Night game drives in Kidepo valley national park
Night game drives in Kidepo valley national park: One of the best destinations for game viewing is Kidepo valley national park. The national park is found in northeastern part of Uganda Kaabong district. The protected area was upgraded to a national park in 1962 by the government of Uganda to protect wildlife and other attractions that were living in the park at that time.
Kidepo national park is home to over 76 mammals living in different areas of the park. Some animals of Kidepo national park are nocturnal which means that they are active during the night hours. Nocturnal animals of Kidepo park are seen during the dark hours by tourists who take park in the night game drive activities.
The night game drives in Kidepo valley national park
Night game drives in Kidepo valley national park are the best way of seeing nocturnal animals that live within the park. The national park has several nocturnal animals that are always active during the night hours looking for what to eat. Among the nocturnal animals of Kidepo valley national park include lions, leopards, hyenas, black-backed jackals, bat-eared foxes, and cheetahs among others.
The night game drive activities start in the evening hours after dinner or when the sun is setting. Tourists need to have pre-registered vehicles to be part of the game drives and if they don’t have one they will have to hire from UWA. Armed ranger guides are a must to use because they protect you from animals that could be dangerous and take you through the best trails as well as areas where animals love to be during the night.
The night game drives start with a briefing from the ranger guides who teach tourists how to behave during the activity. The tourists get on to the safari vehicle with their driver and armed ranger guides. The activity takes you to the best areas of the park where night game drives are best done.
Night game drives take 2 to 3 hours and with the use of strong spotlights, tourists will be able to see nocturnal animals of the park. Animals will be seen moving around looking for what to eat, others will be found eating pray while others will be resting. Nocturnal animals you should look out for include lions, cheetahs, spotted hyenas, leopards, jackals, night jars, and small cats among others.
The cost of night game drives in Kidepo valley national park?
The night game drives in Kidepo valley national park cost $30 for foreign non-residents, $20 for foreign residents, and UGX50,000 citizens of East African member states. For tourists who want to hire UWA safari vehicles for night game drives it’s $20 for foreign non-residents, $15 for foreign residents, and UGX20,000 citizens of East African member states.
Where to stay after night game drive safaris in Kidepo valley national park?
There are so many accommodation options in Kidepo valley national park where tourists can stay. For tourists that are coming in the high season, we advise early booking because the lodes of Kidepo are not as good as those in other parks so the earlier you book the high chances of getting better accommodation. Lodges include Apoka Safari Lodge, Apoka Rest Camp, Kidepo Wilderness Lodge, Kidepo Savannah Lodge, and Nga’Moru Wilderness Camp among others.
When to visit Kidepo Park
Kidepo valley national park can be visited for night game drives and other park activities at any time of the year however some months are better than others. Tourists should visit Kidepo national park in the dry season when there is little or no rainfall. The game tracks are dry so tourists get to most of the park areas and the vegetation is short with good views of the wildlife.
Tourists can still visit Kidepo national park for night game drives and other activities during the rainy season however that is even a few tourists visit the park. The rainy season happens from March to May and October to November and it has too much rainfall. The rain makes game tracks muddy and slippery which makes it difficult to access some of the park areas and the vegetation is tall with unclear views of wildlife.
