Kidepo Valley National Park, Activities, 

Kidepo is found Within the district of Kaabong in the northeastern part of Uganda close to South Sudan. This national park is very far away and is mostly made up of rough Savannah, hills, and big valleys that are surrounded by the Morungole Mountains. In 1958 the colonial government turned Kidepo into a game reserve and it was changed into Kidepo Valley National Park four years later, in 1962. These areas are all connected by rivers that have the same names that   is Narus and Kidepo rivers. During the dry season these rivers dry up, leaving the animals to rely on the few small pools in the park.  Kidepo has the best scenery in Uganda because a lot of animals gather in Kidepo, making it the best national park for seeing wildlife just as CNN Travel says Kidepo is one of the three most beautiful national parks in the world. Because of its beautiful scenery and large animal population (over 76 species of mammals and 474 species of birds), Kidepo is the only park in Uganda where people can see the African desert as it was before modernization. The park is the only one in Uganda that is as good as the Serengeti in Tanzania or the Maasai Mara in Kenya.

Wildlife

The park is home to rare wildlife such as Maneless zebras, ostriches, orcas, and wild dogs. Other animals include Klipspringer, elephants, giraffes, hyenas, leopards, lions, and bat-eared fox, eland, Jackson’s hartebeest, kudu, oribi, bohor reed buck, bush buck, bush duskier, Defassa water buck, and reedbuck. Kidepo National Park is a real wilderness with beautiful scenery and animals.

Things/Activities to do in Kidepo Valley National Park.

Game drives in Kidepo National Park

Most tourist go to Kidepo with the purpose of spotting the animals and carrying out the other popular activities in the park. Game drives in Kidepo are the best anywhere in Uganda. This is mainly because of the sheer number of mammals and birds that gather to feed in the great valleys found in the park.  Though the main park roads are made of hard murram and are passable throughout the year, most of the smaller roads leading to the remote areas are difficult to pass during the wet season. For most of the roads, tourists need a reliable safari car with four-wheel drive. To ensure safety of everyone during the game drives, visitors are always accompanied by an armed rangers from UWA.

Nature Walks and Hikes In Kidepo Valley National Park

These walks and hikes are done on foot under the guidance of an experienced Park ranger. Hiking up the Morungole Mountains is one of the popular activities to do in the park. Some people come to take a walk to see the unfinished dream lodge that Uganda’s famous ruler Idi Amin started.

Bird watching in Kidepo National Park

Due to its remoteness certain parts of the park are virgin and rarely visited, there is no complete count of the number of bird species found in the park. Most people know Kidepo Valley National Park for the birds of prey that live there, like the Pygmy Falcon, the Verreaux’s Eagle and the Egyptian Vulture. These birds can only be found in Kidepo and the region of Karamoja. The ostrich is the most prominent and largest bird found in Kidepo. In Uganda, this huge bird can only be sighted in Kidepo Valley National Park. To increase their numbers in the park, the Uganda Wildlife Authority collects eggs from the bushes and hatches them artificially.

Cultural Visits In Kidepo Valley National Park

Visiting the Karamojong

The Karamojong are nomadic pastoralists who live in Northeastern Uganda including some areas around Kidepo National Park. The Karamojong are related to the Maasai of Kenya and their lives are centered around their animals. The Karamojong believe that all cattle on earth belong to them. Any cattle that are not kept by them are believed to have been stolen from them at some point in the past. Because of this belief, the Karamojong raid neighbouring tribes of cattle without any remorse because they are taking back what belongs to them. A cultural visit to the Karamojong is a very interesting experience because they are among the few tribes in Uganda that still live as they used to thousands of years ago. When you go to the Karamojong, you can really feel what most African groups did about a hundred years ago.

