How to save on a safari to Kidepo valley national park

How to save on a safari to Kidepo valley national park: A safari to Kidepo valley national park takes you to the remote areas of northeastern Uganda in Kaabong district. The safari is a once in a lifetime experience for many travelers who have dreamt of visiting this hidden national park for many years. A safari has never been a cheap one that is what we can say but even though it’s a bit expensive there are ways you save and make the trip affordable.
Everyone would wish to have a luxury safari in Kidepo valley national park however this may cater for tourists with well paying jobs and enough savings. A safari to Kidepo valley national park might be expensive however there are different things a traveler can do to save money. The transport alone can be expensive, the guides, accommodation, and the number of activities one takes part in matter.
A safari to Kidepo valley national park is not too expensive and at the same time, it’s not very cheap. At Africa Adventure Vacations we do have a group of tour consultants who can assist you in organizing the safari so that you save money. Below are a few tips on how to save money on a safari to Kidepo valley national park.

Use a local tour operator

I think using a local tour operator is the best way of saving on a safari to Kidepo valley national park. Local tour operators do book everything you would need on a safari and they do have special rates with service providers which you a tourist cannot get by yourselves. To get the best local tour operator you need to google and get those that are licensed to carry out tourism activities in the country. After that, you will have to go with a fair one that has affordable costs and best activities.
Join or travel in a group.
There is so much money saved on a safari to Kidepo valley national park if tourists move as a group. The group can be 2 members or even more and this means that all participants will share the costs on transport, accommodation, and even the safari guide can be one if you are to use the same car. Tourists who would wish to travel and look for friends or even ask local tour operators to form for them groups.

Visit Kidepo valley national park in the low season

Kidepo valley national park has a low season in March to May and October to November. This is when a few tourists are traveling in the country because of rainfall and little sunshine received. Unlike other national parks, Kidepo valley national park is always hot and dry so tourists who visit in the low season will find good weather conditions. The fact the a few people travel to Kidepo in the low season, the lodges and tour companies are forced to reduce prices to attract the few that want to travel.

Use road type of transport

Kidepo valley national park is very far in the northeastern part of the country but reaching there takes a day. It takes 10 to 12 hours to get to Kidepo valley national park and these are full of great views of different towns, hills, swamps, rivers, and mountains along the way. There is no need of taking flights to the park if you are looking for a way of saving. The flights tend to be expensive compared to the road transport.

Opt for cheaper accommodation facilities

When visiting Kidepo valley national park you need to look out for cheap but quality accommodation facilities. You need to do advance booking when the good ones are still available and by this, we are taking about 3 to 4 months or even more in advance. Cheap lodges don’t mean bad services in Kidepo valley national park because they do have good customer care, nice rooms, and well-prepared meals.

Participate in a few activities

There are so many activities that can be done in Kidepo valley national park. Tourists who are looking on a way of saving don’t have to participate in so many of them since some are even similar. You can do only main activities like game drives, bird watching, cultural tours and leave the others. Tourists need to know that the fewer the activities the lower the safari costs.

Book your safari early enough

Booking a safari to Kidepo valley national park can be done any time before arriving in the country. However, travelers who wish to save on a safari to Kidepo need to book early enough so as to find affordable lodges still available. When you book late there is always panic to find the lodges where you will stay and sometimes if luxury lodges are the ones available you will have to go for them even when it wasn’t in your plans because you need a place to rest in the night.

Go for a few days’ safari

To explore also attractions of Kidepo valley national park you don’t need so many days. In a single day, you can try a maximum of 2 activities or even add on a small one like nature walks. This means that the fewer the days the smaller the costs on accommodation and park entrance fees. The park entrance fee is for 24 hours and each night in the lodge is another money.

Bargain

While a Kidepo valley national park safari, there are several nice things you could need to buy for yourself or even people back home. Along the journey are handmade crafts which include shoes, balls, dolls, clothes, drums, sticks, foods, and drinks among others. When the locals see that you are a foreigner, they know you have a lot of money so they will increase the price but this shouldn’t stop you from bargaining or if you can’t always send a driver to buy things for you since he knows the prices.