Kidepo Valley National Park is situated in far north eastern Uganda. At the size of 1,442km2, Kidepo valley National Park’s altitude ranges between 914m and 2,750m above sea level. Dubbed as the true African wilderness, Kidepo Valley National Park is one of the most beautiful protected areas in Africa. It has been voted by several Travel Guides as one of the top 10 national parks of Africa. This little known savanna national provides the best destinations for Uganda safaris most especially game viewing experiences since its plains clear to visibly see the animals from far and near.
Little visited and unexplored, Kidepo lies in the far northeast of Uganda and as such is the most isolated among the 10 parks in the country. Dominated by rugged mountain scenery and savannah it is traditionally considered the only national park where cheetah is present. With a significant bird checklist, including 60 species recorded in no other National Park, birders are richly rewarded.
Kidepo Valley National Park lies in the rugged, semi-arid valleys between Uganda’s borders with Sudan and Kenya, some 700km from Kampala. Gazetted as a national park in 1962, it has a profusion of big game and hosts over 77 mammal species as well as around 475 bird species.
The two seasonal rivers namely Narus and Kidepo disappear in the dry season, leaving just pools for the wildlife.
The local communities around the park include pastoral Karamojong people, similar to the Maasai of Kenya, and the IK, a hunter-gatherer tribe whose survival is threatened.
Kidepo at a Glance
Category: Attractions, National Game Parks & Reserves
Location: Moroto, Kotido
Animals: Monkeys, Striped Hyena, Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs
Activities: Game Drives, Nature walks, Birding, etc
Main Attraction: Cultural visits to Karamajong settlements (Manyattas)
Entrance: East African Citizens: Ush10,000(Adults), Ush5,000(Children). Foreign Residents in E.Africa US$25(Adults), US$10(children). Foreign non-residents US$35(Adults), US$20(Children). School children in groups Ush2,500(E.Africa Residents) Entrance permit is valid for 24 hours from time of entrance
LOCATION:
On the Sudanese border in the northeast
Getting there:
Road Transport:
It is 792Km on the Kampala-Mbale- Soroti- Kidepo route.
Air Transport:
There is an airstrip at Lomej within the park. Game Viewing:
SIZE: 1,442 sq km
Explore Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo Valley National park is one of the remote unvisited ordinary places in Uganda and one of the reasons could be that it is very far away from Kampala the capital city. It lies in the semi-arid areas of Karamoja. It is one of Uganda’s prime most remote but spectacular National Parks that harbors scenery not found in any other park in East Africa. Kidepo valley National Park offers breathtaking, savannah landscapes that give off a wide range of climatic conditions that have enabled extremely diverse vegetation. This has enabled the growth of a variety of animal species in the park that are equally abundant including many not found anywhere else in Uganda.
What to See
The park harbours a great diversity of animal species than other parks. Of the 80 species of mammals listed in 1971, 28 were not known to occur in any other Ugandan park.
- Carnivore species unique to Kidepo and Karamoja region include the bat-eared fox, striped hyena, aardwolf, caracal, and cheetah and hunting dog. Less common ungulates include the greater and lesser kudu, Chandlers Mountain Reedbuck, Klipspringer, Dikdik And Bright Gazelle. Among Other Large Ungulates Are Elephant, Burchell’s Zebra, Bush Pig, Warthog, Rothschild Giraffe, Cape Buffalo, Eland, Bushbuck, Bush Duikier, Waterbuck Defasa, Bohors Reedbuck, Jackson’s Hartbeest And Oribi.
- Five species of primate are found in the park of which the Kavirondo bush baby is endemic. Carnivores present include lion, leopard, several small cats, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal and side-striped jackal. There are high chances of viewing tree-climbing lions that always sits on sausage trees along Narus valley or on kophes along the kakine and Katarum circuits.
- Other wildlife include Elephants, Leopard, Bush Duiker, Jackal, Bush Buck, Bush Pig, Kavirondo Bush Baby, Buffalo usually seen right from the veranda of your cottage.