Visiting the Ik People

The Ik people live an isolated life on top of the Morungole Mountains. The Ik supposedly came from Ethiopia and then settled around Kidepo. Prior to the Karamojong coming, the Ik lived in the Kidepo area for a long time. Constant fights with the Karamojong and other tribes like the Dodoth forced them to retreat to the mountain tops to save themselves. The Ik have a distinct language and culture that is being threatened by modern civilization and their dwindling population.  A cultural visit to the Ik peoples considered one of the best cultural encounters in Uganda. It exposes one to their ancient traditions, their language, traditional dances, songs, way of dressing and hunting methods.

Other places to visit while on a safari in Kidepo National Park

Apoka Tourism Centre.

This Center was built so that it offers a good view of the Narus Valley. It is the hub for all activities in the park. This is where most of the staffs of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) are stationed like the armed rangers and guides ready to escort visitors to the deeper ends of the park for game drives and nature walks. A number of lodges are built close here  and some are owned by UWA. Drinking water, alcohol, sodas, books and other souvenirs are sold at the craft shops. During the dry season, tourists can spot animals easily from the Apoka Tourism center as they go to drink at the Narus valley and dam.

Visit Narus Valley

One of the best places in Africa to see wildlife is in the Narus valley. The valley consists of rolling savannah grassland and mountainous landscape. The Narus River is found down at the valley. This river dries up during the hottest part of the year leaving small muddy ponds and the artificial Narus dam as the only sources of drinking water for the animals. Among the wild animals that can be sighted at the Narus valley are buffaloes, Jackson’s hartebeest cheetahs, giraffes, leopards, lions and reedbucks.

Visit Kidepo Valley

The Kidepo valley is one of the best places to view wildlife in the park. Unlike the Narus valley, the water sources here are very scarce during the dry season. Most of the river Kidepo dries out and leaves the valley with a long trail of white sand. There are several bird species that call this place home including ostriches and is worth a visit for birders.

Visit Kanangorok Hot Springs

These hot springs are located past the Kidepo valley and river on the border with South Sudan. The Hot springs offer a stunning view of the mountain ranges.

Morungule Mountains

These mountains rise up to 2,750 meters tall and act as one of the boundaries of the park. The Ik people live on top of these Mountains. The area around the mountains can be toured on foot with the help of a park ranger.

Namamukweny Valley

The Valley is found in the North-western part of the game park. The name “Namamukweny” in the Napore dialect means a lonely place with few people or birds. However regarding birds, this is far from the truth. Several species like the Abyssinian Roller, Green Wood Hoopoe Eastern Paradise Whydah, White-crested Turaco and Common Bulbul thrive in this isolated valley.

Lomej Hills

These hills are found near the park headquarters. The hills are perfect for birdwatching and spotting animals like the mountain reedbuck.

Lonyili Mountain

This Mountain has a great collection of small primates like the Colobus Monkeys that thrive on its montane forests. The mountain lies between the border of Uganda and South Sudan. Unfortunately the roads leading to the mountain are not well developed. Before going hiking in the woods, people need to get special permission and instructions.
How to reach Kidepo National Park

It takes 521 kilometers to drive from Kampala to Kidepo National Park by road. It takes 219 kilometers to get from Moroto town to the park still by road. Most visitors from other countries find it easiest to fly to Kidepo from Entebbe Airport or Kajjansi airport, which is on the highway between Entebbe and Kampala.

When to visit Kidepo Valley National Park

Best Time

Dry season.

Wildlife viewing is best done during the dry months of December – March and July – August. During this time river Kidepo and Nurus dry up and leave small oasis where the animals gather in large numbers to drink. This animal gathering provides perfect opportunities for wildlife viewing and photography.

Wet season

Although the dry season has its advantages, some visitors may find the heat and dust uncomfortable. The short rainy season still has good views of the animals. The animals are joined by migratory birds making it the best time to go birding. The rains turn the park s beauty to extreme levels with amazing greenery which photographers will love. The heat is acceptable and even cool. Unfortunately during the wet season, some of the animals move to higher ground to avoid getting wet down at the rivers and swamps forcing tourists to go out looking for them.