What are the most popular tours in Kidepo valley national park?

What are the most popular tours in Kidepo valley national park?: Stretching itself across a 1442 sq. km piece of land, the Kidepo valley national park is known for its high population of wildlife. Kidepo valley national park was gazetted in 1962 and it hosts over 76 mammals, 467 bird species, and 5 primates. The national park is renowned for being the most isolated park in northeastern Uganda because it’s located about 9 to 10 hours’ drive from Kampala/Entebbe.
Kidepo valley national park boats superb game viewing all year round, and a varied birdlife. Most of the park attractions can be seen when one takes part in activities such as game drives, and nature walks. Kidepo valley national park being home to lots of attractions, there are several safaris done in Kidepo national park. The number of days tourists have tours within this park depends on their travel budget and the activities they would love to take part in.

Popular tours in Kidepo Valley national park

Game drive tours in Kidepo

Kidepo valley national park gives you an opportunity of spotting different wild animals in their natural habitat while on Game drive tours in Kidepo. No matter the season of the year, tourists are able to see over 77 mammals in the morning, afternoon, and night hours. The game viewing in Kidepo valley national park are done in special areas such as Narus Valley, Kidepo valley where animals tend to concentrate more since they have water and fresh vegetation cover.
The gave drives safari in Kidepo national park national park come with opportunities of seeing as many wild animals as you can. Tourists are able to see animals such as lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, hyenas, waterbucks, giraffes, Uganda kobs, lesser kudus, reedbuck, dik-diks, duikers, reedbucks, bat-eared foxes, olive baboons, side stripped jackals, spotted hyenas, zebras, hartebeests, klipspringers, hunting dogs, elands, warthogs, crocodiles, and ostriches among others.

Birds in Kidepo national park

Kidepo valley national park is one of the best birding tours destination for a reason: it’s home to over 476 bird species 20 of which are endemic to the region. Kidepo valley national park receives different tourists and among these include the birders. Bird lovers visit Kidepo Valley and do birding in areas such as Apoka, Mountain Morungole, Mountain Lonyiri, Lomej hills, Narus Valley and Kidepo Valley where birds live most.
With a good birding guide and an armed ranger guide, bird lovers are able to walk around the park on foot and see several

Birds in Kidepo national park:  Birds to look out for in Kidepo valley national park include Little bee-eater, Karamoja apalis, ostrich, Kori bustard, black-breasted barbet, fox kestrel, black-headed plover, pygmy falcon, red-fronted barbet, white-bellied go-away bird, and black-bellied waxbills.
Other notable bird species in Kidepo valley national park include four-banded sandgrouse, vinaceous dove, hoopoe, marsh tachagra, African moustached warbler, scarlet chested sunbird, mosque swallow, Nubian woodpecker, African grey flycatcher, steel blue whydahs, northern white-crowned shrikes, violet tipped courser, broad-tailed warblers, little weaver, yellow spotted Pretoria, and chestnut crowned sparrow.

Cultural tours

Kidepo valley national park is a national park with two ethnic groups that have unique cultural beliefs and customs. Tourists looking for the best cultural tours can have them in Kidepo valley national park where they can meet the IK and Karamojong people. These two tribes live around the park boundaries so tourists are able to move to their communities on a safari to the park.

Visiting the IK or Karamojong around Kidepo valley national park

Kidepo valley national park is more than wildlife and game drive safaris, cultural tours are amazing activities you can do during your safari in the park. Cultural tours are done around the Karamojong and IK villages which are near the park along the boundaries. Cultural tours in Kidepo valley national park help tourists to witness, learn and understand the way of life of the local people and their traditions.
Cultural tours in Kidepo valley national park are accompanied by local guides who act as translators. They help in making communication easy between the locals and the tourists. When you arrive at the home of IK or Karamojong, you are welcomed by the traditional dancers who sing different songs and do different dances. The elders tell stories of long ago, you are taken around the homes to see how they live, and you are also able to take part in community activities.

When should I go for a safari in Kidepo valley national park?

Tourists can go for safaris in Kidepo valley national park all throughout the year, however the best time for safaris is during the dry season. The dry season in Kidepo valley national park happens from June to September and December to February. This is when the park is experiencing little or no rainfall and there is enough sunshine. During this season, the game tracks are dry and passable, and the vegetation is short with good views of wildlife.
Tourists can still enjoy a safari in Kidepo valley national park during the rainy season. This happens from March to May and October to November when the park is experiencing too much rainfall and little sunshine. In the rainy season, the game tracks are muddy and slippery, the vegetation is tall with unclear views of some animals, and the roads to the park are also muddy.