Kidepo Valley National Park: Facts, Safaris, Reviews And Map
Kidepo Valley National Park Facts, Safaris, Reviews, and Map – True African Wilderness. Our complete guide on Kidepo National Park is all you need to know about this beautiful park. here we Give you the Latest Information on the Attractions, Activities, Best Time, Location, and Accommodation Facilities around the Park. Kidepo Valley National Park is the true African wilderness with its beauty that has mostly gone unnoticed as stated by CNN Travel. Kidepo National Park Uganda is a perfect wilderness to visit on any safari in Uganda.
Safari in Uganda – Kidepo Valley National Park – Karamoja Region
The Kidepo Valley National Park is about 1,442 sq. km, hosting about 77 mammal species, 475 bird species several reptiles, and flora. The Dik-Dik (smallest antelope), cheetahs, ostriches, and Karamoja Apalis are endemic to Kidepo Valley National Park. Kidepo National Park is 1,442 square kilometers (557 sq. mi) Kidepo Valley National Park is in the Karamoja region in northeast Uganda. Kidepo is rugged savannah, dominated by the 2,750 meters (9,020 ft) Mount Morungole and transected by the Kidepo and Narus rivers.
Kidepo Valley National Park is located near Karenga in Kaabong District, in the northeastern corner of Uganda. The park is approximately 220 kilometers (140 mi), by road northwest of Moroto, the largest town in the sub-region. It is approximately 520 kilometers (320 mi), by road, northeast of Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city. The northwestern boundary of the park runs along the international frontier with Bira, South Sudan, and abuts its Kidepo Game Reserve
The Ketebo or Mining is the Inhabitant’s farmers and hunters who lived in the area since 1800 before it was gazetted as a game reserve by the British colonial government in 1958. The purpose was both to protect the animals from hunting and to prevent further clearing of bush for tsetse fly control. The eviction of the resident people and the resultant famine, especially the Ketebo people who were forcefully relocated to other areas within Bira such as Napotpot, Kalo Kudo, Namosingo, Loriwo, and Naurkori in South Sudan, is cited in contemporary protected area management as an example of the unacceptable consequences of not taking community needs into account when designating reserves. The newly independent government of Uganda under Milton Obote converted the reserve into the Kidepo Valley National Park in 1962. The first chief warden of the park was Ian Ross, a Briton. In 1972, Paul Ssali, a Ugandan, replaced him. Their handover and training were the subjects of the 1974 American documentary film, “The Wild and the Brave”
Activities & Attractions: Things to Do in Kidepo Valley National Park
Narus Valley Game Drive;
Safari in Kidepo National Park | Apoka Safari Lodge
The southerly Narus Valley contains the park’s only permanent water points and wildlife congregates in this area for much of the year. Look for buffalo and elephants in the swamps along the valley floor, giraffe, and eland on the drier slopes above, and scan the rock outcrops for lions.
Apoka game drives are the most efficient way to cover a lot of ground quickly in the park. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see predators and big cats up close and personal from the comfort of your car.
In the Narus Valley, where you can see a wide variety of animals, most drives stick to one of two 20-kilometer loops. Even during the dry season, there is a little amount of water here, which draws enormous herds of buffalo, elephants that are thirsty, and antelope. Many stunning species can be seen when herbivores congregate, which in turn attracts predators.
Game drives leave in the wee hours of the morning and late afternoon during the hot and dry season. At this time, the animals are at their most active, and you can take pictures at the optimal lighting conditions.
Although there is less wildlife in the drier Kidepo Valley, you should still make the effort to explore its stunning natural splendor. Keep your eyes peeled, but keep your attention on the Kanagorok hot springs, which are located 30 kilometers north of Apoka. Take it easy as you wind your way past mountain-framed plains and the Kidepo River, which has a broad sand bed during the dry season. While the heavier bush provides cover for the kudu, this is the ideal spot for secretary birds and ostriches.
