The remote Kidepo Valley National Park is situated in the northern Ugandan province of Karamoja. Kidepo National Park was established as a national park in 1962 and occupies an area of roughly 1,442 square kilometres, situated more than 575 kilometres away from Kampala, the capital of Uganda. The temperature of Kidepo Valley National Park varies, leading to a diverse range of vegetation. The park experiences two distinct rainy seasons each year, which are in March, April, and May, as well as September, October, and November. 890 mm of rain fall from the southern portion and 635 mm from the northern portion reach Kidepo National Park. A stunning Savannah environment with a craggy horizon may be found at Kidepo National Park, which is tucked away near Uganda’s border with Sudan and Kenya. Of all the parks in East Africa, Kidepo Valley National Park has the most breathtaking scenery, with breathtaking savannah and mountain vistas.
Tourist activities in Kidepo Valley National Park
Game Drives
The most well-liked activity at Kidepo National Park is going on a game drive. You can see more than 80 different kinds of mammals on a game viewing safari, 28 of which are unique to Uganda’s Karamoja region. The Big Five, including the lion, leopard, African buffalo, white rhino, Rothschild giraffes, impala, eland, Jackson’s hartebeest, cheetah, topis, Burchell’s zebra, roan antelope, oribis, kobs, water bucks, bushbucks, warthogs, and spotted hyena, can all be seen in their natural habitat when you go game viewing. During your game drive, you may also see these bird species, like the Egyptian Vulture, Varreaux’s Eagle, and Pygmy Falcon. One of the finest ways to experience the park’s landscape, which is made up of savanna and grassland, is by game driving. A night game drive in Kidepo National Park allows you to see nocturnal creatures like cheetahs, leopards, reedbuck, and Guenther’s dik-dik, among others, that are more active at night.
Nature Walks
A nature walk in the Kidepo Valley National Park is a thrilling way to get a taste of the real African bush. The park’s breathtakingly stunning scenery leads you along many walking trails, including the Kidepo River Trail, the Ostrich Trail on the park’s northern border, and other paths that reveal more species than you could have ever imagined. Discover the other half of the park and the Kanangorok hot springs, a wild natural spa, by going on a nature walk. Many visitors find it impossible to resist going on a barefoot nature walk over the sands of the Kidepo Valley during the dry season, when River Kidepo National Park is deserted and silent. This gives them a proud sense of having conquered the wilderness and nature.
Visit Sand bed along River Kidepo
The Kidepo River is a sand river that flows sporadically in the park’s northern region. Its Borassus palm lining gives it the appearance of an oasis in the middle of the Sahara, which makes it stand out. Around this region is the sand bed experience on the Kidepo River, where one may take in the outdoors and hear various bird cries.
The Kanangorok Hot Springs
The only hot spring in Karamoja is called Kanangorok Hot Springs, and it’s 40 kilometres from Apoka Camp to the border with South Sudan. This is an amazing location for strolling along the 50-meter-wide white sand beach between banks covered in borassus palms, or for sitting and staring at the mountains across the frontier in the dry Kidepo River. While doing this amazing journey, guests can observe zebras, elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, lions, ostriches, and kudos as they drive through the two primary biomes of Kidepo Valley National Park.
Visit Mount Morungole
At 2,750 metres above sea level, Mount Morungole is traversed by the Kidepo and Narus Rivers, which provide sustenance for the park’s fauna and the ecosystem in its whole. The park’s southern border is marked by the Morungole Range, which rises from the lowlands a few kilometres northeast of Apoka. A ranger can accompany you on a foot exploration of this area. The IK people, Uganda’s smallest ethnic group with a distinct culture, live on the mountain slopes.
Bird Watching
Typically conducted in the morning or afternoon, birdwatching is a highly rewarding and memorable experience. The park is home to a diverse range of birds, including the well-known ostriches, Abyssinian roller, Verreaux’s eagle, Yellow-billed hornbill, Egyptian vulture, Kori bustard, Pygmy falcon, Karamoja apalis, Jackson’s hornbill, and several other species. The second-highest concentration of bird species in Uganda is found in Kidepo National Park.
Best time to visit Kidepo National Park
Kidepo Valley National Park, which is situated in a semi-arid area, is best visited year-round, but it is busiest during the dry season. June, July, August, mid-September, and December, January, and February are the months with no rain. The greatest time to see wildlife in Kidepo Valley National Park is during this period.