- The park boasts an extensive avifauna. 465 species have been recorded (three new species were added to the list in 1995). Of particular interest, the ostrich and the Kori bustard are principally associated with arid regions.
Animals
Common residents of Kidepo Valley National Park include; Elephants, Zebra, Bush Pigs, Rothschild Giraffes, Eland, Jackson’s Hartebeest, Buf, Oribi, Lion, Leopard, Spotted Hyena, Black-backed and Side-backed Jackal. Kidepo is the best park in Africa for great buffalo herds!!
Birds
The park is a birders’ paradise with over 475 bird species. It has an open tree savannah grass land which varies much in structure and composition. Kidepo National Park has proven a life time memory to great birders, internationally due to her endless list of unique birds she has to offer. At Apoka Rest Camp and park headquarters overlooking the shallow, southern Narus valley offers a good spot for your birding trip. The Silver bird and small bands of yellow billed shrike are among the attractive species that frequent the thorny trees around the camp. At the edge of the camp, there exists a small permanent water hole that attracts swallows and a variety of seed eaters among which is the yellow-rumped seed eater. This spot is always visited at night by the four banded sand grouse, Elephants, Buffaloes, Antelopes and the lions.
Top Things to Do
Game Viewing is the most popular activity that visitors cannot miss in Kidepo Valley National Park.
Hiking can be carried out on Morungole Mountains just a few kilometers from the Park Headquarters. Visitors can also go to view the splendid Kidepo River Valley dominated by Borassus palm forest; its wide flat bed is dry for most of the year.
From Kidepo Valley, you may also visit the Kanangorok Hot Springs, which are located only 11 km from Kidepo river valley Ostriches toward the Sudan border.
Other activities include cultural performances visits to the little know tribe of the Ik,Karimajong manyattas (homesteads) costume, stools, spears headdress, knives, bows and arrows.
Best Times to Visit Kidepo
Kidepo Valley National Park trips are done all year round by you can choose the best and convenient months of dry season. According to the travelers and travel agents, the best time (dry period) from September to March. During dry season, the rivers get dry, there is controlled growth of savannah to facilitate clear view and photographing.
Because of high temperatures in Karamoja region, its better to plan early morning game drive. Dry season means fewer mosquitoes in Kidepo Valley National Park and it’s the best time to see migrant birds from November to March.
Getting There
Its approximately 700km from Kampala to Kidepo Valley National Park and you can reach the park by road (10hours drive) or Air (1hr:10 minutes). There are two alternative Routes to reach Kidepo Valley National Park;
- Kampala – Masindi – Gulu – Kitgum – Kidepo
- Kampala – Mbale – Moroto – Kidepo
Driving is more rewarding as vast parts of Karamoja are scenic and total wilderness. However road conditions are sometimes difficult and 4-wheel drive vehicles (4WD) are recommended. Visitors should note that the road mainly in use from Kotido to Kaabong passes via Kanawauat. Visitors intending to travel by road are advised to contact UWA headquarters to seek advice about conditions and safety on the roads.
Kampala-Lira-Kotido-Kidepo-705 km
Kampala-Mbale-Soroti-Moroto-Kidepo-792 km
Kampala-Mbale-Sironko-Kotido-Kideop-740 km
Kampala-Soroti -Kotido via Amuria 656 km
Air Transport
Chartered aircraft are available from Entebbe International Airport and Kajjansi Airfield to the Park Headquarters. The Civil Aviation Authority manages an airstrip at Lomej about 3 km south of the Park Headquarters.
Where to Stay in Kidepo Valley National Park
There are a few alternative accommodations in Kidepo National park. At the Park itself is the upmarket Apoka safari Lodge and N’gamoru Wilderness Camp just outside the park. There are also bandas and two ‘Do it yourself’ campsites run by Uganda Wildlife Authority. You must bring your tent and other camping equipment and food on ‘Do It Yourself’ basis.
- Apoka Safari Lodge, a high end luxury lodge
- Apoka (UWA) Bandas for budget travelers
- N’ga Moru Wilderness Camp.(Midrange Lodge)
- Savanna Game Lodge by Nature Lodges