Kidepo valley national park

When tourists think of Uganda all that gets to their minds are the mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, and maybe tree-climbing lions of Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth national park. Kidepo valley national park is not much known because it’s located in the remote areas of northeastern Uganda. It takes 12 hours or even more the get to Kidepo valley national park by the road and about 2 hours and 30 minutes by air transport.

On the border of Uganda with South Sudan sits Kidepo national park home to a variety of wildlife species. The national park has a flat piece of land and is said to be one of the best when it comes to game drives. Over 76 mammals do live in the Kidepo national park and about 20 of these are not found elsewhere in the country. The protected area is the only place to find cheetahs in the whole country.

Uganda’s most remote national park has been nominated and listed among the top tourism destinations in Africa. It was gazetted in 1962 by the government of Uganda with the purpose of protecting different wildlife and a few physical attractions in Kidepo. The locals that were staying inside the park were asked to move out and settle in the nearby areas. These include the Karamajong and the IK which are some of the best cultures in Uganda.

Gazetting Kidepo valley national park has really helped to protect a number of wild animals which has increased their population within the park and the country. 76 mammals, 5 primates, and 476 bird species have been recorded in Kidepo valley national park. Tourists can always engage in different activities while on their safari in the park to see the wildlife and other attractions in Kidepo Valley National park.

The attractions in Kidepo valley national park

Mammals

Kidepo valley national park is said to be having over 76 mammals which are so far recorded. These mammals live in different areas of the park and are seen during different activities which take place within the park. Mammals in Kidepo national park include crocodiles, side-stripped jackals, sitatungas, lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, spotted hyenas, zebras, giraffes, cape buffaloes, defassa waterbucks, Uganda kobs, elands, and ostriches among others.

Primates

Not so many primates live in this national park and there are no primate trekking activities carried out there. The 5 primates in the park are seen during bird watching, nature walks, or game drive activities. The primates of Kidepo national park include blue monkeys, patas monkeys, and olive baboons among others.

The birds

Kidepo valley national park harbors over 476 bird species that live in the short trees of the savannah-vegetated area. Bird watching exercises are the best way of seeing these bird species said to be living in the park. Different birding trails are found in the park and armed ranger guides that know about bird watching take you through these trails to allow you to spot several species of birds.

The bords of Kidepo valley national park include Karamoja apalis, ostrich, Egyptian vulture, Abyssinian ground hornbill, Ethiopian swallow, pygmy falcon, rose-ringed parakeet, fox kestrel, red-winged pytilia, bruce’s green pigeon, heuglin’s francolin, hartlaub’s bustard, purple grenadier, singing bush lark, violet tipped courser, Egyptian vulture, orange winged pytilia, clapper ton’s francolin, slate colored boubou, red pate cisticola, rupell’s sterling, northern carmine bee-eater, crimson rumped waxbill, and white-crested turaco among others.

Rivers

Also, many rivers flow through Kidepo valley national park however the famous ones are the Narus River and Kidepo River. As you explore the national park you will come across these rivers which have acted as a source of water to a lot of wildlife within the park. These two rivers are permanent water sources in Kidepo and in the dry season, they attract lots of animals when the other water areas get dry.

Kanangorok hot springs

Kanangorok hot springs are other attractions Kidepo Volley National Park. They are located near the South Sudan border after the Kidepo river. These hot springs are said to be 50 degrees Celsius and can boil eggs. The locals living around the park say these waters contain natural healing powers therefore they are good for bathing.

When to visit Kidepo national park

There are two dry and two wet seasons in Kidepo valley national park. Tourists looking for the best time to visit Kidepo national park should visit in the dry season. The dry season happens from June to September and December to February and the park is receiving little or no rainfall at that time. During the dry seasons, the game tracks are very dry and safari vehicles access most of the park areas, the vegetation is short with good sightings of the animals.

Tourists can still visit Kidepo national park during the rainy season which happens from March to May and October to November. During the rainy season, a few tourists visit the national park because of plenty of rainfall which leaves the game tracks muddy and slipper, vegetation is tall with unclear views of wildlife, and roads leading to the park are impassable.

Where to stay in Kidepo Valley National Park

There are luxury, mid-range, and budget accommodation facilities in Kidepo valley national park where tourists who want to stay for a night or more can stay. These lodges include Adera Safari Lodge, Apoka Safari Lodge, Kidepo Savannah Lodge, Nga’moru Wilderness Camp, Kakine Self-catering Campsite, and Apoka Rest Camp among others.

Getting to Kidepo national park

Kidepo valley national park can be accessed by using road transport or air transport. By road transport, the national park is accessed using different routes for example the eastern route or the western route. The eastern route to Kidepo park starts from Kampala goes through Jinja, Mbale, Soroti, Moroto, Kotido and Kaabong. The western route starts from Kampala goes through Luwero, Nakasongola, Gulu, Kitgum, and Kaabong.

Tourists who hate traveling for long distances because Kidepo is about 10 to 12 hours drive from Kampala can fly. Different airline companies such as Aerolink Uganda, Kampala Executive Aviation, and Bar Aviation Uganda have domestic flights to Kidepo park. Flights take 2 hours and 15 minutes to fly from Kajjansi Airstrip or Entebbe international airport to Kidepo valley national park.