Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo Valley National Park is a 1,442 square kilometres (557 sq mi) national park in the Karamoja region in northeast Uganda. Kidepo is rugged savannah, dominated by the 2,750 metres (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 kilometres (140 mi), by road northwest of Moroto, the largest town in the sub-region. It is approximately 520 kilometres (320 mi), by road, northeast of Kampala, Uganda's capital and largest city.
CNN's Best Park
Home to a legendary tribe
Off the beaten track, Kidepo National Park is nestled among the rugged hills and valleys of northern Uganda. It's a place so hidden away its beauty has mostly gone unnoticed -- until now.
Famous For
Kidepo National Park is one of the most remote and sparsely populated areas in Uganda. This makes it a perfect space for the exploration and enjoyment of wildlife, rugged landscapes and culture. The park encompasses nearly 96,000 hectares (237,800 acres) with a diverse mix of habitats that support over 450 bird species, and 75 mammal species. Kidepo is home to one of the largest herds of cape buffalos in Africa with a current population estimated at over 7000. It's important to consider the impact these large herbivores can have on your experience as they are often seen at close range.
The park can be accessed by both road and air. It is a ten-hour drive from Entebbe airport. A drive from Murchison Falls takes about 7 hours. You can fly from Entebbe to an airstrip close to Apoka, then by road to the park, bringing your journey to 3 hours.
Adult foreign non-residents pay 40$, Children foreign non-residents pay 20$ , Adult foreign residents pay 30$, children foreign residents pay 10$, East African adult citizens pay ugx15,000 and children pay ugx5,000 per day.
The general concept of ‘when to visit’ doesn’t necessarily apply to Uganda. Uganda has two seasons (Rainy and Dry) It is mostly a drier season from June to early October and again in December through to early March.
Experience the best of Kidepo Valley National Park
One of the most surprising things about this national park is that it’s located far from Kampala, Uganda’s capital. In fact, it’s a bit less than 12-hour road trip north of the city on a rough but beautiful drive that winds through savannah and bucolic villages. The park's isolation is off-putting for many, but is a small price to pay to discover one of Africa's genuine hidden gems.
When you're visiting Uganda for the first time, I'd suggest figuring out how much time you have and trying to figure out where you'd like to go in the country. If you're pressed for time, Kidepo National Park is one of the highlights and it's a great place to start. It's framed by impressive sweeping plains of Kidepo and Narus Valleys overshadowed by the brooding mountainscape of Mount Morungole (the sacred peak of the mysterious Ik people,) this park has huge appeal just for the scenery alone.
The park’s range of habitats supports some of Africa’s highest concentrations of wildlife including 475 bird species and over 77 mammal species. The Kidepo Valley National Park is a beautiful conservation area where visitors can see several animals found nowhere else in Uganda, including cheetahs, black-backed jackals, bat-eared foxes, aardwolves, caracal, and greater and lesser kudus.
Kidepo Valley National Park is home to more than 7000 uniquely numbered buffalo which live in separate herds. It is important to point out that the type of buffalo found in Kidepo, and Uganda's national and wildlife parks, is the cape buffalo (syncerus caffer); it is not the docile domesticated buffalo (Bubalus bublis) which is found in many homes in some countries of Asia including India.
Few experiences are quite as exhilarating as watching the sunset from the top of Mount Murungole, one of the highest points in Kidepo Valley National Park. On a clear evening, find yourself gazing over seemingly endless waves of deep green savannah dotted with luminous stars. It is then that you will realize that few things in life are more beautiful than African sunsets.
Kidepo Valley
The Kidepo valley is one of the most spectacular in Africa. The park is a haven for wildlife, especially in the rainy season. While it may be true for the rugged valleys and table-top mountains that the region is known for, it could just be that the only thing more stunning is the seasonal Kidepo river snaking through the park and disappearing beneath a white bed of sand, formed as it drains off into South Sudan. During heavy rains, originating from Mount Morungole, the river flows through the park north into South Sudan. Hours later, it disappears leaving a river of sand as wide as 165 feet in some places stretching as far as the eye can see. Animals like baboons and elephants dig into the sands to find some water to freshen themselves.
Narus Valley
The sheer scenic beauty of the location is reason enough to visit Narus Valley. However, the real reason to visit this remote place is that it is a very unique place where wildlife gathers on a reliable basis all year round. If you are into wilderness areas and game viewing, no trip to Uganda would be complete without making a stop at Narus Valley.