Kidepo Valley Drive;
The dry Kidepo Valley is short on the big game but massive on scenery 30km north of the park’s tourism hub at Apoka, the road crosses the dry, sandy bed of the Kidepo River to enter an expansive plain lined to the east by the Morungule mountain range and to the north by the looming, 2975m – high Jebel Lotuke in South Sudan. Mammals are rare in this area but ostriches and secretary birds are often seen.
Nature Walks;
Opportunities for guided walks range from short nature walks around Apoka Rest Camp to longer walks through the open grasslands of East Kakine, and a hike along part or all of the 15km Rionomoe Trail which follows the southern side of the Narus Valley. The Morungule range, which rises from the plains to the northeast of Apoka, can be explored on foot with a ranger guide escort.
Bird Watching;
Experienced ranger guides are available at Apoka to help locate and identify birdlife in the park’s various habitats.
Community Walks;
community walks outside the park provide the opportunity t learn about life in the local Karamojong manyattas (homesteads) at Kawalakol, Lorukul, and Karenga.
Wildlife in Kidepo
Kidepo Valley National Park | Uganda
Among Uganda’s national parks, Kidepo ranks third in size and second in biodiversity, behind only Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Kidepo is a fantastic place to go game viewing, and it’s home to 77 different kinds of mammals. There are twenty different predator species, including spotted hyenas, leopards, and lions.
Aardwolf, caracal, black-backed jackal, bat-eared fox, cheetah, and Kidepo are all native to Uganda. Over fifty Rothschild’s giraffes, an internationally significant population, are present, and the elephant number is over 650, up from 200 in the mid-1990s. The buffalo population is estimated to be over 10,000.
In the thick jungle, you can spot kudu, both larger and smaller, while zebras graze on the plains. A white-eared kob, which is more prevalent in South Sudan and Ethiopia, may even be spotted by lucky adventurers.
There are 470 species of birds on the list at the moment. No other national park in Uganda has 60 of them. Kidepo is home to the sole population of the rose-ringed parakeet and Clapperton’s francolin in East Africa. Vultures are doing quite well, and the park is home to 56 different species of raptors. Additionally, birdwatchers will never get a better chance to see the majestic Common Ostrich than in Kidepo, Uganda.
Best time to Visit Kidepo Valley National Park
Any time of year is fine to use Kidepo. On the other hand, the weather there is generally different from the rest of Uganda. Although June was once considered a dry month, it is now widely acknowledged that a lengthy rainy season will begin in April and continue until the end of November. Even though it won’t be a downpour for eight months, rain is likely to fall on most days.
From December to March, we experience the dry season. During this time, the temperature might jump above 40 degrees Celsius. Due to the park’s sandy soils’ inability to retain water, wildlife sightings are more common between November and February, the middle and end of the dry season.
In these months, when water sources are scarce, animals gather near water holes that they know will provide a steady supply, boosting the likelihood of sightings. Also, the short grass plains offer the greatest opportunity to spot cheetahs hunting.
Animals, on the other hand, tend to avoid lowlands during the wet season (April–August) in favor of higher ground, when sightings are less often.
How to Get to Kidepo Valley National Park
By road:
From Murchison Falls, most tourists drive the seven hours or less required via the sealed road. Spending the night close to Sipi Falls is an option for some tourists who want to break up the trek. Kidepo is 571 kilometers away from Kampala. Few people opt for the difficult 10-hour drive from Kampala via Gulu and Kitgum.
By air:
A few light aircraft firms fly into the airfield near Apoka, which serves Kidepo. Flights on these routes are expensive for solo travelers or small groups due to their limited schedule and minimum passenger requirements, but they’re manageable for families or bigger groups. Don’t let that deter you, though; taking off from Entebbe and gliding over the dramatic Murchison Falls before continuing on to the Kidepo expanse is an unforgettable experience.
Accommodation In Kidepo Valley National Park
While researching places to stay in Kidepo Valley National Park, it’s important to keep in mind that this is a nature preserve in northeastern Uganda. With a variety of lodging alternatives to fit any traveler’s budget and tastes, the park is famous for its untamed landscapes, varied animals, and unspoiled beauty.