Is Kidepo valley national park worth visiting
Is Kidepo valley national park worth visiting: Without a doubt, Kidepo valley national park is one of the most breathtaking wildlife destinations in Uganda. Kidepo valley national park was listed as the 3rd best national park to visit in Africa by CNN. This park is the most remote national park in Uganda located in the northeastern part of the country in Kaabong district near the borders of Kenya and South Sudan.
With the abundant wildlife and beauty, Kidepo valley national park is worth visiting. The national park protects 77 mammals, 476 bird species, 5 primates which have attracted lots of tourists from different parts of the world. Kidepo valley national park is very far from Entebbe/Kampala which are most starting points for safaris but however much long the journey is tourists always enjoy their stay in the park.
The valley national park is one of the best national parks in Uganda with beautiful scenery and amazing wildlife. The flat piece of land makes it easy for tourists to see the different attractions within the park. For safari lovers, Kidepo valley national park is one of the best places to see in Uganda and it’s a dream come true destination. On a safari in Kidepo valley national park, tourists can spot several wildlife species and many other attractions that have been recorded in the park
Things that have make Kidepo valley national park worth visiting
The animals
This park harbors 77 mammals and 5 primates which tourists can see during different park activities. The animals of Kidepo valley national park are done in different park areas grazing, resting, or hunting. Some of the animals of this park are not seen anywhere in the country for example cheetahs, guenther’s dik dik, mountain reedbuck, cheetah, aardwolf, caracal, greater and lesser kudu and greater eland to mention but a few.
Other animals of Kidepo valley national park include lions, cheetahs, crocodiles, elephants, warthogs, cape buffaloes, elands, spotted hyenas, giraffes, Uganda kobs, leopards, bright’s gazelles, defassa waterbucks, hartebeests, klipspringers, zebras, oribis, side stripped jackals, blue monkeys, patas monkeys, and olive baboons to mention but a few.
The birds
Bird lovers visiting Kidepo valley national park get to see over 476 bird species that have been so far recorded in the park. Bird watching in Kidepo valley national park is always worth the money if tourists get good birding guides. A bird watching exercise will give bird lovers an opportunity to see more than a half of the recorded bird species within this park.
Birds in Kidepo valley national park include Ostrich, Karamoja apalis, Egyptian vulture, African mustached francolin, superb starling, black coucal, scarlet chested sunbird, marsh tchagra, Abyssinian ground hornbill, greater krestel, rose-ringed parakeet, clapperton’s francolin, white-bellied go-away bird, fox kestrel, northern carmine bee-eater, Jackson’s hornbill, Ethiopian swallow, golden pipit, purple grenadier.
Chestnut weaver, white crested turaco, heuglin’s francolin, hartlaub’s bustard, purple grenadier, singing bush lark, violet tipped courser, superb startling, secretary bird, eastern pale chanting goshawk, Egyptian vulture, scarlet chested sunbird, slate colored boubou, dark chanting goshawk, Abyssinian roller, dark chanting goshawk, crimson rumped waxbill, white crested turaco, pygmy falcon, and purple herons among others.
The Karamojong and IK
The best cultures in Uganda are found in the north eastern side of the country and that is the Karamajong region. In Kidepo valley national park, tourists can meet the Karamajong and IK people. These people used to live inside Kidepo valley national park not until the government gazetted the area as a national park. when they left the park, they looked for areas around the park boundaries, settled and that is where tourists can meet them.
Cultural tours take tourists to the communities of the Karamajonng and Ik people with a help of a local guide. Tourists drive for a short distance to get to the Ik or Karamojong people. Upon arrival, they are welcomed by traditional dancers who entertain tourists through dances and drama. Later the tourists are taken to different homes in the community and the local guide is always the translator.
During community visits, tourists get to visit different homes where they meet different local people doing their day to day life activities. Tourists can sometimes be part of some activities like cooking, digging, winemaking among others. The community has elders who tell stories of long ago and this enables the tourists to know the origin of these tribes.
The best time to visit Kidepo valley
Tourists can visit Kidepo valley national park at any time of the year however some months are better than others. For example, the dry season is the best time to visit Kidepo valley national park and it happens from June to September and December to February. This period is characterized by little or no rainfall that makes the walking trails stay dry and easier to go throw, the vegetation is short with good views of attractions, and the roads leading to the park are passable.
Tourists can still visit Kidepo valley national park during the rainy season from March to May and October to November. This season is good for budget travelers because they get discounted accommodation facilities and tour packages, Tourists should however know that the rainy season has plenty of rainfall that makes the walking trails muddy and slippery, vegetation is tall with unclear views of wildlife, and the roads leading to the park are in poor conditions.