Narus Valley has traditionally been the epicenter of wildlife animal activity as many species gather around the permanent water points in Narus Valley, making it an ideal time to spot elephants, lions, and leopards. The Narus Valley water holes are a haven for animals, especially predators like the leopard and cheetah. Flocks of birds in the area include ostriches, secretary birds (which eat termites), and babblers.
Game Drives
The grasslands are bursting with life, and it’s easy to imagine them in their prime a century ago when the herds numbered in the millions. Regardless, today Kidepo provides excellent options for visitors interested in seeing wildlife on a game drive. This remarkable park offers many of Africa’s signature species (lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, and giraffe) in a setting equally as stunning as its wild and exotic neighbors. The bush offers an endless parade of animals. maneless zebras, kudus, buffalos, gazelles, oryx, zebra, striped hyenas, reedbucks, and different types of antelope can be found in their grasslands.
Vast plains and endless skies, waterbucks, with the presence of 7,501 buffaloes in Kidepo, the largest population of animals, Hartebeast are the second most populous while elephant come third with nearly 700 head roaming freely here in the park. And once you’ve experienced the park with your own eyes and caught a glimpse of those exotic creatures in their natural habitat, you’ll be tempted to return for more. The experience will change you.
Birding
Kidepo is an important birding safari and one of Africa’s most important birding destinations with close to 450 bird species, from the lesser-known red-faced pygmy woodpecker to the striking Von der Decken’s hornbill, which sports a dramatic two-foot-long curved bill. Note: The hornbills are named after a 19th-century German explorer and naturalist, Carl Christian Ludwig von der Decken (1830-1889). If you’re a birder and have dreamed of visiting Mt. Kidepo National Park in Uganda, you’ll be amazed at how many birds you’ll see in one day. Your bird list will likely include numerous rarities and endemic species.
The combination of favorable weather, amazing bird species diversity, and the experience of being in a primordial landscape is as close to heaven as it gets. In a day, you'll feel as if you've left behind the city and spent your day in nature. It is there that you find yourself alone with the simple beauty of this planet, each breath drawing you closer to your interior being. It is no wonder that it quickly became a must-visit destination.
Cultural Tour
This is a cultural tour activity in Kidepo Valley National Park that focuses on the Ik people and the traditional way of life in the Morungole mountain range. The Ik people are one of the last truly nomadic tribes in Africa and this is a rare chance to meet with them and experience aspects of their culture. A great cultural tour activity for those interested in African history, ethnography or social justice.
Once inside the world of the Ik people, you'll learn about the unique culture these Bushmen have experienced in the face of modernity. The local tour guides are expertly trained in guiding visitors through their world, sharing not just their culture but that of the surrounding wildlife and other groups with you. There are also plenty of activities like visiting a beehive for honey tasting or going to a traditional bread bakery.
Nature Walks
When on safari, you are privy to amazing views of the African savanna, and animals: lions, elephants, zebras, in their natural habitat. While in a safari vehicle, do not forget to get out of the car and take a walking tour of the park: perhaps go on an early morning hike before the heat of the day or at sunset to view animals returning from their daily activities. Walk amongst the animals, see and feel the environment, listen to the sounds of the bush. This will give you an experience waiting for you in no other way and to observe nature in a way that is far more rewarding than sitting inside a vehicle.
The path around Apoka Camp, Rionome Trail, Lomej Mountains, and others takes in incredible biodiversity swathes. Whether it's in life, science, or climbing, we can all look up to the mountain and let its spirit inspire us on our journeys of self-discovery and fulfillment. Join in for a life-changing nature walk.
Kidepo Valley National Park is home to the largest variety of mammals of any national park in Uganda. This is due to the diverse habitat, from grassland plains that are more reminiscent of The Serengeti to dense woodland and forests that closely resemble dry mountain forests.
Kidepo Valley National Park is home to some of the planet’s most magnificent creatures, including cheetahs, leopards, wild dogs, and pangolins. The park also has a large population of klipspringers (springbok) and rock dassies, which are endemic and indigenous to the area. The cheetahs, ostriches, and wild dogs are some of the mammals and bird species only found within Kidepo.
This is the only home of the kori bustard in Uganda. The kori bustard is the largest flying bird native to Africa. It is a member of the bustard family whose diet is almost entirely made up of seeds and leaves. In other words, they eat plants and not animals. This is a very unique trait amongst birds and makes it surprising that they have such a large population in Kidepo.
You can see almost 50 mammalian and bird species on the planet only within Kidepo, including aardwolf, caracal, ground squirrels, leopard, lesser kudu, wild dogs, and ostriches. The park is also home to the largest surviving population of endangered Pangolins in Africa and Asia. Uganda is home to all four of the African species and Kidepo is your prime destination to see them.
