks are available and they take 2 hours (Narus valley from Apoka tourism centre) which is 5km. One can take 6 hours to Namamukweny valley for the beautiful scenery.

Community walks and Cultural experiences in Kidepo valley national park

The Karamoja region has rich cultures of the Karimajong and Ik tribes. The Ik tribe is the most isolated in Uganda living on top of Morungole Mountain. It is an extremely strenuous all-day hike to visit this endangered people group and you get to learn more when you are on a Uganda cultural safari photo tour with Amstel Tours and Travel. They are largely peaceful hunter-gatherers who have retreated to the mountains for protection from the neighboring cattle-raiding tribes.

A visit to the Karamojong homesteads will give you a glimpse into their pastoral lifestyles, partake of the food, join the dancing, and purchase the crafts like knives, arrows, jewelry, and stools while on a Uganda wildlife safari and Uganda cultural safari photo tour to Kidepo valley national park with Amstel Tours and Travel.

The Karamojong tribe operates in the North-Eastern part of Uganda. Explore and learn about the culture of this remote tribe with the Lorukul culture group which is located outside Kidepo Valley National Park. The Karamojong mainly herd livestock.  Walk with your guides to the traditional homesteads also referred to as “Manyatta”, cattle enclosures and granaries can also be seen. Meet the king of the Karamojong who will tell you more about his tribe and beliefs. The Uganda cultural safari tour in the Karamoja homesteads fee contributes to putting up essential facilities in the region like clinics & schools

HOW TO ACCESS KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

The journey from Kampala is long but rewarding as you move along the different vegetation and tribal lands while on the best of Uganda wildlife safaris tour & Uganda cultural safari photo tour through Jinja -Mbale – Soroti – Moroto – Kidepo OR Kampala – Mbale – Sironko – Kotido – Kaabong – Kidepo OR Kampala – Gulu – Kitgum – Kidepo by road. however, you can also take a scheduled or chartered flight from Entebbe to Kidepo valley national park.

WHERE TO STAY IN KIDEPO VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

In the park

• Apoka Lodge luxury lodge is located in the middle of Kidepo valley National Park with spacious rooms and a private veranda. Each room has a sitting room and bathroom. A restaurant and swimming pool are available as well for you to enjoy while on a Uganda safari tour to Kidepo valley national park
• Apoka Rest Camp, run by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, offers comfortable bandas within the national park, including bedding, mosquito netting and showers. It is suggested that you bring all your food although it can be cooked for you if necessary while on Uganda camping and camping safaris

• Nga’Moru Wilderness Camp: Nga’Moru Camp is situated on the border of the park only 4kms from the Katarum Gate. Here you will find comfortable accommodation in either Safari Tents under thatch or in Cabanas, and all accommodation is en-suite. Nga’Moru is located on a hill, and the camp offers spectacular views of the Narus valley and the savannah plains stretching to the Morungole Mountains. Hyenas, elephants, Waterbuck, Zebra and Lion are frequent visitors to the Camp.

It is recommended that a ranger guide accompany you at all times whilst Kidepo Valley National Park and this can be arranged on arrival at Apoka. Park officials recommend that all vehicles travelling north into the Kidepo Valley be escorted by multiple armed guards due to the intermittent presence of poachers and cattle rustlers in the area.